Youtube comments of vinm300 (@vinm300).

  1. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    1300
  2. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    1000
  3. Absolutely magnificent. The precision was astonishing. The hi-tech warfare - mastered by Ukraine. Even the video production was commendable. Rejoice at this demonstration of Ukrainian superiority.
    816
  4. Kitill was a KGB informer. After the collapse of the USSR, records were released which showed Kirill informed on his fellow clerics. Rolex watch wearing Kirill currently has his office in the Kremlin.
    716
  5. Utterly magnificent. Well done Ukraine : defenders of Western Civilization. Europe has trembled for decades at the thought of masses of Russian tanks rolling across the Hungarians plains.
    712
  6. Saudi military : the best comedy show in town.
    644
  7. Thank you Ukraine, you bring joy to the hearts of the free people in Europe. We are blessed to have you as our neighbours.
    613
  8. Trump said France has turned into a $hithole country.
    599
  9. Mika's face - when they cut back from Trump LOL
    556
  10. A great piece of reporting. Very brave Ukrainians. Britain is sending 6000 NLAW missiles, and "The Americans are sending an extraordinary amount", said Boris.
    503
  11. Very well written. Concise, simple language : a master-class in writing. (I wonder who penned it)
    457
  12. Autopsy expert...check Bone saw...........check Body double......check Right, let's get this fist fight underway.
    422
  13. Erdoğan's son is doing okay, he's a multimillionaire. Perhaps all Turks could follow his path to success.
    365
  14. Well done Ursula von der Leyden : a very brave journey, and a firm message of resolve. Macron wants to recommence dialogue with Putin : "Pas de recul ", said Ursula (no backsliding) Historian Tim Snyder of Yale voiced the consensus when he said, "Peace isn't possible with Putin, only military defeat on the battlefield"
    340
  15. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    333
  16. Bosnia : the country with 3 presidents. .......and all of them corrupt. .......and not one of them honest. .......and each of them sectarian ding-bats.
    292
  17. The guest is very good ! "Unfortunately they (EU) have wasted 2 years just looking at things"
    290
  18. NOT improvised. That is a special forces operation using a German mine. It is optically triggered, and one would imagine remotely activated. (They saw their target, activated the mine, then let the optical switch detonate)
    265
  19. Biden hasn't a chance and CNN haven't a clue.
    261
  20. LOL what do you expect from Mugabe's thugs (The war veterans). It's another tale of African failure : looting, tribalism and destruction ; they haven't a clue. Do you know what civilization requires ? It requires hundreds or thousands of years. It's a mindset : people have to realise they have rights. There have to be independent institutions (guilds, unions, colleges etc) You can't have one strongman simply using violence to hand loot to his thugs.
    247
  21. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    219
  22. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    219
  23. Well done USA : it makes one proud to be a member of NATO Well done brave Ukrainian soldiers. Britain has sent 6000 "God save the Queen" NLAWs If I were 30yrs younger, and if I had a scrap of military experience, I'd be right with you.
    215
  24. Correct : Russia has never cared for its soldiers. It dates back to the C19th (and earlier) when soldiers were slaves (serfs). Russia has always considered soldiers expendable - just like damaged machinery.
    213
  25. Interesting analysis. a) Russia had too few troops to begin with, experts said this and so did Igor Gerkin. b) Putin told Israeli PM Bennet "Failure is not an option". How does Russia climb down ? c) Russia simply cannot win. d) As long as Ukrainians fight on, the West will deliver weapons. e) General Keane said, "The West must seize this opportunity to crush the Russian forces"
    212
  26. It's more than drones, more than air-power. Turkey are a professional army with professional soldiers. Haftar's militia are half-wits. They are pick-up truck thugs. That's the difference.
    210
  27. 4:15 "What qualities do Ukrainians see in him that will make him a good leader ? " How about that he's not one of the corrupt politicians they see governing them at present.
    208
  28. The king of Thailand is a grotesque, disgraceful weirdo. And yet anyone who criticises him is thrown in prison. In Thailand that passes for civilized law & order.
    202
  29. Imran Khan : "The Taliban are throwing off the shackles of slavery"
    197
  30. Russia has been humiliated It would be hard to say anything "factual" about the Russian army without discrediting it.
    197
  31. Well done Sweden : I'm afraid you brought this on yourself. Good luck fixing it. It will only get worse.
    196
  32. 40 seconds : look at the difference. The Turkish officer looks like a soldier and the Qatari looks like a fat bag of $hit. You can't make soldiers out of the oil rich nations : they're as soft as marsh-mallows.
    194
  33. Oh dear Bulgaria : rotten to the core. Good luck to the people.
    192
  34. The secondary explosions make my day.
    187
  35. Anti-ship missiles must be supplied to Ukraine. In 1905 when the Russian fleet was sunk by Japan, it almost brought down Tsar Nicholas II The Black Sea fleet is irreplaceable, and its loss may bring down Putin.
    184
  36. Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    181
  37. Many years ago (~15yrs), I remember a retired Pakistan Air marshal say, "India wouldn't take Pakistan if we gave it to them". He was advocating slashing Pak's defence spending, getting rid of nuclear missiles, and rejuvenating the economy with closer Western ties.
    179
  38. Absolutely stunning. Lavrov is talking about WW3 : Russia is being pasted in local war 1 Even the Italians are supplying weapons, and Putin has a villa in Italy.
    177
  39. Patriarch Kiril : In 1990 Glasnost exposed him as a KGB informer. He informed on parishioners and clergy. His current office is in the Kremlin, and the Rolex-watch-wearing rogue enjoys a luxury lifestyle with his mistress.
    176
  40. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" I wonder when macron will start speaking for Ukraine. France military support = $0.16 billion Poland = $1.6 billion ten times more than France
    172
  41. I felt great sympathy for the dog. 100 Russians aren't worth the life of a friendly dog.
    171
  42. Well done France : for being a world leader in nuclear power. Macron just signed a deal for $40 billion to provide Saudi with nuclear power. German needs to wake up, and ask France for nuclear power stations.
    168
  43. Mao's continues his Cultural Revolution from beyond the grave.
    156
  44. As you sow, so shall you reap.
    155
  45. Wow they seem to know just where to hit it. That was right in the sweet spot.
    151
  46. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    150
  47. Once you've seen one Russian column destroyed, you've seen 'em all But keep them coming LOL, I'll keep watching.
    146
  48. Well done Islam. Iran and Pakistan are supposed to be beacon countries for Islam. Instead they are used as examples of intolerance, incompetence, corruption, authoritarianism and injustice.
    145
  49. Let me give you an insight into the Polish nobility (szlachta) :- a) they elected their king, who was rarely ever Polish. b) they were entirely obsessed with their own status and carried all their wealth on display : eg riding to town with another 6 horses in tow simply so people can see their wealth, eg shoeing their horses with gold shoes etc. c) many nobles with voting rights were dirt poor and easily bribed : so the elected king was the one who bribed most liberally. d) nobles didn't invest or modernise. Between 1500-1800 agricultural productivity in Poland increased 25% Compared to 200% in Britain and 100% in France. e) legislation passed in the Sejm had to be unanimous : which meant any foreign power could block all reform by bribing just one impoverished noble. f) Polish nobles believed themselves descended from a mythical Greek race ( Sarmatism ) They regarded Polish peasants as an inferior race to be subjugated.
    143
  50. Russian troops are shooting Ukrainians who have surrendered :- "These ... reports suggest that atrocities are not the result of rogue units or individuals; they rather reveal a deeply disturbing pattern of systematic abuse across all areas where Russia's forces are engaged."
    143
  51. Who is to blame ? Well the Internet, provocative pop-music imagery, the decline of religion, the decline of responsibility in the political class (low standards), the absence of cultural role models (Robin Hood - courtesy, chivalry etc), the ubiquity of sexual imagery, and the mockery of moral indignation.
    143
  52. The ANC are running South Africa into the ground. Well done you corrupt, ignorant, incompetent half-wits.
    141
  53. Very impressive : a marvellous design.
    141
  54. Hi-tech, professionalism, coordination, bravery : all the things Russia lacks.
    139
  55. Tusk : "The problem is this - 500 million Europeans are asking 300 million Americans for help against 140 million Russians" LOL
    135
  56. Black September :- Was the expulsion of the PLO from Jordan after they attempted to take over the Jordan state with a coup d'etat. Yaser Arafat :- Was a corrupt dictator who ruled the Palestinians for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. He was sending his wife (in Paris) $1 million per month in the 1970s. Arafat was hated by everyone in the middle-east. His only concern was himself and keeping his grip on power. He was a disaster for the Palestinian people who now wish he had accepted the UN 2 state solution when it was offered in 1947. The Palestinians wish that $3 billion had been invested in education and development. Arafat's legacy can be seen today : primary school children being trained with wooden rifles, teenagers being encouraged to martyr themselves destroying a fence, and corrupt old men in the Palestinian Authority, driving around in luxury SUVs and building themselves mansions.
    133
  57. Well done France God bless Ukraine
    130
  58. That woman, I wish she would be silent.
    129
  59. Europe has seized $300 billion of Russian assets. That will settle any debt payments and more. It will also be used for reparations for Ukraine : legally ! One must first go through the International Courts : that could take 5 years.
    129
  60. I think it is more important not to hand Russia any victory. Ukraine + Himars are riding high and Russian attrition losses are devastating them. Ukraine can afford to ride out this year. It is Russia that are wanting some resolution; they simply cannot sustain this situation.
    129
  61. "Just a mess" Russia is a medieval country : the army is like Ottoman Azzars - unpaid bandits who live off loot. Corruption means conscripts have no warm clothing, poor food, and often lack equipment. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    129
  62. Heroes who also appear to be having fun, marvellous.
    127
  63. "He warned the opposition he would be more dangerous if ousted from power" What does that mean ?
    124
  64. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Erdoğan will be getting a phone call from France.
    122
  65. The Taliban must be laughing into their turbans at the West. 30 police officers following a Jihadi waiting for him to start killing folk.
    121
  66. A marvellous display of humanity in a war zone. Volunteering despite the dangers : supporting the vulnerable, and bringing good fellowship to the soldiers (and much needed supplies).
    121
  67. Thank God for Ben Hodges
    121
  68. Heroic resistance. The noble resolve to defend the nation at all cost.
    119
  69. Well done to all those fighting the Russian invaders, but especially to the British volunteers : one's heart swells with pride at the thought. It reminds one of Lord Byron (d.1824) fighting for Greek independence against the Turks.
    119
  70. The precision is tear-jerking. Those Orc gunners were lambasted. They are trained in the Gulags to die for Mother Russia - and they just did.
    119
  71. Russia can do worse than this. The KGB encouraged children to inform on their parents - who would then get 10yrs in the Gulags. Russia has always been a dystopia. Only last week school children recorded their teacher saying "Ukraine is a country" for which the teacher was sacked. Russia is like an insane asylum.
    117
  72. Very, very impressive. An excellent speaker. Every question was answered directly, factually and diplomatically. Never criticising allies, always looking for peace, but requesting the tools needed for defence. She is a credit to Ukraine.
    114
  73. Good report : DW excels on economics. Pakistan is also in trouble : they helped the Taliban succeed and can expect little assistance now. The Western world has its hands full, and will only support those who support it.
    114
  74. Himars and howitzers are the key to success (attrition) So Italy are sending a further 30, Sweden are sending 12 (state of the art) France is sending an additional 4 Caesar howitzers. Russia is finished. Which is why Shoigu phoned Lloyd Austin twice (21 and 23 Oct)
    113
  75. Guterres final words : "There are no Ukrainian troops in Russia, but there are Russian troops in Ukraine" Lavrov : "I can confirm that fact" Thank God for the UN. What would we do without them ?
    112
  76. German weapons will arrive In winter.... if Ukraine can just hold on. Let's make the deadline December 25th, a seasonal touch.
    109
  77. Taiwan was NOT disadvantaged by being excluded from the WHO. The WHO got every call wrong : that's why there is a global pandemic : The WHO refused to isolate China.
    106
  78. Erdoğan's son is a multi-millionaire, why don't others follow his example. If Turks worked hard like Erdoğan's son, they too could be millionaires.
    106
  79. Corruption has a twin : incompetence. The corrupt incompetent politicians have been found out and there's no getting the genie back in the bottle.
    105
  80. Magnificent. Orcs can't use drones : Russian fundraisers sent a drone to their troops - it went straight on Russian ebay, for beer money. (The box had gift writing on, so was easily identified in the advert).
    104
  81. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    104
  82. Sexual violence ? Rape ? Tell it to UN Guterres - he speaks on behalf of Hamas to "contextualise" their crimes
    103
  83. Iranians are wonderful. If only they could rid themselves of the religious Ayatollahs. Those murderous, fanatical, tyrannical obscenities. The Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 in one year : he was much worse than the Shah.
    102
  84. Well done Macron : he showed courage in Moscow, and acted to unite the EU and NATO in support of Ukraine. Macron has been a stalwart against Russia. Vote Macron.
    102
  85. Russians on social media are saying, "No Swan Lake on TV yet" "Maybe Swan Lake tonight" etc Swan Lake was played non stop when the USSR collapsed. Medvedev said, "They are trying to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen. Ben Hodges : "We should be prepared for the Russian Federation splitting apart" Nice to see Russia and America agree on something.
    102
  86. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" Italy said, "A ceasefire immediately, followed by land for peace" France would capitulate, and Italy would surrender. Countries cannot escape their culture.
    101
  87. A great interview. Absolutely stunning. Fedorov gave us all a very honest account of Kremlin thinking. I think even the Pentagon's ears would prick up at some of these insights.
    101
  88. Very brave fighters. Their heroic defence allowed Ukraine to defeat Russia at Kyiv : then to defeat Russia at Kharkiv. Two remarkable victories resulted from the Azov fighters tying up Russian forces in Mariupol.
    100
  89. Russia and poison is an association which goes back centuries. The Russian authorities favourite method of dealing with their enemies.
    99
  90. "Projectiles", what a curious description for a missile. Projectile could be a clod of soil, ferociously launched from a tractor pulling a plough. What if Israeli media described their response as "Projectiles were returned to Gaza" Everyone would say : they're not "projectiles" they're missiles. (Nice propaganda Al-Jazeera.)
    99
  91. LOL. China harvest human organs from prisoners , how did you expect them to treat animals ?
    97
  92. "A high decibel debate has begun" Excellent. Alliteration, topicality, and comedy. Keep 'em coming.
    97
  93. An old story. In 1619 Count Gondomar returned home from his role as Ambassador to England. Everywhere he saw villages abandoned and was horrified. Peasants paid 3 lots of tax - to the king, the Church tithes, and the landowner. Nobles and Priests paid no tax. Peasants were barely subsisting, so moved to the towns - which had up to 40% indigent poor living on charity.
    97
  94. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    97
  95. Russian paratroopers : the Butchers of Bucha.
    96
  96. Oh, does that mean fat-cat EU salaries are set to be slashed ?
    95
  97. Hezbollah : the problem. Iran back Hezbollah, and want to extend religious fanaticism.
    94
  98. "In a final act of desperate cowardness" LOL nice one.
    94
  99. It's Africa. This is nothing compared to what happened in the Sudan or Congo. Meanwhile African leaders buy themselves apartments in Monte Carlo and load their pension pots in Swiss banks. Look at Zimbabwe and S Africa : corruption reigns supreme. The answer is a UN protectorate and governance until independent institutions and the rule of law is established.
    92
  100. "Counter revolutionary mercenaries" He's still living in the 1960s
    92
  101. el Sisi is all wind. Erdogan doesn't need to make threats, he lets his moustache do the talking, or rather he lets it symbolically brace his determined visage.
    90
  102. 23:21 look at Jimmy's face, he is 100% sympathetic to the protestors. That face is the definition of empathy.
    89
  103. Lebanon needs to be rid of Hezbollah Lebanon needs to become a sovereign state, not an outpost of Iran
    89
  104. I watched a military recruitment office being fire-bombed. The chap took his time, with no fear of arrest. If it was a small town many miles from Moscow, it could be that the local administrators don't want to be called up, or have any of their family called up. The arsonist looked like a chap acting with impunity.
    89
  105. 3:50 "Nuclear weapons are more valuable to Russia if they don't use them" Just like Gas Once Russia switch off the gas - they lose the threat of switching off gas Then they lose financially If Russia use tactical nukes they lose tremendously, there is simply no advantage for them Like falling into a Black Hole - the more you accelerate to escape, the faster you reach the singularity. If Russia use nukes - they lose in Ukraine faster than if they hadn't.
    89
  106. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    88
  107. Jesse Ventura : well-spoken, honest and thoughtful, he'd make a great President.
    88
  108. Putin's Russia :- "A gaudy empire, more of a racket than a regime" "Sufficient motive for a pageant : but hollow within" "Something to be enjoyed rather than believed in" All said about Napoleon III who led France to total collapse (1870)
    87
  109. Magnificent. The Ukrainians just reminded me of the Yanks at Anzio. The howitzer is classic military muscle, and it fits the Ukrainians like a glove.
    87
  110. Putin : Does Ukraine have any weakness ? Shoigu : Yes : they are running out of jokes. Gerasimov : It's true Herr Putin, they are reconditioning old jokes.
    86
  111. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    86
  112. 10:50 "The Anglo-Phoenician world of mercantile cosmopolitanism" Hugh Trevor-Roper pointed out that Europe's rebirth after the collapse of Rome, came through trade with Byzantium. Constantinople thrived after the fall of Rome. Byzantine trading outposts were established at Bari Amalfi and Venice. Maintaining the mechanisms of banking, insurance and bills of exchange Genoa and Pisa also developed along the same lines.
    85
  113. A real action man : he and his cohorts are just what is needed for close fighting in Bakhmut.
    84
  114. Pakistan has no shame. Pak is a bankrupt extremist state. Modi is speaking to Zelensky today : Putin need not fear, Modi is an expert in the dialectics of deference.
    83
  115. There are 3 aims :- a) To support Ukraine to total victory b) to strengthen NATO as a deterrent to Russian aggression c) To weaken and degrade Russia's ability to wage wars of aggression. All 3 aims are heading to success. Putin has made the biggest blunder of the century.
    83
  116. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    81
  117. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    80
  118. Russia & China veto any condemnation in the UN. The Axis of Evil.
    80
  119. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    80
  120. The USA has done an amazing job. Boris said, "The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts" The US has supplied invaluable intelligence, with 2 Nimrods permanently patrolling 24/7 Well done US, well done Ukraine.
    80
  121. The rockets are GPS guided, they have a range of 50 miles and are pinpoint accurate. They are a game changer. Well done USA and UK.
    80
  122. Xi is laughing up his sleeve.
    80
  123. Magnificent. They must feel 10ft tall with that equipment. That machine gun would stop an Orc advance in one burst. Highly skilled, very professional, and much admired : the Ukrainian soldier. "M240L the newest 7.62 Light weight with titanium parts and shorter barrel, in order to reduce weight. Also a collapsible stock to save space and adjust for user comfort."
    79
  124. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    79
  125. A microcosm - destroying the fence, that is all the Taliban can accomplish. The Taliban don't build or create, they tear down and destroy. If one asked them to erect a fence it would look like Fred Carnot's.
    79
  126. 9:01 A plea from an Arab state for Israeli military help "the only one ever recorded". Wrong. Egypt call on Israeli on a regular basis, against fanatics in Sinai.
    79
  127. Modi has found his moral compass. It takes courage to defy Russia, and Biden has found the courage from somewhere. Biden said Modi "Looks shaky", but Modi has come good. Well done India.
    78
  128. NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia.
    78
  129. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    77
  130. We have all had a belly-full of Putin over the last few days, and deserve some light relief. Watching Orcs getting a pummelling is just the ticket. God bless Ukraine.
    77
  131. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
    77
  132. Trump tried to ease the situation by tweeting, "When the looting starts the shooting starts" revealing himself to be a first class a-hole.
    77
  133. 0:28 That Arab minister wondering what to do with his spare hand. He really won me over. Harold McMillan would've put the spare hand in his pocket.
    76
  134. Very impressive - the atmosphere and Camaraderie - a band of brothers.
    76
  135. God bless the USA
    75
  136. Sikorski is very polished He's a credit to Poland
    75
  137. 2:15 "How long can Ukraine cope with this ?" Indefinitely. It doesn't effect the military situation at all. Russia is the one that can't keep it up. Russia is on the retreat, and getting its army kicked from pillar to post.
    75
  138. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
    73
  139. Germany have vetoed weapon sales to Ukraine, and are contemplating opening Nord Stream 2. I do hope we are not seeing a Ribbentrop type Kremlin visit.
    73
  140. 3:22 LOL Look at that display of Saudi civilization and you know why everyone despises them. The Saudi is bone idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant, arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel.
    72
  141. Barbarossa and his crew are dynamite ! I've never seen such bravery. He keeps his head out of the turret even when he's out of ammo He watches the Russian convoy pass Incredible
    72
  142. Ukraine is united : both President and former president are doing a magnificent job. Military strategists use a 3:1 ration for attack and defence. Ukraine acknowledge 3000 soldiers killed, which would correspond to 9000 Russian soldiers killed. So Ukraine's estimate of 11k isn't that far off.
    72
  143. "The Gulag Archipelago" relates how schoolchildren were encouraged to inform on their parents. One child shopped his father - who did 10yrs in the Gulags.
    71
  144. Very impressive. Not easy to run across those sleepers - misses his footing at least once. Quite magnificent.
    71
  145. Putin has been a corrupt gangster ever since he was deputy mayor of St Petersburg. $118 million was stolen by a cartel of politicians and officials : the police, bureaucrats , FSB, accountants, politicians etc
    71
  146. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    70
  147. Truly magical : the golden wheat & green hillock illuminated by precision guided Orc-eliminators.
    70
  148. Proxy war : you bet. General Keane said, "We have the opportunity to crush Russia" Lloyd Austin (Sec of State) "We must degrade Russia to prevent it invading again" Folks are queuing up to put the boot in to Russia.
    68
  149. Fantastic. It reminds me of Batman - the opening sequence. Those rockets have gyroscopes, GPS guided, they land right on the Orcs' squalid camps
    68
  150. Very well spoken
    68
  151. The first tank gets smacked. So the 2nd tank waits near the crossroad, and gets himself tw@tted. Good work.
    67
  152.  @saurabhiyer3381  , I afraid kartheek is correct : landlocked means " enclosed by land and having no navigable route to the sea." You absolutely cannot use it in this case ! SG has simply slipped up in his English usage.
    67
  153. The entire Western World is willing Ukraine to victory against the second Russian aggression in Donbas.
    67
  154. Low turnout favours Le Penn. Those who ant change are much more likely to vote : it's the Trump effect.
    66
  155. Well done. "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated on the battlefield" Voiced by Yale historian Tim Snyder. It is the consensus opinion. Which accounts for why heavy weapons are now heading to Ukraine.
    66
  156. Macron is trying to present himself as tough. Australia dumped France because Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang up against China" Macron is weak with China, and a fool in France.
    66
  157. POSTWAR Ukraine is riding high on the world stage : Victories in the same league as the "Six Day War" Everyone is watching with unabated admiration. When the war is over Ukraine will be the power that humbled Russia Status that will last for centuries
    66
  158. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    64
  159. The FSB has a history of bombings in Moscow..... Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    64
  160. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
    64
  161. Did you see his followers waving their arms chanting ? That's because they have no standards : it's like S Africa or Zimbabwe the people simply ignore corruption and keep chanting. Don't blame politicians it's the people who have no standards.
    64
  162. Zelensky has asked for 500 anti-tank, and 500 anti-aircraft missiles per day. That is an incredible ask. However, Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts ". No nation can withstand an industrial onslaught by the Yanks.
    63
  163. It is hard to imagine Russia ever being accepted amongst the civilized nations, after this unprecedented display of unprovoked aggression.
    63
  164. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    62
  165. There are two main Ukrainian brigades facing off against the entire combat power remaining in the Russian army. The 53rd Mechanized Brigade is holding the line at Severodonetsk, their headquarters are in the city. The Russians have moved behind them to the west with the advance out of Popasna. The goal on paper is to encircle Severodonetsk and destroy the 53rd Mechanized Brigade. However the Ukrainians have a second full strength brigade, the 54th Mechanized Brigade, headquartered at Bakhmut. They have a rapid response force, over 200 tanks in inventory, and at least one artillery battalion that has upgraded to M198 155mm towed howitzers. They have the full support of the local territorial defense brigade and volunteer citizens. They have effective transportation, logistics and rations; front line troops in Severodonetsk are getting kitchen cooked meals delivered warm into their positions.
    62
  166. Hamas started this at 6:01pm Monday 10th May when Israel ignored the Hamas deadline. What did Hamas think Israel would do in response ?
    61
  167. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    61
  168. Keep protesting there are millions more in Europe supporting you.
    60
  169. 2:30 "Macron says we must not humiliate Russia" Watch the response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration.
    60
  170. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    59
  171. Well done to all those fighting the Russian invaders, but especially to the British volunteers : one's heart swells with pride at the thought. It reminds one of Lord Byron (d.1824) fighting for Greek independence against the Turks.
    59
  172. Macron is a con-man. He was elected by promising change but he was just the old order in disguise. The people have found him out.
    59
  173. Well done Houthis. What a shame they have to deal with Saudi liars , Saudi back-stabbers, Saudi deal-breakers, Saudi cowards. The only principal the Saudi knows is corruption : they consider it a virtue.
    59
  174. Good reporting : his visage displays real worry and danger. But he keeps going.
    59
  175. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    58
  176. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The German ambassador responded with exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration.
    58
  177. Very impressive : a clinically clean killing machine.
    58
  178. The Saudi have, once again, shown themselves to be bone-idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant, arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel.
    58
  179. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    57
  180. The German politician : a mumbling half-apologetic, half-asleep, unconvincing denouncer of Russian aggression. Late to the table, lack-lustre and half-baked : I hope Germany has better specimens.
    57
  181. ....sleepy Joe Biden". "Boy does he get a pass from these people", gestures towards the media. LOL
    57
  182. LOL I said India should do nothing in response to Kashmir. Now look where it has got them. You know why India didn't shoot down the Pakistani planes ? They didn't want to escalate tension : so they scrambled jets to chase Pakistanis off. Every Indo-Pakistan war has been started by Pakistan. I told India to do nothing. Just keep growing economically, educationally, socially and politically and let Pakistan fester in Islamofascism.
    56
  183. Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    56
  184. Zimbabwe is the 'bread basket ' of Africa. It is so good for farming you cn get 2 crops a year : the Europeans couldn't believe how good the conditions were. I'm afraid the farms were given to "war veterans " who just wanted to get drunk and bring some prostitutes round. Any residual farm workers (from the colonialists) were beaten and driven off. Good farms became boozing dens.
    55
  185. "Bread-basket of Africa." That was Zimbabwe before the idiots took control. They handed land to "War Veterans" who didn't want land, they wanted cash. War Veterans wanted a pension and easy life : they turned the farms into brothels. They beat up the farmworkers who lived on the farm and called them 'collaborators' because they'd taken part in the successful colonialist economy.
    55
  186. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    55
  187. Russian mercenaries targeting civilians......it's a familiar story. Never expect military-professionalism or humanitarian considerations from mercenary gangsters and thugs : ie Haftar Forces.
    55
  188. Turkey is the big winner Gosh, you don't say
    53
  189. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    53
  190. Good to see them smiling. Turkey is giving us all a good laugh.
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  191. "How much does it matter to the Indian people ? " That only a crow was killed. Well I suppose it was a Pakistani crow. So it all counts.
    53
  192. Russia will pay for all this in reparations. (Also, on a military point : nobody ever took a city by shelling : this is just something a humiliated army does, out of frustration).
    53
  193. Very professional, very impressive.
    53
  194. Very professional : they are an inspiration.
    53
  195. Stalin made a pact with Hitler to divide Poland. Massacred 30,000 Polish officers, occupied the country imposing the Russian brand of tyranny. That is why Russia is feared and hated throughout the world.
    53
  196. She's not convincing. And keeps saying she is under legal constraints as to how she can answer. That sounds a lot like pleading the 5th.
    52
  197. Those missiles cost around $50,000,000, they are designed to deliver a nuclear warhead to New York. Using them simply as a bunker buster is a tremendous waste of money. One would only do it if one were utterly desperate for a national triumph.
    52
  198. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" Italy said, "A ceasefire immediately, followed by land for peace" France would capitulate, and Italy would surrender. Countries cannot escape their culture.
    52
  199. There's a guy called Rev Al Sharpton who gets $250,000 a year from the Democrats to secure them the black vote and he spends it on chasing teenage tail. It's how the system works . Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both had to pay court to Rev Al Sharpton. (Obviously he sold his votes to the highest bidder - Hillary).
    51
  200. It is part of Indian culture. When someone commits an offence the village elders will often decide to rape the younger sister of the defendant as a punishment. Gang rape is accepted in India as part of their ancient judicial system. It was a sad day when the British left.
    51
  201. Ukraine now has 16 Himars (4 arrived this week) Each package = 1 Himars vehicle and 100 rockets ($15 million) Allow me to do the math : 16 Himars x 100 = 1600 rockets (deadly accurate) That is one hell of an arsenal, hitting bullseye every time.
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  202. Guterres final words : "There are no Ukrainian troops in Russia, but there are Russian troops in Ukraine" Lavrov : "I can confirm that fact" Thank God for the UN. What would we do without them ?
    50
  203. LOL where is the African Union : that fraternity of corrupt gangsters. Where is South Africa's ANC : that corrupt one-party state of ignorant thugs. I'm afraid what we are seeing (for the last 40yrs) is the true face of Africa : it's tyrannical, sectarian, ignorant, corrupt, greedy, incompetent and unable to recognise itself for what it is.
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  204. "I'm in this for the long haul" Which means he will be dropping out soon.
    50
  205. LOL hat's off to de Gaulle : everyone hated him, but he inserted himself into history non-the-less. In London, he was given an office without a phone. When top-level talks took place ,to which he wasn't invited, he'd show up anyway. When Paris was liberated, he woke early and decided to lead the parade.
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  206. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
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  207. ..ie get lucrative government contracts and kick-backs.
    50
  208. Lloyd Austin : "They believe we can win......they believe they can win" Who cares who's winning, as long as Russia is losing. Blinken : "Ukraine will be around a lot longer than Putin" Nice line : everyone knows Putin is dying.
    50
  209. Ali, you're $hitting me. Natural resources ? what exactly. They have a huge labour force abroad who send money home : Pakistan is a remittance economy. Strong judicial system ? you're kidding. The blasphemy law allows any Muslim to accuse their neighbour and have them hanged : it is an international disgrace. Young smart population ? you're having a laugh. Pakistan is stagnating . The madrasa inculcates young minds into the medieval torpor of Islam. That's not education. Europe experienced the Enlightenment in the 17thC Pakistan has still to become Enlightened.
    49
  210. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    49
  211. Ursula von der Leyden said, "Putin's war of choice must fail" She added, "For the first time the EU is sending military support, and will continue until Ukraine is victorious"
    49
  212. Well it's a dilemma. The IMF loan always comes with strings attached. The IMF will demand Pakistan becomes a civilized country.
    48
  213. "The dragon isn't breathing fire, it is passing fumes"
    48
  214. Gerhard Schröder will be shedding a tear.
    48
  215. 300 "drones" = 300 drone systems (or drone units) Switch-blade. Each system or unit = a launcher and ten drones So 300 "drones" is actually 3000
    48
  216. Partial mobilisation of those with specialised skills :- Artillery men (but we've got no shells) Pontoon bridge engineers (with a Himars life expectancy of 3 weeks) Signals officers ( but the Orcs can't find their own @ss with both hands) Tank commanders ( The Grim Reapers battalion) Logistics experts ( join the 40 km traffic jam )
    48
  217. AUKUS is all about submarines. Why ? Because that is what one needs to blockade China. The US built 19 Virginia class subs, Britain has 11, and the Aussies will get 9. China has been dealt a terrible hand by geography - it depends on imports for food a fuel. An AUKUS blockade will topple the CCP within a year
    47
  218.  @TheAntMuzak  NATO has supplied 10 anti-tank missiles for every Russian tank in Ukraine : that's not a bad start. It enabled Ukraine to win Round One convincingly. Round Two is different, and NATO is now supplying different weapons :- Switchblade drones, Howitzers, Mig 29s, APCs, Bushmasters, Mastiffs, the US sent 30k fully body kits (because Ukraine called up 200k reserves)- that enables 3 complete division to be kitted out 21st century style, and much more.
    47
  219. Admirable. Whether it be training or no, they are confronting the Russians at some stage, and deserve our respect.
    47
  220. 0:39 As usual it hit a civilian area. The Russian Orcs are beyond the pale of humanity.
    47
  221. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    47
  222. Whenever you see a Sri Lanka politician you can't help thinking he stinks of corruption. Anything he says is perfumed with corruption. I can't actually recall what he said I was so disgusted with him.
    46
  223. Britain supplied Harpoon missiles. I wish they could be used more frequently on Russian ships. Even Turkey wants to see Russia's Black Sea fleet sunk.
    46
  224. Well done to the British soldiers. They look like well seasoned professionals.
    46
  225. The EU needs to modify the veto. Majority voting should isolate fascist leaning regimes.
    46
  226. "Steele dossier is unverified to this day" Actually no : about 60% has been verified and so far nothing has been proved untrue.
    45
  227. Boris : "Germany wanted a quick defeat for Ukraine" Germany blocked :- a) RAF flights b) 3rd party transfers (Estonia howitzers) c) direct sales Germany sent Ukraine 5000 tin-hats
    45
  228. China's 'success' is built on record debt. China's economy has its foundations in sand. The clock is ticking.
    45
  229. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    45
  230. Russia is an Asiatic Autocracy. The Ukrainians are fighting for "Freedom". Russian soldiers have never said that : they may fight for Mother Russia or for Stalin or Putin, but never "Freedom". That is why Russians are NOT European, they are different - Asiatic automatons.
    44
  231. Back-stabbers = Cameron & Osborne
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  232. A defenestrated oligarch. Normally it is journalists that find themselves defenestrated after publishing an article mildly critical of Putin's regime.
    44
  233. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    44
  234. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    44
  235. Russian social media : "No Swan Lake on TV yet" Swan Lake played when USSR collapsed. Medvedev : "They are trying to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen. Ben Hodges : "We should be prepared for the Russian Federation splitting apart" Russia and America agreeing on something.
    44
  236. Well done Ursula von der Leyden : a very brave journey, and a firm message of resolve. Macron wants to recommence dialogue with Putin : "Pas de recul ", said Ursula (no backsliding) Historian Tim Snyder of Yale voiced the consensus when he said, "Peace isn't possible with Putin, only military defeat on the battlefield"
    44
  237. Why is Russia taking such major losses in Ukraine? Why is Germany blocking heavy weapons to Ukraine ?
    44
  238. Turkish young people should follow the example of Erdoğan's son, he's a multi-millionaire.
    43
  239. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    43
  240. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    43
  241. It sounds as though fighting is still ongoing, and these chaps, with complete insouciance, inspect the result of their handiwork. Much respect !
    43
  242. Putin's Russia :- "A gaudy empire, more of a racket than a regime" "Sufficient motive for a pageant : but hollow within" "Something to be enjoyed rather than believed in" All said about Napoleon III who led France to total collapse (1870)
    43
  243. General Wes Clarke : I wish he was still in command at NATO. He is an inspiration.
    43
  244. Lloyd Austin : "They believe we can win......they believe they can win" Who cares who's winning, as long as Russia is losing. Blinken : "Ukraine will be around a lot longer than Putin" Nice line : everyone knows Putin is dying.
    42
  245. Hamas hide in hospitals
    42
  246. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    42
  247. Well done Latvia. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    42
  248. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". That was 150yrs ago, around the time Russia abolished serfdom (1861) - now there's an insight into the Russian mind. A Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf girls (who would be advertised as 'having a pretty face and attractive figure') the nobleman was exiled to Siberia. (See Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow). Having documented abuse of girls by the nobility, it is instructive to note that the KGB described themselves in an internal memorandum as "The new nobility" The Russian state has never had any morals : Putin came to power after "The Apartment Bombings", in which 4 FSB officers were arrested for planting a bomb only to be released by the Kremlin..... Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    42
  249.  @eenigheid3186  Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
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  250. Latest News : the Russian cruiser Moskva has rolled over and sunk. India has a Russian rust-bucket, INS Vikrant. In any conflict, China would sink it on the first day. Modi has allied himself with a loser. The 21st century is about technology, not Russian medieval barbarism.
    42
  251. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    42
  252. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    41
  253. 2:50 "We are the reserves - we close the holes" The tactical reserves are crack troops : in defence, they counter a Russian advance ; in an offensive, they punch through the Russian lines.
    41
  254. Ha ha ha......" It's what Americans do best ", cut and run.
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  255. Say what you like about Trump, he nailed the WHO as a bunch of shysters, and wasn't wrong.
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  256. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  257. One simply has to blame the ANC with utmost emphasis on corrupt Jacob Zuma.
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  258. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    41
  259. George Friedman, either states the obvious , says something anodyne or gets it wrong.
    40
  260. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The German ambassador responded with exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration.
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  261. Ukraine is defending liberal democracy. It seems harsh, but this is teaching civilization to the Russians.
    40
  262. Chile's corrupt politicians. Corrupt, incompetent and self-serving.
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  263. NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
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  264. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  265. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  266. Andrea Loathsome.
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  267.  Faiez Cader  NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
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  268. Very brave Russian citizens.
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  269. Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass. Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it"
    40
  270. Pakistan still has answered for Bangladesh (1971) One isn't allowed to mention the atrocities for fear of one's comment being removed.
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  271. That woman should learn how to listen
    40
  272. Britain Sweden and Finland are to sign an alliance to defend each other, in the interim between pledging to join NATO and actually joining.
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  273. These two men did what at first seemed impossible. Soldiers with the callsigns "Lembert" and "Funtik" told how they met the occupier in Severodonetsk and destroyed the enemy. Even these stories will not describe what our defenders have to deal with every day. We will definitely return to our God-given land and take revenge for all the grief that the enemy brought to our Motherland! The victory will certainly be ours!
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  274. Eqves "American subs will be based in Australia long before Australia's are built." Exactly. And does anyone belive France would go toe-to-toe with China to defend Australia. Australia needs fighting allies. (and it's got 'em)
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  275. Well done : a united Ukraine fighting for democracy and civilization.
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  276. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  277. NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
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  278. ZANU-pf : many years ago, after an election , one lady said she had voted for Mugabe because, "He has the experience". LOL inflation was at 2000% and the country was on its knees. Now we have another ZANU thug who is a "business man" LOL , that means he has used his corrupt contacts to line his pockets through a company he established. Don't blame corrupt incompetent politicians , its the people. Just like S Africa : endemic incompetence and corruption just gets the ANC back into power. The African people have no standards, they just keep electing venal , self-serving , ignorant and incompetent thugs.
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  279. This guy has been reading Chomsky - "Blame the West for everything" A series of brutal dictators in Haiti - very similar to South & Central American dictators Not similar to North American democracy Why ? Because South & Central America inherited the authoritarian culture of Spain/Portugal/Catholicism North America inherited the culture of Northern Europe : Parliamentary Protestantism It is okay to read Chomsky, but only with a critical eye for his anti-western bias.
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  280. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  281. Well done Japan. They still haven't apologised for the atrocities they committed in WW2. Maybe they will deny this happened as well.
    38
  282. Slavery existed before civilisation. Britain was the last in (1713 Asiento Treaty Utrecht) and first out (1806 abolition) In the 1890s Britain and France spent £100,000 a year on cruisers to stop the Arab slave trade on Africa's east coast.
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  283. He knows the Russian jackboot
    38
  284. 2:30 "Egypt's military has a role in its economy" LOL you can say that again.....it consumes 20% of the GDP in corruption and jobs for the boys. Egypt's military is a state within a state...an imperium in imperio
    38
  285. Double standards :- a) The Ottomans enslaved Christians, not Muslims b) Islam taxes non-Muslim residents, but Muslims pay no tax. c) Villages had to surrender children to be raised as Janissaries : essentially forcibly orphaned children raised to be the civil servants and soldiers There is so much history in the region that one must get a grasp of before accusing anyone of double-standards.
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  286. "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD Russia is suffering death by a thousand cuts.
    38
  287. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll turn up the dial"
    38
  288. Sisi is a military dictator. Don't be fooled by his civilian clothes. Sisi is a sweaty, cruel dictator. An Italian student was tortured to death by Sisi's military thugs.
    38
  289. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1988 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2023 defeated by Ukraine
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  290. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  291. Good report. But just for the pedantic Kazakhstan is pronounced : Kaz ak stan Not : Kaz AKI stan
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  292. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
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  293. Lebanon must regain control of its own country Even the UN agree to that
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  294. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  295. "Breaking the shackles of slavery" That was applauded not long ago.....by a former PM.
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  296. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1988 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  297. Al Jazeera showing obvious bias towards Erdogan. I suppose it is to be expected considering Turkish support for Qatar. But still disappointing.
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  298. The power of the camera-phone. Incredible.
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  299. Axis of Evil : Saudi Arabia , UAE & Egypt.
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  300. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
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  301. The doctor did very well : the definition of composure.
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  302. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  303. But after WW2 (Marshall Plan) Greece enjoyed "The Greek Miracle" . Which was 7% growth for a decade. It had nothing to do with 200yr old debt. All Greek debt problems are modern.
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  304. Everybody loses? Well if the alternative is "Putin wins", then I think we would all prefer the option "Everyone loses". The prospect of a Putin victory makes the civilized world want to vomit.
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  305. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  306. New elections ? Guess who the candidate will be...... a general in civilian clothes. Just like Egypt, just like Zimbabwe (with trivial differences), just like every other poxy pseudo democracy.
    36
  307. Well done France. At last someone standing up for democracy, secularism and Western civilization.
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  308. 18 more Himars on the way. But not for a month or two : they are being upgraded to even higher spec.
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  309. Russian nuclear strike response :- a) Europe would stop buying oil & gas : which is 60% of Russia's GDP. b) Any nation purchasing ANYTHING from Russia would be hit with secondary sanctions. (Eg China and India) c) Any nation that supported Russia at the UN would be totally sanctioned. d) countries which remained neutral would be sanctioned. Nuclear weapons would be a total game-changer, and Putin knows that.
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  310. "We love you" Trump's message to the rioters. Am I the only guy with a memory ? Is this why Gore Vidal coined the phrase 'The United States of Amnesia'.
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  311. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  312. US general Ben Hodges said, "Russia could crack before the end of the year" British general Chip Chapman said, "Kherson could surrender en masse" If Kherson falls (which it will) then Putin's position becomes desperate.
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  313. Oct 7th massacre : Hamas now regret the whole thing
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  314.  @Arteus_Hoplit  Yes but imagine how many Russian tanks they will be destroying now they have honed their skills.
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  315. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  316. "Limitless" but China won't supply arms, cash or food. "Not targetted against any country" try telling Ukraine "A lasting friendship" Russia wanted to nuke China and was only stopped by the USA (1968)
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  317. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
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  318. China's Paris looks good. I'm a China critic but would love one of those apartments with a balcony and view.
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  319. Yes, the interviewer is on the ball.
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  320. Happy New Year (And a wish for Leopard II tanks for Ukraine)
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  321. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
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  322. Having discovered the 155mm Howitzer, I now expertly declare every attack to be a 155mm Howitzer. But in this case, I really think I'm right !
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  323. LOL That laser system will have cost million$ and it will be destroyed by a switchblade drone Or a Ghostbuster, or Ukraine's own, or a Bayraktar.
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  324. 35 tanks in one day (many were captured to be repaired) The highest number so far in the war. Russians had been told to capture a hill, and moved forward in 3 columns. They got smashed.
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  325. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    34
  326. Israel will end the blockade because they will think ,"We are so concerned with our reputation". What about fascist Hamas. Their reputation for anti-democracy and brutality against any opposition doesn't seem to worry them. What about Yaser Arafat's reputation when it was found he'd stolen $3 billion from the people during his 40yr dictatorship ? What about Fatah's reputation for corruption and for maintaining a one-party dictatorship and brutally suppressing any opposition ?
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  327. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
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  328. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
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  329. The axis of evil
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  330. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  331. THis book is wrong on many levels. Russia's future is decline : demographically the population is shrinking a) Russians don't have as many children b) they're dying from AIDS,alcohol, drugs etc Russia is in economic decline a) they have spent their sovereign wealth ($580billion) because of sanctions b) they've had no investment in future production . Money invested today pays of in 10yrs time and Russia have invested nothing since sanctions started.
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  332. Marvellous professionalism.
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  333. Why not just invite an independent review to find out why the WHO were hand-in glove with China. All decisions made were to minimise the financial impact on China.
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  334. When was the last democratic election in Gaza ? Have Hamas done away with democracy ? Axtually you could ask when was the last election in the West Bank (rhetorical I happen to know it was 2009......but why nothing since and why are corrupt Fatah still in power after 70yrs.......is it a one-party corrupt Islamofascist state ?)
    33
  335. Germany has vetoed heavy weapons to Ukraine, and is looking as "shaky" as India. France too is trying to retain friendly relations with Russia. Thank God for AUKUS. Zelensky said, "Britain has been the best supporter" (he meant after the USA) Australia has also sent arms and Bushmaster armoured cars.
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  336. Oct 7th massacre - the repercussions are ongoing
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  337. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    33
  338. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    33
  339. Black Sea Fleet : very interesting. I just wonder whether Harpoon missiles + Himars + Brimstones = the whole fleet sunk.
    33
  340. Russia said they would destroy Ukraine's economy. The Kremlin will face a huge reparations bill.......close to a trillion dollars.
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  341. "The strongman Haftar" LOL He's an African-general ie a clueless clan-chief. Whose general-staff comprises a guy with a satellite phone jawing to jerks in pick-up trucks. No wonder a professional Turkish outfit drove him back (so quickly) to where he was 6 years ago. LOL Never be fooled by an African with a chest full of medals : they may wear a generals uniform, but they are not soldiers.
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  342. It is 100% Sinwar - I've seen the photos Sinwar's teeth are very distinctive It is 100% Sinwar (shot in the skull)
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  343. The Russians already look "silly". This performance has alerted all its neighbours to hate and fear Russia more than they do already.
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  344. Negotiations :- a) Kherson is Putin's card he'll hand it over and keep Crimea and Donbas. b) the NATO application is Ukraine's card : Russia evacuate all territory and they withdraw their application. Both sides are preparing to trade : Ukraine from a position of victory, Russia from a position of total defeat.
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  345. God bless Ukraine. Highly professional soldiers, a credit to their nation.
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  346. Well done : give 'em hell. Civilization is at stake, and the Free World applaud you.
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  347. What problem ? Mnangagwe has taken Mugabe's place as dictator, the Army are happy with their slice of the cake. ZANU supporters are dancing in the streets and the African Union have another sadistic, corrupt dictator to welcome. It's Africa , business as usual.
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  348. My thoughts exactly. Jens Stoltenberg just increased combat readiness from 40k to 300k That is huge. Something is happening. My guess is that the Kremlin are preparing a move vis-a-vis Kaliningrad.
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  349. "Half the number of trucks that were entering before the war " But most of those were non-essential Only 27% were essential food, medicine etc The rest were consumer goods So there is actually MORE food entering than before the war
    33
  350. Thank Russia for this catastrophe.
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  351. Good France. Very uplifting to see ordinary folks stopping the Saudi killing of civilians. The Saudi are terrible fighters : their generals are like soft marshmallows. They have wet lips, fat bellies and soft hands . They specialise in killing civilians.
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  352. Interesting poll. The young people oppose unification by a big margin.
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  353. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with the Mongols of Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (8161) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  354. 100 units = 1000 switch-blade drones. each unit being composed of 10 drones.
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  355. 2:50 "betrayed the Palestinian cause and stabbed the people". Is he talking about Yaser Arafat : who ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion ? Historians said of Arafat "He never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity". 70yrs wasted. Palestine was offered a 2 state solution by the UN in 1947 and refused. They then reneged on Camp David in 2000 : Bill Clinton simply saying "Arafat can't be trusted". Obviously. Arafat was always looking after himself (eg sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month) retaining his grip on power (with bribes). Pity the Palestinians, they will have nothing until they elect an honest, wise leader. Maybe a woman (but don't hold your breath).
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  356. "What were the Europeans offering ?" LOL Don't expect action from the EU windbags : they'll set up a committee to express their displeasure.
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  357. This is tragic. The intifada is ordered by the elite but they never pay the price. Look at Yaser Arafat he rules as a dictator for 40yrs and steals $3billion from the people.. Look at Fatah driving round in luxury SUVs and wearing leather bomber jackets and sun-glasses......you don't see them getting shot. It is always the people that pay for corruption and bad unaccountable leadrship.
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  358. The epithet "If X stops fighting there will be no more war, if Y stops fighting there will be no more Y" Actually belongs to Golda Meir. (4th prime minister of Israel 1969 to 1974) It was reshaped by Netanyahu. Then used by Jens Stoltenberg.
    32
  359. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    32
  360. Maybe if the police had arrested the murderer when he exposed himself in a restaurant Sarah Everard might still be alive. Instead, his colleagues treated the affair dismissively and 12days later, using his police identity card he kidnapped and murdered Sarah.
    32
  361. The Ayatollah doesn't sound like a religious person. He sounds like a bellicose , tub-thumping, religious fanatic. His rabid-lunacy is going to create a military conflict. Why doesn't he just allow Iranian people a democratic vote to get rid of him ?
    32
  362. You're flogging a dead horse. This story is no longer news. Until someone leaks the audio.
    32
  363. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
    32
  364. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
    32
  365. They will have some great stories to tell. The helicopter guys who hit the Russian fuel dump will have some good anecdotes. Well done Ukraine. UK ready to 'go up a gear' in military support for Ukraine, says Boris (but let's not broadcast it this time)
    32
  366. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    32
  367. China must be stopped. China's exclusive economic zone is anywhere it can lay its thieving hands. Other nations should join Argentina in assembling an armada against China. There is only one certainty in this world : China has zero friends.
    32
  368. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia continues to invade its neighbours.
    32
  369. France is as windy as they come. France is a "shaky" nation. Don't expect too much from France, many nations have learnt that lesson the hard way.
    32
  370. History : In the UK, when Ian Duncan Smith was being removed as Leader of the Conservative Party, he said, "I'll destroy the Party". So Conservative Party grandees, asked his secretary to testify that Smith's wife was being employed but doing no work. Smith had to resign in shame......and the secretary was given an OBE in the Queen's honours list LOL
    31
  371. Why has Al Jazeera stopped campaigning for UNRWA ? Because the evidence is overwhelming Likewise, hospitals are used by Hamas - the evidence is overwhelming
    31
  372. It's the price one pays for having a toe-hold in Africa.
    31
  373. NATO strategy is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    31
  374. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" Same applies to China. The US has truly shocking firepower in its nuclear submarine fleet.
    31
  375. Historically China is quite good at largess : around 1430 a massive fleet set off for India, Arabia and Africa bearing gifts from the Emperor. Shortly afterwards China shut-up-shop and went back to isolationism.
    31
  376. Bring back Yasser Arafat : he kept a lid on things, whilst he stole $3 billion of Gulf oil money from the people. In the 1970s he was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month - that's a hell of an allowance. Pity the money wasn't spent on education, colleges and hi-tech start-ups. Still, the Palestinians could always rely on charity from the EU and US. Stone throwing is no substitute for democracy. No nation in history has been founded upon stone throwing. Civic organizations (banned by Fatah and Hamas) form pressure groups, which demand change. Those in power - corrupt Fatah, and fascist Hamas don't want the Palestinians organized. That is why Fatah sent 14 policemen to beat one organizer to death.
    31
  377.  Faiez Cader  Russia has asked Iran to supply drones. Begging arms from the Ayatollah is NOT holding all the cards. Russia has vacated the Black Sea :- a) Russia lost 5 ships taking snake Island including the flagship Moskva. b) Russia has vacated Sevastopol because of the fear of 300km HImars.
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  378. Corbyn has a trick up his sleeve : he's going to call a vote of no confidence in himself. (It's the least he can do).
    31
  379. "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD Russia is suffering death by a thousand cuts.
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  380. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists" Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism.
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  381. Ask yourself this : if someone stood up to protest corruption (today after the overthrow of Mugabe) what would happen ? They would be be beaten senseless by the Police. So why are Zimbabweans celebrating ? Because they are like Pavlov's Dog : they are conditioned to subservience and complicity in their own oppression.
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  382. "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD Russia is suffering death by a thousand cuts.
    31
  383. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (8161) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  384. Palestine : corruption goes hand-in-hand with incompetence. Why is Palestine a failure ? Well, the 40yr dictatorship by Arafat wasn't a good start. When Arafat stole $3 billion it didn't help. His wife in Paris was getting $1 million per month, so she did okay. Then you have the total lack of democracy, accountability and transparency. Anyone criticising Hamas or Fatah is beaten or killed. Why not allow women to run in elections ? Why not have a dynamic charismatic young woman like in New Zealand ? Why always corrupt old men ?
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  385. An incredible statement by Medvedev, implies Russia faces collapse :- " The destruction of the world's biggest country by area could lead to an unstable leadership in Moscow with a maximum number of nuclear weapons aimed at targets in the US and Europe" Dmitry Medvedev, deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council Medvedev is saying, the humiliation of Russia's military will collapse the Russian Federation, and he is fearful chaos will ensue.
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  386. Thank Merkel
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  387. The civilized world owes a debt of gratitude to all Ukrainians. Also, appreciation for the heroes of Mariupol : they gave Ukraine time. Also, for the heroes of Severodonetsk : that horrific street fighting took the sting out of the Orcs offensive. God bless Ukraine.
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  388. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". Russia is still at it - 170yrs on.
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  389. Where is Pope Francis ? Living in the lap of luxury in Rome. The Argentinian Pope was quick to support the military Junta's invasion of the Falklands but is conspicuously silent on poverty.
    30
  390. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
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  391. Pakistan should spare a thought for the people of Afghanistan. Pakistan helped the Taliban come to power "and throw off the shackles of slavery" Afghans are now oppressed and hungry. Yet Pakistan now has the nerve to ask the West for help.
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  392. Ha ha ha. It won't wash. We're not buying it.
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  393. I keep swinging to Biden. But you can't stay mad at Trump for long. Whereas Biden you can hate your whole life.
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  394. What a disgrace. That's the Yanks for you in a nutshell.
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  395. Hamas is now concentrated in Rafah - were it has a human shield
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  396. Correct me if I'm wrong :- The Haitian police were conducting an operation against a gang "G19", which was a catastrophe with many officers killed. G19 is run by an ex-police, and the president is in cahoots with them. So, one can understand the frustration of the legitimate police having lost so many colleagues.
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  397. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  398. General Wesley Clarke is an inspiration. By God I wish he was still calling the shots.
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  399. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    30
  400. Well done. The civilized nations have done remarkably well to calm down the Russian drunk. Russia is like a drunken thug asking his therapist why nobody lies him.
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  401. What about India ? Have they found some courage yet ? Turkey, Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" If only India could find such courage. Modi is like the lion in The Wizard of Oz, searching for courage.
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  402. "Russia will pay a very heavy price" (for any military program) Also, Russia must pay reparations : currently at $579 billion.
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  403. Taliban savages : supported by Pakistan.
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  404. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
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  405. Turkey : anti-democratic, totalitarian Islamofascist. Pakistan : a failed state, utterly corrupt, at the mercy of an unaccountable military and fanatical Islamist clerics.
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  406. Putin's Russia :- "A gaudy empire, more of a racket than a regime" "Sufficient motive for a pageant : but hollow within" "Something to be enjoyed rather than believed in" All said about Napoleon III who led France to total collapse (1870)
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  407. Breaking News : Armenia shoot down 2 Azerbaijan helicopters. Azerbaijan appear to be on the back foot - losing tanks and helicopters like there's no tomorrow.
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  408. The Pope described the Russians as "infantile". It was very perceptive of him.
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  409. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  410. India didn't condemn Russia. Modi still hasn't found the courage.
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  411. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  412. God bless Ukraine
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  413. There are always some folk who will vote for a dictator : usually silly old ladies.
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  414. Iran spends 18% of its GDP on funding overseas conflicts. Perhaps it should spend money on infrastructure and improve the lives of Iranian people. The people of Iran are sick of being ruled by fascist Ayatollahs.
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  415. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  416. The Civilized world applauds the heroism of Ukraine. The noble battle for democracy and freedom. Britain has sent Harpoon missiles ....... in the Black Sea you will find the Russian cruiser 'Moskva' : please let it have both barrels.
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  417. Russia and the Axis of Evil supporting corrupt dictators.
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  418. LOL the thumbnail shows a halo round Biden's head. You could be a bit more subtle.
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  419. "The Palestinian PM focused on what is happening within Israel" So he dispatched 14 policemen to beat a critic of Fatah to death. They burst into his home at night and simply beat him to death. The critic had pointed to Fatah corruption. (That gets one killed)
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  420. Russia's economic model : Ogarev's body was found in his home in the elite residential area of Gorki-2, dead alongside his wife. If one is too corrupt, or if one's corruption is detrimental to the state, then one is murdered. Entrepreneurship hardly flourishes under those conditions.
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  421. Well done. I could weep with joy watching those Russian tanks go up.
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  422. Well, we all knew it. But we let our hatred of Russia blind us.
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  423. "Ethnic cleansing", that phrase always accompanies a discussion on Turkey. A very ancient colony of Pontic Greeks on the Black Sea had been there since 700 BC - were ethnically cleansed by the Turks in 1923. Alongside many other Turkish horror stories.
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  424. Keystone XL should get Hunter Biden on the Board of Directors. (He's not cheap, and he doesn't know much, but he's worth it)
    28
  425. Vietnam deal in Limbo ? The hell it is : they've already pocketed the bribe : they'll take the planes.
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  426. Well done to the British contingent - very impressive. Great teamwork.
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  427. ​ @jcoker423  Yes, I agree. Even before this war started, I said the Russians could be beaten by the NATO standby forces. They are simply technically superior. Russia has never had a professional army, only a "peasant" army.
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  428. So who does Corbyn believe : the British government or the rabid-lunacy of a theocratic dictatorship ? Of course Corbyn believes Tehran
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  429. Nice touch : a marvellous symbolic gesture. It's not often Modi is out-foxed.
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  430. 3yrs wasted
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  431. The black soil of Ukraine was famous (historically) : one could grow anything.
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  432. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate" them.
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  433. Russia also has elite "Seals" (but their officers flogged the infra-red goggles, and hit-tech wet-suits : they left them with just a snorkel and one flipper)
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  434. "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD Russia is suffering death by a thousand cuts.
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  435. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  436. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
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  437. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  438. Why was Dugina killed ? It is possible even Putin doesn't know. There are that many rivalries in Moscow - it's like gangs of New York. It could be a message, a power struggle, personal, etc.
    27
  439. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
    27
  440. Under-fire Lancet admits conflict of interest on lab-leak letter After criticism that it failed to declare Peter Daszak’s work with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, journal has also ‘recused’ zoologist from its coronavirus origins taskforce
    27
  441. "A decade to improve relations " that's optimistic. "It will take generations" said Khrushchev's granddaughter.
    27
  442. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy , indolent, arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel.
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  443. Putin blinked first.
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  444. Huge thanks to the US forces for doing the right thing. They are highly trained and motivated idealists. They believe in the ideal of democracy and liberty, and have the courage and humanity to go help others.
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  445.  @alainlefebvre9860  Lord Owen was asked on Radio 4 about Putin's nuclear threats, "The Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families".
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  446. Great training : urban warfare - the most difficult. Victory = Ukrainian fighting ability + USA manufacture and logistics.
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  447. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    27
  448. 1:22 the critical moment :- a) the officers machine gun is on the ground behind him b) anyone can pick that up and use it against the arresting officer The real problem is 70yrs of Palestinian failure. Since 1947 was has happened ? a) 3 wars lost by the Arabs b) Arafat robbed $3 billion from the people c) terrorism, stone throwing and corruption : no elections : Palestinian despotism
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  449. 0:10 Magnificent photography - that chap climbing out looks like Vulcan. That image is astonishing. Well done cameraman (which is a generic term including camerawomen).
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  450. She has 15 bank accounts in the US ranging from $500k to $20 million. Also, friends in high places. She poses a substantial flight-risk.
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  451. A quick history lesson:- In 1948 Egypt, Jordan and Syria all claimed Palestine was theirs. The UN recommended a 2 state solution and the Palestinians rejected it. 3 wars followed : 1948 liberation war 1967 six day war 1974 Yom Kippur war After 3 defeats and over 30yrs the Arabs finally decided to reluctantly recognise the Palestinians had a right to an independent state. 2000 Camp David :- Yaser Arafat again rejected a 2 state solution.
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  452. When Germany forced RAF weapons flights to fly around its airspace, I said, "Germany is the Kremlin's 5th column" All subsequent aid has been reluctantly given, after NATO forced Germany to act. Look at Scholz - he is frozen with indecision : business interests say help Russia, civilised rectitude says help Ukraine. (Shcolz can't decide)
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  453. Lindsey Graham said :- a) If Putin uses chemical weapons, NATO should impose a no-fly zone b) If Putin uses a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, the fallout will affect NATO countries and should be considered an attack. Lindsey Graham said NATO should make their response clear to the Kremlin. Don't allow Putin to dictate the red-lines. Tell the Kremlin what the NATO response will be.
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  454. Chavez said to the people, " Why dodn't we spend all the money we have, then borrow more money on our oil deposits, then nationalise all the businesses, then look round for more money to spend". Then oil prices collapse, Venezuela has no profitable businesses and is in debt up to the eyeballs.
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  455. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
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  456. They have solved the case very quickly Almost as quick as the Russians
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  457. What is the evidence :- a) all embassies are under 24hr CCTV surveillance and he didn't leave. b) 15 Saudi agents did make a rapid visit and left with luggage. c) they killed him and chopped up the body which they transported in "diplomatic bags".
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  458. LOL How refreshing to be able to laugh at a corrupt dictator.
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  459. Ataturk (Biography) His mother believed the Sultan was "Our Lord on Earth". His father was a poorly paid government clerk, who attempted a business career but was laid low by bandits and drank himself to death. As a boy in Salonika Mustafa saw western schoolchildren sitting at desks and told the Imam he no longer wanted to sit cross-legged. The rest of the class stood up and agreed. He then persuaded his mother to send hm to a western style school. Where he excelled at mathematics, his teacher gave him the name Kemal, which means perfection and excellence.
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  460. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    26
  461. Oh man, Trump must be laughing in his hat. Except for Elizabeth Warren.......he fears her.....that's why he went on the attack.
    26
  462. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    26
  463. Well done France. That ship may look harmless, because the deadly missiles aren't visible. But it will give the Russian rust-buckets a hammering.
    26
  464. Modi fears China and fears offending Russia. "Don't let fear ruin your country" Sun Tsu
    26
  465. LOL he said trillion Maria was CORRECT it is billion
    26
  466. Germany had to chose between no gas and dishonour. Berlin chose dishonour, but will get no gas anyway.
    26
  467. Russian paratroopers : the Butchers of Bucha.
    26
  468. Humanity is a duty. Well done India. (Maybe Pakistan is now wishing it hadn't started all those wars against India).
    26
  469. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    26
  470. A good report It's a political cliff-hanger
    26
  471. Good propaganda, no wonder you are banned
    26
  472. Starts with the biggest carbon emitters - the USA Then shows the disaster unfolding upon the ordinary carbon polluters - Canada.
    26
  473. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" What was that all about ? (Maybe just the usual French perfidy)
    26
  474. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    26
  475. This guy is a Persian not an Islamist,. He's a hard-working industrious Persian and a credit to Germany. I hate Islamists more than anyone, the trouble is far-right morons can't spot an Islamist. The far-right are as loathsome as Islamists , they are like a moronic lynch mob.
    25
  476. I watched all this episode : one of the best. Guardian : "One of the most senior US officials in the Pacific has refused to rule out military action against Solomon Islands if it were to allow China ..." The US embassy in the Solomon Isles will be entirely staffed by CIA. The CIA will establish an NGO (non-governmental organization : charity) That will also be staffed by CIA. The opposition will be funded by the CIA, the incumbent will be ousted at the next election, then investigated for corruption and send a few years in clinky. Another success for Langley (CIA HQ)
    25
  477. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    25
  478. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    25
  479. Are you watching Russia ? Are you watching South Africa ? This is how democracy works. She also said she wouldn't seek public office , not like the army generals in Zimbabwe who become cabinet ministers after a coup. Are you watching Africa : this is democracy in action. Are you watching in the Middle East : all those $hithole countries with tyrants and tin-pot dictators. This is how a civilized country behaves.
    25
  480. Apartment Bombings Why not ask about FSB officers planting bombs ? Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    25
  481. The Butchers of Bucha.
    25
  482. Russians on social media are saying, "No Swan Lake on TV yet" "Maybe Swan Lake tonight" etc Swan Lake was played non stop when the USSR collapsed. Medvedev said, "They are trying to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen. Ben Hodges : "We should be prepared for the Russian Federation splitting apart" Nice to see Russia and America agree on something.
    25
  483. Very theatrical. This hacking group didn't pay enough to Kremlin bosses. Or they operated without a Kremlin pay-off.
    25
  484. Ukraine's infantry is ranked 1st in the world at the moment.
    25
  485. Jens Stoltenberg (mild mannered lionheart) said, "It changes nothing. The West must increase support for Ukraine"
    25
  486. MBS Saudi Arabia : "He's a wrecking-ball", Lindsey Graham. Every move MBS makes ends in failure.
    25
  487. When the Tehran Bazaar closes it means trouble. When the Shah fell (1979)it was the Bazaar closure that heralded it.
    25
  488. This is peanuts. Yaser Arafat stole $3 billion from the Palestinians. Most of it his wife took to France. Why doesn't France expropriate that money and hand it back ?
    25
  489. Mexico's Marine Corp - they clear up the evidence after the drug cartel's murders
    25
  490.  @thomaslacornette1282  Ammo : the US said 10,000 rockets are being supplied. That is about right. Each Himars comes as a package ($15 million) which is the machine ($5m) and 100 rockets ($10m) = $15 million. There are 12 Himars = 1200 rockets. The other rockets, to make up 10k are for MLRS. There is certainly no shortage of ammunition.
    25
  491. Oh dear, the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov appears to be blazing like an inferno : coincidence ?
    25
  492. Lloyd Austin : "They believe we can win......they believe they can win" Who cares who's winning, as long as Russia is losing. Blinken : "Ukraine will be around a lot longer than Putin" Nice line : everyone knows Putin is dying.
    25
  493. All nations do it :_ Japan lies to school children Argentina lies about military rule atrocities Iran lies about the Ayatollah's torture camps Russia simply ignores the 30 million citizens it killed France covers up collaboration by most of its postwar politicians.
    25
  494. Thank God. Prof Michael Clarke suggest this back in May "Just dare Russia to attack the convoy" His suggestion was a coalition of warships which would hit back at Russia's fleet causing it terminal damage.
    25
  495. Well done Romania. I am very impressed, I didn't know that nation had any backbone. Shame on India : today Modi will speak with Zelensky whilst walking on egg-shells trying not to offend his master (Putin)
    25
  496. Very well said by Biden. "Will you militarily support Taiwan ?" Biden : "Yes" (That message went straight to the Kremlin, vis-a-vis tactical nuclear weapons)
    25
  497. Listening to the ICC makes a civilised person feel sick
    25
  498. Appeasers : he's talking about France, Germany, Italy and Fox News.
    25
  499. Amazing courage and grit. To think they are fighting the entire Russian army on behalf of all our freedoms.
    25
  500. The mystery is where did the $3 billion go that Arafat stole ? He was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month but that doesn't add up to $3,000,000,000. He rules as a dictator for 40yrs so maybe he felt he was owed a pension ? Still, think what that money could've provided : colleges, education and enlightenment.
    25
  501. I believe it's one of the reasons the Dutch didn't produce the Industrial Revolution. Britain had the benefit of stability & liberty. The Dutch had liberty and the Enlightenment but were always fighting for survival.
    25
  502. Just look at them LOL. All those hard working industrious Arabs. And talk about bravery : even with trillion$ dollar$ 21st Century super-power weapons the Saudi military struggle to defeat sandal shod Houthi.
    25
  503. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
    25
  504. Trump is like a toddler. You can read him like a book, you have to flatter him and coax him to do the right thing. Those in the Whitehouse say he tends to agree with the last person he spoke to. He's simply a toddler, a baby, a kindergarten kid. He watches Fox News to see what he should do.
    25
  505.  @badmonkey2222  A Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    24
  506. Wow, one can no longer believe one's eyes and ears.
    24
  507. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    24
  508. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    24
  509. In any conflict with China, France would remain neutral.....regardless of whether they built subs for Australia, and regardless of what NATO did. France will never go toe-to-toe with China. Macron said, "Countries should stop ganging up on China". Australia needs fighting allies (and it's got 'em).
    24
  510. "Cut diplomatic ties". Okay but we'll maintain economic ties. Diplomacy is a garnish, economy is the meat.
    24
  511. A Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet". Geopolitically that is undiplomatic language, but the general sentiment is correct.
    24
  512. That last one looks as though it hit a bomb shop.
    24
  513. Russia has an equipment shortage, mobilization will not solve that - it will actually make it worse. The conscripts in Ukraine are already ill-equipped, and under-fed. Russia's problems are much deeper than a manpower shortage.
    24
  514. "A dry barren impoverished land" Is how Henry Kamen begins his history of Spain. Olivares looked at the fertility of France with disbelief.
    24
  515. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
    24
  516. Resign ! The Speaker must go
    24
  517. Well done EU. Folk thought the EU was a pusillanimous talking shop : it isn't. Well done France & Macron. Well done Germany.
    24
  518. UNICEF is pro-Hamas Not a single criticism of Hamas No mention of preventing aid falling into the hands of terrorists (Hamas)
    24
  519. 6:00 Putin doesn't want to see a successful Ukraine. Ressentiment. (Nietzsche) “Ukrainians were too much like us for Russians to allow them simply to slip away quietly” The idea that Ukraine should prosper, while Russia stagnates, is unbearable to the Kremlin.
    24
  520. Very exciting and well edited video. The British never make their vehicles look this good.
    24
  521. Putin always dreamed of joining the KGB. When the USSR fell in 1990, folks criticized the communist party, but nobody bad-mouthed the KGB, everyone still feared them. Then the KGB became the FSB and in 1999 the Apartment Bombings brought Putin to power :- "Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers! "
    24
  522. "Boris united Europe " says Zelensky. (He didn't do a bad job himself)
    24
  523. Very wise words, and a marvellous vision. The USA are also taking a long view :- a) training pilots to fly F-15 and F-16 fighters. b) funding advanced air defences which have yet to be produced. c) Funding future naval vessels to secure Black Sea defences. And innumerable other things.
    24
  524. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    24
  525. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    24
  526. The saudi is bone idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant, arrogant, bigoted , cowardly and cruel. And to confirm this they sent 15 men to murder one man. Typical of the Saudi. The Saudi cannot fight. Even with $2 trillion in weapons they lose to tribal Houthi who have AK47s and wear sandals.
    24
  527. Cowardly is right. Most civilized folk feel like vomiting when they watch Russia in action.
    24
  528. "The present cabinet is dominated by Hezbollah and its allies". LOL Hezbollah : the root of all evil.
    23
  529. It reminds about the forced repatriations after WW2 I think Britain sent back around 20k : they all went straight to the Gulags. Russia has always been a savage dystopia.
    23
  530. Finland and Sweden are a magnificent addition to NATO. NATO has some members who occupy a grey-zone (with an Ottoman past) The organisation needs members it can trust (Nordic memebers)
    23
  531. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    23
  532. 7:00 The US general is Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    23
  533. Very brave folk.
    23
  534.  ken ho  , actually yes ! That's how low the bar was set. So the question what makes him a good leader becomes irrelevant : the people are prepared to take a chance because the alternatives are lousy.
    23
  535. Biden is a three time loser. A great candidate for sitting on the sidelines and talking about running.
    23
  536. And if Russia retreat from Kyiv, and then retreat from Kharkiv, it is called defeat, not redeployment.
    23
  537. Wrong ! Egypt said "If Israel FORCE Gazans into Sinai This lady is spreading propaganda "Egyptian officials have urged their Western counterparts to tell Israel that they see any move to force Gazans to cross into Sinai as a violation that would effectively suspend the 1979 peace treaty, according to a senior Western diplomat in Cairo"
    23
  538. I hope Modi can hold himself together. Biden said he was "shaky"
    23
  539. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP) John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    23
  540. It is a statistical impossibility for there to have been election fraud on the scale Trump is proposing. This is a humiliation for the USA. The Yanks are behaving like a $hithole country.
    23
  541. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The German ambassador responded with exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration.
    23
  542. Wink, wink, India is in the market for submarines - not diesel-electric, they want nuclear. France had better start sharing its nuclear technology if it wants orders
    23
  543. On behalf of the people of Ukraine, let me say - Thank God for the USA
    23
  544. Lloyd Austin : "They believe we can win......they believe they can win" Who cares who's winning, as long as Russia is losing. Blinken : "Ukraine will be around a lot longer than Putin" Nice line : everyone knows Putin is dying.
    23
  545. Magnificent : well done Ukraine.
    23
  546. Sisi is worse than Mubarak. He is a military dictator, using faux democracy to rule.
    23
  547. Carrie Lam will sell the people of Hong Kong down the river.
    23
  548. ....and Bangladesh ( 3 million killed) was the real face of Pakistan.
    23
  549. As a guy just sat in his armchair : an aircraft descending like that is simply not normal. Something totally catastrophic happened.
    23
  550. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    22
  551. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    22
  552. Please compare the German general with a general from the middle east, say Saudi or Kuwait or Egypt or whatever. The German is a proper soldier not like those fat marshmallows in the middle east with big guts and soft hands and wet lips. The German 9th Brigade would walk all over any middle east joke army.
    22
  553. LOL That expression strikes a chord which everyone recognises to be a truth.
    22
  554. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asks his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha says, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. Turgenev's Grandma struck a peasant boy, and was so infuriated at him lying there wounded she smothered him with a cushion. Every Russian family can relate tales of murder and cruelty. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    22
  555. Trump said "It'll get nasty". He'd crucify sleepy Joe.
    22
  556. Comedy :- If you think the Saudi doesn't have a sense of humour watch their military in action : you'll laugh your socks off. Even with $2 trillion in modern weapons they can't defeat Houthi in flip-flops with AK47s
    22
  557. SCO is now looking a lot like "The Axis of Evil"
    22
  558.  @todd-617  Well said. That is also my understanding. It makes no sense to throw piecemeal units into action. Ukraine are planning a major Counter-Offensive, and it should be directed at weak points : Kherson and Izyum.
    22
  559. The young guy is correct - the conflict is outstripping supply. That's why the Pentagon , in April met CEOs of the arms industry - "to wrestle with how to boost weapons delivery". When the Yanks up production, nobody can live with them.
    22
  560. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia"
    22
  561. "Normal people don't do such things" You mean rational people. Folk who haven't abandoned themselves to superstition.
    22
  562. Well done Germany (it is painful for them, they have much to lose) Well done Shulz. "Je n'ai pas de recul", (I will not backslide) said Schulz (Let's pretend)
    22
  563. Just when the world was condemning Russia, and had almost accepted the religion of Peace, as being a thing of the past.
    22
  564. a) Retaking that hotel near the woods was a marvellous counter-offensive. b) Pushing Russians back at Popasna : that will have sapped the Orcs' morale c) Having highly motivated reserves, ready to counter-strike must be very reassuring for the defenders of Sevridonetsk.
    22
  565. All western countries benefit from Saudi cash. All western countries have contempt for the Saudi. Everyone hates the Saudi : because they are bone idle, indolent, ignorant, over-indulged and cowardly .
    22
  566. Are they the students who celebrated after Oct 7th ?
    22
  567. My thoughts exactly. One can fire Himars just as well in winter as summer.
    22
  568. LOL India said, "No way", but China simply kept sailing. The ship got closer, and everyone wondered who would have egg on their face. It was Modi. LOL
    22
  569. 1:00 "Trying to rid the country of the drug menace........how about cleaning up your own house first" What a killer delivery.
    22
  570. These ships are in communication with the people smugglers who notify them when a boat load of migrants is about to leave. They then pick up the boat as soon as it reaches international waters. It's not life-saving , it's people trafficking.
    22
  571. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asks his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha says, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    22
  572. This story is over. MBS is permanently tarnished, there's no recovery for him but that's it, life goes on. The Saudis are killing thousands of civilians in Yemen.
    22
  573. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    22
  574. Saudi have just drawn attention to the fact they have no human rights. There is no mention of human rights in the Koran. The concept of human rights developed out of the Enlightenment in the 17th C. That was a period when Europe shook off the shackles of religion and turned to science. That is why Europeans steamed ahead of the Muslim world which still embraced medieval ideas.
    22
  575. Well done EU. Strong words from the EU don't come naturally. The EU feels dizzy and nauseous when trying to play the tough guy. Which is all the more reason to applaud them. (This week Biden will announce S-300 missiles to Ukraine, when he visits Brussels and Poland).
    22
  576. They are Hamas
    22
  577. China gave the generals the green light. Everyone knows that.
    22
  578. Trump is on the wane. And going out with a final display of lunacy.
    22
  579. Iran and Hezbollah to blame - correct
    22
  580. Belayet, Allah is a medieval invention you dope. All religions reflect the period in which they were invented : the Old Testament reflects bronze Age, patriarchal,tribal values ; the Quran reflects medieval values. Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented during man's evolution.
    21
  581. Medvedev : "They want to disintegrate Russia for a 2nd time" Gen. Ben Hodges "Hemingway's character says he went bankrupt in two ways - slowly then suddenly : which is how the Russian Federation will collapse"
    21
  582. Very good debate - very informative
    21
  583. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    21
  584. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    21
  585. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    21
  586. UNRWA schools - teach radical Hamas ideology UNRWA workers - that included Sinwar and many Hamas leaders
    21
  587. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    21
  588. German fascists arrest a democrat to send him to Spanish fascists. It looks bonny. History repeating itself : Hitler & Franco.
    21
  589. In April 1849 Hungarians surrendered to Russian troops, and were incorporated back into the Austrian Empire. What were Russians doing fighting for the Habsburgs ? Good question. Russia have always believed they had a right to be consulted and to dictate Europeans affairs. They invaded Hungary again in 1956 They invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 Russians are feared and hated by all their neighbours.
    21
  590. Well done Macron. What a magnificent display of democracy. Go for it ! Macron has always wanted an EU defence force : "carpe diem" Seize the moment. Russian TV is voicing disapproval - quietly, only one panellist, but significantly.
    21
  591. What a marvellous company : hard and courageous. One chap looks as though he's fought every war since Thermopylae. "Deliberate valour breath'd, firm and unmov'd. "With dread of death to flight or foul retreat,
    21
  592. Cooper, you are a paid Hungarian Government troll.
    21
  593. "Russia will probably annex the areas it has taken" Putin will NOT annex anything. Ursula has spoken at Davos, saying "The EU will militarily support Ukraine to victory"
    21
  594. "God save the Queen" is the refrain that accompanies a successful NLAW strike
    21
  595. Omar equated Al-Qaeda with the USA : she said they should be treated as morally equivalent. They're NOT equivalent , Al-Qaeda are a cess-pool of medieval butchery. Why don't the Left condemn the politically correct nonsense about cultural-equivalence ?
    21
  596. Wow the French translator was unintelligible. I think he said, "The suspect who was shot had previous offences for gang related violence and robbery ". France is a tinder box and it's down to high immigration with not many opportunities for them. Back in the 1970s young people could get apprenticeships or factory jobs. That's all over now. The internationalist bankers and financiers move money and factories around and are doing very well....handsomely, but there are no jobs for young folk any more.
    21
  597. "Reform strategy" = corruption strategy
    21
  598. Macron : "They must not humiliate Russia" Schulz : We must make peace with Putin Thank God for the Yanks.
    21
  599. Russia must be slowly defeated : "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    21
  600. "You could open the door to corruption". I thought that door had come off its hinges long ago.
    21
  601. "It has gone through the assembly, it has been through the constitutional court, and approved by the establishment". That is the very thing they are protesting about ! It is the establishment that is no longer trusted : that's why Trump, that's why the 5 star movement. This guy has missed the point, he's living in a history book.
    21
  602. Who funds the ship charity ? Why didn't they tell us that.
    21
  603.  @giuseppeanoardi3973  "It's being done from day 1" Wrong Germany closed its airspace to British arms flights Britain had to fly around Germany Then on the way back (empty) Germany closed its airspace again. Also, France did not want Europe to antagonise Russia It took a long time for Europe to wake up !
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  604. Lord Owen was asked on Radio 4 about Putin's nuclear threats, "The Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families". Russia are blowing cold. They will become hysterical before they actually launch anything. (And even then the West should face them down)
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  605. A great conversation For anyone who loves geopolitics
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  606. What a lot of lies The Speaker must resign Labour & Mr Speaker cooked up a deal - Mr Speaker now says "It was to save lives" (save lies more like)
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  607. Reconciliation In 1919-22 terrible crimes were committed by Turkey and Greece But just 2yrs later Turkey sent an athletics team to Athens and received a great reception. The following year Greece sent their team to Istanbul : the Greek minister watched the reception and said to his Turkish counterpart, "The Turkish team had a better reception in Athens" To which the Turkish minister replied, "Yes, but you weren't invaded"
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  608. Look at MBS laughing & smiling. He must have brought some of his Sweeney Todd pies as gifts. They are a bit chewy : they were prepared with a bone saw.
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  609. Back-stabbing Gove : his major failing, alongside duplicity, is that he''s addicted to gossip.
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  610. Very impressive : a magnificent achievement. Well done Ukraine. Tanks and heavy howitzers are on the way. Loitering drones and anti-tank missiles. Boris said, "The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts"
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  611. "The President advised me to sue, we didn't do that we negotiated". And Trump is such a great guy he laughs at himself. Trump certainly won the British over : we love him.
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  612. Haftar's luxury fleet of pick-up trucks : paid for by UAE. Haftar's half-witted mercenaries paid for by UAE. The UAE couldn't fight a one-legged blind man......they are fart-filled white gowns, they're not fighters. Haftar is a luxury loving warlord, not a general.
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  613. Good analysis. The Russian ship Admiral Makolava appears to be sinking. Coincidence ?
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  614. India needs friends like us (Western Civilization) A pity they decided to side with Russia.
    21
  615. Russians on social media are saying, "No Swan Lake on TV yet" "Maybe Swan Lake tonight" etc Swan Lake was played non stop when the USSR collapsed. Medvedev said, "They are trying to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen. Ben Hodges : "We should be prepared for the Russian Federation splitting apart" Nice to see Russia and America agree on something.
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  616. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
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  617. Gas price : Russia is paid a standard price, so the gas price of 335 euros is pure profit for the Gas company. That is why Ursula (EU) has decreed a tax on excess profits. Once again, well done EU
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  618. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  619. Tiananmen Square. It is the Axis of Evil all over again.
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  620. The whole of Asia abuse animals. China, Japan, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Indonesia, .... they are all at it.
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  621. Disloyalty ? That's rich coming from Macron after he stabbed NATO in the back. 13 Oct Defence Ministers met in Brussels 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV "If Russia goes nuclear France will be neutral" Jens Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" (A polite way of saying 'France has stabbed us in the back' )
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  622. Temer is as corrupt as the day is long.
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  623. Sudan won't have civilised government until those corrupt, murderous generals are in prison.
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  624. Very similar to Jacob Zuma in S Africa, only on a longer and larger scale. Zuma was behind the riots. Tokayev may have been behind the Kazakh protests. Interesting
    20
  625. Good for Sweden. There is more than gender identity at stake when Sweden get their mad up. Good for you Sweden, you tell them, and don't stand for any saucy remarks from the Kremlin.
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  626. The US can't broker a fair deal. LOL The use of military force is a non-starter. World public opinion is overwhelmingly behind Ethiopia. Egypt tortured an Italian student to death only 2yrs ago : the EU still require answers.
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  627. Russian often move right towards the bomb Appointment in Samarra A merchant in Baghdad sends his servant to the marketplace for provisions. Soon afterwards, the servant comes home white and trembling and tells him that in the marketplace, he was jostled by a woman, whom he recognized as Death, who made a threatening gesture. Borrowing the merchant's horse, the servant flees at great speed to Samarra, a distance of about 75 miles (125 km), where he believes Death will not find him. The merchant then goes to the marketplace and finds Death, and asks why she made the threatening gesture to his servant. She replies, "That was not a threatening gesture, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight, in Samarra."
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  628. LOL "Unity Governments" do not return from Saudi Arabia. Despotic regimes return from Saudi Arabia. Corrupt puppets return from Saudi. Not governments.
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  629. Did they bring down any passenger planes ? The last time the fired missiles, they killed their own citizens : then the Ayatollah lied through his teeth to deny it.
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  630. Thank you for giving Britain a mention.
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  631. This is the best insight into Russian thinking. They clearly know the war is lost. A few weeks ago she could've gotten 15yrs in prison for that statement, I wonder what has happened.
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  632.  @jasmikko  , you have to be kidding ? The 3rd largest party in the Israeli Knesset is Arab : point to any Muslim country that even allows minorities freedom of expression. Lebanon a democracy LOL : it has been crippled by Hezbollah with the backing of Iran (a murderous theocracy). Tunisia was such a cauldron of injustice and corruption it sparked the "Arab Spring" when a desperate citizen set himself on fire. To pretend Tunisia is now a free democracy is to talk nonsense.
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  633. She handled the Russian very well. The old Russian was as mad as a hatter.
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  634. Nice touch ! Well, that's okay then........millions dead and the country traumatised for a century all solved by a handshake.
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  635. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  636. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated militarily".
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  637. "Putin's war of choice", "Putin's play-book, straight out of another century" "Putin stealing Ukraine's grain, and trying to starve the world's poor" Ursula speaks for the Civilized world.
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  638. Erdogan has imprisoned more journalists than any other country. Turkey has NO DEMOCRACY The opposition are arrested and intimidated : just like Putin's Russia.
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  639. Straub certainly looks like a tough old-timer. My impression is that the Ukrainian soldiers are first class, they just need heavy weapons, missiles, drones, and munitions. Oh, and vehicles.
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  640. A great video montage of a real war, marvellous. Heroic deeds, performed with a magnificent esprit de corps. I've seen punchlines delivered better - that one was dropped like a mortar bomb
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  641. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  642. Very informative video - well presented. 8:00 "New relations between 'riparian' nations". I think you meant 'littoral' nations. Riparian = by a river Littoral = by the sea or lake
    20
  643. The Taliban video : "We have taken the square", shows the desperation of the Taliban to generate momentum. They are playing their one big card, and blowing through their war-chest (supplies). When this push finishes, the Taliban will be fighting hand-to-mouth. They have no logistics supply train.
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  644. 1:01 No need for GPS : the Grad rockets use a Soviet compass. The driver has his specs on - the direction is East-North-East.
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  645. 2:10 "The Egyptian border is closed - because of instability in the Sinai" What ? Can you explain. No, they won't explain, so allow me :- Hamas, formed in 1987 are the Muslim Brotherhood. I won't write any more because the comment will be removed. But one can easily work out why Egypt would close the border.
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  646. LOL Russian generals are struggling to find life-insurance.
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  647. " Immature, whimsical & unpredictable " Kaiser Wilhelm II was a capricious, immature fantasist. General de Gaulle was a single-minded, pig-headed, egotistical French force. Bismarck was a genius barbarian (AJP Taylor) Bismarck : "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English".
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  648. Ukraine are getting 150km missiles They will hit Russian assembly points “When two or three are gathered together in Russia's name, Himars will be in the midst of them.”
    19
  649. LOL look at the Greek foreign minister : that's what corruption does to you.
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  650. 2:30 "“They had learned nothing and forgotten nothing.” Talleyrand on the Bourbon monarchy. Louis XVI was executed after the French Revolution (1789) His son Louis XVIII was restored after Napoleon Louis XVIII died in 1824 and his brother Charles X became king. Charles tried to rule as an autocrat, disregarding the constitution. There was a minor protest in 1830 ; inexplicably Charles' nerve went, and he fled to England. Talleyrand wasn't referring to this episode but it nicely fits his apophthegm.
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  651. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
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  652.  @robertdownes793  NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia.
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  653. Well done Ukraine, very impressive. Someone has to defend civilization, and it has fallen to you. The Free world is so proud.
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  654. The Spanish police behaved like fascist thugs during the Catalonia referendum. Reminding everyone of General Franco (supported by the Catholic Church and the Spanish king). Shame on Spain.
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  655. $75m in economic and development funds Imagine what could've been accomplished with the $3 billion Yasser Arafat stole.
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  656. Putin's rise to power.... APARTMENT BOMBINGS Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
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  657. Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass.
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  658. Good luck to the people of Belarus. Putin's Russia are supporting the despotic ruler. (What did you expect from the Axis of Evil ).
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  659. "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD Russia is suffering death by a thousand cuts.
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  660. How times change. When Pakistan invaded Bangladesh they killed 3 million.
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  661. I'm impressed straight off the bat :- that haircut means business. The Black Sea is up for grabs - Russia has fled from Snake Island, and withdrawn their fleet from Sevastopol (owing to 300km Himar threat). Good luck to the young recruits, and God Bless Ukraine.
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  662. Terrific ingenuity and effort. The Orcs don't protect any of their rust-buckets, and they live in squalor. The professionalism of Ukraine is commendable. They would segue into the NATO command with ease.
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  663. Modi , what can you say : one minute he is defending Hindu nationalists who have gang raped a child to death and the next minute he's introducing a civilized healthcare system. He's a mixed bag.
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  664. The UN is corrupt, incompetent and lacks a moral compass. LOL remember when the UN appointed an expert Libyan torturer (under Gaddafi) to be head of its Human Rights Council. Also, the UN is shameless.
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  665. The QUAD is a pressure group. AUKUS is an alliance. It is important to remember this when India is declaring "The US needs India" India is not needed by anyone - Modi is "shaky", and has one foot in the Axis of Evil camp.
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  666. 8 people = 4 cousins, 1 sister-in-law, and 3 nieces.
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  667. 4:10 A pretext for invasion Remember how Putin cam to power in 1999 ? A series of bombs had rocked Russia .......... Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
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  668. Xi calls for "maximum restraint" Modi sits in shameful silence. Putin respects folk who stand up to him, like Erdoğan (shooting down two SU-24 jets) Modi is spineless, and bullies like Putin detect that. Whereas Putin now respects Erdoğan.
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  669. What a nice guy. Even that short clip shows his paternal respected, affable nature. (That tank was a great starter. "They make good tanks the Russians" Mr Hewitt would say)
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  670. God bless the USA. Where would we all be if we were waiting for Macron to get his European Defence Force up and running ?
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  671. Balkan states have to choose between an aggressive,corrupt Russian gangster state or the civilized rule of law in the EU.
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  672. Trump telling the truth.
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  673. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
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  674. 40 military leaders (not just NATO) These are nations with a moral compass : no room for India. Modi must sit and squirm as he hears about Russian atrocities. He would be inhuman not to squirm.
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  675. Egypt is safe - they could all go to Egypt
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  676. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  677. Very brave, and inspirational. Well done. Someone has to fight for civilized values. True heroes.
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  678. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
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  679. Haftar has a mansion in Egypt for a safe retirement. But the schmucks who fought for him can expect to be tried in The Hague, and are looking at 10 - 20yrs.
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  680. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
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  681. 3 days for the army to turn up. The police never turn up. Something is very fishy. One suspects the long arm of Zuma is preventing a robust response.
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  682. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
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  683. Very commendable.
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  684. Wes Clarke (former NATO commander) says, "Putin will escalate whenever it suits him, whenever the situation demands it. Putin will threaten to go nuclear when he attacks the Baltic States. Will NATO keep backing off ?" Wes was scathing about the pusillanimous response. Although he did say a no-fly zone at this stage would be illegal ; it should have been enforced before Russia invaded.
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  685. Saudi have just drawn attention to the fact they have no human rights. There is no mention of human rights in the Koran. The concept of human rights developed out of the Enlightenment in the 17th C. That was a period when Europe shook off the shackles of religion and turned to science. That is why Europeans steamed ahead of the Muslim world which still embraced medieval ideas.
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  686. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with the Mongols of Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (8161) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  687. Imran Khan's trump card. He kept us all guessing .....it is a whopper, he is keeping us all laughing, right up to the curtain coming down.
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  688. Lebanon on its knees. Hezbollah still refuses to move from the Finance Ministry. Hezbollah (& Iran) the cause of all misery in the Middle East.
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  689. Well done : very brave. Russia has besmirched itself with barbarity. It always has been a dystopia :- Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  690. Sweden might also be responsible ? Maybe Sweden are reaping what they sowed.
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  691. Very atmospheric : an insight into the morale of Ukraine's band of brothers.
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  692. Johnson looks like an @ss : he'll never be PM.
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  693. Corruption : gold medallists for the last 50yrs, nobody else comes close.
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  694. The EU is like a damsel in distress, they have no idea how to deal with Russia.
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  695. Weak, weak, weak ....the EU
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  696. "North Korea style isolation" Putin will still have Modi.
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  697. Morning exercises, followed by a few artillery rounds. A great way to start the day, and end one's life.
    18
  698. Erdoğan's son is a multi-millionaire. Why don't other Turks work hard like him, and become millionaires.
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  699. Because Israel is the only democracy in the middle-east ?
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  700. Russia is NOT going nuclear before it mobilizes. How could anyone say "existential threat", when there has been no mobilisation, and no state of emergency declared. On Russian TV a colonel said,"Don't send missiles to the Finland border, quite honestly that is amusing"
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  701. Ukrainian professionalism, supported by US firepower is a lethal combination. (Also, Poland, UK and others : but let's face it, without the Yanks we'd be up the river without a paddle)
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  702. Irish - pro-Hamas (Best to switch off)
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  703. "There are two types of people in this world my friend : those who have an armed drone, and Russian Orcs running for their lives" That line is paraphrased from "The Good the bad and the Ugly"
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  704. They aren't Iraqis ! They are Iranian backed militia (Hezbollah-in-Iraq) Ordinary Iraqi folk want civilized democracy, not Iranian backed fascist theocracy.
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  705. aped, V.S. Naipaul (the Nobel prize winner) made the same observation. African armies are primarily there to subjugate and prey on their own population.
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  706. Serbia is a gangster state supported by Russia which is the mother of all gangster states. Organised crime is the life-blood of both nations. The thing is , if you start arresting criminals where do you stop : they're all crooks.
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  707. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  708. Pakistan army must save face The people are watching Pak has been slapped Are they going to meekly take it ?
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  709. Russia has a medieval army, based on the brutalization of conscripts. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
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  710. Himars are getting the credit for everything. Folk forget that the Russians are getting seven bells knocked out of them by howitzers too.
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  711. The Truth, have you ever studied it or just watched this idiotic video. My guess is you know less than the dim-wit who made this video.
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  712. It could be Hezbollah storing weapons.
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  713. Too little too late. In February Germany froze. RAF weapons flights had to fly around German airspace. Germany froze - it was sickening to watch. Any assistance given by Germany has been under duress. NATO has forced Germany into doing something.
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  714. "Russia is destined to become a large land but a small nation". Putin's fortune-teller told him that. And then she fell out of a window.
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  715. Those idiots shooting haven't a clue. The reason you have sergeants and corporals is that it works. Discipline, objectives and team-work win fire-fights. The Taliban will crush those goons.
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  716. 3 home runs
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  717. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  718. Incredible accuracy. The cliché called out by Palestinians, is the same one used by terrorists stabbing shoppers. That cry is repulsive to civilization. Find a new Civil Rights slogan, but ditch that one.
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  719. Well said. Also, Ukraine's army is becoming more professional and experienced, whereas Russia is relying on the next batch of poorly trained and heavily bullied conscripts.
    17
  720. When the turret flies off - it's a biggy.
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  721. 7:00 have you noticed the difference in tone between the intelligent, sober analysis of the Australian former PM and the brassy, in-your-face , raucous Yankee hussy ? Oh I can't stand the Yanks and Yankee culture and manners.
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  722. Fox News is packed with morons (Tucker etc) but Brian takes the biscuit.
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  723. Well he was last seen being transported out of Turkey in 15 diplomatic bags, I think it's safe to assume he's dead. Also, Turkey have the Saudi embassy bugged and in the 7min recording you can hear him scream as they cut his fingers off, then tranquillise him, behead him and finally start playing music as the bone-saw guy dismembers him.
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  724. I wonder what the corrupt politicians feel when they see this : all those mansions and private jets . Don't worry their conscience is clear , they were absolved at confession by a child abusing priest.
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  725. Merkel invited 1 million to Europe - then insisted every other country take a share.
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  726. Biden just said the consequences won't be so great. As long as Russia keep the invasion small. The President said that at press conference. Everyone's jaw dropped, and the Whitehouse dispatched Blinken to do damage limitations. Maybe having a senile President isn't a good idea after all.
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  727. The Poker table :- a) Erdogan has hardly any chips but manages to survive round after round. b) Putin has hidden his chips, but the MOD said, "They have a dwindling stockpile" c) Zelensky is being bank-rolled by the USA and has essentially limitless chips. d) the EU have had to leave the table - the doctors said it was too much for their nerves. e) Macron was playing with chocolate coins and has now left the adults to continue.
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  728. 0:30 "The people of the village must provide for us" he says laughing. This is how the military behaves in $%"!hole countries. They simply extort money from the locals. That is why ISIS had such an easy time in Iraq : the Iraqi army were a bunch of thieves.
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  729. Here's an idea : when don't the politicians roll over and let Hezbollah turn Lebanon into and anti-democratic, fascist theocracy. You will certainly never remove them from a corrupt power-sharing government. Hezbollah have 10k armed violent thugs and will happily turn them loose on the people.
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  730. LOL You've got to hand it to Trump : he's taken on the main-stream-media, the Republican party, the Bush dynasty, the EU, NATO , N Korea, China and Russia. Well not so much Russia but the rest is an impressive list.
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  731. Jens Stoltenberg (mild mannered lionheart) said, " This changes nothing, countries should send more support to Ukraine"
    17
  732. A good historical record, well done Al Jazeera.
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  733. In April 1849 Hungarians surrendered to Russian troops, and were incorporated back into the Austrian Empire. What were Russians doing fighting for the Habsburgs ? Good question. Russia have always believed they had a right to be consulted and to dictate Europeans affairs. They invaded Hungary again in 1956 They invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 Russians are feared and hated by all their neighbours.
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  734. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    17
  735. Germany is also celebrating. At first it blocked airspace for British weapons, and blocked Estonia sending howitzers. Germany hoped Macron would stitch up an appeasement deal for Moscow. Fortunately the heroic resistance of Ukrainians, the atrocities at Bucha and public opinion, forced Germany and France to ditch support for Moscow and side with NATO.
    17
  736. cyclon, very good point. The secret is prosperity : if Turkey offer limited autonomy with prosperity it's a winner. The counter argument would be "It's the thin edge of the wedge", once you grant something it is impossible to take it back without violence that the international community would not countenance. Turkey has to tie Kurdish prosperity with its own : (games theory) either both win or both lose.
    17
  737. 20:40 Trump's bored 35:01 Trump's very bored 45:05 Trump's smile , priceless : he likes taking toffee from Pompeo
    17
  738. Lloyd Austin : "They believe we can win......they believe they can win" Who cares who's winning, as long as Russia is losing. Blinken : "Ukraine will be around a lot longer than Putin" Nice line : everyone knows Putin is dying.
    17
  739. France very bravely assassinated a Greenpeace activist in New Zealand :- "Jean-Luc Kister was one of a team which planted mines on the Rainbow Warrior in 1985, killing photographer Fernando Pereira" Yet France collaborated with the Nazis in Europe : fighting the US and UK in North Africa. And they collaborated with the Japanese in Indo-China (Vietnam). Never expect France to do the honourable thing.
    17
  740. One word : professionalism. There is no Russian equivalent for that word : if there is, then the Orcs can't pronounce it.
    17
  741. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often jke about rape.
    17
  742. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    17
  743. The military. "The future of Venezuela depends on the military". In all $hitholes countries the military is corrupt : in Venezuela there are 2000 generals. Nuff said.
    17
  744. Thank God for the USA Speaking of God, the Pope made a perceptive observation when he described Russia as "Infantile". Putin is like an ill-disciplined sadistic child. Boris said,"The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts", God bless the USA
    17
  745. It is a sad situation........but music to the Ayatollah's ears. The Iranian Ayatollah wants a fascist theocracy in Lebanon and is funding Hezbollah to deliver it into his hands. Hezbollah specialize in assassinations, but they also have 10,000 armed thugs, occupy the finance ministry and refuse to budge.
    17
  746. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    17
  747. Estonia provided a mobile hospital - marvellous. Russian officers shoot their seriously wounded, there are many reports from POWs about this.
    17
  748. LOL this has been going on for 50yrs. How do you think Arafat stayed in power for 40yrs. Go to a Fatah meeting and ask about corruption and you'll be beaten and crippled. Go protest against Hamas and you'll be beaten or killed. The PLO were the biggest gangsters going. The PLO even tried to take over Jordan : that's what Black September was all about. Then the PLO went to Lebanon and committed abuses trying to carve out their own territory.
    17
  749. Lloyd Austin : "They believe we can win......they believe they can win" Who cares who's winning, as long as Russia is losing. Blinken : "Ukraine will be around a lot longer than Putin" Nice line : everyone knows Putin is dying.
    17
  750. Axis of Evil = North Korea, Iran, China, Russia, etc The Allies = AUKUS (USA, UK, Australia) NATO and Civilized Democracies. You seem to be confused, so I thought I'd spell it out.
    17
  751. China supports the general's coup. Russia and China veto UN condemnation (The Axis of Evil). Tienanmen Square : the Myanmar military's template.
    17
  752. Well done Macron, Biden and the EU. Also, well done to the Gulf states. Let's agree to let bygones be bygones vis-a-vis that episode with the bone saw.
    17
  753. What a shame. The tragedy of the Palestinians is the total failure in their leadership. Arafat ruled as a corrupt dictator for 40yrs. Fatah are totally corrupt and tolerate no opposition (they are a one-party state) , Hamas are anti-democratic thugs (any opponents are just thrown from a roof). Palestinians were offered a 2 state solution in 1947 and 2000 (Clinton) and refused both times. The sad fact is peace will come eventually and then everyone will look back and wonder why it took so long. (Arafat will get the lion's share of the blame)
    17
  754. The postman always knocks twice.
    17
  755. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    17
  756. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    17
  757. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    17
  758. Very inhumane Trump is watching
    17
  759. 70yrs of conflict and what has been gained ? Well Yaser Arafat stole $3billion in his 40yr dictatorship and Fatah are driving luxury SUVs and enjoying their corrupt wealth. The losers are the people. Why not have freely contested elections so the Palestinians can make a fresh start. ?
    17
  760. Correct Trump effect : low turnout always bad news for the incumbent. Those wanting renewal or change are far more likely to vote. Don't expect France 24 to say this - they are 100% behind Macron.
    17
  761. Lucky she wasn't married to her abductor. In Pakistan abduction and forced marriage is allowed.
    17
  762. Brazil's government is an utterly corrupt disgrace. Pity anyone who depends on those self-serving politicians.
    17
  763. It's a black hour for Ukraine, a black hour for humanity. Shame on those nations defending Russia at the UN (China and India)
    17
  764. Axis of Evil : Russia, China, North Korea, Iran...... All anti-democratic, anti-human rights, anti-freedom. All corrupt and violent.
    17
  765. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    17
  766. "The latest move" by France is to back warlord Haftar. Although France-24 seem reluctant to mention it.
    17
  767. It's a lot of money to pay someone to keep quiet when "nothing happened". Also, curious that she filed a police report afterwards when 'nothing happened.' On the balance of probability one would assume something did happen.
    17
  768. "Hold on Kherson, we're coming"
    17
  769. I am pro Catalan but this chap is in cloud cuckoo land if he thinks they will stay in the EU. He is deluded. Every nation with its own potential breakaway region will veto their admission.
    16
  770. Wow Belarus really is a terrible dictatorship. Backed by Russia of course. Everyone knew the Axis of Evil would be involved.
    16
  771. Rationally consider Trumps statement : he has a point. Germany contribute 1% of GDP to defence and now hand billions to Russia (so they can increase their military) The US are being taken for mugs.
    16
  772. A very well drilled squad. It's like clockwork.
    16
  773. British Brimstone missiles. One's heart swells with pride.
    16
  774. UN offered a 2 state solution in 1947 ......rejected It was offered by Clinton at Camp David 2000.......rejected. Yaser Arafat ruled for 40yrs as a corrupt dictator (stealing $3 billion. He was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month) Sadly, the corrupt old men of Palestine, those chaps living in mansions in Ramallah, have utterly betrayed the Palestinian people. Why not have an election in Palestine and allow women to participate ? Why not elect a dynamic, charismatic woman like New Zealand ?
    16
  775. Hamas ammunition must be very low - even UNRWA couldn't supply enough ammo for Hamas to continue fighting
    16
  776. Pressure is growing to remove Russia from the UN Security Council. India would be the obvious choice to replace them. India has a larger pop. India has a larger economy. India is a true democracy. India has no known enemies (I mean civilized enemies)
    16
  777. If Nordstream 2 is repairable then Russia did it. If both NS1 and NS2 are catastrophic then the Yanks did it.
    16
  778. "Better to halt the Russian aggression in Ukraine" Well said. Europe is grateful for and admiring of Ukraine's efforts.
    16
  779. How depressing is Mexico's macho-culture ? It quickly segues into a woman-killing culture : it's sickening. The authorities consider it normal.....so do the media....an opportunity to sell papers, no more than that.
    16
  780. The UN always speaks for Hamas - they should speak for democracy and international order, speak against terrorism
    16
  781. Gosh, Haftar is retreating so quickly any map showing how much land he occupies will be out of date before it's published.
    16
  782. Judith, if I understand you, you are not anti-Semitic but you do condemn the only democracy in the middle east. You believe in a Palestinian state even though no Arab countries recognised it in 1948 or 1958 or 1968......it took them over 30yrs and 3 defeats to finally reluctantly recognise Palestine. And the reason for that is there has never been a Palestinian state. Egypt, Jordan and Syria all claimed Palestine as their own.
    16
  783. Germany made a rookie mistake in geopolitical thinking. (It was actually wilful naivete - Germany knew what it was doing allying itself with Russia)
    16
  784. France & Italy recommend capitulation for Ukraine. Scholz said "Putin must not win", but he flip-flops, and tailors his message for the audience. When with Macron Scholz agrees with him, then with a different audience flips.
    16
  785. Mervyn King is wiser now than he was when he retired. The young bucks should pay heed to that old courser.
    16
  786. Who killed him ? Good question : I'd ask those 15 men who left with his body in diplomatic bags. There's half a chance they had something to do with it.
    16
  787. Shame on India : supporting a tyrant. A nuclear catastrophe is in the making, and Modi gives Moscow a nod & wink.
    16
  788. Excellent presentation and very good analysis. May I add an aside ? MbS wants to preside over the death of Islam (which I applaud). Let me explain : he wants Islam to mirror Christianity in the West . To become a social setting for jumble-sales and garden parties. To espouse humanist values and to take a back seat to democracy. I hope he succeeds. The new city NOEM will have its own laws and no Fakirs. This is where Saudi is heading. A modern education syllabus where religion is optional. I never thought I'd cheer a Saudi prince but he has my full support.
    16
  789. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    16
  790. Rejoice at that news : "1000sw miles liberated" Unbelievable courage and aggressive effort. Does a good card player "stick" or "twist" ? Only the Ukrainian HQ know that answer (and maybe the Pentagon)
    16
  791. Remember the 68 cruise missiles fired at the Syrian military airport ? No casualties because the Russians had been informed it was coming. You will find Iran informed Iraq about the strike.....who then informed the US. Hence Trump's sang-froid.
    16
  792. It just keeps getting better and better.
    16
  793. Qatar funds Hamas - it's common knowledge
    16
  794. New York police have always been brutal and corrupt. It peaked in the C19th and the 1970s, when they were brazenly corrupt. Now they are just a disgrace.
    16
  795. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    16
  796. Difficult problems require intelligent solutions. The ANC Health Minister recommended garlic & honey to cure AIDS. Why not ask him to solve the violence problem ? The ANC have got the competent , intelligent, honest politicians to do it : that's why folks keeping voting for them.
    16
  797.  Vihari Royal  , I'm no fan of the Turks and would be overjoyed to see the Kurds achieve an independent homeland. AS a military historian I'm simply pointing out the value of professionalism.
    16
  798. My historical analysis is being removed. I posted an interesting comment detailing developments from 1900 to the present. But history is too hot a topic to be allowed.
    16
  799. I'm not taking sides but why would Burma take orders from Bangladesh when the troops are inside Burma's own border ?
    16
  800. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    16
  801. Hamas keeps moving - the battleground keeps changing Civilians have to move as Hamas retreats Hamas use civilians as cover
    16
  802. 1:14 what a beautiful chapel .....and I'm a stone-cold atheist.
    16
  803. Amazing. I love history that is still living. And he treats the position with all the dignity it deserves. Well done Sir. A terrific tradition and an example to us all.
    16
  804. Egypt's army is as big a joke as the Saudi's fiasco forces.
    16
  805. Good report, and well presented. But for the pedantic NATO isn't referred to as "The" NATO, just NATO Strictly speaking, it is "The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation" But by convention the acronym is a singular noun, like "Society" One is a member of society. One is a member of NATO
    16
  806. "Who gives them the right ?" Well it's a fair question and you could ask it of the Ottomans who ruled the whole region with brutality for centuries. You could ask it of the invading Arabs who forced conversion to Islam then built a mosque on the Jewish Temple Mount. Who gave the Arabs the right to build a mosque on Temple Mount ? You can keep asking this question going right back to the Bronze Age when various tribes were fighting for territory. The Israelis are asking who gave the Romans the right to destroy the Temple ?
    16
  807. They're not push-ups. He never straightens his arms. They are bounce-ups.....look at his elbows : the angle never changes. He is just bouncing from his pectoral muscles.
    16
  808. This was always on the cards. The army are 100% corrupt and 100% venal and untrustworthy.........they'll NEVER hand over power.
    16
  809. History will repeat itself in this conflict. In 1898 the Spanish had a global army of 250,000, the USA had only 1/10th of that, and yet they totally defeated Spain. In retaliation, the Spanish military committed endless atrocities - mostly against their own people. Russia will do the same after this humiliation.
    16
  810. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard also control the most lucrative 30% of Iran's economy.
    16
  811. I'm surprised at Spain. One would have thought the images of Spanish police beating people trying to vote, would be one the Spanish government wanted forgotten. Some of the scenes were quite sickening : an old lady with blood on her head, a young girl dragged by her hair. It was reminiscent of the Franco era.
    16
  812. Adam Smith : "The Church was the most formidable combination ever formed.......... against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind "
    16
  813. UN Sec Gen Guterres spoke to "contextualise" Hamas crimes Will Guterres "contextualise" crimes against women - rape and sexual assault ?
    16
  814. At this stage the whole of NATO forces should be used against Iran. The Ayatollah believes in the 12th Imam. The 12th Imam arrives with Armageddon : that is why the Ayatollah will use nuclear weapons as soon as he develops them : Armageddon bring paradise for Iranians.
    16
  815. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    16
  816. "Why announce withdrawal on TV" To distance Putin and show it is a military necessity Baldy (Surovikin) was the milbloggers choice (the military right wing nationalist bloggers) If he says it is necessary then Putin has appeased that faction.
    16
  817.  @marcusfranconium3392  The influx of North African migrants was Merkel's idea.
    16
  818. Well done Nikki Haley She is thinking about hostages Al Jazeera refuse to show the Hamas hostage video Why ? Well ask yourself - what do you imagine it shows ? All the girls smiling ?
    16
  819. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905).At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassadorignored him - then with British support Germany backed down.Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy"a) French instinct for capitulationb) Italy unreliable.A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliabilityare themes which recur.Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists".Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
    16
  820. "De-escalation" and "We are doing our utmost" , the EU are in overdrive. That must be great consolation for Iran : with GDP down 6% and inflation at 50% the EU's carrot will soon have Iran's economy back on its feet.
    16
  821. The blockage won't affect Pakistan : their Dhows don't use the canal.
    16
  822. That guy has got "Patsy" written all over him
    15
  823. Russia (The Axis of Evil) is behind repression in Belarus. Lukashenko would have gone by now, but he has the backing of Putin. The Kremlin Mafia spreading repression.
    15
  824. The FSB has experience planting bombs in Russia....(The apartment bombings) Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    15
  825. 7:00 "Status quo ante bellum" Wrong The British Defence Secretary (and the USA) have said the Russians must vacate the whole of Ukraine including Donbas and Crimea.
    15
  826. 8:30 "It's a big problem for Russia, a long war" Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Fedorov said, "The only thing the Kremlin fears is that the war is long" Watch DW Conflict Zone.
    15
  827. Malaysia another $hithole country.
    15
  828. Imran Khan isn't Prime Minister to keep an eye on the price of potatoes. LOL Please vote for IK
    15
  829. China is the weakest country in the region. It has catastrophic geopolitical weaknesses :- a) it can't feed itself. b) it needs oil & gas imports c) 51% of its GDP is made up of exports Any international war would see China collapse.
    15
  830. Turkey is headed for a massive fall. Its economy is already in free-fall.
    15
  831. I'm uprating GE from 'sell' to ' don't buy'.
    15
  832. This is Latin American culture : it dates back to Spanish and Portuguese colonialism. The Autocracy of monarchy and the Catholic Church. It is why Central and South America are failures . North America inherited the democratic protestant spirit of Northern Europe. In 1830 and 1851 the Red Indians were removed and legislated against. But even in 1895 nobody actually realised just how few Indians were left. In Latin America a genocide took place. One intellectual justified because the Patagonian Indians "Couldn't count past three" One two three, many : that was their counting system
    15
  833. Sourav, you conveniently forget it was Israel who politicized the match by moving it from Haifa.
    15
  834. A very nice gesture by the Ayatollah. Maybe we should let him have nuclear weapons after all. If he's so good of a guy, to release an innocent woman ?
    15
  835. "India's military is a social welfare scheme", I said that months ago. India, Russia, and China have peasant armies. India needs a professional army.
    15
  836. The Shah was overthrown in 1979 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : they were hanged 6 at a time from forklift trucks. Read The executioners deserve medals.
    15
  837. I hope the EU don't blink first. (Who am I kidding. The EU windbags are already looking at a compromise).
    15
  838. In almost all schools they have a "no running policy". I'm going back 50yrs.....even when you left mid-lesson and nobody was around, you never ran ; just walked really quickly.
    15
  839. Erdogan has imprisoned more journalists than any other country. Turkey has NO DEMOCRACY The opposition are arrested and intimidated : just like Putin's Russia.
    15
  840. One doesn't need to be Sherlock Holmes :- The ship had caught £55k catch in stormy weather, and the captain wouldn't lose the catch to save the ship. The captain and his nephew then saved themselves.
    15
  841. Hijacked plane, also Russia shot down MH17. The Axis of Evil. Queen Victoria described Russia as "The great barbarians, destroyers of civilization and freedom wherever it exists"
    15
  842. If you have "No ammo" then surrender is the only option. No disgrace at all. Very well done to him. He deserves a hero's welcome.
    15
  843. It's heavy work, but worth it - to give the Orcs a hard pounding.
    15
  844. ..........and that's how to keel-haul a CEO.
    15
  845. What do we know about armed groups in Kashmir? They are all 100% Islamofascist.
    15
  846. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    15
  847. Russia GDP = $1.4 trillion Italy GDP = $1.9 trillion Russia is a minnow, and its military is a paper tiger.
    15
  848. Very ingenious, well done. And an industrious workforce.
    15
  849. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    15
  850. 1:07 That one is horribly burning 1:40 My gosh, that infernoed itself into a Mephistophelian miasma. 2:15 The decapitation Russian tank trademark 3:30 Almost intact, but barbecued from within.
    15
  851. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    15
  852. For sure Trump was right when he said France is now a $hithole country.
    15
  853. Remember Erdogan's visit to the US ? When Turkish thugs started beating and kick peaceful protestors. Those Turkish fascists were summoned to return but Erdogan defended his thugs. Remember Erdogan saying he's invade Manbij ? The Turkish dictator watched as the US wiped out a Russian battalion crossing the Euphrates then quietly changed his mind.
    15
  854. Bravo, good on him.
    15
  855. "How can it be resolved ?" They have the world's 4th largest oil supply and folk are living on $2 a day. I would have thought the answer was obvious. Gigantic incompetence and corruption seems to be the problem.
    15
  856. It's like the election of Napoleon III (1848) Boris is the only name they recognise on the poll.
    15
  857. France has a 200yr old culture for accommodation (if I say capitulation the comment will be removed) Macron : "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Australia needs fighting allies, that is why AUKUS was formed.
    15
  858. The Devil looks after his own.
    15
  859. "Macron says we must not humiliate Russia" Watch the response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration.
    15
  860. NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia.
    15
  861. Don't use the word "Coalition". That word describes the good guys Alliance. Use "Saudi-led axis"
    15
  862. Magnificent Liz Truss (UK Foreign Minister) "Russia must be defeated and removed from Ukraine, only then can peace be discussed, and secured by a well armed border" (I'm paraphrasing)
    15
  863. It wasn't an icon, it was an eyesore.
    15
  864. 0:20 I've never seen such a bolshy tank. Ideally, one would've like to see it blown sky-high.
    15
  865. Let me give you all some background :- Palestine were offered a 2 state solution in 1947 and 2000 (Camp David, Clinton) and turned it down. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3billion from the people. He had to, that was how he stayed in power : he bribed his friends and paid-off his enemies. Fatah are totally corrupt, have never been audited and tolerate no opposition : they are the archetypal one-party state. Hamas are anti-democratic fascist thugs. The biggest tragedy of the Palestinians is a total failure of leadership. If they had a liberal, democratic , honest leader the whole thing would have been resolved decades ago. Gulf $dollar$ has paid to keep the conflict going for political advantage.
    15
  866. The safety of folk in restaurants from Police exposing themselves hasn't been addressed. By all accounts his colleagues treated this as a harmless misdemeanour. Only when he committed kidnapping and murder 12 days later did it assume any importance. Perhaps if they's taken it seriously in the first place Sarah Everard may still be alive.
    15
  867. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  868. Russia's list of unfriendly nations :- (don't worry India you're not on it) only brave nations, that defend civilized values. United States Canada the EU states UK (including Jersey Anguilla British Virgin Islands Gibraltar Ukraine Montenegro Switzerland Albania Andorra Iceland Liechtenstein Monaco Norway San Marino North Macedonia Japan South Korea Australia Micronesia New Zealand Singapore Taiwan (considered a territory of China, but ruled by its own administration since 1949)
    15
  869. Whenever the constitution is being changed (eg venezuela) one smells autocracy. Whenever the ruling party wants to change the voting system one smells autocracy. If in doubt support the opposition.
    15
  870. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    15
  871. He pays for the service and it's not cheap. I think it was $1500 per year. It includes all the time-lapse videos and many other things : satellite imagery etc
    15
  872. LOL who controls the port and airport ? Hezbollah. Ha ha ha, I said it was them before I even knew. Nothing leaves (or comes in) the port without Hezbollah's approval. Hezbollah are 100% responsible. I knew it. It's just one of those things you know, you know ?
    14
  873. Magnificent. A lovely moment at the end, when Biden bends to pull out a platform for Ursula to stand on : he struggles with it and says,"I'm earning my salary here". A comical gentlemanly moment. One which won the hearts of Europe : a show of unity and quick-witted civility. (I couldn't imagine Trump doing that)
    14
  874. A Jasper. The secondary explosion made my day.
    14
  875. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    14
  876. "Oil reserves in Iraq are considered the world's fifth-largest : proven oil-reserves : 140 billion barrels." There is absolutely no need for Iraqis to be poor. Norway has less oil but has a sovereign wealth fund of $1 trillion for future generations.
    14
  877. Disgraceful Police behaviour.........pepper spraying indiscriminately.
    14
  878. This area has always been a boundary :- a) Betwixt Rome and Constantinople (The east and west Roman empires) b) Between Roman Catholicism and The eastern Orthodoxy c) Between the Ottomans and Europe The Habsburg gave tax exemption to the tribes who secured the border. They were outcasts (I forget the name), like Cossacks - semi-civilized.
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  879. Good News - The Yanks are sending M270 long range rocket launchers. Ukraine has just received SU-25 and Mi-17 warplanes. Ukraine has launched its Counter Offensive : against Kherson (south), and from Kharkiv (north). General Budanov (Intelligence) said the turning point will be mid-August. God bless Ukraine (and the Yanks)
    14
  880. Auld Lang Syne : very nice gesture, much appreciated.
    14
  881. Did Hamas consider civilians ? I mean their own civilians, not the one's they butchered in Israel
    14
  882. Hamas must wish they hadn't done it
    14
  883. Well done Germany. Very impressive. The Orthodox Church have stated :- "The Ukrainian and Russian peoples came out of the Dnieper baptismal font, and war between these peoples is a repetition of Cain’s sin. . . Such a war has no justification for either God or man.”
    14
  884. Barzani (Kurdish leader) and his family will rule with an iron fist. They are more corrupt than Yaser Arafat and have already killed a journalist who was critical of them.
    14
  885. It's a real shame Yaser Arafat didn't spend the $3 billion he stole on high tech development for young Palestinians. Palestinians could've beaten Israel at their own high-tech game. But Arafat stole the money : bribing friends and paying off enemies to finance his 40yr dictatorship.
    14
  886. When it all ends what has been gained ? Well Assad and Russia have won , there's no disputing that. But reconstruction will never happen until Assad steps down. There'll be no money from the West and Russia and Iran don't have two halfpennies to rub together.
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  887. LOL ha ha ha, Hezbollah control the port, and yet it's the people who are having to clean up. When protestors were demanding a new government Hezbollah threatened to put 10k armed militia on the streets : to silence the protestors. Where are those militia now that Hezbollah's ammonium nitrate has exploded ? Nowhere. Hezbollah militia are only good at beating pro-democracy students. (see Tehran 1999)
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  888. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
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  889. African armies have one priority : to oppress their own people. The African Union is composed of corrupt despots who only show token disapproval because Western Democracy demands it. I pity the people of Africa.
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  890. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
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  891. Unknown , you miss the point : $500 billion is being spent on NEOM not on Mecca (nobody is interested in it except as a source of tourist income). The big picture is the future which doesn't include Islam : NEOM will have Western laws, that's the future.
    14
  892. Very brave. The whole of Europe and the United States as well as Canada and Australia - in fact the whole Civilized World stands with Ukraine.
    14
  893. The Saudi is bone idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant , arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel. Why does Trump humiliate them after they bought $380-billion of arms ? Because he despises them , as we all do.
    14
  894. In Africa the military are the enemy of the people. (I mean the State's own military are parasitic upon their own people) And not only Africa : Pakistan is the same, and Iran with the IRGC who filch from the economy like an imperium in imperio. Egypt's military have their own economy (a state within a state). The list is endless. By contrast, in Britain during a protest , the Yeoman cavalry commander said he was going to charge and disperse the crowd. The town councillor informed him that he was under his command and would do no such thing ; then reminded him he would answer for any injuries in a court of law : that was 1819. Civilian rule.
    14
  895. It never rains but it pours.
    14
  896. Lindsey Graham says the sanctions will be veto proof. There will be no way that big toddler in the Whitehouse can protect the MBS and Jared Kushner.
    14
  897. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
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  898. Don't anyone say "Rejoice"
    14
  899. The bread-basket of Africa. Then Mugabe gave the farms to his 'War Veterans'. Only they didn't want farms they wanted cash to spend in brothels and bars. The farms became derelict.
    14
  900. Good work. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated on the battlefield".
    14
  901. Von der Leyden has been a stalwart. She has moved quickly into military supplies action. She has unified the EU, and galvanized condemnation.
    14
  902. LOL Turkey is returning to medieval barbarism.
    14
  903. Modi must stop "being shaky", and condemn Russian barbarity. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    14
  904. Even the US Pentagon have a chuckle when the Stone-age Houthis fire a long range missile at the Saudi.
    14
  905. Was Macron's "Bodyguard" there beating up the protestors ?
    14
  906. Russia has been defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942 That must hurt : utter humiliation. Ukraine's counter-offensive was a match for any in history. A magnificent victory.
    14
  907. "Imams are brought in from overseas : Algeria and Morocco" They'll be nice and enlightened. Those Imams won't have a medieval mind-set. They're sure to respect humanist values of equality and freedom of expression. North African Imams are sure to understand the rights of women not to be stoned to death or beaten into submission.
    14
  908. Well done Ursula von der Leyden : a very brave journey, and a firm message of resolve. Macron wants to recommence dialogue with Putin : "Pas de recul ", said Ursula (no backsliding) Historian Tim Snyder of Yale voiced the consensus when he said, "Peace isn't possible with Putin, only military defeat on the battlefield"
    14
  909. Putin is riding a tiger in Russia at the moment, I don't think his focus is on Kazakhstan. Russian news said they have extracted concessions from the West not to station missiles in Ukraine. But that was an old agreement, not a new concession. Putin is looking for a way to climb down without losing face. Russia is in a downward spiral : Kazakhstan is barely on the radar.
    14
  910. I know it is fashionable to hate Trump and the USA but try and side with Western Democracy for once. When Khomeini landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with democrats and said, "I'll kick their teeth in" He executed 7000 and imprisoned many more. Under the Shah prisoners described tedium and boredom ; under the Ayatollah they spoke of terror torture and death.
    14
  911. Russian TV Simoniya : "Civil war is a terrible thing" They know it is coming
    14
  912. It is painful to watch Europe's humiliation And NATO's humiliation Canada has been taunted and degraded Britain treated like dirt One wonders how they all sleep at night (maybe they don't mind)
    14
  913. It's back to the Dark Ages.
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  914.  @rasidmantawil1052  Russia has many advantages :- a) It doesn't mind having soldiers slaughtered. Russia has always had lots of manpower, and has always been reckless with their lives. b) Russia is huge and has momentum : it started with an overwhelming numerical advantage in tank artillery, planes etc Russian disadvantages :- a) Isolation : there are 50 countries proving military support to Ukraine. The UN supports Ukraine. Even China and India will not recognise Crimea as part of Russia. Russia is alone - militarily and economically. b) Hi-tech : Russia is taking a pasting. Not just Himars, but the US is training Ukrainians to fly F-16 and F-15 fighters. c) Missiles : Russia is using anti-ship and anti-air missiles for ground attacks - "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons".
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  915. Ukraine counter-offensive begins in July. Mid-August will be the turning point (Major General Kyrylo Budanov ) Kherson and izyum (one would imagine) will be the first to fall. Putin (one would imagine) will fall shortly after that.
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  916. 4:30 "Scepticism in people's voice" Not scepticism, you could say uncertainty or confusion or bewilderment. But one can only be sceptical of 'something' and at the moment we have 'nothing'.
    14
  917. Spain must be cringing. They would like Europe to forget about their police brutality.
    14
  918.  @isahauhnar  India begs for weapons from Russia Russia asks Iran for drones. Modi is playing 3rd fiddle to the Ayatollah.
    14
  919. "Under Iranian law, police, revolutionary guards and other militia are not allowed to enter universities". Well done fascist Greece - they've made the Ayatollah look liberal.
    14
  920. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  921. Excellent video : well researched, fast moving, with novel details. Very well presented and enjoyable.
    14
  922. Trump Jr, after the 2008 financial crisis,whilst playing golf, told a friend "We don't use banks, we get all the money we need from Russia". That's the same Trump Jr who tried to establish an encrypted back channel communication with the Kremlin. The same one who met with Russian intelligence agents in Trump Tower.
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  923. Well done Modi : it takes courage to defy Russia. Biden said Modi "looks shaky", but the Indian prime minister has surprised his critics, and found some courage from somewhere. Well done India.
    14
  924. 1:00 "Corruption & bad governance (incompetence) made worse by a lack of awareness and illiteracy". Illiteracy is the curse of Pakistan. When it gained its independence in 1947 it was illiteracy that drove millions to vote as their Imam directed them : the result was fanatical Islam. Not the secular state Jinnah wanted : based on the British model. Fanatical religion thrives on ignorance and illiteracy.
    14
  925. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  926. They are afraid of Islamofascism ; and rightly so. In the UK we have a government minister Keith Vaz who, on BBC Radio 4, after the Charlie Hebdo slaughter said, "The UK should have blasphemy laws to prevent the prophet being ridiculed". Yes , you heard it right, he was siding with and apologising for the murderers.
    14
  927. LOL Turkey are now begging the US to help. I'm afraid Erdogan has bitten off more than he can chew. Turkey are best at slaughtering unarmed civilians : Armenian genocide, the Bulgarian atrocities and the Greek massacres to name but a few. No country has a worse human rights record than Turkey. That is why they are hated by ALL their neighbours. The US and EU want them out of NATO as well. In the last NATO exercise the enemy objective was called 'Erdogan' ; LOL Norway said it was a clerical error.
    14
  928. Who'd have believed it. It was only a few decades ago India was waiting for grain ships from the USA, now they are providing food aid themselves. Well done India. (On a low note - India is making a mammoth mistake loading INS Vikrant with planes, whether Rapahaeles or F-18, China will sink that ship within 24hrs of any conflict).
    14
  929. Very sad. Hard-working people suffering because of Hezbollah's corruption. If only the Ayatollah would leave Syria to develop.
    14
  930. The humiliation for Putin must be hard to swallow. The Russian army - guilty of so many war crimes, has been brought to its knees. Who could fail to see the hand of God in all this.
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  931. LOL a pro-Hamas Irish wally Calls for a "Permanent" ceasefire Not the one backed by the UN and USA etc But the one suggested by Hamas LOL France24 can certainly pick 'em
    14
  932. 1:25 "Detained for collaborating" LOL The PA always use that to detain anyone who crosses them (or accuses them of corruption). Al-Aqsa martyrs brigade,what are the chances of him collaborating ? But making trouble for the corrupt PA, certainly.
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  933. Lord Owen : "The Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability ; they know what would happen to their families" When asked whether the threat was real.
    14
  934. Good to see US sanctions are working. A shame for the hard-working Persian people , but essential to bring down the rabid Ayatollah's brutal, pathological regime.
    14
  935. May I give an historians perspective on Gaza ? The Palestinians have had 70yrs of terrible leadership : Arafat 40yrs dictator stole $3billion, Hamas Islamofascist , Fatah corrupt gangsters etc. Compare their struggle with the ANC in South Africa. :- Everyone knew history was against Apartheid , eventually it had to end. Palestine is different. The world looks on and sees nothing commendable (other than the industrious people , look at the work involved in that tunnel). The leadership is lousy : corrupt, incompetent, no vision, total dependency on Gulf oil and US money. History is not on the Palestinians side. One would have thought they'd have realised this 30yrs ago. All the folk displaced during WW2 can demand a right to return it will still never happen. Palestinian demands are designed to perpetuate the conflict and keep corrupt leaders in office. If ever an organisation needed a complete revamp it is the Palestinian Authority. After WW2 British industry was so badly run Maynard Keynes said it would be a great service if a bomb landed on all the executive boards ; so British industry could make a fresh start. That's what Palestine needs : clear out those corrupt old men and make a fresh start.
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  936. Watching the Ukraine advance in Kherson : it is awesome. They have flags flying on their vehicles and are advancing like the 7th cavalry. Intercepted Russian comms saying "We are in full retreat and have nowhere to run"
    14
  937.  @meichak2513  NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
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  938. Spanish Police vandalising property and intimidating citizens. Spain is an international disgrace. The right wing People's Party of Rajoy are taking the country back to the days of Franco. The World feels contempt for the Spanish Police : beating, kicking,pulling hair and sexually assaulting one young woman. Let's hope justice is finally served : independence for Catalonia !
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  939. 1:35 "In some cases they don't even like us" reveals an astonished Trump.
    14
  940. POSTWAR Ukraine is riding high on the world stage : Victories in the same league as the "Six Day War" Everyone is watching with unabated admiration. When the war is over Ukraine will be the power that humbled Russia Status that will last for centuries
    14
  941. The Houthi are taking some cheap shots They know the West wants no regional escalation, so they can take cheap shots
    14
  942. Germany froze in February and blocked RAF weapons flights They blocked Estonia from sending howitzers They blocked weapon sales to Ukraine The US and NATO had to pressure them into doing the right thing. Why ? Historically Germany has never done the right thing : Blood & Iron was Germany's motto Only after WW2 did Germany adopt civilised values. Germany is a novice - it needs encouraging to do the right thing.
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  943. Compare Putin and Napoleon III (1870) "By 1867 French hegemony was at an end." "France felt intolerably humiliated." "The Empire was an infatuation." "War was made into a blend of the circus, the tournament and the quest" Putin during Covid lockdown channeled a quixotic ideal. France collapsed in 1870 and Russia may collapse this year.
    14
  944. Corruption is the one thing that unites humanity : everyone hates it.
    14
  945. Thanks Brian, that's great news. The vast majority of Australian are patriotic and support AUKUS.
    14
  946. Very wise. Putin is a madman. Try not to spook him.
    14
  947. Hassan, are you saying the Saudi is bone-idle, lazy, indolent, arrogant, bigoted, corrupt, cowardly and cruel ?
    14
  948. Well Pakistan never offered to pay when they killed 3 million in Bangladesh . " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
    14
  949. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    13
  950. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    13
  951. In ALL African countries the military and police are there to oppress the people. Not to protect them. Yet folk repeatedly vote for despots. Even in the Congo : no amount of barbarity can turn the voters from you.
    13
  952. Why is the US economy so resilient? Confidence - the world keeps buying US bonds The world believes in the strength and stability of the US China suffers from capital flight (leaving the country) - folk fear China collapse The US has the support & confidence of the world - hence a $33 trillion debt and that debt can go much higher, it can comfortably double
    13
  953. Russia is hated by all its neighbours. Who can blame them : Stalin killed 30 million (including Russians) and crushed any dissent in an effort to enslave them to the will of the Kremlin. It was a period of unimaginable death. Now Putin was to spread Moscow Mafia corruption and dictatorship, dressed up as faux-democracy.
    13
  954. Kamala Harris is more of a crook than Hillary :- On that same trip Harris stayed in D.C.’s upscale St. Regis hotel, billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay, a nightly rate of $858.69.
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  955. Imagine what China does when the world isn't watching In the Xinjiang camps.
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  956. Good thumbnail : Boris has that face on. The repentant schoolboy : it's worked up to now.
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  957. Interesting. In Russia the Intelligentsia had to acknowledge there was nobody more conservative than the peasants. In 1848 Europe all the revolutions failed because they were promoted by the intellectual middle-class. The new constitution was the product of the Chattering class : ordinary folk prefer traditional values.
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  958. Remember when the Colombian President apologised to the International Community for human rights violations against its citizens ? Ask yourself : why not apologise to your people. Because it is all about international status, that is why they want to boost GDP. Their own people are a very low priority. This attitude has a 500yr history : the Catholic Church and Spanish/Portuguese monarchists, corruption, aristocratic entitlement, militarism, public admiration for strongman leaders, tax exemption of the Church and nobles and folktale admiration for the Picaro (trickster who outwits the nobles and Clerics).
    13
  959. Russia can lose in 2 ways - a) Externally : by being attacked and defeated by Ukraine b) Internally : mutiny, Kremlin internecine fighting, civil unrest Ukraine's offensive may have stalled but the constant attrition works on Internal defeat b). The rising casualties, the bad news, the slow retreat all acts to increase Internal defeat.
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  960. What about Palestine helping itself ? They could get rid of fascist Hamas, and totally corrupt despotic Fatah, then elect some civilised representatives. The EU and USA would die of shock.
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  961. Lavrov, Putin, Gerasimov and Shoigu, have no aristocratic blood : they are Boyars - the grandchildren of Genghis Khan. Tsars always married German princesses (Catherine the Great was German) The only aristocratic blood in Russia was German, French and British. The Boyars were of Mongol descent - like Putin.
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  962. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. What will the history books say :- That when war started France and Germany froze - like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Germany forced British planes to fly around its airspace. Macron cried, "We must not humiliate Russia" It is France & Germany that were humiliated.
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  963. Black September (cont) The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) had sought refuge in Jordan. How did they behave ? Like heavily armed barbarians. They would ignore all laws, driving at breakneck speed brandishing weapons in their jeeps, not paying bills, abusing the people and police. They were above the law, feared and hated in Jordan. At last, they decided to simply take over the state, the Jordan army got wind of the plan and struck first. The PLO were later evicted from Lebanon, where they again attempted to create a state-within-a-state (ie take someone else's land). Yaser Arafat finally died after 40yrs corrupt dictatorship but nothing changed : the people were inured to corrupt dictatorship, young people brainwashed into stone throwing - anything to distract criticism away from the stagnant, clueless, corrupt old men in power.
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  964. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
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  965. China has a priority list for its administrators. Do you know what tops the list ? a) NO CIVIL UNREST. It's not economic growth. It's not party loyalty : you can actually get away with modest criticism. But civil unrest is a warning klaxon. The party bosses really fret when they see a million on the streets.
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  966. Straights of Hormuz will never be closed. The US have said they'd regard it as an act of war and that would be the end of the Islamofascist Ayatollah regime. The fascist Ayatollahs want to keep their grip on power as long as possible, that's their priority. Keeping the Iranian people subjugated is what they're good at.
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  967. Mark Milley (US chief of staff) said, "Ukraine is employing very intelligent strategy" Well, what can one say other than, "Yes you are : both of you" Good teamwork : the US lines 'em up (with "exquisite intelligence") and Ukraine knocks 'em down.
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  968. Everyone on here is commenting with the benefit of hindsight. All sorts of people supported revolution in 1850. Wagner was on the barricades in Vienna (It was Russia that crushed that revolution : Russia have a long history of military invasions of Europe). Revolution was the antidote to an illiberal, corrupt absolute monarchy. The vast majority welcomed it. The commentators on here are post-war, post-TV ignoramuses.
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  969. LOL where is the African Union : that fraternity of corrupt gangsters. Where is South Africa's ANC : that corrupt one-party state of ignorant thugs. I'm afraid what we are seeing (for the last 40yrs) is the true face of Africa : it's tyrannical, sectarian, ignorant, corrupt, greedy, incompetent and unable to recognise itself for what it is.
    13
  970. Haftar has already bought a mansion in Egypt. All he ever wanted was to live like a warlord. He's a jumped up clueless half-wit. I pity the schmucks who are fighting for him. Haftar's most pressing concern is to get planning permission for a 2nd swimming pool.
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  971. Great News, "Putin backtracks" : well done Germany. Well done EU, NATO and USA We must remain united.
    13
  972. The Moors didn't "leave" the canals they were forced out Most of them perished 1609 Moriscos expelled, about 300k In North Africa they were robbed & enslaved Spain was the only home they'd known for centuries
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  973. What about India as peace broker ? Oh no, I forgot Putin has no respect for Modi : remember when he snatched the ceremonial sword out of Modi's hands. Modi just said, "Thank you, Sahib" and ignored the insult.
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  974. Hamas hoarding food
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  975. In a true democracy it is never a good thing for one person to repeatedly rule. 12yrs is enough .........or more than enough.
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  976. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" I wonder when macron will start speaking for Ukraine. France military support = $0.16 billion Poland = $1.6 billion ten times more than France
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  977. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
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  978. Pakistan is a tragedy. Jinnah had a British education and wanted a secular constitutional Pakistan. Unfortunately most of the population were illiterate and voted for whomever their Mullah recommended. Consequently, politicians pandered to Islamic fanatics to get votes. That was the opening of Pandora's box. Pakistan never recovered. Islamism coupled to endemic corruption, nepotism, tribalism and family centred feudalism, made progress impossible.
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  979. NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
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  980. NATO has been magnificent. The press conferences displayed organization, civilization, conciliation and strength. I was surprised to hear Macron call NATO "brain dead". With all due respect, that seems to reflect Macron's performance.
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  981. India has a big advantage over China : it's not hated (by anyone that counts). India doesn't harvest human organs from prisoners. India is the world's largest democracy.....and it changes it's leaders. (Unlike faux democracies : Russia, South Africa, most African countries and South American $hithole countries) Indian people have manners , unlike the Chinese. They are respectful and respected by others.
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  982. LOL only in Africa do civilians "lose trust" when their own military start slaughtering them. Just look at the corrupt generals : those disgusting faces. How could anyone have ever invested any trust in them ? In Egypt the military are the heroes of the nation : even though they are living under a dictatorship. You'll never fathom the Africans.
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  983. How effective is German and French military support ? Not much : they are only half committed. Macron says, "We must not humiliate Russia" Thank God for the USA
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  984. "A Russian ship could fire a shot across the bow" Any Russian ship coming within 300km would be sunk by Ukraine. So how does it fire a shot across the bow ? Plus the Black Sea skies are full of NATO fighters : any ship hit by Russia could easily cause a response (to save lives) which would quickly sink the Russian warship. Russia has no shots to call.
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  985. Boris ? Lies ? Where on Earth did he get that idea.
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  986. Putin's dystopia : the alternative to Europe.
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  987. LOL France is backtracking at speed : "Macron was saying we mustn't say 'annihilate Russia'", that is simply false : Macron said 'we mustn't humiliate Russia', he also suggestion territorial concessions were essential for peace. France is trying to rewrite history (and not for the first time). Read French school history books just after WW2, and try and detect a connection with reality.
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  988. The Russians appear to have been blown to smithereens. I thought that expression was fanciful. But the Orcs have shown that "smithereens happens"
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  989. Navarino (1827) The British and French were conducting a policing operation against the Turks, who had committed atrocities against the Greeks. Anyway, in Navarino Bay a Turk fired his musket at a boat rowing officers from shore back to the fleet. One thing led to another, and the whole Ottoman navy was destroyed in an afternoon. The Russian Black Sea fleet would go down the same way.
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  990. I hope everything goes wrong for Turkey. It would be great if the U.S. could supply some anti-tank missiles to the Kurds. Fingers crossed. Turkey are hated by all their neighbours after centuries of being brutally oppressed by the Ottoman thugs.
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  991. Kherson is Snake island part 2. Russia lost 5 ships, countless lives, helicopters and material, before they finally retreated. Kherson is similar - a meat grinder for Russia, with one difference : when Kherson falls so does Putin.
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  992. "Empire of evil, empire of Lies, Russia" The Pope described Putin's war as "infantile" It is a war to defend Democracy from Asian Autocracy.
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  993. This is before Islam was invented LOL
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  994. Of course it is fantasy Much better to talk about a fantasy rather than confront an impossibility
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  995. Well done EU. A magnificent response so far - Russia is isolated and facing bankruptcy. Keep the pressure on.
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  996. Zimbabwe just had a military coup and got away with it. Why shouldn't Sudan. The African Union is a corrupt fraternity full of dictators, the Sudanese military will be right at home.
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  997. Nicely scripted, and presented.
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  998. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero.
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  999. Erdogan's son won't be happy to lose Istanbul : most of his corrupt millions came from there. Istanbul is a good source of corruption for Erdogan and his cronies especially for his playboy son.
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  1000. Bismak was the smartest politician of his period : he would never have gotten Germany into the First World War.
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  1001. There's a musical in this : "We have a certain chemistry together.... he understands me and, I think, I understand him.....but there's no rush " Cut : to the DMZ ( camera zoom) Flashback : huge letter from Kim "It's a love letter.....we're in love" declares Trump.
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  1002. Well done : magnificent.
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  1003. 2:30 "Wants the African Union to be in charge of the talks". But they are corrupt despots. Whoever bids the highest bribe will get the vote. Egypt's despot el Sisi is hand in glove with the tyrants of the African Union.
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  1004. Myanmar military - backed by China.
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  1005. Save this video for bedtime - very reassuring to see Russian brutality smoking.
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  1006. Very wise : Poland can have their cake and eat it.
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  1007. Inspirational : heroic idealism, fighting for freedom against Russian tyranny. It's an old story.... Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1008. Marvellous, well done Britain. (India can only dream of displaying courageous resolve) The British have a long history of supporting the underdog : In 1864 half a million turned out to greet Garibaldi (the only wholly admiral figure in modern history. AJP Taylor). Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence (1824) and Lord Minto toured Italy (1847) to encourage constitutional government. He found the Italian rulers to be "Rogues, fools, and cowards" (Some things never change).
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  1009. "They stand together" No they don't : the EU are excluded (for being windbags) I heard Antony Blinken say, "They are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants."
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  1010. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1011. "Basket of deplorables" Hillary gets paid $600,000 an hour for those speeches. Her husband Bill gets $1,000,000 an hour from the Ukraine. Judge for yourself.
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  1012. Those arrested are PATSIES. Hezbollah controls the port. Nobody moves anything without their authority. (Also, nobody stores anything without their authority).
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  1013.  @wesscat  "China emits more greenhouse gas than the entire developed world combined, a new report has claimed. The research by Rhodium Group says China emitted 27% of the world's greenhouse gases in 2019. The US was the second-largest emitter at 11% while India was third with 6.6% of emissions, "
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  1014. This is Pakistan's contribution to Jurisprudence. Established as a beacon for Islam in 1947, Pakistan has proved to be a bit of a disappointment.
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  1015. LOL Turkey is a $hithole country for sure.
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  1016. Chronology 21 Sep 2022 Putin "This time I'm not bluffing" 13 Oct NATO defence summit Brussels 13 Oct evening Macron on TV : "Nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington : US + UK nuclear response to Russia 21 - 24 Oct Gerasimov & Shoigu call the West 4 times in 4 days Russia capitulated I'm amazed nobody else knows this
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  1017. He looks quite honest. (If you close both eyes).
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  1018. I thought the Taliban had "Thrown off the shackles of slavery" ? Now the old barbarians are cap-in-hand.
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  1019. The Persians love a good weep. If you visit any market or bazaar you will always find paintings of weeping children or weeping ladies (or even weeping men). It is like a national symbol. The Shia religion is based on grief : their guy was assassinated (or something). The Persians celebrate their persecution : all their holidays are based on some tragedy that needs remembering. The most popular event in Iran is a funeral. They don't have great sporting events or galas, but they can't resist a gigantic funeral.
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  1020. Well done to "The Print" They are waging a one-channel campaign to improve India' social responsibility.
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  1021. Tara Read has been destroyed on social media. Meanwhile Biden, who lied about having 3 degrees, lied about coming top of the law class, lied about being arrested in South Africa, had to pull out in 1988 for lying and plagiarism, he is believed , no questions asked.
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  1022. Palestine has adopted a loosing strategy for 70 years And are determined not to change course. In 1922 (Ottoman collapse) Palestinians looked to the Grand Mufti, who looked to Damascus. The Jews elected a Representative Council The difference was education - Palestinians wee largely illiterate and steeped in authoritarian Islam. Jews were Enlightened in the European 19th century notion of self-determination and linguistic nationality.
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  1023. LOL : "Not relying on the US" The lesson from the "New world order" is that Russia is governed by a madman. To whom India is on its knees. India is the most parochial nation on Earth. It believes the world revolves around Delhi and Punjab. Every event, every handshake, every sporting fixture, has to have an 'India' angle. So unsure of themselves as a nation, India must look for approval in a telephone call, an invitation, an expression of friendship, or a mundane trade deal. This is why India is currently Kowtowing to Moscow.
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  1024. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" Italy said, "A ceasefire immediately, followed by land for peace" France would capitulate, and Italy would surrender. Countries cannot escape their culture.
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  1025. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
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  1026. Press conference :- Macron is trying to undo the "Humiliate" faux pas, and failing miserably. He even throws Schulz under the bus, and brings up WW1. How utterly embarrassing. Especially when France prides itself on being "a diplomatic superpower"
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  1027. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  1028. In 1920 three things happen :- a) The last Sultan flees in a British ambulance, with two trunks full of treasure. b) The British appoint a Grand Mufti of Jerusalem c) The Jews elect an Assembly to form a proto-state. Hamas and the Al-Aqsa martyrs are the last remnants of the Caliphate. When the chap says 1:40 " But no one is lending us a helping hand" That is because reviving the Caliphate is not popular : everyone has had enough with ISIS and Al-Qaeda, they don't want more Islamism, they want less.
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  1029. Israel isn't responsible for Palestinian backwardness. The entire Middle East is backwards : the result of Ottoman despotism and Islam. In 1947 Israel declared themselves a state and created a modern Western democracy. Why didn't the Palestinians do the same ? Because they had no idea what a modern state looks like. Also, their land (Palestine) was claimed by Egypt, Syria and Jordan. I sympathise with the Palestinians and hope fresh elections oust the corruption of Fatah and theofascism of Hamas, but don't blame Israel for Palestinian backwardness.
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  1030. The AUKUS deal was textbook. It was kept secret to the last hour and is a great success. France would have thrown spanners in the works at every opportunity. Why would anyone sabotage their own deal by informing France ?
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  1031. Here is my ill-informed assessment. The Taliban have picked the low-hanging fruit. They don't have the infrastructure and logistics to engage in a conventional battle. Just large scale terror attacks - involving chaps on foot moving between houses. The first time the Taliban attempt to move an 'infantry battalion' the Yanks will make martyrs of them.
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  1032. Russian trucks had so many cadavers loaded on they were dropping onto the street. Drivers filmed the cadavers as they drove past.
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  1033. Zelensky has asked for 500 anti-tank, and 500 anti-aircraft missiles per day. That is an incredible ask. However, Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts ". No nation can withstand an industrial onslaught by the Yanks.
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  1034. Shopkeeper is "Optimistic" ha ha ha ha, of course he will say that. Imagine if he said "Pessimistic" , Erdogan's thugs would be round to close him down, beat him up and imprison him. Muslim countries respect a hard man leader , that's why no Muslim country has human rights or freedom of speech.
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  1035. I wonder whether macron will protect his puppet and suppress democracy ?
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  1036. 3:00 What nonsense, "The Spanish and Ottoman empires came close to global dominance". Philip II inherited a bankrupt empire, went bankrupt 4 times and left an empty treasury to Philip III. I'm an expert on Spain (I've made 3 videos on it). Henry Kamen (another expert) said ,"Whereas the Dutch French and English made empires in the case of Spain it was the empire which made Spain". Silver came into the country , caused high inflation, then went out again ; leaving behind an ever impoverished population trading with an ever devalued copper currency. Spain dominated Europe for a century and a half but they were in decline almost from the get go. They never had a major economy. They were peripheral and poor, won the lottery in America, spent the silver and went back to being peripheral and poor.
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  1037. Afghanistan was a sideshow, yet the Yanks staid 20yrs and spent $5 trillion. Ukraine is the Main Event : US support will last at least 20yrs, and they'll spend double.
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  1038. ...or Biden ? (Assuming one's brain is functioning)
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  1039. Well done France ! First tanks to Ukraine AMX-10RC Potentially there are 240 of them : they are being replaced with the new Jaguar I hope Ukraine gets 200 (or all of them) They are amphibious and can do 50mph
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  1040.  @admthrawnuru  Correct. Almost every Russian soldier was wearing American made boots.
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  1041. The European Liberals always jump to the defence of the offenders. EU liberals have totally lost the plot.
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  1042. 2:00 when they show Palestinians in Jordan that was actually the wishful thinking of the PLO. In 1971 after the Jordanians had given thousands of armed Palestinians refuge , the PLO thanked them by organising an armed coup to take over the state. It resulted in Black September. The Jordanians discovered the Palestinian perfidy and struck first. The PLO then went to Lebanon and took over a huge chunk of land by force. Until they were forced out again. Given half a chance and enough weapons the PLO would take anyone's land.
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  1043. 0:53 "Jerusalem Day precipitated and began the conflict with Gaza" No : the storming of the mosque did. It was stormed by Israeli police who were apprehending stone-throwing Palestinians. The Imam of the mosque told Palestinian youths, "The mosque is a place for prayer"
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  1044. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1045. Good propaganda - they never mentioned Hamas once (Hamas is a dirty word : they are now called "The resistance" LOL) That hospital was a Hamas stronghold
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  1046. UNRWA should focus on providing humanitarian aid, and stop participating in terrorism
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  1047. Magnificent. How you managed to creep up that close - well done. What a great achievement - all those idiots who want to achieve some petty goal, like climbing Everest, should reflect on the noble glory in destroying Russian armoured vehicles.
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  1048. Correct me if I'm wrong. a) After the 6 day war. Jordan distributed property to refugees, who paid rent to Jordan. b) That property didn't belong to Jordan. The property was simply commandeered. c) Jordan were pushed out, following the Yom Kippur war d) The owners of the property then asserted their rights Palestinian petition :- a) that having been dispossessed, they are entitled to compensation by taking this property. b) that length of residence counts towards them claiming it. The Jewish case a) They paid for it and have the deeds, and wish to reassert their ownership.
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  1049. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
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  1050.  @muhammadsaeed1125  The Ayatollah's idea of civilization is for an ignorant religious old goat to impose his medieval ideas and the population.
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  1051. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
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  1052. A Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    12
  1053. Trump's advice to May "Sue the EU don't negotiate". Trump is a jackass.
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  1054. China are calling for Tienanmen Square style restraint.
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  1055. LOL The Yanks have demolished Nordstream and Germany still hasn't got the message. The Germans are jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
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  1056. He gave that everything - he was breathless on the last note.
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  1057. Egypt's el Sisi is a terrible liar, back-stabber, deal-breaker and corruption-monger. He is a despotic, torturer, human-rights violator , law-breaking-tyrant. Well done Sudan : the civilized world applauds you.
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  1058. Military Parades : notice the similarity, Beijing and Moscow : two Asiatic Autocracies.
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  1059. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1060. Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
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  1061. "A moment of consequence and peril" says USA Consequence = countries must choose sides. Peril = don't end up with the losers (Axis of Evil)
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  1062. Well done Nikki Haley She is thinking about hostages Al Jazeera refuse to show the Hamas hostage video Why ? Well ask yourself - what do you imagine it shows ? All the girls smiling ?
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  1063. US defence budget $845 billion Money sent to Ukraine is the best investment the Pentagon ever made.
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  1064. 2:50 "Turkish warships have orders not to fire first" What about Turkish planes violating Greek airspace for the last decade, what are their orders ? To act aggressively and provoke the Greeks , so Turkey can start a war and redraw the borders.? That is Turkey's long term goal : to start a war and redraw the borders.
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  1065. France has stabbed NATO in the back. Why does France dislike NATO ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  1066. 3:30 "The main issue is the way the countries are governed" correct. In other words, Culture. It takes 500yrs to produce a stable democracy (some European countries still haven't achieved it). You may ask, "What about the USA ?" Well, the first settlers established councils and schools (every settlement of 50 people had to have a teacher), that was inherited from Europe : the USA is simply a bifurcation of Northern Europe.
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  1067. Fertility rates ? The Ayatollah should have thought of that when he used school children to clear mines. Telling them they would become martyrs. The Ayatollah then gave a cash bonus for families to produce more children for him. (You couldn't invent a dystopia like Iran).
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  1068. Don't worry China aren't doing anything regarding Taiwan. China always lose in any confrontation : they know it, the US knows it, anyone with any nous knows it. China is so easy to blockade : you only need submarines. China can't feed itself and the economy would collapse without exports. Within months of a blockade China would be in turmoil. The rhetoric on Taiwan is for domestic consumption : it is for the brainwashed Chinese citizens.
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  1069. Good : at least "Russia isn't being humiliated." Macron will be pleased.
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  1070. When the war started, Germany closed its airspace to weapons deliveries for Ukraine. One would've thought the Kremlin would appreciate that "act of sabotage" and reciprocate by increasing the gas. But we all know Germany was finally shamed into supplying heavy weapons, and consequently undid the good work of its previous "collaborationist position".
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  1071. What did you expect from Pak ? 2 Pakistan pilots imprisoned in the UK for being drunk. And I thought Islam forbade alcohol ?
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  1072. Ukraine should leave some areas devastated : it will become a tourist hotspot. I think Ukraine will flourish after this war : and Russia will sink. There is a great tourist opportunity here. Good luck Ukraine.
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  1073. Latest News : Russian cruiser Moskva has rolled over and sunk. The Indian flagship INS Vikrant is also a Russian rust-bucket, China will target it and sink it within 24hrs of any conflict.
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  1074. China admitted harvesting human organs from prisoners of conscience but said it has now stopped. But if you phone any hospital today and ask for a transplant they book you straight in. How ? They get organs on demand. Where from ? Well where do you think you numbskull.
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  1075. "Who are Kashmir's armed groups?" Islamofascists.
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  1076. You pair of morons. Everyone credited Krauthammer's erudition, unbiased analysis and articulate delivery. It's a huge loss for everyone but Fox in particular ; he was the only intellectual they've ever had.
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  1077. Hezbollah : that's the root cause of Lebanon's trouble. They are anti-democratic thugs funded by Iran. Remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating students with clubs and throwing them out of windows ? That was Hezbollah.
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  1078. Very very corrupt. The EU is institutionally corrupt. It is as bad as the African Union. It is worse than the United Nations.
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  1079. 0:50 "Our legitimacy" , a very interesting expression. It is at the heart of Palestinian failure. It is now too late for Palestine to succeed. Legitimacy should've been claimed when the Caliphate collapsed in 1922. Or certainly in 1948, when the Mufti in Jerusalem, speaking for palestinians looked to Damascus as their capital. When did Palestinians actually claim "Legitimacy" ? Not until 1988 did UN General Assembly acknowledged the Palestinian Declaration of Independence (November 1988)
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  1080. Martyred ? Whoever heard of a NATO member having soldiers who are martyred ? It sounds like Turkey should join the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in an alliance. NATO is a secular outfit : it doesn't entertain the notion of religious war. If Erdogan wants to talk Jihad, he should go join forces with other backwards, half-baked, fundamentalists.
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  1081. You fricking nutcase.
    12
  1082. Marwan never criticises Hamas Hamas has destroyed Gaza, and set back the Palestinian cause 75 years
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  1083. Individuals no longer exist. Everyone has to belong to a state - whether they are in a desert or the jungle. A state offers many benefits but struggles to accommodate eccentric individuality. In Russia he would simply be beaten up by the police then left alone (for a bit).
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  1084. Surely Germany must send Leopard II tanks ? Britain is sending Challenger II But Leopard II is abundant and has a supply chain (spares etc)
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  1085. The ANC have run South Africa into the ground. Well done you corrupt ,ignorant, incompetent half-wits.
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  1086. Turkey, Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" If only India could find such courage. Modi is like the lion in The Wizard of Oz, searching for courage.
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  1087. Guterres excused the Hamas massacre - "It didn't happen in a vacuum" He didn't even wait till the bodies were cold The UN is a joke
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  1088. 1:25 "It is unconscionable that the US couldn't round up more than one vote for this". That's Trump - he knows the art of the deal.
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  1089. Ursula von der Leyden has risen to replace Merkel as the voice of Europe. Macron has done well, but he has his pet projects : an EU defence force, his own re-election etc Scholz is a reactor : Ursula is an agenda setter - a leader. Many people didn't like her (me included), but she has emerged from the ranks, like Joan of Arc.
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  1090. Well done India. Modi has found his moral compass at last.
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  1091. Don't worry Italy's zombie banks can weather the storm.
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  1092. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1093. There is no heaven. Islam was invented by a guy who believed in Jinns and dust devils. Ataturk, an atheist, thought "Mohammed was a carrier of Arab nationalism" and he was probably right.
    12
  1094. Axis of Evil = Russia, China, North Korea, Iran etc etc
    12
  1095. Marvellous. The Axis of Evil is alive and kicking.
    12
  1096. NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
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  1097. 28:00 Poland saved Europe from Bolshevism. Nonsense. The Soviets were responding to a Polish attack " (1918) Polish Chief of State Jozef Pilzudski aimed to expand Poland's eastern frontier to the east and began moving troops in that direction." The Soviet were in poor shape and were forced to fight to defend themselves. As usual, Poland brings all its calamities down upon itself.
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  1098. Hezbollah don't believe in freedom of speech or democracy. Remember the Tehran student protests (1999) ? Remember the thugs beating the Iranian students with clubs ? That was Hezbollah.
    12
  1099. If all nations had followed France's lead and declared nuclear neutrality, Russia may have used tactical nukes and gained a victory over Ukraine. 13 Oct Macron waved the white flag to Russia 19 Oct Ben Wallace in Washington signed off on a NATO nuclear response. It frightened the Kremlin 21 Oct Shoigu phones the US (Lloyd Austin) 23 Oct Shoigu phones Austin a second time Thank God for Britain and the US France had capitulated again.
    12
  1100. Great interview, good questions and very interesting answers. Well done DW
    12
  1101. Had the Yanks stayed, then the Afghans would've continued corruption indefinitely. US and EU and NATO cash going straight into a black hole. At some stage their chickens have to come home to roost. Abject corruption always spells failure. As always, the victims will be the defenceless : at the mercy of medieval savages (Taliban).
    12
  1102. After 70yrs hasn't it dawned on the Palestinians that their strategy may be faulty ?
    12
  1103. Wion is a great channel, I am only saying this for those who are interested :- a) 'Lesser' is NOT a word. One simply says less or fewer. b) 'than what' is INCORRECT. One simply says 'than' : less than...... Eg : India buys less (oil) than .... Dilip receives less (pocket money) than ....... India's navy has fewer submarines than ........ Often even news readers confuse fewer with less, so one can actually say, India's navy has less submarines than ....... (though it is strictly incorrect)
    12
  1104. NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia.
    12
  1105. Don't draw any conclusions until Ukraine's Counter Offensive is determined. At the moment it is go, go, go. (Kherson)
    12
  1106. Haftar has a mansion in Egypt. He's a luxury loving warlord, he'll never be homeless.
    12
  1107. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    12
  1108. Trump ratings up to 52% approval. The economy up. Employment at record levels. N Korea tamed. China struggling to get out of a Trump half-nelson. Mr president stop : you are giving the U.S. too much success, we can't cope with it.
    11
  1109. The markets don't like dictators.
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  1110. Allow me to decode India :- When Putin snatched the ceremonial sword from Modi's hands, he was demonstrating the contempt Russia feels towards India. Would he have snatched a sword from Erdoğan ? Erdoğan shot down two Russian jets and yet Putin treats him with respect. If India showed some spine, China would act with more caution & respect.
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  1111. Thank God for the US - defending democracy Democracy never took root in Islamic countries (The soil is too authoritarian)
    11
  1112. Erdogan will soon join Morsi (I hope) good riddance to both anti-democratic despots.
    11
  1113. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  1114. A brave resistance. Modi hasn't got the courage to condemn the Russian bombing of a maternity hospital. President Xi has described it as a "Russian war", and called for "maximum restraint". Modi : silence
    11
  1115. 4:55 Thank you Al Jazeera. That shot sums up the deal : Iran are laughing in their hats at the dumb EU and Obama, handing them $13 billion in CASH to spend on terror.
    11
  1116. Bread ? Zimbabwe was called the bread basket of Africa. The conditions are so great you can get 2 harvests per year. Forget foreign exchange/reserves we are talking bread the thing Zimbabwe produced by the billion.
    11
  1117. Yemeni President hiding in Riyadh. It reminds me of the corrupt South Vietnamese government. The people hated them. They were corrupt gangsters and loathed.
    11
  1118. This captain sits off the coast and takes phone calls from people smugglers telling him when boats are leaving. He then picks them up. It's called people trafficking.
    11
  1119. 2:10 "A decision of this magnitude by an effluxion of patience" Effluxion = the expiration of a limited-time agreement or contract.
    11
  1120. All the comments seem to agree that Dubai is a $hithole country.
    11
  1121. LOL I can't stop laughing. The ANC running a bank. All those people who have lost money will still vote ANC because that's what they do.
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  1122. Putin always refers to Zelensky as "He whom thunder hath made greater".
    11
  1123. Saudi can't fight a war for trying. They have a $2 trillion military and it can't defeat the Houthi who only have AK47s and flip-flops. That's why Saudi Arabia bombs civilians.
    11
  1124. .....and the Russians require the old 3:1 metric for attacking a well defended position. (which they have never had) (Except at Mariupol, and they have still had no success)
    11
  1125. Why can't India be closer to the West ? Why must Modi flirt with the Axis of Evil ? It is painful to watch Modi dancing on a pinhead, trying not to criticize Putin.
    11
  1126. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    11
  1127. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". That was 150yrs ago, around the time Russia abolished serfdom (1861) - now there's an insight into the Russian mind. A Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf girls (who would be advertised as 'having a pretty face and attractive figure') the nobleman was exiled to Siberia. (See Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow). Having documented abuse of girls by the nobility, it is instructive to note that the KGB described themselves in an internal memorandum as "The new nobility" The Russian state has never had any morals : Putin came to power after "The Apartment Bombings", in which 4 FSB officers were arrested for planting a bomb only to be released by the Kremlin..... Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    11
  1128. The British Judicial system - highly respected throughout the world, for impartiality, honesty and integrity.
    11
  1129. One hesitates to say it but - The Ukrainians are warriors who only need arms The Taiwanese would certainly need stiffening with US Marines, 82 Airborne, Rangers, 101st Airborne etc
    11
  1130. I apologise for John Simpson (first question) What an a-hole ; as an Englishman I'm deeply ashamed.
    11
  1131. Right and Left is a bit outdated. Many folk are left economically and right on other issues.
    11
  1132. France 24 reporting facts for a change (And not defending Hamas)
    11
  1133. He's beginning to make a lot of sense to me. Perhaps a people's vote is not a bad idea.
    11
  1134. No details ! He should be telling the Taliban what he has planned and where. Like Obama did.
    11
  1135. 18 more Himars on the way. (From Arkansas - thank you Arkansas LOL)
    11
  1136. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    11
  1137. Hamas issued an ultimatum to Israel, the deadline was 6pm (May 10th) At 6:01pm Hamas launched the first rocket strike on Israel. How did they imagine Israel would respond ?
    11
  1138. This arrest has been a gigantic embarrassment for Spain. It served no purpose, other than to remind Europe of Spanish police brutality.
    11
  1139. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
    11
  1140. The US is very very very isolated It is Hamas which is popular Hamas would win ANY popularity contest LOL
    11
  1141. Fascist police intimidating citizens. Black uniforms, black helmets, black batons.......if it's not fascism it certainly looks like it.
    11
  1142. I listened to all 3 speeches :- Charles Michel 5/10 Macron 8/10 Ursula 9/10 Ursula has really rallied the troops and become a great war leader.
    11
  1143. Very brave : God bless Ukraine.
    11
  1144. Magnificent bravery : good work. Very impressive (and exciting, as one is having one's tea).
    11
  1145. @zero signal , the Piast dynasty was 1000yrs ago. We are talking modern history ! When Poland was partitioned between Russia ,Prussia and the Habsburgs, Maria Theresa said she wept for Poland. Frederick William said, "The more she cried ,the more she took". And she did get the biggest slice.(1st partition) My point is that nobles ruin countries : Spain, tax exempt , work-disdaining nobles lived off speculation and loans to the crown. French nobles were the same. In England Viscount Scudamore introduced the cider apple to Herefordshire and turned it into the orchard of England, he also bred the Hertfordshire cattle. If the nobility ruin a country then hold them accountable, don't try to whitewash them.
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  1146. How the mighty fall. Well done USA
    11
  1147. Well done Switzerland. If only they could do this with every African election. Let's hope France don't back a warlord to ruin it all.
    11
  1148. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
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  1149. No trust ? In fairness, Russian ships are afraid to leave Sevastopol. Russia lost 5 ships taking Snake Island (and personnel, helicopters and vehicles) Russia is getting kicked from @rsehole to breakfast-time.
    11
  1150. Hezbollah are to blame. I'm speculating that the ammonium nitrate was their explosives for terrorist activity. Also, Hezbollah may run the government department that issues safety certificates in which case their legendary corruption and incompetence indirectly led to the explosion (as well as it being their explosives which were stored).
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  1151. NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    11
  1152. Great news for Russian soldiers : 4 more Himars arrived this week. That means the war will soon be over, and they can go home. Himar package = 1 vehicle and 100 rockets ($15 million) There are 16 Himars in Ukraine (allow me to do the math) 16 Himars = 1600 rockets That is quite a hammering for the Russians.
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  1153. Any man that uses the "F" word in front of his wife and daughter to impress the media will never be President.
    11
  1154. I would give a week's wages to drop a bomb on some Orcs.
    11
  1155. 3:20 "March to the Sound of The Guns." Those brave soldiers, in the car speeding to distant smoke on the horizon. Very inspirational : God Bless Ukraine.
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  1156. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll turn up the dial"
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  1157. No need to barter with Trump Trump is the best friend Israel ever had
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  1158. "Kurdish land" what about all the land of the Kurds ? Why don't millions of Kurds have a state ? Kurds attended Versailles 1919 but left empty handed Palestinians did NOT attend Why ? Because Palestinians didn't know what a state was - they were clans Families and villages : they had no state structure Only in 1988 did Palestine declare itself a state
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  1159. "It is not the first time Russia has made nuclear threats", said the expert. LOL One Russian minister had his plane delayed in Poland and said, "Next time I'll come back on a nuclear armed bomber" The Kremlin is full of disgusting thugs : this is how they speak.
    11
  1160. Gazans can move to Syria - there is loads of empty land Gazans can move into Sinai - it is almost all empty Judea is Israel
    11
  1161. Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck already said on Thursday that Berlin should not stand in the way if partner countries wanted to organize such deliveries (Leopard II tanks), and a government spokesperson said on Friday that Scholz shared Habeck’s position.
    11
  1162. South Africa should be a UN governed protectorate. The ANC have run it into the ground with their incompetence and corruption. The Health Minister says AIDS can be cured with garlic & honey : these people are utterly unfit to govern. The sad thing is the majority of South Africans like it that way.
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  1163. "Paramilitary groups backed by Iran" Hezbollah will kill anyone who demands democracy.
    11
  1164. It consumes 20% of Egypt's GDP but can't beat rebels in the Sinai without calling in Israel. Egypt and its military......... a corrupt comedy show.
    11
  1165. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
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  1166. Hamas use hospital Hamas run the Health Authority - Hamas are the doctors' bosses The doctors and nurses answer to Hamas
    11
  1167. The Ayatollah in Iran, The Taliban in Afghanistan, Fanatical clerics in Pakistan, and misery, despotism and no democracy across the Middle East : I wonder whether there is a common cause ?
    11
  1168. Well done Macron, well done France. The Unity is commendable. Democratic Civilization is in safe hands.
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  1169. 4:20 Wrong That pipeline is to avoid a USA blockade of the Malacca Straits.
    11
  1170. WEll done Japan. Germany has acted like the Kremlin's 5th column.
    11
  1171. The Axis of Evil
    11
  1172. Why can't Palestinians have an inspiring leader like Joshua Wong ? Why do Palestinians have to be led by corrupt despots (Arafat 40yr rule stole $3billion) Why can't Palestinians be in the news doing an umbrella protest. Why is the only strategy throwing stones for 70yrs. Why not let the Palestinians vote and see whether they'd prefer inspiring leaders ?
    11
  1173. Don't confuse insurgency war with conventional war : the US can easily lose an insurgency war but will NEVER lose a conventional war. Take a glimpse at Al-Tayib when a Russian mercenary battalion crossed the Euphrates. They were destroyed in an afternoon with 400 dead. The US have incredible fire-power. Turkey would be insane to go up against the Yanks.......it will never happen. Erdogan is talking war for his supporters : it's hot air.
    11
  1174. 1:11 "What is unusual is that the Israelis and Palestinian Authority exchanged fire". Co-operation is the norm. Something strange happened here : which will only ever be known by Israel and Fatah.
    11
  1175. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    11
  1176. He is like a football hooligan saying, "He insulted Arsenal, I mean, I had to hit him didn't I"
    11
  1177. ......and Erdogan told Muslim families to have lots of kids with a view to dominating the society demographically.
    11
  1178. Good luck to Bobi Wine. If he's honest and has common sense he'll be better qualified than any other African president.
    11
  1179. "Eventuated" : how strange that I've never come across that before.
    11
  1180. This is all Turkey. A professional army will always demolish a pick-up-truck militia.
    11
  1181. South Africa failed ! The ICJ demands Hamas release all hostages immediately and unconditionally
    11
  1182. Lloyd Austin : "They believe we can win......they believe they can win" Who cares who's winning, as long as Russia is losing. Blinken : "Ukraine will be around a lot longer than Putin" Nice line : everyone knows Putin is dying.
    11
  1183. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    11
  1184. "Germany had to chose between no gas and dishonour. Berlin chose dishonour, but will get no gas anyway." (That was some wit's twitter comment)
    11
  1185. This story is over. NATO has moved in the hardware and Putin now has indelible egg on his face. Putin is like the lion in Wizard of Oz.
    11
  1186. Pity the Persian people : suffering under a fascist theocracy. Read "The executioners deserve medals" to get a flavour of the Ayatollah's savagery.
    11
  1187.  @Irish_1916  , so if one of them landed on your house you'd be quite happy to say it was a projectile ? One wonders why they bother. Of course we know the answer. It's the same reason neighbouring countries won't give passports to Palestinian refugees : it's generates conflict, which they thrive on. History :- remember no country recognised Palestinian independence. Egypt,Jordan and Syria all claimed it was theirs. It was only after 3 wars (48,67,73) and 3 defeats that the Arabs recognised Palestine as a way to attack Israel.
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  1188. Russia's ambassador to the US : Washington told Russia to :- a) end the Special Military Operation b) withdraw all troops from Ukraine c) start thinking about reparations He went on to say, "How can one negotiate under those terms" LOL I think we can assume the US is right behind Ukraine.
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  1189. Well done Germany. This is a time for strength and unity. Mariupol siege : The bravery of those Ukraine defenders : yes, it reminds me of Shakespeare :- "And gentlemen in England now a-bed. Shall think themselves accursed they were not here."
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  1190. LOL The Orcs are giving us a laugh. Ukraine has warned Russians in Kherson - "Retreat or be annihilated : there will be no third warning" Doomsday is approaching for the Orcs.
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  1191. 8:50 LOL "It's what they call recreational rioting." All the youth-clubs are closed due to covid, and this is simply an opportunity to get some adrenalin pumping. They are putting the boot in to get themselves some status.
    11
  1192. Let me explain the situation :- It all depends on the Venezuelan military . There are 2000 corrupt generals but the officers and men are suffering with the rest of the population. The thing is the generals will only know where their officers' loyalty lies when they put it to the test. The trick for the corrupt generals is to never make a move : just threaten. For the opposition the trick is to increase pressure with strikes and protests, with US sanctions and a financial squeeze. I wouldn't put money on Maduro : it's a question of when not if.
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  1193. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
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  1194. Look at the technology. LOL It's like something from an HG Wells novel. "Turn the dial to East" roger "Pull the lever, and fire"
    11
  1195. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    11
  1196. Catalonia is asking for democracy. The fascists in Madrid crafted the Spanish Constitution after the brutal dictator Franco died. The founder of Rajoy's People's Party (Farga) was a fascist. The judge who ardered the arrests of Catalan politicians served under Franco. I hope Spain isn't returning to its past.
    11
  1197. Get this into your thick heads :- The ANC ditched Zuma , not because of corruption, he's been corrupt since day 1, they ditched him because he was an electoral liability. So don't think the ANC have cleaned up : they are still addicted to corruption and , its twin, incompetence. The ANC is a one-party state. Of course you will say it is democratically elected. Ha ! Only because it assassinates any opposition in the townships (186 killed so far) The ANC will never hand over power......mark my words.
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  1198. "Russia, Turkey, Iran see US pullout from Syria as positive step." You mean they'd see it as positive IF it happened. The Yanks are going nowhere. I said that months ago when it was first announced by Trumptard.
    11
  1199. Everyone knew it was coming ......CCP murder. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    11
  1200. Adam Smith : "The Church was the most formidable combination ever formed.......... against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind "
    11
  1201. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
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  1202. 6:00 Erdogan's Turkey once again behind violence. Turkey's aggression is disrupting the whole region. NATO should give Turkey the boot. Turkey are now part of the Axis of Evil.
    11
  1203. He could say exactly the same about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Pity India doesn't have the courage, or the moral compass.
    11
  1204. No. Russia is a gangster state.
    11
  1205. Very brave. The Taliban abolished football, but used the stadium for torture, execution, and stoning women to death. The Taliban are total savages. This lady is very brave.
    11
  1206. "Ecology", a strange word to use. Previously Ukraine (Zelensky) has said, "We will make Crimea a nature reserve. I think that will be key in a future settlement (I think the foundations are being laid) : that Crimea is demilitarised by both Ukraine and Russia.
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  1207. Spains Propaganda Minister said there were 1.1 million protesters LOL he's the same one that said Spanish Police violence was "Fake News".
    11
  1208. Erdogan has imprisoned more journalists than any other country. Turkey has NO DEMOCRACY The opposition are arrested and intimidated : just like Putin's Russia.
    11
  1209. France have a long history of choosing the wrong side. a) In North Africa they fought with the Nazis against the US and Britain b) In Indochina they fought alongside the Japanese against the US and Britain c) After WW2 all the collaborators pretended to have been in the Resistance : the list includes Jean Paul Sartre , Pompidou, Mitterrand, and every other leader bar de Gaulle.
    11
  1210.  @missrockafella9432  US marines helped Pilger on to a helicopter as he fled Siagon. For all that Pilger had slated the Yanks and praised the Vietcong, he certainly was thankful for a helping hand as he fled from the savage fascist communists.
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  1211. "Direct hit", there is no Russian translation for that expression.
    11
  1212. Don't take it for granted. It takes many centuries to nurture a justice system. Who can forget the chimney sweep boy who found a ring in the Thames mud-flats. Took it to a jeweller to be valued, and the jeweller stole the stone. Turns out it was the Queen's jeweller, but the case went to court and the boy won.
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  1213. Spying and criticising Hamas (or Fatah) are the same thing : they both get you killed. Try attending a Fatah meeting and ask about corruption they'll beat you to a pulp or kill you. Try criticising Hamas and asking for a democratic election in Gaza : they'll kill you. Arafat stayed in power for 40yrs . He employed 2 techniques :- a) bribery, Arafat stole $3 billion and could bribe his rivals b) murder, Arafat would have critics killed.
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  1214. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  1215. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    10
  1216. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia".
    10
  1217. "He Whom thunder hath made greater"
    10
  1218. Glad, you must live in an Islamic country : you have seen so many women stoned to death and thieves having limbs amputated that you've become inured to the savagery of Islam. You must look at the civilized west and wonder why they tolerate young Muslim males who have been radicalised. I agree with you : I think they should be deported to live in an Islamic country.
    10
  1219. Egypt certainly have a lot of experience with being humiliated.
    10
  1220. Erdogan is an Islamofascist dictator.
    10
  1221. Well done Elon Musk. How marvellous : a terrific use of technology. (I hope they give him a medal or something)
    10
  1222. Very well filmed and edited. An informative, enjoyable story.
    10
  1223. Share power : share the loot. You scratch my back I'll drive your Mercedes. Government departments : finance for you, treasury for me. Those two need prosecuting in the Hague ......but they would only be replaced by another two, then another two etc etc.
    10
  1224. Thank goodness, peace talks are progressing. Russia's savage war has made the civilized world feel like vomiting. Modi is hoping for an end to his painful fence-sitting. He has been up on that insouciant perch for 3 weeks now.
    10
  1225. H.G. Wells distinguished two societies :- a) Communities of 'Obedience' : Egypt, Indus Valley, Mesopotamia b) communities of Will : Northern Europe's tribes, Israel, Islam He then observed that the latter had no art, and no respect for the "female principle". He contrasted it with Catholic Southern Europe and the cult of the Virgin Mary, and its great art. H.G. Wells was part of a long tradition of know-it-alls. Sir Walter Raleigh was another. They both wrote books encompassing "The history of the World" They were majestic in their vision (and both were atheists)
    10
  1226. LOL "Better communications", there wasn't ANY communication, because it was kept DELIBERATELY secret. Ha ha ha, one has to laugh at diplomatic speak.
    10
  1227. Never expect France to do the right thing. They collaborated with the Nazis in North Africa, fighting against the Allies as they landed. They collaborated with the Japanese in Indo-China. France have a shocking record of doing the wrong thing.
    10
  1228. Hamas started it. (I think it was to satisfy their machismo) At 6:01pm (when their deadline wasn't respected) on 10th May What were Hamas thinking ?
    10
  1229. @Dan 240Z , good point. But a large population is supposed to be a bonus : use oil money to improve infrastructure , build schools and colleges, hospitals, roads, airports. Investment in people is never wasted money. “The amount of waste and wrongly allocated money is outrageous,” Abbas Kadhim, director of the Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative, told CNBC on Tuesday.
    10
  1230. Iran and Russia are on the back foot They have never been weaker
    10
  1231. Lloyd Austin arrives in Germany 19 Jan Germany's new defence Sec is already feeling the pressure
    10
  1232. The Ukrainians are certainly mastering the Orc serfs. (Russians like to feel the lash)
    10
  1233. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
    10
  1234. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe : Macron went on TV the same evening (13 Oct) that NATO discussed Russia's nuclear threat. Macron feared the hard-line approach, so stabbed NATO in the back to protect France “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair" Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Jens Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" Timing is obvious :- Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
    10
  1235. The US is very very very isolated It is Hamas which is popular Hamas would win ANY popularity contest LOL
    10
  1236. Well done France. The British are behind you all the way (unless Trump scowls at us).
    10
  1237. Good speech. The US is defending Western Civilization once again.
    10
  1238. Macron should do the Tour de France backwards - he can back-pedal so fast.
    10
  1239. Corrupt former president Cristina Fernandez still in the mix LOL. The Argentinians worshipped Eva Peron and her husband who were robbing them blind. Why worship Eva Peron ? Because she reminded them of the Virgin Mary or Madonna : they are a superstitious lot , it's what got them to where they are now. The Pope is Argentinian and protects child-abusing Bishops. If you bow down to authority and worship it you will never have a proper democracy.
    10
  1240. Unusual - France 24 actually explained a difficult subject well
    10
  1241. 2:30 unelected Palestinian PM. They are all anti-democratic. It's all old corrupt men staying in power forever. Why not allow women into politics and have a dynamic leader like New Zealand ?
    10
  1242. The Tawergha backed Gaddafi , they backed the wrong side. Displacement always happens when you back the dictator.
    10
  1243. Well done Britain. In 1864 500,000 British workers turned out to welcome Garibaldi. A number unequalled for any state event. The British have always supported liberty and freedom. (Garibaldi's Risorgimento (1860-61) fought for freedom from Austrian tyranny)
    10
  1244. Hezbollah : the source of all trouble , terror and assassination in Lebanon. Funded by the Ayatollah in Iran : using the £1.8 billion Obama gave him .... .......in cash !
    10
  1245. Very brave. The civilized world supports them. The Muslim world once again supports despotism : MBS in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and their disgraceful military etc Good luck to the Sudanese people : shake off the yoke of dictatorship and join the Enlightened world of Liberal Democracy.
    10
  1246. Good luck to the protestors. That fascist guy running the country is MIlosovic Mk II
    10
  1247. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's nuclear threat on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families".
    10
  1248. Hamas release all hostages and go into exile - war over 1970 PLO kicked out of Jordan - exile 1982 PLO kicked out of Lebanon - exile It's an old story and an obvious outcome !
    10
  1249. Greece is the big picture. The US are building a huge base there ; they have given up on Turkey and told Erdogan is oil & gas drilling near Cyprus is illegal. Big picture : the oil & gas will fuel Europe for 20yrs and Turkey's share is zero.
    10
  1250. It would be brave of Modi to condemn Russia. (But he has yet to find his yarbles)
    10
  1251. Sisi and his thugs did a good job on the Italian student : they tortured him to death, dumped his body , then concocted a pack of lies to explain it, even arresting a local thief and saying he did it, even though the pattern of abduction & torture bore all the hallmarks of Egypt's secret police thugs. Egypt's government stinks.
    10
  1252. The "Tipping Point" was April, when the Pentagon asked defence industry CEO s to open new production lines.
    10
  1253. I hope the next missiles are biological.
    10
  1254. It is pretty funny. Putin keeps sighing. The other folk all know Russia has lost. Day 133, the first day that the Russian army has failed to announce territorial gains. A turning point ?
    10
  1255. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    10
  1256. SMArt 155 or maybe Excalibur 155 One sees a lot of direct hits with these expensive rounds I think they're £10k a shot
    10
  1257. The UN officials are all on the take. Libya's politicians are on the take. These discussions are a nod and a wink to corruption.
    10
  1258. Gosh , Iran sound desperate. And with inflation at 50% and their economy shrinking -6%GDP who wouldn't be. Unfortunately the US isn't going to allow $15billion funding for Hezbollah terror groups. Who dreamt this deal up ? ( The EU LOL )
    10
  1259. Potemkin was a lover of Catherine the Great (d.1796) He supposedly established fake villages for her to view as she travelled south to Crimea. That is the meaning of the Potemkin reference, not the ship mutiny.(8:40) ie the Russian military is like a Potemkin village - just for show.
    10
  1260. Muhammed, what a silly thing to say. So if they engaged in another act of genocide (like the Armenian genocide ( 1915-17) you would still be with them ?
    10
  1261. Poor old Africa.....when they get democracy they vote for one-party corruption and call it independence. You are actually much more free living under an efficient , non-corrupt Colonial Power.
    10
  1262. LOL, when India has 400 News channels why are you watching Al-Jazeera ? It is because Al Jazeera has a USP which is to provide unbiased news coverage. That's why you're not watching the 400 shithouse Indian news channels.
    10
  1263. A pity China can't grow human tissue then it wouldn't have to harvest human organs from prisoners.
    10
  1264. Turkey must ratify within say 3 months. Any extradition will only be in the first contested stages by then. And once Sweden and Finland are in NATO, the Europeans can tell Erdoğan to go whistle.
    10
  1265. "Help the peace process" After Oct 7th it certainly needs help It will take at least 25 years for Israel to accept any negotiations
    10
  1266. Maybe India can come to Russia's rescue ? Those isolated Russian firms could trade within the Axis of Evil countries. Modi should start a free-trade zone "The Axis of Evil International" India would be a dominant partner.
    10
  1267. The inhumanity of religion.
    10
  1268. Well done Bono & Edge. Cynics will decry the visit as self-promotion : they are wrong. "Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more". That is old Bono's philosophy - he is in Ukraine because he cares.
    10
  1269. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    10
  1270. Fire the Armenian top general ! After he just conducted a brilliant campaign in Nagorno-Karabakh ? That general showed us all how to turn complacency into defeat. He should be lauded. Armenia need him to teach the next generation how to employ last century's technology.
    10
  1271. Very brave people. Meanwhile, Pakistan is hand-in-glove with China. Pakistan is supposed to be a beacon for Islam (despite the horror of 1971-Bangladesh).
    10
  1272. No wonder Trump described Mexico as a $hithole country.
    10
  1273. Erdogan : the face of a dictator. His son is very wealthy.......just a coincidence not corruption.
    10
  1274.  @davidhoran7116  , I felt sorry for Ayatollah Khomeini : when he landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied "I'll kick their teeth in ", then he went on to execute 7000 in his first year, more than the Shah executed in his whole life.
    10
  1275. Erdogan is an Islamofascist. He is anti-democratic. Erdogan said, "Democracy is like a bus : you ride it to your stop and get off".
    10
  1276. Hope India doesn't humiliate itself.
    10
  1277. Watch at 1.03 and see the Franco-Madrid thug spit at a woman. The Independence protesters are very festive and good natured ( true democrats) whereas the Madrid-fascists are violent and vicious thugs. See the contrast for yourself.
    10
  1278.  @Tessali666  , " In total, the Greek GDP grew for 54 of the 60 years following World War II and the Greek Civil War. From 1950 until the 2008 economic crisis, Greece consistently outperformed most European nations in terms of annual economic growth. " "The Greek economic miracle is the period of sustained economic growth in Greece from 1950 to 1973. During this period, the Greek economy grew by an average of 7.7%, second in the world only to Japan. " It was the success that cursed Greece not the 200yr old debt. Greece was so confident about its 7% growth that it took on excessive debt confident it could outgrow the repayments.
    10
  1279. LOL Allah never buttered a parsnip.
    10
  1280. Russian TV likened the Special Operation to de-worming a cat. "To the doctor it is an operation, but to the worms it is war"
    10
  1281. LOL Iran and Hezbollah have got Lebanon by the throat, obviously there is no solution. When protestors demanded a new government Hezbollah threatened to unleash 10k of its violent thugs. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? Welcome to Hezbollah.
    10
  1282. There are 2 camps in Iraq :- a) those in this video, Hezbollah types, looking to Iran. They despise democracy and want an Ayatollah theocracy. b) the Iraqi government and ordinary citizens, who want a western type democracy. 600 pro-democracy activists have been murdered by Iran's militia, and Iraqis would like to see the back of the Ayatollah's thugs.
    10
  1283. Well done Boris . They always said the British were lions led by donkeys.
    10
  1284. Iran is an Islamofascist state. Revolutionary Guard are beyond the law they can assault anyone with impunity.
    10
  1285. Yaser Arafat for 40yrs as dictator, during which he stole $3 billion. Why wasn't that money invested ? Infrastructure - water, electricity. Education - colleges, web-tech start-ups. Instead, Arafat sent his wife in Paris $1 million per month, then paid off his enemies and bought his friends to keep himself in power. Amazingly Palestinians still wear T-shirts with his face on. (That's because young people are taught propaganda and fanaticism)
    10
  1286. Okay don't call me a know-it-all but I predicted this a year ago. N Korea will never denuclearise. They will partially denuclearise for a load of cash aid and a full lifting of sanctions. Trump is an ignorant a-hole.
    10
  1287. Well done Germany : stand firm. I watched the German Finance Minister (he's hardly inspirational, but he got the message across) Thank God for Ursula von der Leyden.
    10
  1288. Sleaze is NOT a resignation offence. It is a requirement for Tories.
    10
  1289. A terrible cocktail - British football supporters and French police.
    10
  1290. Where is the democracy in one person (Merkel) inviting 1 million people into Europe and forcing all other countries to accommodate them ?
    10
  1291. That is a huge blow for Lukashenko. You've got to feel sorry for him.....he was hoping to rule as a dictator for life.
    10
  1292. Daniel Levy - he's an embarrassment
    10
  1293. If any comment attempts to analyse the situation, and give some historical context, then it is removed. That is one reason for the complete lack of vision and democracy. Everyone must conform to the same mindset : unquestioning, and without debate.
    10
  1294. "The Greek Miracle" seems like a distant mirage.
    10
  1295.  @arisplugis5197  "economical warfare is one powerful thing" Well said. May I suggest also, that India has wasted its money on an aircraft carrier. Why do you think Australia are building 9 nuclear submarines in the AUKUS deal ? Because aircraft carriers are a liability, China will sink your carrier in 24hrs. The US built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines to blockade China. India are arming themselves for a 20thC war. This is the 21stC : India is behind the times. It must go for nuclear submarines, they are $3.5 billion each. Try and find a sucker to buy your aircraft carrier, maybe a South American country.
    10
  1296. Don't let Russia dictate the scale and pace of the war. Russia want Donbas MkII :- ie Drunken Donbas militia + drunken Russian regular army. Ukraine should strike hard, when Russia invade :- a) Hit the Black Sea fleet, it will be a short war so don't hold back. b) Use all available drones : target Russian logistics over the border in Russia : fuel dumps, assembly points, logistics infrastructure. c) Use all available missiles and drones, they can always be replaced from Europe.
    10
  1297. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    10
  1298. He he he, imagine being governed by an old fakir like that. How incredible in the C21st for a religious fanatic to be governing a country. The Ayatollah knows nothing : he can recite the Koran, but his education ends there. Khomeini executed 7000 Iranian opposition in his first year. The Ayatollahs are blood-thirsty, cruel and very ignorant. Khomeini invented the fork-lift truck method - to hang 6 opposition supporters at a time, off a pallet.
    10
  1299.  @thomaslacornette1282  But one doesn't HAVE to use 6 Himars. When they strike the bridge, they may only use 2 or 4. For an ammo dump, one only needs 1 to start the inferno. The US have made 16 draw-downs from the $46 billion package. When Ukraine are running low, they simply add 10,000 more to the next draw-down (17th). In April the Pentagon met defence industry CEOs. They were asked why ? "To open new production lines" That was back in April : the US knew this war would require a large production operation.
    10
  1300. "The President is the chief law enforcement officer". LOL Trump has been laundering Russian money for decades. LMAO He's a congenital liar : what sort of Chief law enforcement officer is that ?
    10
  1301. They are ALL Hamas fighters heading North
    10
  1302.  @sheldoniusRex  , you have to be joking ? You mean Iraq was a free country before the U.S. invaded ? There are NO free democracies in the middle-east. How can the U.S. be blames for Arab despotism ? Despotism has been the rule in the middle-east for centuries. In the same way that Catholicism went hand-in glove with monarchism (which is why protestant countries advanced much quicker in Northern Europe - which colonised the U.S.), so Islam went hand-in-glove with despotism. Islam is a despotic religion : which kills apostates and brooks no debate.
    10
  1303. "Rhetoric bluster" and the host smiling ? This is strange : Germany and France usually melt at Putin's threats. Maybe they have been eating their spinach ?
    10
  1304. Civilized folk feel sick watching Russia's aggression. Modi : silence. Russian TV : "If there is a humanitarian disaster, Russia could lose its closest allies China and India" (What a gang of cut-throats)
    10
  1305. "Is China shooting itself in the foot ?" Good question. Putin attacked Odessa immediately after signing the grain deal. Why ? In both cases it is Payback. The CIA chief said, "Putin is the apostle of payback". Both China & Russia play the payback game, even if they suffer most.
    10
  1306. But Iran is a fanatical theocracy ! You do know that ? The Ayatollah is preparing for Armageddon when the 12th Imam will appear and the fanatics enter paradise. In other words he's a crackpot. That's why Iran can NEVER have nukes. They are crackpot fanatics. An illegal illegitimate regime that came to power when Ayatollah Khomeini hijacked the revolution against the Shah and tortured and executed all his opponents. Why do you think there is no opposition movement in Iran ?
    10
  1307. A great success by the Trump administration.
    10
  1308. 9:28 "Lack of leadership by the Palestinians" LOL they are leading the way in corruption, incompetence and cluelessness. Also, they are leaders in anti-democratic despotism. Also, leading the way in suppressing the voice of women, and suppressing any political opposition or calls for an election. They are leaders in thuggery towards their own people.
    10
  1309. I've just walked to the shops - 10 contrails in the sky (condensation trails). That means Tornado or Vulcan bombers. Britain is on high alert. The other day I counted 8. A normal day would be 2 or 3.
    10
  1310. Britain's Chief of General Staff has just launched "Operation Mobilise" Jens Stoltenberg has increased combat readiness from 40k to 300k Boris said, "Putin will try to expand this conflict, and we must be ready" Kaliningrad is the likely hot-spot.
    10
  1311. I hop Modi recognizes he's picked the wrong side.
    10
  1312. Ursula von der Leyden said, "I saw the bodies lined up on the ground" Modi must have been squirming in his seat : Putin is his best friend and most loyal ally. Maybe India will protest - against Ursula, not against Putin. Dead bodies don't faze India, atrocities by Russia don't disturb Indian sensibilities, they will complain about Ursula's manners. "Don't bully India" is their childish refrain.
    10
  1313. Someone should present Modi with medal for bravery. Fear of China and fear of offending Russia : the medal would be recognition for the way he holds himself together.
    10
  1314. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    10
  1315. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    10
  1316. Oct 7th massacre : we are still seeing the repercussions
    10
  1317. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll turn up the dial"
    10
  1318. Gazans must evacuate into Egypt
    10
  1319. That's right. Iran only supported every terror group in the region and worked on a delivery system for inter-continental ballistic missiles. Nice work Obama and the EU. Look what Trump has done : Iran's inflation at 50% and rising Iran's GDP at -6% and falling.
    10
  1320. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    10
  1321. Also, Spain was weak, and the Dutch would prefer a weak neighbour (Spanish Netherlands) than a strong neighbour (France).
    10
  1322. He's an acquired taste. I really like his accent now. I turn the volume up a bit LOL It's very cosmopolitan.
    10
  1323. I don't see any Iraqi citizens protesting....... Just Hezbollah fighters.
    10
  1324. For some historical background read "The executioners deserve medals" before you praise the Ayatollah's butchers. They hanged prisoners off fork-lift truck six at a time. Do some reading before you wave the flag for a fascist dictatorship.
    10
  1325. Gosh, were Israelis there long before Islam even existed ?
    10
  1326. LOL what nonsense 5:40 "Palestine built railways" There was no Palestine, who organised and funded it ? There was NO government. Ottoman railways were built and funded by the Germans. This "documentary" is a lot of old tosh. The British installed a Mufti in Jerusalem : he was the leader of the Palestinians, and looked to join Palestine with Syria. "The position was created by the British military government led by Ronald Storrs in 1918. Since 2006 it has been held by Muhammad Hussein" The Mufti didn't build any railways, he had no money (except meagre taxes from the peasants and whatever the British gave him). 4:40 "Palestine traded with the world" Wrong. Merchants traded, they were very often Armenian or Greek or Jews. To trade it was essential one had a partner at the other end : this always favoured dispersed communities. I've only watched 6 mins, and am wondering whether to continue (it is so much revisionist nonsense).
    10
  1327. LOL were there welders on the roof. Ha ha ha.....another warehouse full of oil and tyres. Lucky the one next to it didn't catch fire.......you know, the one storing TNT.
    10
  1328. LOL you Islamofascist thug.
    10
  1329. Not only sold off, but he announced he was off-loading UK gold - causing a huge drop in price. Which lost the UK £500,000,000
    10
  1330. How will IDF detect terrorists after Rafah offensive? Filtration
    10
  1331. Russia demands :- a) the return of their $300 billion b) an end to sanctions Whilst refusing to pay reparations It's hard to square that circle
    10
  1332. Blinken looks tired But he's doing a sterling job God bless Israel
    10
  1333. "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD A Pentagon spokesman said, "Even the USA couldn't fire 20k shells a day like the Russians are doing." Russia is throwing the kitchen sink at it. Russian strategy :- To secure Donbas, then declare the whole area part of Russia. Then to declare that any attack by NATO, or by Ukraine using NATO weapons will meet with a nuclear response.
    10
  1334. 6:21 "I can't think of a single historical example". Let me help you :- Herbert Henry Asquith was Prime Minister during WW1. He had many mistresses and London was full of families with German connections, although his mistresses weren't German they would go to afternoon tea (salons) with other ladies and chat about the war, anyway, it turned out Asquith had been letting them know what the Army intended to do. It got so serious the Chief of the General Staff had to (delicately) inform the Government about the leaks.
    10
  1335. Same-old, same-old for Pak.
    10
  1336. Many months ago (on Wion) I commented,"India's army is a social welfare scheme : 70% of the budget is spent on pensions, wages and health care. India has a huge peasant army : it is a mass employment scheme". Apparently, Modi must have read my comment and decided to act.
    10
  1337. "Catalan language is protected", what he means is that it is no longer outlawed. The fascist Franco state outlawed the language and brutally beat Catalans into submission. Now Catalans have some human rights and Rajoy/Madrid want to be thanked. The true face of Rajoy/Madrid was Spanish Police beating,kicking, dragging girls by the hair, sexually assaulting one girl, throwing old ladies down steps and cracking skulls, stomping on people on the floor. At last the EU has warned Madrid NO MORE VIOLENCE
    10
  1338.  @lynnevenables7193  Ask yourself - why does Arabic have several words for sex slave : Shubiya ( a female belonging to a master) Noble horse (a euphemism) etc etc The reason is - because it is part of Arabic culture By contrast - there is no Arabic word for "nation-state" Because there are no nation--states in the Caliphate That's why it took Palestinians till 1988 to declare themselves a state : it's not part of their culture Sex slaves ARE part of Arabic culture - hence half a dozen terms to describe them
    10
  1339. Congratulations Russia : you have the KGB gangster you always wanted. The Russian is weaned on propaganda from childhood : they thrive on it. Unless they've been beaten and killed in a Gulag they can't respect a strong leader. They still admire Stalin who killed 30 million of them.
    10
  1340. Booze and gambling : those are the items that wouldn't be allowed on the cashless debit card. It's a great idea. Get some vegetables and healthy food for your kids instead.
    10
  1341. The hand of Hezbollah : they controlled the port and everything that went in or out of it. The blast is indirectly their fault. But don't expect any change. Hezbollah's ideology is for a fascist theocracy like Iran.
    10
  1342. MBS is a cuckoo in the nest : I like him. He's like a Westerner : he goes to Mosque as a social thing (like secular Christians go to church) he doesn't actually believe that medieval nonsense. In 100yrs historians will look back at MBS as the person who brought the whole Middle East out of medieval ignorance.
    10
  1343. What will the history books say :- That when war started France and germany froze - like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Germany forced British planes to fly around its airspace. Macron cried, "We must not humiliate Russia" It is France & Germany that were humiliated.
    10
  1344. Iranian Ayatollah police are "investigating" his murder That will be impartial LOL
    10
  1345. Hamas are defiant : of course they are. What would be in it for Hamas if a peaceful settlement was agreed ? How would violent religious fanatics fit into a peaceful modern society ; and more importantly what would happen to their power & cash ? Violent paramilitary organisation thrive on conflict.
    10
  1346. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    10
  1347. When Isabella (Castile) and Ferdinand (Aragon) united their crowns (1472 ?) the rest of Spain kept it's own governance , finance and feuros. Catalonia rebelled in 1640 and when it was reintegrated (1648 ?) it kept it's regional governance and rights. It was only after the War of Spanish Succession (1703-14 ?) that catalonia was governed from Madrid.
    10
  1348. Good fake news. I don't blame Al-Jazeera everyone else does it ; it's a simple recipe :- a) take some facts ie a missile base development b) make speculations that suit your agenda ie they are nuclear c) present it as fait accompli ie that it is inevitable from the premises.
    10
  1349. Very interesting stories. Very inspirational. Well done to all of them - God bless, and Slava Ukraine.
    10
  1350. Of course Arafat didn't want educated Palestinians : statistics show that educated populations demand democratic representation ; Arafat wanted stone-throwers , who would walk around wearing T-shirts with Arafat's face emblazoned on them.
    10
  1351. Afghanistan's big error :- the army. They should have disbanded the army and directed all resources to the Special Forces (who are the only ones capable of fighting) The officers should then replace all governors, declaring martial law. Administrators who refuse to fight should be Court Martialled (Like Admiral Byng - executed in 1757 for refusing to fight the French)
    10
  1352. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    10
  1353. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    10
  1354. The precision is tear jerking.
    10
  1355. The Legacy of the Caliphate : despotism & ignorance. Even if the Sultan was cruel, corrupt and spent all his time in the harem, he was still considered to be "Our Lord on Earth"
    10
  1356. Brazil is a fascist state which has adopted faux democracy as a PR exercise.
    10
  1357. 0:40 "Just for the record we've had 3 monarchies, 5 republics and 3 dictatorships in that time." 1789 - 1st republic 1804 ~ 1815 Napoleon 1815 Bourbon restoration Louis XVIII Louis XVIII brother Charles X undid the constitution then lost his nerve and fled. allowing Louis Philippe I to step in. 1830 - 1848. 1848 - 2nd Republic 1852 Napoleon III seizes power After the crushing defeat by Prussia in the Franco-Prussian war (1870) France disintegrates. 1870 - 1940 3rd Republic until Vichy France under the Nazis. 1945 4th Republic a continuation of the 3rd really. 1958 The Algeria crisis causes a total collapse in France and the final...5th Republic.
    10
  1358. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    10
  1359. Lord Owen was asked on radio 4 about Putin's nuclear threat, "Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability, they know what would happen to their families".
    10
  1360. 5:50 "For the first time |Iranian people are behind the Ayatollah" My God what opinion poll was he consulting for that observation. There is no free speech in Iran, no political opposition, no independent academics or thinkers : just a barbaric Revolutionary Guard that beat and imprison when they are not filching from the economy.
    10
  1361. Very brave, well done.
    10
  1362. Western Civilization. This is what we have to contend with.
    10
  1363. He looks as honest as the day is long.
    10
  1364. "This collapse is so unusual, it just takes the cake" "The middle collapsed first : that's the most culprit section" "It's so unusual, it's a big mystery". Gosh, I wish he wouldn't use so many technical terms.
    10
  1365. 1:30 "90% of Gaza's factories have closed" Well done Hamas. I wonder how much support Hamas have ? An election would soon find out.........
    10
  1366. The Big Picture : there are two opposing ideologies Western Civilization and Asiatic Despotism (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and Islamism) NATO was an expensive football team with nobody to play The Ukraine crisis has provided the tournament, and NATO are now on the victory parade (Canada, Spain, Denmark and France all sending ships and planes) The Kremlin, having been exposed to be the lion in Wizard of Oz, are changing their narrative to one of victimhood. Putin could be the last Russian despot - the Russian Tsars, Soviet leaders, Kremlin gangsters. Russia may also become democratic. That is what the Kremlin thugs fear.
    10
  1367. Wow, an Orc actually managed to crawl out. Surely his ears must be ringing, and one would imagine he'll have a headache that lasts till Christmas.
    10
  1368. "Move all the civilians back to the North" This guy is having a laugh Northern Gaza is the new Golan Heights - it will never be handed back
    10
  1369. Afghanistan was a sideshow, yet the Yanks staid 20yrs and spent $5 trillion. Ukraine is the Main Event : US support will last at least 20yrs, and they'll spend double.
    10
  1370. There has been much worse than this :- a) Profumo : involved a minister rubbing shoulders with a KGB agent via a young lady he had fallen for. In court he denied everything under oath. The young lady was cross-examined, and told the minister's account differed from hers : "Well he would say that", was her reply - which had the court in peels of laughter. (She was Christine Keeler, it was 1961)
    10
  1371. 1:00 "Take us away from the chances of peace" I thought Arafat did that during his 40yr dictatorship. He never cared about peace, only staying in power. Bill Clinton said, "Arafat can't be trusted" One historian wrote, "He (Arafat) never missed the opportunity to miss an opportunity"
    10
  1372. Shame on islam
    9
  1373. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism (This guy should be arrested and questioned)
    9
  1374. Erdogan and his thugs are taking Turkey backwards towards Islamofascism.
    9
  1375.  @badmonkey2222  I applaud your bellicosity, but fortunately we have more sober heads making the decisions.... NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    9
  1376. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    9
  1377. Very interesting Worth watching twice (tomorrow lunch)
    9
  1378. Germany again. Even after the defeat of Nazism the German support for fascist dictatorship continued. Germany had strong ties with ALL the fascist dictatorships in South America. Which is why the West look askance at Nordstream 2, and Germany's cosy relationship with Putin's dictatorship.
    9
  1379. Young Iranians won't stand for it. They look at the rabid Ayatollahs and don't like the totalitarianism they see. They would like to live in a civilized country .......not an Islamofascist $hithole.
    9
  1380. Egypt needs to start a family planning program. The whole of Muslim N Africa need family planning. They have huge populations and no industry or work. All that extra population growth heads to Europe. Why not use a condom ?
    9
  1381. My sympathies : the Ayatollah's theocracy would drive anyone to drink.
    9
  1382. 0:16 The Europeans are in charge of calming nerves" LOL It is all the EU windbags are good for.
    9
  1383. The last election results were : 47 % independence 39% pro-spain 14% uncommitted. (After the Police violence expect independence to poll 55-60%) Rajoy thinks that flying military helicopters over Barcelona will intimidate them into voting for him. It is just the opposite. Remember Hillary Clinton ? Her team discovered that the less she appeared the more popular her adverts were. The same applies to Rajoy : he's revolting. Puigdemont is hardly charismatic with his pudding-basin hairstyle but ,come the election, that will be transformed into a Beatles mop-top and he will be mobbed like Ringo Starr. The EU think Rajoy is a total dunce and blame him for the chaos. Junker said ,“For some time now I asked the Spanish prime minister to take initiatives so that Catalonia wouldn’t run amok,” he said. “A lot of things were not done.” Rajoy's moronic brain and ugly mush will set the seal on Catalan independence.
    9
  1384. If you give Palestinians rights, and access to the labour market, they will thank you with Hamas. Lebanon has been ruined by Hezbollah, why would they want his twin brother ?
    9
  1385. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    9
  1386. ".....going as planned" The Kremlin expected to be humiliated. To be denounced as barbarians by the civilized world. To be sanctioned into bankrupt default. To be excluded from every sporting and cultural event. To be ostracized as a pariah nation, alongside their historical counterparts - the Nazis, the Stalinist Soviet Union, and their forebears Genghis Khan. Karl Marx described Russians as "The immobile Mongol"
    9
  1387. Very brave citizens. Also, it is encouraging to see an absence of violence from the police (so far). One often wonders how the police feel about the despotic military. One also wonders how the ordinary soldier feels. In Venezuela Maduro kept troops in the barracks because he couldn't be sure how they would respond on the streets : he left the violence to Cuban thugs, (specially imported) and his own violent fanatics.
    9
  1388. The defining event of the C21st, and Britain is doing the Civilized world proud. Well done Britain, but God bless the USA, without whom we would all be shafted. Also, well done NATO and the EU, but primarily thank God for the Yanks.
    9
  1389. When Trump started teasing Hannity : as if the rest of the world's media wanted to watch those two a-holes flirting.
    9
  1390. Turkey said it was "concerned" by attacks on the Ukrainian port of Odessa Saturday as Ukraine blamed Russia while Kremlin denied striking the port. Russia denied striking Odessa. Now they say it was a legitimate target. Are they liars ?
    9
  1391. Thick in the belly and thick in the head. Corrupt to the core , African led. The peace of dictators feathering their nests. The African Union seen at their best.
    9
  1392. The Russian jackboot. Stalin killed 30 million Russians. KGB man Putin will certainly put up a fight.
    9
  1393. 0:40 the money shot. "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD That pile just got smaller.
    9
  1394. There is no point having skilled artisans working on the Cathedral when 80% of the work-force are low paid labourers. A mill near me burnt down : it was youth-program lad having a smoke, he got 3yrs in prison for negligence. Why not employ all skilled workers and just pay the extra in salaries ?
    9
  1395. Russian TV has answered that question - "Russia either loses or it will be WW3" "And knowing Putin it will be nuclear war" It was an astonishing moment (the clip is on Youtube)
    9
  1396. Lebanon explained :- a) Hezbollah are theocratic fascists, backed with money and arms from the Ayatollah. (Remember the $15 billion in cash from Obama ? That was for Hezbollah) b) All the parties in Lebanon are corrupt. They cannot steal any more than they already have done. c) The can never be reform : Hezbollah have threatened to deploy 10k armed fascist thugs to silence the protestors.
    9
  1397. Russia has lost and Putin has two options :- a) continue until the Kremlin collapses b) try to cut a deal and salvage what you can. For option b) Putin is relying on the capitulating nations - France and Germany. Unfortunately the muscle nations - US and to a much lesser degree Britain, Poland, Baltic states, etc, they are calling the shots. And have demanded total withdrawal, even from Crimea.
    9
  1398. "President Nursultan Nazarbayev has ruled Kazakhstan since 1991. Parliamentary and presidential elections are neither free nor fair" (Freedomhouse) There are 2 major focal points for anti-democracy.:- a) The Caliphate countries , all North Africa and the Middle East (bar Israel which is western) b) Russia (not the USSR - which was simply a manifestation of inherent autocracy) Queen Victoria described Russia as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists" All Russia's non-western neighbours are autocracies : Russia spreads despotism.
    9
  1399. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
    9
  1400. The members of Fatah don't have any complaints : they're driving round in luxury SUVs. The ordinary Palestinians are suffering. The same ones that suffered a 40yr dictatorship by Yaser Arafat : remember him ? the guy who stole $3billion from the people. Actually Arafat needed that money : that's how you stay n power for 40yrs, you buy your friends and pay-off your enemies. Pity the Palestinians they've never had anything resembling decent leadership. (Don't mention Hamas : those anti-democratic Islamofascist thugs).
    9
  1401. Russians on social media are saying, "No Swan Lake on TV yet" "Maybe Swan Lake tonight" etc Swan Lake was played non stop when the USSR collapsed. Medvedev said, "They are trying to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen. Ben Hodges : "We should be prepared for the Russian Federation splitting apart" Nice to see Russia and America agree on something.
    9
  1402. $140k is what a US citizen gets from McDonald's when they are scolded by hot coffee.
    9
  1403. Fascist Spain. When Franco died (1975) there was never a clear out from the establishment : the Police and Judiciary and Civil Service stayed in position : they were all Fascist as was the King Juan Carlos I. Spain segued into faux democracy simply to join the EU. Trust your eyes. Remember Madrid's police thugs beating people trying to vote in a referendum ? If they look like Fascist thugs believe your eyes. Catalonia will achieve independence when there is a seismic event : like the collapse of the EU or a global financial collapse or pandemic. A major shift is needed but the will of the people is definitely there to split from fascist Spain.
    9
  1404. Shinzo Abe's grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, served as prime minister in the 1950s and was a cabinet member during the war who was accused – but never indicted – of war crimes. Abe refused to apologise for the 20,000 women forced into brothels to serve the Japanese army.
    9
  1405. Mission accomplished : well done ! Despotism is secured once again by the Kremlin.
    9
  1406. Greece is its own worst enemy. Corruption, tax evasion, jobbery , greed and cupidity. As long as the economy was growing they could cope but the financial crisis revealed the sordid reality.
    9
  1407. How many folks did he ask ? How many would dare criticise a fascist Militia ?
    9
  1408. South Africa's provisional measure were ALL kicked out South Africa's scarf wearing clowns fell flat on their faces The ICJ demanded ALL hostages be released immediately and unconditionally
    9
  1409. LOL what nonsense. There are currently 2000 active jihadists in the UK and they are being monitored to some degree. The Manchester bomber was one of the 2000. What difference does it make if the EU say,  "Here's another Jihad activist add it to your list". Remember the cell arrested in Austria who had AK 47s in the car which had 'Paris' in the Satnav and the Police never informed Paris. I notice they never gave any factual evidence : just lots of CCTV screens being monitored.
    9
  1410. Religion has always opposed progress. The Papal States were the most backwards in Europe. Tibet's theocracy opposed education for children and liberal democracy (the Dali Lama wants to return as a theocratic dictator) The list is endless...... The Puritans believed God had predestined an Elect to salvation and that the masses were damned. They believed in mass damnation not mass democracy. I could go on.....
    9
  1411. Indonesia is no stranger to genocide. Research East Timur : it makes Bucha look like Butlin's holiday camp.
    9
  1412.  leonardimas1  , Why should the world be blackmailed by a nuclear Iran ? Why can't Iran concentrate on the welfare of its citizens ?
    9
  1413. Remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That was Hezbollah. Hezbollah are anti-democratic, fascist thugs.
    9
  1414. It's not big enough for an Oligarch, but maybe a maximally corrupt apparatchik.
    9
  1415. CORRECTION ! There was a flat battery - owing to the vehicles being left standing in sub-zero temperatures. The battery has been returned to Moscow for charging, and it is hoped the convoy will be ready to move at lunchtime tomorrow.
    9
  1416. Truly magic. A magnificent victory for democracy. Rarely does one see the personification of evil convincingly, and dramatically destroyed. It is worthy of Milton's Paradise Lost. Amazing.
    9
  1417. Well done Germany (However, this story is a bit of a red herring : Germany will simply spend the money to bring up to scratch what they already have)
    9
  1418. Fear of China and fear of offending Russia : that is the Modi mindset. Modi wakes up with fear, and goes to bed with fear. Meanwhile, India's reputation is traduced. Ask anyone, "Who is the weak link in the QUAD ?" India, they will answer.
    9
  1419. @Javad Zarif fans , remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with sticks and throwing students from windows ? That's Hezbollah. They are anti-democratic fascist thugs.
    9
  1420. All China's neighbours fear and hate China. I thought everyone knew that.
    9
  1421. Too little too late. In February Germany froze. RAF weapons flights had to fly around German airspace. Germany froze - it was sickening to watch. Any assistance given by Germany has been under duress. NATO has forced Germany into doing something.
    9
  1422. Pakistan are the key ? I wonder why. Could it be that they've been supporting the Taliban for decades, supplying them with arms and intelligence. Imran Khan is in Doha : LOL he can't do anything the Pakistan military call all the shots. Pakistan isn't a functioning state : the military stand above the political leaders, they have there own finance and economy and foreign policy and do what they like.
    9
  1423. Russia must pay for this destruction in reparations, currently estimated to be $587 billion
    9
  1424. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    9
  1425. LOL this guy takes the biscuit He is 100% pro-Hamas Well done France24 you can sure pick 'em
    9
  1426. 14 Palestinian police beat one man to death in his own home. Why not mention that ?
    9
  1427. "Will tensions spiral ?" No It takes two to tango and the West aren't interested. They'd prefer to watch Iran's economy collapse. GDP -6% and inflation at 50% The West are watching the Ayatollah crash in slow motion.
    9
  1428. There is no rush - even if it takes until Easter 2023. When Kherson falls Putin falls.
    9
  1429. I'll answer that : honest ones. That means no Hillary, Donna brazil , Wasserman-Shultz, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Palosi etc etc etc etc etc
    9
  1430. Rejoice at that news ! Well done Ukraine heroes. Magnificent news. Britain has sent 6000 NLAW missiles, Boris said, "The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts" All our thoughts are with the defenders of besieged Mariupol.
    9
  1431. 2:22 politician goons , glorifying themselves while drawing fat salaries and expenses.
    9
  1432. Well drilled, professional, composed and cosy.
    9
  1433. Remember the 19th Century when doctors refused to disinfect their hands before delivering a baby, causing 30,000 deaths per year ?
    9
  1434. It is clinical demolition. One can't help but be impressed.
    9
  1435. After WW2 hundreds of thousands of conscripted men were kept in the army to protect rubber plantations owned by Britain's aristocrats. The aristocrats sat in their mansions and reaped the financial rewards. That was the Conservative (Tory) party looking after its own.
    9
  1436. A Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    9
  1437. But the top aid to MBS was on Skype watching Khashoggi get tortured. He then said, "Bring me the dog's head". That's some fist fight. How many more people in Saudi were watching the fight on Skype ?
    9
  1438. Iran had no choice. It was their only move ........and it stinks. Trump left them with only one possible move and they've made it. Their is no light at the end of the Ayatollah's tunnel ; just economic pain and civil protest. There is no place for theocratic fascism in the 21st Century.
    9
  1439. Russia's response is appalling. The corrupt Kremlin liars expect the international community to swallow the same propaganda they feed their own people. But the Russian people are bred to it. Stalin purged 30 million and what was left were the docile sheep. Russia's population believe anything the Kremlin say.
    9
  1440. It gets funnier :- a) The EU is funding the CEC (Palestinian central election commission) but the CEC will not allow the EU to monitor the election. b) all candidates must show $10,000 and also pay a deposit of $10k So, only candidates who are serious about corruption need apply.
    9
  1441. The irony is that the folks throwing the firework bombs and protesting, would be incapable of administering their own state if given a chance. They would produce a corrupt, violent, despotic dystopia. Yet they try to destroy a country with democracy, freedom of speech and the rule of law.
    9
  1442. LOL : it's Africa what do you expect. Just months before the coup they were dancing in the street for Mugabe. Then they are dancing for the generals who overthrew him. Now they'll vote for just about anyone. They haven't a clue.
    9
  1443. Iran is a theocracy. Which is a form of totalitarianism. When Khomeini landed in Tehran from Paris (1979) he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and said, "I'll kick their teeth in ". He executed 7000 in his first year. Iran invented the forklift truck method : where you hang six at a time off a pallet. There was a huge Socialist Party in Iran, it overthrew the Shah (with other groups) but was exterminated in the Ayatollah's death camps. Read "The executioners deserve medals".
    9
  1444. The guy talking could be Hamas The guys wearing florescent jackets could be Hamas The only thing we know for certain - Hamas will never rule again in Gaza
    9
  1445. Never look to Pakistan for a moral judgement.
    9
  1446. Good luck to the protesters. Of course the African dictators will always come out on top. The African Union always supports corruption, dictators and election rigging. There's strength in numbers : that's why the African Union was founded.
    9
  1447. My guess : the leaker is a stay-at-home son who has been sneaking into Dad's study To copy documents by hand, then post them Only someone with lots of time on their hands Also, the mixed bag of intel, it makes no sense - it's simply what's available on Dad's desk.
    9
  1448. Conversely, once those supply-chains (established over 20yrs, which can't change quickly) move out of China there will be no going back. The long term, by this analysis , looks very gloomy for China.
    9
  1449. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    9
  1450. "The Democratic candidate regularly charges thousands of dollars in luxury travel and hotels to her campaign. Harris stayed in D.C.’s upscale St. Regis hotel, billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay, a nightly rate of $858.69. " She's another crooked Hillary
    9
  1451.  @user-uu2rf8ev7z  I watched a video of a Russian artillery barrage - about 40 clouds of grey smoke in a field, that hadn't hit a single target. All those shells had to be manufactured, transported, loaded and fired - it's terribly wasteful.
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  1452. Words When is someone going to send troops to help Ukraine ?
    9
  1453. That is the only way....let china do it......give them a mountain side of natural resources. If the Africans do it it will be corruption all the way and never get built.
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  1454. Putin is wise : he knew not to mobilise. Only when defeat was looming was he forced into it. 1905 defeat to Japan : Revolution 1917 defeat to Germany : Revolution 1989 defeat in Afghanistan : collapse of USSR Gen Ben Hodges "Russia will collapse slowly then suddenly"
    9
  1455. An allegory for the Ayatollah's fanatical regime.
    9
  1456. Maduro isn't totally to blame , he inherited a ticking economic time-bomb from Chavez which has gone off in his face. Maduro has 2000 corrupt generals to support him but they're not too hot on economics.
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  1457. Why is Russia backwards ? Peter I (d.1725) opened Rus but increased serfdom & autocracy Alex I (d.1825) post Rev (1789) isolated and censored Rus Nicholas I (d.1855) post Dec rebellion 1825 created a police state Russia : a police state till 1917 Then under Stalin (1924) Russia became a Gulag. The Orthodox Church,mystical & medieval, isolated itself from ideas and from the 17th C believed the West degenerate and decadent Stalin invested in "wrong" science : Lysenkoism They substituted paranoia and psychosis for culture
    9
  1458. Nobody stopped Russia. Russia has had nothing but defeats :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  1459.  @vilmaquintanilla9027  , wise words ; but you forgot to mention the reason Hamas were elected. The Palestinian Authority are a corrupt, violent oligarchy. Arafat stole $3 billion from the people. No investment in business and education, he needed that money to rule as a dictator for 40yrs. He bought his friends and paid off his enemies. The people of Gaza were tired of seeing Fatah members flaunting their wealth in luxury SUVs, with their dark glasses and bomber jackets. Also they were tired of receiving beatings from Fatah thugs if they criticised the regime. That is why Hamas were elected. Hamas came to power and started dishing out justice - throwing Fatah thugs from rooftops (much to the gratification of the people). Of course Hamas then cancelled democratic elections (as did Fatah in the spirit of symbiotic despotism).
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  1460. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    9
  1461.  @blackcatdungeonmastersfami5311  Butchers of Bucha : Russian Airborne Forces. 76th Guards Air Assault Division. 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment. 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment. 56th Guards Air Assault Regiment. All Russian paratroop regiments. Russian paras : Butchers of Bucha.
    9
  1462. Colonialism was the making of India. Before Britain arrived India was ruled by warlords. Every treaty the British made included a clause to return runaway Kashmiri slave-girls. The British were horrified. Also the 'entertainment' provided for British dignitaries defies description. India believes it was democratic before Britain arrived. The British stopped Suttee (burning wives with the dead husband) : it was punished as murder. British education was admired and respected by Indians. The Indian Congress Party was founded by Freemasons ( a philanthropic institute brought over with the British army) Everything goood in India today can trace its roots to Britain, and everything bad has its roots in ancient India : II think that is by and large true.
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  1463. When the police protest why aren't the public given batons and tear gas so they can clobber and gas the protesting police ? Why is it always the public that get beaten by police ?
    9
  1464.  @BigSmartArmed  The FSB proved it ! They arrested the Moscow FSB officers.
    9
  1465. France likes to think it has a special relationship with Iran (financial) just like Russia. Macron will always find a way to safeguard French interests (over any principles)
    9
  1466. Russian aims :- To link Donbas, Crimea, and the entire Black Sea coast of Ukraine with the Russian separatist strip in Moldova.
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  1467. How boring. Can we get back to geopolitics ?
    9
  1468. Gosh, is that leaker still pedalling his lies. Last I heard he was going to be interviewed by the Police. Even the Prime Minister said he was a leaker and liar !
    9
  1469. Then why is Russia a dump, squealing about sanctions ?
    9
  1470. In April 1849 Hungarians surrendered to Russian troops, and were incorporated back into the Austrian Empire. What were Russians doing fighting for the Habsburgs ? Good question. Russia have always believed they had a right to be consulted and to dictate Europeans affairs. They invaded Hungary again in 1956 They invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 Russians are feared and hated by all their neighbours.
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  1471. All these topics are now a footnote to the horrors in Ukraine. Well done Modi - he has reduced India to a supporting actor in the first genocide of the 21st century. It is hard to imagine greater shame for a democracy.
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  1472. 2:00 "......can only be resolved through a political solution". Yeah but if you control Aden you have a much better hand when it comes to negotiating the solution. So why bother stating the obvious ? They are still going to fight for control of Aden. Once again pointless platitudes from the UN.
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  1473. Did they use a forklift truck ? Iran pioneered the use of the forklift to execute 6 at a time. Imagine the prisoners standing on pallets waiting to be killed like factory fodder. Read "The executioners deserve medals".
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  1474. ISIL's medieval caliphate stripped underground cables for copper and brass. And yet a poll showed that young Muslim males in UK cities showed 65% support for ISIL. And if ISIL were still there , destroying civilisation, young Muslim males would still be supporting them.
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  1475. How many times have you visited someone's home and found the radiators red hot and the windows open ? Personally I'm astonished, and have been for years.
    9
  1476. Iranian fascists. Theocracy is always intolerant and authoritarian. The people don't want the fakirs ruling over them. Iranians want to become a modern democracy.
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  1477. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1478.  @azeezkamalkehinde6434  On Oct 6th Gaza was doing fine What did Hamas think would happen after they committed massacre ? Hamas triggered the firestorm Hamas sowed the wind and the Gazans are reaping the whirlwind
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  1479. Education doesn't make people live longer. It is just that daft people continue smoking , boozing and eating junk ; and they don't bother exercising. It is a free choice.
    9
  1480. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
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  1481. 1848 The Palacky letter described Russia prophetically.... - it has long adopted a threatening position externally, and, though aggressive even in the North, driven by its natural instinct it seeks and will seek preferably to expand towards the South; that every further step which it could take along this way threatens with increased speed to produce and to lead to a new universal monarchy that is an incalculable and unutterable evil. Queen Victoria came to the same conclusion. Every nation recognized the inherent evil of Russian aggression.
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  1482. LOL....allow me to point out the consequences :- a) the House of Saud falls. The Saudis regime is a house of cards. b) The King of Jordan falls. He is riding a tiger : the last thing he needs is conflict with the west. c) The West will retaliate by economically boycotting the Gulf states : they would fall like dominoes......to revolts by their own people. d) Iran is on the brink of conflagration and is only under partial sanctions. If the West stopped all trade.....medical supplies, food, machinery etc etc The Ayatollah's regime would crash.
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  1483. Modi & Putin, what an alliance : a fool and a butcher.
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  1484. "Russia ,Cuba and China support Maduro". You might as well add N Korea and Iran and you have the full Axis of Evil. All dictatorships, no human rights, no justice, no free speech and, does it need saying, corrupt.
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  1485. "The tranquilising drug of incrementalism" Sounds better than gradualism. Not as earthy though.
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  1486. Thank goodness for Blinken and the US. Germany sent an FM, and nobody seems to know her name. Lavrov has announced : "You say tomAtoes, I say tomatoes, Baernock Baerbock, potAtoes potatoes, let's call the whole thing off".
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  1487. Randy, that is a marvellous insight. It confirms my previously held prejudice : that the Saudi is bone-idle, lazy,indolent, bigoted, cowardly and cruel.
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  1488. No mention of the catholic faith or the support of his local Bishop, or the Pope, or any of that nonsense. Maybe there's hope for Ireland yet. If some good came out of the centuries of clerical abuse maybe it's that.
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  1489. Trump will do what he has always done :- a) deny Biden won, whilst discrediting and hindering the transition b) continue promoting Trump : either he will run or his surrogate will in 2024 c) talk up his legacy : Israel deal, China knocked back, Iran knocked down, and a booming economy before the virus d) make money from his book and film. Maybe his own TV channel to rival Fox.
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  1490. Axis of Evil : Russia, China, Iran, North Korea,Turkey, Cuba, .....all anti-democratic, anti-human rights, anti-freedom.
    9
  1491. "Hamas demands are delusional" : Biden "Hamas demands are delusional" : Blinken They have both said Hamas are delusional
    9
  1492.  @ЯБезымянный-о5ф  Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
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  1493. Russia has a medieval army, based on the brutalization of conscripts. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
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  1494. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  1495. 2:10 "Reason one is Turkey's economy : it is in the dumps" LOL
    9
  1496. 3:59 "Blame the Western governments" Yes but the West hold elections. The Palestinians have cancelled elections. The permanent Palestinian corruption can only be ended by free elections.
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  1497. Price rises for Europe (Not the USA) The Suez canal is a European route USA has 3.3% growth in GDP It is Europe that suffers : France is doing nothing, the EU does nothing Everything is left to the USA
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  1498. Russia have weakened themselves :- Stock market down -9%, and the Moscow central bank considering a devaluation of the ruble.
    9
  1499. POSTWAR Ukraine is riding high on the world stage : Victories in the same league as the "Six Day War" Everyone is watching with unabated admiration. When the war is over Ukraine will be the power that humbled Russia Status that will last for centuries
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  1500. Iran retaliates ? I hope they don't shoot down another passenger plane, then lie repeatedly. The worst liar is the Ayatollah : repeatedly saying no missiles were fired.
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  1501. Well done BBC : we are no wiser for watching that (as usual) BBC news has been hopeless for decades.
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  1502. Modi with a foot in both camps. This is a day of shame for India.
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  1503. 1:50 When he says "Million" he means "Billion" Israel is losing 1/4 of a "Billion" per day NOT million
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  1504. Shame on France gassing its citizens
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  1505. Pity about Trump's 'bone spurs', otherwise he would've been the bravest soldier (I'm sure).
    9
  1506. One Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf-girls Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow), he was exiled to Siberia. Girls were advertised as "having a pretty face and attractive figure". The Russian nobles were no better than ISIS with Yazidi girls. The KGB, in an internal memo, referred to themselves as "the new nobility" It gives us a significant insight into their mentality. Stalin's intelligence chief, 'Beria', was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he ordered them to. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine.
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  1507. Madura was a bus driver. Chavez on his death bed appointed Madura as his replacement. The bus driver is printing money as fast as he can and the prices keep rising. Chavez was a dictator who appointed his successor another dictator. Together that double-whammy have destroyed the country.
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  1508. Releasing prisoners. Are they going to be enlisted into the Black & Tans ?
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  1509. 3 times she said "Danish national" The killer was Algerian. This is EU liberal propaganda. He landed first in Denmark and got his EU papers from there. He is still Algerian, but they won't tell you that. Ignorance is key for the EU program to succeed.
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  1510. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1511. The US sent M270 MRLS (rocket launchers) without mentioning it. More heavy weapons need to be sent unannounced. Get some Leopard tanks sent, don't announce it - just sent them.
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  1512. A very good report. A very brave woman.
    9
  1513. Well said. A very sincere welcome to a fellow leader of Western Democracy.
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  1514. May I correct you ? Muhammad, who had purloined the Jewish religion when he invented his own, said " The Antichrist will emerge from amongst the Jews". Muhammad also believed in dust devils. LOL He believed there was a Jin in each dust vortex. Of course, we all know better today and can have a good laugh at his medieval ignorance.
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  1515. 4:30 Libya. Macron has some brass neck.....he's supporting the warlord Haftar. Then, Macron has the gall to talk about UN arms embargo. And yet France and the UAE et al are sending illicit arms as we speak. French two-faced gall.
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  1516. " More than 250 people Killed and thousands injured . The United Nations says more than 120 people have had one or both legs amputated." And what was the goal ? Certainly the Hamas organisers aren't on any casualty list. In Northern Ireland paramilitary groups always got kids to sacrifice themselves while they swan around like feudal lords : it's always the young that suffer. Yaser Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. Hamas are establishing a dictatorship just the same in Gaza.
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  1517. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1518. Chinese people have NO message. This is CCP propaganda. Everyone knows the Communist Party clamp down on any opinions opposed to their own. Why would people risk voicing their own opinion ?
    9
  1519. A very impressive library. I wish I had a wall covered with informative books.
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  1520. The European Union has sent $1,600,000,000 to Palestine over the years. If anyone asks the Palestinian Authority where it went, they are beaten and sometimes killed. Perhaps some of that money could be used for the families in this video ?
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  1521. Yasser Arafat would have been laughing his head off. He ruled for 40yrs and never had any corruption charges. (He did steal $3 billion but anyone accusing him got shot).
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  1522. Abu, LOL , I enjoyed that comment. " Don't promote or hire on merit ", there is some truth to that. " Children moving away from their faith", well obviously ; why do you think Muslim Madras brainwash kids ? To keep them loyal. As soon as you develop a rational mind you ditch religion for the invented clap-trap it is. All religions reflect the period in which they were invented. The Torah and Old Testament are Bronze Age myths and reflect Bronze Age tribal , patriarchal society. The New Testament was invented after the Greek enlightenment and reflects more modern values. Islam was invented in Medieval times and has medieval values. Religion is always behind the curve of progress ; so educated kids will always be more advanced than their parents. I could give scores of examples of religion being morally backwards, here are a couple ;- Trial by ordeal was abolished by Henry II in 1166 , it took the Pope 50yrs to follow that example. Torture was abolished by Frederick the Great in 1740 but the Church was still using it in 1834. And Islam uses it to this day.
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  1523. One Al Jazeera reporter has been shown to be a member of Hamas Muhammad Wishah
    9
  1524. Putin is used to seeing Russians slaughtered. He is a KGB man - they sent thousands of Russians to the Gulags (after they had been tortured into confession at the Lubyanka KGB HQ)
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  1525. When the farmers sell up , the land will be bought by the top 1% (the politician's cronies who pay no tax). Austerity has been directed mostly at the working class : politicians and fat cats are doing nicely.
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  1526. India is corrupt from top to bottom. The British tried to stamp it out. British administration made progress but they were trying to eradicate 5000yrs of corrupt culture.
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  1527. I think Erdogan's son is on the board of directors : this may affect his shares bonus.
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  1528.  @kdw75  Reparations for Ukraine will first go to the International Court to decide on a figure, then they will be taken from Russia's seized assets.
    8
  1529. CNN are calling for heavy weapons : "Get those weapons in now", said the lady. Generals Wes Clarke, Patreus, and Sir Nick Clarke are all calling for heavy weapons.
    8
  1530. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  1531. Why did it take until 1988 for Palestine to declare its independence ? The answer lies in history. I just wondered whether anyone knows what the reason is.
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  1532. "Passed away" is what one does after an illness, or in one's sleep. When someone is involved in a fatal accident, it is more appropriate to say "Died". Quite honestly, there isn't time to "Pass away" : in a crash, one "Dies". Trying to euphemize it just sounds wrong. Also, the President shouldn't say "Chopper", he should say Helicopter. Using abbreviated slang is a mark of disrespect.
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  1533. Hezbollah control the port. Everything that comes in and goes out does so with their cognisance. The storage of 2750 tons of ammonia nitrate was totally their decision. If Hezbollah wanted it moved it would've been gone in 2 weeks.
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  1534. "The United States of Amnesia" Gore Vidal
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  1535. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  1536. The world turned upside down. Historically that was said during the English Civil war (1640s) also, the French Revolution (1789) and the European revolutions (1848). Today it is taken to mean "political correctness gone mad".
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  1537. The protestors will never shame Hezbollah.
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  1538. Ulcerative colitis : Abe is a rabid nationalist who denies Japan's horrendous war crimes and deserves everything he gets (by way of divine justice).
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  1539. Never expect too much from South America. It was ruined by the Catholic Church - the authoritarianism of Jesuits. And by the bone-idle attitude of the Spanish nobility who disdained industry as ignoble.
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  1540. The Belgians are the worst.
    8
  1541. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  1542. There's a professor[ Kishore Muhbani] from Singapore who writes books saying China's rise is unstoppable and the West is doomed. Of course he's a moron. Every event you see points to China's fragility. Who are the best judges of China ? The businessmen in China , and they can't wait to get their money out.
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  1543. Now we know what the "Trump Card" was.
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  1544. When Hamas gave Israel an ultimatum - to stand down its forces at Al-Aqsa and release all arrested Palestinians (who had been throwing rocks at praying Jews) by 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) Monday 10th May At one minute past Hamas fired rockets into Israel. What did they think Israel would do ?
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  1545. Look at them all shaking hands with MBS : the Embassy Butcher. He has a man chopped up in his embassy. He sends a doctor with a bone-saw to do the job. And everyone shakes hands with him.
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  1546. What an image of dystopia : just look at the faces. "Minister for Emergency situations" - he looks like an FSB goon.
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  1547. Russia is "very negative" to the USA sending weapons, but..... "Very positive" for Macron : Putin is very pleased with Macron's capitulation.
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  1548. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" Italy said, "A ceasefire immediately, followed by land for peace" France would capitulate, and Italy would surrender. Countries cannot escape their culture.
    8
  1549.  @johannsebastianbach9003  Australia, Britain and the US have a long history of fighting as allies. Who can forget the Battle of Savo Island. ....where the Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra was sunk whilst fighting to defend anchored US warships. The Yanks never forgot it. And named one of their cruisers in its honour.
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  1550. Ursula von der Leyden said, "I saw the bodies lined up on the ground" Modi must be squirming in his seat : Putin is his best friend, his most loyal ally. Maybe India will protest - against Ursula, not against Putin. Dead bodies don't faze India, atrocities by Russia don't disturb Indian sensibilities, they will complain about Ursula's manners. "Don't bully India" is their childish refrain.
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  1551. The doctor said he was suffering from "Extreme corruption and despotism". Apparently the only cure is an ouster.
    8
  1552. Bismarck : "The most effective way to secure an alliance is to find a common enemy" I'm paraphrasing. And it's hardly rocket science. But I know the Yanks like historical platitudes.
    8
  1553. Timeline - 1922 Collapse of Ottoman empire : Israel elect a representative council The British appoint a Grand Mufti for the Palestinians. Palestinians look to Damascus as their capital. Obviously Israelis look to Jerusalem. Palestine is claimed by Egypt, Syria and Jordan - none of whom recognise a Palestinin state. 1947 : Israel declares a state, the British pull out. 1948 : First Arab Israeli war Palestinians still look to Damascus but fight the Jews simply to push them off their land. 1956 Nasser nationalises the Suez canal, war follows - Nasser emerges as the leader of Arab nationalism 1967 Nasser prepares to attack Israel : Jordan, Syria and Iraq place their army at his command. Israel strike first and quickly wipe out the enemy forces Palestinians now look to Cairo as the capital of the Arab League Only in 1988 after decades of failure, do the Palestinians finally announce themselves a state at the UN. Having ignored UN two-state solutions, in desperation, the Palestinians look for international support.
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  1554. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    8
  1555. History will repeat itself in this conflict. In 1895 the Spanish had a global army of 250,000, the USA had only 1/10th of that, and yet they totally defeated Spain. In retaliation, the Spanish military committed endless atrocities - mostly against their own people. Russia will do the same after this humiliation.
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  1556. Chronology 21 Sep 2022 Putin "This time I'm not bluffing" 13 Oct NATO defence summit Brussels 13 Oct evening Macron on TV : "Nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington : US + UK nuclear response to Russia 21 - 24 Oct Gerasimov & Shoigu call the West 4 times in 4 days Russia capitulated I'm amazed nobody else knows this
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  1557. Government by barbaric savages.
    8
  1558. Gosh, Hamas should've never done it !
    8
  1559. LOL a new Yalta. Here is the EU with a GDP of $17 trillion and Russia with a GDP of $1.4 trillion And the EU windbags fear another Yalta. The windbags fear Russia will imprison half of them. Where is the EU fight ? Are the EU capable of anything other than talk ? The EU are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.
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  1560. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  1561. Corruption and abuse of power , rigging elections and more corruption. It's the old story.
    8
  1562. Context :- Communism : Mao killed 60 million, Stalin killed 50 million, Gulags, forced relocation and starvation (Holodomor killed 10 million in Ukraine). India sided with the communists, though not communist itself. Communism was the Axis of Evil manifest. One cannot pose questions about historical decisions framed in today's environment. One has to ask and answer the questions historically..
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  1563. When the ties come off it's time for action. 2:25 "I said I'll be back" echoes of General MacArthur, well done. MacArthur waded ashore onto the Philippine island of Leyte...."I have returned" MacArthur opened up the US stores to feed Japanese civilians and prevent starvation, even after all the atrocities they had committed. Then he oversaw the democratisation of japan, insisting that women be represented in parliament. God bless the USA, civilising the globe.
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  1564. Xi Jinping lectures the world on democracy. Having slaughtered 10,000 Chinese civilians in Tiananmen Square.
    8
  1565. Nuclear weapons are the thing to have, never mind if people can't afford to live. The Ayatollah needs nukes. The fanatical old fakir is looking forward to Armageddon when the 12th Imam will appear, and nuclear weapons will certainly hurry that great moment along.
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  1566. Kaliningrad : Europe can never be secure with that place in Russian hands.
    8
  1567. Oppression and Police brutality in Hong Kong is at the behest of China. China is 100% behind oppression everywhere its influence is felt. Oppression & corruption are the hallmarks of illegitimacy that define the CCP.
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  1568. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
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  1569. Seems like Pakistan is funding and supplying the Taliban.
    8
  1570. Putin's "Rape Joke" about Ukraine :- President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. "Tough it out, beautiful" about Ukraine's alleged reluctance to comply " 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' They must be fulfilled. It won't work otherwise." Putin said of the comments :- ‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it’ The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ".
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  1571. In the Falklands one SAS chap stood on deck firing at Argentinian planes with a heavy machine gun. It's known as "putting the boot in and getting yourself some status"
    8
  1572.  @Saablito24  , it worked in Iran. Ayatollah Khomeini sent all opposition Iranians to his torture camps where he executed 7000 in his first year. They hanged them 6 at a time off fork-lift truck pallets (read "The Executioners Deserve medals) And look at Iran toady : a very successful fascist theocracy.
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  1573. Over centuries all nations develop a culture. It is not wrong to judge nations based on their culture - the Greeks and Italians are corrupt. The French had a string of corrupt politicians, who had also been Nazi collaborators (Vichy) The Germans had many postwar politicians marred by their fascists association. Nations have to be accountable for their cultures.
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  1574. Two more points :- a) the Kurds a very battle hardened b) the Turkish army morale is suspect : every officer will know someone imprisoned by Erdogan. It doesn't auger well.
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  1575. Was that music actually playing ? The world has known for centuries that the yanks have no class, why would the President conform to such a damaging stereotype ?
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  1576. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
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  1577. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  1578. Maduro the murderer.
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  1579. Ukraine war Modi refuses to condemn Russia. Bible : Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold.” The Hindu proverb must be "I'm alright Jack"
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  1580. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The German ambassador responded with exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration.
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  1581. The Spanish king was a good friend of General Franco (the last fascist dictator in Europe), The Spanish royals have always been close to fascism. (Like the Pope)
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  1582. China has a priority list for its administrators. Do you know what tops the list ? a) NO CIVIL UNREST. It's not economic growth. It's not party loyalty : you can actually get away with modest criticism. But civil unrest is a warning klaxon. The party bosses really fret when they see a million on the streets.
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  1583. Oct 7th video shows abducted hostages being held captive in hospitals Hamas uses hospitals as a safe-zone UNRWA offices had Hamas command centres below ground The evidence is overwhelming , nobody denies it !
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  1584. Turkey is in recession (2 negative growth quarters) Turkey wants cash from the EU Syria wants cash Turkey is all charm when they need cash - then they force migrants into the EU
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  1585. The Taliban are the definition of barbarians. Pakistan fully support and supply the Taliban.
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  1586. A very historic moment . Conducted in a civilised statesman-like way : a marked contrast to Rajoy/Madrid who see violence as the solution to all problems. Rajoy is like Mr Punch : any problem can be solved with brutal force.
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  1587. Trump calls it right again. The neo-liberal EU are simply silent on WHO failings.
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  1588. a) Carlos Menem was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for embezzlement. b) Under the Carlos Menem administration in Argentina between 1989 and 1995. ... opened windows of opportunities for corrupt behaviour and collusive practices. c) Carlos Menem before hearing of his ... trial on a range of charges including obstruction of justice and corruption. Just Google his name - it reads like a gangster's rap sheet.
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  1589. Ursula von der Leyden has been a rock. While Scholz was hiding behind his sofa, Ursula gathered European support and presented the Kremlin with a united front against its barbaric invasion.
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  1590. WRONG You mean - "Leaving it in occupation of JORDANIAN land" After 1948 war Jordan annexed the West Bank The Palestinians there had Jordanian passports DW always gets history wrong !
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  1591. STOP : this is "humiliating for Russia" Macron will have to send his sympathy to Putin.
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  1592. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
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  1593. What % of Al-Jazeera viewers believe in witchcraft ? I'd say 67% because they are mostly middle eastern , irrational , religious morons. ( With the exception of Mehdi Hasan who we've great respect for)
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  1594. Neither is Tibet. Tibet is occupied by China.
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  1595. 1:40 "Israel would cease from existing" There you have it : the deputy Prime Minister of Iran threatening to exterminate Israel (again). Yet they always deny saying it !
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  1596. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
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  1597. Wow this Kazakh guy is a good swimmer : he's up to his chin in bull$hit stories and still talking palpable lies.
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  1598. Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942 That must hurt. Utter humiliation. Ukraine's counter-offensive was a match for any in history. A magnificent victory.
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  1599. Erdogan : " Our staff were martyred". He talks like an Islamofascist.
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  1600. Karl Marx : he described the Russians as "The Immobile Mongol". It was very insightful : from the barbarity of Ivan the Terrible to Stalin, the Asiatic Autocracy (evinced again in Putin) is what divides Russians from Europeans.
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  1601. But what Assange did was lazy. He dumped 2.5Gb of info into the lap of Russia, China and every anti-democratic, anti-human-rights country in the world. It included information about human rights protestors and informants. They all went down the pan. Just so lazy Assange can claim the credit for a scoop. Jimmy is right about war-crimes but the 2.5Gb should have been filtered to find crimes. Assange was too lazy. Too lazy and too egotistical to hand it to someone else to filter.
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  1602. Priscilla, it was embarrassing. When Nikki read the riot act I cringed. You can measure a nation by how it treats lesser countries and the USA came across as bullying, juvenile and crass.
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  1603. ​ @youtubevanced1048  You are equating two regimes with civilized countries :- a) Saddam and his psycho sons. They committed crimes I cannot mention on a forum, they are so disgusting. The atrocities and tortures are beyond words. And you think Saddam's Iraq was just a normal country. b) Taliban Afghanistan. They don't play sports, but used football stadiums for weekly torture sessions. Innocent folk would be hanged, women would be stoned. And you regard Taliban Afghanistan as just another normal country. I think you should go and get your moral compass fixed.
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  1604. You never hear Chomsky speak about the PLO massacre of Christians at Damour. The PLO massacred 529 civilians at Damour and the attack on Sabra and Shatila was in response to the PLO massacre. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damour_massacre
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  1605. This is all so disappointing. It reminds me of a lady in Zimbabwe who had just voted for Mugabe even though inflation was 2000% "He has the experience", she explained. There is no discernment. Why choose representatives like OJ Simpson, Bill Cosby and reverend Al Sharpton ? If folk are no good at least acknowledge they are no good. Why canonise them ?
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  1606. Rights ? a) You have the right to be falsely accused of blasphemy. b) A lynch mob will gather (oh no I'm thinking of India) c) You have the right to be fleeced by the Courts (also applies to India) d) You have the right to pay no tax (only applies to Army chiefs and politicians).
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  1607. Poor Italy it is turning into a wreck of a country.
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  1608. Well done India. You don't need mother Russia. Show some self-respect and develop your own arms industry.
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  1609. Agriculture : "The vehicle parts were stolen instantly" LOL
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  1610. Natasha, you are silly. What on Earth possessed you to write such rubbish ?
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  1611. A good reminder. Also, India provided the largest volunteer army in history for WW2
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  1612. Erdoğan's son becomes a multi-millionaire - but there are no planes to fight fires. Go figure.
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  1613. Macron is a marvellous host. He has huge faults, but his etiquette and hospitality, his cordiality and charm are without parallel.
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  1614.  @adelking66  "Expulsion of the Moriscos" 1609. Cervantes said, "Even the Spanish military, who were inured to violence, felt pity for the families being forced into exile" The Moriscos were provoked into rebellion by Bernardo Rojas Inquisitor General. It was such a disaster for the Spanish economy that Madrid contemplated bringing them back LOL You have to laugh at the stupidity of Madrid. They had all died of hunger, been forced into slavery in North Africa, or resettled throughout Europe & Byzantium.
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  1615. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  1616. Well done France. Macron's message to the others " pas de recul " (no backsliding) General Petraeus has called for thousands of loitering drones to be sent. He briefly described them hanging around for 30mins before striking : they sound like just the ticket. Well done USA
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  1617. The Palestinian leadership has been a disgrace for 70yrs. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. Arafat was sending $1 million per month to his wife in Paris.
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  1618. Compare Russia v Israel military :- a) Russia has a peasant army - poorly trained, poorly fed, poorly equipped b) Israel has a high-tech professional army - highly trained, well equipped and valued. What does India want ? What has India got at the moment ? Well, it has a peasant army - a large number of personnel, with a pension and health insurance. India's army is more like a welfare system to provide employment. Just like India's railway.
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  1619. Ha ha ha India is now on a sticky wicket. Having backed Russia, the West will now enjoy watching India squirm.
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  1620. Greens : stronger against the Russian invasion. Good news. Modi is still looking for his moral compass.
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  1621.  @vmm5163  I'm sure those stilts are reinforced, but they still look spindly. Considering the weight of the building and the swampy substrate.
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  1622. UNRWA worker jokes and laughs about capturing a Jewish sex slave He is a Palestinian UNRWA worker teaching in an elementary school It is quite sickening
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  1623. "On the verge of financial collapse" It has already collapsed. Hezbollah, the Ayatollah, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp.....they are responsible for most instability in the Middle East.
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  1624. 15:25 "Ottoman general Mustaf Kemal" (Ataturk) He had actually resigned his commission. (He had been outlawed by the Sultan) It was a brave move, and he wondered whether the troops would continue to obey him in civilian clothes. 1920 16 march occupation of Constantinople by allies 11 may Kemal condemned to death by sultan's government 22 June Greek army advances into Anatolia 1921 6-10 Jan Greek advance checked at battle of Ionunu P.S. this is not a criticism, just additional info. This series is a fantastic overview of the Great War
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  1625. Nice strike. I hope that smoke blows back to Russia, carrying the stench of defeat.
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  1626. Well said. The Argentinian dictatorship was a cowardly sadistic stain on humanity. Britain freed the Argentinian people. And if necessary, we are prepared to do it again.
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  1627. Chickens coming home to roost ?
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  1628. Gove has to go too.
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  1629. Russia is supporting Lukashenko's crack-down. The Axis of Evil (Russia, China, North Korea, Iran etc) are happy to support dictatorship. The Kremlin Mafia support violence, corruption and dictatorship. Russia has always been a force for repression in Europe.
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  1630. "safety of Indians top priority" Shame on India for declaring neutrality. Future generations will look back with shame on Modi's timidity.
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  1631. he he he......Turkey is a $hithole country for sure.
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  1632. Facts :- a) Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history, is that North America speaks English". It is the basis for AUKUS b) India needs a strong Russia as an ally against China : ipso facto, India wants Russia to succeed in Ukraine c) Turkey wants a weak Russia, vis-a-vis the Black Sea d) China is easily blockaded and has no oil : it is a geographical weakness. e) Likewise, by geographical fact, India's strategy is opposed to the West. India is an insignificant player against China - AUKUS simply doesn't need India. Conclusion : India is on Russia's side. This make take ages to dawn on western politicians, but eventually India will be marginalised.
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  1633. I don't know anything about Libya. But I'll grudgingly say this : Turkey have a professional army, whereas North African countries are a shambles. Once Turkish soldiers move in it was inevitable it would be a game-changer.
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  1634. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1635. Dershowitz talks nonsense. Comey said, "She mishandled intelligence without intent". But that makes no difference. If a corporal in the Marines does it they go to jail. You don't need intent. And in any case there was intent when she set up the private server. The whole point of that was to avoid scrutiny. Hillary put her own safety (from scrutiny) before national security and she did it "intentionally". So many people have wilfully got it wrong over this : don't forget Dershowitz is part of the same milieu as the Clintons he rubs shoulders with all the elite down at Matrha's Vineyard.
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  1636. "Kurdish land" what about all the land of the Kurds ? Why don't millions of Kurds have a state ? Kurds attended Versailles 1919 but left empty handed Palestinians did NOT attend Why ? Because Palestinians didn't know what a state was - they were clans Families and villages : they had no state structure Only in 1988 did Palestine declare itself a state
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  1637. General Petraeus (USA) " The strategic advantage has shifted to the Ukrainians". For example : when Zelensky told Kherson residents to shelter because a huge offensive is starting, Putin had to divert 12k troops from the Donbas. Those troops are now isolated from supplies (bridges blown) : Ukraine are calling the shots.
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  1638. I define you as a totalitarian troll
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  1639. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
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  1640. Two words : well done.
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  1641. Ante, if they only got him on blowing up a bridge I would have thought 13yrs was sufficient.
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  1642. It was worth it. If it helps to catch a Kremlin killer then it is okay. Russia is a gangster state. Putin and the corrupt Kremlin thugs assassinate opponents all the time, throw journalists out of windows, arrest anti-corruption campaigners and have them tortured to death in prison.
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  1643. If the Egyptian government wasn't an utterly corrupt military-thug-ocracy. They would offer this chap a bursary to allow him to teach 2 days per week.
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  1644. 1:50 "Trump said he will keep troops in Iraq to keep an eye on Iran" He's the same ding-bat who was going to withdraw from Syria because Erdogan told him to. Trump is like a child : he knows nothing of geopolitics. The US will stay in Syria (sitting on the oil-fields) and stay in Iraq.
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  1645. Gordon, I agree but let's consider what he's achieved :- He's set this racket up off his own bat. Not like those CNN millionaires who just follow an editorial line and brown nose round the management. Look at millionaire Rachel Maddow she never has to get on a soap box for contributors. What Pakman has achieved deserves some recognition. If he wants to expand and add a new producer good luck to him.
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  1646. Axis of Evil : Russia, China, Iran , North Korea etc etc All anti-democratic, anti-human rights. All totally disgustingly corrupt
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  1647.  @ZahidKhan-g4t  I saw the sea-front apartments in Gaza They were magnificent, with giant flat screen TV One woman said, "We had a good life and now it's all ruined" Others owned land and property and said, "We've lost everything" Hamas hasn't lost anything - Qatar pays their wages (and UNRWA)
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  1648. Petro-bras say it's not theirs. "Well they would say that wouldn't they".
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  1649. There are two great ironies here :- a) The EU is essentially a pacifist organisation : it was established to keep the peace in Europe. Soft power is the weapon of the Eu - comfortable living, security and justice, opportunities. Those are the weapons of the EU b) The EU CAUSED the crisis in Ukraine, simply by being so peaceful and attractive. Belarus would like to join, Ukraine would like to join, Georgia would like to join. Even Russia would like to join. That said, the fact is the EU are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants. If it comes to fighting Russia, don't look to Europe.
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  1650. 2 out of the 3 top comments contain "LOL" What does that tell you ?
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  1651. EU - accept our values and rules or be crushed. Anyone that voices opposition is labelled an extremist, ostracised and de-funded.
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  1652. Taliban are the criminals. The Taliban are the ones who shoot schoolgirls in the head for attending school The Taliban savages wouldn't hesitate to commit the most horrendous crimes against children.
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  1653. Good news for Africa. Especially after the bad news that S Africa's corrupt ANC politicians had forced a bank to close because they'd stolen all its assets.
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  1654. The EU economic crisis was top of the agenda. Now it's the EU corona Economic crisis plus the economic crisis (still unresolved from 2008)
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  1655. C.C.P. = no.1 liars
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  1656. Russia never experienced the Enlightenment. They had no Reformation (The Orthodox Church is still medieval, headed by KGB informer Patriarch Kiril in his Rolex watch. He informed on his parishioners and fellow clergy). Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  1657. @roguemale TheOne&Only , with all due respect, I think you're wrong. African's vote for their party regardless of corruption ,incompetence or criminal political violence. They will always vote ANC or ZANU. That's why nothing changes.
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  1658. "The ball is in your court," says Hezbollah. It is amazing what role machismo plays in the Middle East :- During the 6-Day war, Nasser (Egypt) told Jordan he had destroyed Israel's airforce. Exactly the opposite had occurred, but machismo forced Nasser to lie.
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  1659. WOW, the bias of DW, doing their best to whitewash the SPD candidate. They are worse than Putin's RT.
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  1660. Rich, all Saudi are cowards : have you seen their military : it takes 15 Special forces to kill a 60yr old unarmed man. Against the peasant Houthi the Saudi don't stand a chance, even with $3 trillion of 21st Century weapons. The Saudi is bone idle, lazy,indolent, ignorant, arrogant, bigoted cowardly and cruel.
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  1661. If only Yasser Arafat were still here : he'd string everyone along and try to squeeze an advantage for himself, to add to the $3 billion he stole from the Palestinian people.
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  1662. Why bother investigating : it will be covered up with a pack of lies. The Kremlin is a sick-house. They asked school children to inform on their parents : one boy said his Dad listened to a foreign radio station , so Dad went to the Gulags for 10yrs. What sort of sick society does that ?
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  1663. You hope. Russia is finished - Putin is holding a busted flush.
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  1664. Erdogan : what do you expect from a rabid Islamofascist.
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  1665. Ray, LOL you half-witted numbskull.
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  1666. Magnificent.
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  1667. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  1668. Ha ha ha, have you heard how they stole the gold coin ? Climbed through an unsecured, unalarmed 3rd floor window using ladders, then used a wheelbarrow and skateboard to roll it away. What is it with German security. Imagine have £3.5 million gold coin and only alarming the ground floor.
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  1669. The sooner Gerry Adams and all the religious bigots pop their clogs the better.
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  1670.  @giuseppeanoardi3973  I applaud Germany - especially Boris Pistorious. My point was with the chap who said, "Europe was there from Day 1"
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  1671. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  1672. How effective are part-time troops ? Well look at Bunker Hill (1775) The Americans were "the worst soldiers in the Universe", the Massachusetts Assembly had to apologise for how bad they were. And yet firing from barricades, in a defensive position, they inflicted crippling casualties on the British. Leaving them with a pyrrhic victory and a depleted army incapable of further action.
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  1673.  @joelc9439  The Shah was autocratic but had a token parliament, and there was always hope. The Ayatollah is a fanatical savage. The people are oppressed with no hope.
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  1674. 3:00 "Impossible to buy medicine" that is a lie : there are provisions in the sanctions for that. The Ayatollah is using the Iranian people's suffering to lift sanctions so he can fund Hezbollah terror.
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  1675. 5:05 Well done Ian Blackford. It takes a damned Jacobite to show due courtesy and fraternity to the best Post-War speaker bar none.
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  1676. "Isn't the issue boiling down to...." The Ayatollah's fascist theocracy and sponsorship of anti-democratic thugs like Hezbollah ?
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  1677. 1:50 "Trader and Hezbollah supporter" LOL, obviously if you live in South Beirut you will say you support Hezbollah. Hezbollah are savages and know how to deal with opposition. Traders would be idiotic to oppose Hezbollah thugs.
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  1678. 4:00 "Delicate demographic balance" : no mention of Black September. When a heavily armed PLO tried to stage a coup d'etat and take over Jordan. Funny they missed that but then this is a propaganda station. Best sweep any unpalatable history under the carpet.
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  1679. Macron is always where the fighting ISN'T "Countries must not gang up on China" said Macron, "We must not humiliate Russia". AUKUS is a fighting alliance : that's why France isn't part of it.
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  1680. Cod & chips.........that just about sums up the British palate. Why can't we be more like the French & Italians. On the other hand it could be that no nonsense eating gave us the industrial revolution and the greatest trading empire the world has ever known.
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  1681. Does this constitute "humiliating Russia". Macron must phone Putin - to "monitor his mental health". Gen Keane said, "The US is sharing exquisite intelligence with Ukraine ; there isn't a unit moves that we don't know about". Thank God for the USA
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  1682. 1:17 baldy's smile : is that the correct response. He looks like a bit of a jackass.
    8
  1683. The Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1922 The Jews elected an Administrative Council (to shadow the British governors) The Palestinians had the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (appointed by the British) The Mufti looked to Damascus as the Palestinian capital : the Palestinian farmers had no notion of what a state was : for centuries they had been told "The Sultan is our Lord on Earth" There was no such thing as land ownership (until Europe forced the Tanzimat reforms) all land was owned by the Sultan. Palestinian woes, and the failure of the Arab Spring, are the legacy of the Caliphate.
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  1684. The day religion was invented was the saddest day in human evolution.
    8
  1685. Consequences for Russia :- The Russian army is fighting to slow down defeat That is a hard sell Who wants to die "To slow down defeat" ? I think we are watching Russia on the brink of collapse Kherson was supposed to be "a fighting retreat" : it became a race to flee
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  1686. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
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  1687. That comedian has had a dalliance with China, and come running back to the Yanks. Thank God someone is defending Western Civilization.
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  1688. Boris : "Germany wanted a quick defeat for Ukraine" Germany blocked :- a) RAF flights b) 3rd party transfers (Estonia howitzers) c) direct sales Germany sent Ukraine 5000 tin-hats
    8
  1689. "2nd Referendum , how likely ?" Well I'd like one but it will NEVER happen. Have you missed what Farage just did ? He got more votes than the Tories and Labour combined. (Perhaps you missed that earthquake) . Put your mortgage on it : no 2nd referendum.
    8
  1690. I'll recommend some books for you :- Postwar : Tony Judt Concise history of Germany : A J P Taylor Age of Expansion : Hugh Trevor -Roper Eminent Victorians : Lytton Strachey
    8
  1691. 1:20 A marvellous declaration of British resolve. (One wonders what Jeremy Corbyn would've said : probably whatever the Kremlin told him to say)
    8
  1692. "Kurdish land" what about all the land of the Kurds ? Why don't millions of Kurds have a state ? Kurds attended Versailles 1919 but left empty handed Palestinians did NOT attend Why ? Because Palestinians didn't know what a state was - they were clans Families and villages : they had no state structure Only in 1988 did Palestine declare itself a state
    8
  1693. MBS is a cuckoo in the nest : I like him. He's like a Westerner : he goes to Mosque as a social thing (like secular Christians go to church) he doesn't actually believe that medieval nonsense. In 100yrs historians will look back at MBS as the person who brought the whole Middle East out of medieval ignorance.
    8
  1694. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    8
  1695. Timeline (2022) 12 Oct NATO defence ministers (discuss nuclear response to Russia) 12 Oct Macron declares nuclear neutrality on TV 19 Oct Ben Wallace MoD in Washington (nuclear response to Russia signed-off) 22 Oct Shoigu speaks to Lloyd Austin 23 Oct Shoigu speaks to France, Turkey and Britain What does it mean ? Moscow is desperate to wrap this up : hand back Donbas and keep Crimea ? Silence
    8
  1696. But he is a dictator. He has imprisoned 240 journalists. " List of arrested journalists in Turkey: A new updated and searchable list of jailed journalists is compiled by Stockholm Center for Freedom which stated that 214 journalists were jailed, 22 convicted, 4 detained and 103 wanted as of May 12,
    8
  1697. Oh dear what a terrible report. Other than a few names there was no information. Try to include :- a) What is the cultural/religious/ethnic background of the Tripoli and Benghazi factions. b) who is backing who and where is the money coming from ? c) What are the values/attitudes/temperaments of each faction. (eg are they Islamist, Totalitarian or corrupt-faux-democratic ) Also include a map, it doesn't cost 'owt.
    8
  1698. Macron : "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Macron : "France will be neutral if Russia goes nuclear" Shameless France, backstabbing NATO : Jens Stoltenberg "France has revealed their hand"
    8
  1699. Something strange about this guy ? I thought his whole story was odd : who has kids while in captivity ? You shouldn't judge a book by its cover .....but I had him pegged the moment I clapped eyes on him.
    8
  1700. Still China & Russia veto any UN condemnation. How many people have to be slaughtered before the Axis of Evil remove their veto ?
    8
  1701. 2:15 "My feelings now : optimistic" And almost a smile. One has the feeling he doesn't smile often.
    8
  1702. A 2nd term ...... are you kidd'n mi.
    8
  1703.  @AsadAli-jc5tg  That's true. But my point is this :- When fighting Soviet Russia, the Mujahedin had huge warehouses full of supplies (from the yanks) in Pakistan. Hundreds of tons. Now the Taliban don't have that. They have a secret supply dump, but it is very difficult to replenish. That means the taliban are using their war-chest (supplies) in one big push, in the hope that momentum carries them to victory. But if the Afghan army hold them off, then the Taliban supplies have dwindled and a counter-offensive can begin.
    8
  1704. Jean Michel Lacombe :- he is a product of French culture, he believes in capitulation. The French have no shame.
    8
  1705. In April 1849 Hungarians surrendered to Russian troops, and were incorporated back into the Austrian Empire. What were Russians doing fighting for the Habsburgs ? Good question. Russia have always believed they had a right to be consulted and to dictate Europeans affairs. They invaded Hungary again in 1956 They invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 Russians are feared and hated by all their neighbours.
    8
  1706. The Ayatollah believes in the 12th Imam, who will reappear when Armageddon begins. That's why they want nuclear weapons. Armageddon for the Ayatollah is a good thing.
    8
  1707. Russians historically can never be trusted. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia"
    8
  1708. "Dangerous for the peace process" That flat-lined decades ago It was on life support, but it was unplugged on Oct 7th
    8
  1709. Palestinian Prime Minister. Wow Who elected him ? That should be the first question. They cancelled democracy 15yrs ago. To focus on corruption. (Doing it not eradicating it).
    8
  1710. Welcome Finland. The British would be proud to fight alongside you. Having already stuffed the Russians in 1939. Finland should recover their lost territory.
    8
  1711. Ha ha ha "A counter-coup" , right first time. When the Ayatollah landed in Teran from his exile in Paris the media asked what he would do with the democrats in the parliament, He said, "I'll kick their teeth in". And he did just that : torturing, raping and murdering all his opponents. He was a very holy man.
    8
  1712. Very wise. To use a chess analogy. Biden is saying : "If we take a piece with the Queen, it will be WW3" Putin would like to say "If you take any of my pieces it will be WW3" But Biden has beaten Putin to the punch.
    8
  1713. The Orcs admire precision. Most conscripts have been kicked from pillar to post : nobody has ever shown an interest in them. For the first time they are being precisely attended to - they appreciate it.
    8
  1714. The thumbnail shows workers being breathalysed : using the same tester in the mouths of all the workers. The film crew tell the Chinese it is unhygienic, but the Chinese take no notice and carry on. An African manager attempts to justify the shambles.......I stopped watching.
    8
  1715. Well done Iran : it's a great strategy to win friends on the world stage. All the world wants to see a religious crackpot armed with nukes : who doesn't want that ? Remember the student protests in Tehran (1999) ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah (the Ayatollah's henchmen) . It's a great team , all they need is nuclear weapons.
    8
  1716. He he he, Macron is attacking liberty and press freedom. But then the Janus-faced little fellow is defending free-speech by standing up against Islamofascism. What can one deduce ? He is a two-faced opportunist ?
    8
  1717. Gosh, where does that leave the Palestinians ? They were doing so well - after 70yrs of corruption and stone throwing. I thought Yasser Arafat's 40yr dictatorship had really produced results. He'd managed to steal $3 billion of Gulf oil money from the people, and leave the Palestinian Authority as the despotic voice of the people. I can't believe it's all going wrong ! The PA and Hamas had cancelled democratic elections and settled down to a rocket launching stone throwing despotic future. They were sure winning world opinion. It is almost as if neighbouring countries now view Palestine as corrupt, anti-democratic losers, and have decided to jump ship and look to the future. I wonder whether Hamas and the PA will do something desperate - like hold an election.
    8
  1718. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares nuclear neutrality France always waves the white flag
    8
  1719. LOL of course he is corrupt, he wants to end the UN anti-graft commission.
    8
  1720. If any academic was even 1% uncertain about climate change they would never be employed on this project. The Liberal ideology that condemns Trump supporters as "collectivised haters" demands 100% adherence to every tenet of climate change ideology. That's why folk have no confidence in it. Take astronomy : there's lots of debate about everything (that's because there is no Liberal totalitarianism).
    8
  1721. History :- Argentina's problems didn't begin with the previous administration or Military Junta or Peronists. In Europe unaccountable spending was dealt with centuries ago : that was what the English Civil War was fought over (~1640) ; it brought down the Bourbons (1789). Latin America is the product of Spain (& slightly Portugal - not that there is any difference, and Portugal was part of Spain for the formative 1580-1640). The Spanish Cortes didn't demand accountability, it was a rubber stamp. Spanish noble fought tooth & nail for a place in the system : the court was where power and money was. This was transferred to Latin America : the money & power was in the establishment. Contrast North America - with its representative religions, elected town councils and elected government. The root of Latin American failure is :- a) the authoritarian, dictatorial Catholic Church, always opposed to democracy & Republicanism, always supporting the state power. b) militarism c) Aristocratic governance.
    8
  1722. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    8
  1723. "It is not a coup", says the military junta who have just seized power in a coup.
    7
  1724. If there were a giant scales of justice, this might be payback for the Bulgarian Horrors (1876) or the Armenian Genocide (1919) Or the Greek massacres (1913–1922)
    7
  1725. I like Pakman's startled inflection when he says, " a lot of people didn't know about". As if the myopic, parochial , amnesiac Yanks are well informed. If it's not happening in Texas or Washington and doesn't directly impact the U.S. why would they know about it ? Their indifference is only matched by their incomprehension and ignorance.
    7
  1726. Global South ....... Guatamala has withdrawn its ambassador from Moscow 10/10 Kenya condemns "colonial" Russia 10/10 India are supporting Russia with a nod and a wink ...... shame on India
    7
  1727. Remember when Trump did an impersonation of Bernie, after two feminists had taken the mic from him. Oh, it was hilarious. Trump dropped his shoulders and started trudging disconsolately off-stage. Even Bernie bros. were laughing (well I was).
    7
  1728. The "crackdown and arrests" of protestors in Iran. Police snipers on rooftops were killing protestors. Al Jazeera soon forgot about that small fact. They were too focused on besmirching the US.
    7
  1729. Russia's invasion is abhorrent. India's response is despicable.
    7
  1730. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. The Axis of Evil : China, Russia, North Korea Iran etc etc All corrupt dictatorships , anti-democratic, anti-human-rights.
    7
  1731. Shame on India Modi has no moral compass (opportunism is the only guide he knows)
    7
  1732. Palestine need democracy. Let's hope one day Fatah step back from imposing a one-party corrupt state on the Palestinian people. Let's hope Hamas step back from imposing brutal dictatorship. When Palestinians get a representative democratic leadership I'm sure PEACE will follow.
    7
  1733. I hope they are SAS trained. I know Putin would be spitting feathers if they were. Russian TV will claim that they actually are "SAS, in Ukrainian uniforms"
    7
  1734. Macron will make the right decision. He got it right over raising duty on diesel didn't he ......the fricking clown.
    7
  1735. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    7
  1736. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    7
  1737. South Africa is a one-party-state and an utter corrupt disgrace. Anyone that stands against the ANC is beaten or killed. There is no opposition because of ANC brutality. The ANC will never hand over power. Like ZANU-PF in Zimbabwe they will rule as dictators for generations. The ANC only removed Jacob Zuma because he was an electoral liability. Zuma had been corrupt all his life and the ANC were happy with it : only when his excesses were exposed to they move to replace him with another corrupt leader.
    7
  1738. "China doesn't harvest human organs any more ", says the CCP "China doesn't use tech companies to spy on the West " say the CCP Can we trust China ? Not on your life.
    7
  1739. "Kick out Hezbollah" That's what you meant to say.
    7
  1740. The Long View (What history will remember) a) A referendum was held despite brutal violence by Spanish Police (old ladies beaten, girls dragged by the hair, masked Police snatching ballots) b) Independence was declared Oct 2017 (This cannot be overstated , it ranks alongside Companys declaration in 1933) Here are Spanish fascists burning the Catalan flag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AycpYmCxYb4 This video is an historic record of Spain's brutality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=18s Many girls were sexually assaulted. This is some of the evidence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPISm5p8GD0 No Police have been charged and no investigations ordered. Spain's propaganda minister said "It is fake news".
    7
  1741. After the horrendous ordeal, when the sailors returned they were enlisted to fight in WW1. Poor fellows. Shackleton was special. One wonders what drove him. I suppose it is like De Lesseps :he built the Suez Canal for France (1869) then went to do the same in Panama (1880). His son said,( I'm paraphrasing) "Don't do it. It was a miracle you managed to build Suez, isn't one miracle enough for any man" De Lesseps was no engineer, and was actually quite clueless. But he had a gift for promotion.
    7
  1742. When did Palestinians last have a fair election ? The answer lies in history. I wonder whether anyone knows.
    7
  1743.  Bilal Musakhan  , I haven't edited it and don't regret anything. I think if Iranians were given a free election they would get rid of the rabid Imams and become a modern democratic state. If you know anything about the history of Iran you will know they took democracy very seriously and were tragically betrayed by the US UK (and BP).  Mohammad Mosaddegh would turn in his grave if he saw Iran today.
    7
  1744. Why did the Iraqi army run away ? There were only 300 ISIL fighters in pick-up trucks. The answer is the Officer Corps. They were political appointees, family members and cronies, Iraq is built on corruption, and the officers simply ran away, leaving the (brave, maybe) soldiers leaderless. The best solution is to train the corporals and sergeants (NCO's) to take command when the fighting starts, because Iraqi officers have a yellow streak a mile wide.
    7
  1745. Why were the English in Ireland ? Because the Pope gave them the green light to civilize the country. Dublin had the biggest slave market in norther Europe. The clan chieftains had dozens of wives - many of them captured from the enemy, whom they fought with a genocidal brutality. There was no "King of Ireland", it was more like gangs of New York. Henry II abolished slavery and imposed Christian justice through a law code. (I've made an informative video if anyone would care to watch)
    7
  1746. Are you talking about Pocahontas ?
    7
  1747. Two state solution was offered in 1947 and 2000 (Camp David) and turned down on both occasions.
    7
  1748. 0:27 Yasser Arafat : what did he accomplish for the Palestinian people after 40yrs dictatorship ? He managed to steal $3 billion. His wife in Paris was being sent $1 million per month. It's like Africa where people keep voting for corrupt dictators. If the people can't see corruption and despotism what can the rest of the world do.
    7
  1749. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    7
  1750. Well done China. There are a million prisoners in Xinjiang prisons cheering this parade. The Falun Gong are cheering even as their organs are harvested. And the relatives of the 10k slaughtered in Tiananman Square are cheering loudest. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    7
  1751. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    7
  1752. "The authorities have been slow to act". You mean the Fascist Ayatollahs. This lake is a metaphor for Iran : the liberty of the people drained dry. Let's hope US sanctions brings down the fascist Ayatollah regime. Let the Iranian people vote for a democratic government.
    7
  1753. Macron "The EU shouldn't gang up on China with the US" Germany - send a warship to China (Bayern) and ask to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai, China tell them "Get lost". The EU are better off staying neutral. The EU windbags are a waste of time. No wonder Australia chose AUKUS
    7
  1754. Thank God for the USA Speaking of God, the Pope made a perceptive observation when he described Russia as "Infantile". Putin is like an ill-disciplined sadistic child. Boris said,"The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts", God bless the USA
    7
  1755. Historian Stephen Kotkin said "France has a fantasy that it is a diplomatic superpower" Why does it have that fantasy ? Because militarily it is a failure, Imperialistically it was humiliated, and diplomatically France was outmanoeuvred (the 1840 crisis, Fashoda 1898, Agadir 1911). So after WW1, the French role in the League of Nations was celebrated as a triumph. Likewise after WW2, the French role in the UN was celebrated as a triumph. This is why France believes itself to be a diplomatic superpower.
    7
  1756. I could say : "Anyone who says Abracadabra will go to heaven" It doesn't mean there is any truth to it.
    7
  1757. "De-escalation" Leave it to Hamas. Hamas know how to de-escalate things. After all Hamas have democratic legitimacy.
    7
  1758. Well done USA India would have sent their rust bucket INS Vikram, which would've probably broken down, and needed rescuing.
    7
  1759. You know why all these problems occurred ? They were rushing it out to compete with the new Airbus model. Anyway, good to see the Chairman is staying at the helm : you need a reassuring hand on the tiller in these choppy waters.
    7
  1760. What a nice opposition guy
    7
  1761. All Arab countries have different values to the civilised world. This is to be expected, until the Arabs change their culture and conform to human rights.
    7
  1762. Congratulations Ukraine on a magnificent, inspirational defence.
    7
  1763. Save yourself a few thousand Euros........the source was from when they all visited their families.
    7
  1764. Look at China coming to the rescue ! The propaganda show. They were the ones who began this cataclysm by ignoring and arresting doctors.
    7
  1765. Russia has fired 2560 missiles and has used up 20,000 artillery shells per day. "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD
    7
  1766. Over 70 years how successful have the Palestinian Authority been ? Well, you had 40yrs of dictatorship by Arafat during which he stole $3 billion. At one stage he was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month. Now to have Abbas, whose term expired long ago but has decided to forgo democracy. Hamas et al. encourage young people to throw stones and get killed. My question is this : is that a successful strategy ? Why not have fair election and elect maybe a woman leader. That would really get world attention n a positive way.
    7
  1767. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    7
  1768. I'll be back.
    7
  1769. The EU is reacting magnificently. Unlike the pusillanimous reputation they've acquired (deservedly) over the years. Hats off.
    7
  1770. 5:06 Frank Ledwidge. I always agree 100% with him. Why ? Because he simply tells it like it is. (Also, the Ukraine top brass echo the same position)
    7
  1771. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    7
  1772. But isn't single payer health-care communism ? Actually no it's common-sense-ism.
    7
  1773. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales One almost hopes Russia doesn't switch the gas back on. But one must look to unity, and the economic security of the Allies.
    7
  1774. Nobody said "Forced" Folk will be offered apartments - the first to go get the best choice Those that go last may be in a tent camp It will not be "forced"
    7
  1775. France is paying the price for appeasement. Trump has the correct policy for Iran. The EU and France haven't a clue.
    7
  1776. It's all over for you Bernie : you had your shot in 2016 and blew it when Hillary challenged you to name an incident where she had lacked integrity and like a big schmuck you just shrugged. Pack it in and look after yourself. Obviously you will be endorsing Warren.
    7
  1777.  @maxs.5112  That is weird. May I speculate why that is :- It is possible to have a good enlightened Monarch (Frederick the Great, Prussia) but it is not possible to have an enlightened theocrat. The theocrat will always be "wrong-headed", because all religions are wrong-headed. It is the nature of religion to be founded upon spurious assumptions of spirituality, salvation, and superstition.
    7
  1778. ​ @robertjanez7467  Russian TV said, "Either we lose or it is WW3" Russia knows it has lost : that is why Putin is threatening to go nuclear.
    7
  1779. Have Argentina prosecuted their military for all the deaths during the Junta years ?
    7
  1780. Please use the expression "Saudi led axis" Coalition is used for the good guys.
    7
  1781. A great pity Barzani (Kurdish leader) is as corrupt as Yaser Arafat and intends to become a lifelong dictator. Barzani has already murdered journalists who are critical of him.
    7
  1782. War in Ukraine: Who are Russia's allies? On 24 Feb : Germany & France (They both wanted a quick win for Russia)
    7
  1783. 1:20 "Gabriel Boric is sui generis" Sui generis = unique, in a class of its own.
    7
  1784. God riddance.
    7
  1785. I am from Britain : God bless the USA God bless Nancy (although I never really liked her) The cargo plane C17 : the Yanks are sending 20 per day. Thank God for the USA.
    7
  1786. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    7
  1787. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    7
  1788. Maradona always sided with the oppressed. (Unlike Pele who famously said he had no experience of and had never even heard of racism).
    7
  1789. Russian TV : "This is their Patriotic War. For Ukraine to give up territory is not only impossible, it is unconscionable"
    7
  1790. Lebanon should be governed as a UN protectorate. It is incapable of governing itself.
    7
  1791. Solzhenitsyn said, "There is no law in Russia".
    7
  1792. Democracy cannot be imposed. A country needs to have institutions (functioning), it needs to have a middle class (educated), it needs to have a history of "public opinion" and a free press (pamphlets & books in previous centuries). It takes 500yrs to develop democracy.
    7
  1793. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    7
  1794. Nicaragua and Venezuela : two $hithole countries.
    7
  1795. An incredible statement by Medvedev, implies Russia faces collapse :- " The destruction of the world's biggest country by area could lead to an unstable leadership in Moscow with a maximum number of nuclear weapons aimed at targets in the US and Europe" Dmitry Medvedev, deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council Medvedev is saying, the humiliation of Russia's military will collapse the Russian Federation, and fearful chaos will ensue.
    7
  1796. LOL, I saw Mehdi Hasan tackle an Indian politician. The Indian started asking Mehdi rapid questions about the structure of Indian politics : Mehdi answered each question like a flash then continued to grill the corrupt politician.
    7
  1797. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    7
  1798. A very honourable man. He shot himself for corruption : he's a martyr to the cause. Corrupt politicians around the world will be mourning this martyr. Who's paying for the funeral ? If it's the government then the minister should charge double and keep half for himself : it's what President Garcia would have wanted.
    7
  1799. Kamala Harris is a bigger crook than Hillary :- On that same trip Harris stayed in D.C.’s upscale St. Regis hotel, billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay, a nightly rate of $858.69.
    7
  1800. Israel did NOT annex territory The 1967 War was with Trans-Jordan & Co 1994 Peace with Jordan returned territory : so Jordan is happy The 1967 war was NOT against Palestine (it never existed) Peace was made with Egypt in 1979 Palestinians didn't declare a state till 1988
    7
  1801. Wow, the UN says it is "unacceptable" - that warning carries some weight (not)
    7
  1802. Macron is a financier , banker and con-man. He successfully conned his way into office and has been found out.
    7
  1803. She speaks English with a very nice accent. I especially like the way she pronounces 'endorsed'. 1:00
    7
  1804. Too little too late. In February Germany froze. RAF weapons flights had to fly around German airspace. Germany froze - it was sickening to watch. Any assistance given by Germany has been under duress. NATO has forced Germany into doing something.
    7
  1805.  @MrTreacletime  What is the fundamental difference between Russia and Europe ? Russia has never had a liberal middle-class. In Europe the middle-class were the source of all wealth and progress. In 1917 Russia transitioned from an aristocratic-patronage society into a fanatical totalitarian dystopia. Even today Russia has no liberal middle-class. (They are the ones leaving the country : "The report estimates as many as 200,000 IT specialists may leave the country by 2025" )
    7
  1806. Of course they want sanctions lifted : they want money and investment. The generals who organised the coup are now ministers and they need their slice of the cake. ZANU have replaced an old crook with a 'crocodile' and it's his turn to abuse power.
    7
  1807. You can't blame Putin for wanting to crow - before it all goes terminally wrong
    7
  1808.  @anubizz3  LOL "Friends in the region" China is hated by all its neighbours (and feared). China boasts that it has a larger population to survive a nuclear exchange with the US. Even if 800 million Chinese survive, China will be torn to pieces by its neighbours. Tibet will be independent, as will Xinjiang, Russia will take Manchuria, India will annex a chunk. Those 800 million will be left like 3rd world peasants. Nobody will donate a single dollar to rebuild China. The USA would have trillions of dollars spent by Europe and the rest of the world. It would be back on its feet in a generation.
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  1809. Hungary & Turkey are cultures from Russia/Asia They both hail from the Steppes. Ironically in 1919 Hungary asked to become part of the British Empire : I'm glad George V said "No" (and Lloyd George and Lord Balfour)
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  1810. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  1811. James, my hope and expectations is that Zimbabwe becomes the new S Africa. Yes, a one-party, utterly corrupt, economically ruined African nation. I think they can succeed and Mnangagwa is just the man to do it : he is an unprincipled swine whose thievery knows no limits.
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  1812. Lukashenko is frightened of ending up like Nicolai Ceausescu
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  1813. Ebrahim Raisi's nickname was the "Butcher of Tehran" as a result of his mass murder and brutal torture of political dissidents.
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  1814. This course isn't science, it's pseudo-science. It's religious belief dressed in scientific garb.
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  1815. @Jay Dee Thanks for asking :- a) Only the captain and nephew had survival suits on, ex hypothesi they saved themselves. b) The one crew member said the net needed cutting to save the ship. c) The captain faced corporate manslaughter at best. The insurance wouldn't pay out if it was the captain's fault. d) I think the captain and nephew hoped all crew members would die, then they'd be paid by the insurance.
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  1816. He's gotta lotta pride.
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  1817. LOL 1 Million $ The IMF just handed $350 million in cash for Covid relief to Myanmar, which is now sitting on the desk of the generals. Even 1 Billion $ will not deter the corrupt generals.
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  1818. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1819. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. China exports corrupt totalitarianism. What would an African despot prefer : a transparent democracy or a deal with China giving him 24hr surveillance of his population ? Corrupt despots will always choose a deal with China. The biggest threat to the world is NOT climate change : it is China's totalitarianism.
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  1820. Me Davis, did you see the opinion poll that said 68% of people think Hillary is untrustworthy ? Well do you think that was fixed by the Russians ? Do you think those 68% all dashed out and voted for Hillary ? Do you think that given the choice between a crooked liar and a TV buffoon many people might opt for the buffoon ? Well then perhaps it wasn't Russia : perhaps Hillary was the most unpopular candidate in US history and she lost because she's a crooked liar.
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  1821. "Mansions in Miami" For example Boris Yeltsin's Foreign Minister for 7yrs (Andrei Kozyrev) he has a business in Miami, and is deeply critical of Putin's foreign policy.
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  1822. Buckingham Palace....workmen fire. Mary Rose...................workmen fire. Whenever you get builders in you should always get a draughtsman in first to produce drawings for the replacement of the whole lot.
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  1823. Oooh, this looks ominous
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  1824. A Saudi Prince couldn't walk down the street in a Muslim city anywhere on Earth without being beaten. The whole world hates the Saudis. Saudis are shown respect and deference because of their wealth.....but everyone hates them. Trump went their for a billion $ arms deal. If it suited the U.S. they would sell the Saudis down the river tomorrow.
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  1825. "What does China's naval expansion mean for its neighbours ?" It means it can ram and sink Vietnamese fishing boats. It already has done. All China's neighbours hate China.
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  1826. Gosh I never thought I'd hear TYT talking bull$hit. "He wrote a note saying it was for training services". LOL TYT are taking the cover-up line.
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  1827. Tourists : they are literally $hitting in the lake. What do you expect from here-today-gone-tomorrow tourists : they are the curse of the environment. If you are a tourist you should be ashamed of yourself. Why not stay in your own pig-sty and watch a documentary about the unspoiled wilderness ?
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  1828. He never actually says "nuclear" which is telling
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  1829. It is sickening to see Hamas forcing hostages to thank them
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  1830. Economic pressure is better than military pressure. It's what the Yanks do every day. However, China is a giant debt driven Ponzi scheme so I can't see the strategy working.
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  1831. 3:20 "The bodies lined up on the ground" Modi must be squirming in his seat : Putin is his best friend, his most loyal ally. Maybe India will protest - against Ursula, not against Putin. Dead bodies don't faze India, atrocities by Russia don't disturb Indian sensibilities, they will complain about Ursula's manners. "Don't bully India" is their childish refrain.
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  1832. Trump is such a baby.
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  1833. No no no, it has always been like this and worse. Certainly historically it has been worse : only 40yrs ago members were being punched in the kidneys (by Tories) as they divided for a vote.
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  1834. What will the history books say :- That when war started France and Germany froze - like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Germany forced British planes to fly around its airspace. Macron cried, "We must not humiliate Russia" It is France & Germany that were humiliated.
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  1835. No mention of the $14 billion. Why make that the title when you never mention it ?
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  1836. Damian, you are quite right. The Islamofascist Ayatollah care nothing for the people of Iran. The Revolutionary Guard are utterly corrupt taking 18% of Iran's GDP.
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  1837. The gigantic mistake was not killing Erdogan. All other objectives were secondary compared to that. When it all went pear shaped the fighter jets should've shot down his plane. They were going to get life anyway, and that might well have made the coup a success. Of course the pilot would have got life (he'd have had to take that one for the team)
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  1838. LOL France is backtracking at speed : "Macron was saying we mustn't say 'annihilate Russia'", that is simply false : macron said 'we mustn't humiliate Russia', he also suggestion territorial concessions were essential for peace. France is trying to rewrite history (and not for the first time). Read French school history books just after WW2, and try and detect a connection with reality.
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  1839. How marvellous. It makes one so proud. I'm reminded of 1864, when half a million Londoners turned out to welcome Garibaldi. The British have always supported oppressed people. Who can forget Navarino (1827) when the Sultan's fleet was sunk : The Ottomans had committed terrible massacres of Greeks.
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  1840. Russia & China reject a UN resolution condemning the coup. The Axis of Evil. No surprises there. The Axis of Evil oppose democracy everywhere, and they support despotism.
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  1841. Family : China the wealthy uncle and Greece the impoverished nephew getting 1% of the revenue from its own port. LOL
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  1842. Maduro is not wholly to blame. Chavez left an economic time-bomb. Either way, for a notion with the largest oil reserves on Earth it's an effing scandal . Maduro and the corrupt generals are killing this country.
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  1843. Let's all keep our fingers crossed. Obama handed Iran the deal of the century - Hezbollah were laughing all the way to the bank. Let us pray that dementia ridden Biden doesn't revisit the errors of Obama, enhancing the Ayatollah's brutal theocracy, and condemning Syria and Lebanon to the revitalized atrocities of Hezbollah, Amen.
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  1844.  @sarahschweinsteiger6369  , And Iranian police snipers shooting unarmed protestors ? Does your list atone for that. Ayatollah Khomeini using forklift trucks to hang 6 at a time : read "the executioners Deserve Medals" You've chosen a peculiarly grotesque bedfellow.
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  1845. Paedophile priests oppose abortion. The Vatican supports paedophile priests but opposes abortion. The Pope covers up child abuse......but apologises afterwards.
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  1846. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
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  1847. Thank God for the USA, without whom Europe would have been lost three times over. God bless Ukraine. And best wishes for these heroes to have a fulfilling future.
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  1848. Iranian fascists. Theocracy is always intolerant and authoritarian. The people don't want the fakirs ruling over them. Iranians want to become a modern democracy.
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  1849. Well done. The Ayatollah is only 3 months away from having nuclear weapons. The world is a safer place. Well done whoever the brave people were.
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  1850. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
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  1851. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1852. Well done Iran This will win Iran lots of friends. Everyone wants to see the rabid fanatics armed with nukes.
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  1853. Ursula is the strongest. I listened to macron and the other guy (Charles), who were both so-so. "Odious" is how Ursula described Russia's war ; then the move away from Russian gas. She has risen to the occasion and is a great war leader.
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  1854. The US spends $800 billion on defence. General Keane said, "We have the opportunity to crush Russia - the Ukrainians are doing the fighting, and we just need to supply them".
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  1855. China are using debt-book diplomacy which is worse than gunboat diplomacy : it lasts for generations.
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  1856.  @michaelellringer5600  The UN called it "An evil war" Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
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  1857. Authoritarianism, corruption, total surveillance and no independent judiciary : those are the gifts China brings.
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  1858. Every French president since WW2 was a corrupt collaborator. They all had mistresses and spent lots of money : there was an unwritten rule that the media didn't mention it. French politicians have always been as corrupt as Italian politicians. It is just part of the landscape. Sarkozy's best defence would be to point to all his predecessors.
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  1859. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
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  1860. At 1.35 when he says the death spiral lasted 11 billion yrs I'm sure he means 11 million yrs. I've just done some research and one periodical said,"two neutron stars combined 130 million light-years away,". The death spiral lasted 11million years not Billion years.
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  1861. 2:00 LOL, the minister can't even stand up straight, he just leans on one elbow like a thug. Those drunken thugs invaded the British Falklands and tried to subject a democratic society to their fascist thuggery. NB I say "drunken" because the US Secretary of State (Alexander Haig) said they were sloshed when he spoke to them.
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  1862. The history behind Sheikh Jarrah All Ottoman land was owned by the Sultan. But when debts started to grow, the western powers encouraged economic & social reforms (Tanzimat ~1839) In Palestine, land was often registered by regional governors in their name or that of family members. The Mayor of Jerusalem sold a lot of land to Jews. ( Jews couldn't own land, but they could establish homeland companies which could buy land) That is how Jews came to own Sheikh Jarrah. The Palestinian families were forced out of their own homes and were settled in Sheikh Jarrah by the Jordanian authorities ( around 1950 ?)
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  1863. What does Ukraine gain by announcing the offensive ? a) it unsettles the Orcs b) Ukr is dictating events c) it is almost certainly a feint d) it boosts morale e) it grabs world attention f) ir reminds Russia how badly it is losing
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  1864. Axis of Evil : Russia, China, North Korea , Iran etc etc A vision of the future : a jackboot stamping on a human face. That's the future the Axis of Evil have in mind.
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  1865. Sharia law :- One young girl had an affair with a married former Republican Guard. She was a serial problem delinquent - drinking, smoking flirting etc. The local Imams decided it would be best if she were hanged. But with remarkable humanity, they gave her a drink of sedative tea first. The Iranians take their moral cues from the Ayatollahs Khomeini was executing them six at a time off fork lift trucks - read "The Executioners deserve medals"
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  1866. It is different for the US. US debt is 105% of GDP. China's government debt is 41% of its GDP. But it is private/corporate debt in China which has grown exponentially. The US has its problems but the situation in China is unprecedented : China's economy has to collapse, it defies financial gravity.
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  1867. Taliban : Let's get back to shooting schoolgirls in the head.
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  1868. Russia has been defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942 That must hurt : utter humiliation. Ukraine's counter-offensive was a match for any in history. A magnificent victory.
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  1869. How about the world thanking Britain for spreading parliamentary democracy. How was Africa governed before Britain ? Well, the chief would have maybe 80 wives and as they got older he would pension them off and buy some teenager brides. When a prestigious visitor arrived, he would be offered a wife for hospitality. The British were horrified. The chief ruled through strength and violence. When the Zulus moved into Southern Africa, they took the cattle and women from the indigenous tribes and settled on the land. In India every treaty signed with a local ruler included a clause to return runaway slave girls. One ruler arranged an orgy to entertain the British governor and his wife. The British were horrified. Human rights, democracy, freedom of speech and education were all introduced by the British.
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  1870.  @petermorhead4160  One Russian noble wrote a book about the abuse of serf girls - he was exiled to Siberia. (Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow) Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  1871.  @moniqueengleman873  Very interesting observations. The travel writer Colin Thubron observed the same. He said the Russian people were lifeless. It is almost as if the Gulags and Stalin's internecine genocide has permanently stunted Russia's mental development.
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  1872.  @martinfaleroquintana1029  NATO strategy is doing great :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'. That policy is working.
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  1873. For authenticity, shouldn't someone be firing stingers at the chopper ? Shouldn't there be a drone raining down munitions or calling in a howitzer strike. In other words, isn't this too much like Anzio and not enough like all our tomorrows.
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  1874. 4:32 "Gandhi suggested passive resistance to Chiang Kai-shek " How would that work with Japan ? Gandhi studied law in Britain but obviously no history : the Japanese Shogunate was a sadistic nobility enslaving a 'subhuman' subsistent peasantry. Britain had given the world parliamentary liberal democracy, had a free press, and as the Young Ottoman Nedam Kemal said (1865) "The indomitable power of public opinion". That's why non-violence was a good strategy. The liberal British public were outraged. How could that possibly work against Japan ? Japan had no free press, they were devoted to the Emperor and beaten into submission by the army. Gandhi made a huge blunder in equating liberal Britain with totalitarian Japan.
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  1875. No fuel ? But there's a guy riding around on his chopper So there is some fuel Also the kids are cycling around unperturbed - Israel are obviously doing targeted strikes
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  1876. The Police invite journalists to a rendezvous hand them a document then arrest them for accepting it. It's the very definition of a $hithole country.
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  1877.  @achintyachaudhary14  "knows how not to increase his foes" But what about reassuring France's friends ? Australia was paying £34 billions for submarines, and wants to know France will be there with spare parts, even if China threatens France. Instead, Macron displays weakness, and nobody has even fired a shot. What will France do when the shooting starts, capitulate ? (again)
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  1878. All the great advances in history have been made through protest. John Ball the Peasant Rebellion 1381 : "When Adam delved and Eve span who was then the gentleman" The Reformation : John Wycliffe 1377, Luther 1517 Edward Coke (~1610) confronting James I with Henry de Bracton's book on Common Law. English Rebellion (1640) Glorious Revolution (1688) Bill of Rights (1689) Reform Act (1832) etc
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  1879. LOL I thought it said "Will global terrorism survive the pandemic" I was going to say : "Ask Hezbollah".
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  1880. The Scotsman " more than 700 rockets that Hamas has fired towards Israel but fell short and exploded in Gaza, injuring and killing Palestinians.
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  1881. "Financial gravity" was the term used to describe the fate of China's bubble.
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  1882. LOL they voted Managagwe into office and now look. He has the army coup generals in his cabinet. He has previously murdered 10k and acquired the soubriquet "crocodile". Oh Africa when will you learn.
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  1883. Ursula von der Leyden said, "I saw the bodies lined up on the ground" Modi must be squirming in his seat : Putin is his best friend, his most loyal ally. Maybe India will protest - against Ursula, not against Putin. Dead bodies don't faze India, atrocities by Russia don't disturb Indian sensibilities, they will complain about Ursula's manners. "Don't bully India" is their childish refrain.
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  1884. A positive story from Africa. Imagine what could be done if half the corrupt lootings of the politicians was reinvested in the community start-ups.
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  1885. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. Read "The executioners deserve medals"
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  1886. A few observations :- a) 0:20 that isn't a fire engine, it's a truck for cleaning street lights, but at least he's first on the scene. b) those people could at least get out of the way. The truck has to slow down and blast his horn at them. They are transfixed. c) Where were the fire crew ?
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  1887. Several sources including Ukraine officials claim cruiser MOSKVA capsized and sank after developing heavy portside list. Rejoice !
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  1888. To those nations lacking a moral compass (India and Israel) The Bible says, Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold.” India has sold its good name for cheap oil and Russian arms. Based on the Hindu proverb "I'm alright Jack" I hope Israel doesn't besmirch its national honour.
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  1889. Trump I wonder what he's thinking. He said France had become a $hithole country.
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  1890. Good shooting - Vive la Ukraine.
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  1891. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
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  1892. The President can only be impeached if he removed the finance minister at the behest of the Germans & EU. That would constitute treason : an impeachable offence.
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  1893. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  1894. Evangelicals also oppose stem cell research but the Bible doesn't say anything about stem cell research so why oppose it on religious grounds. Jesus didn't mention stem cells or abortion the last time I looked. And in any case most of the Bible has to be interpreted allegorically now that it's been shown to be bullshit. So how can you know anything for sure when it becomes your interpretation of an allegory invented in the Bronze Age.
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  1895. Russia is beaten. If Ukraine doesn't liberate Crimea in this war, it will never get a better opportunity.
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  1896. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
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  1897. 0:09 " A small window of opportunity" Reminds me of what a historian said about Yasser Arafat : "He never missed the opportunity to miss an opportunity". Of course everyone hated and distrusted Arafat in equal measure : the Jordanians, Egyptians, Syrians and Americans. Ironically for the Israelis Arafat was such a terrible leader, obsessed with his own 40yr dictatorship and theft of $3 billion, that they could tolerate him, and point to him as the impediment to peace. Bill Clinton famously saying "Arafat can't be trusted" (Camp David 2000)
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  1898. Rejoice at that news. Rajoy is the butcher that sent in fascist police to beat up voters in Catalonia.
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  1899. Putin : "Terrorists must be liquidated". KGB man Putin still hasn't apologised for the 30 million Russians liquidated during Stalin's terror. It was the KGB which rounded up millions of innocent Russians and sent them to their death. Imagine the Russian people electing a KGB man to be President ?
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  1900. 1:20 wise words : the 2008 crises never ended and has now morphed into a Coronavirus crisis
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  1901. What about the indigenous tribes who were there before the Zulus ? Can they claim their land back and damages for the stolen cattle and raped daughters.
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  1902. Putin's "Rape Joke" about Ukraine :- President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. "Tough it out, beautiful" about Ukraine's alleged reluctance to comply " 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' They must be fulfilled. It won't work otherwise." Putin said of the comments :- ‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it’ The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ".
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  1903. The big picture : this is a battle between Western Civilization and Asiatic Autocracy. The Ukraine crisis and Taiwan are essentially the same. Asiatic Autocracy : China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and Islamism, in its many forms threatens the values of Western Civilization.
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  1904. Good Islam arrived as conquerors Now they are meeting resistance
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  1905.  @BlurredFiction  Mughal rule was finished by the British ~1750s and 1760s The Mughals became agents of the East India company 1850s British Raj : direct rule. Victoria Empress of India 1947 India independence Half a century later Hindus reassert their rights The timeline isn't not that bizarre, it's certainly not laughable
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  1906. Afghanistan was a sideshow, yet the Yanks staid 20yrs and spent $5 trillion. Ukraine is the Main Event : US support will last at least 20yrs, and they'll spend double.
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  1907. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
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  1908. It is lying that has done him in. The company wanted to forgive him, but he didn't come clean : he told them there were no more revelations (lied to them) and that is why he has gone.
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  1909. As an apprentice in the 1970s I wore Doc Martens until they fell apart, and they were wonderful. I bought a pair in around 2000, then sold them : they weren't how I remembered.
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  1910. In Luhansk at night, the BC warehouse of the Russians burns and detonates 0:16 What a magnificent image. It's like a painting of Dante's inferno.
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  1911. 1774 (correct me if I'm wrong) Russia given the Right of Intervention by the Turks. That's where the Serb - Russia connection dates from.
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  1912. Very informative video, very thought-provoking. Battle of Omdurman (1898) : the Mahdi's army were murdered on the battlefield. But General Kitchener also ended slavery in East Africa : how many lives did that save ? The Mahdi was more brutal than the Taliban ; one could then ask, did humanity benefit overall. The USA behaved savagely in the Philippines (1899) exterminating rebel villages (read soldier's letters) ; yet General MacArthur (1945) ordered that the army's supply depots be emptied to feed the Japanese, then established democracy, insisting women be represented in parliament. So was the US influence in the East ultimately beneficial ?
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  1913. Correct. I'm afraid journalism isn't one of France 24's strong points.
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  1914. It reminds me of the scene from "The Godfather" - where Al Pacino reports on what he witnessed in Cuba, and on the likelihood of a rebel success. The avoidance of the question indicates this is much closer than one would imagine.
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  1915. They won't need to. UAE jets won't fly if there is even a remote chance of being shot at.
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  1916. The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
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  1917. 1:30 look at those gestures. TB is one of the great politicians. Okay you may hate him for his venality, duplicity and mendacity but just listen to the way he delivers that common sense. "No deal is not the worry......the worry is we end up with a kind of botched Brexit. Which frankly is this deal". No wonder Theresa May has hit back (in a way that only draws attention to her own failures and TB's good sense). P.S. I hate TB , the damned liar, but you've got to admire him.
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  1918. "Businesses still have confidence in China". Then why has China imposed capital control (to sop wealth leaving the country) ? Why not allow the free movement of wealth ? Because Chinese business men are putting money in Europe and America as fast as they can.
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  1919.  @strawberryshortcake4342  Thanks for your well-informed reply. Even under the Bourbon Ancien Régime (Louis XV ~1750), Diderot produced his Encyclopedia. The Jesuits, with the king's permission, tried to destroy it, and do you know who hid it ? The Paris Chief of Police kept it safe in his office. The point being : that even under autocratic royalism the French were enlightened. That is what I mean when I say it takes 500yrs to create democracy. One first needs literacy, and education.
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  1920. There is no good news for Iran : the Ayatollah's plan :- a) enrich Uranium to force the EU to lift sanctions.................won't work b) cause chaos in the Gulf and hope something turns up.....good luck c) actually start a military conflict ...............it will take Iran 100yrs to recover d) do nothing and become an economic disaster
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  1921. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
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  1922. UNRWA worker jokes and laughs about capturing a Jewish sex slave He is a Palestinian UNRWA worker teaching in an elementary school It is quite sickening
    7
  1923. Facts :- a) Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history, is that North America speaks English". It is the basis for AUKUS b) India needs a strong Russia as an ally against China : ipso facto, India wants Russia to succeed in Ukraine c) Turkey wants a weak Russia, vis-a-vis the Black Sea d) Simply by geographical fact, India's strategy is opposed to the West. Also, India is an insignificant player against China - AUKUS simply doesn't need India. Conclusion : India is on Russia's side. This make take ages to dawn on western politicians, but eventually India will be marginalised.
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  1924. "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD A Pentagon spokesman said, "Even the USA couldn't fire 20k shells a day like the Russians are doing." Russia is throwing the kitchen sink at it. Russian strategy :- To secure Donbas, then declare the whole area part of Russia. Then to declare that any attack by NATO, or by Ukraine using NATO weapons will meet with a nuclear response.
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  1925. Who ? Trump or the successful honest businessman ?
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  1926. And if the leaders stopped giving companies to family and cronies who siphon off the wealth. Iran is utterly corrupt. If this grey beard with dyed hair thinks protests are small why not have a fair election ? He's a lying scumbag ,fascist Islamist.
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  1927. Well done India. By remaining silent whilst witnessing Russian atrocities, you have supported Russia, and will be rewarded with oil and gas. (Always trust India to do the selfish thing : Modi has no moral compass)
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  1928. Wrong : not a "massive explosion" it only overturned 3 cars Much smaller than an Israeli bomb Hospital blast :- Justin Bronk senior research fellow RUSI “If this is the extent of the damage then I’d say an airstrike looks less likely than a rocket failure causing an explosion and fuel fire,” Al Jazeera video shows a rocket rising from Gaza, exploding in midair & falling
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  1929. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
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  1930. With all due respect - the chap in the turban was on a roll He was combining many threads His chain of thought was hot And you interrupted him ....only to say, "We'll come back to that later" When someone is synopsising majestically, for goodness sake let them finish Other than that, a very informing video.
    7
  1931. Imran Khan : "The Taliban have broken the shackles of slavery" Pakistan supported the Taliban from Day 1
    7
  1932. How strange : head of the corrupt military arresting corrupt politicians. I think this smacks of a Chinese style anti-corruption drive : where you simply arrest your enemies then take over the graft for yourself.
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  1933. Al-Jazeera thanks for this video. It confirms my thesis that the people are to blame. When you see criminal warlords welcomed back to the Congo don't blame them , blame the people. When you see corrupt politicians cheered don't blame the corrupt politicians blame the people. It is the very definition of a $hithole country that the people in it have no standards.
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  1934. Quite a biased report from Aljazeera : they are usually more even-handed. They clear feel solidarity with an authoritarian state ; after all where would Qatar be if everyone had democracy.
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  1935. In Chechnya after Russian soldiers had gang raped and murdered a young girl, the Russian officers had a whip-round in the mess and paid for a really nice funeral. When the Met Police say, "This isn't what we're about" one almost imagines them having a whip-round in the canteen.
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  1936. Al-Jazeera went there and nobody dare speak to them : even government supporters daren't speak. It's a theocracy an Islamofascist state
    7
  1937. Where's the explanation ? It would look like this :- a) she is afraid of the military b) she supports the ethinic cleansing c) she doesn't know what is happening. Aljazeera gave no explanation they just had a bloke say she has no control over the military. We know that. So why the silence and where is the title's "Explained".
    7
  1938.  @unclescipio3136  Quite correct. There is 600,000 sq km near Vladivostok that China has disputed since 1860
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  1939. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  1940. Shame on India Turkey, Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass.
    7
  1941. Oct 7th :- the repercussion are still being felt
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  1942. Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran and was asked what he'd do with the secularists (socialists,labour leaders etc) who had just overthrown the Shah. He said, "I will kick their teeth in". The Ayatollah was a very holy man and true to his word he had them tortured and killed.
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  1943. The UN , what a fine institution. Many years ago it appointed Libya to chair the Human Rights council even though they were imprisoning, torturing and killing their own citizens. The African representatives are sexually assaulting their staff on a regular basis and the UN refuses to investigate. The representatives from Islamic countries have zero regard for equality or human rights. The vast majority are totally corrupt. Even the Secretary General enriches his family members .
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  1944. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Macron : "Countries shouldn't gang-up on China" France always has one eye on its own interests : contracts with Russia, China, Saudi, Iran etc France soon jettisons principles for prosperity, and has a gigantic chip on its shoulder. What about ? Where do you want me to start : Suez (Fashoda), AUKUS, the British Empire, Greenwich meridian, Aviation English, etc etc
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  1945. Also, it has to do with Catholicism. Catholicism is a religion of authority. People take no responsibility for themselves they turn to authority for answers. They don't question or interpret scripture or faith they look to the hard-man (Pope) who gives them the answers. Protestants are the opposite : they interpret scripture. They bond in groups and elect a parson. Protestantism lends itself to democracy where Catholicism favours authoritarian/monarchical/dictatorial rule.
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  1946. 1:00 the female activist assassinated (by Iran) It has all the hallmarks of Hezbollah. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating students with clubs and throwing them from windows ? That's Hezbollah. Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascist thugs.
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  1947. The WHO and UN abuse their power wherever they go. The staff naturally feel they are above the law.
    7
  1948. How does Russia treat its own civilians ? Well, Stalin killed 30 million with an internecine genocide. POWs returning from WW2 were tortured and sent to the Gulags (read Nobel winner Svetlana Alexiovich) When terrorists held theatre goers hostage, the Russian forces used a nerve agent then refused to tell doctors what they used so the innocent victims could be treated. When children were taken hostage, Russian forces attacked, leading to almost everyone being killed. Russian conscripts are beaten and tortured when forced into the military (many are killed) The list is endless, and that is the Russian state's treatment of its own civilians.
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  1949. They are quartz : you can tell by looking. Diamonds are very hard and will scratch metal and glass with ease. Get some carbon steel (a file or a drill, and start scratching : if it makes any impact at all, then you have some hope.
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  1950. Magnificent. It was too much to hope for a Ukrainian victory - and the dream is coming true. My theory :- Remember the tanks transporter hit by a missile whilst docked ? Well, the Whitehouse spokesman just said - Zelensky asked for coastal defence systems, and when Biden went to Brussels he asked our allies what they could supply, and the UK sent a coastal defence system, but I'm not going into details. I think the history books might reveal it was a British missile what took out the tank transporter. It is just my theory.
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  1951.  @lilacer6841  In 1905 Russia sent a fleet around the world - it was sunk as soon as it met the Japanese. Russia has always overestimated itself.
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  1952.  @jzk2020  , a million a month to live in Paris....and that was in the 1970s , it's good living by any standards. But it still doesn't add up to $3000,000,000 Imagine the colleges and business training - IT and support services. I'm afraid there's no future in stone-throwing, that's why the PA never take part they encourage young folk to martyr themselves. The PA could set an example of martyrdom by calling a democratic free election and jumping off the gravy-train.
    7
  1953. The pendulum has swung. In the early 20th century defence was king : in WW1 an entrenched position defended by machine guns was lethal to attack. No amount of artillery could clear all machine gunners. In the 21st century attack is king : drones and missiles, smart bombs and precision strikes are almost impossible to guard against. Even backwards Iran can strike Saudi oil refineries defended by Patriots. In Ukraine Russia will feel the full force as it breaks cover to attack. Expect massive casualties for Russian troops. That is why "Russia warns Turkey over drones sale to Ukraine" Putin knows the danger and will climb down.
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  1954. In the 1970s, after the price of oil skyrocketed, the Palestinians were given hundreds of millions of oil dollars. Yasser Arafat was sending his wife in Paris $1 million every month. That's when a million dollars was a jackpot to retire on. What happened to it all ? What have the Palestinians to show for the billions of dollars they have been handed ? No wonder the Gulf states have decided to tie the knot with Israel.
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  1955.  @miltongroppojunior146  "Define "total victory" please." Thank you for asking The liberation of Donbas and Crimea. Even China has called for that. China's Foreign minister said, "We recognise the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Donbas and Crimea"
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  1956. For anyone who hates the Saudis (and that's everyone) this is music to their ears.
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  1957.  @YeOldVisigoth  Good one. But seriously, the Taliban have obviously stored a great deal, but this is being rapidly used. Fresh supplies are needed, and the Yanks' satellites will be locating them and blowing them to kingdom come. The Taliban are playing their trump cards right now : if this big push fails, the Taliban fail.
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  1958. I'm liking the Indian guy less and less.
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  1959. Rubbish Who is shooting whom ? No info as usual from DW, a complete waste of time !
    7
  1960. What would Moses think ? How would he explain it to Yahweh. The good news is that Israel is 65% secular. The day humans invented religion was the saddest day in our evolution.
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  1961. This is almost poetic justice for the Tamil war-crimes. The Lankan people were happy to give the Rajapaksa free rein, so the family naturally exploited the situation. The Rajapaksa are rotten to the core - the Lankans knew it and didn't care.
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  1962. What a lovely accent. (Oh, is one allowed to say that nowadays ? Maybe I will be banned)
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  1963. "Russia and China block a referral to the ICC" The Axis of Evil.
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  1964. @Ole Ahlers Yes, but working class British people are donating money to help Ukrainian refugees, and they now feel like suckers.
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  1965. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
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  1966. Somali, Russia have always crushed democracy. 1848 Russian troops invaded Austria to crush the democratic forces. 1956 Russia crushed the Hungarian democratic uprising. 1956 Russia crushed Poland's democracy. 1968 Russia invades Czechoslovakia. Give one example of Russia supporting democracy ?
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  1967. Putin's speech was very poorly written. Unless it suffered in translation. But even then the topics, and message contradicted facts.
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  1968. The US should consider a "military operation" in Venezuela. Putin would advise them how to do it.
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  1969. It's the only card Iran have to play.
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  1970. Very well said. Very commanding and assured. She is a credit to civilized Europe, and a contrast to the Kremlin mafia thugs.
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  1971. Don't you mean "people are suffering in the world due to The Ais of Evil" ? Take Lebanon : the US are happy to help out but Hezbollah refuse to vacate the Finance Ministry. The EU and World Bank are also ready to bail out Lebanon. But you can't hand money over when Hezbollah refuse to move. It is the Axis of Evil that make people suffer. (China Russia Iran North Korea)
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  1972. "Identify the perpetrators" They are on the Pakistan payroll, so that won't be difficult.
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  1973. Merkel
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  1974. Well done Slovakia. Well done EU, USA Britain and all the allies. Shame on India : Modi is afraid of China and afraid of offending Russia. Poor old Modi - a frightened old man. Bible - "It is better to have a good name than riches and gold" Modi's Hindu proverb : I'm alright Jack.
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  1975. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
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  1976. Correct. I can't believe TYT have got their analysis so wrong.
    6
  1977. Spying and criticising Hamas (or Fatah) are the same thing : they both get you killed. Try attending a Fatah meeting and ask about corruption they'll beat you to a pulp or kill you. Try criticising Hamas and asking for a democratic election in Gaza : they'll kill you. Arafat stayed in power for 40yrs . He employed 2 techniques :- a) bribery, Arafat stole $3 billion and could bribe his rivals b) murder, Arafat would have critics killed.
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  1978. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    6
  1979. Mike, the Evangelicals aren't devastated : it happens every week with preachers being caught with hookers. The preachers drive round in Cadillacs with call-girls, it's grist-to-the-mill. The whole point of being a believer is to believe what you want . Facts don't come in to it.
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  1980. Tragic. And overseas aid money goes straight into the pockets of politicians. Or it is paid to contractors who are relatives or cronies of politicians and charge inflated prices for doing a third-rate job which is not completed because the project ran out of funds.
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  1981. Why ! Why can't you tell them about Hamas rapes ? Tell them about sadistic Hamas torture
    6
  1982. 1923 FDR wrote an article "Can we trust Japan ?" Concluding "Yes" because of Japan's functioning parliament Democracy ended in Japan in 1930 with assassination of the PM Hamaguchi Violent nationalism followed, finally leading to the ruin of Japan 1945 Russia exhibits all the same traits & paranoia :- a) extreme nationalism b) arrogance c) a mystical belief in superiority d) a conviction other powers are trying to restrain it and make it a 2nd class power.
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  1983. Also, it is initiative. It comes from a free society. All the ingredients missing in Russia. It requires intelligence and application. I read Colin Thubron (travel writer) and he described the Russian people as zombified. Alexandre Kojève : Stalin turned the people into a jelly he could mould.
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  1984. Well done Slovakia. How marvellous to see the civilized world pulling together. This must be demoralising to Russia and all those half-baked countries standing alongside Russia.
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  1985. Iran should deal with Israel the same way they deal with students :- "Azizollah Rajabzadeh, the former commander of Tehran police, is named in the video (by the cameraman) as the person behind the campus attack. The riot police behaved so brutally that even some of the Basij tried to stop them, as the video shows. Students were harassed verbally and physically when forced to lie on the ground. Some were bleeding profusely but the police continued to attack them. This was the point when five students were killed by being beaten with electric batons on their heads. Later that night, students were made to stand in front of a dormitory block with plastic bags over their heads. The video their hands bound with plastic ties – known in Iran as "Israeli handcuffs" – and 46 of them were taken to the basement of the interior ministry on nearby Fatemi Street. It was there, on the building's upper floors, that the vote-rigging was going on, according to opposition supporters. Another 87 were taken to a security police building on Hafez Street where they were tortured and mistreated. Their ordeal lasted 24 hours and before being released the students were ordered to put on fresh clothes (without bloodstains) supplied by the police."
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  1986. Victims of Islamofascism.
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  1987. LOL Mexican politicians are the most corrupt. Many local politicians are hand in glove with the drug cartels. Many Police are paid by the drug cartels. The idea that anyone thinks of the poor in Mexico has to be a joke. LOL Mexico is the archetypal $hithole country.
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  1988. Close your eyes and try to picture a corrupt president. Think of an incompetent thug, then take a look at this specimen.
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  1989. GDP shrank by 3.5% and inflation is at 50% The Iranian people are sick of rabid Ayatollahs, they want freedom.
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  1990. Macron is sure milking this for his own ends (presidential campaign)
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  1991. Yash, I'm digressing but you know Jinnah was educated in England and wanted Pakistan to be a secular, civilized country based on the British model. Unfortunately politicians appealed to Islamofascist Imams to persuade their illiterate followers to vote and found they'd opened Pandora's box. Pakistan has been an Islamofascist $hithole ever since. To answer your question : I think Pakistan will be prevented from collapsing. But it will have to show serious reform before it gets any billions for development.
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  1992. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  1993. How sill. Try reading a book. "By this time, Jinnah had become the leading figure in a Muslim League that was advocating a separate homeland for the Muslim minority in India," That is the first sentence that appears on Google : try doing some reading. Yours is the most ignorant comment I've seen for a long time. You must try to read a book in 2022.
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  1994. Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascists. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with thugs and throwing students from windows? That's Hezbollah.
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  1995. Mike, the axis of evil.
    6
  1996. If India want to become civilised :- a) Politicians shouldn't call for people to be lynched b) Police should simply shoot suspects because they're being criticised c) Indian culture shouldn't allow women to be groped and assaulted by "Eve teasing".
    6
  1997.  @evildead7597  , "talk is cheap" not for Hillary Clinton : it costs $600,000 an hour. But of course that's who Rev Al Sharpton plumbed for and that's who his brainwashed flock voted for.
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  1998. "EU shot itself in the foot" LOL it's the only shooting those windbags will do. We know what EU committees are capable of : a good long discussion. No wonder Australia chose AUKUS
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  1999. Turkey supports militia groups that are indistinguishable from Al-Qaeda.
    6
  2000. Great video : Fernand Braudel believed history and geography influence national character and would have enjoyed Shirvan's extrovert/introvert analysis. Small criticism : Shirvan is obsessed with moving huge troop & tank division around the place. That thinking is 2 centuries old. Modern war is a) economic (blockade, cyber attacks, sanctions) b) international (UN resolutions, allies, threats ) c) casualty averse ( civilian deaths bring in big powers, UN and conflict conciliation ) I could be wrong and you may see another battle of Kursk but I doubt it. Israel have disbanded some Armoured divisions in favour of flexibility for urban combat. Also Israel have increased Cyber war units.
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  2001. University of Leeds - out in the wilds, defending the planet. Well done.
    6
  2002. 9 Nov Mark Milley "Right now Russia is on its back"
    6
  2003. "Miraculously preserved - stained glass windows" There's only one thing for it : make a donation to the Vatican and tell them all child-abuse charges will be dropped.
    6
  2004. 1:53 " Opposition from within Iran itself" Interesting. Maybe they are not all slavishly devoted to the Ayatollah.
    6
  2005. German support for Ukraine has all the hallmarks of the Ribbentrop Pact.
    6
  2006. Listing to port. (That is my humble addition : port being right, starboard being left) Oh, I've just checked : it's the other way round. LOL
    6
  2007. Hamas started it. (One wonders why) At 6:01pm (when their deadline wasn't respected) on 10th May What were Hamas thinking ?
    6
  2008. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP) John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  2009. Great work One Orc terminated, two Orcs scared witless.
    6
  2010. There has never been a Palestinian state. After the collapse of the Ottomans the land was claimed by Egypt,Syria and Jordan. Imagine (no Balfour , no Israel ) Egypt claim it. Do you think they'd hand it over to the PLO. Like hell. They'd beat, torture and execute anyone rebelling. If Syria had got it they'd be gassing civilians and killing with impunity. I sympathise with Palestinian people. I object to the corruption and dictatorship of Yaser Arafat, the PLO/PA, Hamas etc : non of them are democratic and they are all self-serving, putting their own hold on power ahead of the interests of the Palestinian people.
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  2011. You should look at Leeds. We have 4 detached legs and a plinth : a total disgrace. The councillors should weep at that monstrosity : a colossus of conciliary bad taste.
    6
  2012. Maybe if Germany hadn't sabotaged Ukraine right from the start ? Just to remind everyone.... 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
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  2013. I've seen Ukrainian attacks on many targets : Magnificent marksmanship ! Well done Ukraine.
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  2014. "Germany's armed forces must become the best-equipped military force in Europe" A good start would be for Scholz to climb out from behind his sofa.
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  2015.  @FoxtrotYouniform  secured its primary objectives. LOL If Russia goes in, it will be a bloodbath for both sides. There will be no "Primary objectives". They will be going at it hammer & tong : drones , missiles, artillery, precision bombs. You make it sound like a picnic.
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  2016. Modi has election fever. That is why he is behaving like a jackass.
    6
  2017. LOL as soon as Muslims arrive in Western countries 99% become secular. You only hear about the nut jobs. The vast majority love Western Civilization.
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  2018. LOL what a waste of time These folks are simply having some fun protesting
    6
  2019. It is only 50% racism. If the Ukrainians could identify French or German freebooters, they would get the same treatment. It is just easier to identify folk from India and Africa.
    6
  2020. Anyone remembers the Norther Ireland Border crisis ? It was unsolvable. But nobody mentions it now - because it has been easily solved and was a red-herring employed by the EU, so they could take the high ground defending Peace in Ireland. The EU are simply making Boris sweat. The sticking points have at least a dozen solutions. This is a Christmas pantomime, and folk who should know better are falling for it.
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  2021. Abraham's tomb is 100% Jewish Why doesn't Islam co-opt some other historical figure, and leave Judaism alone ?
    6
  2022. Frank Luntz : "Kamala must say 'I have changed', or she will lose" LOL, it's a bit late for a mea culpa
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  2023. Ukraine counter-offensive begins in July. Mid-August will be the turning point (Major General Kyrylo Budanov ) Kherson and izyum (one would imagine) will be the first to fall. Putin (one would imagine) will fall shortly after that.
    6
  2024.  @JackyMan22  , imagine Israel taking over : providing democracy, transparency, accountability, an independent judicial system and security. The people of Lebanon would think all their Christmases had come at once.
    6
  2025. The ISIS magazine......."Hold the front page" Interesting.
    6
  2026. EK, who says so ? You may be right but who is deciding. The point is a democratically elected decision is being overturned, quite possibly by the Germans. Which would make the Presidents decision high treason. Impeachment could be a genuine possibility.
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  2027. The ANC are a disgrace.
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  2028. Children today have no manners and no respect. I'm not suggesting we return to Charles Dickens' times. But these children would behave like this even if the vicar had called to explain Pentecost.
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  2029. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    6
  2030. Algeria is very corrupt. The leaders drive round in luxury cars and their families are all millionaires. Perhaps some of the money the elite are looting could be given to the victims families.
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  2031. I watched this and am no wiser. This often happens on Al-Jazeera.
    6
  2032. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
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  2033. Marvellous. They look a bit Soviet for the 21st century : but good.
    6
  2034. What scares people is that Corbyn is low intelligence. a) He wants Russia to help investigate Russian poisoning cases in the UK b) He supports anti-democratic Islamofascist groups like Hamas. c) He is anti US and pro-Islam d) the list is endless.......he would disarm the UK and trust Russia e) He is just a moron.
    6
  2035.  Ewan Hussami  , it is common knowledge Arafat sent his wife $1 million a month when she was in Paris. And that was in the 1970s when a $ million would set you up for life. Folk would dream about winning a million and Araft's wife was getting that every month to live it up in Paris. All the accounts are available if you do a Google search.
    6
  2036.  Anna 🧸  I don't listen to him either. But on this issue, he did make a perceptive observation - vis-à-vis Russia's childish evil and lies.
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  2037. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  2038. Magnificent display of united, civilized power. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" He was referring to the occupation of Russia by Genghis Khans Hordes for 250yrs. Russian barbarism is the evidence to validate for Karl Marx observation.
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  2039. 12:30 good analysis - "Biden doesn't want to ask Netanyahu a favour, or engage with him. They dislike each other" (I've paraphrased). Later when he says, "Violence always seems to start when Netanyahu is in political trouble" is harder to justify : Netanyahu didn't ask Hamas to issue a 6pm deadline, then start firing rockets.
    6
  2040. The Pakistanis have trained the Taliban for this type of warfare. Pakistan supplies them with arms and explosives.
    6
  2041. The Saudi King looks like an indolent old fart. LOL
    6
  2042. But the EU "Are doing their utmost". LOL Iran are losing friends faster than soft Mick. The Ayatollah is sure going to win a popularity contest with his 'go nuclear' project. Axis of Evil :- Iran N Korea Russia China Cuba
    6
  2043. Israel did NOT annex territory The 1967 War was with Trans-Jordan & Co 1994 Peace with Jordan returned territory : so Jordan is happy The 1967 war was NOT against Palestine (it never existed) Peace was made with Egypt in 1979 Palestinians didn't declare a state till 1988
    6
  2044. Wow, if they won't work with anti-EU groups then the Green Party can ask for the Moon on a stick.
    6
  2045. May I apologise on behalf of bone-idle Boris and the incompetent, second-rate half-wits in the Cabinet.
    6
  2046. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    6
  2047. LOL a fanatical , demented, Islamic Cleric is behind it they just said ! Fanatical Islam is the ruination of Pakistan. Ha ha ha, Pakistan will never be a modern, civilized country.
    6
  2048. Great interview : I like baldy's passion. I thought it was Hamas beating up Iranian students (it was Hezbollah) but they are all Islamofascist. Good to see Trump sighting his Tweets on Tehran.
    6
  2049. This isn't a robot ! It's a mechanical device. Just transferring human actions to a mechanised arm. Have you seen those sticks road sweepers use to grab rubbish ? This is the same principal but more complex...........it's not a robot by any definition.
    6
  2050. This doesn't surprise me. Have you ever watched militia fighting : spraying bullets aimlessly, running round all confused with no strategy. Once the IRGC pull out they haven't a clue. (PS I hate the IRGC but recognise them as an organised army)
    6
  2051. Erdogan's son won't be far behind. Wherever there's a crooked dollar to be made you'll find Erdpgan's crooked son. .......whether it be trading in oil or mining for gold or arms sales.......the corrupt son sniffs out his opportunity : no wonder he's a millionaire.
    6
  2052. Lebanon wants their sovereignty back from IRAN
    6
  2053. "The African Union speak with one voice" The language of corruption. Coupled to incompetence.....it's a lethal combination.
    6
  2054.  @gdiwolverinemale2745  Thanks for asking. The Crimean War (1853-56) ended with the Treaty of Paris (1856). Everyone said, "Russia will never accept neutralisation of the Black Sea" Russia said, "We will never accept it" Guess what happened ? The Black Sea was neutralised and Russia had to remove its warships. Moscow then spent the next decades begging and pleading to be allowed to have a fleet in the Black Sea. Lesson :- don't listen to the Kremlin when it says "Never" . Once Russia has been defeated, they will agree to anything.
    6
  2055. WHO were mislead by China. They then praised China and made decisions that minimised the economic impact on China. The EU will never hold the WHO accountable.......they are both hand-in-glove.
    6
  2056. Adam Smith : "The Church was the most formidable combination ever formed.......... against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind "
    6
  2057. Very well produced - very professional. And enjoyable. God bless the USA
    6
  2058. Very hi-tech. The Orcs wouldn't know what to do with that kit (even if they looted one)
    6
  2059. Russia has slashed defence spending : the biggest drop of any nation for 2020. (I forget how many billions $$$) The point is that Russia is in big trouble economically. That means Putin is in trouble. And there is no sign of oil going back to $100 per barrel any time soon.
    6
  2060. Poland : I wouldn't believe anything they say. Poland have introduced a law to imprison anyone that speaks the truth about Polish anti-Semitism. Turkey have a similar law forbidding anyone to mention the Armenian Genocide. When countries impose laws to forbid the truth it always indicates a guilty oppressive nation.
    6
  2061. The Pentagon's John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. Lambrecht's insouciance is incredible
    6
  2062. Lukashenko produces a visceral response in the West : folk feel like vomiting.
    6
  2063. Ebrahim Raisi's nickname was the "Butcher of Tehran" as a result of his mass murder and brutal torture of political dissidents.
    6
  2064. 1) ignore the 'expert' he has huge investments in China 2) why would global investors be interested in China when wealthy Chinese are getting their money out as quick as possible (capital flight). 3) Don't believe China is too powerful to fail. In 1918 the USA was 75% of global production but when the stock market crashed it didn't emerge from recession until after WW2 (Roosevelt's new deal didn't work)
    6
  2065. Islam means "submission" So why does Marwan criticise him for that ?
    6
  2066. Oh dear, every protest from now on is another nail in Trump's coffin. There is almost no way for Trump to spin his way out of this debacle. This is a very predictable mess. Maybe a clash with the Chinese or bombing Iran would take folks minds off it, but frankly even the Yanks have grown wise to that trick.
    6
  2067. A sad day for his son who had become a corrupt millionaire in the oil-for-food scandal. In Africa if you scratch the surface you always find corruption.
    6
  2068. Putin's invasion has gone wrong - he wants someone to pull his chestnuts out of the fire. The contenders :- Erdogan, Macron, the Pope and Elon Musk
    6
  2069. 0:59 "If Israel targetted residential buildings in Gaza" LOL that was Hamas HQ Good propaganda. Everyone knows Hamas had their offices there : that's why it was targetted. Try reporting some factual news.
    6
  2070. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP) John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    6
  2071. In April 1849 Hungarians surrendered to Russian troops, and were incorporated back into the Austrian Empire. What were Russians doing fighting for the Habsburgs ? Good question. Russia have always believed they had a right to be consulted and to dictate Europeans affairs. They invaded Hungary again in 1956 They invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 Russians are feared and hated by all their neighbours.
    6
  2072. 0:50 Wow look at Iraq's security forces really opening fire and getting stuck in. Oh, against unarmed civilians. Of course when 300 ISIS turn up in pick-up trucks the Iraqi army leaves all its equipment behind and flees at breakneck speed. In despot countries the army are always tough against civilians
    6
  2073. They don't come any more clear-cut : war-crimes.
    6
  2074. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    6
  2075. Hostages were hidden in hospitals (video evidence) Hospital staff worked hand in glove with Hamas UNRWA also helped Hamas - tunnels beneath were Hamas command posts Al Jazeera reporter Muhammad Wishah was also a Hamas fighter
    6
  2076. The whole Kenyan government is on the take. Why single him out ? Obviously he's the victim of a power struggle between corrupt factions.
    6
  2077. Impeach !
    6
  2078. Understand this difference :- a) The US are in full control of their military. b) Rouhani only has loose control : the Revolutionary Guard can act independently , they can also get proxies to act on their behalf. The extremists in Iran don't trust Rouhani's moderation.
    6
  2079. Iran's greatest weakness is closed-minded-thinking. They are incapable of stepping outside their crackpot religious thinking. The rational West fears Iran, whose leaders are eagerly anticipating Armageddon when their 12th Imam will appear. Iran's crackpots declare they will exterminate Israel and think the West should join them. Iran's inability to think rationally is its greatest weakness and will be the downfall of the crackpot Theocracy.
    6
  2080. Well said. The Kremlin crooks think exactly like that.
    6
  2081. Can he trnasform a $hithole country .....NO. He's already backed the Blasphemy Laws. He's backed the Taliban and religious extremism. He had to do to get elected. To become President you have to a) back the military b) back Islamofascism c) make deals with corrupt politicians Imran Khan has done all those.
    6
  2082. Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. Read "The executioners deserve medals"
    6
  2083. Egypt must allow civilians to enter Sinai "temporarily"
    6
  2084. Erdogan : a medieval person might think this was punishment for Erdogan's belligerence
    6
  2085. But Israel have so much water they export it to Jordan. Israeli desalination plants produce too much water. South Africa have a water shortage and so do Spain. Palestinians should have jumped on board in 1948 when they were offered a 2 state solution by the UN. But they wanted to drive the Jews into the sea. Again they were offered a 2 state solution by Clinton (2000 Camp David and refused) They walk around with Yaser Arafat T-shirts on : a man that stole $3billion from them.
    6
  2086. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    6
  2087. "Trust that Hungary does not distort the market" The US needs to slap sanctions on Orban and his cronies.
    6
  2088. Nonsense. Catalonia was independent from the time of Ferdinand & Isabella (1472). Aragon & Castile were unified in name only : all regions of Spain kept their own parlements and fiscal autonomy. In 1640 Portugal and Catalonia broke from Castille and declared full independence. Spain was never actually united. To say "Catalan independence is a shattered dream" , is to show a total ignorance of history.
    6
  2089. Congratulations Russia : you have the KGB gangster you always wanted. The Russian is weaned on propaganda from childhood : they thrive on it. Unless they've been beaten and killed in a Gulag they can't respect a strong leader. They still admire Stalin who killed 30 million of them.
    6
  2090. Isn't France attempting to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted ?
    6
  2091. a) Misgovernance b) economic mismanagement c) crucial decisions not taken in time d) inflation It is the story of Pakistan. Those accusations could be levelled at any PM anytime.
    6
  2092. 9 Nov 2022 NY economics club mark Milley : "Right now Russia is on its back"
    6
  2093. How would accidental escalation go :- a) Tit for tat exchange of fire b) China must come out 10x superior, so it keeps firing c) In desperation a defensive missile - China's ship disabled d) China now absolutely needs to inflict serious harm - a salvo of missiles e) It is much easier for land based systems in Taiwan to hit ships & planes therefore it will be very hard for China to come out on top be its desired factor of 10 It is now hard to stop : Xi demands capitulation - the US 7th fleet moves in
    6
  2094. This is the face of Iranian Islam:- "They were beating us ". The sooner the Ayatollahs are removed the better. Ayatollah Khomeini killed 7000 in his first year in power. More than the Shah had killed in his whole life. The press asked Khomeini what he'd do with the democrats in Tehran ; he said, "I'll kick their teeth in".
    6
  2095. UN resolution : Hamas refuses to "release hostages unconditionally" Hamas fails to comply with the UN resolution If Hamas release ALL hostages the war ends
    6
  2096. "Sexually assaulted" what did you expect from Indian police.
    6
  2097. "The indomitable power of public opinion against authority" Those are 'Young Ottoman' Namik Kemal's (1860) words of praise for British parliamentary democracy. This is what the Middle East needs more of.
    6
  2098. Very moving. A terrific ceremony : a credit to the fallen heroes. (A marvellous location, the cobbled square and surroundings. And the soldiers with white shirts and gloves : very dignified apparel).
    6
  2099. Jordan Chariton hasn't a leg to stand on. He should have taken the resignation package.
    6
  2100. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
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  2101. " If it doesn't get a more active role, Europe will simply be sidelined by the big powers" Europe HAS been sidelined. There is no need for an IF. It is not a conditional statement, it is a fact : Europe has been sidelined. (The EU are windbags, if you want to know why)
    6
  2102. 1948 the UN offered a 2 state solution and Palestine refused (because they believed they could drive the Jews into the sea) Arabs lost the 1948 war of Liberation. Arabs then lost 2 more wars 1967 (six day war) and 1974 (Yom Kippur) Only then did Arab states recognise Palestine as as a state. Prior to that Palestine was claimed by Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Hamas are anti-democratic extremist thugs........go demonstrate against them, they'll beat you first time then kill you the second time. Fatah, are totally corrupt one-party thugs..........go to a meeting and ask about corruption, they'll drag you outside and beat the $hit out of you.
    6
  2103.  @southpole4776  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1988 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
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  2104. Yaser Arafat stole $3 billion is there any chance of recovering that money for the Palestinian people ? He had to steal it : that's how he stayed in power for 40yrs. By bribing his friends and paying-off his enemies. I pity the Palestinians they have been cursed with atrocious leadership. At the moment they have assembled the A-team to go to the UN... ......Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Wow that group of corrupt old men and fanatics will really get some traction in the West. You can't say they don't have charisma.
    6
  2105.  @marsha1963  Iran are largely the root of all evil in the Middle East. (Well, certainly their sphere of it).
    6
  2106. No amount of suffering will remove Hezbollah from the Finance Ministry. (The root of the problem).
    6
  2107. Many in Lebanon want rid of Hezbollah Why doesn't Al Jazeera interview them ?
    6
  2108. 321 tanks delivered in total That includes Moroccan modernised T-72s Czech modernised T-72 etc Plus all the western tanks The full package = 321 A member of Ukraine army posted it on Twitter
    6
  2109. China is hated and feared by all its neighbours. That's just geopolitics. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jack-boot stamping on a human face. (A jack-boot infected with corona-virus)
    6
  2110. Well done France ! First tanks to Ukraine AMX-10RC Potentially there are 240 of them : they are being replaced with the new Jaguar I hope Ukraine gets 200 (or all of them) They are amphibious and can do 50mph
    6
  2111. LOL Yemen depends on food aid......But still fires $ million dollar missiles LOL
    6
  2112. Don't be fooled by this biased report.. The chap at the end would have lost his job if he'd criticised Iran. You are viewing Iran as a democracy ; it isn't even a pseudo democracy it is a theocracy. Any one of the interviewees could have been arrested for speaking seditiously or their family blocked from employment or they could lose their job. Wake up !
    6
  2113. Imran Khan is having a breakdown over the financial crisis in Pak, never mind adding to it with high inflation protests in PoK. Saudi have said goodbye, China are skinning them, and the future looks tragic...........Happy New Year.
    6
  2114. Rafah evacuation - "Is it possible" LOL The UN has been saying that since day 1 Al Shifa hospital "Is it possible", "Gaza city is it possible" LOL It is ALWAYS possible - well done Israel
    6
  2115. Afghanistan was a sideshow, yet the Yanks staid 20yrs and spent $5 trillion. Ukraine is the Main Event : US support will last at least 20yrs, and they'll spend double.
    6
  2116. Terrible analysis. Iran id nothing like Iraq and there won't be a war. The US have already won ! Iran's inflation is 50% and it's GDP is - 6% (minus) , no government can maintain that decline (actually Venezuela and Zimbabwe suggest it can be done ). Regardless, Iran is looking at a future of impoverishment not expansion. Those Hezbollah thugs who clubbed student protestors in 1999 had better get their baseball bats out again.
    6
  2117. 13:24 "They want to sell opium" Nonsense. I appreciate this is a brief summary of history but it would be much more accurate to say, "China wanted nothing from Britain but gold and silver in exchange for its products : the British were then forced to create a market to balance the trade deficit and started to import opium". That only takes 8 seconds to say and is vastly more accurate. Other than that this is quite good (so far).
    6
  2118. What's in it for the African leaders ? They only make decisions to line their own pockets. If their is no cash in it for the corrupt African heads of state then it will never happen.
    6
  2119. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    6
  2120. Abdul, you haven't a clue. The firepower the Yanks have in their SSBMs they could wipe out China and N Korea.
    6
  2121. This guy is a diplomatic hard-case. He attended a UN meeting with Zelinsky's wife and she was asked to wait outside. War-room diplomacy is for elected officials, one must be able to speak freely and deliver ultimatums (without them being tittle-tattled to Hello magazine). It reminds me of Askwith and his mistresses in 1915.
    6
  2122. Exactly ! Hoyle's 1st reason was "modernisation" Only when Hoyle was fighting for his life did he introduce Islamic threats Mr Speaker you must resign !
    6
  2123. Hamas is supported by the UN
    6
  2124. Hezbollah have destroyed Lebanon : they refuse to move from the finance ministry and have brought the country to its knees. They want to impose a theocracy (like Iran) and have 10,000 armed thugs ready to do it.
    6
  2125. 12:00 "The authorities will become infinitely more oppressive" That's just what I said : the people who will suffer from Russia's defeat will be its people.
    6
  2126. epsilon, well said. The Kurds were living in this region when the Seljuk Turks were still in central Asia. The Turks should remember they are a nomadic tribe from Mongolia. I hope we see a Kurdistan in the near future.
    6
  2127. Lisa I was just going to say that. But Jimmy has his heart in the right place and hates Hillary. Also, he hates Chuck Schuma and all the establishment DNC. But he should be called Jimmy Dumbo.
    6
  2128. Jean Michel Lacombe :- he is a product of French culture, he believes in capitulation. The French have no shame.
    6
  2129. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" Italy said, "A ceasefire immediately, followed by land for peace" France would capitulate, and Italy would surrender. Countries cannot escape their culture.
    6
  2130. Bjorn Borg said, "Once you have your opponent beaten, finish them off, don't ease off and allow the match to go to 5 sets"
    6
  2131. India takes a step closer to AUKUS. A very wise move. Remember, the QUAD is a pressure group, not an alliance. India must look to the future and get itself on the winning side. The winning side against Russia, and against China. India : don't tether yourself to a corpse. (That expression comes from WW1, when the German army described their alliance with Austria, as being "Tethered to a corpse")
    6
  2132. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    6
  2133. Hamas carnage is made in Iran (We are left to deduce the punchline ourselves)
    6
  2134. Putin : "Russia has a limited capaciity for a retaliatory strike" Only the US has a First Strike (It cost $3.5 trillion)
    6
  2135. Facts :- a) Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history, is that North America speaks English". It is the basis for AUKUS b) India needs a strong Russia as an ally against China : ipso facto, India wants Russia to succeed in Ukraine c) Turkey wants a weak Russia, vis-a-vis the Black Sea d) Simply by geographical fact, India's strategy is opposed to the West. Also, India is an insignificant player against China - AUKUS simply doesn't need India. Conclusion : India is on Russia's side. This make take ages to dawn on western politicians, but eventually India will be marginalised.
    6
  2136. "Evil is back" says Mitch McConnell He is quoting Sec of State Robert Gates : "At the end of the Cold War we all took a holiday from history - well evil is back"
    6
  2137. Best way to unify the USA :- a) sign back up to Iran's nuclear program b) sign back up to full trade with China (send Hunter to make a trade deal). c) Open the border
    6
  2138. "Breaking the shackles of slavery" What happened to that sentiment ?
    6
  2139. Okay, all we need now is for the twelfth Imam to turn up on a white horse.
    6
  2140. Russia invited the Taliban to the St Petersburg economic forum. But even the Taliban refused to send troops to help Russia. "You're alone Putin", as Hendry Fonda would say in 12 angry men.
    6
  2141. Palestinians were offered a 2 state solution in 1948 they chose war. They were offered a 2 state solution in 2000 Camp David but Arafat walked away. Clinton described Arafat as a liar you couldn't do business with. Jordan knew that decades ago when Arafat reneged on their agreement. All the Arab countries knew Arafat couldn't be trusted.
    6
  2142. Nonsense : the Saudis don't have the nous. Why do you think the Saudi military is a laughable shambles ? Because MBS fears his own military. If he set up a crack commando unit to perform a false-flag strike it would be just as likely to strike him.
    6
  2143. Satanists
    6
  2144. Good riddance.
    6
  2145. Happy Independence Day Slava Ukraine (Russia are desperate for a negotiated settlement : Erdogan said he hopes to arrange a summit in the near future)
    6
  2146. Sleepy Joe has some questions to answer. Who would employ his hapless son for $50k a month ? Ans. A corrupt Ukrainian oligarch who wants to please the US .
    6
  2147. Very informative. Very brave soldiers.
    6
  2148. 3:00 "Why Putin, born in Leningrad, thinks he can bomb Ukraine into submission ?" He doesn't think that. He simply has no other cards to play.
    6
  2149. I thought we all had to be multi-cultural and welcome Islamist terror ?
    6
  2150. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    6
  2151. She is a very good reporter in Gaza
    6
  2152. All smiles LOL Remember the G7 - Macron with his arm around Biden : hilarious. Later, Macron was engaged in a top meeting whilst right next door the Allies laughed and joked.
    6
  2153. Adam Smith : "The Church was the most formidable combination ever formed.......... against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind "
    6
  2154. Black Hornet, a Norwegian-developed micro-drone (observation) Jointly financed by Britain. Thousands have been sent. They are used to locate Orcs. Then some heavy howitzers persuade them to leave.
    6
  2155. Thanks ANC. Good work , you corrupt b@$tards.
    6
  2156. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    6
  2157. A few stones ? That hardly warrants violent arrest. If the Police can't handle a few stones being thrown at them they shouldn't go shooting protestors' eyes out and blinding them. Paramilitary thugs !
    6
  2158. I hope the Fakirs get the Gaddafi treatment (ie a bayonet where the Sun don't shine).
    6
  2159. Well done, for your heroic efforts. Britain has always supported freedom fighters :- In 1864, half a million turned out to greet Garibaldi. In 1824 Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence. In 1847 Lord Minto toured Italy to encourage constitutional government. He found the Italian rulers to be " Rogues, fools and cowards" (History proved he had wisely assessed the Italian nation)
    6
  2160. Axis of Evil : Russia, China, North Korea, Iran etc etc All dictatorships, anti-democratic, anti-human rights. Consider the Kremlin : they killed 30 million Russians under Stalin and asked school children to inform on their parents. One boy said his father listened to a foreign radio station : Dad went to a Gulag for 10yrs. What sort of sick society asks children to inform on their Mum & Dad ?
    6
  2161. Notice how Hezbollah are at the bottom of everything ?
    6
  2162. Nonsense. The EU should source gas from elsewhere. Also punitive sanctions should isolate Russian banks, and make Russia a pariah country. Remember Hungary 1954 and Czechoslovakia 1968 Russia has been imprisoning its neighbours for centuries.
    6
  2163. My understanding, from what I've read, is that Jinnah and the Muslim League were primarily responsible. "From the early years of the 20th century onward, a deep divide developed between Hindus and Muslims. This was not the least caused by a marginalisation of the latter in public life. Hindus held most of the jobs in the lower branches of civil administration and in education, they were, comparatively, streets ahead. Part of the responsibility for this lay with the Muslims themselves for their leadership, lost in nostalgia, failed to modernise."
    6
  2164. Why not ask yourself why no progress has been made ? Why is Palestine in a worse position than it was back in 1947 when the UN offered it a 2-state solution ? Do you think Arafat did a good job when he ruled as a corrupt dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion ? Ask some questions. Don't just start demonstrating : that's got you nowhere for 70yrs.
    6
  2165. "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD Ukraine just need to keep doing what they're doing. NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    6
  2166. I was just going to say he's razor sharp. Even though it's an expression I rarely use.
    6
  2167. LOL "Bread is in short supply" Zimbabwe is the bread basket of Africa with 2 harvests a year. (sorry I meant "was") The conditions for growing crops in Zimbabwe are perfect. How can they have no bread ?
    6
  2168. When did Iran get the right to blackmail the world with nuclear weapons ? "It's a year away from developing nukes", says a complacent Jeremy Hunt. The sanctions need to be increased to a full blockade. An international task-force should keep the Hormuz Straits open and any attack from the Republican Guard should be followed by a complete destruction of Iran's infrastructure.......not human casualties but economic targets : communications, power supplies, manufacturing plants etc
    6
  2169. "Not only corruption but incompetence" Obviously ! They are twins.....they always hang around together.
    6
  2170. Between his ears he stores a tremendous amount of information about the drug business and those involved. The first job will be extracting that info.....it won't be easy to watch.
    6
  2171.  @Shiva_shankar-w8p  " so called Western democracy is not normal thing." Well said : you are absolutely right. The "normal state" of civilization is barbarism (which Russia displays). It is brutal governance by the few. Under Stalin it was the Soviets, who killed 30 million Russians and imprisoned thousands in the Gulags. There isn't a family in Russia that doesn't know someone imprisoned in the Gulags. Now you have Putin and his cronies : they control the media, assassinate and imprison the opposition and steal the country's wealth.
    6
  2172. Ken Clarke is one of the few worth listening to.
    6
  2173. The Kurds have sold $8billion of oil through Turkey. How much do you think Barzani and his corrupt family took for themselves. And Erdogan will have had a slice with his corrupt son.
    6
  2174. LOL This guy is a wishful thinker : he has no skin in the game. The West will be much more cautious. Afghanistan was a sideshow, yet the Yanks staid 20yrs and spent $5 trillion. Ukraine is the Main Event : US support will last at least 20yrs, and they'll spend double. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    6
  2175. Macron's "European defence Force" is finished. After 13 Oct : macron on TV "France will be neutral if Russia goes nuclear" Who would join the EDF ? France would be the EDF's only nuclear power And France has waved the white flag to Russia.
    6
  2176. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
    6
  2177. "Putin has the power to lash out" Wrong 21 to 24 Oct Shoigu & Gerasimov phoned their counterparts 4 times They hold 2 of the 3 nuclear briefs (Putin has the 3rd) They essentially surendered to the West, recognising the war was lost Kherson retreat followed Nov 9 ...etc etc
    6
  2178. Good question. There are 2000 generals why don't we do a poll ? a) do you support Maduro Yes 5% No 2% Don't know 93% b) if you were guaranteed to keep your corrupt wealthy and filthy salaries would you desert Maduro Yes 100%
    6
  2179.  @utilitymonster8267  the key points would be the 3 wars that were fought :- 1948, 1967, and 1973 Palestine was claimed by Egypt, SYria and Jordan. Only after losing 3 wars did the Arab countries agree to recognise Palestinian independence (1988)
    6
  2180. Corbyn backs every Islamofascist group going. He sups with Hamas and supports Hezbollah. Hamas are anti-democratic totalitarian fascists.
    6
  2181. A poignant time to remember our own heroes. When Russia is threatening a tactical nuclear strike in Ukraine.
    6
  2182. Turkey have been violating human rights for decades. They even outlawed the Kurdish language. Erdogan is an Islamofascist. I hope the US supply some anti-tank missiles to the Kurds.
    6
  2183. Jack Keane is The Man
    6
  2184. 0:13 That's why the Arab Spring failed. For centuries Caliphate countries believed the Sultan was "Our Lord on Earth" Substitute the Sultan for some other despot, and nothing has changed.
    6
  2185. Oct 7th repercussions :- a disaster for Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and Shia Islamism It's a win for Saudi, Israel and the Abram Accords
    6
  2186. They suppressed the students and many students were raped.
    6
  2187.  @anasarmani2693  The Taliban boasted about shooting the school-girl. The Taliban believe girls shouldn't be educated ; their philosophy is medieval barbarism.
    6
  2188. Jinnah (1947) wanted Pakistan to be a secular democracy based on the British model. In India, the Congress Party wanted the same for their country. Ataturk (1922) was a benevolent despot, but wanted to leave a functioning secular democracy, based on the British model. Almost all African countries aspired to achieve the British model. In 1848 revolutions erupted across Europe (Sicily Jan, France in February ; Hungary, Vienna, Venice and Berlin in March) : all the revolutionaries wanted constitutional democracy based on the British model. Which they believed embodied the values fought for in the French Revolution (1789). Ironically, the peripheral nations unaffected by 1848 were Russia and Britain (in London there was a small Chartist rally). These two represented opposite poles of the spectrum - Asiatic Autocracy with 37% of the population serf-slaves, and British Parliamentary democracy the model for the civilized world.
    6
  2189. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
    6
  2190. "........a policy of economic disengagement from Israel ". That doesn't stop him building himself a $1.5 million mansion.
    6
  2191. Queen Victoria described Russia as "the great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization where ever it exists" She was a wise lady. Russia destroyed liberty in Eastern Europe for almost 50yrs. Russia (Stalin) killed 30 million in 5yrs economic plans, starvation and Gulags. For centuries, half Russia's population were slaves (serfs), when they finally gained liberty (1861) the Orthodox Church opposed it for decades, because they were the biggest serf owners.
    6
  2192.  @tethergobrrr  My comprehension is ball-park We are talking approximate numbers :- Before the war 500 trucks a day, about 125 food Now, on a good day 250 trucks, on a bad day 125 So even on a bad day there'd be enough food
    6
  2193. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    6
  2194. Ukrainian infantry is awesome Even Russian TV said, There army is as good as ours" (That's a back-handed compliment these days LOL)
    6
  2195. A great pity Barzani (Kurdish leader) is as corrupt as Yaser Arafat and intends to become a lifelong dictator. Barzani has already murdered journalists who are critical of him.
    6
  2196. Good interview. I agree 100% with the expert.
    6
  2197. Poor kids - there biggest enemy is Hamas Hamas has stolen their future
    6
  2198. LOL what a dingbat Obviously it is as opposed to drones.
    6
  2199.  Arthur Tint  , What the Russian people have developed is a docile tolerance for autocracy. That has been bred into them over the centuries. They are told that subservient docility is patriotic and consequently stand for the drop of York.
    6
  2200. A Russian BUK : the Orcs will be seeing this in close-up shortly.
    6
  2201. LOL someone will have to explain the African mindset to me. Why would you dance when a crook comes back to the country ? Why would you vote for them ? And you wonder why Trump calls them $hithole countries.
    6
  2202. He doesn't mention that companies are owned by politicians or their family/cronies so all wealth is going to the ruling elite.
    6
  2203. Quite right. During the English Civil War one of the radical demands was that education should be in English (not Latin) and that the Law should be conducted in English, and that Medicine should be explained in English. One of the demands from the Gentry was "For an Eton in every County".
    6
  2204. I don't like him but he makes the current politicians look very mediocre.
    6
  2205. Trump calls the shots. Not in Yemen : that's the MBS show (killing all those children and targeting hospitals) But in oil prices , the Saudi's jump to the word of command from Washington.
    6
  2206. Great video, and great title. A magnificent counter-offensive to rank with any in history. It will be studied like the "Six Day War".
    6
  2207. "There might be a loophole". Let me guess : she's going to start a charitable Clintonesque Foundation ? Get the Saudis to donate a few hundred million : it's like a political slush fund. You can buy people off , offer them a comfortable retirement., buy their silence.
    6
  2208. Jordan Chariton , should NOT get involved with an attorney. It will cost him $1000s and he hasn't a leg to stand on. He could have been dismissed on half of what he's done. He should have taken the financial package they offered him and resigned.
    6
  2209. Trump left Iran with only one move to make. They made it .......and it stinks ! Iran are now a pariah-state.
    6
  2210.  @freedomfighter22222  Correct & wrong, in that order. a) The EU wasted 1 year not 2 It took until 7 Dec for macron to say "No Taboos", then the US ad to send token tanks to get Germany moving - so that's one year wasted b) My response was to the chap who said, "Europe was there from Day 1" They clearly weren't Europe wasted a year
    6
  2211. Hezbollah refuse to relinquish the Finance Ministry. They have been robbing the people blind. Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascist thugs.
    6
  2212. Oil is the money earner in Nigeria. Politicians' eyes glaze over at the cash they can get for themselves from oil. Water is a very low priority.
    6
  2213. What were Hamas thinking ? The first rockets were fired on Monday 10th May at 6:01 pm by Hamas. Israel had ignored the 6pm Hamas deadline to remove all forces from Al-Aqsa.
    6
  2214. The ammunition is not cheap. Those bullets have a range of 6km, and they are not cheap. Nice to see Germany finally fulfilling its promises. Oh, Germany has also supplied its version of the M270 (I think 3 of them)
    6
  2215. Russia refuses to have democracy on its borders. Corrupt despotism is Russia's contribution to the world.
    6
  2216. 4:00 "Why the West is slow to provide support" Because of Ukraine's incredible success. There was a real fear Russia would collapse (Macron's "Don't humiliate Russia") To some extent Ukraine is a victim of its own success in Kyiv and Kharkiv.
    6
  2217. Do you know what would happen if those people protested for an election ? The PA thugs would beat them to a pulp. Hamas would kill them. I pity the Palestinians : they are occupied by Israel and have no representation. Just fascist Hamas and the corrupt, anti-democratic thugs in Fatah.
    6
  2218. What does 3 generations mean ? There are probably 3 generations living in each house. So it means when junior goes the homes are handed back to the Israelis. Alternatively it may mean 3 generations from any resident. Which would mean Junior age 4 could grow up, have a family and his grandchildren would be the final protected tenants.
    6
  2219. Axis of Evil : China, North Korea, Russia, Iran, ....... All anti-democratic, anti-human rights, all corrupt and violent. Ask yourself this : in Sudan would China prefer to deal with civilian democracy or a dictatorship by corrupt generals ? Of course the Dictatorship ! China knows were it is with dictators, it can do business. It knows who to bribe and knows they will be in power for life.
    6
  2220. Sachin Dimri, thanks, very useful additional information.
    6
  2221. Watch this you socialist schmucks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhO6EhUMicw UN human rights say Maduro is killing people right left and centre. Not that it interests you morons.
    6
  2222. All these topics are now a footnote to the horrors in Ukraine. Well done Modi - he has reduced India to a supporting actor in the first genocide of the 21st century. It is hard to imagine greater shame for a democracy.
    6
  2223.  @robertbutts9835  What I mean is that Russia never changed. It simply segued from the Cheka, NKVD, KGB to the FSB. The real power was in the hands of the Intelligence Agency. The Moscow FSB then organized the Apartment Bombings to bring Putin to power.
    6
  2224. Mexico a failed state. To release a drug cartel prisoner out of fear of reprisal, leaves one wondering whether the Mexican government has any shame.
    6
  2225. There are 10 anti-tank missiles for every Russian tank in Ukraine. God bless the USA Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts" Don't look to Germany - they have promised arms before and then found a reason to cancel.
    6
  2226. The Greeks had a colony there in the 7th c. BC 1915 The Turkish Army suffered a humiliating defeat (to the Russians), losing more than 60,000 men. However, while retreating, the Turks destroyed dozens of Armenian villages in Bitlis Vilayet, massacring their inhabitants. Then the CUP (Committee for Union and Progress) began the Greek genocide.
    6
  2227. 130 mega watts of data. Think of the greenhouse gases, what a carbon footprint.
    6
  2228. Who are Hezbollah ? Remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? Welcome to Hezbollah.
    6
  2229. Once again Al-Jazeera are confirming one of my theses : that religion has nothing to do with it. (Bear with me) Arafat ruled for 40yrs as a corrupt dictator. He wasn't perusing polices that furthered Islam, he was pursuing policies that kept him in power. The same applies to Fatah and Hamas today. Likewise the 'Jewish State' manoeuvre has nothing to do with religion, it's a chess move to weaken your opponents. No educated Israeli believes in the literal truth of the Torah , they don't actually believe in God, the whole Bar Mitzvah thing is just a cultural tradition.
    6
  2230. Good luck to Algerians. But I'm not hopeful. The history of Islam and North Africa is Totalitarianism, Despotism, Corruption , Military Juntas, torture imprisonment, fanaticism, theocracy, brainwashing in Madrasa, No independent media, no independent institutions, brutal Police. Very little gives you hope.
    6
  2231. No mention of Hamas again ! Well done Al Jazeera never mentions Hamas
    6
  2232. If they gave degrees in tyre burning and stone throwing. the Palestinians would be the best educated in the world. Arafat stole $3 billion that could have been invested in education, instead the PA encourage young people to martyr themselves "attacking the fence". What a vacuous, corrupt , clueless leadership.
    6
  2233. Dmitriy Russia has been humiliated - this war is lost. It is just a question of whether Putin can survive.
    6
  2234. Germany sent 500 top-hats.
    6
  2235. Don't fool yourself. The chap at the end would have lost his job if he'd criticised Iran. You are viewing Iran as a democracy ; it isn't even a pseudo democracy it is a theocracy. Any one of the interviewees could have been arrested for speaking seditiously or their family blocked from employment or they could lose their job. Wake up !
    6
  2236. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    6
  2237. "No US military involvement" But they will be supplying Stingers, missiles (Cruise and Patriot), drones etc When US say Russia will "Pay a price", they mean also in blood.
    6
  2238. Meanwhile, Norway, which has less oil, has one of the largest Sovereign Wealth Funds in the world. Why is that ? Well because it's a civilized country and Venezuela is a $hithole country. But why ? Because all South and Central American countries were under Spain's absolute authoritarian monarchy which segued into military dictatorship. The countries have no history of democracy or representation. In fact they like a hard-man ruler and given the opportunity will vote for one.
    6
  2239. The EU expected China to behave in a humane manner. China have only just stopped harvesting human organs and now imprison 1,000,000 Uyghurs.
    6
  2240. The power of civilization, harnessed against the barbaric Orcs.
    6
  2241. Ibrahim, Saudi do not have human rights. There is no mention of human rights in the Koran. The concept of human rights developed out of the Enlightenment in the 17th C. That was a period when Europe shook off the shackles of religion and turned to science. That is why Europeans steamed ahead of the Muslim world which still embraced medieval ideas.
    6
  2242. Russia (the Axis of Evil) are supporting the brutal dictatorship. Russia spreads corruption and authoritarianism : these are the hallmarks of the Axis of Evil.
    6
  2243.  @retrotemp  , try telling that to Iranian protestors shot by police rooftop snipers.
    6
  2244. LOL Israel will suspend annexation of the West Bank. They wanted to do that anyway. " Netanyahu's annexation plan in disarray as Gantz calls for delay " Just Googled it and that was the first item. I'm telling you, this isn't a concession : Israel were going to suspend it anyway.
    6
  2245. Egypt : why is the choice a military dictator or fascist Islamic theocracy ?
    6
  2246. LOL, every time he finished his analysis there was just silence.
    6
  2247. Despotism restored.
    6
  2248. LOL Egypt couldn't clear pick-up truck extremists from Sinai. They had to call on Israel. LOL Sisi is all sweat and talk. Egypt's military control 30% of Egypt's GDP and live for corruption. They don't want to go fight. LOL
    6
  2249. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    6
  2250. Rajoy talks about Law and Justice but there is NO investigation into Spanish Police violence. The Civil Guard beat, kicked , dragged girls by the hair, sexually assaulted girls , threw old ladies down steps and stomped on people on the floor. Spain have refused to investigate any violence but Catalonia are presenting the evidence to the EU in the Hague.
    6
  2251. When the Ayatollah funds Hezbollah and other terrorist groups inside Iraq, then Hezbollah can expect to be attacked in Syria. Also, Iranian IRGC commanders who coordinate terrorist activity can expect to be assassinated.
    6
  2252. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1890) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    6
  2253. "pro Iran fighters" = Hezbollah. "Killing is a habit with them" said the sister of their latest assassination victim in Lebanon.
    6
  2254. Oli, tell me about it. The truth only came out when Donna Brazil had a book to sell. It makes you want to weep the DNC is so corrupt.
    6
  2255. The UN should ask Russia not to supply BUK missiles to the drunken separatists. Just so no more innocent lives are lost.
    6
  2256. What about the Persian people having to bow to the Ayatollah. You're very quick to throw other people's freedoms away.
    6
  2257. How does Germany help ? By placing a veto on tanks. Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately, but the German government stopped the sale. Germany is a "shaky" nation, France isn't much better. The fighting nations are the ones in AUKUS
    6
  2258.  @default2591  The generals are hand-in-glove with China. The old Myanmar dictators were in bed with China - it's an old tradition.
    6
  2259.  @default2591  "trade only trade" ? Is that why China crushes democracy in Hong Kong, threatens Taiwan, and imprisons a million Uyghurs ?
    6
  2260.  @kaidi223  China has only just stopped the practice of harvesting human organs from prisoners. China are not spreaders of humanitarianism : the Chinese jackboot is never welcomed, look at China's neighbours : they are all afraid of China.
    6
  2261. God bless the USA .....they are sending long range rockets systems.
    6
  2262. Fascist Police thugs.
    6
  2263. Poor Russia : it is heading towards being a $hithole country at 100mph. It is haemorrhaging it's brightest young people at the rate of 40,000 a year. Russian people have never known democracy : they've never had rights or an independent rule of law. They have never had accountable government just autocrats : Tsar , Stalinists, Putin.
    6
  2264. Very impressive. Why can't Africans do this. How do they end up with ZANU and ANC one-party states ?
    6
  2265. Indian guy has had a pint of beer poured over his head and is trying to come to terms with the humiliation.
    6
  2266. Maduro and his 2000 corrupt generals are quite fat. They are actually trying to loose weight . Of course the aid is political how can it not be : the ones who are starving are the opposition. Maduro supporters are well fed . You don't see liberals criticising Maduro for only feeding his supporters.
    6
  2267. Guterres defended Hamas after Oct 7th "It didn't happen in a vacuum"
    6
  2268. Luqman, I agree. But it's important the Kurds pick their moment. They were correct to back down in Iraq. This might be different : if you have well defended positions they could do some damage to the Turks. I hope so.
    6
  2269. Zack, Turkey may be in for a shock when they encounter US weapons taking out their tanks. Also anti-aircraft missiles. Also, Turkey are the aggressors and that looks bad in world opinion. All Turkey's neighbours hate Turkey because of its history of brutality and oppression towards them. The EU hate Erdogan and Eastern Europe hate Turkey. I would back the US and Kurds.
    6
  2270. Correct. We (the civilized world) must make the Kremlin gangsters pay a very heavy price for their aggression.
    6
  2271. OBITUARY Morsi was a brave leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was also very dumb, which all fanatics are. He was gifted the presidency and let it slip through his bigoted buttery fingers. He couldn't wait to start victimising folk he disagreed with : hand a religious-wally power and wait for the ruthless intolerance ( gay suspects thrown from roofs, Christians murdered, opponents imprisoned, TV comedians threatened, etc etc ) His death was how he would have wanted it : fulminating against an impious irreligious authority which his medieval mind couldn't assimilate.
    6
  2272. Ethiopia's Prime Minister (Nobel winner) :- In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding the sexual violence in the Tigray War. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause]. Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war”. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee can sure pick 'em.
    6
  2273. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate" them.
    6
  2274.  @arctic3038  The Taliban only has Pakistan (and even then not openly).
    6
  2275.  @ИгорьЖильцов-д8х  I've watched Russian videos which show a commercial GPS system in their planes ! The system is actually made for boats and measures water depth. Do you want to watch it ? I'll look for the link.
    6
  2276. It reminds me of Dad's Army : they had to deal with a sea-mine in one episode. Hodges (ARP warden) ended up bowling at it, being the star bowler of the local cricket team.
    6
  2277. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    6
  2278. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. The Axis of Evil : China, Russia, North Korea Iran etc etc All corrupt dictatorships , anti-democratic, anti-human-rights.
    6
  2279. Boris said :- "So that you - the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, will be able to do what I believe Ukrainians yearn to do and that is to expel the aggressor from Ukraine. And that will be the moment for talks about the future." Expel the aggressor, then talks. Macron "Don't humiliate Russia" and "Ukraine must hand over some territory"
    6
  2280. Correct. Hezbollah are the fascist thugs at the root of most problems in Lebanon. Hezbollah want a fascist theocracy (like Iran).
    6
  2281. 0:07 what is this guy saying ? He seems to be accusing the Saudi of cowardice ? LOL nobody will believe that : the Saudi is the bravest warrior in the world. Haven't you seen the old duffers doing the sword-dance. With their soft hands , wet-lips and fat-bellies they are more than a match for their slaves , to whom they like to give a good beating.
    6
  2282. They look like a nice couple (of despots).
    6
  2283. Germany is a large part of the problem :- a) closing nuclear power plants, to become totally dependent on Russia b) placing a veto on arms sales to Ukraine. c) of all the EU windbags, Germany is the worst d) keeping the EU weak with its pusillanimous policies.
    6
  2284. France has humiliated itself (again) The French minister looked almost hysterical 1840 Eastern crisis- France humiliated 1898 Fashoda - France humiliated France keeps doing this to itself
    6
  2285. "The only political party with an armed wing". And you wonder why it won the election. Hezbollah are fascists. Remember the student protests in Tehran ? It was Hezbollah who were beating them with clubs. Hezbollah are anti-democratic thugs.
    6
  2286. Great shooting : that is almost the Javelin's limit (6km ?)
    6
  2287. Marvellous accuracy. Praise the Lord.
    6
  2288. "Testimony not credible", said the judge. It means there is no evidence to convict Rajoy but he is a liar and at best an enabler of corruption. (At worst he was in on it).
    6
  2289. Ukraine has weapons that are from "War of the Worlds"
    6
  2290. Putin & Bismarck A British diplomat warned Bismarck about the disapproval of Europe. "What is Europe ?" replied Bismarck. "Many great nations", said the English diplomat. Putin thought European liberals were pacifists. Ursula von der Leyden has disabused him of that notion.
    6
  2291. LOL Iran are saying "It won't be zero : we will sell some oil" Well obviously you can sell some oil but will it save you ? Can you sell enough to bring inflation down from 40% ? Can you sell enough to stop the people rising up and throwing out the corrupt fascist Ayatollahs ? The answer is no. There is no light at the end of the tunnel for the theocratic dictators.
    6
  2292. What a well spoken presentable young man. He hasn't done his career prospects any harm with his vault-face . I think he could be, dare I say, junior minister material.
    6
  2293. Oh boy, the Egyptian military have been corrupt for 50yrs. They have always had their own economy : they take 35% of the GDP and spend it how they like. No transparency, no accountability. Why have the people only just woken up ? This has been going on for decades.
    6
  2294. 14 Palestinian policemen beat Nizar Banat to death : they have all been released.
    6
  2295. Well done Canada and Spain - sending ships to the Black Sea. Some countries are showing their mettle. Other countries (leading members of the EU) are doing considerably less, in fact they are hindering efforts to support Ukraine : shame on that country, which will remain nameless, but which made a disgraceful pact with Russia last century.
    6
  2296. What terrible journalism. No mention of the actual split in 2014 - when Ukraine officially appointed its own Patriarch. In fact no historical contact at all.
    6
  2297. British (Ministry Of Defence) "Russia suffering ‘dwindling stockpiles’ of modern weapons"
    6
  2298. In other words Tunisia is a $hithole country.
    6
  2299. Shame on Spain : for reminding Europe about its police brutality, its inability to resolve internal disputes without resorting to fascist violence, and its justice system founded by Franco (never purged after his death).
    6
  2300.  @ulawsiron3535  That lucky driver will be enjoying 7 virgins in paradise. He shouted Allah-akbar and died a martyr.
    6
  2301. Best infantry in the world (at the moment) Even Igor Girkin said they are "decisive, motivated and well commanded"
    6
  2302. India is terribly uncivilized now ! Imagine what it was like when the British arrived 250yrs ago. The very first political parties (congress) were founded by the British who identified with India's right to self-governance. All the Indian founding- members of the Congress party were Free-masons. Everything civilized in India is the result of education and positive influence. Everything backwards and inhumane is the results of thousands of years of tribal religious belief and ignorance.
    6
  2303.  @Perkelenaattori  Another Soviet joke :- Inmates were saying why they'd been sent to the Gulag : "Laziness" says one man. "We had been telling jokes at a party, and my wife said, shall we denounce them tonight or wait until morning. I was tired so said morning. But was woken by a knock on the door : the other guests had denounced us that night."
    6
  2304. LOL don't expect the African Union to do the right thing. They will do the minimum to placate world opinion. The African Union is a fraternity of corrupt despots.
    6
  2305. She decided to call a general election while walking her dog. Likewise she consulted next to nobody about her Brexit deal.
    6
  2306. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    6
  2307. I'm a European but the EU messed up big time on key issues :- a) forcing free movement of terrorists on all countries b) defending terrorists human rights whilst ignoring the majority c) sentencing an Afgahn who had decapitated his girlfriend to 12yrs, releasing him after 7yrs then allowing him to come to the UK where he immediately armed himself with a machete and attacked Police. d) etc E) etc f) etc
    6
  2308. The ceasefire is about Hamas rockets, not Israeli policing.
    6
  2309. Survival of the strongest - the story of Palestine Yasser Arafat governed with an iron fist : beating and killing opponents Hamas beat up and kill opponents - they threw Fatah guys off roofs Palestine is like Gangs of New York - the strongest help themselves
    6
  2310. Merkel
    6
  2311. " I can't remember when", Biden used that phrase about six times. Good God Joe, if you can't remember just waffle like Trump. Don't keep letting everyone know you've lost the plot.
    6
  2312. 1:50 "Ultra catholic TV channel" LOL all Catholics are 'ultra'. There is no latitude on questions of faith. Catholicism is an absolutist religion : the Pope infallibly decides all. You can't say, "I'm not really into exorcism and I'm sort of in favour of abortion rights".
    6
  2313. Russia seeks to maintain despots in all their neighbouring countries.
    5
  2314. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    5
  2315. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    5
  2316. Investigation ? No need, everyone knows who owns it. There was an ongoing court battle to have it removed, which the owners kept delaying for 6yrs. Lebanon is like Gangs of New York : different factions control their own patch. So who owned and controlled the "Ammonia Nitrate" (that's how the high explosives were labelled) ......well look no further than Hezbollah. Who paid for it ? Oh, that would be Iran, they 100% fund Hezbollah ( with Obama's $13 billion he handed them in cash !)
    5
  2317. Russia is just finishing ........ Ukrainian forces are “gradually” seizing territory from Vladimir Putin’s military in the south western province of Kherson, British defence chiefs said on Friday. "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons " MOD Putin now wants talks (That means Russia is exhausted).
    5
  2318. A shiver of pride went down my spine when I listened to Scott Morrison. "Sending military aid through the United States and the United Kingdom" AUKUS isn't a talking shop. PS Has India found its moral compass yet ?
    5
  2319. One would not want to be some poorly equipped, half-baked Russian conscript facing these guys.
    5
  2320. The hand that signed the paper felled a city. Five sovereign fingers taxed the breath. Doubled the globe of dead, and halved a country. These five kings did a king to death.
    5
  2321. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    5
  2322. Well done Bono & Edge. Cynics will decry the visit as self-promotion : they are wrong. "Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more". That is old Bono's philosophy - he is in Ukraine because he cares.
    5
  2323. Exactly Palestine has been failing for 70yrs but still keep up the same policy. Yasser Arafat ruled for 40yrs as a corrupt dictator : that was a disaster Not for him, he managed to steal $3 billion of Gulf oil money
    5
  2324. What would happen when China launch the invasion ? Well, China's troop ships have to travel 110 miles to reach Taiwan. It would be like the Belgrano : the President would tell US submarines to strike if they felt threatened. That would be the green light. Not a single Chinese ship would make landfall.
    5
  2325. Can Iran survive US sanctions? I hope not.
    5
  2326. Well done France. (There are some cruel comments, I'm not joining them, but I am laughing along)
    5
  2327. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    5
  2328. To address this issue dispassionately, let us look at the Golan Heights. Nobody believes they should be returned to despotic Syria. Agreed It is occupied land which Israel has every right to posses (for security) Now let us consider the West Bank. How does it differ from the Golan Heights ?
    5
  2329. Erdogan has imprisoned more journalists than any other country. Turkey has NO DEMOCRACY The opposition are arrested and intimidated : just like Putin's Russia.
    5
  2330. Congratulations China : a lovely photo , two dictators . The axis of evil. AS if we don't know China have asked Rocketman to demand the US remove troops from S Korea. It is so obvious.....but dangerous. The US are very sanguine about a military strike on N Korea.
    5
  2331. This is good news. Islam has kept the middle east in the dark ages. Let's take a historical view :- During the English Civil War there were many groups : Ranters, Levellers, Quakers, Anabaptists etc they were all anti-clerical and progressive. Even the English Archbishop said ,"Most men hate the Church". That's how England led the world with the Industrial Revolution. England rejected clericalism in ~1640. The middle east needs to wake up and dump religion.
    5
  2332. 0:54 "It could be a natural disaster" Some of the bodies were found wearing shackles : that's an odd feature for a natural disaster. Rest assured the cover-up is already underway.
    5
  2333. The Crocodile : he's only interested in corruption. He has 2 of the military coup leaders in his cabinet : what do you think they want ? A big pay off.......in Africa it is all about corruption and always will be. There are no institutions and there is no history of accountability. Africa should have been governed by the UN until institutions (merchant, educational, workers unions , journalism, intelligentsia etc) had been established.
    5
  2334. Civilians have everything to fear from Turks. That is why all Turkey's neighbours hate Turkey : they oppressed and brutalised everyone they conquered. Erdogan is a pariah. The EU and US hate him. There is no future for Turkey when the main players are against them.
    5
  2335. Islam hadn't been invented when the Hagia Sophia was built.
    5
  2336. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    5
  2337. Catalonia was independent from the time of Ferdinand & Isabella (1472). Aragon & Castile were unified in name only : all regions of Spain kept their own parlements and fiscal autonomy. In 1640 Portugal and Catalonia broke from Castille and declared full independence. Spain was never actually united. To say "Catalan independence is a shattered dream" , is to show a total ignorance of history.
    5
  2338. 0:20 Secondary explosion means a direct hit. Subsequent smoke signal spells "Russia is losing"
    5
  2339. One Palestinian said, "This is the greatest nation on Earth". Why doesn't anyone fact check Palestinians ? Palestine has never been a nation : it was Roman, Byzantine, Umayyid, Abassid and Ottoman. And if it was a nation it wouldn't be the greatest : it would be a corrupt authoritarian pseudo democracy one-party state.
    5
  2340. 1:20 Music to my ears : "The U.S. threatening sanctions on politicians with ties to Hezbollah" Hezbollah are the barbarians sitting in Lebanon's Finance Ministry and refusing to move, as Lebanon goes down the pan.
    5
  2341. Remember how Putin came to power in 1999, after a series of Apartment Bombings ? Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    5
  2342. 21:24 CET: Polish radio station PolskieRadio24 reports: "A witness to the event, who called Polish Radio 3 before 5:00 p.m., reported that two rockets flew over the village. - One exploded in the field, the other hit the corn cart next to my neighbors in Przewodów - he said." At least one missile was Russian NATO simply does not want to respond to a hot potato.
    5
  2343. Russia is being kicked from @rsehole to breakfast-time, the mechanism is more of the same. Russian ships daren't leave Sevastopol.
    5
  2344. I think starvation was caused when 'war-veterans' took over farms and then started getting drunk and inviting prostitutes round to party. Show me a farm run by war-veterans that is a success. Also, when the war-veterans took over the farms they beat the black farm workers. But war-veterans don't want to work the farm, they just want to loot it.
    5
  2345. The Shah was overthrown in 1979 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : they were hanged 6 at a time from forklift trucks. Read The executioners deserve medals.
    5
  2346. Russia's 300,000 drunks would have no chance against NATO.
    5
  2347. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
    5
  2348. How times change. When Pakistan invaded Bangladesh they killed 3 million.
    5
  2349. Rafah is also the "last refuge" of Hamas (Al Jazeera always leave that bit out)
    5
  2350. Well said. (Well observed) The members of ISIL or TTP are also members of the Taliban- or close associates of Taliban members. Statistically, there are probably 3 - 10% of Taliban who have sympathies with the more extreme groups responsible for the blast.
    5
  2351. My understanding is that during the negotiations the EU suggested they would use the Irish agreement to hamstring the UK if it left without a deal : i.e. if the UK doesn't bow down to the Eu's position and walks away, then the EU will use terms in the Irish agreement to punitively punish the UK. That is why the UK were forced to introduce clauses (against EU extortion).
    5
  2352. This case reminds me of the JonBenét Ramsey case. In that case it was obvious the mother had written the ransom note - it was written on their kitchen note-pad ! And it used phrases idiosyncratic to the mother. In the McCann case it is obvious the parents know something :- a) they refused to speak individually. b) their behaviour was bizarre - both kneeling on the bed and weeping as they showed cops her room. c) washing all the evidence including cuddly toy etc etc
    5
  2353. Axis of Evil : China , North Korea , Russia, Iran etc etc All anti-democratic, anti-human-rights. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    5
  2354. 0:48 laugh my head off. I always laugh most at Jimmy's impersonations. Chuck Schumer - with the glasses, always had me howling.
    5
  2355. CCP = no.1 liars
    5
  2356. Gosh, Giuliani knows about corruption and lying : he's an expert practitioner.
    5
  2357. Erdogan has imprisoned more journalists than any country on Earth : a proud record.
    5
  2358. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    5
  2359. "Nothing is out of whack at all" Spoken like a true American (with dementia)
    5
  2360. Well said ! Both fellows
    5
  2361.  @simonsimonovic2072  , that's a very fair point. And one to which there is no reasonable answer. Except to say that the lack of democracy in all those countries hardly justifies the corrupt gangsterism of Russia.
    5
  2362. "The key to solving problems is not in the hands of foreigners". It's in the hands of an Islamofascist dictatorship. Listen to the Old Fakir telling it like it is on economics. Who'd think a Muslim ding-bat like him could tackle 21st Century finance. He must have read a kindergarten book about it. That's if they allow books in kindergarten , the anti-democratic, inhumane , misogynistic student-raping animals. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html
    5
  2363. "Rajoy won't negotiate ," You say. But he has just asked Puigdemont to call fresh elections to avoid him(Rajoy) triggering article 155. Puigdemont said,"No". That sounds like a bloke who is negotiating but is saying he won't negotiate to mollify his lynch-mob supporters.
    5
  2364. Right on the button : simply the best.
    5
  2365. Maybe you think Erdoğan is an Islamic dictator and maybe you're right. But Turkey have a professional military (not a hodge-podge of pick-up-truck hooligans) And you can expect to see significant results. As to what is actually going on in Libya.......who knows ? But I'd prefer Turkey on my side than some pusillanimous Gulf states.
    5
  2366. Why not ask yourself why no progress has been made ? Why is Palestine in a worse position than it was back in 1947 when the UN offered it a 2-state solution ? Do you think Arafat did a good job when he ruled as a corrupt dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion ? Ask some questions. Don't just charge over there to start demonstrating : that's got you nowhere for 70yrs.
    5
  2367. Oleg, why aren't you asking the Mughal invaders to pay back what they took ? Or the Mongol invaders ? Or the Persians ? Or the Greeks ? The Indian subcontinent has one long history of invasion/settlement. The irony being that every invader was transformed into an Indian. Of all the invasions the British was the most beneficial and least destructive.
    5
  2368. 1:22 "Turkey also promised to inject more money into the economy". LOL that's one way to tackle inflation (NOT) If you are Turkish better invest in a wheelbarrow for all the lira you will need to buy a loaf of bread. Turkey is heading down the Zimbabwe road.
    5
  2369. Hitchens is no military strategist. China is blockaded using submarines, the 110-mile Taiwan straits are defended likewise. The US have just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. AUKUS was all about submarines - 9 nuclear. Blockade would collapse the CCP, and huge life loss crossing to Taiwan would also threaten to collapse the CCP.
    5
  2370. Oh no, what will the Palestinians do now ? They had been making great progress over the last 70yrs. The policy of teaching children to crawl around with wooden rifles, then throw stones when they get older, whilst the crooked politicians sit in their mansions, is going to be dealt a terrible blow. What will happen to Saeb's mansion and his loot ? I suppose his family keep it all. Yaser Arafat condemned Palestine to failure, during his 40yr dictatorship (during which he stole $3 billion). There is now no hope.
    5
  2371. Erdogan and Turkey are examples of corrupt-authoritarian-pseudo-democracy (CAPD) CAPD is a danger to genuine western democracy : it proliferates throughout Africa, S America and Asia and is a bigger enemy than Communism. Turkey are only nominally members of NATO The rest of NATO know Turkey to be part of the enemy.
    5
  2372. "Laboured" This discussion is laboured - it never really gets going
    5
  2373. They are remarkably brave.
    5
  2374. If your idea of a President is a Noob then vote for Beto. A guy that uses the "F" word in front of his wife and daughter. Who goes into the woods to find himself. Goes on a road-trip to connect with himself. And has it all recorded on a documentary.....about himself.
    5
  2375.  @dustintacohands1107  , Everyone despised Arafat : he stabbed the Jordanians in the back , double crossed the Egyptians, the Syrians hated him, Bill Clinton said "You can't trust a word he says". Arafat was a liar , an egotist , a megalomaniac, corrupt , deceitful, self-serving and a poor judge of politics. Historians wisely said of Arafat , "He never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity". Arafta's no 1 concern was keeping himself in power.
    5
  2376. A very balanced report.....well done.
    5
  2377. In WW1, Ataturk advised the Ottoman government to remain neutral, then join the allies. The Turks joined Germany and the Ottomans collapsed. India has decided to back Moscow with a nod & wink. It will prove a huge embarrassment for future generations. The Ukraine war is the defining event for the 21st century : make sure you pick the right side.
    5
  2378. No surprise to see Russia (the Axis of Evil) propping up a corrupt, thuggish dictator.
    5
  2379. China has a catastrophic weakness : it can't feed itself. In the event of a blockade by the US China simply collapses.
    5
  2380. China have done well. They can turn the screw on their 3rd world debtors. Notice how the WHO waited until the virus had spread world-wide before they called "pandemic". China should have been isolated until a vaccine was found. Now the West sinks as China rises. Thanks WHO.
    5
  2381. Good soundtrack : fizzling bombs, punctuated by "Salut, salut !"
    5
  2382. The instruction to "hold your hands up and don't lower them", conflicts with "crawl towards me" Crawl : is on hands and knees or feet ; but on all fours. The SWAT should have said, "walk on your knees". The guy was drunk 0.29 alcohol. But I think the SWAT wanted him away from the apartment door because he thought another gunman was inside.
    5
  2383. I think I'd prefer Israel. Did you see those buildings demolished in Gaza ? That was unheard of precision. Even an expert placing charges couldn't have done as good a job.
    5
  2384. German warship "Bayern" asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai. China told them, "Get lost" So the Germans need to do much more grovelling.
    5
  2385. Turkey calls the shots So let Turkey pay to rebuild Syria Why should the EU pay when Turkey decides all major issues ?
    5
  2386. Well said Ursula von der Leyden. She has replaced Merkel as the new leader of Europe. More reliable and steadfast than Macron (who, like Modi, can appear shaky)
    5
  2387. Iran's public relations nightmare : the terrorist Revolutionary Guard (RG). LOL Iran's economy is on resuscitation and the RG is making things worse. There are no military gains from this aggression : it's an exercise in stupidity by Iran. Of course the moron fanatics applaud it. But the civilized world see the Ayatollah for what he is : a dangerous thug.
    5
  2388.  @stefankeller7176  Well in that case they were certainly looking at prison sentences. That explains their panic and desperation. What a sad event : two half-wits murder two policemen.
    5
  2389. Gerard ‘t Hooft is one of only three people who understand Superdeterminism.
    5
  2390. And God bless Europe. (Even though God never buttered a parsnip)
    5
  2391. Who are the Palestinian folk heroes and leaders ? When bedouin were raiding the Palestinians and taking their daughters, who was the leader who unified Palestinians and became a national hero ?
    5
  2392. What price India's honour ? Answer :- A single shipment of cheep oil + Russian military junk Putin treats Modi with condescension (watch the sword incident) The Ukraine invasion is THE big event of the 21st century, Hand history will show India to be a contemptible nation.
    5
  2393. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    5
  2394. Shame on India for sitting on the fence. History will remember India for having lost its moral compass.
    5
  2395. Why do Hamas put the people through this ? If Hamas release ALL hostages the war will end Shame on Hamas
    5
  2396. 1:23 "Forgotten all of their convictions" I've just commented apropos Mohammed Morsi 'That's where fanaticism gets you'. The point being , that ditching your convictions is a good thing.
    5
  2397. Hamas, had given Israel an ultimatum to stand down its forces at Al-Aqsa by 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). At one minute past Hams fired rockets into Israel. The start of the war.
    5
  2398. Russia has a medieval army, based on the brutalization of conscripts. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    5
  2399. Russia have caused more environmental damage than anyone : Chernobyl, Aral sea, etc
    5
  2400. Surovikin handed back Kherson 9 Nov , not Kharkiv
    5
  2401. The Palestinian leadership has been a disgrace for 70yrs. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. Arafat was sending $1 million per month to his wife in Paris. Ask yourself what have the PA achieved ? Stone throwing , tyre burning and Intifada .....young folk die while the old corrupt leaders build themselves mansions and enrich their families.
    5
  2402. Iran have ruined Lebanon (Hezbollah) and turned it into a failed state. The Ayatollah will ruin Iraq too. The fascist theocracy in Iran will spread until it is stopped.
    5
  2403. 1:50 "A Palestinian accused of ramming his vehicle into Police" He was shot dead. Not "accused" French propaganda makes it sound as though guilt hasn't been established. 6 officers were injured, the car damaged and the driver, having shouted Allahuakbar was killed.
    5
  2404. Well done Ukraine. (But also, well done USA, NATO and EU. I hope we don't see any back-sliding in the Western Alliance)
    5
  2405. Turns out it wasn't Hezbollah's explosives, my apologies. I just assumed. Given that Hezbollah are the most violent thugs in Lebanon with a huge arsenal of weapons and explosives, I naturally assumed it was theirs that had gone off.
    5
  2406. Why is Africa a corrupt, sectarian, superstitious failure ?
    5
  2407. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    5
  2408. Well done Nikki Haley She is thinking about hostages Al Jazeera refuse to show the Hamas hostage video Why ? Well ask yourself - what do you imagine it shows ? All the girls smiling ?
    5
  2409. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    5
  2410. Axis of Evil = China, North Korea, Russia, Turkey, Iran etc etc
    5
  2411. The Palestinian problem was unsolvable before Oct 7th It is now 10 x worse
    5
  2412. I sense Erdogan behind this opportunistic aggression.
    5
  2413. That is part of Biden's charm - forgetting names and making a jackass of himself.
    5
  2414. Another chap removed his comment saying there was no justification for Israel reclaiming their own land. A brief history :-] Israel was colonised by Romans Palestine was colonised by Arabs. They were colonised by Ottomans In 1947 Egypt,Syria and Jordan all claimed Palestine. Finally the Israelis have settled back in their own land.
    5
  2415. That Lady is MUCH better on french affairs She explained that lot very well (She is all over the place on geopolitics)
    5
  2416. When elections scheduled for next month are postponed for 4yrs, I'd call that a junta.
    5
  2417.  @jjtighe8628  "no Gas and the price has sky rocketed" Russia will then be fined for breaking the contract. They will have to pay billions. The case will go to the WTO : Russia won't have a leg to stand on, and they will either pay up or have their assets seized.
    5
  2418. Very brave. The Ukrainian soldier is everything NATO hoped they would be. One cannot imagine any force better for fighting Russians : professionalism has harnessed their native ferocity. The Romans would've snapped up Ukrainians for their legions.
    5
  2419. Very interesting, and well explained.
    5
  2420.  @hadimoradi8894  , are you saying Hezbollah didn't control the port ? Beirut is like gangs of New York : Hezbollah turf includes the port and airport (North Beirut). The ammonium nitrate had been there 6.5yrs even though calls were made to remove it. If it didn't move (I suggest) Hezbollah didn't want to lose control of it, i.e. didn't want it moving out of their reach.
    5
  2421.  @AahFukIt  There is such a thing as civilisation. Britain played a huge role in creating it : 1847 Lord Minto toured Italy trying to encourage democracy 1864 Garibaldi visited London- 600k turned out to great him 1885 General Gordon in Sudan - his first dispatch included plans to build a college at Khartoum We are not going to watch Russian Orcs destroy it all
    5
  2422. "There's no incentive for Hamas now" But Hamas REFUSED the UN approved Deal ! DW makes excuses for Hamas and blames Israel ! But Hamas REFUSED the UN backed deal ! How dumb can DW get ?
    5
  2423. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    5
  2424. Good historical documentary, very informative.
    5
  2425.  @RusselKabirTR  The Ottoman Caliphate is responsible for the Middle East you see today. a) the Ulema banned printing in 1515 which condemned the Caliphate to 90% illiteracy, from which they began recovering after the caliphate collapsed. b) Despotism by numerous sultans was accompanied by endemic corruption. Abdul Aziz spent $2million per year on his palace and had 3000 eunuchs looking after countless number in his harem. This was when the Ottomans were on their knees with debt. The list is endless. How anyone can think the Caliphate a success is beyond me.
    5
  2426.  @jimcarlson6157  "suspicious omission of 1945" I mentioned the NKVD shooting officers and soldiers who wouldn't advance, or who wrote home any criticism of the regime. Russian soldiers were told to kill themselves rather than surrender. So all POWs were sent to the Gulags after the war : even the heroes. Russia has always been a dystopia.
    5
  2427.  @winterfell2650  Also, the US has the largest professional army. Do you know how many plane loads the USA delivers every day ? Twenty. Those huge cargo planes : 20 per day ! Nobody can match that. And it is all state-of-the-art gear.
    5
  2428.  @adinnaikhwani6255  , I am referring to all the thousands of innocent citizens who were tortured and killed by Argentina's military during the decades of military dictatorship. I think most of them stayed in power. Some of the younger murderers might still be in the military.
    5
  2429. What have they agreed ? More importantly what does the military want ? Wealth & Power. It will try to maintain as many levers as it can. It wants a share of the GDP like the Revolutionary Guard in Iran. Like Egypt's military with its own corrupt economy.
    5
  2430. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    5
  2431. Tom, very wise observation.
    5
  2432. Wrong. One could take an interest in history or literature, and have a marvellous time reading old masters. Hamlet replies: “O God, I could be bounded in a nut shell and count myself a king of infinite space.”
    5
  2433. Admiral Radakin's 3 points :- a) The response to Russian aggression will shape the coming century. b) Britain must become proactive in NATO c) NATO must be more proactive to defend civilization. Well said. Hear, hear ..... now let's put words into actions and relieve Mariupol.
    5
  2434. It declared post-colonial independence in 1853 There was a military coup in 1958 and it has been run by crackpots ever since. Don't expect anything to change.
    5
  2435. "We want to know what role...." Joe Biden had in the $50k a month his hapless son was given for "advising" a corrupt Ukrainian oligarch.
    5
  2436. Russia's barbaric atrocities in Bucha - maybe Wion could cover that one day ?
    5
  2437. Well done Trump. Germany is a delinquent nation.
    5
  2438.  @farzin294  Both the Ayatollah and FM Zarif said "Iran would never use nukes" then why impoverish the country acquiring them ? The fanatical Ayatollah is exactly the type of guy who WOULD use nukes.
    5
  2439.  @farzin294  , Yes it is because of sanctions. But why are there sanctions ? Because the Ayatollah wants nukes. If Iran abandons its nuclear program then sanctions will end.
    5
  2440. No thanks to Germany - who sabotaged Ukraine. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Scholz had to have his arm twisted to untether Germany from Russia.
    5
  2441.  @wma1270  , most military analysts consider the Saudis to have lost. The Saudi has a $trillion dollar military, yet it cannot beat medieval tribesmen, wearing sandals and armed with rifles.
    5
  2442. What nonsense.
    5
  2443. 9 Nov 2022 NY economics club mark Milley : "Right now Russia is on its back"
    5
  2444. Now is the time for Lebanon to take back its country !
    5
  2445. UN demands "Unconditional release of hostages" Hamas MUST release ALL hostages unconditionally Will Hamas comply ?
    5
  2446. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
    5
  2447. Ayatollah Khomeini taunted democrats in the Shah's parliament. When he landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with them and said, "I'll kick their teeth in ". As good as his word he executed 7000 in his first year.
    5
  2448. "the peaceful ones " that's most people. After the 30yrs war 1618-48 , which had devastated Europe with unbelievable brutality reducing the population in places by 25%. Frederick II said, "There is a deeper law than God's Law that obliges people to tolerate and help each other." That is Humanism : most people have that with a bit of nonsense religion on top.
    5
  2449. Larry, you are quite right but who's to blame ? Is it the DNC for ignoring working Americans and taking $600,000 for a one hour speech to Wall St. ? Or is it the DNC for rigging the primaries and pre-selecting a candidate that 68% of Americans said they didn't trust ? Or perhaps it's the DNC for selecting a candidate who has been corrupt since her first $100,000 cattle deal as the governor's wife in Arkansas ?
    5
  2450. The war will be short - 2 weeks. Ukraine must fire everything they have : Rapier missiles (~300) , Drones (~250), I hope they are given Exocets. There are 10k technical advisors in Ukraine (according to the Kremlin) One only needs a third of them to hit one target a day, for Russia to take 300 strikes a day (say 3 casualties per strike - that's 1k deaths a day. Russia will pay a heavy price.
    5
  2451. Many people said the same thing about Palestine : no real Peace in the Middle East until Palestine becomes a state. Look now, with the Abraham Accord countries are queueing up to normalize relations. Having watched the Palestinians fail to organize an election for 15yrs whilst lining their pockets, Arab countries are looking to their own interests.
    5
  2452. Understandable. Britain has always championed human rights :- a) In the 1890s they were spending £100,000 a year on six cruisers tp patrol East Africa and stop the Arab slave trade. b) In 1864 half a million turned out to greet Garibaldi "The only wholly admirable figure in modern history" (AJP Taylor.) c) The government always presented "the progress of civilization" when asking parliament to vote funds for a project (related to the partition of Africa). d) Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence, Gladstone supported Italian independence and Irish Home Rule. e) Queen Victoria fired off a telegram to the French after the Dreyfus verdict (describing it as a monstrous injustice). Thankfully it was intercepted before it caused a diplomatic incident.
    5
  2453. This lady is 100% FSB Ukraine intelligence warned everyone a long time ago. When she 'fled' to the west the first thing she did was call for "An end to sanctions". Saying it hurt the Russian people and didn't affect the regime.
    5
  2454. Hezbollah control the port. Everything that comes in and goes out does so with their cognisance. The storage of 2750 tons of ammonia nitrate was totally their decision. If Hezbollah wanted it moved it would've been gone in 2 weeks.
    5
  2455. EU aid ship from Cyprus :- It is a shallow draft ship (5m) That can carry 200 pallets of food 26 pallets = 1 truck So about 8 trucks The ship can do a round tip in 24hrs So at best it is 8 trucks a day (Hardly worth it)
    5
  2456. World Cup , Olympics : money well spent ?
    5
  2457. Where did the Palestinians go wrong ? Well 40yrs of an Arafat dictatorship, during which he stole $3billion, didn't help. Then there is education : children are taught to crawl around with wooden rifles and learn the Koran. Teenagers are told to throw stones and 'storm the fence'. 70yrs of failure has done nothing to change the policies of the corrupt old men. Democracy has been cancelled, to allow fanaticism (Hamas) and corruption (the PA) to run riot.
    5
  2458.  @mohamedadem4731  Wrong 1922 Ottoman Empire collapse 1924 Caliphate collapses Britain appoints a Grand Mufti of Jerusalem who looks to Damascus as his capital 1947 Palestinians refuse a UN 2 state solution 1967 the PLO looks to Cairo - the Arab League Nasser 1988 Palestinians finally declare themselves a state (for the first time in history)
    5
  2459. Well done Western Democracy. Shame on India.
    5
  2460. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia"
    5
  2461. Yeah, good work by the West. That shocked Putin.
    5
  2462. Well done Al-Jazeera. Nobody else covers this backwater.
    5
  2463. More lies ! "500 trucks daily" was the number normally delivered Most of that was consumer goods - food and essentials were 120 per day Al Jazeera always lies
    5
  2464. Wolfram is a very deep, under-appreciated, thinker.
    5
  2465. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    5
  2466. I agree, Turkey has done okay, considering how exposed it is economically. It is India that has shocked everyone, by giving Moscow a nod & wink of approval.
    5
  2467. Jeffrey, are you speaking from experience ? Your handle should be jeffrey muppet (with no caps) The only justification for your idiocy would be that you are soused, in which case the sooner you sober up the better for all of us.
    5
  2468.  @votebrian66  "Had annexed" ? When the East India Company was ended (1874) It boasted that it had handed the government, "The finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen". Britain administered, it didn't annex.
    5
  2469. Well done Bono & Edge. Cynics will decry the visit as self-promotion : they are wrong. "Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more". That is old Bono's philosophy - he is in Ukraine because he cares.
    5
  2470. Zelensky looks pale and tired : God bless him. Nancy pulled off that handshake with aplomb - then introduced the team. Adam Schiff almost had to say, "Don't I get a kiss" (Dad's Army)
    5
  2471. China want Rocket-man to demand the US remove their military-base from S Korea as part of denuclearisation. The US will not even consider it. But China will ease sanctions "To encourage progress in talks". So Rocketman gets sanctions lifted, China get the US base put on the negotiating table and Trump gets FA. This is not clever by China because the US are quite sanguine about a military strike.
    5
  2472. 23. A delusional interpretation of their own history. Because their heroes (Lenin, Stalin etc) are the most vile, repugnant characters imaginable. Stalin's wife :- after a public spat with Stalin at a party dinner over the effects of the government's collectivization policies on the peasantry, Nadezhda shot herself in her bedroom.
    5
  2473. A sad day for his son who had become a corrupt millionaire in the oil-for-food scandal. In Africa if you scratch the surface you always find corruption.
    5
  2474. "What’s at stake in Iran’s June 18 presidential election? " Not much. There was more at stake during the protests : that's why Iranian police snipers were murdering protestors.
    5
  2475. Any nation (China) which harvests human organs is capable of anything. India is a democracy ; China a corrupt autocracy. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    5
  2476. Chronology 21 Sep 2022 Putin "This time I'm not bluffing" 13 Oct NATO defence summit Brussels 13 Oct evening Macron on TV : "Nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington : US + UK nuclear response to Russia 21 - 24 Oct Gerasimov & Shoigu call the West 4 times in 4 days Russia capitulated I'm amazed nobody else knows this
    5
  2477. Egyptian officials have urged their Western counterparts to tell Israel that they see any move to force Gazans to cross into Sinai as a violation that would effectively suspend the 1979 peace treaty, according to a senior Western diplomat in Cairo
    5
  2478. Why don't Russian oligarchs buy them instead of getting their money out of the country and buying houses in London ?
    5
  2479. History Respect for the loser :- One is often filled with admiration for one's opponent. 1898 : The fearless Mahdi 1815 : Napoleon's Old Guard 480 BC : Courageous Spartans Russia establishes artillery batteries around Kyiv, to flatten the city - like Mariupol Churchill believed the Russians to be " a Quasi-Asiatic formless mass" A strange word 'formless', echoed by Alexander Kejove :- "Stalin turned the people into a jelly he could mould" I thin they were in agreement - a formless jelly.
    5
  2480. 2:46 "Hezbollah Hamas coalition" he should have added "Of those who oppose democracy". Both Hamas and Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascists.
    5
  2481. Correct. China has to cross 110 miles of water. It would be like a slaughterhouse. It would take China 2yrs to assemble an invasion army. AUKUS and the QUAD would be fully prepared, and when the balloon went up it would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
    5
  2482. 4:21 the power of the USA. Nobody would dare treat Chinese state security like that. Well done CNN and well done USA.
    5
  2483.  @southpole4776  "can you create the same for usa?" LOL Maybe. (But why would I want to)
    5
  2484. Saudi Arabia (may I be simplistic ?) can't fight. Their military is fat & flabby. Even with $ billion super-power weapons they cannot beat Houtis armed with antiques. Saudi Arabia were afraid of a few thousand ISIS fighters and had to pay proxi mercanaries to fight for them. Saudi Arabia are hopeless : they have cash & some U.S. fighter planes ; in a genuine difficult shooting war they haven't a chance.
    5
  2485. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP) John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    5
  2486. I've never heard of him but if he's rubbed everyone up the wrong way he might be that rare thing an honourable bloke.
    5
  2487. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    5
  2488. Yes. The "Enforcer" does a 2hr live stream each day. Also Denys Davydov does a 30 min update. Both recommended.
    5
  2489. Lying Trudeau can no longer rely on his good-looks. Voters are asking questions and presenting them with a smug face is no longer enough.
    5
  2490. Timeline 16 sep : Xi misses the final feast of the SCO and asks Erdogan to take his place 17 sep : Xi is arrested as he leaves the plane from Samarkand. 21 sep : meeting of the Military reform commision. Both Xi and his defence minister Wang Fei are absent. Everyone else is there - navy, army, air force etc
    5
  2491.  @PL_Con  Thanks. That makes my point. Nobody ever criticises the Ayatollah's fascist theocracy by saying "Iran should be exterminated". And yet the Ayatollah and his thugs Hezbollah, routinely talk about "wiping Israel off the map". This is why Iran must NEVER have nuclear weapons.
    5
  2492. 3:00 "Russia and Japan would face each other one on one" Britain's alliance was simply to keep out 3rd powers : ie to neutralize France. (France & Russia had an Entente)
    5
  2493. Numbers are very difficult and always debated. In Bangladesh some say Pakistan killed 300,000 others say 3 million. Some say Pakistan's military raped 200,000 others say 400,000. Either way it makes little difference to the victims :- " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
    5
  2494. One has to look back over 500yrs of history to explain South and Central America. Spain was forced to abandon fascist dictatorship in 1975 Portugal abandoned fascist dictatorship in 1974. It was the fascist militarism of the Iberian peninsular that established the culture in Latin America. (And the authoritarian Catholic Church, who were hand in glove with dictators to oppose Communism).
    5
  2495. WRONG ! He died in a "hard landing" LOL
    5
  2496. "What changed on the ground ?" I'll tell you : they were offered a share of the loot that Fatah steal every year from the Palestinians. Yasser Arafat stole 3 billion dollars . Also they are both One-Party dictatorships who beat and kill any Palestinian that dares to criticise them. They are both above the law and behave any way they like. They have a lot in common and now they have agreed to share the cash they are stealing from Palestinians.
    5
  2497. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    5
  2498.  @ThechannelofEric503  , actually Trump never did say it about Mexico : he was making the observation that the overwhelming number of refugees arriving at the US are from failed South/Central American states which he generically described as "$hithole countries".
    5
  2499. Why do oil rich countries do badly ? Compare oil with silver from America and look at Spain in the 16th Century. Spain dominated Europe and was fabulously wealthy but...... It manufactured nothing, didn't grow enough to feed itself, had no central bank or finance sector and paid for everything in silver. Exactly the same as the oil states.
    5
  2500. Lord Owen was asked on Radio 4 about Putin's nuclear threat, "The Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families".
    5
  2501.  @Just_another_Euro_dude  "top notch military drones from Turkey." The Kremlin went berserk - "Russia warns Turkey over drone sales". Putin knows how effective they are. Drones are a game-changer.
    5
  2502. That crew is fearless Talk about taking the fight to the enemy !
    5
  2503. "To make Pakistan a great nation", Imran Khan You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.
    5
  2504. The Armenian military get around $635 million a year. Their job is to defend the nation : in this conflict they totally miscalculated and expected it to be a re-run of the last conflict in which they did rather well. Because the military miscalculated someone has to carry the can........and it would be handy for that person to be a politician.
    5
  2505. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    5
  2506. "Trade, as well as cultural, technological and scientific exchanges lifted Portugal to a world power". Is simply wrong. This is a mistaken view of history. Portugal had the navigation, ships, motivation and men ; they didn't go on a cultural exchange. It was a crusade, largely in response to the Ottoman capture of Constantinople (1453) and the Levant trade with the East. Sometimes nice phrases can totally mislead ill-informed folk.
    5
  2507.  @Luredreier  , you paint a sorry picture of the proud Greeks. At the Battle of Navarino (1827) the Greeks had the most modern warship (besting France & Britain). After WW2 economic growth "The Greek Miracle" was spectacular. The best launchpad any country could hope for. It was Greek complacency and corruption that was their undoing. Go back as many centuries as you like, you simply cannot excuse educated, wealthy politicians squandering a golden opportunity by enriching themselves and their cronies and bribing the electorate with never-land policies of ever-reduced retirement age and ever renewed debts.
    5
  2508.  @tytsucksswanballs1108  , when you view your Youtube home page and find it full of conspiracy videos , do you know why that is ? It's because you're a moron. The Youtube algorithm has you correctly pegged as a conspiracy whack-job.
    5
  2509. My thoughts exactly. In England some luxury homes in the Lake District have to be demolished because they were built 50% larger than the planning application.
    5
  2510. That sounds like an honest report :- a) IDF bullet b) fired from IDF location Even if one could identify the rifle and the soldier. It would be difficult to say it was intentional. Eg Palestinian youths charging the fence received gunshot wounds in the leg which were clearly ricochets from the ground. Because IDF were told to fire at the ground.
    5
  2511. Because China are simply buying 86% less coal.......there's one statistic.
    5
  2512. Laura Ingraham is ignorant and rude . What a horrible lady. I switch off when she comes on she has no manners.
    5
  2513. Rejoice at that news. Rajoy is the butcher that sent in fascist police to beat up voters in Catalonia.
    5
  2514.  @mohamedyusuf5141  , Have the Palestinian people managed to recover any of the $3 billion Arafat stole ? His wife must be a multi-millionaire - she can't have spent $1 million a month even in Paris.
    5
  2515. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    5
  2516. @Timothy TwoTwoThree ....and the difference between the Napoleonic French and British ? Well, Napoleonic armies "lived off the land" (looted and thieved). The British had a logistics supply : Arthur Wellesley (to become Wellington) had every biscuit accounted for. It meant the British were respected and the French hated. In 1871 when Prussia crushed the French (Franco Prussian war), many Germans wanted to flatten Paris. The memory of French troops being billeted on the Germans, their looting and abuse, was so strong the hatred survived through generations. It is why the British are so respected. It is why 250k Indians volunteered to fight for Britain in WW2. It is why British parliamentary democracy became the model for Western Civilization. It's why intellectuals in Europe in 1848 (Revolution) believed the British system embodied the values fought for in the French Revolution (1789).
    5
  2517. Correct This guy is a closet appeaser
    5
  2518. Iranian justice : it depends how the Ayatollah is feeling : if he's got a sore head you stay in prison, if Hezbollah have succeeded in assassinating another politician in Lebanon the Ayatollah might free some prisoners. Westerners like an independent judiciary : that dates back to Magna Carta (1215) and the Bill of Rights (1689).
    5
  2519. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    5
  2520. nitz, pick one. What do you want ? It's a totally corrupt, nepotistic , authoritarian regime ; unelected, brutal : how much more do you want ?
    5
  2521. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    5
  2522. "A lasting legacy of mistrust" France should know about that. They fought alongside the Nazis in North Africa when the Allies landed. Many British and American soldiers were killed by the French trying to defend their Nazis comrades. Distrust of the French also in Indochina, where they recruited Japanese soldiers to help them suppress the local independence movement.
    5
  2523.  @nomxhosapekani7966  " SA really needs a good opposition party." I couldn't agree more. But when anyone stands against the ANC in the townships they get beaten or killed (188 killed so far). Also, Zuma testified that he raped a girl with AIDS then took a shower afterwards so as not to catch it himself : it doesn't inspire confidence.
    5
  2524. Maduro needs killing. Unfortunately 40% of Venezuelans support him. You find that in all $hithole countries : a large section of the population approve of authoritarian dictatorship. Look at the Congo or Zimbabwe or South Africa.
    5
  2525. Consider a few facts :- South America & Central America, which is Latin America, historically resemble the political histories of Portugal and Spain (the Iberian peninsular). Both began by being dominated by the Crown & Church, then segued into dictatorship with rampant corruption. (Very unlike Northern Europe and North America.) Why was North America different ? (USA and Canada) Well, because those colonies were built from the bottom up : Church councils were elected, town councils elected and governments elected. In Latin America the Catholic Church would govern education and censorship, hospitals, the postal service and much of the civil service (poor relief etc). The local government would be aristocratic, where corruption would be a perquisite. The Latin American people lionized the 'picaro' (whose books were banned by the Catholic Church), who would trick his superiors into providing him with a good meal and coins for his purse. That is the historical context for Latin American failure. Latin America was built from the top down (the Monarch and Catholic Church) North America was built from the bottom up (Merchant Adventurers funded colonization, the colonists elected officers for defence - military and marine, and elected a representative council).
    5
  2526. South and Central America are a bifurcation from Spain/Portugal. Spain is a country which is yet to become a stable democracy. Only in 1975 did Spain reluctantly abandon fascism.
    5
  2527. That ice cream eater with his favourite flavour - mustachio, should save his ideas for improving Turkey.
    5
  2528.  @eyeofthepyramid2596  , the 7000 executed by Ayatollah Khomeini were Socialists,Trade Unionists, Democrats, Journalists, Feminists and anyone who represented a threat or opposed him.
    5
  2529.  @eyeofthepyramid2596  , the 7000 executed by Ayatollah Khomeini were Socialists,Trade Unionists, Democrats, Journalists, Feminists and anyone who represented a threat or opposed him.
    5
  2530. Axis of Evil : Russia, China, Iran , North Korea etc etc All anti-democratic, anti-human rights. All totally disgustingly corrupt. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    5
  2531. Historian Stephen Kotkin said "France has a fantasy that it is a diplomatic superpower" Why does it have that fantasy ? Because militarily it is a failure, Imperialistically it was humiliated, and diplomatically France was outmanoeuvred (the 1840 crisis, Fashoda 1898, Agadir 1911). So after WW1, the French role in the League of Nations was celebrated as a triumph. Likewise after WW2, the French role in the UN was celebrated as a triumph. This is why France believes itself to be a diplomatic superpower.
    5
  2532.  @Nirvana_rocks007  Watch Russian TV, they clearly state "Half the world supports Russia" They are referring to India and China.
    5
  2533. LOL they haven't a clue where it started in the UK. They said the first transmission was Feb 28th........it was months before that !
    5
  2534. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. (Then harvesting his organs).
    5
  2535. Yes, if you read Shlomo Sands "Invention of the Jewish People" that is the case
    5
  2536. Nay, it's too late for that. If one were going to do that it should've been done weeks ago. Besides, Ukraine is only one rung up the ladder of democracy from Putin. Both countries are corrupt oligarchies, Russia is despotic and Ukraine has a patine of democracy. Zelensky's cronies have been caught many times engaging in corrupt practices and Zelensky just shrugs.
    5
  2537. I was just about to ask, "Have the howitzers arrived yet ?"
    5
  2538. Russians on social media are saying, "No Swan Lake on TV yet" "Maybe Swan Lake tonight" etc Swan Lake was played non stop when the USSR collapsed. Medvedev said, "They are trying to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen. Ben Hodges : "We should be prepared for the Russian Federation splitting apart" Nice to see Russia and America agree on something.
    5
  2539. This whole piece is based on a misconception : that Europe is pushing to re-engage with Iran, they're NOT. Macron has said, "Israel and Saudi must be consulted before the Nuclear deal is returned to".
    5
  2540. John Kirby is a class act
    5
  2541. Well it's been a long time in the making but nobody can say we didn't see this coming. It was predicted 30yrs ago and by some prescient analysts 70yrs ago.
    5
  2542. Youtube has a merchant seaman (Chief Engineer) who says Argentina's ports demand bribes Every company knows they must pay bribes in Argentina (Not good for trade)
    5
  2543. Russia calls the shots in this one. No doubt about it.
    5
  2544. Facts :- a) Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history, is that North America speaks English". It is the basis for AUKUS b) India needs a strong Russia as an ally against China : ipso facto, India wants Russia to succeed in Ukraine c) Turkey wants a weak Russia, vis-a-vis the Black Sea d) China is easily blockaded and has no oil : it is a geographical weakness. e) Likewise, by geographical fact, India's strategy is opposed to the West. India is an insignificant player against China - AUKUS simply doesn't need India. Conclusion : India is on Russia's side. This make take ages to dawn on western politicians, but eventually India will be marginalised.
    5
  2545. Cooj, I enjoy well informed long comments but yours is a long conspiracy theory. I stopped at " for the British it turned out Palestine was a good spot to ensure conflict for weapons sales ". Anyone who knows a bit of history knows you are taking great liberties with your theories.
    5
  2546. 1:28 I like that guy's kit : 3 magazines, tactical binoculars, tactical handcuffs and a tactical moustache.
    5
  2547. Ha ha ha Iran won't talk until we all return to the Nuclear Treaty : the Happy days when Iran was rolling in cash, spreading its terror network, oppressing its own people and hoodwinking the West. The Good Old Days when you could sell your oil and spend it.......on ballistic missile development, funding armed groups in Syria,Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon, plan assassinations in Europe and persecute dissidents. Those days when , thanks to Obama's stupidity Iran held all the cards. What fascist Ayatollah wouldn't want to turn back the clock.
    5
  2548. May I give some historical context, apropos Afghanistan. Syed Ahmad (Rae Bareili) (1786 - 1831) is credited with importing Wahhabism to India after a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1824. The British East India Company explorer Alexander Burnes (also a Freemason, upon whom 'The Man who would be King' was based) observed a change in the Afghan ruler Durst Muhammed. Whereas he had previously funded archaeological digging, art and fine wine, he suddenly started praying 5 times a day and abstaining from alcohol. Burnes said he had succumbed to Wahhabism. (1840) Before Wahhabism took hold the Afghans read books, collected art works and were as civilized as Muslims in Baghdad. Wahhabism ~1840 condemned Afghanistan to medieval stagnation.
    5
  2549. Rajoy is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
    5
  2550. Hamas hides in hospitals
    5
  2551. No, hopes aren't fading. Shooting is a sign of weakness by the military it's a last resort. They should have followed Sisi (Egypt) or Zimbabwe : take off your uniform and pretend to be elected. That's the smart Junta move.
    5
  2552. All these topics are now a footnote to the horrors in Ukraine. Well done Modi - he has reduced India to a supporting actor in the first genocide of the 21st century. It is hard to imagine greater shame for a democracy.
    5
  2553. Groping, I'm afraid , was part of British culture 20yrs ago. TV comedy shows were built around it. In journalistic circles it was de rigueur. Times have changed and the Prime Minister realises that : his denial is just a politicians way of saying sorry.
    5
  2554. 0:14 "He worked to promote democratic principles" Nonsense. The Muslim Brotherhood is fundamentally fascist. Members are promoted after gaining merits. Any member who voices a heterodox opinion simply doesn't get promoted. Blind obedience is the road to promotion. The same with the Catholics : the Law comes down from Rome (the Papacy) if you are critical or progressive you never advance. The Muslim brotherhood is as fascist as the Catholic Church : they both oppose democracy at every opportunity. (Except obviously Catholicism has modernised and now pretends it has always favoured democracy)
    5
  2555. In the olden days, the Spanish king would devalue the currency to enrich the exchequer (it ruined Spain). Erdoğan is doing the same.
    5
  2556. Good analysis. Iran will be fine I agree but the Ayatollahs may be screwed though.
    5
  2557. "That's corporal Mtemba : he'll never make a sergeant, he's got no initiative"
    5
  2558. France 3rd Republic "The Republic of pals" Started as a temp solution after humiliating defeat to Prussia 1870 Because nobody could decide on Royalism (Bourbob or Orleans) or Empire Bonapartists So temporary became permanent When a coalition collapsed the same faces would appear afterwards wearing different hats Vichy was the result July 1940 MostFfrench were glad to see the 3rd Republic end
    5
  2559. Rejoice at that news. Rajoy is the butcher that sent in fascist police to beat up voters in Catalonia.
    5
  2560. India has been consistent : in turning a blind eye to atrocities.
    5
  2561. Putin just said he will attend the G20 in Indonesia. That's not a guy preparing to use nukes. It's a guy wanting to remain accepted by the international community.
    5
  2562. ""One of the most important and straight talking Palestinians ". But not elected. Or representing an elected government. The last election was 9yrs ago (they should only serve for 4yrs) Also Hamas have abolished democracy in Gaza. Arafat ruled for 40yrs as a corrupt dictator. But still she thinks she can criticise the US.
    5
  2563. Ha ha ha, the ANC are totally corrupt : it's not just Zuma. This prosecution is a show-piece : Zuma could name all the others and point out there corruption. That's why they have made a deal : he stands for a pantomime trial and gets a slap on the wrist and pays a big fine (for which the corrupt ANC will reimburse him ). Mark my words he will NOT inform on others.....this is a fix.
    5
  2564.  @zulzulzulaan2396  5000 Russian troops encircled in Lyman. The first time since WW2, that has got to hurt. The disgrace. Ukraine's counter offensive : the first defeat on an open battlefield for Russia since 1942. That is so humiliating. The world is watching and mocking.
    5
  2565.  @vksasdgaming9472  That is a loss in anyone's books. Russia intended to conquer Finland. Having to beg for negotiations is a loss. You must be a sorry specimen if you're speaking for Putin.
    5
  2566. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
    5
  2567. Communism was around long before Marx. During the English Civil war there were Diggers and Levellers who espoused shared property and wealth (not just redistribution ).
    5
  2568. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    5
  2569. And evolution ? The entire brain has evolved and all its workings, why not consider that. Self consciousness, and the concomitant free will, are evolutionarily advantageous. The brain may be responsible for all actions, and free will an illusion, and if so it has evolved that way. Maybe necessarily because free will is simply not possible, or maybe it is possible, and was tried, but proved to be not as advantageous as the chimera of free will. I don't know. But I would consider evolution, rather than culture. Culture is just a subset of evolution.
    5
  2570. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    5
  2571. South China Post (voice of Xi) "Neither China, nor the EU, nor France can change the position of others on Ukraine" ie "What are we going to do about Putin"
    5
  2572. Aj Wo, are you paid by the Communist Party to be pushing that line ? You sound like a propagandist.
    5
  2573. Amnesty have a file saying Iranian police have murdered over 100. The Ayatollah is a liar (remember the plane they denied shooting down)
    5
  2574. LOL exactly the opposite. Everyone is buying dollars that's why the dollar is so strong. China accounts for 15% of global GDP but of that only 1% is transacted in its own currency ; the remaining 14% is transacted in dollars.
    5
  2575. As a young student in Buenos Aires in the early 1950s, I well remember the graffiti found on many an empty wall all over town: "Build the Fatherland. Kill a Student" (Haga patria, mate un estudiante). Perón opposed the universities, which questioned his methods and his goals. A well-remembered slogan was, Alpargatas sí, libros no ("Shoes? Yes! Books? No!") That sums up Spanish-America. In 1703 there were only 3 books published in the whole of Spain. The Catholic Curch (Inquisition) had full control of censorship. Peron was worshipped as a Cuadillo (strongman leader) but he just paved the way to a real military dictatorship (1976) which slaughtered thousands of citizens. Just like Lenin paved the way for Stalin. What Spanish-America needs are independent institutions ......the very thing Juan Peron attacked (Universities). "Perón fired over 2000 university professors and faculty members from all major public education institutions"
    5
  2576. @J Best Ukraine's counter-offensive was the first time Russia has been beaten on an open battlefield since 1942. That has got to hurt. Now Russia has 3 battalions surrounded in Lyman. That is the first time since WW2 Russia must be feeling the humiliation. The whole world is mocking them. Russia's army is smashed.
    5
  2577. Catholic child abuse. The Pope has allowed more child rape and abuse than any man on Earth.
    5
  2578. Great news. This is the beginning of the end of Islam.
    5
  2579. Fly Beep, the Saudi benefits from Western technology and know-how. Of course the Saudi benefit. Without oil the Saudi would still be rubbing sticks together to start a fire.
    5
  2580. 2% of GDP : Germany was committed to that as a member of NATO Scholz is announcing it with a fanfare as if he's pulling out the stops
    5
  2581.  @joem0088  "Short notice" that is wrong. The EU have a long term contract with Russia. Russia has to supply gas or they will be fined billions. I'm talking "Long term" : the EU should isolate Russia and trade elsewhere. Russia is a threat to humanity : it has 7k nuclear missiles, and KGB gangster thugs in the Kremlin. Remember how Putin came to power in 1999 ? A series of bomb attacks rocked Russia..... Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    5
  2582. 2:00 Vince Cable Does anyone remember the cartoons of Ming Campbell with a Zimmer-frame for a podium on which was a glass with his teeth in and he was saying, "You're very kind". Well that's what I expected Vince to say LOL
    5
  2583. He will end poverty - for himself. By lining his pockets with state cash. They all do it, even if they begin with good intentions.
    5
  2584. Russia is a gangster state. Jeremy Corbyn sides with Russia against his own country.
    5
  2585. Sarkozy's defence should be that corruption is run-of-the-mill in French politics.
    5
  2586. All the judges have been appointed by the ANC. The Justice department is full of ANC. The whole of South Africa is corrupt. Zuma will walk free or be given a suspended sentence and allowed to keep the loot he stole. This whole thing is an ANC pantomime to present an image to the world of a functioning democracy. When in fact S Africa is an anti-democratic one-party state.
    5
  2587. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remians medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    5
  2588. Saddam Hussein sure left his country is a nice fix.
    5
  2589. Orcs admire precision.
    5
  2590. Anyone who has it in for Turkey (i.e. all its neighbours and the EU and other countries and continents , i.e. everyone) must be enjoying this.
    5
  2591. Mother Russia is an integral part of Russian culture. Even after 10yrs in the Gulag, Solzhenitsyn was a Russian nationalist.
    5
  2592. They've got a good job : sitting with binoculars having a picnic looking for suitable land to plant trees. Count me in , I'll bring me flask.
    5
  2593. "Fire suppression switched off" Good work Einstein.
    5
  2594. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    5
  2595. Ha ha ha India is now on a sticky wicket. Having backed Russia, the West will now enjoy watching India squirm.
    5
  2596. Small specialized, technical teams can make a huge difference. Modern warfare is about intelligence and coordination, identifying targets and directing artillery, drone strikes etc Don't confuse Russia's 100,000 conscripts with professional troops.
    5
  2597.  @Luay91  , I'm not a bot or a Russian. I'm a keen observer of geopolitics. Take Macron's talk of a 'European army' , that was another tag line with which to distract nationalists from the calamity of EU immigration. Macron has never been for the working man. He's finished.
    5
  2598. He forgot to mention he's become a PROFESSOR. Which is another string to his bow.
    5
  2599. The last TV I watched was England v New Zealand semi-final World Cup 2013
    5
  2600. 1898 Lord Salisbury (British PM) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" 1840 Duke of Wellington PM : "The French Govt are too bad; their cowardly temporising conduct is in the highest degree provoking; but we must have patience" Timeline 2021 Feb Macron "The Eu should not gang up on China with the US" June AUKUS at Cornwall G7 Nov Macron "Australia is starting nuclear escalation with China" Macron was pro-China BEFORE the Australia deal collapsed 2017 Macron's European defence Force to oppose NATO 2019 Macron "NATO is brain dead" Macron has always been anti-NATO
    5
  2601. Well done ! Wonders never cease. The EU are slow to act, but occasionally surprise one.
    5
  2602. The King of Thailand is an absolute absurd disgrace and yet if you criticise him you're thrown in prison. How can anyone NOT criticise the a-hole ?
    5
  2603.  @synthsign891  LOL "a little too frank" That jackass just revealed all his cards. Biden's mind is for the knackers yard.
    5
  2604. Sunday ? Plenty of time. I'm looking forward to a fruitful and harmonious future relationship with the EU.
    5
  2605. Putin's Russia :- "A gaudy empire, more of a racket than a regime" "Sufficient motive for a pageant : but hollow within" "Something to be enjoyed rather than believed in" All said about Napoleon III who led France to total collapse (1870)
    5
  2606. Urban, something his happening ....... your last brain cell just died.
    5
  2607. I've just commented on Palestine and bad leadership (Yasser Arafat corrupt dictator for 40yrs), and now look, Argentina are in exactly the same boat : mismanagement and corrupt, incompetent leadership.
    5
  2608. Erdoğan : an enemy of Europe. But the EU are still processing his application.
    5
  2609.  @davechambers4867  , I'm lifelong Labour but I do wish Corbyn would read a history book. Remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs : that was Hezbollah , Corbyn's cronies. Nick Cohen wrote a good book "What's Left" it was directed at idiots like Corbyn who support fascism because it's fashionable . In the 1970s everyone supported the PLO : even though Arafat ruled as a dictator and stole 4£billion from the Palestinians (at one stage he was sending $ i million per month to his wife in Paris). I could write a book on everything Corbyn doesn't know about history but what's the point. The left have become ill-informed lunatics.
    5
  2610. If there were any justice......
    5
  2611. Questioner "have they been tortured" Answer, "The court has been doing the same thing with other people in the past" Good honest answer. (Although I don't think he intended it)
    5
  2612. Well done. Iran are uniting the world. Just about the only thing every nation agrees upon is that Iran CAN'T have nuclear weapons. This is a great strategy by the fanatical Ayatollah who has repeatedly promised to "Wipe Israel off the map". ( Google it there are pages of quotes from every possible Iranian.)
    5
  2613. Madura needs a drone-hat to protect him from his Stalinist tendencies.
    5
  2614. Too little too late. In February Germany froze. RAF weapons flights had to fly around German airspace. Germany froze - it was sickening to watch. Any assistance given by Germany has been under duress. NATO has forced Germany into doing something.
    5
  2615. Marvellous That will not be rebuilt in a hurry- it is a total loss Russia has lost Oh, joy !
    5
  2616. So all the violence and riot is because of Eco cars ? Millionaire Macron wants everyone to go green ? Has he considered that some folk can't afford it ?
    5
  2617. Congratulations Catalonia and Good Luck I am sure Spain will react with VIOLENCE. Donald Tusk (EU President) has just repeated a warning to Spain, " The force of argument is better than the argument of force ". Junker said :- “For some time now I asked the Spanish prime minister to take initiatives so that Catalonia wouldn’t run amok,” he said. “A lot of things were not done.” Economic impact :- markets are already dropping in Madrid and its debt and borrowing costs are forecast to rise. Madrid's economic forecast for growth next year has been slashed again. World opinion is that Madrid have chosen the "worst option" at every opportunity.
    5
  2618. "Remove state subsides on gas" LOL What about state subsidies to Hezbollah ? The $1.8 billion in cash the Ayatollah demanded from Obama went straight to Hezbollah.
    5
  2619. Throwing a pebble at the Devil. (In the 21st century)
    5
  2620. 1993 Oslo Accords - that was Yasser Arafat (not Trump) Why not blame Arafat (Because Palestinians are never to blame, it is always someone else's fault) (Even Oct 7th is Trump's fault)
    5
  2621. 1:36 "Land stolen by Jewish settlers" Is simply false. The land was purchased in the late 19th century by a Jewish Homeland organization. The Palestinian families were settled on the land by Jordan after the 1948 war. They didn't buy the land, they were given it by Jordan. The Jewish Homeland organization purchased the land title over a century ago
    5
  2622. Read the Amnesty International report on the crimes they committed. The Revolutionary Guard are Islamic extremists with no regard for human rights.
    5
  2623. All these topics are now a footnote to the horrors in Ukraine. Well done Modi - he has reduced India to a supporting actor in the first genocide of the 21st century. It is hard to imagine greater shame for a democracy.
    5
  2624. Germany did a deal with Russia once before. I'm sure the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact is familiar to everyone. No wonder the rest of the civilized world looks on with horror.
    5
  2625. Good performance (for a Persian storyteller) 6:50 "The Chinese have been mining coal like it's going out of fashion : the fact is coal is going out of fashion" 14:30 "The poorest countries are worst hit" : and many of those gave the green light to Putin. Africa produced a chorus of abstentions.
    5
  2626. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    5
  2627. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    5
  2628. Anyone remember Al-Tayib ? When a Russian battalion crossed the Euphrates the Yanks contacted Russia who said they had nothing to do with it ; so the Yanks annihilated them (400 killed). There were no US casualties. The Yanks made it look so easy : they have incredible fire-power. Erdogan could make a big mistake here. (I hope so).
    5
  2629. Well done Europe. A brilliant way to face down Russian despotism.
    5
  2630. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    5
  2631. There are 2 or 3 countries in the EU who are rank cowards : two of them famous for gastronomy, and a third which surrendered a UN refugee camp to the Serbs and allowed 7k to be slaughtered. I hope Europe stands firm.
    5
  2632. I wonder whether these new guys are forming a 3rd army corps ? It has been rumoured. The anticipation of coming to grips with the enemy, to not panic, remember one's training, aim true - destroy their hardware and kill the invaders.
    5
  2633. Magnificent Very inspirational God bless Ukraine
    5
  2634. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
    5
  2635. India is also profiting :- Modi has sold India's good name for a single shipment of cheap oil + some Russian military junk. It is the deal of the century, and has left India contemptible, in the eyes of the civilized world.
    5
  2636.  @Northman-from-the-North  "The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said in a tweet yesterday: ‘Today, in just one hour, 10 reports of rape by the [Russian] occupiers, including 8 children, were received from newly liberated villages in the Kharkiv region." That report was May 2022
    5
  2637. @Chris Viking Russian atrocities are a fact of history : nobody can beat Russia in a race to the bottom. Every sadistic act Russian soldiers commit has been perfected in the Gulags against Russian citizens. In the KGB's Lubyanka the most horrific crimes were committed. Nobody can match the savagery of Russia.
    5
  2638. What was the roll the lady was chopping ?
    5
  2639. Putin has a good sense of humour. The KGB often joked as they interrogated fol in Lubyanka (FSB HQ), before sending them to the Gulags.
    5
  2640. The UN demands ? I thought the UN was utterly pusillanimous.
    5
  2641. Russia is a gangster state. Russia is an utterly corrupt one-party state. The Russian people are used to despotism : Stalin killed 30 million Russians and the Russian state has always ill-used its people. The people have had all human value drained out of them. When asked if they wanted an inquiry into the millions killed in the Gulags they said "No". They prefer to forget and turn a blind eye to their current oppression.
    5
  2642. I wonder whether Jeremy Corbyn ever had dinner with him ? He's socialised with just about every other Islamofascist.
    5
  2643. Yasser Arafat made history : he stole $3 billion and ruled as a dictator for 40yrs. He never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity and condemned the Palestinian people to 4 decades of failure.
    5
  2644. That is a headline you will never see in Pakistan. It is always good to see a democratic government replacing and army chief. In many countries (Egypt, Pakistan, etc) the army dismisses the government.
    5
  2645. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    5
  2646. Hashimoto, Al-Nusra are Jihadis. Al-Nusra are worse than Al-Qaeda. Al-Nusra are supported by Erdogan's Turkey. They are Islamofascist.
    5
  2647. Zelensky has asked for 500 anti-tank, and 500 anti-aircraft missiles per day. That is an incredible ask. However, Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts ". No nation can withstand an industrial onslaught by the Yanks.
    5
  2648. Erdogan is turning Turkey into an Islamofascist state. NATO are prepared to throw Turkey out. In the last NATO exercises the enemy target was named 'Erdogan' There were apologies and excuses but the message was clear : Turkey are not wanted.
    5
  2649. Well done. The true test of a journalist - to be where the story is. Respect.
    5
  2650. NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia.
    5
  2651. China's ideology : ask yourself this : in Sudan would China prefer a civilian democracy or rule by corrupt generals ? Obviously corrupt generals. It mirrors China's own system.......no worries about changing government every 4 yrs, you know who you're dealing with and who to bribe. China spreads despotism , that's China's ideology.
    5
  2652. Do you know what happens to young girls in Iran if they behave in a lewd manner ? They get hanged : after being tried in a Sharia court. It's quite humane because they give them a glass of tea with a sedative in it. That's a nice touch. Who said Islam isn't compassionate.
    5
  2653.  @truth7387  , " I've been to Iran and I support the Ayatollah." That's what you should have said. And I would have agreed : that's true. Why do you think there is no opposition movement in Iran ? Think about it. It's because Khomeini put them in his torture camps and killed them. He executed 7000 in his first year.
    5
  2654. Ha ha ha, Putin the Imperial leader who took the country into default. Get that in the history books. LOL
    5
  2655.  @兵石  What the hell does that mean ?
    5
  2656. Germany and Russia are natural allies :- a) In 1876 the Kaiser Wilhelm II suggested Britain take Egypt and allow Russia to have Constantinople. (This would've allowed Russia to dominate the Mediterranean, and was a ruse by Germany and Russia). b) The Ribbentrop Pact c) 2022 : the natural resources of Russia provide cheap energy for Germany, and a large export market.
    5
  2657. Why is ONLY Grace Mugabe being called upon to hand over her corrupt gains ? What about the corrupt swine in ZANU PF ? Zanu have been corrupt for decades. The Police are corrupt, the Army is corrupt. Do you know why the Army acted ? Because the general was going to be arrested. They acted to save their corrupt selves NOT to save Zimbabwe. I hope things improve. But Zanu are corrupt swine and their thievery knows no limits.
    5
  2658. A former member of the PLO She must have witnessed some corruption, I bet she could tell some tales Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion over 30 years He was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month (That's one helluva shopping allowance)
    5
  2659. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    5
  2660. That guy is 100% Hamas Fire had been coming from that house Why would an "old man" be in a house with NO furniture ?
    5
  2661. Iranian ignorance. Who can forget all the people crammed into Mosques and the half-witted Ayatollah's indifference. The Ayatollah wants a nuclear bomb and is directing all his efforts to achieve that lethal goal. The economic and medical well-being of the people has never been a concern. Providing they don't challenge his fascist theocracy.
    5
  2662.  @CCMphilip  , of course you are quite right : loans must be repaid. But you forget to mention China are a corrupt autocracy. They spread corruption with their loans. The corrupt Africans who take on the loans aren't the ones to repay, it will be innocent citizens the Chinese exploit (just like they do in their own country - look at Tienanmen and human organ harvesting).
    5
  2663. Lord Owen : "The Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability ; they know what would happen to their families" When asked whether the threat was real.
    5
  2664. What a lot of hogwash. You have condensed history onto a postage stamp and have everything wrong. I'm only going to give one example :- The East India Co was ended in 1874 : they boasted that they had handed the British government "The finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen" That was the contribution of the East India Co. The British Raj (colonialism) then began. Only 50% was under British rule. Did India look to the indigenous regions when they established a state in 1947 ? Did they base the state on Hinduism, the caste system, exploitation of peasants and corruption ? No, they based the state on the British system, democracy, the rule of law, division of powers and equality before the law.
    5
  2665. Remember how Putin came to power ? 1999 Russia was rocked by a series of explosions.... Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    5
  2666. Prepare for a market crash in the New Year. I've no supporting evidence, I just wanted to cheer everyone up.
    5
  2667.  @kamalabuhenamostafa  LOL
    5
  2668.  @xhshdd7113  Thanks for that well-reasoned reply Actually slavery is part of ancient European history There's good reason to believe it's existed for maybe 10k yrs 1066 When the Normans invaded slaves made up maybe 10% of the population Dublin at this time had the largest slave market in western Europe Under the Normans keeping slaves was uneconomic - the distinction between slave and serf became otiose. The Pope granted Henry II Laudabiliter 1155 to civilise the Irish - ending slavery there 1890s Britain and France were spending £100k per year each on frigates to patrol East Africa and end the Arab slave trade 1884 General Gordon's first dispatch home included plans to build a college in Khartoum Lord Salisbury "Yes, that would help spread civilisation" Of course the Arabs built Madrasa - to spread fundamentalism (and slavery)
    5
  2669. Any man that uses the "F" word in front of his wife and daughter to impress the media will never be President. My point is a serious one : Beto was asked about allowing a film crew to accompany him and said , "I thought what the £uck". His wife then gestured to him to mind his language and pointed to their daughter. A guy like that can't be president.
    5
  2670.  @citus333  And it was the Moscow FSB that planted the bombs that brought Putin to power.
    5
  2671. In February Germany thought Russia would be victorious so hedged its bets in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany was then forced to supply some weapons, always with great reluctance. Never at its own initiative. Never a team player.
    5
  2672. Have you spoken to your parish priest about it ?
    5
  2673.  @jimbob-robob  Well everything. The French deal was a total waste - because when push comes to shove France will not be there. It was never an alliance, simply a trade deal, and if ever Australia became engaged in a conflict with China one could easily imagine France remaining neutral and refusing to supply spares and equipment. AUKUS is a fighting alliance : the French deal was a total waste.
    5
  2674. Maduro and his paramilitary scum should enjoy their stolen loot while they can........the clock is ticking.
    5
  2675. Read Fernand Braudel 'Wheels of Commerce ' , there's nothing knew here. Even in the C17th traders knew to buy fish on the home leg in the Pacific and sell it again in Madagascar. It's amazing how the market operates : long before telecommunications folk knew the Price of silver in Europe and China or Japan. Poor old Maduro : he's just a half-witted bus driver who has found himself president.
    5
  2676. Best one can hope for - some fairly strong condemnation of Hamas Many EU parliamentarians support Hamas So we should be relieved that Israel gets a modicum of official support
    5
  2677. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    5
  2678. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    5
  2679. Qingjun, are you speaking on behalf of China by any chance ? LOL
    5
  2680. Merkel
    5
  2681. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    5
  2682. Thanks, I wondered why Scholz was making a pantomime of tank delivery. It's because Germans don't want to help. Boris said, "Germany wanted a quick win for Russia"
    5
  2683. In the UK, we had a clown called Jeremy Corbyn. He's still knocking around, calling for folk to stop the war. By which he means 'stop NATO expansion'. He never criticises the Kremlin, but always implies criticism of the US.
    5
  2684. Russia and France, similarities :- a) Both have delusions of grandeur : Putin - imperialism. de Gaulle "France cannot be France without greatness" Stephen Kotkin "France thinks it is a diplomatic superpower" Macron's vanity project : the European Defence Force. Whose opponent isn't Russia or China or ISIS. Macron wants to lead it so he can oppose NATO. Lord Salisbury (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    5
  2685. Well done. (But Prague had a rally which dwarfs Paris - yes, I know it's not a competition, and one shouldn't compare well-meaning gestures, but it really was enormous : maybe 50-100k )
    5
  2686. Putin : "Continue the single plan" Shoigu : silence (he looks like a man who expects the worst) Putin "Award medals to those who were gutsy, in a good way" Have you watched it ? Honestly, you couldn't make it up. The West are laughing up their sleeves. NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    5
  2687. Great interview : "How worried are you ?" The UN is worried and hopeless in equal measure. DW is the media show of the EU windbags, when they get together with the UN expect a committee to be set-up very soon.
    5
  2688. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
    5
  2689. George, you mean "Appeasement"
    5
  2690. When the Yanks killed British soldiers with "friendly fire" they said they didn't know where they were. I wonder whether this plane knew where it was ?
    5
  2691. Face the facts : Iran is incrementally moving towards nuclear arms. The question is how fast : it is when not if. The Ayatollah will take the last step when the world has taken its eye off the ball because of global financial collapse or global pandemic etc. If you really want Iran stopped, you won't do it with sanctions or a deal : the Ayatollah has to go. Iran must move from fascist theocracy to democracy.
    5
  2692.  @randomnobody9759  , quick question : why does the Revolutionary Guard have tentacles throughout Iran's economy, monopolising lucrative sectors and filching from the public sector ?
    5
  2693. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    5
  2694. Greedy , corrupt military never hand over power until it is absolutely unavoidable. The greedy, inhumane generals obviously think they have some cards left to play.
    5
  2695. This is inevitable - certainly north of the Wadi river ie Gaza city will not be handed back to Hamas or Hamas supporters
    5
  2696. Breaking News :- An honest African leader has been found !
    5
  2697. In 1920 three things happened :- a) The last Sultan fled in a British ambulance (after packing two trunks with jewels) b) The British installed the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (as a Palestinian leader) c) The Jews elected an Assembly of representatives. This is where history began. (For Israel/Palestine) The Israelis had established democracy, the Palestinians were continuing the Caliphate. Ataturk would have ejected the Mufti and established a national parliament.
    5
  2698. I am very very anti-Islam but I fully support this woman. Upholding Western values is paramount and the contract she was asked to sign is blatantly unenlightened. Forcing individuals to comply is the sort of thing Pakistan or Iran would do. It's the sort of thing Hamas do daily. I apologise on behalf of the West and can only blame the retarded, brain-dead dim-wits of Texas.
    5
  2699. Bulgarian atrocities 1876 Armenian massacres (not genocide, that comes later) 1889 Armenian genocide 1915 The Ottomans (Palestinian state) slaughtered routinely
    5
  2700. Well done South Korea. (I bet they do more than India)
    5
  2701. The Saudi King has big plans for the future. He wants to move away from oil dependence and said," young Saudis and the promotion of moderate Islam were the key to his modernising “dream” for his country. For "moderate Islam" read no Islam. He can see that Islam has held back the whole Muslim world for centuries.
    5
  2702. A terrific camera shot - soldiers emerging from a ravine, in a snow bedecked landscape. 0:54 What a sight - heavy armour on the roll This war will be won by Ukraine The Pentagon has a $1 billion war-games computer, and is adopting the strategy least likely to go nuclear.
    5
  2703. Whatever-your-name-is, that is a wonderful sentiment. Pakistan was founded as a secular state but then, to garner votes, they turned to rabid Imams to get their illiterate supporters to back them. Once the venal politicians had opened Pandora's box there was no going back.
    5
  2704. Correction : Wion's title makes it appear Germany are calling the shots. The EU are windbags. This is inevitable : 2 or 3 EU members are rank cowards. One nation handed a refugee camp to the Serbs, who slaughtered 7k. Another two countries (famous for food) have no appetite for a fight. NATO (US and Britain) call the shots. Which is why Australia chose AUKUS
    5
  2705. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    5
  2706. I am also concerned : India has a 1.5 million man welfare army. 65% of the money is spent on wages, pensions and healthcare. The aircraft carrier INS Vikram is simply a target for China's missiles, it won't last 24hrs in a war.
    5
  2707. As you sow, so shall you reap.
    5
  2708. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    5
  2709. The EU have never had a moral compass. Imagine Germany presiding over moral international decisions : they set the bar for state-sanctioned atrocities. It's almost as if all that has been expunged from history
    5
  2710.  @ajmetz82  Russia is a permanent member (but acts like a barbarian country)
    5
  2711. Thank you France 24, for airing the British position. (Which stands in contrast to Macron's conciliatory approach)
    5
  2712. Ha ha ha Iran won't talk until we all return to the Nuclear Treaty : the Happy days when Iran was rolling in cash, spreading its terror network, oppressing its own people and hoodwinking the West. The Good Old Days when you could sell your oil and spend it.......on ballistic missile development, funding armed groups in Syria,Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon, plan assassinations in Europe and persecute dissidents. Those days when , thanks to Obama's stupidity Iran held all the cards. What fascist Ayatollah wouldn't want to turn back the clock.
    5
  2713.  @anirban1259  Pakistani military and supporting Islamist militias from Jamaat-e-Islami[7] killed between 300,000 and 3,000,000[4][8] people and raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women,[8][9] according to Bangladeshi and Indian sources,[10] in a systematic campaign of genocidal rape
    5
  2714. A nice story :- The favourite Ebrahim Raisi was the architect of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. " Mahmoud Royaee, another political prisoner interrogated by Raisi during the execution of up to 30,000 opposition activists in a 1988 purge, said Raisi once handed down a death sentence to an inmate who was in the midst of an epileptic fit."
    5
  2715. If only Wion had the courage of the Swisses.
    5
  2716. Good reporting , I enjoyed that analysis. It looks like Turkey is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
    5
  2717. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    5
  2718.  @nietzschean3138  , well one would've imagined exposing oneself is incompatible with holding a position of power. I'm surprised he wasn't immediately placed on leave. Maybe I'm wrong. A freedom of information request might turn up scores of serving police officers with sex charges against them.
    5
  2719. "Physics only explains 4% of our observable Universe". Actually physics explains 100% of our "observable" Universe. The trouble is that observable matter only accounts for 4% of the total mass/energy of the Universe. Dark matter 27% and dark energy 68% make up the rest. Dark matter might be something like neutrinos which barely interact with matter. Dark energy is a repulsive force according and permeates all space : as the Universe expands there is more of it and the expansion rate increases.
    5
  2720.  @kirilld6206  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    5
  2721. Hezbollah have a history of throwing students out of windows. Hezbollah have assassinated numerous Lebanese politicians. There will never be peace in the middle-east while Hezbollah fascist thugs operate.
    5
  2722. The ANC are doing great (this is sarcasm) they've become the worst economy for any country not at war. But they are no.1 for corruption. LOL remember the first black-owned S. African bank VBS ? The Economic Freedom Fighters looted it into liquidation and they campaign against corruption LMAO. Remember the Health Minister saying garlic and lemon will cure AIDS LOL The ANC are one big totalitarian, one-party-state, corrupt disgrace.
    5
  2723. ....alone against China ? If you weren't before, you are now.
    5
  2724. The Bible says, Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold.” India has sold its good name for cheap oil and Russian arms. Based on the Hindu proverb "I'm alright Jack" I hope Israel doesn't besmirch its national honour.
    5
  2725. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    5
  2726. President Temer is thinking about the people and hospitals. He's a great guy. Don't listen to anyone that calls him a corrupt lying scoundrel. Once he's voted an amnesty (for corrupt politicians) through parliament he's going to start tackling Brazil's problems.
    5
  2727. If France was in Ukraine's position, they would have capitulated by now. That is why Macron says, "We must not humiliate Russia"
    5
  2728. "One thing is clear". They are all as corrupt as a $9 dollar note.
    5
  2729. Kenyatta's father was a dictator and Uhuru is from the same mould. Uhuru Kenyatta is totally corrupt and will never release his grasp on power and all the cash that goes with it.
    5
  2730.  @alialza5029  , you can't protest in Iran : police snipers will shoot you dead. You can't disagree with the fascist theocracy or you'll go to a torture camp. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 opposition Iranians in his first year ! More than the Shah had killed in his whole life. Read "The executioners deserve medals " They used to hang them 6 at a time off fork lift truck pallets. That's why there are no opposition parties in Iran : the Ayatollah killed them or tortured them into submission. Iran is a vicious violent fascist theocracy.
    5
  2731. Do you see a connection between the despotic Ayatollah trading with the despotic Assad ? The despots doing business : two dictatorships getting along nicely. Talk about the Axis of Evil.
    5
  2732. "Pack up our belongings and leave" Good riddance. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" Despotic, Asiatic autocracy has no place in Europe.
    5
  2733. The irony is that the "Israelis" are the Palestinians that are still there. The Caucasian European "Israelis" actually have no genetic connection with the folk who were "dispossessed" 2000yrs ago. Read Shlomo Sands.
    5
  2734. Kevin Rudd has totally ignored the military alliance with the USA and Britain. They are fighting allies. France will remain neutral in any conflict with China. Germany (the EU) sent a warship to the South China Sea : it avoided all contested waters, then asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai, the Chinese said, "Get lost". The EU are windbags. Australia needs fighting allies.
    5
  2735. 1:04 "faced bankruptcy because of its massive debts" No, because of its massive incompetence, corruption and fiddling of the books. 1:03 "austerity policies which caused recession" No, recession came because Greece had borrowed so heavily to fund corruption & incompetence. Does anyone notice a theme ? That Greece are the victims and not responsible for any of their own misfortunes.
    5
  2736. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    5
  2737. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    5
  2738. Bloody hell that was enough to make any rational adult pull their hair out. Was this made for kids ?
    5
  2739. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    5
  2740. I thought we were supposed to be having our cake and eating it ?
    5
  2741.  Ben Ghazi  , you are quite right. But I was talking about his very early days, as Deputy Mayor of St Petersburg. I mentioned it because it is on police file : there was an investigation.......but it couldn't locate the cash. (Probably because those investigating had had a slice).
    5
  2742. The Ethiopian government's genocidal policies have backfired. Abiy is wanted in The Hague to face crimes against humanity.
    5
  2743. Very brave, well done. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    5
  2744. Hamas is finished Gaza is doomed My money is on Israel - there can be only one winner
    5
  2745. The Chinese Communist Party are beyond the pale. There are no depths of inhumanity beyond them. President Xi is a scapegrace , prepared to sacrifice uncountable innocents to preserve power.
    5
  2746. Tafseer, the Pakistan army raped 250,000 women in the Bangladesh war They weren't very brave then. The pakistan general said, "We will kill 3 million and the rest will eat out of our hand". You should read some history you moron. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_Bangladesh_Liberation_War
    5
  2747. More lies ! "500 trucks daily" was the number normally delivered Most of that was consumer goods - food and essentials were 120 per day Al Jazeera always lies
    5
  2748. It wasn't Liz Truss - she can't dive. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Macron & Scholz must learn how to display some courage.
    5
  2749. Very commendable , very uplifting, to see Hong Kong citizens protesting for rights. It will be a difficult process : China's CCP is intent upon totalitarianism. The CCP harvest human organs from prisoners, established camps for millions in Xinjiang province , and are developing a total surveillance society. They are in the vanguard of the Axis of Evil countries : China, North Korea, Russia, Iran etc
    5
  2750. 33:00 Thick as two short planks Eric Prince realises why Mehdi Husan is considered to be 'sharp as a tack' when he's caught, and admits to, committing perjury before Congress.
    5
  2751. Don't be tense , I'll tell you the result : Mnangagwe has won ! Surprise surprise , the Crocodile has rigged the election. The African Union will roll out the red carpet : that bunch of corrupt dictators always welcomes one of their own.
    5
  2752. Good report. a) 5:40 "Russia preparing to restart its arms industries after being hit by sanctions." But all the Russian old stuff needs modernising (redesigning) which will take years They need to develop drones, etc and they will never match the "exquisite intelligence" being supplied by the Yanks. b) Gen Ben Hodges USA said, "Russia could crack before the end of the year. c) Maj Gen Chip Chapman (British) said, "Kherson is very vulnerable and will almost certainly be recaptured".
    5
  2753. I do have a funny anecdote about Wes, but this isn't the time. It involves the Russian paratroopers occupying the Belgrade airport. Wes ordered general Sir Mike Jackson to take it by force, and the British general thought this was a trivial matter to cause WW3, so he phoned Downing St, who advised him to use his initiative. Needless to say, no shots were fired, and the Russians left after a few days (when their food ran out).
    5
  2754. "Why is all this happening ?" One wonders whether the Oct 7th savage attack by Hamas could have anything to do with it - (just a guess)
    5
  2755. 4:50 "That's why they didn't have a buck to give the people, they were too busy passing it". Even Bob Hope would enjoy that line.
    5
  2756. How refreshing to see something nice coming out of Mexico. It's not all corrupt politicians and corrupt Police and corrupt military and corrupt judges and corrupt lawyers and corrupt media.
    5
  2757. This is awful, I feel so sorry for the Palestinian politicians : they've cancelled all elections, so they can remain in power, build themselves mansions and feather their nests. The last thing Fatah wants is an election. It reminds the Palestinians they are under a Fatah dictatorship. Arafat was a corrupt dictator, who ruled for 40yrs and stole $3billion. But the worst thing Araft ever did was bequeath the people Fatah (the PLO).
    5
  2758. EU defence - the French & Germans ? Germany sent a warship "Bayern" to South East Asia. It avoided all contested sea-lanes, so as not to give offence. Then asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai, The Chinese told them, "Get Lost". Leave China to AUKUS The EU will never be more than windbags.
    5
  2759. Russian history :- a) The Tsar titled himself "Autocrat of all the Russias". b) Serfdom : 37% of the people were slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed emancipation (1861) for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. c) Serf girls would be advertised as "Having an attractive figure and pretty face". Russians were like ISIS selling Yazidi girls. d) Russia experienced no Reformation, and no Enlightenment. They simply segued from Autocracy into Soviet dictatorship, then into Kremlin gangsterism. e) Moscow apes the civilization of Europe : it pretends to have elections, pretends to have a free press, and pretends to have the rule of law. Queen Victoria described Russia as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    5
  2760. Biden has said two "outrageous" things :- a) Putin must go b) The Ukrainian massacre is Tiananmen Square squared. I applaud him. The liberal media seem to forget that Putin sent death squads to assassinate the democratic leader of Ukraine. Putin poisons and kills all his opponents. For God's sake, get behind Biden, show some unity and strength.
    5
  2761. Yanis. I'm not a fan but on this topic he hits bulls-eye.
    5
  2762. Nothing new here : Assad and his dad have been killing journalists for nearly 50yrs.
    5
  2763. 1:30 "Lavrov says democracy can't be implemented by force". LOL no, but it can be prevented by force (and that corrupt thug should know)
    5
  2764. This is peanuts. Yaser Arafat stole $3 billion from the Palestinians. Most of it his wife took to France. Why doesn't France expropriate that money and hand it back ?
    5
  2765. You don't half talk daft. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was the Hezbollah the Ayatollah's hit-squad. Read "The executioners deserve medals" about the 7000 Iranian opposition supporters who were executed six at a time off forklift trucks.
    5
  2766. The Phoenix Ghost has arrived in Ukraine. I watched them loaded on to a C17 about 3 days ago, there looked to be at least 100. Nobody knows what they do, and the company that makes them wouldn't say. I hope it is something truly dreadful.
    5
  2767. Make Brazil a $hithole country again.....or a dictatorship.
    5
  2768. Good riddance. He'll be remembered for sending fascist thugs into Catalonia to beat up peaceful democratic voters.
    5
  2769. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the victims of massacre rape and torture ; speak for their humiliation.
    5
  2770. 170 views : that should tell you something......it's not worth watching.
    4
  2771. You are quite right but that spectacular growth was a poison chalice : it encouraged over borrowing, over-spending, over-staffing of public sector jobs by cronies, give-away pension deals,rampant corruption, no tax collection reform , over=spending on public works with kick-backs for politicians, cooking the books and fraudulent declarations.......you could write a book ' How not to run a country'.
    4
  2772. Spying and criticising Hamas (or Fatah) are the same thing : they both get you killed. Try attending a Fatah meeting and ask about corruption they'll beat you to a pulp or kill you. Try criticising Hamas and asking for a democratic election in Gaza : they'll kill you. Arafat stayed in power for 40yrs . He employed 2 techniques :- a) bribery, Arafat stole $3 billion and could bribe his rivals b) murder, Arafat would have critics killed.
    4
  2773. Why is North America a success and Central and South America failures ? It's because the settlers in the North championed assemblies both religious and political. Whereas the Spanish south championed royal & religious absolutism.
    4
  2774.  @StPiter111  In 1905 Russia sent a fleet right round the world, only for it to be sunk as soon as it encountered the Japanese. In 1856 Treaty of Paris : everyone said Russia would never accept neutralisation of the Black Sea. Guess what ? Once Russia had been defeated, they accepted neutralisation, and could no longer keep a fleet in the Black Sea.
    4
  2775. Remember how Putin came to power in 1999? He was bringing security after a series of bomb blasts...... Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    4
  2776. Russia's invasion is abhorrent. India's response is despicable. The civilized world deplores India. Modi is purblind to suffering, tainted by association with the Russian butchers. The 21st Century will be one of shame for India.
    4
  2777. Russia are an international disgrace. A gangster state with drunken military thugs that can't distinguish a passenger plane from a military plane and in their drunken stupor don't care much either way.
    4
  2778. Nonsense - "There was no objection to Jews coming to Palestine for refuge" LOL Read : “The Pogroms in Palestine” (1929) Read : "Arab Riots of the 1920's" Arabs were giving Jews a good kicking
    4
  2779. Sanctions are applied to Axis of Evil countries : Like Iran. A young man in Iraq was just murdered by Hezbollah because he campaigned for democracy. I haven't heard you criticize Hezbollah. There would be NO democracy in Iraq if not for the USA.
    4
  2780. The old Biden nose-dive........9,9,8,9,8 (Gold)
    4
  2781.  Ctg  Lavrov is the one who needs sleep : he appears to be half sozzled at every press conference.
    4
  2782. That is Persian, not Pakistani. Pakistan only dates back to 1947. Even if you go back to the arrival of Islam, there were Persian storytellers then. This mode of storytelling isn't Pakistani.
    4
  2783.  @vybzkartelisagenre5419  Russia is accustomed to failure. Eg Snake Island : Russia simply retreated. Then they dropped Phosphorous bombs, claimed to have burnt the Ukrainian flag and celebrated a victory. Of course, the flag burning was all lies, and Snake island is a total failure for Russia. It has cost them 5 ships (including their flagship) and hundreds of lives, helicopters etc). Russia retreat, but find a way to celebrate. This is just what the West want : Ukraine to win "incrementally" Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    4
  2784. Well-informed ? "We should have" is a recognition of failure. He is only 'well-informed' after the fact. What is encouraging about that ?
    4
  2785. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    4
  2786. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    4
  2787. What does that mean ? Most folk are ignorant about Central Asia, and you sound as though you have some info.
    4
  2788. Corbyn is his own worst enemy. Honestly where do you start. Let's begin with Islamofascism : there isn't a fascist Islamic group he hasn't supped with. Let's look at Russia : remember he wanted Putin to help us investigate the Skripal poisoning. It is beyond ridiculous. I like Corbyn and agree with his socialist views but on geopolitics he is all over the place. He'd back Islamofascism everywhere he finds it (he has dinner with Hamas thugs and thinks they're great). He sees no threats from Russia or China and would leave Britain vulnerable.
    4
  2789. When Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran from Paris (1979) He was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied , "I'll kick their teeth in ". He executed 7000 opposition supporters in his first year. The Socialist party was huge in Iran, they overthrew the Shah, what do you think happened to them ? They were slaughtered in the Ayatollah's death camps. Read "The executioners deserve medals". They hanged them six at a time from forklift trucks.
    4
  2790. Biden is the weak link. He is the one who scotched the Mig jets. This attack just 12km from Poland is galling. Putin is making the West look pusillanimous.
    4
  2791. Entertainment : why not go to the opera ? You could take MBS to see "Sweeney Todd"
    4
  2792. I wonder how the Taliban savages feel ? The consequences of their butchery : she is awarded the Nobel Prize and is received by the Head of State. Meanwhile the Taliban savages continue to live like dogs in the mountains and prey on Civilized communities.
    4
  2793. LOL "Blessed be the meek for they shall be Iranian" This is the weakest response Iran could think of LOL
    4
  2794. MBS is a cuckoo in the nest : I like him. He's like a Westerner : he goes to Mosque as a social thing (like secular Christians go to church) he doesn't actually believe that medieval nonsense. In 100yrs historians will look back at MBS as the person who brought the whole Middle East out of medieval ignorance.
    4
  2795. Putin's feet dancing below the table. LOL he is a nervous old man.
    4
  2796. Labour funds UNRWA - £100 million UNRWA Gaza workers Party chairman is.......Sinwar head of Hamas Sinwar was also a headmaster on the UNRWA payroll Labour is effectively funding Hamas
    4
  2797. A terrible report. Why is Bangladesh making a comeback ? What reforms have the government introduced ? There is no depth to this report. Why is Bangladesh GDP per capita passing India's GDP per capita ? "Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives now have more per capita GDP than India. " Absolutely no depth to this report.
    4
  2798. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    4
  2799. Jefferson, not total freedom : you can't ,for instance, say "Polish Death Camps" without being prosecuted ; you can't say there was Polish anti-Semitism or that Poles encouraged the removal of Jews. All these things would get you imprisoned under the new fascist laws in Poland.
    4
  2800. Mastiff looks good - in the hands of brave Ukrainian warriors.
    4
  2801. Well said. Zelensky is inspirational. New recruits are queuing round the block to fight for Ukraine.
    4
  2802. Islamofascism is very strong in Iran. The Ayatollah can use Hezbollah to crush the protests. Hezbollah are brutal thugs who will kill and torture any unarmed civilians they catch. they did it in 1999 and in 2009. Hezbollah are feared by Iranian people. The protesters are brave.
    4
  2803.  Elena R  Interesting. But a few facts make me think it is Russian intelligence :- a) not everyone can make a bomb. And this was a complex bomb with a timer or detonating device. b) not everyone knows where Dugin is, or which car he will be traveling in. c) the car-bomb was a great success - not an amateur job. d) That Alexander (her father) travelled in a different car at the last minute, only adds to the professionalism & intelligence required to know almost exactly what he would be doing.
    4
  2804. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    4
  2805. "What sort of normalcy ?" Good question . I'm reminded of the Bangladesh war of Independence : when Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000. Fortunately the word 'normalcy ' wasn't in vogue at that time.
    4
  2806. What is it ? It is a shallow draft ship (5m) That can carry 200 pallets of food 26 pallets = 1 truck So about 8 trucks The ship can do a round tip in 24hrs So at best it is 8 trucks a day (Hardly worth it)
    4
  2807. This is like the Battle of Stalingrad : with Russia playing the part of the Nazis.
    4
  2808. Consider elections :- The Jews held elections for an Assembly in 1920 after the Battle of Tel Hai March 1920, and the 1920 Nebi Musa riots. They established a shadow administration to the British Mandate. Why didn't the Palestinians do the same in 1920 ? Because powerful Arabs had too much to lose : democracy is dangerous for tyrants. That's why Yasser Arafat ruled as a dictator for 35yrs. It's why Mahmoud Abbas has cancelled elections again : powerful, corrupt politicians have too much to lose.
    4
  2809. The Palestinian triumvirate : Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Wow that will get lots of international support. Who doesn't love Jihad ?
    4
  2810. A scoop for the Print ! Nobody else is running this story - it's too complex for the modern attention span. (Even I skipped to the end to hear the denouement)
    4
  2811. "Once this war is done how long will Netanyahu last" After Gaza comes Hezbollah Israel wanted to take Hezbollah first - the Yanks persuaded them not to But Lebanon is next, have no doubt
    4
  2812. Middle East failure, when did it begin ? a) With the Ottoman Empire 1299 - 1922 b) With the Caliphate transferred to the Ottomans in 1517 c) With the banning of printing by the Ulema 1515 d) The result of no books left 90% illiterate. e) The lack of an enlightened middle-class meant no democracy or progress.
    4
  2813. Good. The Axis of Evil are anathema to the civilized world, ties with Russia (and China) should be at rock-bottom.
    4
  2814. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    4
  2815. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities, which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    4
  2816. 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini executed 70000 Iranians in is first year. He landed in Tehran and was ased what he would do with democrats, "I'll kick their teeth in" he replied.
    4
  2817. Braudel believed we are " more than waist deep in daily routine". I'd like to expand on this if I may. All humanity unquestioningly shares the same concepts : eg that light is good and darkness bad, that heaven is up and demons are down, tropes of that nature. More importantly , what constitutes justice or fair behaviour. And historically , what constitutes freedom : making a mistake on that point got Charles(1649) Strafford(1641) & Laud(1645) executed. It also led to thousands being killed in the French Revolution (1789). John Milton, a good republican, proposed (1642) government by elite-oligarchy which a pamphleteer described as "perfect slavery".
    4
  2818. LOL
    4
  2819. Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
    4
  2820. Zelensky has asked for 500 anti-tank, and 500 anti-aircraft missiles per day. That is an incredible ask. However, Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts ". No nation can withstand an industrial onslaught by the Yanks.
    4
  2821. The ANC are a disgrace : they have no shame. The whole party is corrupt.
    4
  2822. Violence in Lebanon - look to Hezbollah Violence in Kashmir - look to Pakistan. Violence is their sine qua non Violence is their raison d etre Assassination is their métier
    4
  2823. Wow what monumental hypocrisy. Nice one Arabs. You anti-democratic, anti-human rights , bone-idle, indolent, ignorant, unenlightened , backwards, medieval morons.
    4
  2824. Lebanon should allow Israel to move in, establish democracy, a successful economy , and accountable, transparent government. With an independent judiciary prepared to arrest and charge its own President !
    4
  2825. Scholz : "Nobody can tell us where the right & wrong decisions are so we must proceed slowly" Hells Bells ! Germany isn't sure which side it should be on Germany is morally confused and just hopes it's on the winning side this time
    4
  2826. Well done USA (the major defender of western civilization) Of course the progressives, would applaud Cuba's dictatorship and send them aid.
    4
  2827. Oh dear, it's all going wrong for the CCP corrupt dictatorship. This isn't supposed to happen in the totalitarian dream of the CCP. They would love to unleash the illiterate savages of the PLA (army) like they did in Tienanmen. World opinion is the only obstacle. The psychopaths in the CCP have no scruples about murder.
    4
  2828. Hezbollah's raison d'être is terrorism. Hezbollah's métier is terrorism. Hezbollah's sine qua non is terrorism.
    4
  2829. Why is Spanish America a failure ? Because they cherish absolute authority in religion and politics. By contrast North America cherishes assemblies in religion and politics. A good example of the contrast is Eva Peron , who was worshipped by the Argentinians and beseeched for benefices. The Spanish-Americans saw nothing unusual in absolute luxury and power controlling them , that was their history. The mother country, Spain was an absolute monarchy, the Pope was an absolute ruler, absolutism is in Spanish-American DNA. And yet in the North absolutism was the biggest fear : the Constitution (1788) was written specifically to deny any attempt at absolute rule.
    4
  2830. Humanity is weeping at the front
    4
  2831. It sounds like a failed state.
    4
  2832.  @Trooper-tr6zi  , ask yourself this : where is the opposition in Russia ? Assassinated, imprisoned, threatened, thrown from windows. When you have eliminated the opposition I call it dictatorship, what do you call it ?
    4
  2833. The largest oil deposits in the world. President Maduro is a bus driver who became a President. I think he's taking the country on a bus-ride to the scrap heap.
    4
  2834. Good comment, and fair question. He is saying the Yanks have 10 times as many troops in South Korea, troops who are there indefinitely ; and he is rueing the Yanks decision to cut and run. He suggests that a very long term strategy to keep the peace (as in South Korea) would've been the honourable position.
    4
  2835. Portugal : between 1580 and 1640 Portugal became part of Spain. Spain was constantly bankrupt and prioritized itself at the expense of Portuguese dominions. Hence, the contraction of Portuguese outposts.
    4
  2836. Good Luck to Catalonia ! Castile have always been authoritarian. While Aragon and Catalonia had Cortes and Liberties, Councils and fueros . In 1714 the Catalan and Aragonese specific laws and self-government were violently suppressed. History repeated itself when Franco (1939) imposed Fascism on the whole country from Madrid. The King of Spain and the Catholic church backed fascism 100%.
    4
  2837. Russia has been forced to abandon Snake island. Russia has also moved its fleet from Sevastopol to Novorussoysk (owing to 300km Himar threat) Ukraine's sailors are being trained in the UK, and will be given missile boats. I think this is to patrol when the war is over. Also, US F-16 planes are to patrol when the war is over. NATO's biggest fear is that Russia collapses, they want Ukraine to win incrementally.
    4
  2838. Is it escalating ? Well there is an arrest warrant out for Imran Khan - I think that would constitute an escalation.
    4
  2839. Qatar fund Hamas and Al-Jazeera. That is why any comments critical of Hamas are removed from Al-Jazeera news. Al-Jazeera are hand-in-glove with Hamas.
    4
  2840. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  2841. I don't see Turkey heading for Manbij . I thought that was the next goal. They must have got cold feet.
    4
  2842. We all hate Bolton but he is nothing compared to the savagery of Saddam Hussein and his psychopathic sons. (You need to read about their barbaric torture houses). Also, you need to read about the Ayatollah's torture camps.(read "The executioners deserve medals"). The Ayatollah hanged opposition protestors 6 at a time off fork-lift truck pallets. Most folk know nothing about the barbarism of Saddam and the Ayatollah.
    4
  2843. MERRY CHRISTMAS each, and a HAPPY & HEALTHY NEW YEAR.
    4
  2844. May I lay Devil's advocate :- Whilst the Pak army is clearly corrupt, they do secure Pak's nuclear arsenal from Islamist hotheads. Also, in Turkey the military played a similar role (Egypt too), and their primary concern was Islamist hotheads. So maybe it is Islamist hotheads and not the Pak military which is the problem.
    4
  2845. Tectonic plates are shifting. Russia is heading for a catastrophic subduction zone.
    4
  2846. This is what the Palestinians should have done 50yrs ago to get rid of the 40yr dictator Yasser Arafat, who stole $3 billion from them. There is hope for Iraq. I'm afraid Palestinians are still languishing under Fatah & Hamas, both totally corrupt and anti-democratic.
    4
  2847. Impeach ! The grounds for impeachment are treason : the decision not to accept the finance minister was made by the Germans & EU.
    4
  2848. "We do not change borders through the use of violence" One wonders why India finds that so objectionable Why India finds it so hard to condemn the use of violence
    4
  2849. Obama handed $1.8 billion in cash to the Ayatollah. Why cash ? Because Hezbollah buy their weapons and missiles with cash. Obama founded ISIS and pay-rolled Hezbollah.
    4
  2850. a) it won't stop the dam b) if the assassins plot is uncovered and it is Egypt then the international repercussions are enormous. c) therefore why risk it when it's futile ? Having said that it is probably rogue Egyptian intelligence : the same ones that tortured and murdered the Italian student.
    4
  2851. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    4
  2852. Remember my thesis ? That it is the people who make their nation a $hithole country ? Well here is more evidence. The Brazilian people want a convicted corrupt politician to become president. I rest my case. It's not military juntas or dictators or drug cartels or corrupt politicians : it's the people who are to blame. Look at South Africa and the ANC one-party state, look at Zimbabwe and the ZANU one-party state , etc etc.
    4
  2853. Yugoslavia history In Nov 1918 Serb troops occupied Croatia, Slovenia, Banat, Montenegro They quickly established assemblies to vote for unity with Serbia Once Yugoslavia (= southernslavia) was formed, Serbs occupied all key posts, and the Serb army became the Yugoslav army.
    4
  2854. "Russia is a decade behind on drone technology" Russia is behind on everything. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    4
  2855. Many years ago, under the Soviet Union, a journalist visited an aircraft maintenance hangar. It had a dirt floor, not concrete. He couldn't see any mechanics, but he could hear someone pounding with what sounded like a sledgehammer.
    4
  2856. "A confrontational attitude towards China" What does he think Australia wanted the 12 French subs for ? Obviously it's China. And France is the country which will always remain neutral.
    4
  2857. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  2858. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    4
  2859. 1867 Dual monarchy Aust/Hun From that moment on Magyar policy was to retain power for themselves. Magyars aren't simply anti-immigration, they are anti-Slav, anti-Ruthene, anti-Polish, anti-German : any group which poses a threat to Magyar power.
    4
  2860. $200,000 for a speech, $600,000 for a Hillary speech to Wall St. Biden's "lifetime of public service" is paying dividends.
    4
  2861. .....all those figures in millions of rupees - my head was spinning. A picture is worth a thousand words. And God help me, a graph would be nice.
    4
  2862. Breaking News : Kherson NE front has collapsed, Russia in full retreat. 20km gain so far. Watch the news tomorrow.
    4
  2863. Cenk is talking like an a-hole.
    4
  2864. LOL "The EU may not allow an extension". The EU will allow anything rather than 'no deal'. Italy is in dire straights , zombie banks and billions loans maturing in the near future. Deutsch Bank is another zombie bank. The US economy is heading to recession and Germany has posted a drop in GDP. When your cards look like that you don't go 'Abundance Declared'.
    4
  2865. Anyone notice the Axis of Evil ? All the countries supporting Maduro have no real democracy or human-rights, either that or they are $hithole countries. Russia, China, N Korea, Turkey, Iran, Cuba, etc etc
    4
  2866. In 1864 500,000 British workers turned out to greet Garibaldi. Garibaldi was "the only wholly admirable figure in modern history" A J P Taylor. Britain supported Greek independence (1832) : Lord Byron died fighting for the Greek cause. After the barbaric slaughter of Greeks, Briitian and France sank the Sultan's fleet at Navarino (1827) The tradition of supporting persecuted peoples lives on. (I'm pleased to say).
    4
  2867. Yes, well spotted : organized crime realized there was a lot of money to be made in poaching rabbits and hare, and when it came to pheasant - that's when the big boys moved in. Of course it has nothing to do with crime syndicates !
    4
  2868. LOL the dictators' portrait in the classroom. I didn't know the Russians were still doing that sort of thing. I thought they'd had enough after Stalin killed 30 million Russians through starvation, the Gulags, and detention/execution.
    4
  2869. Friday was the day for massacring Armenians in Constantinople (1895-98) Zeki pasha killed 20,000 The Imams were told to preach sermons that the Armenians were about to slaughter . Turks. With the mob enraged, the army would lead them to the Armenian quarter and the massacre began. A bugle call would end it after a few hours.
    4
  2870. Melinda, in the UK the most votes in a constituency elects an MP and the party with most MPs forms the government. In PR seats are allocated according to the proportion of the vote. There is a mixed system where it's 'first past the post' plus some PR. In Australia it is mandatory to vote and you have to choose a second and third choice. (I think that's right, I'm not sure how they evaluate the results)
    4
  2871. I hope some Stingers are fired, and some Russian jets are destroyed. Also, some Switchblade drones could make an appearance : to destroy some Russian tanks. It will be quite the parade.
    4
  2872. Houthi think they have carte blanche to fire missiles but should never be the target themselves
    4
  2873. " He Whom thunder hath made greater " That would be Ukraine : whom thunder hath made greater.
    4
  2874. 99.99999% I'd take issue with Cenk on that. Heavy elements showed up quite early , say 10 billion yrs ago. Say it takes 5 billion yrs to evolve technological intelligence. That means within a 5 billion light year radius there could be signals coming to us.....and there aren't any. Take our Milky Way Galaxy (oldest star 13.7 billion yrs) There are 100 billion stars within 100 000 light years and still no signal. We may discover, to our chagrin, that we are very likely the only technological life in the Universe.
    4
  2875.  @KazMaw1  But you haven't corrected any of my "errors" The academic convention is : a) identify the error b) state what the correct facts are
    4
  2876. Germany vetoed heavy weapons. Lithuania wanted to send a German 155mm howitzer - Germany vetoed it. Germany will answer for this if Ukraine is defeated.
    4
  2877.  @2961961able  Thanks for letting me know you've seen it a few times. My mission is to educate folks about history. Have you seen this historical reference ? Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  2878. Quite informative. Quite a good interview.
    4
  2879. "Dream on " ? I think you'll be the one waking up to reality on November 1st : we'll still be in.
    4
  2880. LOL France is backtracking at speed : "Macron was saying we mustn't say 'annihilate Russia'", that is simply false : Macron said 'we mustn't humiliate Russia', he also suggestion territorial concessions were essential for peace. France is trying to rewrite history (and not for the first time). Read French school history books just after WW2, and try and detect a connection with reality.
    4
  2881. LOL take a look at Zimbabwe or look at the ANC - Jacob Zuma an illiterate, corrupt thug - spends 9yrs stealing and ruining the country and only when he is caught do the ANC declare " Nine wasted years" LOL
    4
  2882. LOL Pakistan have poured a pint of beer over India's head and have now handed them the empty glass. I told India to do nothing. India should continue to develop economically, socially,politically and in education. Pakistan specialise in violence : they started every war between India and Pakistan. By all means launch a cyber attack against Pak. Lobby for sanctions against Pak. But don't start a violent confrontation : Pakistan specialises in violence , it is the one department in which they beat India. Why is Modi acting like a jackass ? He's got election fever.
    4
  2883. LOL a Palace : what a monument to democracy ! A palace : a monument to his authoritarian absolutist corrupt rule. Why not build a PARLIAMENT for the Palestinian people ? Because Jordan DIDN'T recognise Palestine as a nation. LOL they never mention that. Al Jazeera are propagandists.
    4
  2884. The Fed have pumped $3.5 trillion in QE which has inflated the stock market. It is a bug looking for a windscreen to splatter on.
    4
  2885. "Wild West" , that's how they described it in Jordan when the Palestinian PLO moved in. They would drive round in pick-up trucks armed to the teeth ignoring all traffic laws and lording it over the population. Finally when the Jordanians got wind of the PLO plans to take-over the state they launched a military attack and expelled the Palestinians (Black September).
    4
  2886.  @teresamccartney1309  France has always disliked NATO. France has had a chip on its shoulder since the Eastern Crisis (1840) when it was humiliated. de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" In trying to establish its greatness France will throw any and everybody under the bus. France was a founder member of the European Defence Community (1950) : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    4
  2887. Macron - I am expecting him to tell Ukraine NOT to retake Crimea. It wouldn't surprise me to see Macron recognise the Russian annexation. Such is the perfidy and fear of the French "Not to humiliate Russia"
    4
  2888. All the money from that tanker sale would have gone straight to the IRGC ;not towards health and education. The IRGC filch the lion's share of the economy.
    4
  2889. LOL I just posted this in reply to another item, someone had been defending the EU windbags :- "Maybe the EU is afraid" You hit the nail on the head ! The EU is afraid of China, afraid of Russia, daren't confront Islamism : trepidatious and pusillanimous, the EU humiliates itself on the world stage.
    4
  2890. Don't be fooled, this is perfect.....carrot and stick. The US loves it. It wouldn't have it any other way. Much better for the EU to offer hope of a sanctions bypass mechanism.
    4
  2891. The Pope supports Russia - not overtly but dans son coeur. Russia (Orthodoxy) thinks the West is decadent and degenerate, it has believed that for centuries - which is why Russia isolated itself. The Pope agrees, and would like to see an end to secular democracy and a return to faith based authoritarianism.
    4
  2892.  @Lopro94  , could you imagine the response if Palestine allowed women into politics and elected a charismatic woman (like New Zealand) ? Instead, you get tired corrupt old men refusing to hold elections because it might jeopardise their incomes.
    4
  2893. Huawei are required by Chinese law to assist in spying.
    4
  2894. Huawei are required by Chinese law to assist in spying.
    4
  2895. LOL the US haven't left yet. They said it would take them 100 days to get organised. Don't hold your breath : the US are going nowhere.
    4
  2896. "Corruption" LOL that only applies to enemies of Xi. Xi and his cronies are all corrupt (all the CCP are corrupt) but charges are only brought against Xi's enemies.
    4
  2897. It's going to be no "party" is what Boris is trying to say.
    4
  2898. Oct 7th massacre : the Gazans are not cheering now
    4
  2899. Royal Navy 1904 - 1926 changed from coal to oil Good relations with Arabs were essential Also, there were many politicians who loved Arabic culture - Anthony Eden spoke Arabic and was enraptured by the culture Many British simply "Didn't like Jews" Britain was NOT pro-Zionism : some folks were, most weren't
    4
  2900. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". She was a very wise, prescient lady.
    4
  2901. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    4
  2902. Impeachment ? Nancy Pelosi is too busy making $100,000 on share options after passing favourable legislation for credit-card companies.
    4
  2903. The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
    4
  2904. A well-designed drone : Ukrainian initiative : the very thing Russia fails at.
    4
  2905. If a Russia/Syria plane has fired a missile "near" a Turkish convoy, why doesn't Turkey shoot down 2 Russian planes ? Oh, it already has done. I absolutely detest Erdogan but quite admire the way he keeps pouring a glass of beer over Putin's head.
    4
  2906. Janie, Hallelujah, the news just keeps getting better. Even Trump likes Bernie : what's not to like ?
    4
  2907. Iran's economy contracted by 3.5% and inflation is at 50% it will only take a Tunisian style spark for the whole Islamofascist regime to collapse.
    4
  2908. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    4
  2909. Zuma has been given what he wanted. He made demands for his imprisonment conditions, and they have been met. His 'imprisonment' will be no different to house arrest...... a) unrestricted visits b) unrestricted social media access c) his own food and shopping d) no financial impositions (he doesn't pay back anything) e) a guarantee of early release.
    4
  2910.  @hyiux  What was the Ottoman empire ? If not colonialism. And in 1947 no Arab country recognised a Palestinian state : Egypt , Syria and Jordan all claimed it for themselves. What is that if not colonialism ? Is it okay for Arab countries to claim Palestine ? Oh, and what ever happened to Israel : it was colonised by the Romans then the Arabs. What about that colonialism ?
    4
  2911.  @dougaltolan3017  Putin is a demented butcher : he has caused the deaths of 10,000 people in a week. And you say "We shouldn't pick sides" Have you got no moral compass ? You sound as feeble as Modi. The Civilized world has united to condemn Russia, and India has chosen to stand on the side-lines with North Korea and Pakistan. Shame on India.
    4
  2912. The US are sharing direct intelligence with Ukraine. The Kremlin estimate 10k "technical advisors" are active in Ukraine. (They are there to target Russian hardware) It will be a short war : Russia aim to occupy the east, Ukraine aim to inflict a high price. Rapier missiles will hit tanks, APCs, artillery, truck and anything that moves. Drones will hit assembly points, depots, stores, canteens, fuel dumps, etc If only a third of the "technicians" hit one target a day that = 300+ Call it 3 casualties per target, that means Russia are taking 1000 casualties per day. In 1905 defeat by Japan caused revolution in St Petersburg. I think Putin may be in trouble with high casualties.
    4
  2913. Why didn't Arafat invest the $3 billion he stole in Palestinian construction ?
    4
  2914. "No permanent friends - only permanent interests" That is an idiotic phrase, only repeated by idiots. Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history is that North America speaks English". That is the basis for AUKUS. Take no notice of glib phrases : folks parrot them to appear clever.
    4
  2915. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    4
  2916. The UK had a similar situation in N Ireland. Slightly different in that the devolved government Ulster Unionists were pigs and used every crooked means to suppress and extirpate the Nationalist. The British Government introduced direct rule because the fanatical Unionists were planning a genocide. Historian Max Hastings reported how Rev Ian Paisley was telling protestant the Catholic Churches were filled with weapons. He was trying to start a pogrom on information he knew to be untrue.Of course Paisley being a Calvinist thought himself on of the 'Elect ' so any killing he provoked would have God's imprimatur.
    4
  2917. Erdogan wants to turn Turkey into and Islamic republic (Islamofascism) He may well do it : he has been successful economically and that wins votes.
    4
  2918. He he he, after oil religious tourism is the biggest source of income. OMG doesn't that tell you everything that's wrong with the Middle East. The one thing the Islamic world beats the rational, enlightened West at is religious tourism.....otherwise known as medieval pilgrimage.
    4
  2919.  @friendship9904  , I agree, I am one-sided, and should also focus on Israel and the US. The trouble is so few people understand who Hezbollah are. They don't know about Hezbollah beating students in Tehran and throwing them from windows (1999). They don't know that Hezbollah is fascist, anti-democratic and in favour of a totalitarian theocracy (like Iran).
    4
  2920.  @NaturesMoments-c1h  1919 Versailles Wilson's 14 points "Right of self determination" The Kurds attended but didn't get a state - they were too tribal and divided. The Palestinians did NOT attend And they would NOT have been given a state They wouldn't have even asked for one - they were tribal clans, they looked to Constantinople as their capital. If not that then Damascus. Only in 1988, after 40 years of failure, did they declare a state, as a strategy for international support
    4
  2921. Islamofascist Hezbollah and their backers the theocratic fascists Ayatollahs are behind most trouble in the middle east. Europe should support US sanctions against Iran.
    4
  2922. MBS has a choice : a) suffer international obloquy by denting everything or b) throw someone under-the-bus, a senior figure in the Saudi regime perhaps.
    4
  2923. India will turn up for a fight (unlike France) In WW1 India provided the largest volunteer force in history : 1.3 million fought for the British. In WW2 240,000 volunteered to fight for the British. Britain can certainly recommend India as a fighting ally. By contrast, France (macron) said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" France will remain neutral in any conflict with China.
    4
  2924.  @winterfell2650  You make some interesting points, but you are obsessed with numbers (magnitude). Take Russia announcing mobilisation on Victory Day( intelligence suggests). What good will that do ? The Russians can't supply the troops they've got. They had to ask China for army ration packs (dry food). Intercepted messages show they lack tents, warm coats, food and equipment. So numbers mean nothing unless one can match supplies. In the 21st century, professionalism is everything - mass mobilisation is to shoot one's- self in the foot.
    4
  2925.  @Syakirin57  You are purblind to the problem. The problem isn't evictions. The problem is 75yrs of failure by the Palestinians to make any progress. If you believe Hamas will turn failure to success using Iranian rockets, then good luck to you. Surely you must see that every civilized country would retaliate against Hamas. Hamas are classified as Terrorists : and Iran is a pariah state. By all means throw your lot in with those losers. Come back in a decade and let me know what success you achieved. (I'll save you the wait, it will be zero).
    4
  2926. A Russian victory means domination A Ukraine defeat means serfdom That is why the free world supports Ukraine For a small brave nation to resist an oppressor it needs allies ........... Look no further than NATO
    4
  2927.  @donkoh5738 " whomever you are " I represent the 141 nations who condemned Ruusai at the UN. Wion are apologists for the 35 who sat on the fence (with a foot in both camps in India's case). The Russian war against Ukraine is the defining event of the 21st century : India have chosen the wrong side.
    4
  2928. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    4
  2929. Anti-ship missiles - destroy Russia's Black Sea fleet. Please.
    4
  2930. Obama , Biden and John Kerry kicked the can down the road. The consequence being that Iran would be economically much stronger and able to "break out" much quicker ; with missile delivery developed through its new economic strength, it would be able to deploy its nuclear arsenal. The most idiotic deal in US history. Supporters of the deal are simply mindless believers in Obama-infallibility.
    4
  2931. Free speech or NO speech! Or total irrational nonsense speech. The type of £uckwitted speech you blank-brained pillocks digest.
    4
  2932. A very nice service from Israel. The umpire would call, "15 love" at this stage and Israel would return to serve for the next point.
    4
  2933. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  2934. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    4
  2935. Well done Trump for two reasons : a) The US does NOT want to be the one to cause the first fatalities. Shooting a drone is one thing but killing a civilian another. Keep the high moral ground : public opinion is everything and Iran is at rock-bottom. b) The drone was shot by the Revolutionary Guard who are independent of government they are an imperium-in-imperio (state within a state) and pathologically fanatical.
    4
  2936.  @vish5085  , it takes 1000yrs to build a nation. You begin with Common Law. Then Magna Carta. Then a parliament. Then you oust a few no-good kings. Strengthen parliament and add a judiciary. Pamphlets inform a literate public. Public opinion becomes a force. Alongside the merchant class demand for tax accountability. Then have a civil war to oust an absolute monarch. Invite a new monarch to the land and have him sign a "Bill of Rights". Extend the voting rights to all adults. .....and you a re almost there. You still need independent institutions and a free press to stop the whole thing sliding into dictatorship, and a robust economy free from endemic corruption. To transform medieval Afghanistan, steeped in mind-eroding Islamic fanaticism, into a modern democracy, is certainly beyond the ken of the United States.
    4
  2937.  @farzin294  , one wonders why the EU and USA employed International Atomic Energy Agency when they could have just asked you (and saved themselves a few million dollars).
    4
  2938. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "Nuclear neutrality" Europe cannot rely on France France will capitulate and collaborate every time (Vichy is just below the surface)
    4
  2939. Hamas hides in hospitals
    4
  2940. I wish they'd attack the Ayatollah in Iran.
    4
  2941. Read Nick Cohen about how Assange betrayed activists in despotic countries. It is a Guardian article. If I post a link the comment will be removed, I don't know why.
    4
  2942. Yes he said, "Fat" then checked himself.
    4
  2943.  @suhailbhat1996  , a very interesting survey in Israel revealed the following :- Jewish believers 35% Social Jews (wedding bar Mitzvah) 35% Non-believers 30% So Israel is actually secular : 65% actually think religion is superstitious nonsense.
    4
  2944. There are factions in Moscow that are working to see Russia lose. The people who want to turn the clock back - those who have lost money and assets, those for whom the future looks bleak, those nationalists who see this as impoverishing and weakening Russia, etc Many different groups would quietly like to see Russia lose. They include Shoigu, the imprisoned FSB chiefs, the sacked generals, the oligarchs, etc
    4
  2945. The Catalan crisis caused Madrid to revert to the worst of its fascist instincts. Civilized Europe was horrified to see Madrid police beating civilians who were trying to vote. The damage done to Spain : it has reminded every one of their fascist past, and how they only became democratic to join the EU. Fascist institutions (judiciary, police, military education etc) were never purged. Fascism in Spain simply joined the mainstream - but emerges in moments of crisis.
    4
  2946.  @LadialecticaLadialectica  , My point is that democracy isn't natural to Spain. Spain adopted democracy at the behest of Europe (to join the EU). Autocracy and corruption are natural to Spain (and Portugal). That is why Latin America developed on a trajectory of military dictatorship - along the Spanish and Portuguese lines. The Catholic Church also upholds authoritarianism.
    4
  2947.  @flak8855  , Hezbollah are hand-in-glove with the Ayatollah. Who do you think funds them ? Hezbollah are a proxy for Iran ; they are fascist Shia militia. Anyone that threatens the Ayatollah's regime (with democracy) challenges Hezbollah. The evening of the protests "about 400 plainclothes paramilitaries descended on a university dormitory, whispering into short-wave radios and wielding green sticks." The paramilitaries, thought to be Ansar-e-Hezbollah and possibly Basij began attacking students, kicking down doors and smashing through halls, grabbing female students by the hair and setting fire to rooms. Several students were thrown off of third story balconies "onto pavement below, their bones crushed," and one student paralyzed. According to students' accounts, uniformed police stood by and did nothing.[4] "Witnesses reported that at least one student was killed, 300 wounded, and thousands detained in the days that followed."
    4
  2948. Putin's "Rape Joke" about Ukraine :- President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. "Tough it out, beautiful" about Ukraine's alleged reluctance to comply " 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' They must be fulfilled. It won't work otherwise." Putin said of the comments :- ‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it’ The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ".
    4
  2949. Why don't Hamas and Fatah form a unity government ? It would be a beacon for world democracy.
    4
  2950. A few points :- a) it wasn't ammonia nitrate, it was military grade high explosive. b) who ordered it ? c) whose turf was it stored on ? (armed factions control different patches of Beirut) Obviously the high explosive was for terrorism and probably bought with Iranian money, and probably supplied to Hezbollah. Ironically in the power-sharing government it could be Hezbollah who issue safety certificates. It would be comical if not so tragic for the people.
    4
  2951. Hezbollah are fascists , they do not believe in democracy. ( Except in the Erdogan sense : "Democracy is like a bus journey , you ride it to your stop and get off."
    4
  2952. Excellent video, informative and very enjoyable. Great scenery. Well scripted and narrated. Small pedantic point : "Egypt seeks to capitulate Ethiopia into accepting" should be "Egypt seeks to coerce (or compel) Ethiopia into accepting ". Or "Egypt seeks to force Ethiopia to capitulate and accept "
    4
  2953. China and Russia : the two key components of the Axis of Evil. Both countries are utterly corrupt and anti-democratic. Neither country has an independent judiciary or freedom of speech. China and Russia are what the democratic West must guard against : know your enemy.
    4
  2954. I'll second that.
    4
  2955.  @chandut027  Correct there is a direct correlation between education and family size. That has been known for a long time.
    4
  2956. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    4
  2957. No wonder casualties are high Civilians refuse to leave a battle zone
    4
  2958. Simple facts :- a) Israel is talking about striking Iran b) Pelosi wants to strike a match in Taiwan c) Let's finish off Russia in Ukraine first.
    4
  2959. Even hypothetically that should never be said (Unless one feels well disposed towards Putin)
    4
  2960. Poland :- a) ruined by the Jesuits b) ruined by a fractious selfish nobility - that invited Catherine the Great to invade and partition them (2nd partition). c) ruined by serfdom and backwardness : both of which were defended by the Polish aristocrats. d) the home of anti-Semitic pogroms. As well as Jesuit inspired violence against other faiths. There were excellent Lutheran colleges in Poland - destroyed and closed by Jesuits, who preached anti-democratic authoritarianism. e) ..........etc, we'll leave it there for today.
    4
  2961. el-Sisi need China's support : they have 24/7 totalitarian surveillance. China are exporting totalitarianism around the globe and have found a ready market in Africa and the middle-east. With China's aid corruption and despotism still has a future.
    4
  2962. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    4
  2963. Hypocrisy : the Arabs failure to condemn rape, murder and abduction
    4
  2964. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    4
  2965. Indian cricketers will receive a harsh reception in England and Australia. The Commonwealth has a low opinion of collaborators.
    4
  2966. Gulags, to cleanse Russian society. India has picked a fine bedfellow. Modi must be wincing (if he has an ounce of self-respect) India must feel such shame.
    4
  2967. The WHO guy inspires confidence. Not. He looks like a chap holding out for the biggest bribe to determine his decision.
    4
  2968. Putin just said he will attend the G20 in Indonesia. That's not a guy preparing to use nukes. It's a guy wanting to remain accepted by the international community.
    4
  2969. Democracy is at risk everywhere in the Middle East. Democracy is an alien concept. Authoritarianism (Islam) and despotism and the natural forms of governance.
    4
  2970. Historically this is the position (correct me if I'm wrong) Under the Ottoman Caliphate all land belonged to the Sultan. In the closing centuries the Ottomans were on their knees with decay. Europeans encouraged the Tanzimat Reforms ( from 1839). Part of which was justice for non-Muslim Rayas "flocks", and economic reform - which included land ownership. Most Ottomans were illiterate (the Ulema had banned printing in 1515), and so land was often registered in the name of the governor or headman and his family. For example :- the Mayor of Jerusalem sold large tracts of land to Jews which may have been acquired by him simply registering land he didn't actually own. Jews weren't allowed to own land. But through a shell Homeland company they did purchase land, which included the houses in Silwan. The Palestinian position. After the 1948 war displaced Palestinians were settled by the Jordanians in properties allocated to them, including Silwan. After the Six Day war (1967) Israel occupied all the land previously governed by Jordan. That is why Israeli law is now being applied to the Palestinian refugees living in houses owned by Jews. Palestinian lawyers argue they are owed those houses in recompense for homes taken by Israel.
    4
  2971.  @billbrown4380  , I'm no Zionist, atheist would be closer to the mark. If you are a theocratic fascist then Hezbollah are the bedfellow you've been looking for.
    4
  2972.  Stink Whistle  "We know" ? Most people don't know ! Teenage idiots never saw Hezbollah beating students in Tehran, never read about students thrown from windows and crippled. How many people know Ayatollah Khomeini hanged opposition Iranians 6 at a time from fork-lift truck pallets ? Read "The executioners deserve medals".
    4
  2973. Very informative, a good video. For anyone who is interested, this is NATO strategy... NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, so as not to provoke the Kremlin into an hysterical response. It is a complete success. a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia.(Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    4
  2974. Essentially Cox said that anyone questioning the legality was playing political games. Cox has got to resign.
    4
  2975. Nick Cohen, well done mate. Thank goodness for people like him prepared to speak out about the new lib-tard left.
    4
  2976.  @xx133  Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are non-starters"
    4
  2977. "It is not the first time Russia has made nuclear threats", said the expert. LOL One Russian minister had his plane delayed in Poland and said, "Next time I'll come back on a nuclear armed bomber" The Kremlin is full of disgusting thugs : this is how they speak.
    4
  2978.  @adamcool9318  Don't worry, Russia is used to defeat. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    4
  2979. 2:11 Tripoli, enjoying a peaceful evening, courtesy of Erdoğan. What a strange world we live in, when a fascist Islamist brings peace to a nation that was being ravaged by a cowardly warlord (Hafta) with backing from France, who had jumped in bed with a rogues' gallery of nations, including Axis of Evil big hitter Russia.
    4
  2980. The Speaker must resign !
    4
  2981. Why does the Taliban shoot a schoolgirl in the head, then 3 years later say it will allow girls to be educated in schools ? If schooling for girls is against the Koran, why after 3 years do the Taliban decide it's okay for girls to go to school ?
    4
  2982. One Palestinian said, "This is the greatest nation on Earth". Why doesn't anyone fact check Palestinians ? Palestine has never been a nation : it was Roman, Byzantine, Umayyid, Abassid and Ottoman. And if it was a nation it wouldn't be the greatest : it would be a corrupt authoritarian pseudo democracy one-party state.
    4
  2983. Raab even started laughing along with the prime Minister.
    4
  2984. "Russia and China one country economically" says George. I think Russia has a GDP less than Italy and China's is almost passing the USA. That makes Russia a very minor partner - almost like a little province of China.
    4
  2985. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    4
  2986. Ayatollah : we never shot down the passenger plane. 5 days later, after mobile phone video.... "We did shoot down a passenger plane" The Ayatollah is a liar.
    4
  2987. First, you can have democracy : a devolved parliament makes decisions for the benefit of the people and country but there is judicial oversight to ensure the policies are implemented efficiently and in a non-corrupt way. Bee, Africa have had the worst of all outcomes : there is no real democracy and independence has manifested itself in corrupt self-interest of an elite. Look at ANC or ZANU. H MF, you must be talking about Kenya , which I acknowledge was a disgrace. But there was much more savagery when they gained independence.
    4
  2988. Ha ha ha India is now on a sticky wicket. Having backed Russia, the West will now enjoy watching India squirm.
    4
  2989. The FSB know a lot about planting bombs in Russia....... APARTMENT BOMBINGS Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    4
  2990. I haven't watched this but the answer is yes. The brain is constantly in flux. If you read, do puzzles etc then your brain is different to what it would have been if you didn't. If you booze and eat junk food it is in poorer shape than if you didn't. If your life is trivialised your brain becomes more infantile. I have no evidence but would stake my house on it.
    4
  2991. Well done Ukraine. And an entertaining video, well edited.
    4
  2992. Macron is an a-hole.
    4
  2993. They should have voted for Hillary, who having bagged $600,000 for a speech declared "America is great already". Maybe for her , but the working American hadn't seen a pay rise in over a decade.
    4
  2994. A magnificent assault. Heroic !
    4
  2995. Is Peter Hitchens an appeaser ?
    4
  2996. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    4
  2997. They will don't worry "Forced" is the key word : they don't mind voluntary displacement or humanitarian displacement, but not "forced"
    4
  2998. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often jke about rape.
    4
  2999. Unfortunately Hamas will be found to have started it with their 6pm deadline. Hamas gave Israel an ultimatum. When it was ignored Hamas launched missiles at Israeli civilians at 6:01pm Monday 10th May. Hamas may find themselves guilty of terrorism or war-crimes.
    4
  3000. I fear the worst for Ukraine, I have zero confidence in their military.
    4
  3001. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "Nuclear neutrality" Europe cannot rely on France France will capitulate and collaborate every time (Vichy is just below the surface)
    4
  3002. Ha ha ha, Putin the Imperial leader who took the country into default. Get that in the history books. LOL
    4
  3003. Mehdi Hassan is the best. He is very rational, fact based and honest. If you think he has 'sold out' maybe it's you who is too fanatical.
    4
  3004. Resign ! the Speaker must go 1863 Namik Kemal Young Ottoman : "Admired the British for the indomitable power of public opinion against authority" The public will not accept a back room deal cooked up to save the Speaker in the next parliament or Labour will vote him out !
    4
  3005.  @anubizz3  It was "The Global Times" China's propaganda paper, that suggested their large population could better survive a nuclear exchange. I am merely pointing out that the 800 million Chinese survivors would be friendless peasants. Only the USA would be rebuilt - by Europe. Russia would take Manchuria, India would annex a chunk....everyone would be happy to see the Chinese bully finished.
    4
  3006. Turgenev's Grandma lost her temper and struck a serf-boy. He fell to the ground wounded, which so enraged her, she jumped on top of him with a cushion and suffocated him. A simple domestic murder. That was Russia in 1850 and that is Russia in Bucha - murderers by nature.
    4
  3007. Nice team-work. And good manoeuvring. 5 indicators Russia has lost heart. a) Putin's victory day speech was mild and anaemic : no WW3 declaration, no mass-mobilisation. b) Shiogu and Gerasimov have started talking to their US counterparts (previously they had refused to answer the phone) c) the signal event of the Russian colonel on TV : saying "The whole world is against us" etc d) Putin now says he is comfortable with Fuinalnd and Sweden joining NATO. e) Conscription age has been raised to 40. The Kremlin is running out of manpower and fears mobilisation would cause a social explosion.
    4
  3008. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    4
  3009. "What the Whitehouse don't appreciate or understand", and then he states the EXACT reasons tariffs are being implemented : that technical finished goods are being outsourced to China. Not cheap labour but skilled , complex jobs. Mandelson was a corrupt @sshole many years ago before you lot can remember and he hasn't changed a jot.
    4
  3010. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    4
  3011. Correct. Russia want puppet dictators in all their neighbouring countries. They have installed a despot in Chechnya, where the police shoot women with air-rifles for wearing western clothing. Who does one report that crime to ?
    4
  3012.  Sreekumar Sulfi  "If I don't shoot dead a protestor, some other Iranian police sniper will" The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Death Squad.
    4
  3013.  @mjoradan3022  Well said. I think we all know a terror group when we see one. And I think we can spot when despots (Saudi, Turkey etc) misuse the term "terrorist"
    4
  3014. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    4
  3015. Bottom Line :- a) 40yrs of Yaser Arafat dictatorship achieved nothing : except a $3 billion hole in the finances.....Arafat stole it. He was sending £1 million a month to his wife in Paris, that's a very generous allowance. b) 70yrs of stone throwing have achieved nothing. c) terrorism has failed. d) Palestinians wish they had accepted the 1947 UN 2-state solution but it was rejected by Islamist fanatics. e) the Palestinian people wish the 2000 Camp David 2-state solution had been accepted, but Arafat , of whom Clinton said, "He can't be trusted", rejected it. What an unholy trinity : the PA, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Western leaders blanch. The curse of the Palestinian people is utterly hopeless leadership.
    4
  3016. This is the problem :- wildlife in developed countries is so-so. All the species loss is occurring in developing countries. Therefore they should stop developing but obviously don't want to. The developed world will offer paltry, ineffective incentives but the bottom line is that populations are growing and everyone wants a middle-class lifestyle.
    4
  3017. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    4
  3018.  @kathramsay1569  Correct Egypt stopped Palestinian immigration in 1952 The PLO attempted coups in Jordan Sep 1970 and in Lebanon They were evicted from both countries Egypt doesn't want them Egypt, Jordan & Saudi want to see Hamas crushed
    4
  3019. When India face China in the Himalayas they get a good beating. Then take out the humiliation by sexually assaulting two handcuffed victims.
    4
  3020. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    4
  3021. Trump and MBS will find somewhere for Hamas and the Gazans (And it won't be Gaza)
    4
  3022.  @GS-dz5kr  "Under Putin" ? Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  3023. Corbyn, oh dear, he supports every Islamofascist group going. He distrusts British intelligence and looks to the Kremlin for reliable facts regarding the Skripal poisonings. He doesn't believe a Russian BUK missile shot down MH17 and he supports dictator Maduro. Corbyn is a threat to national security.
    4
  3024. "Turning point in history" ? Then why did Germany block weapons to Ukraine if n February ? a) RAF flight blocked b) Estonia howitzer transfer blocked c) direct sales blocked
    4
  3025.  @ianmackenzie686  , and in Spain the Hidalgo made up a huge proportion of society. They believed work was beneath them. Henry Kamen relates a story he discovered of a mother kissing a beggars hand and telling her son he is a noble Hidalgo. (That would sooner beg than work) Those same Hidalgo headed for the Americas, where they sat back and watched other folk work their land. Another reason for the failure of Spanish America. You're welcome to watch my video on the subject : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACa4p9jhVPc
    4
  3026. This is a cry for help. Iran wants to talk and needs a face-saver to get to the table. By Christmas they will have abandoned their nuclear program and all sanctions will be lifted.
    4
  3027. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug, he has the morality of a gangster.
    4
  3028. A deadline given by a lame duck president Nobody cares
    4
  3029. The Myanmar generals have gone "All in" with their chips. If they lose they go to jail. Those opposing the military have to realise the stakes : someone has to assassinate the generals.
    4
  3030.  @brianticas2068  Thank you. Can you check my list...... Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1988 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    4
  3031. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asked his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha said, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    4
  3032.  @miriamweller812  Russia is losing :- a) Ukraine has reclaimed land the size of Denmark. b) Russia was defeated at Kyiv and Kharkiv c) Russia lost 5 ships taking Snake Island, they lost countless troops and helicopters - then had to fell. d) Russia's Black Sea fleet has fled Sevastopol and is hiding in Novorossiya. There is no rush - Kherson is a meat grinder for Russia, the longer it lasts the more Russia loses. And Putin cannot survive after Kherson falls.
    4
  3033. $4 for that beef isn't a bad price, Argentina's problems stem from the military junta of the 1930s and 1980s Remember the Falklands invasion (that Pope Francis thought was a good idea) ? That was a diversion to take the country's attention away from failing economic problems. The solution for Argentina is to stop fascist military dictatorships and stop listening to Pope Francis and his warmonger ideas.
    4
  3034. UN resolution : Hamas refuses to "release hostages unconditionally" Hamas fails to comply with the UN resolution If Hamas release ALL hostages the war ends
    4
  3035. Because they are both Hamas
    4
  3036. Why is Russia backwards ? Peter I (d.1725) opened Rus but increased serfdom & autocracy Alex I (d.1825) post Rev (1789) isolated and censored Rus Nicholas I (d.1855) post Dec rebellion 1825 created a police state Russia : a police state till 1917 Then under Stalin (1924) Russia became a Gulag. The Orthodox Church,mystical & medieval, isolated itself from ideas and from the 17th C believed the West degenerate and decadent Stalin invested in "wrong" science : Lysenkoism They substituted paranoia and psychosis for culture
    4
  3037. Think how casually Russia evacuated Snake Island. That is exactly what NATO wants. Russia to lose casually, not hysterically. Ukraine must wear down Russia and make it casually retreat to its own land.
    4
  3038. The guards shouldn't stand side-by-side. One guard should stay back, so as to shoot the bomber. A lone attacker shouldn't get past 2 armed guards.
    4
  3039. Ian, no, the economic sanctions are to stop a fanatical Islamic fascist theocracy, which has vowed to exterminate Israel, from developing a nuclear weapon.
    4
  3040. At this stage Exocets should be sold to Ukraine ! This will be a game-changer. Turkey will approve - they hate Russian naval power in the Black Sea. Exocets will sink the Russian fleet faster than Japan did in 1905
    4
  3041.  @thelionofjudah8953  Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold.” India should consider those words. Modi has traduced India's reputation.
    4
  3042. "An evil little man with feral eyes" Mitt Romney
    4
  3043. What does Islamic indoctrination have in common with Chinese indoctrination ? They are both spectacularly ill-informed and mind-bogglingly wrong-headed. Why not read some science and history and become a rational person ?
    4
  3044. Aiven, you destroy your own position by holding Gaddafi up as a role model. C'mon, you moron.
    4
  3045. Mikhall, you are right : Gaddafi was a great guy. Too bad for all his victims. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jun/18/muammar-gaddafi-war-crimes-files Too bad for the girls raped https://www.haaretz.com/gadhafi-s-crimes-revealed-1.5315653 Too bad for the citizens butchered and tortured https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-warcrimes-libya/war-crimes-prosecutor-calls-for-arrest-of-saif-gaddafi-dictators-son-idUKKBN195208
    4
  3046.  @RUTHLESSambition5  The IRGC fired the missile that shot down the passenger plane. Why would the IRGC allow some other group to operate missiles ? The IRGC operate all missile systems.
    4
  3047. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    4
  3048. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  3049. Realism not optimism : that's good. NATO now need to get real about supplying Ukraine with Exocets. That will be a game-changer : the Black Sea fleet will go down quicker than the Tsar's fleet in 1905 ; when it travelled halfway round the world to be dispatched by the Japanese.
    4
  3050. 1936 French PM (Pierre Laval) prevented an oil embargo on Mussolini who was gassing Ethiopians after his invasion. Why are France always the weak link, always the capitulators ?
    4
  3051. Are you a half-brained half-wit (you sound like one ) ?
    4
  3052. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    4
  3053. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  3054.  @rossib6974  At the thought of British volunteers fighting for the freedom of Ukrainians. Idealism : which reminds one of Lord Byron (d.1824) fighting for Greek independence against the Turks.
    4
  3055.  david healy  You won't be laughing in August when the major counter-offensive begins. Snake island has already been soften up. British Brimstone rockets smashed the Orcs compound and destroyed Russian air-defences. "The war will be over by Christmas ", General Budonov (Ukraine Intelligence)
    4
  3056.  @leagueaddict8357  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    4
  3057. LOL ERdogan has 240+ journalists in prison. He has intimidated and imprisoned the opposition and turned Turkey into a one-party dictatorship. And he speaks of international law. Egypt are there and they torture and kill Europeans (Italian student) This bunch is an international disgrace.
    4
  3058. Turkey, Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" If only India could find such courage. Modi is like the lion in The Wizard of Oz, searching for courage.
    4
  3059. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    4
  3060.  @russianpower4252  "Vladimir Putin says he has formed a police reserve force to intervene in Belarus if necessary " That doesn't sound neutral. It sounds like a KGB Kremlin thug supporting a crooked despot in Belarus.
    4
  3061.  @javierelorz8875  , Belarus isn't "being attacked", it is ousting a dictator. Besides Russia had a treaty with Ukraine :- "Ukraine had agreed to remove all nuclear weapons from its soil in exchange for assurances that Russia would respect its sovereignty. " How did that work out ? Never trust Russia, never trust The Axis of Evil.
    4
  3062. Muslim countries have to have their arm twisted to try and get them to be democratic. And even then they will shamelessly cheat at every opportunity.
    4
  3063. Hamas has limited ammunition Even UNRWA cannot deliver enough ammo for Hamas to survive
    4
  3064. Randy, my apologies. But you must know that anyone who recollects Hillary with fondness or regret is asking for it. She didn't just lose but wrecked the DNC : leaving it as a tarnished, vote-rigging ,crooked, lying , corrupt and discredited corporate-party.
    4
  3065. The reason for the divide between prosperous-democratic North America and the Military-junta failed Central/South Americas is in their history. Settlers to the North fled from Absolute Monarchy , tyranny and intolerance and established freedoms for themselves. In the Spanish south they embraced absolute monarchy which segued to military dictatorship. Also , contrast Catholicism (south America) which is a spiritual absolute monarchy (Pope) with the protestant north which empowers the individual or congregation in a communal/democratic way. Spanish monarchy and Catholic absolutism ruined the South.
    4
  3066. a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. Russia lost 5 ships taking snake Island and then fled. I'm afraid Russia has lost this war. They will also lose Crimea and Donbas.
    4
  3067. French policy : "We must not humiliate Russia" Is that still French policy ? France has supplied $0.16 billion in heavy weapons Poland $1.6 billion ten times more. France is trying to appease Russia. I wish the French would stop capitulating and show some resolve.
    4
  3068. Al Jazeera only give one side (Hamas) Hamas is resupplying fighters in Gaza city The hostage deal is all about allowing Hamas to re-occupy Gaza city Civilians in Gaza city are being used as shields by Hamas fighters
    4
  3069.  @NYJGreatness  " It's too late for that 😂" LOL My thoughts exactly.
    4
  3070. You big lazy brainless fool. Go read a history book then talk about the Ayatollah.
    4
  3071. Dictatorship. This is the product of the dictators not the new democracy. Dictators do anything they want. Look at the Axis of Evil : Russia, China, N Korea, Iran etc etc
    4
  3072. Russian atrocities are "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder. Because Russian depravity is pervasive and must remain unspoken.
    4
  3073. BREAKING NEWS : Ukraine submitting ‘accelerated’ application to join the NATO after annexation of regions by Russia
    4
  3074. LOL I predicted this 100% They will only hold an election if Fatah & Hamas are guaranteed to remain in corrupt control. Ha ha ha, they are an utter disgrace.
    4
  3075. LOL you moron. Saddam and his sons were psychopathic killers.
    4
  3076. This is a time for us all to pull together. (Not to start criticizing your own side)
    4
  3077. It's like old times : the US, UK , France and all the good guys defending civilization and human values. Anyone that finds themselves siding with Russia and animal Assad should have a hard think. They are the same sort of people who turned a blind eye to Stalin's Gulags. Read the history : there were scores of politicians and academics who hated the US so much they would prefer to apologise for Stalin. They hate the US so much they will side with mass killers. The same happens today : listen to Dianne Abbott refuse to say whether Russia or the US are the bigger threat to world peace (Radio 4).
    4
  3078. WRONG The Ayatollah isn't Persian, he is a whack job religious fanatic.
    4
  3079. 3:37 LOL "Are the Palestinians the big losers ?" Obviously. That started with Arafat's 40yr dictatorship, when he stole $3 billion from the people. He needed the money to buy his friends and pay-off his enemies. That's how you stay in power for 40yrs. School children were taught to crawl around with wooden rifles, and teenagers encouraged to martyr themselves. Meanwhile wealthy corrupt old Palestinian politicians built themselves mansions. It is a strategy destined to repeat itself for the rest of the century : it's been going on for 70yrs with no sign of stopping. To make progress Palestine needs democracy. Allow women to participate, and elect a dynamic, charismatic woman leader.
    4
  3080. Russia has no friendly neighbours : that must tell you something. (Don't say Belarus, Lukashenko is a Stalinist thug, ruling because Putin backs him).
    4
  3081. 0:50 "We have experience fighting ISIS. LOL, it was the Iraqi army that fled that started the whole thing. Why did the army flee 300 ISIS fighters in puck-up trucks ? Because the officers fled. The officers were cronies of politicians and clueless (not real soldiers) That is what corruption gets you. This guy is another corrupt politician and has probably promoted his nephew to be a colonel. That's the problem : Iraq is a crackpot, corrupt, incompetent country, and will be for another 100yrs.
    4
  3082. Of course : he's a Blairite.
    4
  3083. Arafat stole $3 billion over 35 years Whilst the PLO lived the high-life (Arafat's wife in Paris got $ million per month to spend) The young kids were crawling around with wooden rifles as an education Imagine if the PLO had invested in education ?
    4
  3084. That's okay, he will never notice.
    4
  3085. 2 points :- a) Throw Moscow some carrots : many people have done this - French PM "Russia will still be a neighbour tomorrow", the Pope calling for talks, Elon Musk - give them Crimea, etc b) Delay Moscow making a WMD miscalculation : remember Tsar Alex I delayed his replies to Napoleon - forcing his winter retreat (1812) NATO need to delay just long enough for Russia to collapse.
    4
  3086. The Paris deal was acceptable to Israel It is Hamas that is adding delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a non-starter" It is NOT Israel, you should be asking the question of Hamas
    4
  3087. 19 Oct ben Wallace Washington (nuclear response to Russian threats) 21 Oct Shoigu calls Austin asking for peace 23 Oct Shoigu calls Austin again. Conclusion : Russia only respects power.
    4
  3088. Gosh - Parliament. If MPs were in danger something needs to be done !
    4
  3089. The only thing Mike Pence has ever organised is a prayer meeting.
    4
  3090. Good logic That's why France rolled over and capitulated in June 1940 A French army of 5 million defeated in 5 weeks Good logic - the logic of capitulation !
    4
  3091. Mexico : the whole country is up to its neck in corruption and violence. Trump described it as a $hithole country, and everyone attacked him for it. Maybe they will reconsider.
    4
  3092.  @oldbloke135  Good analysis. A Pentagon spokesman said, "Even the USA couldn't maintain Russia's rate of munitions consumption. We would have to open up new production lines."
    4
  3093.  @nathanlevesque7812  It gets worse for Spain :- Read Paul Preston"The Spanish Holocaust" and "A people betrayed". In the 20thC Spain set up a torture prison for trade unionists. The Governor would boast about the tortures : then when wives and daughters visited, he would boast about sexually assaulting them. Only when Europe protested was the prison finally closed. Preston describes the history of Spain as one of "Corruption & violence".
    4
  3094. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  3095. Will China send a craft and try to steal the trove collected by the Rover ? What's to stop them, they've stolen everything else from the Yanks. How does one know the "Nine dash line" doesn't include Mars ?
    4
  3096. The Obama deal :- Empowered Iran. Funded terrorism. Now look what Hezbollah have done to Lebanon. The $1.8 billion in cash, that Obama gave the Ayatollah was for Hezbollah. They've never had it so good.
    4
  3097. Russia are a peculiar uncivilized country. The haven't been house-trained. The norms of international relations have escaped them. They lie like children then admit the truth when forced. They bully and threaten : one minister had his plane delayed in Poland so said," I'll return on a plane with a nuclear bomb". They are thugs.
    4
  3098. 0:49 "The Palestinian leader argues......." Palestinian Leader ? When was that election ? He got a 4yr term in 2008 and the ballot box hasn't heard from him since. I suppose like all Muslim countries democracy has been kicked in the b@llocks. I suppose corruption rules in Palestine and , like Yaser Arafat, he simply pays bribes to the right people (Fatah) and buys off any credible critics (by credible I mean powerful , not critical people they don't count). The poor Palestinian : gets humiliated by Israel, gets ignored by their corrupt leaders who look out for their pockets, gets used as pawns by regional leaders who refuse to grant them citizenship, gets right royally stuffed by everyone with no end in sight.
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  3099. What a breath of fresh air. I watched Lavrov : that disgusting liar is a discredit to the Kremlin gangsters. God bless the USA :- A Pentagon meeting (6 weeks ago) with CEOs addressed "ramping up production".
    4
  3100. The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
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  3101. The Long View (What history will remember) a) A referendum was held despite brutal violence by Spanish Police (old ladies beaten, girls dragged by the hair, masked Police snatching ballots) b) Independence was declared Oct 2017 (This cannot be overstated , it ranks alongside Companys declaration in 1933) Here are Spanish fascists burning the Catalan flag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AycpYmCxYb4 This video is an historic record of Spain's brutality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=18s Many girls were sexually assaulted. This is some of the evidence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPISm5p8GD0 No Police have been charged and no investigations ordered. Spain's propaganda minister said "It is fake news".
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  3102. Beto LOL ,praising Biden for his courage in owning up to a fault. That's Beto : always side with the establishment. Beto : no policies but well in with the money ,corporations & establishment.
    4
  3103. During the Iran Revolution (1978) they weren't all "chanting the same slogans". Those chanting slogans not for the Ayatollah were tortured imprisoned and KILLED. What do you think happened to secularists, trades unions and feminist movements ? The Ayatollah was worse than the Shah !
    4
  3104. 1911 Russia executed 782 political prisoners. There was at that time 1800,000 political prisoners exiled to Siberia Under the USSR gulags processed 18 million, of which 3 million died Russia has never changed
    4
  3105. What do Hamas say ? (They probably want them to do it some stunts near the border fence and get themselves killed : Hamas rely on young people to sacrifice themselves, never Hamas leaders ).
    4
  3106. Corruption is easily cured. Use the policy the US have to prevent monopolies : you give the informer amnesty. So the party that informs gets off scot-free and the other party pays heavily both financially and with a prison term.
    4
  3107.  @anonymous-qt7wq  "US also has 11 aircraft carrier which can also sunk within 24 hrs" But the US won't use them against China, that is why the US built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Aircraft carriers are great for projecting power to trouble zones, not for fighting a hot sea war.
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  3108. Junker : "May was a woman of courage". Well he stitched her up like a kipper, he should know.
    4
  3109. Mark Milley was speaking at the New York Economics Club Nov 9 (the day Russia fled Kherson) He also said, Russia right now "is on its back"
    4
  3110. How are the poppies doing ? That is one cash crop that looks after itself. And the demand in the West keeps growing.
    4
  3111. Is that the Jesuits ? They were expelled from almost every European country, then expelled from South American countries, and banned by the Pope. Amazingly, they are now back, and firing on all cylinders.
    4
  3112. I remember seeing it on Pathe news in the cinemas (I was courting Doris at the time)
    4
  3113. Hamas release all hostages and go into exile - the war ends 1970 PLO kicked out of Jordan 1982 PLO kicked out of Lebanon There is a precedent for exile, it's happened before
    4
  3114. He's the replacement for Boris. A safe pair of hands.
    4
  3115. God bless the USA
    4
  3116. This is easily the worst book Holland has written; each chapter begins with increasingly grating, florid prose that lacks references mainly because it likely only ever occurred in the mind of the author. The central argument is weak; the cases covered are cherry picked, and most arguments are utterly unconvincing. Indeed the focus is less on relevant examples, and rather more on Holland's personal interests, the end result being a strange intellectual autobiography of sorts
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  3117.  @termiduck5445  Has the UK got an independent nuclear strike force ? I thought the British decided long ago that it would be unthinkable that they could use them without the US. The British guidance depends on US satellites (which could be switched off) I may be wrong, but I think we are totally tied to the US
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  3118. 1:25 'Motorola' LOL he doesn't look like a drunken Russian thug (not much).
    4
  3119. LOL I thought the title read "G20 to hold extraordinary meeting IN Afghanistan" As if civilized people would go to Afghanistan.
    4
  3120. What is the Yiddish word for shirkers ? What's "shirkers" in Hebrew ?
    4
  3121. Axis of Evil : China, North Korea, Russia , Iran etc etc A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    4
  3122.  @gv9528  , I don't support Turkey. As a military historian I'm simply observing that a professional military has retaken in 6 months what it took Haftar's rag-tag militia 6 years to conquer.
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  3123. Jared Kushner's "Deal of the Century" :- it boils down to you scratch my back and I'll advance your interests.
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  3124. Why didn't Yasser Arafat invest the $3 billion he stole in Palestine. The WEt Bank could've had new roads and buildings. Arafat was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month. Why not invest Gulf Oil money in Palestine. Why steal it ? Why is Fatah stealing it ? Why do Hamas divert money to themselves ?
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  3125. JIm, Spain had their chance with the worlds largest Empire 1493 - ~1650 But they spent the silver on mercenaries to subdue the Dutch Republic Built no industry or infrastructure and when the silver dried up so did they.
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  3126. Next NATO Secretary General : they are tipping Boris for the post. And having watched this, I couldn't think of a better candidate.
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  3127. Bucking hell, I wish I had a rifle : I could see one of them at that window. Magnificent bravery by the Ukrainians. I wish the West could lend more support.
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  3128. Good question. Iran is back Syria because it has vowed to exterminate Israel. It uses huge chunks of GDP to support Hezbollah and other Islamofascist groups , instead of reducing unemployment and developing its corrupt economy. When Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran journalists asked him what he would do with the democratic parliament : "I'll kick their teeth in", said the theocratic dictator. And true to his word he executed 7000 people in his first year. Just look at Khomeini's eyes and tell me you don't see a psychopathic killer. We should all support US sanctions and try to bring democracy to Iran
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  3129. This is reminiscent of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, and look how that worked out.
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  3130. Survival of the strongest - the story of Palestine Yasser Arafat governed with an iron fist : beating and killing opponents Hamas beat up and kill opponents - they threw Fatah guys off roofs Palestine is like Gangs of New York - the strongest help themselves
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  3131. Well I think the EU must have realised that a 'no deal' Brexit would mean the UK taking a second look at the 'divorce settlement'. It would be madness to adhere to an agreement (made in good faith by Britain) which the EU have then used to lever unreasonable concessions.
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  3132.  @VersusARCH  , the tanker was breaking EU sanctions against Syria. That's European Union sanctions. Why was it sailing the long way round Africa instead of going through Suez ?
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  3133. Infrastructure is always a good investment. Spain never invested during its golden age. Travellers commented on the difference - leaving French roads and bridges and crossing to Spanish mud tracks and fords. Spain spent American silver fighting religious wars across Europe (80yrs war with the Dutch 1568-1648, which segued into the 30yrs war 1618-1648) When Spain collapsed ~1700 it was largely due to zero investment in its own people.
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  3134. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant, arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel........oh and an effing liar.
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  3135. You are never alone, whilst ever you have two pockets to explore.
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  3136. Abyssinia, good observation. I would take issue with "because its people refuse to unite and work hard." I would say Leaders instead of people. Although it is the people who vote repeatedly for corrupt governments ZANU, ANC etc
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  3137.  @saqibkhan2908  , LOL why does everyone make oblique insinuations ? Why not just state a rational argument ? Let's assume you are referring to the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadegh and the installation of the Shah of Iran. Well you are quite right : BP and the CIA did overthrow him. But read journals by prisoners under the Shah : they talk of boredom and tedium. Now go read journals by prisoners under Ayatollah Khomeini : they speak of torture, death and horror. Khomeini's death camps killed 7000 : more than the Shah had killed in his own life.
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  3138.  @hassangingi7033  Arab League :- Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. How many are "the natives stripped of their land" ? None of those Arab countries are democratic. None of them have any history of freedom or democracy. The 1400yr history of the Islamic Middle East is one of despotism, hand-in-glove with an authoritarian intolerant religion (Islam). "Natives stripped of their land" ? Are you talking about Palestine ? The Balfour Declaration 1917 was made to encourage Jewish support against the Ottomans. The Palestinians sided with their oppressors (Ottomans) in WW1. When the Turks were defeated, Egypt, Jordan and Syria all claimed Palestine. Nobody recognised a Palestinian state. In 1947 the UN offered a 2 state solution which was rejected by Palestinians. Only after the Six Day War defeat (1967) and Yom Kippur war (1973) did the losers (Egypt, Jordan, Syria) recognise a Palestinian right to self-determination (1974).
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  3139. @Mark Corrigan , if "Israel owns the USA" why was it France supplying Israel with arms between 1947 and 1967 ? When Israel were most desperate where were the Yanks ? The USA only showed up after the Six day War stunning victory. You will find the Yanks love a winner. That's why they chose Israel as an ally against the Soviet Union's influence in the Middle East. But the Yanks were nowhere to be seen when Israel needed them most.
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  3140. Boyfriend blamed of abuse .....that seems to be a bit of a trope nowadays.
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  3141.  @jotunman627  "why is Kirill Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox church?" Kirill, the church’s long-standing external relations director, defeated Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk in a secret ballot by the Local Council, an electoral body made up of more than 700 clergy and laypeople from Russian Orthodox parishes across Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and elsewhere. One assumes the FSB bribed folk, or fixed the ballot.
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  3142. Odessa has given Boris honorary burgher-hood or something. Also, he has the support of Liz Truss (who is worth a battalion) and Ben Wallace ( who is a stalwart).
    4
  3143. I'm afraid the Palestinians must save themselves :- a) declare an election date, (look at Catalonia, they organised their own unofficial referendum ) b) don't vote for thugs (Fatah and Hamas) vote for educated people who know how to govern and respect freedom of speech. c) have a free press to hold officials accountable. d) remove religious indoctrination from the schools, allow children to learn rational sense : maths, science, humanities etc
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  3144. More lies ! "500 trucks daily" was the number normally delivered Most of that was consumer goods - food and essentials were 120 per day Al Jazeera always lies
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  3145. The death of Democracy :- It isn't when a mob storm the Capitol, It's when a speech is so boring everyone switches off.
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  3146.  @vksasdgaming9472  You are scraping the barrel. Ukraine's counter offensive : the first defeat on an open battlefield for Russia since 1942. That is so humiliating. The world is watching and mocking.
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  3147. Ha ha ha, Putin the Imperial leader who took the country into default. Get that in the history books. LOL
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  3148. The Yanks LOL - they think the whole world revolves around them They don't deal with global geopolitics, it's always what's happening at home LOL, one has to laugh at the Yanks
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  3149. History (from memory) Egypt was ruled by Mamluks (mostly Albanian, Balkan Janissaries) (Abducted children were converted to Islam and trained to be elite Janissaries) The Sultan asked the Mamluks for help fighting the Greek war of independence The Sultan failed to fulfill his promises, so Muhammed Ali went into rebellion 1840 crisis All Europe + Russia sided with the Sultan, France sided with Egypt France had to back down, and was so humiliated they had to dig up Napoleons bones and bury them with fanfare in Paris
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  3150. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
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  3151. "How dare the UN not condemn Hamas murder & rape ?"
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  3152. Dan Arbess is totally wrong : China is NOT an indepepndent economy and NEVER will be. They have to import a) Food , they can't grow enough to feed themselves b) Energy , they are energy poor c) They need to export , which makes up 40% of GDP By contrast the US is independent. a) energy independent , a net exporter b) food independent , a net exporter c) They are not wholly reliant on exports which make up 23% of GDP
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  3153. I was thinking exactly the same, and I'm well versed in history and geopolitics, but I couldn't make head nor tail of that explanation.
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  3154. China should be proud of Joshua Wong : he has spirit , commitment, courage, principles. You would think they'd be proud. But no. What the CCP want is mindless automatons, that they keep under surveillance. Axis of Evil : China, North Korea, Iran, Russia etc A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
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  3155. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  3156. Monad, hi. I thought I'd find a conspiracy whack-job on here.
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  3157. Well done Al Jazeera 6:42 The Hamas deadline. Very few media organizations mention this. The ones that don't mention the Hamas deadline BBC, CNN, Guardian, Observer, all progressive media ignore the Hamas deadline. They ignore that "Hamas fired first". Well done Al Jazeera for truthful reporting. PS the media that do mention the Hamas Deadline are Financial Times, Bloomberg, All Jazeera and Newsweek. Just 4.
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  3158. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
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  3159. Not in Africa. The African Union is full of depots who've been at the helm for decades.
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  3160. Tourism : the lumpenproletariat. Queuing up to spend a penny. Trashing the environment, then quaffing and gorging their maw. Prattling the while.
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  3161. Compare Putin and Franz Joseph (1914) Austria went to war in 1914 to suppress Serb independence Because without Serbia, Austria would be unbearably diminished Putin believes without Ukraine, Russia would be unbearably diminished. So Russia went to war in 2022
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  3162. NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
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  3163. How it started :- a) there were 200 Palestinian youths guarding the mosque to prevent Jewish attacks. b) to while away the time they started "throwing stones over the Western Wall at Jewish worshippers." c) the Israeli police arrive and come under a stone attack, nine officers are hurt and one hospitalised, they then storm the mosque.
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  3164. Closing the Hormuz Straits means war : that's why Iran can never do it.
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  3165. Let me give you all some background :- Palestine were offered a 2 state solution in 1947 and 2000 (Camp David, Clinton) and turned it down. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3billion from the people. He had to, that was how he stayed in power : he bribed his friends and paid-off his enemies. Fatah are totally corrupt, have never been audited and tolerate no opposition : they are the archetypal one-party state. Hamas are anti-democratic fascist thugs. The biggest tragedy of the Palestinians is a total failure of leadership. If they had a liberal, democratic , honest leader the whole thing would have been resolved decades ago. Gulf $dollar$ has paid to keep the conflict going for political advantage.
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  3166. ....or just say Corona-virus epicentre.
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  3167.  @denissssss8579  NATO strategy is doing great :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'. That policy is working.
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  3168.  @Oleg_174RUS  "Russia has dwindling stockpiles of modern weapons" MOD Peace & prosperity mean nothing to Russia, and liberty is unknown. Russia celebrates death & destruction on Victory Day. Russia didn't liberate Europe in 1945, they imposed Stalin's terror on Eastern Europe, and introduced the Gulags, the KGB and Russian fascism.
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  3169. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  3170. " India went against the UN resolutions " What about Bangladesh, when Pakistan killed 3 million ? Where is the UN resolution on that. What about raping 250,000 Bangladeshi women and girls , where is that UN resolution ?
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  3171. LOL at 4:25 he says "sanctions are not working" But at 1:07 the Iranian says "We need food not nuclear weapons".
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  3172. "The doctors' union" Why don't they run the country Instead of military & paramilitary psychopaths ?
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  3173. LOL Welcome to Africa. Mnangagwa is ZANU-pf to the core ; "The crocodile" a killer of 10,000. He's a "successful business man" LOL , when you've got the corruption of government contracts , that comes quite easily. Where is the African Union : that corrupt fraternity of incompetent dictators ?
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  3174. 1:55 Bullet points are a great idea Use those throughout the video Present a synopsis at the side of the screen
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  3175.  @Shiva_shankar-w8p  Russia is a gangster state : that is why they have been sanctioned. Russia is utterly corrupt, it is run by the Kremlin Mafia. If Russia were a civilized state with the rule of law and democracy, there would be no need for sanctions.
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  3176. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  3177. Egyptian officials have urged their Western counterparts to tell Israel that they see any move to force Gazans to cross into Sinai as a violation that would effectively suspend the 1979 peace treaty, according to a senior Western diplomat in Cairo
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  3178.  @PressHBCA  , just look at South Africa , a corrupt, incompetent one-party-state. I campaigned for the ANC and Mandela and regret it deeply. It's one reason I switched sides in the Palestine cause : I could see what was coming. All Palestinians are anti-democratic and corrupt , Fatah, Hamas, Yaser Arafat stole $3billion (Yes billion not million). In fairness he had to , it was how he remained a dictator for 40yrs, he bribed his friends and bought off his enemies.
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  3179. The godfather of Putin's daughter, Viktor Medvedchuk sent hundreds to the Gulags. Putin, the KGB man arrested them, then the lawyer sent them to the Gulags. Poet Yuriy Lytvyn got 10yrs.
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  3180. @elgqr Correct. When the KGB were founded, they described themselves in one memorandum saying, "We are the new nobility" Considering Russian nobles enslaved 30% of the population as serfs, it was a fitting comparison. The Gulags are Russia's contribution to civilization.
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  3181. Germany froze in February and blocked RAF weapons flights They blocked Estonia from sending howitzers They blocked weapon sales to Ukraine The US and NATO had to pressure them into doing the right thing. Why ? Historically Germany has never done the right thing : Blood & Iron was Germany's motto Only after WW2 did Germany adopt civilised values. Germany is a novice - it needs encouraging to do the right thing.
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  3182. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
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  3183. Well done Erdoğan. Turkeiye are no strangers to shooting down Russian planes, so Russia hold no fear over Erdoğan
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  3184. Why did Ethiopia's army (EDNF) collapse ? Because the Tigrayan's ruled for 30yrs - they have natural leadership and a power structure. The EDNF have no proven officer corps. Remember the Iraqi army fleeing from 300 ISIS fighters in Mosul : it was like the Indy 500, as brand new military vehicles fled. They fled because the officers had vanished. The Officer Corps takes years to establish. (Generations in fact)
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  3185. De Gaulle could say that, because nobody trusted France anyway. When he came to London, Churchill gave him an office without a phone. It didn't stop de Gaulle : if he found out a meeting was taking place, he would invite himself. Nobody liked, but he carved a place out for himself - so credit to him for that.
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  3186.  @governmentnwankwo9906  You are fantasizing.
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  3187. Vadim, you are right & wrong : the birth rate has risen over the last 10yrs but you must have been drunk when you said the Sovereign Wealth fund is rising. Sanctions have punched a massive hole in it that gets filled with oil & gas money https://www.swfinstitute.org/swf-news/russian-ministry-of-finance-to-transfer-900-billion-rubles-to-reserve-fund/ The economic future may look good through the bottom of a vodka bottle but in reality Russia is producing nothing, not investing in the future, and filling the budget deficit with money stripped from future investments.
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  3188. Trump Jr, after the 2008 financial crisis,whilst playing golf, told a friend "We don't use banks, we get all the money we need from Russia". That's the same Trump Jr who tried to establish an encrypted back channel communication with the Kremlin. The same one who met with Russian intelligence agents in Trump Tower.
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  3189. Presentation pistols, very nice. It reminds me of Ho Chi Minh after WW2 ...... The US generals told him he was now the enemy, after having fought the Japanese as allies. Chi Minh asked for some presentation Colt 45s, and the US army handed him half a dozen as a farewell gift. He then returned to the Viet Cong and told them he had the full backing of the US, then handed the pistols to all his top lieutenants. That secured his position as leader of the Vietnamese communists.
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  3190. 3:00 "Only seen in one dimension" That nicely describes the Palestinian Authority........for 70yrs they have been in power (40yrs of Arafat corrupt dictatorship), they've rejected numerous 2-state solutions (the first by the UN in 1947), and have adopted an eternal policy of corrupt-anti-democracy, coupled to stone-throwing. Does anyone believe this is a winning strategy ? Why not have an election and allow women to stand ? Why not have an enlightened woman leading the Palestinians : that would get world attention and invigorate the peace process. Or just stick with those corrupt old men, resigned to failure and lining their own pockets.
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  3191. Allah never buttered a parsnip. Don't wait for any assistance from him....or God or Yaweh. Campaign for a civilized government yourself : develop independent institutions to hold authority accountable ; independent investigative bodies to counter corruption ; independent judiciary ; and a secular state free from religious bigotry.
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  3192.  Mati Velázquez  , you don't need to be a Trumptard to deduce the Ayatollah's plans for Israel : he's on record saying he will destroy Israel. How did you miss that : Google it, the Ayatollah says it weekly at Friday prayers.
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  3193. Russia lost 5 ships taking Snake island (which was then retaken) The Black Sea Fleet has retreated from Sevastopol, and is hiding in Novorossiya There are missiles waiting for them : Neptune, Harpoon, Brimstone and Himars By Christ I hope they sink some more.
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  3194. Even a foreigner can discern ..... "Deliberate valour breathed, firm and unmoved With dread of death to flight or foul retreat ". Milton
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  3195.  @jamey55lee  , yes I'm aware of the stern gang and Begin's terrorism. I agree that Sharon is a war criminal. But do you remember what happened after the Sabra and Shatila massacres ? 250,000 Israelis came out to demonstrate against their own government. When do you see Palestininas demonstarte against the PLO,PA, Fatah or Hamas ? They never demonstrate because they'd be beaten or killed. All Palestinian parties are dictatorial. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. There is no democracy in Muslim countries only Islamofascism and totalitarianism.
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  3196. France is a world leader in nuclear-power. Macron just signed a $40 billion contract to supply Saudi with nuclear plants. Europe will diversify its energy supplies : huge gas-fields in the Mediterranean will be developed. Also Russia will pay :- a) reparations to Ukraine b) WTO fines for breaking a gas contract with the EU c) the money will be deducted from the seized assets ($330 billion in EU)
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  3197. Notice Hamas never fire rockets from close to their own homes. Hamas rule Gaza like feudal warlords : there is no justice in Gaza If a Hamas official assaults someone there is nobody for the victim to appeal to : Hamas are the anti-democratic, psychotic, fascist dictators.
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  3198.  @Danneman92  Eugene liked to dress in women's clothes as a young man. His mother was one of 3 beautiful sisters, who all married historical figures. I think she was also mistress to Louis XIV. That's it :- "Cardinal Mazarin's nieces ", they called the sisters the Mazarinettes.
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  3199.  @MMABones  LOL you are making a fighting retreat with that comment. May I describe you comment as "A Parthian shot" ? ( While performing a real or feigned retreat)
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  3200. Macron wants a soft line on China .... "The European Union should not gang up on China with the U.S ", he said. In typical pusillanimous fashion (No wonder Australia chose AUKUS).
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  3201.  @godblesstheworldwearehuman3331  , China created North Korea, Russia supports Lukashenko in Belarus : the Axis of Evil support tyranny everywhere and oppose democratic freedom.
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  3202. Good old Erdoğan : he's milking this opportunity. Turkey comes to the rescue, when did we last hear that ? (Never)
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  3203. You'll be praying to get rid of Barzani after he's been a brutal dictator for 20yrs
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  3204. Why not apply the Greek remedy : simply borrow even more money and fudge the books, spread wealth to your political supporters and find jobs for your cronies in over staffed public companies ; allow corruption and graft to run rampant throughout the civil service and blame bloated public works contracts on the EU.
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  3205. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  3206.  @ariaspes3842  , I'm not a troll or a Zionist. I'm stating a fact : the majority of Iranians want the government to prioritise spending on the economy. Persian people actually hate the Ayatollah's dictatorship and would like democracy. Where is your evidence to the contrary, you Islamist-fascist, totalitarian half-wit.
    4
  3207.  @surushs.447  " Zionist tgat you are, otherwise you wouldn't mention Hezbollah" I've got news for you : everyone hates Hezbollah, in fact there are only fascist whack-jobs like you that support them.
    4
  3208.  @DiviAugusti  " calls anything after 1453 “Rome.” If I'm not mistaken, the last Byzantine Emperor died defending Constantinople (1453). His daughter, Sophia Palaiologina, was then adopted by Rome, who arranged her marriage to Ivan III. He then adopted the Byzantine double eagle as his coat of arms. In reality Russia resembled the Mongol autocrats who were ousted in 1380. Asian Autocracy is the model for Russia to this day.
    4
  3209. 1:00 "The colours don't look very appetizing at all" Very good observation- I never noticed, but it's true.
    4
  3210. Deutsche bank laundering money for criminals. They are also Donald Trump's bank. Oh yeah, Trump's only overseas bank account is with Deutsche. Coincidence ?
    4
  3211. Good question "Who decides" Well, the Ayatollah believes the 12th Imam will arrive with Armageddon. So, the Ayatollah is serious when they say they will "wipe Israel off the map" Armageddon ushers in Paradise with the arrival of the 12th Imam. I think any rational person would oppose the Ayatollah getting his hands on nuclear weapons. Hope this helps.
    4
  3212.  @antoniolima1068  A very fair comment. I am also against corporate power and the IMF. However, Russia and China are far worse. They are both self-perpetuating dystopias. Let me explain :- Zoologists observed a troop of aggressive Orangutangs for decades, they ate poisoned meat and the dominant males died. The next generation were passive, and this continued for decades. Conclusion : a trope once established in a nation repeats itself. Examples :_ a) President Xi's parents were tortured and brainwashed in the Cultural Revolution, and now Xi is torturing and brainwashing folk in Xinjiang province. The despotic meme is repeating itself. b) Russia has been an Autocracy for ever. The nobility would buy and sell the serfs. When the KGB were established, they declared in a memorandum "We are the new nobility". Then started shipping folk to the Gulags. The dystopia repeats itself.
    4
  3213. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  3214. Gosh.......all they've done is murdered a journalist. They haven't even finished lining their pockets and are being forced to resign. Some of them haven't even bought a luxury yacht yet........ I bet there's not much left in the treasury when they leave.
    4
  3215. The Pakistani backed Taliban are doing well
    4
  3216. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    4
  3217. Neru had a British education and wanted India to follow the British model :- independent judiciary, accountability transparent democracy. India's founding fathers would turn in their graves to see this bigoted TV diatribe.
    4
  3218. 16:50 "Maybe Putin can mobilize fanaticism for total war" No. The Committee of Soldier's Mothers has already sent thousands of letters demanding their sons be brought home. That is why the Victory Day speech was so insipid.
    4
  3219. Shoigu is a broken man. The Russian army is being hammered flat on an anvil.
    4
  3220. France and Italy want Ukraine to capitulate.
    4
  3221. Oct 7th massacre : the Gazans are not cheering now
    4
  3222. DW's Dork : "What's the evidence ?" He just told you - the security vanished & left him in a car with no driver The armoured car turns up 2 mins late Then they take his phone, to remove evidence
    4
  3223. Notice Hamas never fire rockets from close to their own homes. Hamas rule Gaza like feudal warlords : there is no justice in Gaza If a Hamas official assaults someone there is nobody for the victim to appeal to : Hamas are the anti-democratic, psychotic, fascist dictators.
    4
  3224.  @soup8786  Correct. But NATO must avoid nuclear escalation. Therefore, Ukraine must win incrementally. Ironically, Zelensky said Ukraine wants to win before Winter. Which supports my thesis : that the timetable is being adjusted so as not to "humiliate Russia".
    4
  3225. Les choses en noir : one can put the stick down - leaving egg on one's face. Or one can wield the stick, smashing all the glass in one's own greenhouse.
    4
  3226. Zelensky looks more at ease meeting Boris. That is because Ursula von der Leyden deports herself like a countess. She is a courteous countess, but Boris's bumbling bonhomie is simply indomitable. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    4
  3227. At the Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles : they were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine.
    4
  3228. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    4
  3229. One doesn't mind what the strategic value of the target is - as long as they're hitting Russians.
    4
  3230. What a waste of time this report was. A total disgrace.
    4
  3231. He looks honest. Perhaps the African Union could help ? They have despots who can manage corruption and loot sharing schemes between rival powers.
    4
  3232. 5 reasons the Kremlin knows they have lost in Ukraine :- a) Putin's victory day speech was mild and anaemic : no WW3 declaration, no mass-mobilisation. b) Shiogu and Gerasimov have started talking to their US counterparts (previously they had refused to answer the phone) c) the signal event of the Russian colonel on TV : saying "The whole world is against us" etc d) Putin now says he is comfortable with Fuinalnd and Sweden joining NATO. e) Conscription age has been raised to 40. The Kremlin is running out of manpower and fears mobilisation would cause a social explosion.
    4
  3233. The day a rabid Ayatollah gets his totalitarian fascist hands on a nuclear weapon will be a sad day for world peace.
    4
  3234. Sivan, you are self deluded. All polls show 80% want a referendum. At the last election independence polled 47% and pro-Spain 39% After the Police violence the Independence vote will be 55-60%
    4
  3235. Sivan, you are just making up facts that appeal to you. How on Earth can 90% NOT want independence when you saw with your own eyes 1,000,000 marching on Catalan National Day ? How did pro-independence parties gain 48% of the vote at the last election ? You are totally deluded and living in a dream-world. I suspect you play too many computer games and are confusing virtual reality with the real thing.
    4
  3236. LOL is an actor put in that performance critics would say, "Nobody behaves like that, stop overdoing it".
    4
  3237. Remember Saddam's elite troops ? The Republican Guard. When the US invaded they never did any fighting. They were kept at the rear : their job is to keep the population docile. The elite troops are there to maintain the dictatorship. In Iran it's the Revolutionary Guard who keep the people oppressed
    4
  3238. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    4
  3239. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    4
  3240. The Black Sea fleet is the apple of Putin's eye. Since 1784 when Potemkkin built a base at Sevastopol for Catherine the Great (d.1796) the Russians have been obsessed by the Black Sea and Constantinople - access to the Mediterranean. The naval base in Syria allowed Putin to sail ships in the Med - he was so proud. To hit his Fleet with British Harpoon missiles would break his heart, and produce a massive escalation. However, I do believe the Ukrainians will hit the fleet when the missiles arrive.
    4
  3241. ANC half-wits are destroying South Africa. The Health Minister think honey & garlic is a cure for AIDS The politicians are trashing the economy. Three cheers for ANC ignorance.
    4
  3242. The Ayatollah is strangling Iran.
    4
  3243. Very sad and depressing.
    4
  3244.  @xingamers7704  , a fair point. But Jinnah had been educated in Britain and saw the independent institutions : the judiciary, Police force, education system, local government etc. This was the model he wanted for Pakistan. Unfortunately politicians sided with radical Imams to get the votes of the Imam's illiterate supporters. Once they had opened Pandora's Box (fanatical Islam) there's was no getting the Genie back in the bottle (to mix metaphors).
    4
  3245. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    4
  3246.  @cindyfinlayson4197  Russia lost the battle of Kyiv, then lost the battle of Kharkiv. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    4
  3247.  @BenJamin-rt7ui  The British officer is wrong (I'm sorry to say). Consider this :- how many rail-lines supply Severodeonetsk ? Maybe one or two, but it is unlikely to be three, and most likely one. How many GPS guided rockets does one need to hit a major supply train ? Just one. How many command centres are there ? Probably one per battalion = 23 So an M270 would have to reload and relocate. PS Britain is sending 10 x M270 The Yanks are sending 4 x Himars
    4
  3248. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    4
  3249.  @badbotchdown9845  One Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf-girls Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow), he was exiled to Siberia. Girls were advertised as "having a pretty face and attractive figure". The Russian nobles were no better than ISIS with Yazidi girls. The KGB, in an internal memo, referred to themselves as "the new nobility" It gives us a significant insight into their mentality. Stalin's intelligence chief, 'Beria', was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he ordered them to. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine.
    4
  3250. Ursula von der Leyden is a rock. Some leaders have wobbled (Schulz, Macron, the usual suspects), but thank God for the EU president. Also, God bless the USA. Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts"
    4
  3251. Jordan Chariton hasn't a leg to stand on. I don't know what you are talking about. If it was Bill O' Reilly you would be taking the opposite view point.
    4
  3252. Ben, that is exactly why I just said, "Jordan Chariton hasn't a leg to stand on." There is no need to do any research. Just listen to the facts presented here and it's an open & shut case. I don't know why folk are trying to play Perry Mason.
    4
  3253. 1:17 LOL ha ha ha call that a warship. You couldn't sell it for scrap. The US 5th fleet is in Bahrain (now they are battle ships). The Question no Iranian will answer :- How will you close the strait ?
    4
  3254. The West must remain united The Global South has "double standards" - that is true ! The West can trust Japan, S Korea, Taiwan etc The "double standards nations" India , Brazil etc ; those we can do without
    4
  3255. Turkey needs kicking out of NATO
    4
  3256. Maybe if France wasn't blowing around like a windsock, the Yanks wouldn't feel the need to keep an eye on them.
    4
  3257. I'm not watching this video. It is too depressing. The Ukraine military look like a shambles. On the front line it is only the paramilitary group who have the ability to bring down Russian drones, with some contraption they've purchased themselves. Why the hell aren't the Ukraine military equipped with that equipment ?
    4
  3258. 4:00 "Opera not appropriate for a young lady" Yes indeed, ballet and opera was closely associated with vice. When the king of Italy (1861-78) Victor Emanuel visited Britain, he attended the ballet with the Prince of Wales (future Edward VII) and enquired how much one of the young girls charged. The gentlemen in the box informed him of the cost and he dejectedly said he couldn't afford it. At which point Prince Edward patted his arm and said, "Have this one on me".
    4
  3259. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  3260. What would happen if they protested against Hamas ? First time they'd be beaten , next time killed. Hamas rule Gaza with an anti-democratic iron fist. The Palestinians in Gaza do what Hamas tell them or face the consequences.
    4
  3261. 30yrs in power, Yaser Arafat was in power for 40yrs and would have gone on to complete his half century if he hadn't died. Arafat stole $3billion from the people, and is considered a hero. I think the Sudan guy is getting a bad press: 30yrs of dictatorship he's only just getting started. Mugabe was in power for 30yrs in Zimbabwe, maybe the African Union have agreed a time limit on corrupt dictators ?
    4
  3262.  @shd1394  , you are quite right, and when Mehmed II captured Constantinople (1453) gave tax breaks to merchants and settlers, invited scholars in Greek, Latin and Persian, and tried to re-establish a multi-ethnic Roman Empire. The Ottoman Empire then expands to its zenith under Suleiman the Magnificent, the 10th sultan, and the next 25 sultans preside over utter decline. We are talking about the 25 sultans of decline. Just as in Latin America we aren't talking about Spain's success (they dominated Europe for a century), we are looking at the roots of failure. You don't want to confront failure, you just want a snap-shot of success. You'll never comprehend anything with that attitude.
    4
  3263. World Reaction :- What do the world think ? Well what did they say when the military kicked him out ? There's your answer. They were glad to see the back of the a-hole.
    4
  3264. LOL : 2:20 look at the head of Tehran's City Council : he looks like a killer. Everyone in the Ayatollah's administration is a fanatic. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year.
    4
  3265.  Mike C  ,I've given your comment a thumbs up. Shlomo Sand in his "Invention of the Jewish people" says pretty much the same as you.That there was no exodus after the Romans destroyed the temple, that the indigenous Palestinians today are the tribes of Israel who have converted to Islam and that Judaism was a proselytizing religion and converted a great many Europeans - who are now the ones "returning" to "their" homeland. Irrespective of all that, I always side with Democracy against theocracy/corrupt-dictatorship which is why I back Israel.
    4
  3266. 10:25 Look who is laughing. Now tell me who got the better of whom, in the nuclear deal. $18 billion in cash, for the Ayatollah to fund Hamas, wouldn't you be laughing ?
    4
  3267. It is called opportunism.
    4
  3268. Why is Spanish-America a failure ? Everyone recognises a difference between hunter-gatherers and Farmers : they are different societies. North-America and Spanish-America are different societies. Let me use a simple example :- in the Spanish-Am they idolise the Church , and back in Castile peasants would all come out to watch a noble ride past. The Church and nobility are "the authority" the people respect. In North-Am the 'Church ' and nobility are anathema : they are hated and feared. In the North the idea of being subjugated to a Church & Noble hierarchy is a nightmare. That is just a simple example but a foundational one.
    4
  3269. Remember the Kremlin's response to Turkish drones sold to Ukraine ? Suleimani assassination drone.... Azerbaijan defeat Armenia with drones.... It is the century of drones (the future)
    4
  3270. Tim Walz "Kindness" ? Actually the voters want "Toughness" - someone to stand up for the USA and to guard the borders
    4
  3271. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  3272. They are at last going to prison. Unlike the gangsters in the Kremlin.
    4
  3273. God almighty where did you get that woman from ? She can't answer a question and prides herself on giving boring non-committal answers.
    4
  3274. Thank God for Ben Hodges
    4
  3275. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    4
  3276. Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass. Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it"
    4
  3277. The US have built in the 3rd world (indirectly) the banks lent money in the good times then called in the loans in the bad times. The 3rd world has had at least 3 goes at this in recent decades. China is doing the same thing : bankrupt the 3rd world. If they can't pay take it from their natural resources or take a port from them on a 99yr lease.
    4
  3278. He didn't say he was NOT guilty. He said he was no more guilty than all the other African politicians sitting in the African Union, sitting on the UN councils, acting as head of state or minister of state........the whole continent is corrupt to the eyeballs.
    4
  3279. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" Italy said, "A ceasefire immediately, followed by land for peace" France would capitulate, and Italy would surrender. Countries cannot escape their culture.
    4
  3280. A good handshake. Do you know what Clinton's assessment was ? Arafat can't be trusted. LOL if he'd read a history book he'd have known all the middle-east had come to that conclusion 30yrs ago. LOL everyone hated Arafat : the Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians, etc etc
    4
  3281. 9 Nov 2022 General Mark Milley : "Right now Russia is on its back"
    4
  3282. Denmark also sent f16 fighter jets (to Lithuania, in the NATO reshuffle of military assets) Well done Denmark - stepping up to the plate.
    4
  3283. The Orthodox Church opposes the war :- "The Ukrainian and Russian peoples came out of the Dnieper baptismal font, and war between these peoples is a repetition of Cain’s sin. . . Such a war has no justification for either God or man.”
    4
  3284. The Turks were also good at massacre-ism and genocide-ism read up on the Bulgarian Atrocities and the Armenian genocide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batak_massacre https://www.britannica.com/event/Bulgarian-Horrors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Uprising_of_1876 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide During the Armenian genocide young girls were taken from their families as they passed through Turkish villages , they were totally defenceless and at the mercy of the Turks who behaved like savages.
    4
  3285. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    4
  3286. Qatar and Iran should be due a comeuppance.
    4
  3287. How boring
    4
  3288. Israel did NOT annex territory The 1967 War was with Trans-Jordan & Co 1994 Peace with Jordan returned territory : so Jordan is happy The 1967 war was NOT against Palestine (it never existed) Peace was made with Egypt in 1979 Palestinians didn't declare a state till 1988
    4
  3289. Human rights activists begged Assange not to publish everything. They asked him to hand his material to other journalists so relevant information could be selected. Assange wanted all the attention : he didn't want to share anything with other journalists, so he published the whole lot. This jeopardized the lives of activists in despotic regimes. But Assange had got the attention he craved.
    4
  3290. 0:30 "Level playing field difficult to resolve." This is what Britain is being asked to swallow :- The 27 EU members get together to decide some rules : this includes the eastern European semi-fascist-half baked religious nuts, the corrupt Mediterranean $hithole countries, and the others. Then when they have decided their rules, Britain is supposed to adopt them. : without any say in the formulation of them. All that intellectual work having been done by corrupt crackpots. I think NOT.
    4
  3291. Sickening video is appearing of Hamas crimes It is quite unspeakable
    4
  3292. Pure pleasure.
    4
  3293. God bless Mark Milley. Biden said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats" Biden is a weak character, but someone clearly has a backbone. I think it is Mark Milley, Lloyd Austin and Tony Blinken.
    4
  3294. I hope it all goes belly-up for China.
    4
  3295. No condemnation for France though French fence-sitters (one foot in each camp) France never changes. Below the surface it is Vichy all the way through
    4
  3296. Very informative, and just the right balance of in depth detail. Also, well presented and edited.
    4
  3297. Beirut is like gangs of New York, and Hezbollah control the port. Nothing comes in or out without their cognisance, and nothing gets stored (for 6yrs) without their approval. Why wouldn't Hezbollah move the 2750 tons of ammonia nitrate ? Why leave it so close to residential property ? Because if they moved it off their turf they would lose control of it.
    4
  3298. The Military Junta has lots of support : Saudi, UAE, Qatar, China, all the dictatorships. I pity the civilians : they only have the pusillanimous EU support.
    4
  3299. I agree entirely. Better to have 16 short 'uns than one big 'un.
    4
  3300. 1:40 the interviewer is a bit of a dummy isn't he. "You don't see the risk....etc ?" He's just said he's sees the risk. Lordy lordy.
    4
  3301. "Huawei are willing to sign no-spy agreements". LOL.......that's not worth the paper it's written on. Ask them to sign a few thousand then use them for toilet roll. No spy agreement , ha ha ha I know they have contempt for western democracy and civilized values, human rights and freedom but they really are taking the piss.
    4
  3302. ERdogan is a dictator, let's all hope he is finally replaced.
    4
  3303. He's so boring
    4
  3304. 2.30 "People did not do that" (ie check facts of religious myth) That's because they couldn't you MORON. Only after the Enlightenment and dissemination of knowledge through printing were folk in a position to determine whether religious bullshit was true or not. People did not do that.......this guy is a JERK.
    4
  3305. Why didn't Franco think of that ?
    4
  3306.  @goldfinga786able  What a daft reason to believe - because you think you will win the jackpot when you die. If something is nonsense, why spend your life believing it, just because you think you may have won the lottery when you die. I've never heard anything so daft.
    4
  3307. I keep saying 70yrs wasted. 40yrs of Arafat's dictatorship : he stole $3 billion to reward his cronies and pay off his enemies. 30yrs wasted by Fatah corruption and Hamas fundamentalism. Where is the progress ? If the Palestinian Authority was a limited company the shareholders would demand the board resign.
    4
  3308. President Beji Caid Essebsi was 100% corrupt. You can make that statement about any North African President. You can say it about any African president. You can say it about any Middle eastern or Muslim President. Why do these regions have no democracy or transparency or accountability for the political elite ? It's because the people worship them and weep when they die.
    4
  3309.  @bukktoof  One report said the US had supplied 10,000 rockets. I assumed that was 1,200 Himars (when there were just 12), and 8,800 MLRS. In April the Pentagon told defence CEOs to open new production lines. Nobody out-produces the US.
    4
  3310.  @ruparkyitin  I just read that Russians in Kherson are stocking up on inflatable boats. (LOL it will be like' A Bridge Too Far')
    4
  3311. Macron said he stood for change but he is establishment-elite to the core. Macron is a redoubtable con-man.
    4
  3312. "They'll do it" Trump said 4 times When asked about Egypt and Jordan taking the Gaza population "We do a lot for them, they'll do it" Gaza will be remade without Palestinian/Hamas
    4
  3313. What's next ? More of the same : corruption, assassination of opposition leaders throwing journalists out of windows, hiding your money abroad. Fixing elections, imprisoning anyone who exposes corruption and having them beaten and killed in prison. Establishing a dictatorship over the bog-brained Russian people.
    4
  3314. Apparently, Ayatollah Khomeini was obsessed by women's hair. He wrote many pages about how much could be visible, and God knows what. He was obsessed by the subject. (As well as being a psychopath)
    4
  3315. "Innocence is a form of insanity" Graham Greene
    4
  3316. The Committee of Soldiers' Mothers has sent thousands of letters to the Kremlin demanding their sons be brought home. Anyone wondering why Putin hasn't announced a general mobilisation should consider this. When Gorbachev became President (1990), he found sacks full of letters calling for soldiers to be withdrawn from Afghanistan.
    4
  3317. Great analysis, enthusiastically presented. A very enjoyable interview.
    4
  3318. Macron : "A strong military is necessary to get respect" Germany just sent its warship "Bayern" to South East Asia. It avoided all contentious sea-lanes, then asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai. China told them, "Get lost" France & Germany (the EU) will never be more than windbags.
    4
  3319. APARTMENT BOMBINGS Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    4
  3320. He's giving a peroration from the bow of the Titanic. He's delivering a soliloquy as the Yellow Vests chase him down the Champs-elysees.
    4
  3321. Russian paratroopers : the Butchers of Bucha.
    4
  3322. Do you remember the movie quote :- "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Whenever one reads terrible stories, one is inclined to think "It's Africa"
    4
  3323. #Nordstream Putin benefits in 4 ways - a) Gas price up 20% b) Chaos & threats to baltic pipe and cyber cables c) avoids Gazprom $100 billion liability (failure to deliver contract 'Force majeure') d) Putin can demand sanctions to be lifted to enable Russia to repair the pipe
    4
  3324. Victory Day : Russian tanks prepare to celebrate victory in Moscow. Irony is quality Russia has always gone big on. Stalin is the "Father of the nation" : having extirpated a 1/5th of the people. Patriarch Kiril is the ungodly, Rolex-watch-wearing pontiff : Glasnost files exposed him as a KGB agent, informing on his cleric and parishioners. The Moscow Police were christened "The werewolves within" during the 1990s that was after their rampage of rape and murder on the population they were supposed to protect. Irony is part of Russian culture.
    4
  3325. Good work. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated on the battlefield".
    4
  3326. In the UK we have a Muslim MP (a former Cabinet Minister) Keith Vaz. After the Paris slaughter at Charlie Hebdo he went on Radio 4 excusing the Muslim butchers. He said, "My constituents love Allah more than their own lives". And he suggested (threatened) that Britain should have a blasphemy law like Pakistan's. It was disgraceful but nobody seemed to mind. Islam is totally antithetical to democracy and freedom of thought and freedom of speech.
    4
  3327. Very unimpressive - they don't pack any punch. They look 20th century (and I'm being kind)
    4
  3328.  @wm7531  20 camps is exactly right. Los Angles County jail has 20,000 inmates. So for China that is 20 x 20,000 = 0.4 million If you are comfortable with half a million innocent people being abused by the Chinese , then good for you.
    4
  3329. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    4
  3330. Spitfire did NOT win the battle of Britain : there were far more Hurricanes doing just as much damage. The advantage was with Britain. In fighter planes we vastly outnumbered the Germans who had to return quickly being low on fuel. The Spitfire was an equal match with the M-109. In the Pacific the Spitfire was outperformed by everything. All nations invent national myths: ours is the Battle of Britain. I'm not detracting from the courage of the pilots but in the spirit of historicity we owe it to young people to tell them all the facts. "Give me Spitfires", says Goering to Hitler in the film (LOL)
    4
  3331. Turkish military jets have been aggressively flying over Greece for years. Turkey actually want another war to redraw the boundaries. They will be in for a crippling shock : C21st war is all about economics and public opinion and Turkey is on the wrong side of both.
    4
  3332. Very interesting. It is invaluable to know what folk are thinking.
    4
  3333. Well done, Germany : we must all stick together on this, and support one another. The invasion of Ukraine is the critical event of the 21st century. Thank God for the Western alliance : USA, NATO, EU, AUKUS
    4
  3334. Well done France : a bold statement from Macron. (Let us all show solidarity - even if we all know France and Germany want to appease Russia by forcing Ukraine to hand over Crimea.)
    4
  3335. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asks his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha says, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. Turgenev's Grandma struck a peasant boy, and was so infuriated at him lying there wounded she smothered him with a cushion. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    4
  3336. Facts :- a) Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history, is that North America speaks English". It is the basis for AUKUS b) India needs a strong Russia as an ally against China : ipso facto, India wants Russia to succeed in Ukraine c) Turkey wants a weak Russia, vis-a-vis the Black Sea d) China is easily blockaded and has no oil : it is a geographical weakness. e) Likewise, by geographical fact, India's strategy is opposed to the West. India is an insignificant player against China - AUKUS simply doesn't need India. Conclusion : India is on Russia's side. This make take ages to dawn on western politicians, but eventually India will be marginalised.
    4
  3337. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    4
  3338. Macron " Countries shouldn't gang up on China" Macron "The EU needs a defensive force, I've been advocating it for years, and will use this opportunity to install myself as the Commander in Chief" The French - grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.
    4
  3339. Lindsey Graham said the Yanks are probably going to have to go back in. Remember the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt ? They overplayed their hand and got themselves a quick ouster.
    4
  3340. Double, that is a great question ! The answer is : the bible NEVER mentions human rights. The concept 'Human Rights' developed out of the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a period from say 1640 ( when pamphlets were freely published containing every type of idea : communism, atheism, evolution 'all comes from nature', was frequently said.) One leveller Gerard Winstanley said, "The Old World is running up like parchment in the fire". It lead to the decline of religion :- Thomas Spratt the historian for the Royal Society said, "After the Civil War Christianity in England was prodigiously diminished". Later on David Hume said, "The British view religion with the most cool indifference". Charles II (1660-85) was patron of the Royal Society of which Isaac Newton became president. This was the period that produced the idea of 'Human Rights' you don't find it in any religious tract.
    4
  3341. Why would Feminists say something so daft ?
    4
  3342. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    4
  3343. Resign ! the Speaker must go 1863 Namik Kemal Young Ottoman : "Admired the British for the indomitable power of public opinion against authority" The public will not accept a back room deal cooked up to save the Speaker in the next parliament or Labour will vote him out !
    4
  3344. Mitch is talking a lot of sense.
    4
  3345.  @CHMichael  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    4
  3346.  @TommyTCGT  Russian strategy was best displayed at Tannenburg (1917 WW1) Tens of thousands of Russian troops had no boots and no rifles - they were slaughtered by the Germans.
    4
  3347. In Pakistan if you have a factory employing ten people you can expect 3 power-cits a week. Imran Khan's multi-million $ mansion has never had a power-cut. I rest my case : Pakistan is a corrupt $hithole country that is run for the wealthy. Don't get me started on Pakistan's military : the most corrupt inefficient, ungovernable, unconstitutional tyrants in the East. Every war with India was started by Pakistan : I rest my case.
    4
  3348. Jens Stoltenberg - we're going to miss him. He was an excellent NATO chief. I can guarantee he will not be replaced by a Frenchman or a Turk. They are both only half committed to NATO.
    4
  3349. oltedders, just one question :- Do you believe Hillary's Arkansas cattle deal, which netted her $100,000 as the Governor's wife, was beginners luck or a bribe ? It's a simple question and if you say 'beginner's luck' you are either an idiot or a liar.
    4
  3350. Trump is in the Vanguard against China's totalitarian regime. He has the complete backing of the West despite what fake media may tell you.
    4
  3351. Let me give you all some background :- Palestine were offered a 2 state solution in 1947 and 2000 (Camp David, Clinton) and turned it down. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3billion from the people. He had to, that was how he stayed in power : he bribed his friends and paid-off his enemies. Fatah are totally corrupt, have never been audited and tolerate no opposition : they are the archetypal one-party state. Hamas are anti-democratic fascist thugs. The biggest tragedy of the Palestinians is a total failure of leadership. If they had a liberal, democratic , honest leader the whole thing would have been resolved decades ago. Gulf $dollar$ has paid to keep the conflict going for political advantage.
    4
  3352. Why the confrontation ? My guess is that Putin is laying to internal challenges : there may be some factions in the military or intelligence agencies (nationalists), that are unhappy with Russia's diminishing world role. It just seems strange; I mean, why now ?
    4
  3353. It looks ridiculous. Where do you begin to criticise this nonsense :- a) There is no democracy ........just enlightened tribal authoritarianism. b) There are no institutions for human rights or equality..... tribal dictatorship c) There is no plurality of opinion........just trust the King. It is ludicrous on so many levels.
    4
  3354. I'm sorry to sound heartless but Pakistan are experiencing what they export to everyone else. In 1947 the founding fathers (Nehru et al) wanted Pakistan to be a secular democracy like Britain. But the first politicians , to garner votes from the illiterate peasants,, appealed to radical clerics. Once they had opened Pandora's Box Pakistan was destined to become the $hithole country that it is.
    4
  3355. Danielle, the Bible doesn't say anything about stem cell research but they oppose that on religious grounds. Jesus didn't mention stem cells or abortion the last time I looked. And in any case most of the Bible has to be interpreted allegorically now that it's been shown to be bullshit. So how can you know anything for sure when it becomes your interpretation of an allegory invented in the Bronze Age.
    4
  3356. For India it is win - win. They can't lose :- a) It is a civilized offer which will probably be rejected by Hamas fascists. b) Even if the talks get started, they will go nowhere. c) India can be the impartial judge, deliberating over the Caliphate's abject detritus.
    4
  3357. I thought Hussain looked honest. He was talking quite passionately.
    4
  3358. Logan Act : when Nixon got Kissinger to scupper the Vietnam Paris peace talks before he'd been elected. That was a prosecutable breach of the Logan Act.
    4
  3359. 60 kitchens So will the ship stay there whilst the food is prepared ? It is supposed to do a round trip in 24hrs How can it stay put and keep moving ?
    4
  3360. President Beji Caid Essebsi was 100% corrupt. You can make that statement about any North African President. You can say it about any African president. You can say it about any Middle eastern or Muslim President. Why do these regions have no democracy or transparency or accountability for the political elite ? It's because the people worship them and weep when they die.
    4
  3361. Ebrahim Raisi sounds like a typical clerical psychopath.
    4
  3362.  @tavsigma4454  Amnesty :- "A group of UN human rights experts have written to the Iranian government warning that past and ongoing violations related to prison massacres in 1988 may amount to crimes against humanity " UN "More than 40 former United Nations officials including an ex-human rights chief have called for an international inquiry into the 1988 massacre of thousands of prisoners in Iranian jails." tav, you are a well known fanatic. You always support the psychopathic Ayatollah regardless of human rights.
    4
  3363. 0:38 "I am ready to collaborate" Surely he means cooperate ? Collaborate sounds like the very thing he is being charged with.
    4
  3364. LOL what do you expect ? Do you think anything positive could come out of rap/gang culture.
    4
  3365. What a marvellous story. Well done to the Blacksmith. Very impressive.
    4
  3366. Thanks. A very impressive operation. I think Ukraine are beating Russia in the Intelligence department, hands-down.
    4
  3367. Shame on India. Modi gave Putin a nod & wink, as he abstained at the UN. Sanctions against India may be considered by the EU and US. (I hope India suffers sanctions )
    4
  3368. Zelensky has asked for 500 anti-tank, and 500 anti-aircraft missiles per day. That is an incredible ask. However, Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts ". No nation can withstand an industrial onslaught by the Yanks.
    4
  3369. LOL ran is already on its knees economically. A war with Israel and the US would be the death knell of the Ayatollah's brutal theocracy.
    4
  3370.  @nietzschean3138  well maybe it wouldn't but at least it would be one less action for the IPCC to investigate. Currently, over this murder, there are 5 investigations. Had the Police acted correctly maybe those investigations could've been reduced to 4 or less.
    4
  3371. syim, you half-witted sheep. Iran is an Islamofascist dictatorship. Wake up you moron, those corrupt Fakirs are robbing the country.
    4
  3372. What price India's honour ? Answer :- A single shipment of cheep oil + Russian military junk Putin treats Modi with condescension (watch the sword incident) The Ukraine invasion is THE big event of the 21st century, Hand history will show India to be a contemptible nation.
    4
  3373. The real king of Spain is on the run (his father). He is wanted by the law, and hiding in some Arab country.
    4
  3374. Historically this is very ironic. France was the friend of Islam in the 1970s : they accommodated Yasser Arafat's wife and the Ayatollah. They were exempt from PLO attack and other Islamic terror groups. They were targeted by Bader Meinhoff because that was anti-capitalist-establishment.
    4
  3375. Good propaganda - they never mentioned Hamas once (Hamas is a dirty word : they are now called "The resistance" LOL) That hospital was a Hamas stronghold
    4
  3376. LOL good propaganda. The whole structure was utterly wrecked when hit by Turkish artillery. The Greeks had used it as a magazine and artillery position. You have to laugh. Thank God Britain saved as much as it could before the Turks and Greeks wrecked the whole thing.
    4
  3377. ISIL are surely surrounded, so where are they getting their ammo from ?
    4
  3378. History will repeat itself in this conflict. In 1898 the Spanish had a global army of 250,000, the USA had only 1/10th of that, and yet they totally defeated Spain. In retaliation, the Spanish military committed endless atrocities - mostly against their own people. Russia will do the same after this humiliation.
    4
  3379. Notre-Dame fire :- a) the alarm goes off 10/10 b) one man goes to inspect in the wrong location 0/10 c) 20mins later smoke is seen and a group go to find a huge fire but don't phone the fire-bobbies, they climb back down and only 40mins later phone 0/10 d) the fire-bobbies arrive and find an inferno and do their best 5/10 After the fall of France in WW2 the French invented a history for themselves which was taught in schools. They may have to do the same again.
    4
  3380. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    4
  3381. Magnificent. Those Ukrainian soldiers will feel 10ft tall when they graduate from this intense course. The Russians prefer barbarism : their recruits are bullied, underfed, and ill-equipped. Professionalism defeats barbarism every time. Arming to Battel, and in stead of rage Deliberate valour breath'd, firm and unmov'd With dread of death to flight or foul retreat,
    4
  3382. The 6th Republic ?
    4
  3383. Ukraine will enjoy a renaissance when the war ends. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    4
  3384. China support Myanmar generals. This play is straight from the Tienanmen Square handbook.
    4
  3385. Will the UN call an emergency Security Council meeting ? NO Guterres only does that against Israel Guterres speaks for Hamas
    4
  3386. If one were looking for a stalwart ally, France would not be the first country to spring to mind.
    4
  3387. ASEAN = an ensemble of one-party-states and rogues. Australia must have been holding their nose hosting that bunch.
    4
  3388. Well done Doug (Macron might have waved the white flag, 13 Oct on TV, but at least some French folk are batting for the good guys)
    4
  3389. Abiy Ahmed gave a speech ....... to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, and made a prescient remark regarding sexual violence in war. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[130] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war” UN report :- "Nearly a quarter of reports received by one agency involve gang rape, with multiple men assaulting the victim; in some cases, women have been repeatedly raped over a period of days. Girls as young as eight are being targeted," Lowcock said. In June 2021, representatives from multiple countries called for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Abiy to be re-considered because of the war crimes committed in Tigray. In an opinion piece, Simon Tisdall, one-time foreign editor of , wrote that Abiy "should hand back his Nobel Peace Prize over his actions in the breakaway region".[1
    4
  3390. Oct 7th was a disaster for Palestinians They are just beginning to realise the historical enormity
    4
  3391. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
    4
  3392. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    4
  3393. Why is ONLY Grace Mugabe being called upon to hand over her corrupt gains ? What about the corrupt swine in ZANU PF ? Zanu have been corrupt for decades. The Police are corrupt, the Army is corrupt. Do you know why the Army acted ? Because the general was going to be arrested. They acted to save their corrupt selves NOT to save Zimbabwe. I hope things improve. But Zanu are corrupt swine and their thievery knows no limits.
    4
  3394. Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    4
  3395. Patience ? Iran won't have to wait much longer - the repayment is on the way
    4
  3396. Nobel Prize winner V.S. Naipaul observed many years ago that African armies are there to exploit civilians. Never be surprised at corruption and never expect African troops not to exploit civilians.
    4
  3397. Teenagers and young people - the new generation, marching. What happened to the oldies ? I'll tell you, because I'm one of them :- They gained an education. They had never heard of a Fatwa, or Intifada, they had no idea about Sharia Law or Islamic state, Afghan schoolgirls shot in the head, European teachers decapitated. It made the oldies think hard. They took a look at Hamas (founded in 1987) and didn't like what they saw.
    4
  3398.  @strunaat  Good question. Allow me to respond with a question :- In the last few weeks, there have been 650 Russian tanks destroyed : the Allies have sent 10 anti-tank missiles for every Russian tank in Ukraine. On the basis of probability, how likely would it be that that tank was Russian ? I'd say about 90% certainty
    4
  3399. Pari, very good point. I think he is loyal to Lebanon (The Saudi have kidnapped him and forced him to resign). The US State Department said "He is being held".
    4
  3400. Turgenev's Grandma lost her temper and struck a serf-boy. He fell to the ground wounded, which so enraged her, she jumped on top of him with a cushion and suffocated him. A simple domestic murder. That was Russia in 1850 and that is Russia in Bucha - murderers by nature.
    4
  3401. What about desalination ? Israel is bone dry but exports water to Jordan. I think Israel have 3 desalination plants
    4
  3402. The trial of Mikhail Kulikov, a Russian tanker in the Russian army, who fired from a tank at a high-rise building, began in Chernihiv on June 24. The military man and his commander Leonid Shchotkin are suspected of violating the laws and customs of war. According to the investigation, on February 26, a tanker of waders, driving on the ring road in Chernihiv, received an order to shoot at a high-rise building. He hit an apartment on the 10th floor and almost completely destroyed it.
    4
  3403. I find this topic disgusting. Especially for a country with an epic history of slavery and injustice.
    4
  3404. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    4
  3405. "Probably" precludes him. LOL The French never have had very high standards.
    4
  3406. China & Russia veto UN condemnation. The Axis of Evil
    4
  3407. Biden's trousers are just slightly too short Other than that, this was a great piece of theatre
    4
  3408.  @MrSimonw58  Oh, I think you're right. The drone spots it with a laser - then some advanced munition homes in on it. I do believe you're right.
    4
  3409. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
    4
  3410. ....and the Spanish people ,watching a bull being tormented to death, seem so sensitive and humane.
    4
  3411. "Putin, the Kremlin, is going to try to expand the conflict" They have direct intelligence. Stollenberg has increased combat troops from 40k to 300k, and now Britain has launched "Operation Mobilse" The balloon has gone up.
    4
  3412. Let me explain for viewers in the middle east : In a civilized democracy there is a thing called "The rule of law". The state has "Separation of powers : a legislature (that writes laws) and executive (government that executes policy) and a judiciary." This is an example of the judiciary stepping in to chastise the executive. The legislature (Parliament) has now to be recalled, so it can hold the government to account. It's called democracy : you should try it.
    4
  3413. Well done Islam. But let's not get carried away. We have the same thing - the Muslim Council of Britain, it is a self-appointed bunch of wealthy Muslims who wine & dine government officials on behalf of all the folks. What is the best way to represent Muslims then ? Well a statistical poll of Bradford found 67% of young male Muslims supported Islamic State.
    4
  3414. "See a full fledged war ?" LOL Why would anyone want a war when Iran are sinking fast ? Why not sit back and watch Iran crash. All these attacks by Iran are a cry for help , they're sinking fast. Iran are desperate to find a face-saver to get them to the negotiating table and this seized tanker may just be it.
    4
  3415.  @ThereAreNoBlackPpl  LOL His face instantly falls into ....... "Give me a break"
    4
  3416. Why ? because the government is corrupt, brutal, authoritarian, anti-democratic, nepotistic and barbaric. It is a $hithole government the type you find in $hithole countries. But good luck to the students : they're the future ; and if you are going to change a $hithole country you have to start sometime.
    4
  3417. SG is famous for his courtesy and civility. This excoriating assessment of Joe Biden's performance, is an eye-opener. It turns out SG can really deliver a broadside.
    4
  3418. Italy has just sent 30 self propelled howitzers - included in which are 4x Panzer 2000 and 2x GPSMLRS (hi spec) Sweden has sent 12 howitzers (all hi spec) Amazingly Ukraine now has 30x Gepard II tanks (rapid fire anti-air) One suspects the West are flooding equipment in since Russia began ts onslaught on civilian centres.
    4
  3419. A success story from Africa : very impressive and uplifting.
    4
  3420.  @devilsdouble.3433  , you great double 'DD' dissembling dunce :- HTS are the tyrants ! why do you think they expelled the other rebel groups ? They are extreme Islamofascist. You are a religious dunce who believes whatever you want to believe irrespective of the facts.
    4
  3421. It's a great idea : it leaves Biden up the creek without a paddle.
    4
  3422.  @oddyse2  "It's estimated 345,000 Pontic Greeks live in Turkey as of 2018,[citation needed] although many still are in hiding and afraid of exposing their identity and religion due to ethnic tension" In hiding, afraid to expose their identity. Just as Turkish historians are imprisoned if they write about the Bulgarian atrocities or Greek massacres or Armenian genocide.
    4
  3423. Gosh, who are those two ? I'm pleased to say I've never heard of either of them.
    4
  3424. Mmmmm the comments are very ill-informed. I mean more ill-informed than usual.
    4
  3425. @Shaurya Joshi , Pakistan acted intentionally in Bangladesh, then covered it up. " During the 1971 Bangladesh war for independence, members of the Pakistani military raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women and girls in a systematic campaign of genocidal rape. "
    4
  3426. Biden will jump back into bed with China, let Iran off the hook and oversee the ruination of the United States.
    4
  3427. The Philippines : that clown thought he could ingratiate himself with China. He has now run back to the Yanks : as the Chinese plunder his coastal regions.
    4
  3428. May I add a snippet of history :- When William Makepeace Thackeray was a boy his guardian , on the route from India, took him to a hill-top and said , "That's Napoleon in his garden".
    4
  3429. Didn't stop the DNC rigging the primaries for her.
    4
  3430. @Cole-Con O LOL, that's why you might say it takes one to know one. However, the 2000 Camp David debacle was entirely Arafat's fault. Arafat always called an Intifada whenever his position of power was threatened from inside. In the same way, Mao Tse Tung called the Cultural Revolution when he was threatened by a take-over. It has nothing to do with National interest, and everything to do with staying in power.
    4
  3431. 2:12 loo how blue that water is : it's better than a swimming pool. What a shame Libyans have to be utterly devoid of Civic Virtue.
    4
  3432. Biden said "assaulted" ,why did you turn that to "raped" ?
    3
  3433. WTF, the great French historian Fernand Braudel doesn't care for the British (I can't think why).
    3
  3434. Spying and criticising Hamas (or Fatah) are the same thing : they both get you killed. Try attending a Fatah meeting and ask about corruption they'll beat you to a pulp or kill you. Try criticising Hamas and asking for a democratic election in Gaza : they'll kill you. Arafat stayed in power for 40yrs . He employed 2 techniques :- a) bribery, Arafat stole $3 billion and could bribe his rivals b) murder, Arafat would have critics killed.
    3
  3435. Spying and criticising Hamas (or Fatah) are the same thing : they both get you killed. Try attending a Fatah meeting and ask about corruption they'll beat you to a pulp or kill you. Try criticising Hamas and asking for a democratic election in Gaza : they'll kill you. Arafat stayed in power for 40yrs . He employed 2 techniques :- a) bribery, Arafat stole $3 billion and could bribe his rivals b) murder, Arafat would have critics killed.
    3
  3436. Democratic countries choose the West. John Mearsheimer skips this fact. The entire lecture never mentions democracy once. Mearsheimer treats all nations as equal - Saddam Hussein and his savage sons are simply a different model of governance ; China's CCP and the Kremlin gangsters are an equivalent form of governance to the democratic West. Mearsheimer has a valueless interpretation of history : had the USSR won the cold-war, Mearsheimer would've praised their tactical nous.
    3
  3437.  @troller8680  Stalin killed 30 million ; there isn't a family in the ex-USSR that doesn't know someone who was sent to the Gulags. Kremlin repression changed the nature/culture of Russia : people stopped talking. The KGB asked children to inform on their parents : one child said his father listened to a foreign radio, then watched his father shipped to the Gulags for 10yrs. The Russian people today are simply pleased to be exterminated by their government. KGB man Putin came to power after the Apartment Bombings 1999.... "Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers! " Just as the Gulags never warranted a public enquiry, so the FSB bombings are never investigated. To compare the KGB/FSB regime in the Kremlin with the USA is an utter disgrace. Read Solzhenitsyn.
    3
  3438. "Indiscriminate" ? That was Hamas on Oct 7th The massacre was indiscriminate Hamas rape, murder and abduction support by Arab states Arab League supports Hamas
    3
  3439. Palestine need democracy. Let's hope one day Fatah step back from imposing a one-party corrupt state on the Palestinian people. Let's hope Hamas step back from imposing brutal dictatorship. When Palestinians get a representative democratic leadership I'm sure PEACE will follow.
    3
  3440. Joshua Landis gave the best analysis. Things are looking good for the Kurds. I think the Pentagon has been driving this policy (we all know Trump isn't with it knowledge wise).
    3
  3441. Don't speak to an expert from Beijing - he is 100% biased
    3
  3442.  @Vatu.  The US stayed 20yrs in Afghanistan and spent $5 trillion. They left because the Afghans are a dead loss. The US will stay twice as long in Ukraine and spend twice as much.
    3
  3443. Makes very little difference Mohammed. The US are very serious about a military strike on N Korea. The repercussions will be disastrous for all countries in the region. But it will hardly effect the US. If China encourage N Korea to play hard-ball, and demand the US remove their base from S Korea, then the US will strike. If China tighten sanctions and pressure N Korea to denuclearise then it sours N Korea against them. There are no good options fore China.
    3
  3444. That is faux Putin
    3
  3445. Why is Africa a failure ? Consider South Africa : the ANC came to power (Nelson Mandela) with the full support of the civilized world. Corruption and incompetence was their métier : anyone standing against them in the townships was assassinated (487 so far). In short, they will never leave office. South Africa will eternally be governed by the ANC. Democracy provides an arena where ideas and policies can compete (survival of the fittest) which is how countries develop. It simply doesn't work in Africa, where people vote by tribal loyalty and not by political policy. Eg in Zimbabwe one lady said she voted for Mugabe "Because he has the experience" even though inflation was 2000%.
    3
  3446. LOL one only needs to destroy the entrance The tunnel is only as strong as its access point The US knows where the entrance is LOL
    3
  3447. A brief history of Russia :- The Boyars (aristocrats) were 'imprisoned' in Moscow : if they left without permission they lost their land. One German merchant (1526) said, "The Russians love servitude more than liberty" A German princess married one Tsar (I forget who) and observed, "The Russians like to feel the lash". One cannot reason with the Russians, or make a treaty with them - they must be defeated militarily. Then one must present a strong force to keep them at bay.
    3
  3448. 1:16 "An act of war or (he shrugs) an assassination" LOL where do you get these guys from. Why not a targeted attack taking out a terrorist ? Why didn't they say Bin Laden's killing was 'war or assassination' ? The fact that he'd been promoted by the fanatical fascist regime of the Ayatollah makes little difference. The UN has totally lost the plot.
    3
  3449. E Gen ; May I add sans Old Fakirs ?
    3
  3450. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    3
  3451. @American Infidel , very true. I've read the Russian captain's account. His ship eventually sank in Beirut harbour and the captain said, "The only surprise is it didn't sink sooner". The point is this :- Hezbollah rule the roost. Everything that happens in the port does so with Hezbollah's cognisance. If Hezbollah wanted rid of the ammonia nitrate it would've been gone. If it has been stored for 6yrs, then it was stored because Hezbollah wanted it stored. Maybe they used it as a barter tool. Its value was $150k which is peanuts to Hezbollah who were gifted a fortune by Obama, when he handed the Ayatollah $13 billion in cash.
    3
  3452. This is an old policy. The Ottomans were doing this for centuries. Abdulaziz (1861 - 76) had 3000 eunuchs to administer his huge harem and consumed 15% of state revenue. The Spanish started under Philip II (who confessed he didn't understand economics, no matter how hard he tried). Travellers to Spain said, "There isn't a gold or silver coin in the country". Everyone had stored them under the bed. Spanish currency was copper and was devalued regularly. Trade suffered because there was a lack of currency : folk had to return to barter. Postwar Italy devalued regularly : they survived, and did okay, but were never a powerhouse.
    3
  3453. Imagine writing a work of fiction to denigrate Islam and you invent two countries like Pakistan and Turkey, everyone would say, "Islam would never be that rotten you are making it up ". (PS I'm eating Turkish delight as I write this, ironically).
    3
  3454. Good video : a very atmospheric 14 secs.
    3
  3455. Those mercenaries look like money badly spent.
    3
  3456. Jurasci, I'm afraid Assad won't pay for it. The US , Kurds and Assad are now all allied against Turkey. The US needs the base in eastern Syria because Turkey could be leaving NATO and that would leave the US without a crucial airbase north of Iran. (The other air-bases are Kuwait and Qatar)
    3
  3457. Cjango, Israel supported Hamas to undermine Fatah : they didn't create Hamas. It's like the US supporting the Mujahideen against the USSR.
    3
  3458. When East Pakistan declared independence one Pakistan general said, "We will kill a million and the rest will eat out of our hand". I wonder if they are thinking the same in Madrid.
    3
  3459. Myanmar's generals are asking China what to do. Tienanmen Square seems like another epoch : can one still massacre one's own civilians like that in the 21st century ? Let's hope not.
    3
  3460. AU = African Union = Corruption on a massive scale. This project is a great idea. Lets book a hotel and get in a limousine and talk about it. We can claim expenses of course ! And let's set up a working party to do an assessment. We can put our family and cronies on the working party and they can claim expenses. This is a gravy train. It will never be built but will cost $millions.
    3
  3461. Crypto Africa is totally shamelessly corrupt. Look at ZANU in Zimbabwe, look at the ANC in S Africa. The African leader just wants to enrich themselves, their families and their cronies. There are no African leaders that work hard to improve their country.
    3
  3462. Political dynasties
    3
  3463. The US is very very very isolated It is Hamas which is popular Hamas would win ANY popularity contest LOL
    3
  3464. Good narrative : this is the time for hyperbole. Macron has started an elitist funding page for rebuilding : the first contribution $100,000,000 from one of his banking cronies.
    3
  3465. I thought the title was "I believe in U.S." I had to laugh when I realised he meant the windbags in the EU It is like those Disney films, where the child actor declares a belief in fairies.
    3
  3466. France was a founder member of the European Defence Community (1950) : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    3
  3467. 13 Oct Macron announces "France will be neutral if Russia uses a nuclear weapon in the region" Which nation would join Macron's vanity project now ? (The European Defence Force or EDF)
    3
  3468.  @TheWebstaff  I agree, I don't know the gas market. But I do know Ursula announced a windfall tax on profiteering Gas companies. So the companies are clearly profiting from the situation !
    3
  3469. Hey good question. The short answer is NO.
    3
  3470. Why is Germany acting the clown ? 2 reasons :- a) 2 Dec Putin told Scholz he would accept the Minsk Agreement, and withdraw (Germany co-drafted it) b) Ger & Fr fear Russia's humiliation Col. Trenin : "Russia expected Germany to be neutral" Scholz reluctance is 100% predictable
    3
  3471. The unfinished business of WW2 ? General Paton wanted to keep going all the way to Moscow. He wasn't alone. Russia is deeply, deeply hated in the West. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    3
  3472. Who is Emmerson Mnangagwa? He's the guy who just stole the election. He's a corrupt dictator who took over from Mugabe. He has blood on his hands and is a ruthless barbarian : he goes down a storm at the African Union.
    3
  3473. Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascists. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? Welcome to the world of Hezbollah. They want a totalitarian theocracy, like Iran.
    3
  3474. Hamas + UNRWA + schools + hospitals = terrorist centres
    3
  3475. Of course Russia will support a dictator. Russia opposed all constitutional reform in Europe in 1848 and invaded Hungary. Russia invaded Hungary again in 1956, then invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968. Never look to Russia for democracy, morality or progress.
    3
  3476. Do you want to know the irony ? If this psychopathic killer stood for election the Africans would elect him. They have no standards and repeatedly elect corrupt despots and murderers. Don't ask why : it's unfathomable. I heard an educated Zimbabwe lady saying she'd voted for Mugabe "because he has the experience". He'd been a despot for 19yrs and inflation was at 2000% but they still vote for him.
    3
  3477. Why not invest in a refining plant instead of nuclear weapons ?
    3
  3478.  @user-vh3ex1bv6i  The strategy is working perfectly. The question now is whether to supply the 300km Himar missiles. NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    3
  3479. Shame on India Turkey, Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass.
    3
  3480. My theory , observation, is that he'd not fanatical about his faith. The new city NOEM will have Western laws. Saudi are spending $500 billion and they won't allow Islamist preachers in ? No Sharia ? What does that tell you.
    3
  3481. "India is heavily dependent on Russia for arms, ammunition, missiles and fighter jets" How sad. All that useless, antiquated, 3rd rate Russian junk. Well done Modi.
    3
  3482.  @charlesdebassonpierre6559  "They would say that wouldn't they" LOL That is what Christine Keeler told the jury when cabinet minister John Profumo denied their affair - "He would say that wouldn't he"
    3
  3483.  @johnlop7763  Just making an observation. Erdoğan's son is a multi-millionaire, and young people in Turkey are struggling. I simply put 2 and 2 together and suggested they follow the example of Erdoğan's son - and become multi-millionaires.
    3
  3484. Lord Owen was asked on Radio 4 about Putin's nuclear threat :- "The Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families". Spoken by a former minister with the highest Intelligence Committee clearing.
    3
  3485. Aidan O’Neill QC, barrister for Joanna Cherry and 70 parliamentarians who are bringing the Scottish case, claimed in his written arguments that the Scottish court decision was correct and the reasons for the government’s motives in prorogation should be examined by the courts. “It is an administrative power that has, in this case, been used abusively by the executive” which “falls squarely” within the court’s remit, he said. He argued that English law should be “brought up to the standards by which the executive is called to account under Scots law”.
    3
  3486. Well he just has. You should be asking "Will the Supreme Court rule against him ?"
    3
  3487. A big mistake by Italy There are other ways "to make the trains run on time"
    3
  3488. The Axis of Evil want an end to the spread of Democratic Civilization. To leave room for Asiatic Autocracy.
    3
  3489.  @mdl2427  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    3
  3490. Hamas release all hostages and go into exile - the war ends 1970 PLO kicked out of Jordan 1982 PLO kicked out of Lebanon There is a precedent for exile, it's happened before
    3
  3491. Russian TV : "There are 300k Ukrainian soldiers against us" Kremlin : "There are 10k foreign mercenaries" Russian TV : "It is foreign fighters who are forcing Russia to retreat" How irrational and contradictory are those statements ? There is no rational thinking in Russia. Russian TV : "NATO is responsible" But in the very first week - the 40km traffic jam, was that NATO ? Russia's air force failed to attain air-supremacy, was that NATO ? The Russians cannot analyse failure and they cannot plan for success, they are simply mentally ill Orcs.
    3
  3492. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    3
  3493.  @richardcory5024  In February a Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    3
  3494. Russian TV likened the Special Operation to de-worming a cat. "To the doctor it is an operation, but to the worms it is war" Russia is shamelessly encouraging its forces to do the unthinkable.
    3
  3495. Voting, yes, in faux elections. Protesting, no : Iranian police snipers shoot protestors. Such drastic action is required because the Ayatollah's regime is hated in Iran.
    3
  3496. Wow , just look at the corruption on display. You have a totalitarian state lending money to corrupt incompetents . That is a recipe for disaster........and the international community will once again have to pick up the pieces.
    3
  3497. India's judges are all corrupt. I bet his price has gone up after this.
    3
  3498. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail.
    3
  3499.  @MrBsct , LOL , I missed that nonsense. Only in the purblind, pig-ignorant US could someone like George Friedman be an expert on geopolitics.
    3
  3500. WRONG ! He died in a "hard landing" LOL
    3
  3501. Modi is reassessing his friendship with Putin. Things are hotting up in the morality stakes, and Modi's moral compass is faulty. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    3
  3502. Queen Victoria described the Russians as... " The great barbarians, the retarders of all liberty and civilisation that exists." That was almost 200yrs ago. Russia will never change : it is the enemy of Western Civilisation.
    3
  3503. AU = African Union = Corruption on a massive scale. This project is a great idea. Lets book a hotel and get in a limousine and talk about it. We can claim expenses of course ! And let's set up a working party to do an assessment. We can put our family and cronies on the working party and they can claim expenses. This is a gravy train. It will never be built but will cost $millions.
    3
  3504. Spain have lost. They have taken EU back to the days of Franco. The Spanish Police brutality was shocking. The world is against Spain. This violence will not be forgotten for decades. Shame on Spain.
    3
  3505. Drunken Russian nobles would gamble whole families of serfs at the card table. That is Russian history : 30% of the population were slaves. The Russian Orthodox Church were the biggest serf owners and opposed emancipation (1861) for decades.
    3
  3506.  @eljefe4300  The facts we know are these :- a) Al-Jazeera is owned by Qatar b) Qatar fund Hamas to the tune of $20 million per month. So, whilst Al-Jazeera attempt independence, they are clearly conflicted, and have got to subtly back Hamas.
    3
  3507. Huawei are required by Chinese law to assist in spying.
    3
  3508. It's just like Pakistan , where the folks vote for whomever the Imam tells them to. (Which is why Pakistan is an Islamofascist basket-case) In the US the black vote goes to whomever the Preacher recommends.
    3
  3509. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    3
  3510.  @ruhmm  ," what is one supposed to do when they're evicted " I'm reminded of the film Black Narcissus, and tempted to reply "What would Christ do ?" But seriously, Martin Luther King organized the Civil Rights marches which are admired to this day. Northern Ireland had an historic Civil Rights march (Catholic) Firing rockets is seen as violent Jihadist barbarism. Hamas are a disaster for the Palestinians.
    3
  3511. 4:36 "After the nice acquaintance with the neighbours" LOL Then comes lunch......and more dry wit.
    3
  3512. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    3
  3513.  @Mithrantirs  The Internal Market Bill clauses. I'm no expert, but my understanding is that the EU threatened to cripple the UK is it left without a deal. Hence, the UK were forced to introduce clauses.
    3
  3514. NB : nobody is talking about an EU mechanism to bypass US sanctions. The agenda is now all about Iran acting like a rogue state. LOL Iran's economy is crashing.......it has been goaded into violence and is willingly participating in its own demise.
    3
  3515. 2:18 "Iran shot at a Singapore tanker that had bumped into one of their oil platforms" I didn't know they were so trigger happy.
    3
  3516. Israel shooting themselves in the foot.
    3
  3517. Air power : it didn't help the USA or USSR in Afghanistan
    3
  3518. Belgium did a great job of state building Compare Britain : in his first dispatch General Gordon outlined his plans to build a college in Khartoum That's the British way, and now we have Brussels lecturing us on human rights
    3
  3519. The footage in the background is archive : Parliament is in recess. It's a bit deceiving. (Not that France would do that intentionally).
    3
  3520. Jabber, that book you mentioned "Born to Rebel" :- "Most innovations in science, especially radical ones, have been initiated and championed by laterborns. Firstborns tend to reject new ideas, especially when the innovation appears to upset long-accepted principles." Einstein was a first born. The problem with selecting your own data to support a theory is that you select it yourself. It's not scientific.
    3
  3521. Jimmy Dore has has heart in the right place but honestly he's not the sharpest pencil in the box.
    3
  3522. A very uplifting story : congratulations to the couple. Wishing you victory, safety, and happiness.
    3
  3523. Any war criminals amongst them ?
    3
  3524. Dershowitz is a moron. This is about the Trump organisation money laundering for Kremlin gangsters for decades. Eric Trump told a golf buddy , "We get all the money we need from Russia". Dershowitz is deliberately going down the wrong track.
    3
  3525. I oppose Trump. But he did have a point when he said Omar was trying to equate Al-Qaeda with the US : that she wanted both to be spoken about with respect. This is Leftist nonsense (and I should know as a lifelong Socialist). Groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, Ayatollah Khomeini, Erdogan, Muslim Brotherhood etc are NOT equivalent to the US. They are anti-democratic, anti-humanrights, fascist, bigoted and intolerant . Cultural equivalence is a politically correct nonsense.
    3
  3526. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  3527.  @bertinsunang2372  Correct. Latest news : a) Medvedev has just promised "Judgement Day" if Crimea is attacked. (The hysterical nuclear) b) Russia has moved its fleet from Sevastopol back to Russia. First Snake Island now Russia has withdrawn its fleet from Crimea. Nobody can possibly imagine Russia is winning.
    3
  3528. "Where do Palestinians flee to ?" Egypt
    3
  3529.  @zenlikestate  , do you know Nick Cohen, he's a very creditable long time lefty. This is his essay on Assange's treachery.. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/sep/18/julian-assange-wikileaks-nick-cohen
    3
  3530. How sad. The people of South Africa get what they deserve. They have no standards and simple vote by tribal loyalty. The ANC are utterly corrupt. In the townships they assassinate any opposition (186 killed so far do the research). S Africa is essentially a one-party state : the ANC will never peacefully hand over power.
    3
  3531. Jacob Zuma going to prison for his beliefs ? I wonder what they are : maybe 'God helps them that helps themselves.'
    3
  3532. The US do NOT want war. Iran's economy is sinking fast and Iran are desperate. Much safer for the US to just watch : the Yanks do NOT want war. War has all sorts of horrible , unexpected consequences and Iran has already lost.
    3
  3533. Qatar funds Hamas Qatar enabled the massacre on Oct 7th to take place Incredible propaganda - to present Qatar as peacemakers
    3
  3534.  @lunafringe10  Russia had lost mathematically in April. The Pentagon asked defence CEOs to open new production lines. Russia is begging North Korea for artillery shells, whilst Ukraine gets 10,000 rockets (Himars and MLRS) On top of Panzer 2000, and Caesar howitzers. Russia simply cannot win. Who can out-produce the USA ? The US has allocated a $46 billion budget, and has spent $23 billion, (half) and Russia is on the canvas - out for the count.
    3
  3535.  @andrewpearce8006  LOL And Ukraine are not slow to point out just how much heavy metal they have been donated by Moscow.
    3
  3536. "They burned down all of the airport" LOL That silly savage means the US destroyed the military planes.
    3
  3537. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    3
  3538. Can the UN secure enough funding ? With the support of Pakistan I think the future looks rosy for the Taliban
    3
  3539. There are 2 camps :- a) For resolute defence of democracy : Biden, Boris, Trudeau, Von Der Leyden and Charles Michel (which means victory for Ukraine) b) For capitulation : Macron Schulz and Draghi propose peace (which is victory for Russia)
    3
  3540.  @fahimtajwar1989  , in Israel's democratic parliament the 3rd largest party is Arab. Point to a single Muslim country that allows a Christian or Jewish party to even exist ? Look at the corrupt anti-democratic Fatah and Hamas, who in their right minds could support them ?
    3
  3541. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    3
  3542. 0:20 Chief Justice amongst the people. It reminded me of Lord Chief Justice, Lord Mansfield (~1775) Who asked one jury to bring the verdict to him when they had decided. A dark evening, and there is a knock on Lord Mansfield's door, a large crowd had accompanied the jury : the foreman was asked for the verdict and told the Chief justice what the jury had decided, Lord Mansfield said nothing, but acknowledged the jury then returned inside. That is how justice operates : brought by the people to the home of the Lord Chief Justice.
    3
  3543. In the Armenian Genocide Turkey marched 1.5 million Armenians to their death. Along the way Turkish men helped themselves to the starving girls.
    3
  3544. 6:35 Nonsense "The cost of such a fleet discouraged trade across long distances". The Dutch were trading with japan back in the 1600s The Portuguese with India 1590s Spain & England etc etc They didn't require large fleets to accompany the merchant ships. Why would 20th century merchants need large fleets of warships to accompany them ? This is pure tosh.
    3
  3545. 3:50 marvellous images : the Civilized World pulling together to crush barbarism.
    3
  3546. $25 million is quite reasonable. Very few countries have a proud history lie France. (of course the British do : having given the world parliamentary democracy, constitutionalism, the industrial and scientific revolutions etc) Well done France.
    3
  3547. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  3548. The key comment..... The king said, "Let's wait and see Egypt's plan" Bingo ! That means Egypt clearly has a plan El Sisi will arrive prompt on 18th Feb (ignore the "postponed" nonsense) In the 1900s Germany wanted a treaty with Britain "They want to kick us in the street and kiss us in a cupboard" said one minister Well that applied to Egypt (mark my words)
    3
  3549. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asks his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha says, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    3
  3550. Russia must be made to pay a heavy price. Ukraine has asked for western tank, howitzers, MLRS (rocket launchers) etc It will then launch a counter-offensive. With the intention of driving Russians out of "Every inch of Ukraine"
    3
  3551. Abiy Ahmed (PM) and his use of sexual violence in war :- In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding the sexual violence in the Tigray War. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[133] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war”
    3
  3552. Could it be balloons launched from Gaza. It would be a terrible irony.
    3
  3553.  @ALIKN1-1  "Iraqi officials told the Guardian that two divisions of Iraqi soldiers – roughly 30,000 men – simply turned and ran in the face of the assault by an insurgent force of just 800 fighters. Isis extremists roamed freely on Wednesday through the streets of Mosul"
    3
  3554. "May be distressing" Not in the least : it was comically entertaining.
    3
  3555. Erdogan : the face of a dictator. His son is very wealthy.......just a coincidence not corruption.
    3
  3556.  @nenasiek  You are simply 100% wrong. What do you think Article 5 means ? Why do you think Britain signed a treaty with Finland and Sweden this year ? To provide nuclear cover against Russian coercion. (Of course France could never do the same, because nobody would believe in it - France will always find an excuse to be neutral)
    3
  3557. Adam Smith : "The Church was the most formidable combination ever formed.......... against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind "
    3
  3558.  @6infinity8  , what does "facts" mean. I assume you mean, "True Japan has engaged in a cover-up". Schools in Japan teach a totally discredited version of history - expunging all their war-crimes.
    3
  3559.  @khalifa3335  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    3
  3560. Amazing accuracy by Israel
    3
  3561. Good God turn off that clapping at the start. ......and lose the whole irritating (over-loud) soundtrack.
    3
  3562. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
    3
  3563. Navalny is certainly getting a lot of media coverage. Everyone knows him and 70 million have watched his video on Putin's corruption. The Kremlin crooks are too wise not to be worried.
    3
  3564. Off her rails......and armed.
    3
  3565.  @tiestokygoericprydz3963  Yours is a reassuring comment. But you are speaking about individuals. It reminds me of Muslims who say "Islam gave the world mathematics", because of the work of Al-Khwārizmī. He is an individual, not a culture. Russian culture is the totality of Russian history - which is an appalling vision. 37% of Russians were Serfs until 1861. Nobles would advertise girls as "Having a pretty face and attractive figure". They were like ISIS selling Yazidi girls. One noble wrote a book about the abuse of girls (Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow) : he was exiled to Siberia. Autocratic Tsardom became Stalinism with its internecine genocide, killing 30 million. Despotic stagnation was followed by the collapse of the USSR, then came gangsterism - the Kremlin described the Moscow police as "the werewolves within" after one policeman raped and murder 87 women. Putinism introduced repression and corruption on a massive scale - concluding the dystopic history of Russian culture.
    3
  3566. Gopal, use your rational mind. His fiancée is waiting outside for him ; what do you think happened ? Do you think a UFO abducted him. What were the 15 men doing who dashed in and out in a day : an event which is unheard of. Gopal, don't just keep asking for evidence (like Trump) you have to use your brain. In Trump's case my brain tells me to listen to his son Eric , who told a golf buddy, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". My brain tells me Trump has been laundering Kremlin money for years.
    3
  3567. Moscow Victory Day Parade :- This year the Russian troops will march with their hands up. When the officers bark an order, they will take no notice. It will feature a Ukrainian battalion kicking the Red Army from @rasehole to breakfast-time.
    3
  3568. Thank God for the USA : manifest in the person of Wes Clark. France and Italy are suggesting Ukraine capitulates. Germany is sabotaging Ukraine :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    3
  3569. I hope the EU are "calming nerves". That is the job of the EU in the Iran nuclear talks - to "calm nerves". It's about all the EU windbags are good for.
    3
  3570. When East Pakistan declared independence one (West) Pakistan general said, "We will kill a million and the rest will eat out of our hand". I wonder if they are thinking the same in Madrid.
    3
  3571. What nonsense. Why would the Yanks escalate things when Iranian inflation is 50% and their economy is slumping by 6% . All the US needs to do is wait, Iran can't survive. Now ask yourself : why would Iran sabotage tankers ? Because it is in Iran's interest to disrupt the world oil supply and apply pressure to the US to pull back on sanctions. There is only one way to read this. You folks are irrational morons.
    3
  3572. Cluster bombs cannot arrive too soon This is an artillery war - 80% casualties from artillery 2024 - 3 million 155 artillery shells from US, EU and South Korea
    3
  3573. Hamas liars denied they had attacked civilians or raped them Then....Hamas say it happened but it was a mistake Hamas liars don't deny their members committed atrocities & the UN has fired the staff Even the UN admit it is true Even Hamas liars admit it is true
    3
  3574. 1860 Namik Kemal : Admired the British for :- "their indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
    3
  3575. LOL " Zarif (Iran) wants........" I admire this guy's chutzpah : Iran have attacked tankers, shot down a drone and kidnapped a British tanker crew. But they still demand more ! What they want is to be left alone to develop a nuclear weapon capable of wiping Israel off the map and bringing about Armageddon and the arrival of the 12th Imam. Sorry do can do.
    3
  3576. Well done Germany. (Also, Russia will have to pay reparations to Ukraine, so construct an ongoing litigation, a keep hold of the seized assets to reimburse Ukraine for all damage and death).
    3
  3577. Xi is laughing in his hat at Putin.
    3
  3578. Bismarck : "The most important fact in modern history, is that North America speaks English". That is why China and Russia can never be allies - they share no culture. They don't trust each other. They are like a couple of cut-throats forced to share the same cell.
    3
  3579. LOL It reminded me of "Crap Game" from Kelly's Heroes.
    3
  3580. Una, touché , you caught me back-pedalling from my original comment and quite rightly gave me a pasting.
    3
  3581. The car bomb operation has FSB written all over it.
    3
  3582. Also, the speed of AI is terrifying : for them to converse with us would be like us talking to a snail that took 100yrs to answer each question. (I'm guessing. The time span may be 1000yrs per answer. The point is, AI will be orders of magnitude faster than us).
    3
  3583.  @thirupathy4238  Yanks is a mildly pejorative expression denoting the USA.
    3
  3584.  @PERLAS-NG-SILANGANAN  Also, quite honestly, Russian incompetence is incapable of doing it.
    3
  3585. This is an EU problem - it affects European trade Why does Europe have to appeal to the US WE are talking about stone-age Houthi ?
    3
  3586. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    3
  3587. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    3
  3588. This is an industrial accident (fireworks warehouse). Caused by corruption and incompetence. Say for example Hezbollah are in charge of safety certificates and the owner donates money and supports Hezbollah, well then he would simply be issued a fire-certificate with no questions asked. Hezbollah don't mins, they have bigger fish to fry : they are fighting a war with Israel. Running the government of Lebanon is just a side issue for Hezbollah. The Lebanese people are a side-issue, Hezbollah is a fanatical, fascist, anti-democratic organisation. What Lebanon need is simply boring efficient, honest bureaucrats, to govern the country according to the laws.
    3
  3589. Good points, thanks for sharing those.
    3
  3590. LOL the old corrupt dictator Yaser Arafat would be laughing in his grave. An election every 15yrs : the clueless, corrupt old men that run Palestine must have stuffed their bank accounts with a nice retirement nest-egg. Arafat stole $3 billion. He was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month, and that was in the 1970s when a $1 million was a jackpot to retire on. Pity the Palestinians, their leaders are an international disgrace who have brought ruination to the people.
    3
  3591.  @jaulloa21  "God save the queen? What kind of crap ?" I mention that because apparently the Ukrainians occasionally shout, "God save the Queen", after destroying a Russian vehicle with a British NLAW.
    3
  3592. Arming to Battel, and in stead of rage Deliberate valour breath'd, firm and unmov'd With dread of death to flight or foul retreat,
    3
  3593.  @chnchris  Well said. Too many folks are brainwashed as children into believing nonsense. Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented over the course of human evolution : each one reflects the epoch in which it was invented :- The Torah reads like a Bronze Age story The New Testament reads like Roman/Greek classical tale The Koran like a medieval tale.
    3
  3594. Why is the deal coming now ? Because Russia has been driven from the Black Sea. a) Russia has had to flee from Snake Island and has b) withdrawn its fleet from Sevastopol.
    3
  3595. Bradley IFVs destroyed more tanks in Iraq They are like Frigates - where the action is. Ukraine will destroy more Russian tanks and armour with Bradley M2s
    3
  3596. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    3
  3597. Russian state TV : "China and India are our closest allies" India must feel so ashamed. !41 nations voted to condemn Russia at the UN Those nations view India with contempt.
    3
  3598. UB, just as an experiment go to an Erdogan rally and criticise something you'll be beaten senseless by his thugs.
    3
  3599. UB, I said "as an experiment" and I didn't say slander I said, "criticise". The point I'm making is that Erdogan is a pseudo democratic dictator and ,like all dictators, he allows no criticism and has thugs to silence it.
    3
  3600. "The danger is the huge disparity between the Kremlin's ambitions and the ability of its army" US Intelligence.
    3
  3601. By definition those schmucks who are talking to macron are not demonstrators. If they were yellow vests they'd throw a bag of flour at him or some tomatoes.
    3
  3602. China is a threat to democratic values throughout the world. Thank God for Trump. The EU and NATO should back Trump's plan to kerb China.
    3
  3603. Are you being ironic ? I hope not, because rational Enlightened thought does reign supreme in Western Civilization (with all its faults).
    3
  3604. It looks good but the odds are against them. There isn't a Muslim country in the world that isn't totally corrupt with rigged elections (that's if they bother having elections at all).
    3
  3605.  @Jonz06  , " It was Argentine corruption, particularly that of Perón and his first wife, Eva Perón, that made it possible for Nazis such as Adolf Eichmann to settle in Argentina after World War II. " " Since 1946, wrote Lindsey, "It's been downhill," with the Supreme Court "reduced to a puppet of executive power." (Perón ruled Argentina from 1946 to 1955, and then again from 1973 to 1974 The Perons turned the Justice department into a rubber stamp......say hello to dictatorship, which is just what Argentina got. And yet the Perons are idolized. It's the same with Lenin : he's idolized but he created the totalitarian regime Stalin inherited.
    3
  3606. Well done France 24 for being unbiased. (No, I'm not being ironic)
    3
  3607. Are the 15 hit-men attending ? They could do a light hearted cabaret performance of how they chopped his fingers off, decapitated him and dismembered his body. It would go down a storm at the Ritz.
    3
  3608. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    3
  3609. "Just candid" Nice dénouement.
    3
  3610. The Houthi have the admiration of the world. They are fighting $5 trillion dollar technology and winning. 1:40 look at the Prince getting caught up in the action. Who says the royal family , with their wet lips and soft hands can't fight LOL
    3
  3611. How will the history books explain the Volte-face of Germany & France ? When the invasion happened Germany blocked its airspace to British weapons flights, and refused Estonia permission to send howitzers. France is on record supporting Moscow's position. And now they are fully supporting Ukraine. The historians will struggle to understand it.
    3
  3612. Mike, the EU "Are doing their utmost". Unfortunately developing nukes isn't going to win the theocracy friends.
    3
  3613. There are 12 countries in South-America and 7 in Central-America. Why isn't 1 out of 19 a Norway or Denmark or Ireland ? It is all about history. Imagine the Japanese Shogunate had colonised the Americas, what sort of society would have developed ? Well, it would have been savage feudalism. (The Shogunate was appallingly brutal : every torture the Japanese used in WW2 had been perfected on the Japanese peasants by the Nobles) So, if the coloniser was Spanish-royal-absolutism coupled to absolute Papal authoritarianism, what sort of society would develop ? Exactly the type you see today. the sort that segues naturally into Military dictatorship , corruption and no accountability ; very weak law and no independent middle class institutions. What sort of society would develop from the Dutch merchant oligarchy + English parliamentarianism, Common law and religion based on assemblies ? Well, North America is what you would expect and that's what you get.
    3
  3614. Taliban tourism : "Take a trip back to medieval times - visit Afghanistan"
    3
  3615. No thanks to Macron. This is the result of Lebanese people protesting. France wants to maintain the status quo : Macron is only interested in maintaining French influence, which is huge at the moment. There is nothing in it for France if the regime falls. Unprincipled French self-interest makes one sick.
    3
  3616. Joseph, LOL, thanks for telling us. I bet there were a few kick-backs when that contract was signed. Those politicians won't be suffering power cuts in their Monte Carlo apartments.
    3
  3617. "Accused of firing " ? Israel warned civilians to leave the battleground They decided to stay and support Hamas Finally, after 2 weeks, they are leaving Why not leave when they were told, and avoid casualties Palestinians bring it on themselves
    3
  3618. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    3
  3619. Good shot - the Orc fell amongst the trees. Followed by heavy machine gun and an anti-tank missile. What a unit : they don't hang around waiting for orders, when they see a Russian patrol - it's action stations : terminations.
    3
  3620. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  3621. She must be so proud
    3
  3622. "A palace outside of Berlin" : wrong. A palace outside Berlin : right.
    3
  3623. Macron : "I hope this doesn't humiliate Russia"
    3
  3624. "Turbine excuse simply not true" What about German excuses for not delivering weapons to Ukraine ? Spain has donated 40 Leopard tanks, and Germany refuses to sanction the deal. Berlin gives many excuses - they are all "Not true" Germany closed its airspace to British weapon deliveries : Berlin said it wasn't given enough notice.....all simply "farcical excuses". "Farcical" and "Not true" : Germany is getting a dose of its own medicine.
    3
  3625.  @RainerMichelle  "Twelve of the guns, prized for their accuracy and mobility, have already been delivered to Ukraine and “the six others are on their way,” Catherine Colonna told a Senate commission." Oh, you are correct.
    3
  3626. Trump is a chess master : he has left Iran with only desperate moves : they all stink. Iran becomes a pariah state by following the nuclear path or becomes a pariah state by attempting to close the Hormuz straits or Iran's economy crashes and the people evict the rabid Ayatollahs.
    3
  3627. In 1848 there were revolutions across Europe : the two nations on the periphery, Britain and Russia, were untouched (a small Chartist rally in London was rained off). Why were those two nations exempt ? Answer : the rule of Law. "There has never been any law in Russia" Solzhenitsyn. Until 1861 37% of the population were serfs - at the mercy of their owners. By contrast, Common Law in England led to Magna Carta 1215, the Bill of Rights 1689, and Parliamentary Democracy.
    3
  3628. "Turbine excuse simply not true" What about German excuses for not delivering weapons to Ukraine ? Spain has donated 40 Leopard tanks, and Germany refuses to sanction the deal. Berlin gives many excuses - they are all "Not true" Germany closed its airspace to British weapon deliveries : Berlin said it wasn't given enough notice.....all simply "farcical excuses". "Farcical" and "Not true" : Germany is getting a dose of its own medicine.
    3
  3629. "Endorsed by the UN" ........and REJECTED by Hamas Al Jazerra always leave out crucial details They are so pro-Hamas
    3
  3630. Hamas, had given Israel an ultimatum to stand down its forces at Al-Aqsa by 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). At one minute past Hamas fired rockets into Israel. The start of the conflict. Hamas also demanded all prisoners be released.
    3
  3631. 3:12 How wonderful to see them all laughing. Putin is laughing all the way to his proctologist, urologist and Oncologist. That guy is dying. 9:16 Trying t rebuild. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists".
    3
  3632. The government said.... Everyone knows the Ayatollah is a liar. They told us they didn't shoot the passenger plane down - until mobile phone video proved it, and they had to admit it was the IRGC. The Ayatollah is a total liar.
    3
  3633.  @Officialbillion  "Except only on this comment section" How does one reply to that ? What does it mean ?
    3
  3634. 1:40 "main task of NATO to deter Russia" Russia has 7348 nuclear missiles and is a threat to humanity, why wouldn't folk want to deter Russia ?
    3
  3635. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    3
  3636. Enlargement of the EU.......hells bells they can't even keep the current bunch together. The Albanian mafia (ie the government) will be rubbing their hands at the prospect.
    3
  3637.  @marcushelius306  , the reliable source is Chinese law : it clearly states that all companies and individuals must co-operate and assist China's intelligence services. Are you saying that is untrue ? Didn't you know China had written that into the statute book ?
    3
  3638. NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
    3
  3639. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    3
  3640. Gosh the NYSE analyst is very well informed : I'd like to hear more from him, where can I find him ? Will he be propping up a bar in down-town New York or did you find him pan-handling a sausage roll in a coffee shop ? Also, did he get to keep that suit ?
    3
  3641.  Mikhail Romanov  You are treating a torture chamber and a diplomatic forum in the same way. Civilized diplomats expect a certain degree of artifice and dissimulation, they don't expect a violent missile attack with 24hrs, flatly denied by Russia even though the missiles came from Russian ships. That behaviour leaves civilized folk unsettled. They rarely confront such shameless lies, and indiscriminate violence.
    3
  3642. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remians medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    3
  3643. Pakistan killed 3 million in Bangladesh and raped 250,00 women and girls :- "Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months." At least India aren't committing genocide. Albeit it is an occupation but not savage rape & genocide that the world witnessed in Bangladesh , and that Pakistan have never acknowledged.
    3
  3644. 0:22 "Meanwhile, Hamas have been firing rockets themselves" LOL - meanwhile. The rockets came first, they didn't come "meanwhile" Good propaganda.
    3
  3645. LOL Hamas lies - "The war started on Oct 9th" Ooops, he forgot the Hamas massacre
    3
  3646.  @NoaHdP78  Thanks for that nonsense 1922 collapse of Ottoman empire 1924 end of Caliphate (by Ataturk) Britian appoints a Grand Mufti to lead Palestinians 1948 Arab Israeli war : Mufti looks to Damascus as capital of Palestine 1967 the PLO look to Cairo as the capital os Arab Leeague Only in 1988 do the Palestinians declare themselves a state The phrase "Palestine" comes from Rome 135 after the 2nd Jewish rebellion, Rome changes Judea to "Palestine" to anger the Jews
    3
  3647. They are both excellent, brave reporters. I too hope they return safely.
    3
  3648. Germany will always prioritize itself. Culturally, Germany traded its principles for success in 1848 : the revolutionaries offered to forgo democratic principles in return for nationalist expansion. The same occurred again in 1866 (they absolved Bismarck of unconstitutional tax collection) The same Faustian pact was made with Wilhelm II and Hitler : success for the nation in exchange for abandoning all principles. Germany has always been like this.
    3
  3649. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  3650. Hostages were hidden in hospitals (video evidence) Hospital staff worked hand in glove with Hamas UNRWA also helped Hamas - tunnels beneath were Hamas command posts Al Jazeera reporter Muhammad Wishah was also a Hamas fighter
    3
  3651. LOL, I hope everyone is enjoying this. "He's an insider blowing the whistle". In other words he's part of the regime that's in decline. Does that mean we should be sympathetic ? Not a bit, enjoy it. We should always encourage the Saudi to tear each other to pieces. There are no innocent Saudis. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant, arrogant, bigoted , cowardly and cruel.
    3
  3652. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. Read "The executioners deserve medals" "TEHRAN — The halls of the former prison in the heart of Iran's capital now are hushed, befitting the sounds of the museum that it has become. Wax mannequins silently portray the horrific acts of torture that once were carried out within its walls.
    3
  3653. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero.
    3
  3654. Imagine a different scenario : imagine there had been an election and both Fatah and Hamas are kicked out. Imagine a charismatic Palestinian is elected, well-educated and well-spoken, youngish - maybe even a woman. What would the world reaction be ? Gosh, look at civilized Palestine holding an election and presenting a road-map to peace. Now wake up and smell the horrible coffee of conflict, corruption and stultifying ignorance.
    3
  3655. Why is Latin America a failure ? Answer :- It is founded upon a different culture. a) Catholicism, which is hierarchical, authoritarian, and hand-in-glove with monarchism. Which brings us to..... b) Spanish(Portuguese) Aristocracy : "cursed by the twin fanaticism of rank and faith" Henry Kamen. He should have added 'indolence'. Tax-exempt and contemptuous of industry, the aristocracy dominated governance. c) All wealth/administration was concentrated in the hands of the Church and aristocracy. Young people directed their energy towards secure service with one of these. d) Censorship and conservative stagnation : even the most radical thinker Juan Alberdi said, "Let us be Catholic, as our fathers were". Educated and inculcated in dogma, he was incapable of Enlightened thinking. Compare North America : a) founded upon communal protestantism, with an elected Church council b) and elected civil government. c) no censorship (unlike strict Catholic censorship in Latin America) d) the Wealthiest people industrialists (not the Church or aristocrats)
    3
  3656. You big idiot. Even his family believe Arafat ordered his assassination. Arafat ruled the Palestinians like a corrupt dictator. He had his own private army who would intimidate anyone who criticised him then kill them if they continued. Palestinians live in a world of delusion.
    3
  3657. Why has the Arab Spring failed ? Why have the Palestinians failed ? For the very same reason. Over centuries, all nations develop a culture or 'personality'. Superficially when a tourist travels around, all folk are similar, but under stress their culture comes to the surface. For centuries Caliphate countries believed the sultan was "Our Lord on Earth". The Arab Spring nations tried to plaster democracy over that concept.
    3
  3658. UN demands "Unconditional release of hostages" Hamas MUST release ALL hostages unconditionally Will Hamas comply ?
    3
  3659. Please don't let it be the case that Labour support biological men winning everything in women's events.
    3
  3660. What a breath of fresh-air Liz Cheney is, after all the appeasement waffle from the Whitehouse.
    3
  3661. Why should the world be blackmailed by Iran going nuclear ? Why can't Iran concentrate on its own citizens welfare ?
    3
  3662. The didn't show the Revolutionary Guard speaking at the rally. Wow that rally looked like great fun. Anyway, well done Trump : wise move. It's what I advised , "Do nothing". Iran are up to their chin in quicksand : inflation 50% GDP going south -6% The US only need to sit there and watch.
    3
  3663. Pakistan gives us more laughs than Fred Carnot's circus.
    3
  3664. Against WOKE extremism - which is destroying western civilisation
    3
  3665. A comment has been removed which says, "All Palestine has left is rocks to throw". That is supposed to excuse the utter failure of Palestinian leadership. If the corrupt old men have stagnated in corruption and incompetence, one is supposed to point the finger at Israel. Compare the ANC under Nelson Mandela, what did they have but stones ? Actually they had world opinion ! Why didn't Arafat get that ? Because the world was disgusted by the fascist PLO.
    3
  3666. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    3
  3667. American assistance to India totalled $10‐billion from 1950 to 1971, the largest amount of aid given to any country. The aid included 50 million, tons of emergency food, largely sent in the 1960s to avert famine. .....and India support Russia. Shame on India.
    3
  3668. Well done Trump. What has Germany done to support democracy.....zilch !
    3
  3669.  @slueccroll4661  AUKUS are the big player against China. India is a second rate, second league, B-team reserve. India should simply recognise the value of siding with the winning team - AUKUS (civilized democracy). Modi has made a monumental error. India would be crushed by China period. AUKUS is the only combatant that can challenge China. Modi is kowtowing to the wrong power.
    3
  3670.  @bnmbg731  , I know what you mean, but allow me to phrase it more fully. Britain is entirely different to Germany. German colonies were governed like slave camps; also, there is understandable guilt about the Holocaust. The British workers funded Garibaldi (Italian unification). 500,000 turned out to cheer him in London (1864). Britain promoted parliamentarians. Nelson Mandela, Gandi and Nehru all had British educations and all wanted their country to adopt the British model. 250,000 Indians volunteered to fight for Britain against Germany - the largest volunteer army in history. Germany has guilt, and it is "white", but don't lump Germany with Britain.
    3
  3671. There isn't an Islamofascist group Corbyn doesn't support.
    3
  3672. I wonder whether the parades will be targetted ? I suspect not. It would be churlish. Much better to sink Russian ships.
    3
  3673.  @suhailbhat1996  , Okay, you ask two questions :- a) Arafat stole $3billion from the Palestinians and ruled as a dictator for 35yrs. If the Israelis poisoned him, you ought to thank them. Arafat was a disaster. All Middle East leaders hated him (Jordan, Egypt and Syria): Bill Clinton, after the 2000 Camp David summit said, "Arafat can't be trusted". That was when Arafat turned down the two-state solution for a second time. b) "How is it possible to construct when occupied ?" Mahmoud Abbas just constructed a $1.5 million mansion for himself. Only when it was exposed by Israeli media did he offer to make it a public meeting building. Palestinians have blown $8 billion in Gulf Oil money over the last 50yrs. Where did it go ? Well Arafat was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month in the 1970s I would guess most of the money went abroad.
    3
  3674. 15:20 "You cannot pressure other countries with military threats" Not much : Azerbaijan just reclaimed territory with a war, after decades of useless, stagnating diplomacy. But to answer the question (Ukraine + Taiwan) :- China could never cross the 110 miles to land ground forces : the troop ships would be sunk, then a blockade would be imposed and the CCP would collapse. Russia can't invade Ukraine :- a) the Russian people consider Ukraine a fraternal neighbour, b) it would be a never ending bloodbath c) sanctions and isolation would collapse Putin's gangster regime.
    3
  3675. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asks his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha says, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. Turgenev's Grandma struck a peasant boy, and was so infuriated at him lying there wounded she smothered him with a cushion. Every Russian family can relate tales of murder and cruelty. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    3
  3676. Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass. Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it"
    3
  3677. .....and these are the fascist thugs that want to occupy the British Falklands. Pope Francis is a jingoistic Argentinian : he was a cheerleader for the invasion (do some research).
    3
  3678. Munich : everyone agrees France is NOT doing its share 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" That's why Medvedev never threatens Paris with a nuclear strike The French waved the white flag
    3
  3679. Meloni has emerged as a main leader in Europe Along with Mark Rutte (Dutch) and Kallas (Estonia) etc But the old two : Germany France are a dead loss
    3
  3680. Macron is on a roll and seems unstoppable. Ever since he parted company with his Algerian bodyguard (the one who beat up protestors), he hasn't put a foot wrong. Sure, the AUKUS business was disheartening, but Macron dispatched some barbed reproaches, then moved onto a charm offensive with the Saudis - winning a $40 billion contract for nuclear power stations. A second term ? What could go wrong ? Events dear boy, events.
    3
  3681.  @supersupersomething  "Who actually did the bombing" I've often wondered why more people don't mention the arrest of Moscow FSB officers caught planting a live bomb.
    3
  3682. "It will be completed on time, and in full" LOL It was supposed to be completed in 3 days. A Kremlin website accidentally gave the game away by publishing "Congratulations"
    3
  3683. It's a far far better thing that I do now than I have ever done. It's a far far better place that I go to than I have ever been.
    3
  3684. The 1848 Revolutions failed because "They had officers but no rank and file" A.J.P. Taylor. The Russian army has rank and file but no 'quality' officers. The officers are like thugs.
    3
  3685.  @John-ey58  Britain didn't "create" civilisation, but it played a large part in furthering it :- a) 1660 Royal Society (Newton, Boyle, Hooke, etc) b) Parliamentary government c) Enlightenment thinking - Francis Bacon d.1626 Novum Organum A century before the French encyclopedists and the French revolution 1789
    3
  3686. Latest News : the Russian cruiser Moskva has rolled over and sunk. India has a Russian rust-bucket, INS Vikrant. In any conflict, China would sink it on the first day. Modi has allied himself with a loser. The 21st century is about technology, not Russian medieval barbarism.
    3
  3687. Isn't it customary for Conservative ministers to force their children to take some noxious concoction before the cameras ?
    3
  3688. Hamas strategy - it is simply a continuation of 75 years of utter failure
    3
  3689. Yeah, what are the chances ? I mean, knowing the EU windbags, what are the chances ?
    3
  3690. Maduro has a great idea ! He is using his bus-driving skills to sort the economy. I like it when he holds up both fists and tells Venezuelans "Only sissies worry about inflation".
    3
  3691. Well done NATO They appear organized, civilized and strong. By contrast, Putin has indelible egg on his face : he is like the lion from Wizard of Oz.
    3
  3692. Netanyahu is probably guilty and it's a testimony to israel's transparent democracy that that he may be indicted. Compare this to Yaser Arafat who never kept accounts. He put all the money in his own bank, then if anyone needed any they had to ask him. That's how he stayed in control for 40yrs. Unfortunately when he died there was $3 billion unaccounted for. That money could be used for redevelopment if it can be found.
    3
  3693. Name, I did it for didactic reasons because very few people know about it. How do you think someone stays in power for 40yrs ? I'm educating you. If you have all the money in your own account you can bribe your friends and pay-off your enemies. That's how you keep the top job for 40yrs.
    3
  3694. Germany froze in February and blocked RAF weapons flights They blocked Estonia from sending howitzers They blocked weapon sales to Ukraine The US and NATO had to pressure them into doing the right thing. Why ? Historically Germany has never done the right thing : Blood & Iron was Germany's motto Only after WW2 did Germany adopt civilised values. Germany is a novice - it needs encouraging to do the right thing.
    3
  3695. Well said. The day a rabid Ayatollah gets his totalitarian fascist hands on a nuclear weapon will be a sad day for world peace.
    3
  3696.  @berdaz  , Spanish extremism never works. During the Wars of Religion in France it was the "indigestible extremism of Spain" which guaranteed failure for the Catholic League. The Dutch Rebellion was caused by :- a) taxation b) extremism (although the governor was Philip's half sister the Prime Minister was the head of the Spanish Inquisition) c) the presence of Spanish troops d) innate desire for independence. Spain is responsible for the failure of South & Central Americas. Of the 19 countries why did they all segue so easily into dictatorship ? I've made a video on the subject if you'd care to watch it : "Spanish-America failure" (Informed criticism is always welcome )
    3
  3697. MP David Amess was a good animal rights advocate, and a hard-working member of parliament.
    3
  3698. Oh, he's such a damned liar.
    3
  3699. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    3
  3700. Ironic that this raid should be on the anniversary of the Tienanmen massacre.
    3
  3701. "A sigh of relief" LOL Iran really at clutching at straws. They need to :- a) end their nuclear enrichment program. b) end their ballistic missile program c) end support to terror groups (Hezbollah etc) Only then will the US lift sanctions. There will be NO war. Trump said "Wars are for losers". Iran's economy is the battlefield and it's a wreck.
    3
  3702.  @pamelalagerquist1935  The UN called it "An evil war" Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    3
  3703. Do you see a connection between the despotic Ayatollah trading with the despotic Assad ? The despots doing business : two dictatorships getting along nicely. Talk about the Axis of Evil.
    3
  3704. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
    3
  3705. I agree : this looks ugly, and is a poor reflection on Israel. However, Hamas have said they will fire more rockets if the eviction goes ahead, so Israel actions have to be viewed in that light (National Security).
    3
  3706. Macron "France will not respond to a nuclear attack on Ukraine" Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    3
  3707.  @refkamurati676  , what a stupid comment. I translated you gibberish and wished I hadn't bothered. What your brain must be like.....oh, I'd hate to be you.
    3
  3708. In Chechnya after Russian soldiers had gang raped and murdered a young girl, the Russian officers had a whip-round in the mess and paid for a really nice funeral. When the Met Police say, "This isn't what we're about" one almost imagines them having a whip-round in the canteen.
    3
  3709. Donbas was costing Russia $2 billion a year. It isn't a lot, compared to a GDP of $1400 billion, but it is significant that economics was raised in the Kremlin as a major reason for bringing some settlement to the issue.
    3
  3710. The Ayatollah denied shooting down a passenger plane..... until mobile phone footage was posted online showing the Iranian missiles.
    3
  3711. Nasser hospital folk were instructed to leave 2 weeks ago They decided to stay Maybe Hamas forced them, or maybe they wanted to support Hamas It is not clear
    3
  3712. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair" Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Timing is obvious :- Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back Jens Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
    3
  3713. Macron cracked-up answering the final question on 'not humiliating Russia'. He jabbed his finger at Zelensky, then threw Schulz under the bus by talking about WW1. Watch the clip : Macron totally lost it.
    3
  3714. Marvellous. This is the manifestation of civilized values, tackling a 21st century eruption of barbarism. Who could fail to feel pride in the united forces for good. It must be terrible to belong to a half-baked nation, standing on the sidelines, coddling towards Russia in the hope of weapons and cheap oil (shame on India).
    3
  3715. LOL Not only does she look like a Kindergarten teacher, but nobody actually knows her name. Well done Germany.
    3
  3716. "Civil defence" = Hamas That guy talking is Hamas
    3
  3717. Well done India. Modi has found his moral compass at last.
    3
  3718. Young Ottoman Namik Kemal (~1860) admired the British for "Their indomitable power of public opinion against authority". The British opposed slavery, injustice and tyranny. %00,000 turned out to support Garibaldi when he visited London (1865?). Working miners raised money to support Italians fighting to free their nation from Habsburg oppression, and presented Garibaldi with a sword. (He hated official events and presentations, but made an exception for the miners). In conclusion : the culture of the British people forged the nation. Similarly, in the early 20th century, the Germans were bullying, boorish and unbearable. :- Portugal asked Britain for a loan, the Kaiser demanded compensation, Lord Salisbury said it had nothing to do with him, so the German ambassador in Lisbon made threats and Portugal withdrew their loan application. It is the culture of the Germans. That is why Lord Hamilton said, "I am coming round to the opinion that they, the Germans, are a detestable race, and that the more we kick them the better friends we shall be". Lord Salisbury thought Kaiser Wilhelm II was slightly insane. The Kaiser had been deprived of oxygen during a difficult birth. Germany has had two insane leaders, both proved catastrophic.
    3
  3719. Oh you are so naive. When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran (1979) after the Shah had been overthrown by Socialist groups, he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and said, "I'll kick their teeth in". What do you think happened to the Socialists ? They went into the Ayatollah's torture camps : 7000 were killed in the first year.
    3
  3720. .......and when I was the governor's wife in Arkansas I could do crooked cattle deals and net myself $100,000 ; of course that was before I entered politics proper and started a pay-to-play scheme that netted me million$.
    3
  3721. I like the "Appointment in Samarra" videos : where the Orcs walk towards the dropping bomb, as if - 'It is written'.
    3
  3722. Meanwhile, Lula is President for 8yrs while the car-wash corruption is in full-swing and does nothing except help himself to a condo.
    3
  3723.  @knockknock1246  , Because in Myanmar the military have kicked out the democratic government, and in Armenia the military are calling for the democratic Prime Minister to resign. In Pakistan the military run the country (behind a democratic facade), in Egypt the military run the country behind a faux democracy (El Sis is president, and he performed the coup that toppled Morsi).
    3
  3724. Palestinians only declared themselves a state in 1988 Why ? Because Palestine has NEVER been a state In 1948 they looked to Damascus In 1967 they looked to Cairo (Arab League) Only after total failure elsewhere did they try statehood
    3
  3725. It's Africa. What did you expect : a fair election ?
    3
  3726. Fourth, that is very astute analysis. Erdogan talked hard but without securing air access to Afrin. Syria (Russia) have said NO to using air-space and now Erdogan has to eat humble pie. Turkey look like fools.
    3
  3727. 0:05 What is it about the Yanks and steps ? They are either too demented to walk up them or too fat to come down them.
    3
  3728. You have 120 likes, but the comment makes no sense. What is a "very very low Iman", even if you meant Imam what does very very low mean ? Also, what is their "Deen" ?
    3
  3729. TheSptirit, If you study history you might draw a comparison with Saudi and the Spanish Empire. Spain spent American silver on N European luxury goods and invested nothing in industry or education or infrastructure. The result was that when the silver dried up so did Spain. Of course in 20yrs Saudi will be a backwards , dried up, Islamofascist failure. They've almost been bankrupt as it is.
    3
  3730. What price India's honour ? Answer :- A single shipment of cheep oil + Russian military junk Putin treats Modi with condescension (watch the sword incident) The Ukraine invasion is THE big event of the 21st century, Hand history will show India to be a contemptible nation.
    3
  3731. Take a good look at the Taliban fanatics and imagine them armed with nuclear weapons. Nuff said. (Just in case anyone was cheerleading for Iran in the nuclear deal.)
    3
  3732. Gurl, Islam's opposition to progress is endless. There are almost no humanitarian beliefs that Islam supports. Islam opposes democracy. They oppose gender equality , freedom of speech , equality before the law (male & female) , an independent judiciary. Islam is a fascist belief it countenances no opposition and anyone leaving (apostasy) is to be killed. Islam is the worst of a bad bunch of religions.
    3
  3733. Well said. Read "The executioners deserve medals" to get a flavour of the Ayatollah's savagery.
    3
  3734. FAHIM, that is a very nice response. I liked the "lower class but educated knowledgeable people". Also I liked the part " u dont care what we think about u then why should we .....etc ". It's a very honest reply, full of prejudice and contempt but acknowledging superior Western education and intellect. I think I'll change my definition to :- The Saudi is bone idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant , arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel.......but not a propagandist and self-effacingly honest.
    3
  3735. Trump was supposed to be making infrastructure a priority. He said he'd make it great.
    3
  3736. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  3737. "On the same day (AUKUS was announced) we (EU) were presenting our Indo-Pacific strategy". LOL the EU are windbags, it makes no difference what strategy they announce. Germany sent a warship to South East Asia, it avoided all contested sea-lanes, then asked to pay a courtesy call to Shngahi : the Chinese told them, "Get lost". The EU windbags are given no respect anywhere.
    3
  3738. The bravery is incredible. Ukraine is fighting to defend civilization. S-300 missiles must be shipped from Slovenia. Biden will hopefully announce that this week in Brussels.
    3
  3739. 6:00 Russian debt. I had to check and it really is that low. https://www.awaragroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/gdp_chart4.png This is not a healthy sign. It's a missed opportunity. Interest rates have essentially been at 0% for the last decade (since the 2008 crash) It makes sense to borrow and invest in infrastructure, education and modernisation/the future.
    3
  3740.  @flak8855  , Oh how you wish they were traitors. Of course you KNOW they were just patriotic, democratic Iranians. Unlike the fascist Ayatollah and his torture camps. Read "The executioners deserve medals" It tells how Khomeini had victims hanged 6 at a time of fork-lift truck pallets. What do you think happened to the Socialist Party in Iran ? Iran had a huge Communist Party which opposed the Shah along with many others. Where did they go ? Into the Ayatollah's torture camps.
    3
  3741.  @shaunstephenson9758  , yes obsessed : because I'm lifelong Labour and could weep at that idiot's support for the Kremlin, Ayatollah , Hezbollah and his opposition to everything from the US. God help us.
    3
  3742. The British Ministry of Defence can NOT make videos like this. You've got that wrong. Our videos are quite boring and pedagogic.
    3
  3743. What did Hamas expect - a 2 state solution reward ?
    3
  3744. Great idea : keep the Orcs in their own squalid lands.
    3
  3745. But Iran's economy is on its knees : I'd call that a Trump success.
    3
  3746.  @4692G5  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    3
  3747. I thought "accueille " meant accuse. I thought it might be an Emile Zola moment - J' accuse.
    3
  3748. LOL : France is the laughing stock. Macron said, "The EU shouldn't gang up on China with the US". Meanwhile, Lithuania allows Taiwan to open a mission, and is threatened and sanctioned. A small country with plenty of courage. France should follow their example. No wonder Australia chose AUKUS.
    3
  3749. 1917 : "Russia was incredibly ignorant and backwards". Stalin took that ignorance and gave it electric shock therapy. Kojeve : " He turned it into a jelly which he could mould" When the USSR collapsed (1991) that jelly needed leadership : That's when the KGB picked up the reins.
    3
  3750. They are brave people. When you consider the violent thugs in Madrid could assault them at any moment. The Spanish thugs in Madrid would delight in breaking up that peaceful parade. Thank goodness the Civil Guard weren't sent in.
    3
  3751. What a pity : a 20thC country ruled by fanatical clerics. The Ayatollah is strangling Iran.
    3
  3752. David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
    3
  3753. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    3
  3754. By contrast the Palestinians were given billions from the Gulf oil states and squandered it all on corruption. Yasser Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $ 3 billion. His wife in Paris was getting $1 million per month in the 1970s, when a million was a jackpot to retire on.
    3
  3755. Darfur was much worse : the Islamist Janjaweed militia were slaughtering women & children daily, there was famine & disease - the world just watched
    3
  3756. I agree, the major talking point when they all break for lunch is, "How much are you claiming on your expenses ?"
    3
  3757. Macron : "I hope this isn't humiliating for Russia".
    3
  3758.  @saidaden8249  In 1905 Russia sailed a fleet halfway round the world, which was sunk the moment it encountered the British trained Japanese.
    3
  3759.  @robertmills3830  , I used to support the Palestinian cause back in the 1970s. In those days hijacking was seen to be an act of Robin Hood type bravado, for a good cause. Then the Ayatollah taught us about Fatwa. Arafat taught us about Intifada And psychopaths taught us about Jihad. Now the West is firmly behind democratic Israel.
    3
  3760. Mahmoud Abbas the corrupt dictator is hated by Palestinian people. Why do the Palestinians vote for ineffective corrupt louses.
    3
  3761. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  3762. And whereas England love-bombed Scotland before their referendum. Spain sent police thugs to beat people and kick victims on the floor. What a contrast. Europeans were so ashamed.
    3
  3763. It is the same person - Trinity The father, son and holy hoax.
    3
  3764. A promise made in 1990, not to expand NATO. That was supposedly made to Yeltsin, but he was pickled from morning to dusk. Sloshed in the evening, and soused into a coma by bedtime. Biden said "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Blinken's "Calibrated response" was to atone for the President's gaff.
    3
  3765. Turkey are allied to Al-Nusra which is Al-Qaeda. Russian troops Have NOT left. Russia said they are in their bases in Afrin. THIS IS FAKE NEWS. Russia are still in Afrin.
    3
  3766. Germany sent their warship "Bayern" to the South China Sea. It avoided all contentious sea-lanes and asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai : China told them "get lost" Germany and France (the EU) will never be more than windbags.
    3
  3767. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    3
  3768. OPa, use your brain ! Why would Ukraine, which depends upon Western support, shoot down a passenger plane ? Now ask yourself would drunken Russian forces shoot it down thinking it to be a Ukraine military supply plane ? Of course it was drunken Russian thugs : they even tweeted that they'd shot down a Ukraine military plane. Then deleted the post when they realised it was a passenger plane.
    3
  3769. Fear of China and fear of offending Russia : that is the Modi mindset. Modi wakes up with fear, and goes to bed with fear. Meanwhile, India's reputation is traduced. Ask anyone, "Who is the weak link in the QUAD ?" India, they will answer.
    3
  3770.  @gamingtonight1526  , Not ever country has :- a) 1 million people interned like Xinjiang province. b) total surveillance and censorship (especially of the internet). c) a crooked one party system d) no Democracy and an oppressive propaganda/education system e) history-denying education that erases the Cultural Revolution and Mao's great leap forward where 60 million Chinese died.
    3
  3771. The Palestinians are laughing :- Their leader, Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion (yes that's $3000,000,000) Arafat needed that money to rule as a dictator for 40yrs : he had to bribe his friends and pay-off his enemies. Arafat also sent $1 million per month to his wife in Paris.
    3
  3772. Papa doc Duvalier....he left a fine legacy
    3
  3773. Syrian Girl, there are only 2 democratic forces in the region : US and Israel . Russia, Syria, Iran ,Turkey are all anti-democratic despots and Islamofascists. If you support democracy you should support the US and Israel.
    3
  3774. Why did they employ cheap scaffolders - ones that smoke on the job ? If they'd employed professionals, or even the army, this would never have happened.
    3
  3775. Answer these questions :- a) when instructed to come out hands raised and lay face down, why did they just walk breezily down the corridor towards the SWAT ? b) when shouted at to comply why do they do it reluctantly as if they can't be bothered ? c) when he asks are you drunk why say "No" ? d) when it is only weeks since the Vegas hotel shooting why point a gun out of a window and then treat the whole thing like a joke ? I condemn the Police but I think I'd have come out arms raised and laid face down.
    3
  3776. Herkimer allow me to add f) he was sacked from the Police for writing "Your £ucked" on his weapon. It appears profanity rather than psychopathy was the dismissible offence. Chaac, I had watched a previous video and mistakenly thought they'd been instructed to come out hands-up. I do withdraw my previous comments.
    3
  3777.  @JamesSmith-je7vf  You may be right. Russia is suffering both - losing battles and attrition it cannot replace.
    3
  3778. Very brave. Very inspiring. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. They slaughtered 10,000 in Tienanmen ; have 1 million in prisoned in Xinjiang, say they've stopped harvesting human organs and have a 24/7 surveillance totalitarian state.
    3
  3779. If Russia wins then western civilisation falls
    3
  3780. Correct me if I'm wrong (but I'm sure I'm right) , Turkey is just patrolling the road on the Syrian side of the border. Look at a map. The US are going nowhere. Nobody is pulling out of N.East Syria. All the news agencies have got this wrong.
    3
  3781.  @Eire32  , where did you read that ? Even the US State Department hasn't been given details or approved the decision. It may be true but I guarantee it will be under a clause that they can pursue terrorists who attack them "up to 50 miles". I haven't seen the details but I know Mattis resigned in December over this and Lindsey Graham in February said " It's the dumbest £ucking idea I've ever heard". So when generals resign and Trumps key ally calls it dumb you can guarantee what I say is very nearly correct.
    3
  3782. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    3
  3783.  @Sofian375  , fair point. Power-sharing works like this :- Each faction is given a department, and they run it to suit themselves and their supporters. The other government departments are their enemies, and it's in the factional interest to sabotage the other departments. Not everyone thinks like this but Hezbollah do. The IMF have demanded an end to power sharing to which Hezbollah replied they would "Put 10,000 armed fanatics on the streets". So there you have it : Hezbollah will create a civil war sooner than relinquish power.
    3
  3784. Modi is shaky, said Biden. I hope Modi has stopped shaking and found his moral compass. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    3
  3785. Trump Jr, after the 2008 financial crisis,whilst playing golf, told a friend "We don't use banks, we get all the money we need from Russia". That's the same Trump Jr who tried to establish an encrypted back channel communication with the Kremlin. The same one who met with Russian intelligence agents in Trump Tower.
    3
  3786. Victor Orbán is saying, "I guess I picked the wrong week to be close friends with Putin"
    3
  3787. Iran is a totalitarian theocratic dictatorship. Young people want freedom not rabid Ayatollahs.
    3
  3788. "Our people are suffering" As if Hamas gives a jiffy
    3
  3789.  @kon1402  Fair comment. But Ursula's authority (or rather influence) is limited to the EU. Germany's response must be laid at the doorstep of Schulz & Co
    3
  3790. Guizzot (1830) "It can take 20, 50 or 100yrs to build a democracy"
    3
  3791. The Axis of Evil = N Korea , China, Russia, Iran etc All anti-democratic, anti-human rights and with no independent judiciary. Oh and obviously all totally corrupt.
    3
  3792.  @emmittabramoff5067  , do you know what you can do ? You can go stand outside the Whitehouse and tell everyone how bad the US : you can hold up placards with all the US crimes written down , and many folk will agree with you. That's how tolerant the US is, that's how much freedom folk have. Now try doing the same in an Axis of Evil country.
    3
  3793. What about Dodgy Dave ?
    3
  3794. Well done EU : talking and discussing is where the EU excels. Action is where the EU fails. The EU is a symbol of civilization - but is fundamentally incapable of defending itself.
    3
  3795. Graham supports Ukraine (he'll do for me)
    3
  3796. "Turning point in history" ? Then why did Germany block weapons to Ukraine if n February ? a) RAF flight blocked b) Estonia howitzer transfer blocked c) direct sales blocked
    3
  3797. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  3798. That's a big hit - it's not a grenade - that was a biggy.
    3
  3799. I wouldn't visit Venice even if it were free. All those people are the very definition of Bedlam. Why anyone would go beats me.
    3
  3800. LOL respect. Pakistan are hand-in-glove with the Taliban. There is nothing heroic about a Pakistani going to Kabul.
    3
  3801. LOL France should start manning it's borders alright. The country is flooded with economic migrants ; you can't blame them for coming, who wants to live in North Africa. But the fact is the population of N Africa is set to rise to 300 million by 2050. And there'll be no more jobs there than there is now. So France will be a bonny sight in 2050.
    3
  3802. polifatts, I'm not so sure about ally. Russia do throw journalists out of windows, murder opposition politicians, assassinate people in other countries, poison people and they are an utterly corrupt bunch of gangsters. But we're not at war with them I'll grant you that.
    3
  3803. 14:25 "No European defence without the USA" I've been saying that for years : the EU windbags are incapable of action. That is why Australia chose AUKUS. Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang-up against China" Germany sent a warship (Bayern) : avoiding all contentious sea-lanes it asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai. China told them, "Get lost". China and Russia treat the EU as if they were jabbering old women.
    3
  3804. Wow she is comparing Weinstein to her husband Bill Clinton. I am very surprised. I thought she supported Bill's rapes and sexual assaults. She was his enabler , why has she changed her mind ?
    3
  3805. A great pity Barzani (Kurdish leader) is as corrupt as Yaser Arafat and intends to become a lifelong dictator. Barzani has already murdered journalists who are critical of him.
    3
  3806. Gerardo, the denial by Apple and Amazon was worded very carefully. They said it did not happen with their knowledge or something like that. I mean it was like a Clinton denial : very cleverly parsed.
    3
  3807.  F AMERICA  A US marine general used to give a speech to those deployed in N. Europe, that this could be the year they fought the Russians. Ukraine are fighting the Russians and defeating them in open battle (Kharkiv counter offensive)
    3
  3808. The African Union says " Thank you ". He founded the fraternity of corrupt dictators , who exchange information on where to deposit their loot.
    3
  3809. Geez, when's someone going to write the encomium Trump deserves ?
    3
  3810. Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
    3
  3811. While it lasts Wait and see what comes next (They needn't unpack)
    3
  3812. Hamas release all hostages and go into exile - the war ends 1970 PLO kicked out of Jordan 1982 PLO kicked out of Lebanon There is a precedent for exile, it's happened before
    3
  3813.  Tyler Hopkins  , Hezbollah are experts at brainwashing their supporters. One young chap said he believed Hezbollah were putting money IN to the economy, to help out the people. How dumb does someone need to be to believe that ?
    3
  3814.  @koty4real  The only warfare Russia knows is barbarism :- General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    3
  3815. What a shame. The tragedy of the Palestinians is the total failure in their leadership. Arafat ruled as a corrupt dictator for 40yrs. Fatah are totally corrupt and tolerate no opposition (they are a one-party state) , Hamas are anti-democratic thugs (any opponents are just thrown from a roof). Palestinians were offered a 2 state solution in 1947 and 2000 (Clinton) and refused both times. The sad fact is peace will come eventually and then everyone will look back and wonder why it took so long. (Arafat will get the lion's share of the blame)
    3
  3816. alecrebel, you may be right : the truth is none of us know. But there is some inferential evidence :- a) He's young and progressive. He wants to crush Islamic extremism. b) He sees the future as being technological and wants to adopt Western methods of education, economics and values (women's equality etc) c) He doesn't look religious (unscientific I know : but you can spot that demented look and he doesn't have it)
    3
  3817. Wow imagine how many human organs you can harvest from those camps. No wonder there's no waiting list when you need an organ transplant in China.
    3
  3818. " Two opposing views of Justice " Mmmm, let me guess : African Justice, also known as the AU corrupt despots get-out-of-jail card. And then you have the boring old rule of Law. No back-handers there, no free holidays or envelopes stuffed with cash, in fact not much to recommend it at all.
    3
  3819. Correct : the Ukraine invasion is the defining event of the 21st century.
    3
  3820. "The weaponization of faith". LOL, that is the very definition of Islam. Every Islamic war is a Jihad (religious war is how Islam spread) Islam has at its heart the holy war, seven virgins and martyrdom.
    3
  3821. Ramaphosa "admitted his government failed". You can say that again : the ANC have been a disaster. Not to mention the 450 assassinations of their political opponents :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_assassinations_in_post-apartheid_South_Africa
    3
  3822. 2:00 "Not the least of which is WITHIN Iran itself" It is good to see Iranians who oppose the Ayatollah siding with the forces of civilization. Remember the Ayatollah's police snipers shooting protestors ? Maybe this is payback. "Necessity knoweth no law"
    3
  3823. France & Germany are only half committed to Ukraine. Thank God for the USA
    3
  3824. Moscow regards France as a "neutral" country, how does that happen ? Vichy France is not an aberration, it is French culture :- a) Macron : "Countries should not gang up on China" b) Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" c) Macron asks Iran to be a peacemaker in Ukraine France instinctively places a foot in the enemy camp : they don't try to hide it, they are shameless.
    3
  3825. People power. Remember the US war of independence (1776) rally cry "No taxation without representation". Same applies here : you have a King with absolute power and a pseudo parliament fronting fr a faux democracy. Good luck to the people !
    3
  3826. Magnificent. A very brave performance.
    3
  3827.  Holil Kamayus  The US doesn't need lapdogs : it attracts too many people already. Every millionaire in Russia and China has bought a property in America or Europe. They all want to live in a free, safe society. The elite in China and Russia fear their own governments and are ready to flee at a moments notice.
    3
  3828. France is a world leader in nuclear-power. Macron just signed a $40 billion contract to supply Saudi with nuclear plants. Europe will diversify its energy supplies : huge gas-fields in the Mediterranean will be developed. Also Russia will pay :- a) reparations to Ukraine b) WTO fines for breaking a gas contract with the EU c) the money will be deducted from the seized assets ($330 billion in EU)
    3
  3829. Silo = a part of a company, organization, or system that does not communicate with, understand, or work well with other parts. In the context of China Silo = reduce dependence on Chinese products and supply chains
    3
  3830. Well he was a soldier....... a child soldier actually, that is why his morality is eye-brow raising. In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding sexual violence in war. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[130] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war” UN report :- "Nearly a quarter of reports received by one agency involve gang rape, with multiple men assaulting the victim; in some cases, women have been repeatedly raped over a period of days. Girls as young as eight are being targeted," Lowcock said.
    3
  3831. Routh August, Iran's economy is up to its chin in quicksand , why would the US try to start a war ? By contrast are sinking fast (inflation at 50% , its GDP down -6%) and they have every reason to try something desperate.
    3
  3832.  Davvy Jannes  , hark at you supporting the Ayatollahs. When Khomeini landed in tehran he was asked what he'd do with the democrats in the Shah's parliament (oh yes the Shah had a parliament) and the Ayatollah replied "I'll kick their teeth in ". That's the regime you support. In his first year Khomeini executed 7000. Who were they ? Well all the groups you don't find now in Iran : trades unions, socialists, democrats, feminists, pluralist political parties, secularists. And that is the regime you are propagandising for.
    3
  3833.  Davvy Jannes  , remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? You wouldn't have joined them, you and your lofty principles would have been on the side of the Hezbollah thugs who were beating them over the head with clubs. Davvy, you've managed to get yourself on the wrong side of history. You'll look back in a few decades and wonder how you could be such a gullible fool.
    3
  3834.  @messengersystems291  , of course you are quite right : who knows what's true and what're lies. But if you analyse it there's not much in a war for the US. Iran are sinking fast (inflation 50% etc). Whereas , put yourself in Iran's shoes : you are desperate, there's no light at the end of this tunnel, a war isn't a great idea but what's the alternative and who knows might can happen in the chaos. These attacks are Iran (trust me on this).
    3
  3835. Colonel Trenin : "The Kremlin knows Europe are the vassals of the US, except Germany. Moscow never expected Germany to shoot itself in the foot" Putin expected Germany to act like China and sit on the fence. Scholz is doing a good job !
    3
  3836.  @ruzziasht349  The first section is written by "a correspondent of Cobden" (AJP Taylor gives no other reference) The essay is about John Bright MP. Richard Cobden MP may have received it from a constituent, colleague or friend.
    3
  3837. It is a home, but also a valuable piece of real-estate. If a family have a 3 bedroom home, then build onto it another 3 bedrooms, then they have probably doubled the value of the family real-estate. In Ottoman times, a family would simply bribe the governor, or his official. That happens across the Mediterranean. Greece was famous for it.
    3
  3838. The Saudi cannot fight a war : they pay other people to fight. The Saudi area of expertise is whoring around Europe.
    3
  3839. Very well observed. When one is demoted to the divan, and sits there like a lemon observing the chairs of state - those seats of importance, one might as well return to one's office and blow one's brains out : it's a career finisher.
    3
  3840. Happier than it deserves is the nation whose politicians are destroyed by their courage.
    3
  3841. My God , are my eyes deceiving me ? That dictator has killed and tortured hundreds of thousands. Why glorify him ?
    3
  3842. 14. Demographic decline : they are simply dying out.
    3
  3843. 18. Like Pavlov's Dog they are inured to State brutality and corruption. The Church patriarch worked for the KGB and now wears a Rolex. They have an ex-KGB president (Putin) who they call "Little Papa".
    3
  3844. LOL why does a despotic Ayatollah need the blessing of faux-democracy ? Think about it. The Ayatollah has the blessing of God and the justification of the Quran so why bother with faux-democracy ? I'll tell you why :- Because the Ayatollah recognizes the moral superiority of Western Civilization : Representative democracy, accountability, transparency, justice and equality. All the things the Ayatollah lacks. That is why he mimics Western Democracy.
    3
  3845. The whole of North Africa has been a failure ever since the collapse of the caliphate in 1922.
    3
  3846. A Tragedy. They should have shot down Erdogan's plane. The whole operation was a botched job. If you have tanks and guns you have to use them : you can't just stand there like a wet hen. This coup had no backbone. They deserved to be arrested.
    3
  3847. Trump said France has become a $hithole country.
    3
  3848. Well done Ukraine : impressively brave. Britain has supplied an additional 6000 missiles, and "The Americans are supplying an extraordinary amount", said Boris.
    3
  3849.  @mohammadalriaty7770  The last time I looked, it was Israel that was targeting buildings with remarkable accuracy, and giving a 90-minute warning ! And it was Hamas that was launching missiles indiscriminately at civilian targets.
    3
  3850. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    3
  3851. Ginneo, Israel are the only democracy in the middle east. Therefore all democracies should support them. Fatah is a corrupt one-party state . Yaser Arafat killed Palestinian critics and amassed a $3billion fortune of looted cash. Hamas are fascists. If Palestinians want support they should become democratic.
    3
  3852. Al Jazeera have MISSED the story. The word went out that the general (visiting China) was going to be arrested on his return. That's what prompted the army to move. When the General returned the Army sent a detachment to meet him so the Police couldn't arrest him.
    3
  3853. You are 2 decades behind the times. Mick Cohen wrote a book : ' What's Left ?' many years ago pointing out the decline of the Socialist position. In particular it's totalitarian uniformity.....anyone who opposes it is a hater or racist. The left has become infantile. I gave up on it when I voted Trump instead of Hillary.
    3
  3854. The German President asked to visit Kyiv, and was told "No", why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    3
  3855. Makes no difference to today's young women - it is fashionable to support Hamas Today's young women think it's like BLM or Me Too, it's simply fashionable to be pro-Hamas
    3
  3856. Well he was obviously as high as a kite (as was George Floyd). One wonders how many folk in the US are walking around spaced out on methamphetamine ?
    3
  3857.  @meilinchan7314  I'm afraid you are very wrong. Let me tell you a story :- In the American Independence wars (1775-83) the British army asked the East India Company to stop recruiting, because they paid better wages and the British simply couldn't recruit enough men. The East India company refused, and parliament did nothing. That is what happens in a country which has democracy and the Bill of Rights (1689). Don't compare barbaric, savage Russia with Britain. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    3
  3858.  @austindarrenor  Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Peter the Great (d.1725) married a well-built busty Russian peasant, but after that every Tsar married a German princes. Catherine the Great (d.1796) was German. The Russian army was modelled on Prussia. The Russians recognised their inferiority by marrying foreign aristocrats. The Kremlin spoke French for centuries, and paid cultured persons to visit. 37% of Russians were slave-serfs till emancipation (1861). Russia is an Asiatic Autocracy trying to pass itself off as enlightened European.
    3
  3859. 2:15 should be "There ARE still more questions than answers"
    3
  3860. If France & Germany had supplied anti-air systems this could've been avoided. France has sent 1/20th of the weapons Poland sent.
    3
  3861. LOL he had a rap sheet for corruption as long as your arm.
    3
  3862. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    3
  3863. 0:30 the money shot.
    3
  3864. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    3
  3865. Oh dear, you are such a dummy. This is being reported in a bigger way in Iran ! They say there were 4 tankers on fire. So why would Iran join in a false flag operation against them ! For £ucks sake.
    3
  3866.  @sameeraumeer7214  You forgot to mention that Hamas and Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascists.
    3
  3867. Retaliation ? Iran will be very hesitant. Trump is champing at the bit for an opportunity to go out on a high.
    3
  3868. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    3
  3869. One guy speculating on what "most people think" and the other says " I dunno". Good video.
    3
  3870.  @christianevanherck6023  , "crimes against humanity" means jail for the genrals That's what I said. The generals are now fighting to stay out of jail. It is the Myanmar military who are committing the crimes - killing their own citizens. Good luck with your 'hate speech', you moron.
    3
  3871. Testimony from Israeli soldiers supports these historical facts. I'm 100% pro-Israel : I support democracy as everyone should, but one should also accept historical facts.
    3
  3872. One chap quoted history....then removed his comment.....damned coward ! I'll reply anyway :- "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    3
  3873.  @southpole4776  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    3
  3874.  @emmisysquire9684  Turgenev's Grandma struck a peasant boy, and was so infuriated at him lying there wounded she smothered him with a cushion. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    3
  3875. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    3
  3876.  @gonsmashyourboy1138  Kherson is a replay of Snake Island : the more Russia tried to defend it the more they lost (5 ships, countless lives, helicopters and vehicles). Kherson is a meat grinder for Russia : everything they send in will be destroyed. The battle for Kherson will last at least 6 months - eventually the military will explain to Putin that it is costing more than it's worth.
    3
  3877. "Worth trying " LOL Obviously if your economy is a wreck anything is worth trying. If you are sinking in quicksand you'll clutch at a straw. Don't hold your breath if you're waiting for the EU rescue plan.
    3
  3878. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    3
  3879. Any man that uses the "F" word in front of his wife and daughter to impress the media will never be President.
    3
  3880. The conflict started at 6:01pm Monday 10th May when the deadline set by Hamas ran out, and Hamas fired the first rockets.
    3
  3881.  @AbdulRahmanSyed-iv3qn  No. It started at 6:01pm Monday 10th May (Hamas fired its first rockets) and ended at 2am Friday 21st May
    3
  3882. Solomon Islands : the US said "It hasn't ruled out an invasion" Let me tell you - you won't see a Chinese ship for miles when that happens.
    3
  3883. Poland was ruined 400yrs ago by the Jesuits. Even before then the Polish nobility - who considered themselves a different race, trashed the idea of national identity by pursuing personal interest until the country vanished.
    3
  3884. Many people wonder why South/Central America is a failure whilst North America is a success. I've made a video that looks at the deep history involved. It concludes that the leviathans of Spanish society (Church & Nobility) stifled progress and segued easily to military dictatorship. It's 4 mins but manages to include an excellent comparison of Venice and the Papal states , drawing a parallel with N & S America.
    3
  3885. Thanks Xi ? China hasn't done anything. Is Putin being ironic ? Does he mean "Thanks for nothing" ?
    3
  3886.  @weepingangel6805  , thanks for asking : it's quite a bitter pie. Even with the sweet source of Corbyn's humiliation it's not easy to swallow. You'll probably be sampling it yourself in the New Year.
    3
  3887. Himars : the first to arrive came with 100 rockets. That was the Pentagon package that they announced. Maybe they have gone quiet on numbers, but the initial Himars came with 100 rockets per vehicle, as a package (ie $15 million per package)
    3
  3888. Ask yourself this :- What did 40yrs of Yasser Arafat's dictatorship achieve ? (Other than him stealing $3 billion from the Palestinians) Now ask yourself what does the Hamas/Fatah/Fatwa strategy achieve ? In war or politics after 70yrs you have to ask yourself what have you achieved. If the answer is nothing then perhaps your leadership is utterly corrupt and clueless. Try a different strategy......try engagement instead of violence. Try changing your leaders. Try democracy !
    3
  3889. NATO has called Putin's bluff. They sent in the hardware and took charge of the narrative. NATO now appears organized, civilized and strong. Russia, conducting naval exercises off the Irish coast, look as though they are just clowning around : a paper tiger trying to fright anyone that looks weak - bullying, boorish and unbearable.
    3
  3890.  @fazole  , I think they are more fearful of Winnie-the-Pooh. I recall an expert saying, "You'd be amazed how insecure the CCP feel." The slightest joke triggers paranoia in those psychopaths.
    3
  3891. Notice he didn't dare mention corruption. He would have had his organs harvested before the sun had set.
    3
  3892. Even if it's half true it's terrible.
    3
  3893.  @stoprussiannaziz-swastikav6958  Correct. There is a remarkable comity, nay amity, between the two nations.
    3
  3894. Let's see, how did we get to this position :- a) If the Baghdad government hadn't alienated the population by allowing corrupt police and military to prey on the population, then the population wouldn't have welcomed ISIS. ISIS was preferable to a corrupt predatory government. b) If the army commanders had been appointed on merit and not by nepotism and cronyism then they wouldn't have fled leaving the troops without leadership facing a fanatical assault. c) If the Baghdad government had been more inclusive and less corrupt, if they'd included leaders from the various regions and allowed regional administration. Then they could have easily held off 3000 jihadis in Toyota pickups.
    3
  3895. Eh....Good analysis. She should be arrested for what she said :- a) either she knows she has protection (FSB faction). or b) she has a young family and thinks Putin has lost the plot. I favour a). Also the arson attacks around Moscow leads one to believe there is an FSB power struggle in play. This TV clip is certainly the most astonishing insight.
    3
  3896. The latest $3 billion from the US includes weapons systems for a 2-3yr roll-out. Pilots are being trained for F-15 and F-16 fighter bombers. The USA is in this for the long haul. In April the Pentagon told Defence Industry CEOs to increase production lines.
    3
  3897. 1:20 LOL Exxon Russia can't drill in the Arctic, they don't have the technology Russia has to ask Norway or USA companies to drill for them. Russia is a hopeless medieval country (India and Russia share that much in common)
    3
  3898. Yes the US will talk. No Iran don't want to talk. Escalation to war is Iran's only strategy. What else can they do : their economy is tanking Iran has to act, it can only escalate to conflict.
    3
  3899. Why ? a) Economics : Saudi are trying to diversify, and have already introduced VAT (tax) at home. They need to balance the books. b) The Palestinians have changed little in 70yrs : they are still governed by corrupt despots. Arafat disastrously ruled for 40yrs and stole $3 billion, squandered all the Gulf oil money, leaving a legacy of corruption, despotism and zero-democracy. c) Why would anyone sacrifice their economic well-being in order to support Palestinians who are history's great losers ? d) Israel looks like the future. Take a look at Israeli drones in the Armenia/Azerbaijan conflict. Look at Israeli diversification : water treatment, education and tech industry. e) Cutting oneself free from Palestine offers a cornucopia of benefits. Who wouldn't want to distance oneself from 3 catastrophically lost wars (1947, 1967, 1973) and move forward. In short : the only folks NOT wanting to move forward are the corrupt old politicians, who simply want to stay in power. Power is everything. That's why Arafat stole $3 billion - to pay off his friends and buy his enemies. Staying in power is the priority.
    3
  3900. It takes 500yrs to create a democracy. Europe imposed a constitution on the Ottomans (1876) after the Bulgarian Horrors. It was cancelled 2yrs later by Abdul Hamid II. 600yrs of Ottoman despotism and authoritarian Islam left the people 90% illiterate. Democracy requires an enlightened middle class. The Middle East has a long way to go - Good Luck.
    3
  3901. God bless Ben Hodges
    3
  3902. Good report. Very informative.
    3
  3903.  @Richard-tq7xi  LOL All I can say is, "Thank you India for supplying 240,000 volunteer troops in WW2. The largest volunteer force in history. India has a great martial tradition. Britain would fight alongside India any day. It is India that has wandered from the right path.
    3
  3904.  @RoyDurett  Good question. Russia actually only had about 150k troops invading on 3 fronts : that's only 50k per theatre....a single football stadium full. Ukraine actually had more defenders, if one includes National Guard. The West supplied 10 anti-tank missiles for every Russian tank in Ukraine, and the outcome was inevitable. That was phase 1 In phase 2 Ukraine needs many more tanks and Howitzers.
    3
  3905.  @kr540ime3  Putin said, "Ukraine is part of Russia", are you telling he is going to start bombing civilians ? That will go down well with TV viewers in the West. The demand for NATO defensive action will be enormous. And don't forget : in the West public opinion is king.
    3
  3906.  @ЭЮЯ-о3к  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  3907. The EU is like a damsel in distress, they are incapable of defending themselves. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Schulz : sabotaging Ukraine - blocking airspace, denying 3rd party transfers etc
    3
  3908. 7:30 "In May the Ayatollah wasn't toppled" No because protestors were killed by police snipers on roof-tops. Police snipers killed hundreds of protestors : that is how the fascist theocracy stays in power.
    3
  3909.  The Electric Prince  , Are you saying Iranian police snipers weren't shooting protestors ?
    3
  3910. Boris can tell school-leavers how to segue into luxury. School-leavers should just wear the old school tie.
    3
  3911. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    3
  3912. Wion : where has your video "decoding China's outreach" gone ? It was presented by Palki. Maybe she exposed too much ?
    3
  3913. God bless the USA
    3
  3914. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    3
  3915. Very few people know the history of Palestine. a) The Palestinians wanted to become southern Syria with the capital at Damascus (1920) This was as the Ottoman Empire collapsed (1922 sultan fled, 1924 caliph fled) b) Plan B was Pan-Arabism : the Palestinians would look to Cairo and the Arab leadership. c) Only after the six-day war, and the total failure of Pan Arabism did the PLO (Yasser Arafat) arise with the western educated Young-Turk notion of Palestinian nationalism. d) The Arab neighbours finally recognized a national Palestine in 1988 So Jerusalem has been the capital of Palestine since 1988 and the capital of Israel since King David 1000 BC
    3
  3916.  @deepmarkam  Fair enough - but she didn't shoot down a passenger pane.
    3
  3917. The news keeps getting better and better
    3
  3918.  @jonsnow6274  I used to think the same. Svetlana Alexiovich record Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it. After the 1990 collapse of the USSR, one chap said, "We would have demolished the West in any war". Even Russians who hated communism felt humiliated at the collapse of the USSR. Another woman, after the 2014 seizure of Crimea, said," We can't watch them succeed, they're too like us". Russians can tolerate Europeans enjoying a higher standard of living, but not their cousins in Ukraine. My position now is this :- Russians are not prepared to be mobilised and fight in Ukraine, but they would love to see a victorious, mighty Russian army sweep across Ukraine up to the border of Poland, and to make the est tremble. 85% of Russians would like to see that. Even Westernised Russians, who like an end to Putin and the functioning democracy, even they would also like to see a mighty Russia.
    3
  3919. Vishnu, it is a good unbalanced news source. Saudi tried their own news : it was all propaganda and got no viewers. If you produce propaganda nobody watches. That's why you are here, you know Al-Jazeera can be trusted.
    3
  3920. Latest Pentagon report : "The Russians are being kicked from @rsehole to breakfast time".
    3
  3921. Zelensky looks more at ease meeting Boris. That is because Ursula von der Leyden deports herself like a countess. She is a courteous countess, but Boris's bumbling bonhomie is simply indomitable. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    3
  3922. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    3
  3923.  Steve Arthur  The West doesn't need to win wars - the entire globe has conformed to Western Civilization :- a) China - Communism was a western idea, they have now adopted free-market capitalism. They teach children classical music (Western), their TV and movies are Western based, their fashion, and pop culture. There are only trace elements of orientalism. b) Russia is entirely Western : only its barbaric war-crimes give a hint of the past. The same goes for every African nation - they only retain trace elements of their indigenous culture. Millionaires from despotic regimes (Russia China) are queuing up to get a western passport.
    3
  3924. But China has been manipulating its currency for 20yrs. Even if it isn't doing it now.
    3
  3925.  @MrStolboy  No. The Myanmar generals are supported by China. Lukashenko is supported by Russia. The Axis of Evil supporting despotism and crushing democracy. That is why they were christened "The Axis of Evil".
    3
  3926. Twitter : the arbiter is some young college kid who uses CNN as his bible. Good God.
    3
  3927. Very good analysis, backed up by facts :- a) Putin has called on Syrian jihadists b) The Wagner group has been recalled c) Putin has appealed for Chechens, Belorussians, and Kazakhstanis. And on state TV Putin said, "Please" to his minister who asked whether he should bring Russians serving abroad back to fight. A very different attitude to the Putin who belittled his own ministers on the eve of invasion.
    3
  3928. 1:30 "Of which it's a part of" There is no need for two "Of"s One simply says "Of which it is a part"
    3
  3929. Because it gets hits
    3
  3930. What does Islamic indoctrination have in common with Chinese indoctrination ? They are both spectacularly ill-informed and mind-bogglingly wrong-headed. Why not read some science and history and become a rational person ?
    3
  3931. Very nice gesture. The mark of true Conservative minister. "I stand by my husband" will be the next headline.
    3
  3932. In 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran from Paris AFTER the Shah had been overthrown by Socialists, Democrats, Trade-unionists etc and , using his ruthless jihadists took control. What happened to the other groups who had overthrown the Shah ? Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : more than the Shah killed in his whole life. When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran the press asked him what he'd do with the democrats in the Shah's parliament (oh yes the Shah had a parliament) Khomeini replied, "I'll kick their teeth in ".
    3
  3933. Fast enough ? Ukraine already has around 1000 tanks Simply knowing tanks are on their way is reassuring Eg 31 Abrams in August is perfect for the September offensive.
    3
  3934. Whereas it is Russia that has zero options. A Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet" Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" Humiliation, flushed down the toilet, Russia's options are certainly looking bleak.
    3
  3935.  @jedidiah5131  Lloyd Austin (Defence Sec) admitted the aim was "To weaken Russia, so it can't invade other countries". But Zelensky is no puppet. One French reporter said, "Everyone I speak to in Ukraine is convinced they will be victorious".
    3
  3936. In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    3
  3937. You are deluded : Russia has lost. India backed the losing side.
    3
  3938. Germany want a deal. The N Ireland backstop was always a red-herring, that the EU can remove as soon as the deal is ready to go through. They didn't remove it for May because she couldn't get the deal through even with the backstop removed. The EU always leave it to the 11th hour ; so the UK have no time to reflect on other changes they'd like made to the deal. There will be a deal in the final week : May's deal minus the backstop.
    3
  3939. The Palestinians were offered a two state solution in 1948 by the UN and again in 2000 Camp David by President Clinton. And they turned it down on both occasions. Clinton said Arafat couldn't be trusted. A pity the Palestinians didn't hear that earlier : Arafat stole $3 billion from them. He had to do because that's how he stayed in power for 40yrs : Arafat would bribe his friends and pay-off his enemies. Pity they can't find that $3billion the people could use it to boost their economy.
    3
  3940. Dionysos, Not the one presented by the UN in 1948. That was turned down because the Arabs believed they could push the Jews into the sea. Clinton wasn't playing a patsy for Israel.....he takes as much money from the Arabs as the Jews : there was nothing in it for Bill.
    3
  3941. What a wonderful prospect - post-Ayatollahs The Shah was a staunch ally of Israel He was also a champion of Persian culture, and no more authoritarian than any other autocracy in the region (eg Egypt or Turkey)
    3
  3942. Amnesty for corruption. LOL Mnangagwa wants to start with himself : the filthy, thieving , unprincipled swine.
    3
  3943. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  3944. Peter the Great (d.1725) and Putin. Both bequeathed a succession problem : Peter tortured his son to death (1718) Putin assassinated and imprisoned the opposition. Also ,Lenin (d.1924) left a vacuum which Stalin filled with 30 million corpses : Holodomor genocide (1932/33) in Ukraine killed 4 million.
    3
  3945. Of course you are. Axis of Evil = China, N Korea, Russia, Iran, Cuba, etc all the anti-democratic despots.
    3
  3946.  @asimkant4700  Hypersonic missiles are overrated : nobody can ever use nuclear missiles. Lord Owen was asked on Radio 4 about Putin's nuclear threats, he said, "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families". In the Pacific the US have 3 submarines patrolling China. Each sub has 8 missiles, each missile has 12 warheads, and each warhead has 100 x the power of Hiroshima. Just one sub could destroy every major city in China. The Russians know their situation is worse : they only have 2 or 3 major cities.
    3
  3947.  @wg.amster3907  "The people in Europe" were cheering when Nordstream was demolished. Poland sent congratulations to whoever did it.
    3
  3948.  @icebear6851  Anyone that praises Saddam hasn't lived under his rule. Ajay lives in the West, and enjoys all the privileges of a fair justice system, education, health care and freedom. Ajay is a jackass.
    3
  3949.  @Luredreier  , It's like Zimbabwe blaming Britain for its economic woes . The war-veterans wanted a pension from the state and were given highly productive farms ; they didn't want to be farmers and the farmers went to ruin.....that's not Britain's fault. And the Greeks wanted an eternal "Greek Miracle" with 7% GDP growth for eternity, and didn't want to stop borrowing......that's not history's fault.
    3
  3950. Kashmir is India's |Ukraine. If India criticise Russia, folks might point the finger at India in Kashmir. "Tightrope" is a good word to describe India's dilemma.
    3
  3951. 2:30 LOL "Planning permission is one of the tactics they use". Try building a house in Paris or London or Berlin without planning-permission. They don't mention that the owners have hit the jackpot if they get away with it : spend a few thousand on building without permission, and if you slip past the detectors your house is worth 100,000.
    3
  3952. NATO strategy is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    3
  3953. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    3
  3954. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    3
  3955. " A growing acceptance of violence and breakdown of the state" What state ?
    3
  3956. "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD A Pentagon spokesman said, "Even the USA couldn't fire 20k shells a day like the Russians are doing." Russia is throwing the kitchen sink at it. Russian strategy :- To secure Donbas, then declare the whole area part of Russia. Then to declare that any attack by NATO, or by Ukraine using NATO weapons will meet with a nuclear response.
    3
  3957.  @ianstewart6021  " Russia has fired 2,154 missiles at Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, " Russia is firing 20,000 artillery shells a day. Even the Yanks couldn't sustain that consumption rate. Russia will simply run out of munitions : even a child could calculate that. Did you see Shoigu's face in his latest video with Putin ? He looks like a man who knows the game is up.
    3
  3958. Erdoğan is wanting to guard Kabul airport (Afghanistan). He has troops in Libya. Troops in Qatar. The 2nd largest military in NATO, and he can't put out fires without international assistance.
    3
  3959. Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts" That was after Boris had announced the UK is sending 6k missiles. One can only imagine what the US is sending. The US has two Nimrods on constant patrol : it was the US that destroyed the Russian tank-transporter ship (even if Ukraine launched the missile)
    3
  3960. LOL, I laughed my head off at Trump and the smirking noobs standing behind him. It won't save him. The USA is in tatters : that's Biden's message, and he's not wrong.
    3
  3961. Good propaganda - they never mentioned Hamas once (Hamas is a dirty word : they are now called "The resistance" LOL) That hospital was a Hamas stronghold
    3
  3962.  @calvinhoward3808  , remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah. Hezbollah are anti-democratic, fascist , murderous thugs , and you thin we should propagandise them by calling them "Party of God " ? Are you being serious or trying to wind people up ? Are you also saying we should b give Al-Qaeda a make-over and present it in a more appealing way ? I can't believe what I'm hearing. Nick Cohen wrote a book called "What's Left" it is a polemic about the nonsense you propose : treating fascist terror groups as morally equivalent to the West. You'd benefit greatly from reading it.
    3
  3963.  @calvinhoward3808  , you know the Ayatollah invented a new industrialised execution method just for Socialists : a forklift truck lifting 6 at a time to be hanged and it went on day after day month after month. Iran had a huge socialist party , they overthrew the Shah (1979) : the Ayatollah returns from Paris and is asked on landing what he will do with the democrats and replies , "I'll kick their teeth in". These are the people you support. When are you going to get yourself an effing education and grow up.
    3
  3964. Germany & France are providing hardly any military assistance. German "tanks" (anti-aircraft guns) will not be available till June. France has supplied the bare minimum, and is calling for Ukraine to capitulate.
    3
  3965. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
    3
  3966. LOL Merkel is writing her memoirs and that scene between the corrupt gangster and corrupt clown will make a nice paragraph.
    3
  3967. I thought momentum were pro Brexit.
    3
  3968. Good Islam arrived as conquerors Now they are meeting resistance
    3
  3969. Lebanese army distributing fuel from a discovered tanker ? So they were pocketing the cash when it exploded. This was the unpaid military trying to get themselves some cash.
    3
  3970. What 24 hrs a day, they will block his arrest ? It sounds like a good idea, but soon becomes tiresome.
    3
  3971. "We can look people in the eye" LOL Mexico is the most crooked country, with Police politicians and judges taking money from millionaire drug lords ; and because the one half decent president Mexico have ever had, decides to cut down on luxury the politicians consider themselves elevated to saint-hood. Why is N America successful and the C & S America a disgrace ? because in the North they valued representative assemblies in religion & politics. In the Spanish south they valued religious and political absolutism.
    3
  3972.  @onebit1350  NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    3
  3973. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    3
  3974. WRONG Have you read how Egypt tortures Muslim brotherhood ? Egypt wants Hamas crushed This is a pantomime the US suggested
    3
  3975. Magnificent video - the music and editing. Full credit to the Orc, he performs a spirited dance of death. When one thinks back to Feb 24th, and how badly things might have gone. How marvellous to see the Russians getting an inescapable hiding.
    3
  3976. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    3
  3977. It's not the warlords or corrupt politicians who are to blame, it's the African people : they've no standards.
    3
  3978. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    3
  3979. "Losing control " ? The premise being that he had control ; when was that ? Ken Clarke described his strategy as "Charmingly naive". I suspect he'll go down in history as one of the shortest serving PMs and arguably the biggest failure.
    3
  3980. Well done Netherlands. (They besmirched themselves in Srebrenica, but bygones are bygones)
    3
  3981. "Payback for Snake Island" Because Russia has been humiliated. Macron warned Ukraine not to push too hard. Well done Macron, blame Ukraine, and let the Kremlin off Scott free.
    3
  3982. Poor old Erdoğan (and he is looking old), he invested a fortune in Libya and it's turned into a busted flush. He staked everything on the Prime Minister, who vanished quicker than a sand-dune. A mirage of Mediterranean unity : a treaty that has all the value of a Lebanese government bond.
    3
  3983. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    3
  3984. Very interesting, very informative. Ukraine is fighting to defend civilization. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    3
  3985. Most folk in the UK (68%) support Trump's common sense approach
    3
  3986. Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    3
  3987. We never heard the other side of the story : the Hungarian government minister mentioned something about privilege.
    3
  3988. It will take 300yrs for Africa to become democratic. This is why :- There is no histroy of independent institutions in Africa. Imagine Africa had had Trade Unions actively operating since 1700 well then there would be a chance of democracy. Imagine it had a history of independent judiciary or press or trade guilds or anything. There is no history of independent responsible institutions : just blind obedience to a chief. That's why it will take 300yrs.
    3
  3989. One is always drunker than one feels.
    3
  3990. OUTLAW, that's not true. A tax on manufactured exports is dumb but when you are simply selling raw material or beef or wheat which is essentially the same thing (a commodity very low labour and no skill) then taxing commodity exports will not harm the balance of payments. They will sell their commodities anyway but make slightly less profit and contribute to the economy.
    3
  3991. LOL I'll tell you how to speed up Pakistan's justice system :- have a price list.....$200 to bribe a lawyer, $400 to bribe a magistrate $800 to bribe a judge. "A judicial system" in Pakistan is a joke. LOL Allah will compensate you. Allah never buttered a parsnip.
    3
  3992. Aidan O’Neill QC, barrister for Joanna Cherry and 70 parliamentarians who are bringing the Scottish case, claimed in his written arguments that the Scottish court decision was correct and the reasons for the government’s motives in prorogation should be examined by the courts. “It is an administrative power that has, in this case, been used abusively by the executive” which “falls squarely” within the court’s remit, he said. He argued that English law should be “brought up to the standards by which the executive is called to account under Scots law”.
    3
  3993. WRONG ! He died in a "hard landing" LOL
    3
  3994.  @PjotrII  True. A Pentagon spokesman said, "Even the United States would have to open new production lines. No country stores enough munitions to use it at the rate of 20k shells per day".
    3
  3995. Ha ha ha Beto O'Rourke LOL Sleepy Joe Trump will wipe the floor with them (and I'm a Democrat).
    3
  3996.  @nathanlevesque7812  " since when was this about taxes..." Well do you still pay tithes to the Church ? What about the king ? The one who is on the run for tax-avoidance ? I'm pointing to mismanagement by Madrid. They were bankrupt four times under Philip II. Expelled the Moriscos under Philip III : so devastating, they tried to bring them back. The bottom was reached in 1700 when the Spanish Succession caused them to appeal to France for "Jam Makers"
    3
  3997. @Timothy TwoTwoThree Well said : Henry VIII and Edward I didn't have the highest morals. a) "The British knew and did nothing" ? After the Amritsar massacre, there was an outcry in parliament and a demand for justice. b) "The Brits invaded with 100k" ? In 1775 the British had a total of 22k, spread a round the globe : 7k in Gibraltar, I forget how many in India, Canada Jamaica, America etc , but it wasn't many. That is why they recruited 18k 'Hessians' India was 'conquered' by Robert Clive with east India company troops, and not many of them. At the battle of Plassey he had about 5k against the Maharaja's 30k. (Of course he won a famous victory).
    3
  3998. Well done Hungary
    3
  3999. India is in danger of being marginalized from the Civilized World. They will have to play cricket with Russia LOL
    3
  4000. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    3
  4001. Iran is on its knees economically. Why do you think Iranian police snipers were shooting protestors ? The snipers were killing protestors because they feared the Ayatollah's regime would fall.
    3
  4002. The People's Party (PP) were formed by Franco's minister Farga : he was a committed fascist. Rajoy now leads the (PP). Spain adopted democracy to join the EU but it is only a veneer : underneath there is a strong current of fascism. Look at the Nazi salutes at any rally in Madrid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPdk_3Hm1kM&t=24s When the Civil Guard went to beat peaceful voters the Spanish were shouting, "Go get them ". Rajoy's People's Party is a CONTINUATION of Franco with a veneer of democracy.
    3
  4003. An incredible statement by Medvedev :- " The destruction of the world's biggest country by area could lead to an unstable leadership in Moscow with a maximum number of nuclear weapons aimed at targets in the US and Europe " Dmitry Medvedev, deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council He is acknowledging that Russia is on the brink of collapse, and is appealing (albeit by threat) to the West to 'go easy'. I said at the start of this war, "There are much worse leaders than Putin" Putin is a civilized statesman by comparison to what may follow. Russia hasn't touched bottom yet, as far as inhumanity goes.
    3
  4004.  @GG-kf8ox  Correct Of the top ten weapons, the US hasn't sent any. Russia is being defeated with 2nd division weapons.
    3
  4005. US defence budget $845 billion The US can support Ukraine indefinitely
    3
  4006. I came here to say one word : blockade. The US would blockade Iran and economically strangle it. No need for infantry. However on getting here I found Mrs Mac knocking everyone for six (which I enjoyed).
    3
  4007. Very rude of Blinken He should've congratulated the Palestinian on his recent election win 12yrs ago LOL
    3
  4008. The only concern is how to get the egg off Putin's face. NATO looks magnificent : the press conferences were magisterial, organized, civilized, conciliatory and commanding. Russia navy off the coast of Ireland : this is just clowning. NATO is on a lap of honour, everyone is joining the parade - Canada, Spain, Denmark, France.
    3
  4009. Russian deaths : two estimates :- a) Attack to defence is generally 3:1, Ukraine acknowledges 3.5k killed so one would assume Russia have had 14k killed. b) Russia has had 4 generals killed. In Vietnam, the US lost a general for every 5k servicemen. So one would estimate Russia has lost 20k troops. These are very vague estimates, but they are a lot higher than the Kremlin total of 549. I think my estimates are more accurate.
    3
  4010. That letter needs handling with care - with white gloves. If one keeps shoving it down one's shirt, then grabbing it to pass round some grubby journos, it will be illegible.
    3
  4011. China is a totalitarian corrupt one-party state. It has built internment camps for 1 million people in Xinjiang and had only recently stopped the practice of harvesting human organs from prisoners. The West should unite against China.
    3
  4012. The EU and NATO have sent assistance (Even though Erdogan has declared war against both institutions)
    3
  4013. Trump has few things going for him :- a) a secure base who will probably turn out in numbers. b) a weak Democratic candidate , (pick one) c) probably a divided Democratic vote : because it won't be a progressive and those voters (I'm one) will vote for anyone but (Hillary) or in 2020 Biden.
    3
  4014. Who's who Kais Saied :- president, is an academic from an intellectual family. Hichem Mechichi :- the dismissed Prime Minister is a technocrat the people protested because of the Covid failure and lack of prosperity. Ennahda :- the largest party is an Islamist party (like the Muslim Brotherhood) they are a backwards looking roadblock to progress.
    3
  4015. Good analysis
    3
  4016. Hamas will be held accountable
    3
  4017.  @onlythewise1  "Totaling $11.3 billion, or $180 billion in today's currency, the Lend-Lease Act of the United States supplied needed goods to the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1945" That enabled Russia to fight Germany. Russia repaid the debt with hostility, aggression, and by despotically imprisoning Eastern Europe
    3
  4018. Remember the huge ammo dump in Pak that went up during the Russo-Afghan war ? That was caused by Pak mishandling munitions.
    3
  4019. It's a great strategy :- a) attack merchant shipping tankers in the Hormuz Straits. b) speed up the development of nuclear weapons. c) refuse all dialogue. What a way to win friends LOL
    3
  4020. They are ALL Hamas fighters heading North
    3
  4021.  @mrxmry957  , If one objects to a brutal theocracy that shoots its own people, one isn't a troll, one is an enlightened humanist.
    3
  4022. I had reply saying Egypt would fall after a war......removed or deleted. I'll answer anyway : how can Egypt benefit by bombing the dam ? Aside from world condemnation (because everyone supports Ethiopian development and recognizes Egypt as a miserable state which torture Italian students to death), they would be shooting themselves in the foot, essentially poisoning their own well.
    3
  4023. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. The Chinese are waiting to send in the RED Army to commit the customary slaughter.
    3
  4024. A written response can also be used as a casus belli. Russia are forced to invade to secure their borders from NATO February is the sweet spot for invasion :- the ground is frozen, and they have until the mid-March thaw.
    3
  4025. "The Democratic candidate regularly charges thousands of dollars in luxury travel and hotels to her campaign. Harris stayed in D.C.’s upscale St. Regis hotel, billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay, a nightly rate of $858.69. " She's another crooked Hillary
    3
  4026. I can hardly believe this : he looks so honest.
    3
  4027. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    3
  4028. I think this is an airstrike. It is so deep inside Russia. General Keane (Fox News) said, "The US is supplying Ukraine with exquisite intelligence" If there are no air defences, Ukraine may have flown in and zapped a military target.
    3
  4029. 1:44 "Left with no health, education, security or growth" That didn't stop them waging an aggressive offence against the unarmed Falklands ! Maybe if they hadn't been run by a drunken military junta for decades they wouldn't be in the gutter now. Even the Argentinian Pope (Francis) supported the drunken military's war of aggression. (Google it)
    3
  4030. LOL "Blessed be the meek for they shall be Iranian" This is the weakest response Iran could think of LOL
    3
  4031. The dream team : Ben Wallace PM, Liz Truss Foreign Sec.
    3
  4032. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    3
  4033. LOL I just Googled Ershad corruption , sure enough he's got a rap sheet as long as your arm. Alam, it is sycophants like you that keep wrong 'uns in power.
    3
  4034. Iran ask for cash not medical supplies, I wonder why ? Because medical supplies are no good to Hezbollah terror group. Terrorists need cash.
    3
  4035. Novorossiysk - that's where Russia's Black Sea fleet is. It fled from Sevastopol owing to the threat from 300km Himars. Russia has now effectively abandoned the Black Sea. Having vacated Snake Island long ago.
    3
  4036.  @arisplugis5197  . "Whoever controls space around planet, will control the world" A fair point. But much of that is science fiction. In our lifetimes, drones, guided missiles, nuclear submarines, cyber warfare and economic sanctions, that would be a winning package for any country.
    3
  4037. Mccabe should be prosecuted. He took $700,000 for his wife from the Clintons and in return he withheld a tranche of emails from Congress. Take no notice of CNN they are the people who rigged the DNC primary for Hillary by handing her the questions.
    3
  4038. Ukrainian figure are quite accurate : - for example Many months ago the Ukrainians said they had destroyed 850 tanks and there was an online photographic register recording 550. So the Ukrainian figure was probably correct. The CIA, MOD and other estimates have to be conservative. (Also, a low figure from the CIA helps to stop the Kremlin reacting hysterically)
    3
  4039. GDP South Africa = $300 billion GDP Russia = $1400 billion GDP Brazil = $1500 billion GDP India = $2,630 billion GDP China = $14,700 billion Brics is a joke : India and China hate each other, and they are the only two with economic clout.
    3
  4040. No fuel That is because Hamas requisition fuel
    3
  4041. Hey, just listen to the expert analyst ,"They use Facebook and Twitter and sometimes telephone calls". Gosh, good job he turned up to put us all in the picture. I hope that guy gets a government grant we need people like him to tell us the bl@@ding obvious.
    3
  4042. Just as well Campomanes isn't there to say they're both exhausted.
    3
  4043. WRONG ! Not "crash", you mean hard landing LOL
    3
  4044. I have made a video on the historical reasons for Spanish-America's failings. Including a very good comparison of Venice and the Papal states. In a nutshell :- North America embraced representative assemblies in religion and politics. Spanish-America embraced the leviathans of Spanish society : the Church and nobility. In other words, embraced authoritarianism which easily segued into military dictatorship.
    3
  4045. New Zealand have declared themselves Islam friendly. France did the same in the 1970s : hosting Yasser Arafat's wife (who was sent an allowance of $1 million per month - in the days when one could retire on a million) and Ayatollah Khomeini. French planes were never hijacked L France was Islam friendly. Look where it got them : today France has acquired "most hated nation" status in the Muslim world. Likewise New Zealand will get no favours.
    3
  4046. Good propaganda.
    3
  4047. 6:45 Jimmy Dore at his best - after presenting the injustice of the decisions he finally lets them have it.
    3
  4048. LOL the Revolutionary Guard shoot down a passenger plane, now the navy shoot their own ship. I'm waiting for the Ayatollah to issue a Fatwa against himself. LOL
    3
  4049. The Iranians are trigger-happy fanatics....I hope they never develop nukes. If you allow Europe to re-instate the Nuclear Deal with Biden expect disaster.
    3
  4050. Soli, pardon me, I wanted to make sure it reached the size of audience it deserved. Consider how much money Iran have wasted in Syria instead of growing their own economy. Consider how much money is looted by the clergy : $18 billion and the Republican Guard owns most major manufacturing businesses. Iran is badly run and criminally led. I hope the people of Iran gain their freedom soon. The world is watching the Islamofascist disgrace.
    3
  4051. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often jke about rape.
    3
  4052. Lukashenko has called it 'war' : "I warned you that they would push us into this operation, into this war," Modi : too frightened to speak. Shame on India, this generation will never live to see their good name restored : presently it lies tarnished in the trash heap.
    3
  4053. Money is being moved out of China at an astonishing rate. China have introduced restrictions on taking money out of the country but there are ways round it. China's economy is built on sand.....astonishing debt levels.
    3
  4054. "No permanent friends - only permanent interests" That is an idiotic phrase, only repeated by idiots. Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history is that North America speaks English". That is the basis for AUKUS. Take no notice of glib phrases : folks parrot them to appear clever.
    3
  4055. CIA Pete. Remember when Pete was told to declare victory in Iowa to scupper Bernie ? Then wouldn't give interviews even though he'd "won". He is a total phoney and venal crook.
    3
  4056. This guy is very Woke and pro-Hamas Most people think Trump talks common sense
    3
  4057. At the Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles : they were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine.
    3
  4058. Oct 7th massacre - the consequences were never envisioned
    3
  4059. 9:50 "You tell me this isn't about Neil Young trying to get in someone's pants, because he's just that shallow, of a piece of $hit" It doesn't get better than that.
    3
  4060. See the poster Trump is holding , all that military hardware , it's all junk. Nobody knows the future but I'll bet warfare doesn't look anything like that.
    3
  4061. So the Police officer exposed himself in a restaurant on 28th February, was arrested by two colleagues, continued working, then committed murder 12 days later. Is that correct ?
    3
  4062. Biden said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats" Germany is a disgrace. I wish the west could simply dump that "ally". Ilya Ponomarev makes a great observation about how nicely Putin protects his own health - with the quarantine length table.
    3
  4063. This guy should be canonised by the Church. He took a bullet for corruption. He's a martyr to the cause. The Clinton foundation should contribute to a monument for him. He's corruption's first martyr.
    3
  4064. She dodges the question at 6.30 Of course the dollar has devalued when you simply start printing trillions of them. The key thing is to do it without inflation getting out of control. Hence the fed meeting regularly to raise/lower interest rates.
    3
  4065. They wanted him to put some flesh on the bones, "concrete proposals" In other words Leadership Don't hold your breath
    3
  4066. 1852 Serbian history was invented, sanitised and and popularised by Leopold Ranke
    3
  4067. Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    3
  4068. "What do you think is behind his strange behaviour ?" He's soused.
    3
  4069. God bless Ukraine. God bless the USA Poland, Slovenia, Czech, Denmark and Britain are doing their best - but thank God for the Yanks.
    3
  4070.  @thomaslacornette1282  The vote to send $46 billion to Ukraine was almost unanimous - Democrats and Republicans were united (and it's not often that happens).
    3
  4071.  @martynanstis1620  Thanks. The US is in this for the long haul. They are training Ukrainian pilots to use F-15 and F-16 fighters. Lloyd Austin said the war could last 10yrs. The Yanks were in Afghanistan for 20yrs, it cost them a fortune, and had little geopolitical significance. By contrast, the Russian invasion is the defining event of the 21st century : the US will certainly make sure Russia loses.
    3
  4072. LOL very biased propaganda : total condemnation of the USA and no mention of Iran bombing tankers and shooting down a drone. Iran = violence and assault USA = sanctions and ready to talk And yet the USA are condemned and no mention of Iran's violence.
    3
  4073. Suhail, I'm not a troll. Trolls don't know anything about history. A troll could never quote Khomeini's remark at Tehran airport. That comes from a lifetime of reading. Try reading Mohammad Mosaddegh's biography and get an idea of what life was like before Iran became a theocratic dictatorship.
    3
  4074. The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
    3
  4075. Sarkozy joins a long list of French corrupt presidents. The history of France is like a rogues' gallery. The majority of postwar presidents were collaborators, as were most officials.
    3
  4076. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah the Ayatollah's henchmen. The Chinese CCP use the triads. Totalitarian regimes are never short of criminal thugs to perpetrate violence against their citizens.
    3
  4077. There will be a few French presidents turning in their graves - getting comfortable, knowing they are beyond the law.
    3
  4078. Britain has squadrons of Typhoons patrolling the skies. I can see the contrails. No such worry for France and Germany (the collaborators) Britain is the target for the Kremlin, but we take it in our stride : we stood alone against the Nazis (1940), and stood alone against Napoleon (1800). Of course they were both defeated.
    3
  4079. Listening to the ICC makes a civilised person feel sick
    3
  4080.  @jackdaniels8592  A bot can't compose a constructive comment like mine : even the Kremlin can't afford a jackass of my calibre. The Pope's incite was perceptive - I'm not saying it was infallible, but he touched on the childishness of Russia. The ignorance, savagery and inhumanity. Thank God for Joe Biden, and strong American leadership.
    3
  4081. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    3
  4082. WRONG. It is 18 miles from Kiev (do some research). Also, one would expect India to be better informed, with them supporting Russia. The Russia India alliance can't be very strong if you don't even know what is happening.
    3
  4083. Good video. An interesting expose. The narrator is entertaining.
    3
  4084. Trump went on to deliver some very funny jokes about John Kerry. Trump is such a good laugh ; a great story-teller. "John Kerry was asked 'Can they spend the money on Terrorism ?' and said 'yes'. Bad answer.....but that was the least of it" Even the Ayatollah was laughing at that one.
    3
  4085. Mother Russia ideology, how widespread is it ? Very. Read Svetlana Alexievich : she records Russians in their own words and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    3
  4086.  @lastword8783  ,very enjoyable comment, I've given it a thumbs up. I'm no more anti-Islam than I am anti-Catholic. Nobody has dealt Catholicism a more devastating blow than me (in my videos) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pPcAPBBXR8 Apropos religion : a curious statistic on Israel showed only 35% believe in Judaism. 35% are social Jews for weddings and Bar Mitzvahs , and 30% are plain atheists. I wonder what the figures would be in Palestine or Egypt ? Would anyone dare admit they weren't fully committed, would they dare say atheist. Even in their own home, would they dare reveal what they believe ? Now we are at the heart of it :- Christianity was neutered in the West centuries ago, but in the Middle East religion is still a tiger with a deadly bite. And you've naively decided to skip religion and focus on map-making.
    3
  4087.  rabbi fried  "Why America has such a close a relationship with Israel ?" a) it looks like America politically : it is a Western democracy b) it looks like America economically : it has an entrepreneurial economy and the rule of law. c) it is a success : if (like Palestine) every decision was a bad one, every war a failure and every encounter a plea for aid, then the U.S. would very quickly tire. But everyone loves a winner : so even U.S. anti-Semites can see the bright side.
    3
  4088. A bunch of rogues.
    3
  4089. Well done USA. Assad is a long term dictator with no respect for democracy or human rights.
    3
  4090.  @4666hero  One would definitely describe the Caliphate as apartheid. In fact the Qur'an stipulates apartheid : non Muslims are 2nd class citizens by definition. That is why only a secular state can guarantee equal rights. Theocratic states are always discriminatory.
    3
  4091. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
    3
  4092. China is better at harvesting human organs.
    3
  4093. Germany & France are providing hardly any military assistance. German "tanks" (anti-aircraft guns) will not be available till June. France has supplied the bare minimum, and is calling for Ukraine to capitulate.
    3
  4094. King Hussein was corrupt ......And Arafat was a great guy. He only stole $3 billion from the Palestinian people. He had to do. In the final years it was only through bribing his enemies and rewarding his friends that he could stay in power. And also using his 5 intelligence agencies to beat up any critics. Ever see a Palestinian call him corrupt ? Obviously not, it was a sure way to be killed.
    3
  4095. Mark and Cathy, the Tories are playing hard & fast with the rules but they are not fascist. I remember watching a program , maybe 30yrs ago, in which an old holocaust survivor was confronting a modern neo-Nazi. The young lad was tall, blonde , smartly dressed and polite . The old chap was small with an overcoat on. At one stage the presenter, trying to generate a spat between them, said to the old man "Are you offended by his views ?" The old man said, "No, I've seen real Nazis". At this stage the young man politely waves his hand at the interviewer and says he'd like to end the interview as he's never been so insulted. The 6ft 3" young nazi then bids them both good-day and walks off ( with a colleague,who'd been standing in the background, that he'd brought along for moral support).
    3
  4096. ElChapo, it's reminiscent of the "Democracy" issue. People love to say the Greeks invented it. Hominids developed language about 200,000 years ago and I'm quite sure there were groups of people agreeing on a course of action by majority voting soon after. Democracy has probably existed for well over 100,000 years. Communism, also, probably arose tens of thousands of years ago.
    3
  4097. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    3
  4098. Financial Times : "The rocket fire came after a 6pm deadline that Hamas had issued to Israel” What did Hamas think Israel would do in response ? Financial Times : "It set a 6pm deadline for Israeli police to leave the mosque and for settlers to quit the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood".
    3
  4099. God bless Mark Milley. Biden said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats" Biden is a weak character, but someone clearly has a backbone. I think it is mark Milley, Lloyd Austin and Tony Blinken.
    3
  4100. Ronald, you are quite right , however ,Chomsky fails to mention the 30 million Russians killed by their own government or the fact that the same KGB that had killed them were the ones suggesting a Greater European Defence Force. Chomsky fails to mention that Russia is an anti-democratic gangster state run by former KGB and that they export oppression corruption and state violence. Chomsky could have mentioned the journalists killed in Russia or that there is no freedom of speech only State Broadcasting. Other than that Chomsky was most perceptive.
    3
  4101. France 24 is interviewing some real numpties
    3
  4102. Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942 That must hurt : utter humiliation. Ukraine's counter-offensive was a match for any in history. A magnificent victory.
    3
  4103. 0:40 LOL good presentation : "Something about his hygiene and something about his ......cats or something". That's the way to tell a story ; MSNBC and CNN never tell a tale like that (I don't know anyone who does).
    3
  4104. ZANU and the Moscow Mafia : it's a match made in heaven. Two anti-democratic gangster states, they should do well together.
    3
  4105. 2 points :- a) Multinational Force is what Petraeus threatened if Russia goes nuclear. "They will destroy every Russian asset in Ukraine and sink the Black Sea fleet" b) NATO is a different kettle of fish - they are simply defending NATO allies.
    3
  4106. Great leadership from Joe Biden A rock solid performance by Jens Stoltenberg
    3
  4107. What nonsense. Simply based on what has happened so far : the progress, you would have to say Trump has done more than the last 4 Presidents combined. You lot are so prejudice you can't think straight.
    3
  4108.  @SilverSprings1997  But Israel was the victim on 7th Oct Massacre And even before they had entered Gaza UN Sec Gen Guterres was defending Hamas, saying "The massacre didn't happen in a vacuum" So BEFORE Israel had entered Gaza the UN was already defending the Hamas massacre It is quite astonishing Guterres didn't speak for the victims, he spoke to defend Hamas The UN has lost its moral compass
    3
  4109. LOL just look at them. they are like fish in a bowl fighting for who will be top-dog. Saudi is already skint and the age-of-oil is almost over. They had better get their tents unpacked because by the end of the century they'll be selling glass beads.
    3
  4110. Wow Turkey find themselves taking the high moral ground : they must have vertigo. They've never been there before, this is virgin territory for them.
    3
  4111. Historical Position :- a) Palestinians have never identified themselves as a nation. The Jews have always believed themselves to be a nation in exile even if ,as Shlomo Sands pointed out, it is probably a myth. b) The Palestinians were forced off the land https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8IjnRsRPCQ&t=11s The Israelis have created a fake history of being attacked (just as they did when they invaded Lebanon) ,The truth is they had to clear the land and killed many unarmed civilians. c) Palestinians have never shown interest in democracy : they always lived under Caliphates. That is why Yaser Arafat ruled like a dictator (looting $3billion) and crushing dissent. Fatah are doing the same today : looting cash from the people and crushing dissent. (Go to a meeting and ask about corruption, you will be dragged out & beaten) d) Israel is the only middle east democracy and should be supported by the West. e) Hamas are anti-democratic Fascists. When Iranian students protested it was Hamas that were beating them with clubs.
    3
  4112. "Accused of firing " ? Israel warned civilians to leave the battleground They decided to stay and support Hamas Finally, after 2 weeks, they are leaving Why not leave when they were told, and avoid casualties Palestinians bring it on themselves
    3
  4113. Israel did NOT annex territory The 1967 War was with Trans-Jordan & Co 1994 Peace with Jordan returned territory : so Jordan is happy The 1967 war was NOT against Palestine (it never existed) Peace was made with Egypt in 1979 Palestinians didn't declare a state till 1988
    3
  4114. LOL are they the same police that worked for Gaddafi : arresting folk in the dead of night, then torturing and executing them ? Many victims were found in mass graves still wearing pyjamas. Perhaps there could be a monument to the victims.
    3
  4115. The last scene must have been the camera-guy's idea : a great shot.
    3
  4116. martimer, they interview him because he might be telling it like it is.
    3
  4117. Young Iranians won't stand for it. They look at the rabid Ayatollahs and don't like the totalitarianism they see. They would like to live in a civilized country .......not an Islamofascist $hithole.
    3
  4118. Young Iranians won't stand for it. They look at the rabid Ayatollahs and don't like the totalitarianism they see. They would like to live in a civilized country .......not an Islamofascist $hithole.
    3
  4119. Many of the former PMs went out feet first.
    3
  4120. Chirac.....a very corrupt man.
    3
  4121. I was sleeping......through this Hamas propaganda video. LOL
    3
  4122. WRONG : not a truck. This was a multiple strike - there are two sections of road down, and far apart. The train is burning in many parts and was probably struck by 4 British Brimstone missiles. How did they coordinate all the strikes ? Amazing. This is a tour-de-force demolition.
    3
  4123. "Empty" it used to contain hostages Hamas used the hospital to imprison hostages Why does Al Jazeera never mention that ? Ban Al Jazeera propaganda
    3
  4124. Biden's first success.
    3
  4125. Timeline 16 sep : Xi misses the final feast of the SCO and asks Erdogan to take his place 17 sep : Xi is arrested as he leaves the plane from Samarkand. 21 sep : meeting of the Military reform commision. Both Xi and his defence minister Wang Fei are absent. Everyone else is there - navy, army, air force etc
    3
  4126. Spoken like a gentleman. No hard feelings.....here's my hand.
    3
  4127. Everyone is exhausted by this thread but may I close the discussion ? There were many reasons other than slaver for the South to secede. The North was industrialised and imposed tariffs on European machinery to protect its interests. The South bought that machinery and was disadvantaged. Also, the North spent very little on Southern infrastructure (railways etc). There was a political divide : Southern Democrats v Northern Republicans and the allegiance of new states was Kansas etc was being fought over.(Irrespective of abolition, simply to swing the state on to your team). The Whitehouse could 'sweeten' states to join their party keeping the South from power. Then there was age-old resentment at authority and its concomitant corruption. Many Southerners fought because they refused to be supplicants to the North.
    3
  4128.  @Qwerty-jc3so  141 countries condemned Russia at the UN, India wasn't amongst them. What does that mean ? It means Modi didn't condemn Putin. Along with China and Pakistan. When India finds itself in bed with China and Pakistan, you can be sure they have made a massive blunder. This is the defining event of the 21st Century and India are on the losing side.
    3
  4129.  @JackJack-hq4hv  LOL In 1856 Treaty of Paris everyone said "Russia will never neutralize the Black Sea" What happened ? Russia removed all its warships from the Black Sea. Once Russia has been defeated, you will be amazed what they agree to.
    3
  4130. "Where to go?" Egypt !
    3
  4131. It's no big deal ; it's called "Restless legs" a lot of people get it when they're old. It doesn't impact in any way on her ability to govern. Now, her policies I disagree with but ,frankly , I'd suggest everyone leave her alone.
    3
  4132. China has just relaxed environmental controls on coal to add impetus to their debt laden , debt-bubble-inflated, exponentially-debt-growing economy.
    3
  4133. I wouldn't trust him an inch He never gives a straight answer "How much ?" He says "Worthless paper" There must have been a few million in dollars etc to buy from abroad So he's a damned liar
    3
  4134. Iranian fascists. Theocracy is always intolerant and authoritarian. The people don't want the fakirs ruling over them. Iranians want to become a modern democracy.
    3
  4135. May God grant a Himars to fall on the Chechens Amen (with no survivors)
    3
  4136. Hostages were hidden in hospitals (video evidence) Hospital staff worked hand in glove with Hamas UNRWA also helped Hamas - tunnels beneath were Hamas command posts Al Jazeera reporter Muhammad Wishah was also a Hamas fighter
    3
  4137. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remians medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
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  4138. "Der Chef ist tot" Hitler's Bunker staff were told, and they immediately started smoking and playing a gramophone loudly. A great sense of relief - as if released from a demon's spell. Miserable Orcs will mutter "Der Chef ist tot" Then look around for a despot to replace him.
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  4139. India has seen its ally (Russia) humbled. I hope I live long enough to see India humbled on the battlefield using Russian military junk. The junk it set such a high value on - high enough to disregard Russian atrocities.
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  4140. Nobody mentions the January debacle when Iranian officials stormed out slamming the door. The EU officials were complaining about an Iranian assassination program in Europe. Oh dear, you can never reason with Islamofascism.
    3
  4141. 1978 when the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he would do with secular activists, trade unionists and feminists who had overthrown the Shah : he said, "I will kick their teeth in ". That is how Iran became an Islamofascist state.
    3
  4142. Never judge a book by its cover. He looks like a hardened killer , the sort who would sentence women & children to labour camps and have them tortured. He looks like a brutal apparatchik. But is probably a nice guy.
    3
  4143. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
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  4144.  @denissssss8579  Consider the Black Sea : Ukraine has Neptune, Harpoon and Brimstone missiles. The Russian fleet daren't leave Sevastopol. 50 Brimstone missiles were used to force the Russian from Snake Island. The Kremlin knows the tide is turning.
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  4145. How sad. An entire nation intimidated into silence. Only the occasional brave individual dare speak out. Russia has always been a dystopia.
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  4146. What is it about North Africa/Arab countries that none of them can function as a civilized democracy. (The same applies to Pakistan & Turkey etc etc) In Tunisia a police patrol saw a woman walking alone at 9pm and assumed she was a prostitute , so they took her to the Police station where they all gang raped her. And that's the Police ! What is it about these countries ? I'll tell you :- Western civilization experienced the Enlightenment and developed Humanism and Parliamentary democracy. It's a long story but basically the Islamic countries are medieval. The believe in a book invented in early medieval times. The book reflects medieval/patriarchal/tribal values and they follow it unquestioningly to this day.
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  4147. A map would've been nice. If you talk about a geographically location it only takes two seconds to put a map on the screen. Anyways , apropos the content : good riddance to Iran & Hezbollah ; there'll be no peace while they continue pedalling violence.
    3
  4148. LOL he suspended counting in Istanbul to rig the vote.
    3
  4149. The Palestinian Authority are utterly corrupt. You can bet the salaries they are withholding end up lining their pockets. I pity the people of Gaza they have been utterly failed by Arafat, Fatah and an utterly corrupt leadership.
    3
  4150. Xi is laughing up his sleeve.
    3
  4151.  @SunriseLAW  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  4152. It takes centuries to end corruption. The British East India Co. had strict anti-corruption procedures. They were still corrupt but tried to clamp down. Why ? Because corrupt institutes are also incompetent. In Pakistan the army is the only institute that functions : it is also comparatably uncorrupt. Latin America, for centuries viewed corruption as a perquisite. Which is why Latin America today has a huge corruption problem.
    3
  4153.  @amitkenan3878  , yes you're right. Hezbollah have 10,000 armed militia and have already said they will use them against protestors.
    3
  4154. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
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  4155.  @Ibelieveyou8  Correct. It dates back long before WW2. In 1830 the last Bourbon king fled after a minor demonstration, leaving France leaderless. The new king - a parvenu named Louis Philippe. He promised support to Italian Carbonari Ciro Menotti, who was fighting for Italian unification. France then got cold feet and Menotti & Co. were arrested and executed. Again in 1848 France promised support to Polish nationalists fighting to re-establish Poland after the partitions (1772,1793,1795), then France again got cold feet and withdrew support. France are 'grands parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.'
    3
  4156. But Turkey isn't prospecting for oil & gas near its own coast, it is way over the southern part of Cyprus !
    3
  4157. LOL the EU refused to negotiate until a 'divorce settlement' was agreed. Then refused to negotiate until N Ireland was settled. Now they are scaremongering the UK into capitulation. The EU always takes it to the wire : the UK must remain resolute. P.S. I voted remain, but we're leaving and so best not to do it with our tails between our legs.
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  4158. Any man that uses the "F" word in front of his wife and daughter to impress the media will never be President.
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  4159. Russia and India, what is the relationship ? Remember when Modi visited Putin : an antique Russian sword was taken from a cabinet and handed to Modi to inspect. Modi started removing the sword from the scabbard, so Putin snatched it off him and placed it back in the cabinet. Modi probably said, "Thank you Sahib" That is India's position, whether it's Moscow Washington or London, they are always kowtowing to someone.
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  4160. Putin has contempt for Modi (remember him snatching the ceremonial sword from Modi ?) Putin has respect for Erdoğan (even though Turkey shot down two Russian jets) India has picked the losing side in the defining event of the 21st century.
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  4161. A great story, and news to many folk (me included).
    3
  4162. You are incredibly brainwashed. Fascism is already fully developed in Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, North Africa.... Islamofascism is right in your face, but you are too brainwashed to see it. a) In Pakistan you cannot attend university without studying the Koran b) In Turkey any reference to the Armenian Genocide lands you in jail c) In Iran protests against the government are met by police rooftop snipers The list is endless
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  4163. Here's a good headline :- "Ayatollah Khomeini lands in Tehran , says he will 'Kick the teeth in' of any Iranian democrats ". I never saw that headline in the middle east. Here's another :- "Ayatollah Khomeini executes 7000 in his first year ". More than the Shah had executed in his entire life. Good propaganda by Al Jazeera. (Although they did try to cover themselves by saying the Islamofascists aren't perfect)
    3
  4164. Hamas began a chain of events they couldn't imagine
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  4165. Margaret Becket was one of several MPs that nominated Corbyn for the leadership. Not because she supports him but to raise left-wing issues. At every leadership campaign the party would do this ; they got the shock of their lives when he won.
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  4166. 1st - okay 2nd Wow 3rd OMG That was quite the spectacle. One wonders howitzer you did that ?
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  4167. Erdogan would like to repeat the Armenian genocide. Only this time against the Kurds. (I know how that barbarian's mind works).
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  4168. Kirill's office is in the Kremlin Kirill worked for the FSB for decades.....the files were opened 1991
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  4169. Pressure is growing to remove Russia from the UN Security Council. India would be the obvious choice to replace them. India has a larger pop. India has a larger economy. India is a true democracy. India has no known enemies (I mean civilized enemies)
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  4170. Russian social media : "No Swan Lake on TV yet" Swan Lake played when USSR collapsed. Medvedev : "They are trying to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen. Ben Hodges : "We should be prepared for the Russian Federation splitting apart" Russia and America agreeing on something.
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  4171. Do you know what ? She's not a very likeable person.
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  4172.  @Nancy-nc4sw  Well said. It takes many centuries for a nation to develop its culture (or personality). Elizabeth I before the Spanish Armada (1588) said that England had never been conquered. A brave courtier suggested "Save for the Normans Ma'am". To which the Queen replied, "Yes, but they couldn't have conquered us without them being us". This is a remarkable insight. She was probably the most intelligent monarch England has had.
    3
  4173.  @ulaachtezulaachtiran257  Thanks for asking, I will analyse the Anglo-Saxons (English) for you :- Christianity plays a huge role : it comes from 2 directions - Northumberland (from Ireland, Eastern Mediterranean), and from Rome Canterbury. Alfred the Great teaches himself to read and write and sends scriptures to other tribes to unify them into the English people. The Normans are cathedral builders and abolish slavery in England. They do the same in Ireland - with Papal authority Laudibiliter 1155 Eleanor of Aquitaine (1154) introduces culture, with words like chivalry, courtesy, and honour. Magna Carta 1215 The Glorious revolution 1688 Bill of Rights 1689 etc
    3
  4174.  @thechloromancer3310  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
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  4175. This lady is 100% FSB Ukraine intelligence warned everyone a long time ago. When she 'fled' to the west the first thing she did was call for "An end to sanctions". Saying it hurt the Russian people and didn't affect the regime.
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  4176. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  4177. Dignity - that is what India lost during the Ukraine war. The world's largest democracy sat on the fence. When mass graves were discovered Modi closed his eyes. The Bucha atrocities Modi winced. Lyman torture chamber, Modi cringes. India has lost almost all its dignity.
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  4178. India depends on Russia for military arms. Russia depends on Iran. What does that make India ? 3rd fiddle to the Ayatollah. (if that doesn't make you sad, nothing will)
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  4179. The Axis of Evil benefit greatly from this technology. (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea etc the usual suspects)
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  4180. Dutch instructors ? Their speciality is surrendering to the Serbs. It is a useful lesson - that dishonourable decisions can tarnish a nation for generations. By contrast, Britain has a reputation second to none : an ethos and standard cherished by all new recruits.
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  4181. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
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  4182. Putin's response : his feet start doing a jig below the table
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  4183.  @boracay12  The way Putin's feet are dancing under the table, I think it is the Russian who needs to use the toilet.
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  4184. Has Palestine achieved anything in 75yrs ? No Why not ? Because they have no democracy. Democracy enables the people to get rid of failures and elect folk with new ideas; Palestinians stick with the same failures for 30 or 40 years
    3
  4185.  @psychonaut1829  Trump was an idiot and a narcissist, but he kept the enemy guessing. Putin is a closed book : nobody can predict what he will do. Obama revealed the exact time operations would begin to retake Mosul. It was a jackass move. Biden is also a jackass. The Democrats think openness is a strength : in military matters it is a massive weakness.
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  4186. I wish the Taliban had come out into the open like that against the Yanks. Instead, they always hid amongst civilians.
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  4187. Iranian police snipers shoot protesters to enforce the Ayatollah's fascist theocracy.
    3
  4188.  @brendagonzales4532  Thank you. If you have any further questions please fire away. In the 18th century France dominated the civilized world in fashion, architecture, literature, the lingua franca : from Moscow to Madrid, from Constantinople (the Porte) to the Baltic. France was in decline but like a huge steam train it carried the momentum of Louis XIV's domination of Europe. 1789 was a tectonic earthquake: the world changed. Compare Marx and Darwin with Voltaire. Voltaire's vision is microscopic and petty, he looks at individuals. Marx looks at the whole sweep of history and decides(wrongly) that it has a destiny. Darwin looks at the whole of life. The 19th C has a huge vision - the British empire, the German empire (after 1870) the rising USA. The industrial revolution. France is still trying to recapture its 18thC mystique.
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  4189.  @ljmash1755  That is a very naive misconception (if you'll forgive me saying so). The Yanks spend $800 billion a year on defence. They have a nuclear submarine capability that is shocking : each sub carries 12 missiles, each of which has 12 warheads, and each warhead is 100x Hiroshima. The Russians acknowledge most of their junk is decommissioned - it would need getting out of storage. Russia has nothing like the US, who have a "massive, massive superiority"
    3
  4190.  @Eran_Haim  I'm not talking about this raid, or even this year : I'm looking at the big historical picture, and the big concept "Legitimacy". Israel has legitimacy, because in 1922 when the Caliphate collapsed they elect an administrative council and started the foundation of their own state. In 11922 the Palestinian leader was the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (appointed by the British), a legacy of the Caliphate. Palestinian failure is the legacy of the Caliphate. It took until 1988 for Palestinians to declare themselves a state. Why ? Because in 1922 most Palestinians still believed "the Sultan is our Lord on Earth" It took more than 50yrs for them to recognise the modern concept of an independent state.
    3
  4191.  @Avbait-t2u  Palestinians will NEVER get the whole of Gaza back Gaza city is lost. North of the Wadi Gap will always be Israel Also, a land mine zone + reconstruction won't start till all tunnels are sealed It could be 10 years before Palestinians even move back to Khan Younis
    3
  4192. Interesting. The military call the shots, and Imran Khan has lost their support. He is sitting at the poker table with no chips. A guilty verdict will take away his chair : he'll have to stand and watch the game.
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  4193. Scholz is right. The climate activists violently shout down debate : Brown Shirt tactics.
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  4194. Ha ha ha.....no it hasn't failed, he always planned to retreat to where he started 6 years ago. LOL
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  4195. I didn't understand a word. But those guys with a bush-hat folded up at one side are like the 82nd airborne or something.
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  4196. This lady is 100% FSB Ukraine intelligence warned everyone a long time ago. When she 'fled' to the west the first thing she did was call for "An end to sanctions". Saying it hurt the Russian people and didn't affect the regime.
    3
  4197. How is it done ? There are teams of NATO intelligence operatives working 24/7, They use satellite, intercepts, drones, and Nimrod/spy planes. All this data is quickly processed, then handed as "actionable targets" to the Ukrainians - who are very grateful.
    3
  4198. Military :- a) Russia has a peasant army modelled on the Prussian army of Frederick the Great. The Tsars copied the uniform, drill and administration. Peasants were beaten into obedience. b) China also have a peasant army model. China will always win a "Galwan" clash : fighting with sticks is peasant warfare. c) AUKUS is a technical professional military. China will fail against AUKUS quicker than Russia failed against Ukraine. d) India needs to avoid the peasant army model, and engage with Western military experts.
    3
  4199. I'm no wiser. Why not indicate which one is affiliated to the Ayatollah ?
    3
  4200.  @Klopp2543  , Iran are hand in glove with Hezbollah :- remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah. The Ayatollah and Hezbollah are joined in a psychotic symbiosis of fanatical fascism.
    3
  4201. Taiwan is doing very well. Perhaps China is the renegade province ? After all it was China that gave us the virus : with their poor hygiene practises selling live animals to eat.
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  4202.  @tecathome  , Clinton isn't pro-Islamofascism , if that's what you mean. Hillary is an unprincipled opportunist driven by venality and ego : she doesn't care about anything aside from her own career. Corbyn has a juvenile hatred of Israel (from his college days).
    3
  4203. "Maduro is the de facto President" Maduro is also a de facto drug smuggler, a de facto violator of human rights, a de facto corrupt dictator, creating 2000 corrupt generals to keep the military sweet.
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  4204.  Stern Daler  , the U.S. hasn't decided. 57 nations have recognised the other guy as acting president. Even the South American Federation doesn't recognise Maduro. Maduro is a dictator, you have to be purblind not to see that.
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  4205. 2:50 Look at the security point his rifle. One unfriendly move from the backpack guy would've been fatal.
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  4206. Very cleverly done. Palki links Biden's refusal to visit Kiev with Scholz "unpopular" arrival. Drawing a comical contrast.
    3
  4207. awab , you must be a Pakistani because that is how most Pakistanis leave office through assassination. I'm surprised you're not ashamed about that.
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  4208. So does Trump
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  4209.  @AND-b3t  Pootin is dying ..... .... of shame, at Russia's humiliation.
    3
  4210.  @a564-c3q  Well said : gosh you are working hard to try and justify Germany. Everyone knows Germany's position was to wait and see whether Russia scored a quick victory. Britain acted on principle and sent weapons immediately. Germany must live with its shame. (Unless they rewrite their history books again)
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  4211. Guterres comments were disgraceful Iran aims to "Exterminate Israel" 7 Oct Hamas butchered Israeli families, they hunted children who were hiding in attics and killed them, they tortured families ....and filmed it all ! How anyone can attempt a justification is beyond me
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  4212.  @Nafets-C  You are incredibly naive. Look at Belarus : Lukashenko was prepared to flee until Russia stationed a battalion of military police on the border ready to move in. The Myanmar generals would never have staged a coup without the green-light from China.
    3
  4213. Why is Spanish America a failure ? Because they cherish absolute authority in religion and politics. By contrast North America cherishes assemblies in religion and politics. A good example of the contrast is Eva Peron , who was worshipped by the Argentinians and beseeched for benefices. The Spanish-Americans saw nothing unusual in absolute luxury and power controlling them , that was their history. The mother country, Spain was an absolute monarchy, the Pope was an absolute ruler, absolutism is in Spanish-American DNA. And yet in the North absolutism was the biggest fear : the Constitution (1788) was written specifically to deny any attempt at absolute rule.
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  4214. “Discretion is the better part of valour”
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  4215. 1:22 Buster Scruggs takes his hat off "That's not good" The fox-hole guy's helmet flies off and I thought - they've shot his hat off. Oh, I remembered Buster Scruggs : there's a head inside that helmet.
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  4216. I feel sorry for the DW expert on Brexit because even MPs in the House of Commons don't know how this will play out. God knows how a foreigner makes an assessment.
    3
  4217. The Desert, I detected your irony. The tone of your comment was sarcastic : no doubt about it.
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  4218. Someone commented in praise of Hezbollah but then removed it. I'll reply anyway. What Hezbollah don't have, is the support of the Iranian people who would prefer a healthy economy to funding fascist Islamists.
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  4219. The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
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  4220. Every civilized country looks at Iran and says, "There is no place for theocracy in the 21st century"
    3
  4221. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    3
  4222. "In the 1980s Iranian jets destroyed most of Iraq's oil and gas infrastructure ". Now imagine what the US would do to Iran if the Iranians started a conflict in the Gulf. The US aren't putting boots on the ground or even flying over Iran in planes : cruise missiles will turn Iran into a stone-age economy.
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  4223. LOL Donna Brazil : she only tells the truth when she has a book to sell. (Cf all the crooked dealings with Hillary she covered up : until she'd written a book about it).
    3
  4224.  @anasarmani2693  "Pakistani Taliban officials responded to condemnation by further denouncing Yousafzai, indicating plans for a possible second assassination attempt, which was justified as a religious obligation. " Not only did the Taliban admit shooting her but said they would try again. I think you are a totally deluded individual. Anyone that supports the Taliban is beyond the pale of civilization.
    3
  4225. Waqar, take no notice of Mordant who is probably a Russian troll acting as an agent-provocateur. If the US didn't sell arms to Saudi then Russia would or China. Yemen is the theatre in which Saudi and Iran have decided to fight a proxy war. The West cannot afford to upset Saudi so turn a blind eye but nobody is enjoying it.
    3
  4226. "Will have to be discussed" LOL It is the only thing the EU are good at..... Grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants
    3
  4227. ​ @Aiaerial  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    3
  4228. Moscow regards France as a "neutral" country, how does that happen ? Because France is only half engaged with NATO and keeps close contact with the enemy. Vichy France is not an aberration, it is French culture :- a) Macron : "Countries should not gang up on China" b) Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" c) Macron asks Iran to be a peacemaker in Ukraine France instinctively places a foot in the enemy camp : they don't try to hide it, they are shameless.
    3
  4229. Oh, for a Stinger.
    3
  4230. Macron said, "The EU shouldn't gang up on China with the US" Germany sent a warship (Bayern) to the South China Sea. It avoided all contentious sea lanes, then asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai. China told them, "Get lost" The CCP dictatorship has contempt for the EU windbags. No wonder Australia chose AUKUS.
    3
  4231. Pak is on the operating table. How could it be invited as one of the surgeons ?
    3
  4232. Notice the Pope's girth ? He can't stop eating pizza, in spite of doctors' warnings. The guy who has a direct line to God is addicted to pizza. And they expect us to take him seriously.
    3
  4233. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remians medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    3
  4234. Good attrition. NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    3
  4235.  @user1qaz2wsx3edc  Russia has a good record of defeat, they will soon accept defeat in Ukraine, and add it to their list. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    3
  4236. Wow : that expert just told us nothing. Let me spell it out for you. Remember the coup In Turkey ? The Turks switched power off to the US air-bases . Turkey are drifting out of NATO and East Syria is the new US air-base north of Iran. (The others are in Kuwait and Qatar) Trump may say we are pulling out of Syria but that's because he's an a$$hole that watches Fox News all day. The US are in Syria for keeps.
    3
  4237. Axis of Evil = North Korea, Russia, China, Iran etc etc All anti-democratic, anti-human-rights, with no transparency or accountability, the very definition of $hit-hole countries.
    3
  4238. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    3
  4239. Biden said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats" Germany is a disgrace. I wish the west could simply dump that "ally". Ilya Ponomarev makes a great observation about how nicely Putin protects his own health - with the quarantine length table.
    3
  4240. EU windbags won't sanction 3rd party airlines. That would be out of keeping with their pusillanimous approach.
    3
  4241. LOL Zimbabwe is the 'bread basket ' of Africa. It is so good for farming you cn get 2 crops a year : the Europeans couldn't believe how good the conditions were. I'm afraid the farms were given to "war veterans " who just wanted to get drunk and bring some prostitutes round. Any residual farm workers (from the colonialists) were beaten and driven off. Good farms became boozing dens.
    3
  4242. Alan Duncan - a pro-Hamas apologist : it's all Israel's fault He can join Guterres at the UN Hogwash Mumbai : India TV is advising Israel to retaliate on the principle of 1000 for 1 I suppose India had it coming as well according to Alan Duncan ?
    3
  4243. 0:38 I recognise that road. In a previous video an ambush was being laid. It was only a 30-second clip, but that looks like the result.
    3
  4244. Well done. It takes someone who is commuted their principles to the point of taking action. Very admirable.
    3
  4245. LOL The world has turned on its head Hamas murderers are applauding the ICJ
    3
  4246. Of course they are.
    3
  4247. Russian people in the future will feel such shame, for their barbaric acts in the past.
    3
  4248.  @warhotspots7255  Correct. The Russian editors must have tears rolling down their cheeks as they doctor defeat into victory.
    3
  4249. CNN refuse to hold the WHO to account for not recommending the virus be isolated in China. Ebola was isolated in Africa but the priority of the WHO was to protect China's economy.
    3
  4250. The Art of the Deal.
    3
  4251. The director would say,"Take that handkerchief off him and we'll go again".
    3
  4252.  @KH-sc8yn  , fair point. But the Ayatollah has been shouting from the minarets "We will exterminate Israel". Which other country has developed nukes whilst saying it will exterminate a near neighbour ? Also, the Ayatollah is a dictator and a rabid religious lunatic.
    3
  4253. Why do Iran think they can blackmail the whole world ? The UN, China, Russia none of them want Iran to develop nukes. Why does Iran think it has a right to them ? The Ayatollah said they are " Illegal under Islam " Unless he was pulling our leg.
    3
  4254.  @mahdipasban3872  , I agree : the war with Iraq was shocking. Let me suggest this comparison :- In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood came to power and immediately started acting like Islamists. Instead of playing the long game : consolidating, appeasing critics, being inclusive. No, they couldn't resist exercising Islamist power. The same applies with the Ayatollah : why not drop the nuclear program, build the economy, become prosperous and achieve your goals that way ? let me answer : because that would lead to demands for freedom and democracy and the Ayatollah is holding on to totalitarian power by a thread.
    3
  4255. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    3
  4256. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
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  4257. Why do people hate Madrid ? After WW2 Madrid was a bastion of fascism for 3 decades : a malignant cancer in Europe. In 1978 after Franco died the fascists knocked up a constitution to join the EU. All the judiciary, Police & government were still fascist and as they retired they were replaced by younger fascists : a self perpetuating institution. You often see T-shirts saying ,"I Love New York". (or London or Paris) But nobody would ever wear one for Madrid : unless they were going to a fancy-dress party as a fascist.
    3
  4258. The Kremlin always looks for a "Patsy" That's how they solve crimes in 24 hrs Of course those prisoners don't appear on video footage - because it's not them
    3
  4259. "We know it's possible" So do we. If Washington hadn't given the thumbs up already it would be being announced. It's possible alright - de facto and de jure.
    3
  4260. Shame on India. Modi has given Putin a nod & wink of approval.
    3
  4261. Let's imagine Putin survives after Ukraine liberate Kherson. Crimea will be next, and Putin will not survive the loss of Crimea. Putin has given up on military strategy, he has decided to present himself as a model of sang froid -- to project calm and reassurance.
    3
  4262. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    3
  4263. Historical Comparison Prussia - Poland Spain - Catalonia Similarities a) Prussia and Spain granted autonomy to their separatist regions ; then suspended it when independence was called for. b) Prussia and Spain tried to eradicate the separatist region's language (Polish, Catalan) by teaching only the language of occupation in schools (German, Spanish) Differences a) Prussia did NOT imprison Polish leaders on charges of sedition b) Prussia did NOT make it illegal for families to use Polish names. (Spain DID imprison Catalan leaders and made it illegal for families to use Catalan names) Conclusion :- Spain are more authoritarian and repressive than Prussia in the 19th century P.S. It took 100yrs and a World War for Poland to regain independence (1918)
    3
  4264. Good teamwork
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  4265. The EU is a pusillanimous joke.
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  4266. For anyone who is criticising Pakman for touting new members :- Let's consider what he's achieved :- He's set this racket up off his own bat. Not like those CNN millionaires who just follow an editorial line and brown nose round the management. Look at millionaire Rachel Maddow she never has to get on a soap box for contributors. What Pakman has achieved deserves some recognition. If he wants to expand and add a new producer good luck to him.
    3
  4267. Great work : that kind of footage simply cannot be faked. Seeing is believing.
    3
  4268. But the Supreme Court (SC) pointed out that procedure wasn't followed. The Foreign Minister and Speaker should've been present and weren't. That is why the SC could make a preliminary declaration that the suspension of parliament was unconstitutional - simply because procedure wasn't followed.
    3
  4269. Trump is no friend of Hamas Whilst ever Palestinians embrace Hamas they have an enemy in Trump
    3
  4270. Surely Sarkozy is the worst : he's going on trial soon. Or maybe the string of post-war French Presidents who had all been collaborators but said they were pretending to collaborate to get information (a la Jean Paul Sartre)
    3
  4271.  @Hawkeye19821  , well the economy crashed in the US with sub-prime that's all well documented but Labour didn't help by wasting £1 billion on the millennium dome, then Gordon Brown announces the sell off of gold which plunged the price and lost us millions. But my point is that today we really have 3rd rate politicians just look at the Conservative cabinet !
    3
  4272. Fortunately we DO know how many were executed under the Ayatollah : 7000 in his first year.
    3
  4273. Rouhani should talk to the Iranian people ! He should apologise for the damage Islamofascism has done to Iran. He should begin a process of normalisation : so that Universities and schools can start teaching rational Enlightened curricular. The corrupt Ayatollahs should start a truth & reconciliation commission so their crimes can be investigated.
    3
  4274. For 75 years Palestinians have made bad decisions But they never blame themselves - it is always someone else's fault 1947 they refuse the UN 2 state solution They worship Yasser Arafat for 35 years and he robs them blind 2000 Camp David - they refuse a 2 state solution Gaza 2006 : Palestinians decide "The solution is more Islam" and elect Hamas Palestinians are their own worst enemy (They must begin by acknowledging their own failings)
    3
  4275.  @Rayhuntter  , let's look at WW2 first because it most blatantly contradicts your assertion : how on Earth did the "Anglo-Saxon sphere " provoke Hitler to invade the USSR ? WW1 is more complex : Russia ,France and Britain were forced into the Triple Entente. In history national interest tends to trump everything : so France will ally with the Turks against fellow Christians, Britain will ally with Slavs (Russia) against fellow Anglo-Saxons. The theory you propose is the stuff of Dan Brown and the Da Vinci Code.
    3
  4276. "We need to move on from religion", how heartening to hear that. Religion has played a useful role in human evolution : to bind the tribe together with common belief, and its spastic explanations of natural disaster were comforting to a primitive people. But now is the time for rational thought, the Enlightenment, humanism, democracy and equality.
    3
  4277. It is hard to imagine that Saudi's Trillion dollar $$$ army collapsed when confronted by Houthi tribesmen. If the Saudi was capable of shame they would finish their slothful sword-dance by committing Hari-Kari.
    3
  4278. Putin's Russia :- "A gaudy empire, more of a racket than a regime" "Sufficient motive for a pageant : but hollow within" "Something to be enjoyed rather than believed in" All said about Napoleon III who led France to total collapse (1870)
    3
  4279. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    3
  4280. "Don't expect anything big" That's the catchphrase of the EU windbags.
    3
  4281. Hamas is resupplying fighters in Gaza city The hostage deal is all about allowing Hamas to re-occupy Gaza city Civilians in Gaza city are being used as shields by Hamas fighters
    3
  4282. Well said - common sense from John Kirby
    3
  4283. "Compensation, probably from Russia." That is going to be a long list : Azerbaijan will have to join the queue.
    3
  4284. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    3
  4285. Zuma knows the names of many powerful crooks. I find it hard to believe the fix isn't in . Zuma was corrupt from day 1 but the ANC were happy with it until he became a liability. Now it's damage limitations. I don't have any faith in this enquiry to be honest.
    3
  4286. Why doesn't China to the Triads to shoot the protestors ? Tienanmen Square style. They have no delicate feelings about murder. Perhaps they know the world is watching ? Axis of Evil : China, North Korea, Russia, Iran etc etc
    3
  4287.  @stealth9758  I agree. But when one dumps a whole trench of culture, one is bound to lose some valuable things. Likewise, when one embraces Postwar Youth culture (+ technology), one is bound to import some unpleasantry. Groping & grooming are aspects of the unpleasantry. The video-gaming culture can't disown it. Just as the Monarchists can't disown the slaughter of WW1.
    3
  4288. "It is not the first time Russia has made nuclear threats", said the expert. LOL One Russian minister had his plane delayed in Poland and said, "Next time I'll come back on a nuclear armed bomber" The Kremlin is full of disgusting thugs : this is how they speak.
    3
  4289. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" I hope Ukraine take it easy.
    3
  4290. 7 candidates approved by the Ayatollah. The Ayatollah governs under an Islamic law :- Velayat-e faqih, guardianship over widows, orphans and the disabled. That is why Ayatollah Khomeini could send child soldiers to jump on landmines and become martyrs.
    3
  4291. Imagine civilized people in a room, a madman enters who might have rabies (Russia) and makes threats. Nobody wants to tackle the minnow for fear of injury or contagion. Russia's GDP is less than Italy's : Russia is a minnow, and should behave like one.
    3
  4292. Let's talk the Enlightenment : rational debate and enquiry. Why lose yourself in superstitious nonsense ?
    3
  4293.  @Thatsit36  Good question. I've no idea how I got here; I can only imagine I was looking for the Arab historian Ibn Khaldun.
    3
  4294.  @shd1394  , The Venetian ambassador to England ~1570, said, In England they are neither Catholic nor protestant." Elizabeth I forbade parliament from discussing religion. That is how you make progress : by side lining religion, and letting folks decide in private. In the Middle East Islam was always part of the state : making major decisions, and keeping the medieval ways alive.
    3
  4295. Let me summarise Argentina's history and then you can compare it with North America. 1776 Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. roughly the present-day territories of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay 1810 Argentine War of Independence..........the Criollo elite revolted against colonial authorities. I'm going to stop there, we've seen enough. Notice it's the elite who rebel, not the people. Similar to the Bohemian rebellion that started the 30yrs war : this is a nobility-elite led rebellion. Nothing like North America. Nothing like the English Civil War. Nothing like the Catalonia rebellion. It is the elite-nobilty taking the reins of power from the Spanish elite-nobility. 1853 Argentine constitution based on the US constitution. You can write a constitution but if the people are inured to authoritarianism , both royal and religious , then it has no roots. In North America the constitution had roots : look at the pamphlets during the English civil war, read Tom Paine, look at the Dutch 80yr war of independence against Spain. The US constitution has roots. The Spanish-American society has roots in royal absolutism and religious absolutism. The Spanish-Americans are inured to absolutism. (like Russians today : happy to live under Putin's KGB authoritarianism)
    3
  4296. Ask yourself this :- a) where is the South-American Tom Paine ? The first thing TP would have done would've been to lambaste the tyranny of the Pope. The Papal States were the most backward and tyrannical in Europe. The Pope had more political prisoners than any other tyrant at the time. And folks wonder why Spanish-America is a failure. When you idolise the Pope and Royalty (or pseudo royalty "The Perons" ) then you end up with dictatorship.
    3
  4297. OMG this is terrible analysis. Let me help you out :- Imran Khan has no idea what the Pakistan military are doing : they are a law unto themselves. When he says he will investigate terrorist acts he can't. Pakistan's military simply will not co-operate. India actually don't want to do anything : they are winning economically hands down and the terror attacks in Mumbai and Kashmir are insignificant : more people die on the roads each day. Politically India have to act : that's why they exaggerate the air-strike as 300 militants killed. The truth is that India's air-force probably alerted Pakistan's military that they were carrying out an air-strike ( I could be wrong but it wouldn't surprise me). Besides air-strikes are counter-productive : look at the US in Afghanistan.
    3
  4298. @George Sturdy , I said "religious bigot". Allow me to draw an historical distinction :- a) Philip II was a religious bigot. A strong supporter of the Spanish Inquisition , who loved to attend Auto de fe with the whole family. b) His brother-in-law Maximilian II said he was "neither Protestant nor catholic but Christian" Gerry Adams is in category a) I'll credit you with being in category b) but only provisionally.
    3
  4299. The words "Coalition" and "Allies" have a positive connotation, and should only be used for the good guys. Please use the expression "Saudi led" air strike, or Saudi led assault, or Saudi led blockade. Don't besmirch expressions used to describe the good guys.
    3
  4300. When Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with the democrats in the Shah's parliament, "I'll kick their teeth in", he replied. The Ayatollah went on to assassinate 7000 in his first year : more than the Shah killed in his whole life. Where are the trade-unions in Iran ? Where are the independent journalists ? Where are the socialists ? All imprisoned and killed long ago.
    3
  4301. "Volume production" is the key Countries will need hundreds of thousands of drones
    3
  4302. "No permanent friends - only permanent interests" That is an idiotic phrase, only repeated by idiots. Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history is that North America speaks English". That is the basis for AUKUS. Take no notice of glib phrases : folks parrot them to appear clever.
    3
  4303. The US is very very very isolated It is Hamas which is popular Hamas would win ANY popularity contest LOL
    3
  4304.  @iVETAnsolini  Thank you. Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774) The Russo-Turk war was 1776-74. Catherine II had her son (Constantin) taught Greek, she wanted him to rule from Constantinople as the new Byzantine emperor. Constantinople was always the goal for Russia. The Russian flag - double Eagle is Byzantine. Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols (Genghis Khan's Golden Horde) collecting tribute. He attained enough power to break free (1480), then married the niece of the last Byzantine emperor (after Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453)
    3
  4305. They told their son after the murders to "Say nothing to the police". Normal parents would simply be too shocked and horrified. They would be filled with apologies and berating themselves in a mea culpa. But not these two.
    3
  4306. Can you supply a link with evidence please ?
    3
  4307. Corruption, millions of dollar$, top politicians ??? They all look corrupt and South America is famous for its corrupt $hithole countries. It's probably just the tip of the iceberg.
    3
  4308. Genocidal Turkey are attacking civilians once again. Look at history :- The Bulgarian atrocities The Armenian genocide The Greek massacres Turkey have different values to Europeans. They are hated by all their neighbours. Look at the artist in Turkish prison for doing a painting of a Turkish atrocity :- https://news.artnet.com/art-world/painter-zehra-dogan-sentenced-to-jail-for-artwork-902015
    3
  4309.  @resistance-is-growing7632  , Iran is no joke......but you are. Iran is a totalitarian theocratic dictatorship it is in its final days. The US would love a short-sharp conventional war ; it hasn't had one since Dessert Storm (which was like shooting fish in a barrel).
    3
  4310. He does but to be honest I only tuned in for Cenk doing a pantomime celebration.
    3
  4311. A sad day for his son who had become a corrupt millionaire in the oil-for-food scandal. In Africa if you scratch the surface you always find corruption.
    3
  4312. Abiy has already lost : that's why he declared a state of emergency. That's why Europeans are leaving. That guy is a psychotic loser.
    3
  4313. Interesting comment. "i don't understand what Imran Khan govt has been about" I am also confused. Especially when Imran Khan supported the Taliban for having, "Broken the shackles of slavery".
    3
  4314. Rivaldo, the Bible doesn't say anything about stem cell research but they oppose that on religious grounds. Jesus didn't mention stem cells or abortion the last time I looked. And in any case most of the Bible has to be interpreted allegorically now that it's been shown to be bullshit. So how can you know anything for sure when it becomes your interpretation of an allegory invented in the Bronze Age.
    3
  4315. Harris, you probably seen his law office : it's on Gilligan's island.
    3
  4316. Impact and Benefits The Russian Revolution had a huge impact but few benefits. Tariq says Colonialism would've hung around for half a century more. Would that have been bad ? To establish schools education and health care, allow institutions to develop ? Compare Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma, one Western educated the other 100% ignorant, violent, corrupt and despotic. Tariq says of Pakistan "It needed 60yrs [of decent governance] to develop democracy" He is making my argument for me.
    3
  4317. Roy, that's Islam for you. It's called Sharia law.
    3
  4318. A parameter the Pentagon computer cannot calculate : Russian morale A catastrophic collapse is possible and will come as a shock I don't think it can be predicted, even by the Russian troops who initiate it.
    3
  4319. This is fable interwoven with fact. It sounds like King Arthur :- a mystic (merlin) picking out a young lad (Arthur) and saying "This is your King". It's hogwash. But with historical characters thrown in.
    3
  4320. Nice montage.
    3
  4321.  @elara2498  , I'll tell you who is a victim : the poor sods who ended up in Khomeini's torture camps. (Not that you'd know anything about that )
    3
  4322. Putin forced Tony Blair (British PM) to sit through 3hrs of Stravinsky. But Putin doesn't listen to Stravinsky or Prokofiev, he listens to punk rock. In a phone call with Macron he used Punk lyrics to describe how he intended to metaphorically "rape" Ukraine : 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' Macron was horrified. Putin is an ill-educated, uncultured, insecure thug, trying to pass himself off as a statesman.
    3
  4323. Those houses are only worth tuppence ha'penny, why didn't the PLO build some decent houses. Yasser Arafat stole $3billion : in the 1970s he was sending his wife in Paris $1million per month. (That was when one could retire on a million).
    3
  4324. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  4325. Eric Zemur only got 7%, so it isn't a significant endorsement.
    3
  4326.  @enriquelaroche5370  Russian mobilisation will never happen, for 2 reasons :- a) Committee of soldiers' mothers has written thousands of letters demanding their sons be brought home. Mobilisation would cause a social explosion. b) Manpower is not the issue. The troops they already have are ill-equipped. Everything is in short supply, logistics have broken down, there are no ration packs, night vision rifles "were stolen" before the invasion - that means the officers sold them on the black market. Do some research, the Russian army is simply crumbling.
    3
  4327.  @justdogood7413  , "A united Ireland" But maybe not everyone wants to be dictated to by the Pope. Question a) should we research stem cells Pope : No b) may abortion be permitted to save lives Pope : no Some folk think the Irish attitude is pre-Enlightenment servile superstition.
    3
  4328. "Germany's armed forces must become the best-equipped military force in Europe" A good start would be for Scholz to climb out from behind his sofa.
    3
  4329. "A non denial denial" as Ben Bradlee would say. Now it turns out Prince Andrew contacted the prosecutors and told them "I'll testify, no sweat".
    3
  4330.  @ФеликсДзержинский-ф2ш  Thank you for that very precise précis. I think it is totally correct. But let us compare India (a success) with the Ottoman's (an utter failure) a) Taxes were paid by the people. The Ottomans spent theirs on luxury goods (especially Paris) : Abdul Aziz (1861-76) spent £3 million a year on his palace, which had 3000 eunuchs and countless women in his harem. The Ottomans were bankrupt : the Europeans forced the Tanzimat reforms (1839-76) to balance the budget, encourage industry, trade, and enterprise. Nothing worked and the Ottomans folded after WW1 in 1922. b) In India, the taxes were spent in India to encourage traders and local producers. Global exports were allowed and encouraged. c) dam Smith pointed out that the US war of independence (1775-83) was futile : what mattered was trade, and it was unaffected by colonialism. Even during the war blockade, British goods went to Canada, then America - there was no interruption of trade before, during or after the war. d) During the 80yrs war (1568-1648) Spain v Dutch, trade flourished the whole time. Salt and wool from Sapin, herring, grain, timber, Baltic products and finished goods from the Netherlands. e) 50% of India was untouched by colonialism, how did their GDP fair ? f) Very little military conquest took place. Indian rulers joined as if joining the EU. g) In 1852, Benjamin Disraeli had described colonies as 'millstones around our neck'. (Not India or Jamaica, which made a profit) but almost everything else was a burden. The empire was stumbled into : the Foreign Minister would make treaties without informing the government or Colonial Office, simply to guard against encroachment on the Suez Canal, or to stop the Russians threatening India. h) How would India have faired if Russia had forced its way in ? Serfdom wasn't abolished till 1861, and the Russians would've been no respecters of peasants. Read "Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow", it exposes the abuse of serf girls, who ere advertised in newspapers as "having an attractive figure and pretty face". The Russians were barbarians. Queen Victoria described them as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    3
  4331. Hamas is resupplying fighters in Gaza city The hostage deal is all about allowing Hamas to re-occupy Gaza city Civilians in Gaza city are being used as shields by Hamas fighters
    3
  4332. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    3
  4333.  @tethergobrrr  You'd change your tune when the IDF came gunning for you though
    3
  4334. Oct 7th massacre : the Gazans are not cheering now
    3
  4335. Iran + nuclear weapons = unhinged, fanatical, religious zealots bringing about Armageddon and the coming of the 12th Imam. Is that what everyone wants ? A nuclear armed Iran + Hezbollah fascists ? The whole world would sooner see Iran's economy crash........fortunately that's just what's happening.
    3
  4336. Allow me to give you all a lesson in Geopolitics :- In the UK you have Brexit Conservatives and Remain Conservatives. In Pakistan you have pro-Taliban military and anti-Taliban military. Guess who is building the fence ? Correct, anti-Taliban military. But that doesn't mean they have stopped the money support and equipment being given by pro-Taliban military. Remember Trump saying he was stopping $billion dollar support for Pakistan ; well this fence is window dressing. It keeps the Yanks happy. So ironically the people who authorised it may well be pro-Taliban.
    3
  4337. The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
    3
  4338. The PA was created as a temporary measure - it was supposed to expire in 1998 Then be replaced by a dynamic, democratically elected body It never happened The PA are too corrupt to hand over power
    3
  4339. Important point : threats to close the Straights of Hormuz were made by the Iranian Republican Guard (those religious barbarians) and can be ignored : they are always talking daft.
    3
  4340. The German President asked to visit Kyiv, and was told "No", why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    3
  4341. 9:40 " It was totally different from any place I had been". 19:00 "It was not a very good place"
    3
  4342. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    3
  4343. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    3
  4344. Hamas will never accept any responsibility. The leader of Hamas has threatened to put 10k armed supporters on the streets. That is why Lebanon is a $hithole country.
    3
  4345. Well done India ? My God, you're easily pleased. India has done nothing. Fear of China, and fear of offending Russia consume Modi's mind. The weakest member of the Quad ? Ask anyone, it's India.
    3
  4346. Al Jazeera & Hamas are both funded by Qatar - nuff said
    3
  4347.  @allgeorge1674  , I'm fully aware of Iranian history. The question mark ? was rhetorical. Read "The executioners deserve medals", and you will realise the fascist horror of the Islamic revolution in Iran.
    3
  4348. 18:00 "They are very secretive their decisions are never known" Neither are their finances : the Revolutionary Guard filch billion$ from the economy and are accountable to nobody.
    3
  4349. LOL No, Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs, stole $3 billion and did a great job. The corrupt, geriatric half-wits that succeeded him have been fantastic. Look at the progress they've made and judge for yourself.
    3
  4350. Putin's Russia :- "A gaudy empire, more of a racket than a regime" "Sufficient motive for a pageant : but hollow within" "Something to be enjoyed rather than believed in" All said about Napoleon III who led France to total collapse (1870)
    3
  4351.  @SwordOfTheSpirit-I-  APARTEMNT BOMBINGS Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    3
  4352. Interesting. a) Is Manafort waiting for a Presidential pardon (Maybe) b) Does he think he can beat the rap (No) c) Is it that he really has no other option than to stand trial and keep his fingers crossed. (highly likely)
    3
  4353. Flexibility : that's the key to successful diplomacy. Also, principles are important. One can get those out after a good lunch, once all the important business is over.
    3
  4354. Good report (a change from the usual propaganda)
    3
  4355. He was a laughable old tyrant. His great success was hitting 2000% inflation. The old rogue certainly was popular with the African Union. He helped found it : a great fraternity for corrupt old despotic half-wits.
    3
  4356. "Martyred" ? Why do these folk always say martyred ? It reveals how ingrained their medieval conditioning is, and laves the West wondering whether it is worth it.
    3
  4357. Patrick read about the Rwanda genocide : the Africans are worse than you can imagine. Take a look at the Congo and read up on the daily atrocities. The Africans are the worst. Read about how French colonial African troops behaved in WW1. If you think Africans are more civilized you've got some reading to do.
    3
  4358. Czechia should be there instead of France France starved Ukraine of shells Czechia sourced them outside the EU - 800k Macron tried to veto it !
    3
  4359. LOL
    3
  4360. I looked at the comments, hoping someone would explain what's going on in Tunisia. This report was okay, but it leaves one not much wiser.
    3
  4361.  @theroldan8675  Zelensky has nothing to do with it : this is NATO's show.
    3
  4362. Well done, Germany : "Putin backtracks", great news ! Everyone standing together to face down the Russian aggressor.
    3
  4363. Those "tanks" are howitzers Hell-shaking Orc-pounders.
    3
  4364. KJER, Putin is a corrupt gangster. Historians refer to the Kremlin administration as being a Mafia State. They don't have an ideology other than criminally looting state assets and forcibly holding on to power. All the factions in government share the same desire to loot from the Russian people. the whole of Russia is corrupt.
    3
  4365. "Not showing the video" But Al Jazeera is the voice of Hamas You may as well show the video
    3
  4366. Qatar funds Hamas Qatar enabled the massacre on Oct 7th to take place Incredible propaganda - to present Qatar as peacemakers
    3
  4367. Let's hope Erdogan is defeated in the run-off.
    3
  4368. Marwan never criticises Hamas Hamas has destroyed Gaza, and set back the Palestinian cause 75 years
    3
  4369. Weakness Iran & Hamas are finished, they have no shots to call
    3
  4370.  @rosemaryspiota9836  France, Germany and Italy presented Russia with a 4 point peace plan. Moscow described it as fantasy. the 4 points were :- a) a total withdrawal of Russian troops. b) Donbas and Crimea returned to Ukraine with a promise of a referendum on autonomy. c) Russia to get a 99yr lease of Sevastopol naval base. d) Russia to pay for all the damage it has inflicted on Ukraine.
    3
  4371. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    3
  4372.  @derekh9209  I half agree. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. It is impossible for Russia to reform- it would take at least 3 generations. Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (8161) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    3
  4373. India is passing this off as charity LOL The fact is Modi had a wheat mountain - which he why he wanted to reduce the Punjab farmers state allowance. The Ukraine crisis has enabled Modi to get rid of his mountain, and Punjab can continue producing unwanted wheat because suddenly there is a market. Modi isn't fooling me (or anyone in the know)
    3
  4374. Latest news :- 10 Challenger II tanks to be announced at Ramstein 8 20 Jan Also 10 Leopard II tanks to be announced These tanks are in Poland, but Germany has given the green-light They will probably announced at Ramstein, but maybe 2 days later at the Elysee Treaty 60th anniversary ?
    3
  4375. Well done UK : standing up for international law. Assad is a dictator and is under sanctions. Do you know what "Dictator" means ? Well the Ayatollah is one, it's someone who imposes his will on the people.
    3
  4376. Very brave. Unfortunately, Russia is mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    3
  4377. The Prime Minister Abiy has lost the plot. Ethiopia is disintegrating because the PM loathes Tigray. Every decision he has made has been emotional and wrong. That guy is a psychotic loser. (I hope he becomes a prisoner of war - that would be hilarious).
    3
  4378. Hillary Clinton said, "Russia can't make o success of its own country, it only knows incompetence and corruption. They can't stand to see a successful neighbour". Meaning that Russia can only loot and destroy, it can't create and build. After the 2014 invasion, one Russian lady said,"We can't watch them succeed, they're too like us".
    3
  4379. Human rights activists begged Assange not to publish everything. They asked him to hand his material to other journalists so relevant information could be selected. Assange wanted all the attention : he didn't want to share anything with other journalists, so he published the whole lot. This jeopardized the lives of activists in despotic regimes. But Assange had got the attention he craved.
    3
  4380. This is surprising. Usually they just observe them from a distance until they commit mass murder.
    3
  4381. Cenk has turned this into a 3 act pantomime........very entertaining.
    3
  4382. Westerners look at the Hamas mob and are reminded of Oct 7th It makes them feel physically sick
    3
  4383. Well done to the USA National Guard - I like how he says, "Share knowledge". Very humble, not like the image critics like to present of arrogance. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    3
  4384. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    3
  4385. "This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it " This is going to haunt Macron, and may finish his re-election campaign.
    3
  4386.  @ahmadfrhan5265  I'm not comparing Catalonia and Palestine. I'm saying "Voting" gives legitimacy. That is why Madrid hated Catalonia voting. So, if Palestine had an election, the sight of folk "Voting" would give Palestine legitimacy in the eyes of the world. Instead, the corrupt officials in Hamas and Fatah have decided to simply hang on to power. That is my argument.
    3
  4387. "The fissured nature of Brazilian politics" Fissiparous nature "Every Brazilian should have breakfast, lunch and tea" Echoing Henry IV (1600) "Every peasant should have a chicken in the pot on Sunday"
    3
  4388. Any one of these women is smarter than Rajoy who couldn't even lie convincingly to a judge.
    3
  4389.  @Gunni1972  For Saudis, one should use "Collaboration" or "Axis". Both those words have a negative connotation. By using the word "Allies" or "Coalition" one is granting the Saudi equivalent status to some great coalitions which were the making of history.
    3
  4390. We witnessed Spanish thuggery in the Catalonian democratic referendum. Now the spectacle of a Spanish monarch up to his arm-pits in scandal. Only a generation ago they were the last fascist dictatorship in Europe. And they want to coerce British citizens in Gibraltar to abandon their democratic rights and become part of faux-democratic/fascist-rotten-royal quagmire.
    3
  4391. Trump is sure to lose 2020........unless Biden implodes at the debates.
    3
  4392. Why does Islam take credit for accomplishments of scholars living under their yoke ? Nobody says Christianity gave the World The Laws of Newton or Judaism gave the World Relativity. Why does Islam have to go on about things scholars did in their spare time when not having to attend the mosque ? Many reasons :- a) In the West the individual is recognised. Islam tends to value the conformity of the masses. b) The West is confident in its achievements and has no need to look for reflected glory. c) Christianity has been neutered in the West that is why it succeeded. The Church would be laughed at if it dared take credit for a scholarly discovery. d) The West has been in a constant flux of development since the middle-ages (unlike Islam), which was characterised by competition (economic and nationalist) ; it never regarded itself as an homogeneous unit. Islam is based on homogeneity which has paralysed its growth & development.
    3
  4393. Bismarck believed the best basis for an alliance is to have a common enemy. Bismarck allied himself with the liberals against Catholicism's grasp on education and other institutions. He pushed confrontations to extremes to give the liberals someone to fight against. Putin has set himself up as the common enemy of the Civilized Nations.
    3
  4394. How can Russians have faith in the Kremlin after the 1999 Apartment Bombings ? "Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    3
  4395. Turkey has imprisoned more journlists than any country in the world. It's a proud record. What a stinking Islamist fanatically religious country. Erdogan has managed to get Turkey kicked out of NATO. Trump is preparing sanctions (as if their economy isn't bad enough LOL).
    3
  4396. Jeremy Corbyn , I wonder what he thinks : he approves of everything Russia does. (Even when they poison UK citizens he denies they are responsible and asks the UK government to invite Russia to investigate themselves and find themselves innocent).
    3
  4397. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair" Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Jens Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" Timing is obvious :- Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
    3
  4398. 3:15 "Holding $7 billion which belong to us on baseless grounds" LOL I couldn't have put it better myself. The Ayatollah's fascist theocracy is indeed baseless.
    3
  4399. Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass.
    3
  4400. I wonder if anyone wearing A Jeremy Corbyn T-shirt is on the list ? Him being a supporter of Islamist terrorism, the Kremlin assassination bureau and anti-Semitic thugs.
    3
  4401. I should explain that's a cricket metaphor. In cricket you would arrange the fielders then bowl at a certain area to produce a shot that results in the batsman being caught out.
    3
  4402. A retired Pakistan Air Chef Marshall said, "India wouldn't take Pakistan if we gave it to them". He was suggesting Pak cuts down on military spending and focuses on education and the economy.
    3
  4403. The Alternative (to Boris & Cummings) Britain would be fighting alongside Hamas. The Alternative was Jeremy Corbyn.
    3
  4404. Iran have ruined Lebanon (Hezbollah) and turned it into a failed state. The Ayatollah will ruin Iraq too. The fascist theocracy in Iran will spread until it is stopped.
    3
  4405.  @l.mckenna1034  Well said. I'm not thick, but I couldn't understand Rn Kn's comment. What was the gist of his argument ? Also, if I may, I don't see how gas is connected with the nuclear issue. That seems like a non sequitur.....but one I fully endorse.
    3
  4406.  @mohamedmo8128  LOL "They could easily become the next Iran." Iran is on its knees. Sanctions have crippled the economy and a water shortage has crippled farming. If the Ayatollah's police snipers didn't murder protestors, the Fascist Theocracy would've been ousted by now.
    3
  4407.  @bump8450  Remember the 1999 student protests in Tehran ? Why do you think Hezbollah beat students with clubs and threw them out of windows ? Because the Ayatollah and his religious fascists are not popular : they govern by force (violence).
    3
  4408. Jules, why would they show wealthy neighbourhoods : it isn't a story about corrupt politicians. This story is about the excluded elements of society, so of course it had to be located where they live. Perhaps the corrupt politicians should visit these neighbourhoods.
    3
  4409.  //  You clown : what freedom ? To stay up late, and read comics in bed ?
    3
  4410. 2:05 A very well maintained dugout, with steps cut into the bank. Compare it to the squalor of the Orcs. General Suvorov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, conscripts are brutalized, ill-equipped and underfed. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps.
    3
  4411. Can Russia's fleet flee anywhere else ? Is there a sea cave they can hide in ? The mighty Russian fleet seems fleet footed in retreat - can there engines go forward ?
    3
  4412. Dershowitz talks nonsense. Comey said, "She mishandled intelligence without intent". But that makes no difference. If a corporal in the Marines does it they go to jail. You don't need intent. And in any case there was intent when she set up the private server. The whole point of that was to avoid scrutiny. Hillary put her own safety (from scrutiny) before national security and she did it "intentionally". So many people have wilfully got it wrong over this : don't forget Dershowitz is part of the same milieu as the Clintons he rubs shoulders with all the elite down at Matrha's Vineyard.
    3
  4413. John Yoo waits for the orchestra to strike up then decides which dance he'll perform.
    3
  4414.  @pedrohpires6608  Thanks for asking There are two ways to go with nukes : a) full scale nuclear war Russia doesn't have the ability to launch an "undetected" first strike It would take Russia 4 weeks to prepare everything while the USA looked on The US would simply fire first They have spent $5 trillion on first strike capability and can launch in 20 mins Russia will NEVER choose this option b) Tactical nuclear weapons China has warned Russia not to do it NATO have said they will respond using conventional weapons and "Destroy every Russian military asset in Ukraine, including the Black Sea fleet. Russia would be kicked off the security council A no-fly zone would be imposed by NATO and backed by China Russia would have to pull out instantly Then it would suffer total crippling sanctions The Russian federation would split apart
    3
  4415. China's "good neighbour" policy.
    3
  4416. Isabella & Ferdinand united the crowns of Castile & Aragon but the various regions retained their own parliament and rights (Feuros). Even after the Catalan revolt was ended Catalonia retained it's regional autonomy. It was after the War of Spanish Succession 1701-1714 that Catalonia was finally forced to accept rule from Madrid. This is "Spain Rise & Fall" if anyone would like to watch it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad8Gg73AnUs&t=2s
    3
  4417. Russian paratroopers : the Butchers of Bucha.
    3
  4418. Hamas launched the first rockets at 6:01pm Monday 10th May after Israel ignored the Hamas deadline. Hamas gave a deadline of 6pm for Israel to remove troops from Al-Aqsa. What did Hamas expect Israel to do ?
    3
  4419. Boris has denied this groping allegation. With all the conviction and candour he could muster. When asked a 2nd time , he positively replied that he'd said all he wants to say and refused to call his accuser " mistaken". Not guilty your Honour.......I mean unproven........or maybe it was a joke.
    3
  4420.  @icyfootball5754  , the point is the Senate voted through a bill by a huge majority condemning a "precipitate exit". Honestly when Trump gets off the phone with Erdogan then steps out the Whitehouse to announce "ISIS are defeated and we're pulling out", did anyone take that idiot seriously ? The Yanks have a major military complex over there with shops & restaurants. They're there for a very long haul.
    3
  4421. The middle east - it's so stable
    3
  4422. Well that just about sums up the Yanks. "Secondary explosions" that is the expert evidence which damns the Yanks. Just as with "Havana Syndrome" the Yanks can always find 'experts' to scientifically testify that it is real. Yankee experts said there were "secondary explosions". There will be secondary explosions - but they are likely to be in the US : well done Biden.
    3
  4423. Marwan never criticises Hamas Hamas has destroyed Gaza, and set back the Palestinian cause 75 years
    3
  4424. The root of Argentina's problems date back centuries :- the leviathans of the Spanish state : Church & Nobility. Which comfortably segued into military dictatorship. I've just finished a 4min video on the subject with a terrific parallel of the Venetian republic and Papal States. (Not to be missed for the erudite !)
    3
  4425. China lead the world in harvesting human organs. Why doesn't the West invite China to start harvesting organs from prisoners in the EU and United States ?
    3
  4426. Mend fences ? Does anyone really think that France would go toe-to-toe with China ? Australia needs a fighting partner. Macron said, "We shouldn't all gang up on China". Germany sent a warship to the South China Sea : it asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai, and the Chinese told them "Get lost". The EU, France & Germany will simply take a custard pie in the face (if it's made in China).
    3
  4427. Get real. The first conflict between the US and China will collapse China's economy. China is so easy to blockade. It is simple geography. You only need submarines (not a fleet of carriers). China's GDP is 51% exports, China cannot feed itself and needs oil & gas. A blockade cripples China and the Communist party collapse. Now I'll hand you back to the expert Richard Kang, he can take it from there ........
    3
  4428.  @johnlennon335  Good point. Genghis Khan's Golden Horde established the Asiatic Autocracy which has continued in Russia to this day. Ivan III was the Mongols's bagman : he collected their tribute. In 1480 he was powerful enough to throw off the Mongol yoke. He then married a Byzantine niece and ruled in the Mongol fashion as a brutal dictator.
    3
  4429. Don't be dispirited about a Russian advance. In 1775 Bunker Hill : the rebels fell back, but had inflicted casualties on the British that were unsustainable.
    3
  4430. 10th May 6pm was the Hamas deadline. When Israel didn't obey the requirements of the deadline, Hamas fired rockets at Israeli civilians. What did they expect Israel to do ?
    3
  4431. Russian TV : "Russia has hit a regional HQ, and killed 50 Ukrainian generals" That propaganda came immediately after Ukraine really had hit a Russian HQ. The Russians are such childish liars. The Pope called Russia's invasion "Infantile"
    3
  4432. Historically Catalonia industrialised long before Castile. Castile was still a feudal agrarian economy. Also, Castile had no history of representation (parliament) , it had a Cortes which always obeyed the King. That was one of its weaknesses. It's why Spain's (Castile's) empire collapsed in so many bankruptcies. Whereas Catalonia had a powerful tradition of rights, liberties 'feuros' and representation. It was when the King Philip IV tried to revoke them that the Catalonia Rebellion 1640 occurred.
    3
  4433. Russia's invasion is abhorrent. India's response is despicable.
    3
  4434. Greece is the victim of success. After WW2 with the Marshall plan Greece grew at 7% for a decade. It was called the Greek miracle. Nobody benefited more from WW2. It created a belief in growth that tempted Greece into ever greater borrowing. When the bubble burst it exposed the corruption, cupidity and bad management of the government. And Greece is suffering the consequences.
    3
  4435. Wow, I counted 20. What the hell was that ? Apropos France : they have sent proximity shells for their howitzers, my Gosh, one should see them explode above ground - a shattering air-burst. Pity the Orcs beneath that barrage.
    3
  4436. Beto O'Rourke ; did anyone notice him ?
    3
  4437. OH, that is partly true. I think the loss of the billion Euro "deal of the century" did have something to do with French anger.
    3
  4438. Not much to show for the Yanks trillion dollars.
    3
  4439. Have you ever heard Musk's comments on AI ? He's actually quite a dope.
    3
  4440. 4:30 LOL what a rogues gallery. Look at the army guy , his face has got massacre written all over it. Nobel winner VS Naipaul said, " African armies are there to exploit the population , not for national defence". (I'm paraphrasing)
    3
  4441. 1 million my ass. Spanish Police said it was 300,000
    3
  4442. In a confrontation with China, France's contribution would have been zilch. Macron said, "Countries should stop ganging-up on China". France are much better off in a coalition with EU windbags.
    3
  4443. 1:04 "If not (ie if the US reject Iran's proposal) then the existing situation will continue and there is no problem with it". Well fine, let's keep sanctions on. One minute Iran say they are on their knees, then they say it's fine let's continue. Well, continuing with sanctions is exactly what the US intends. So everyone is happy.
    3
  4444.  @nopeland1470  , Nonsense. Iran would be set back 50yrs in a conventional war. And they know it. All Iran's infrastructure would be destroyed. Iran's strength is proxy militias.
    3
  4445. Why is there no civilization in the Middle East ? Just when a young Saudi (MBS) promises reform he turns out to be a psychopathic dog. What is it with Islamic society ? Why can't Arab countries have a civilized government.
    3
  4446. I read a book on anthropology that suggested Cro-Magnon man exterminated the Neanderthals. It was probably written shortly after WW2, and its erroneous hypothesis reflected the damaged psychology of the author. In a sparsely populated landscape there would be little need for "extermination". Also, there is an innate reward in communicating with strange others. I was struck by the comments on "Itchyboots" who motorcycles around the globe :- "The best parts are when she talks with the locals" is an oft repeated sentiment.
    3
  4447. Meanwhile the Houthi are "indiscriminately" firing rockets at any ship within range The solution ? US Stealth bombers - 40,000lb of HE That's 80 x 500lb bombs
    3
  4448. Shame on India : supporting a tyrant. A nuclear catastrophe is in the making, and Modi gives Moscow a nod & wink.
    3
  4449. Explorer, you are thinking of the old Stalin, Pol-Pot, type of dictator the new dictator is more like Putin :pseudo-democratic and corrupt. The New Dictator controls the media, intimidates and imprisons opposition parties and uses violence against any critics : look how Erdogans thugs beat up US protestors , The world is aghast at the corrupt thugs in Turkey : they are worse than Putin's Kremlin mafia.
    3
  4450. Shame on IRAN for funding terrorism and massacre
    3
  4451. @skidaddle, well observed. That Simon Templar polo-neck, probably contains some sort of soviet protection against being garotted. However, Lindsey Graham advised Kremlin stooges to simply shoot Putin.
    3
  4452. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, he must be defeated on the battlefield". The palsied hand of Putin is behind all these deaths - Ukrainian and Russian.
    3
  4453. History :- After the 1947 war, Trans-Jordan crossed the river and declared itself "Jordan". Had it then registered the land rights for the Palestinians they would have had a legal claim. But it didn't. Why not ? Because Palestine was claimed by Jordan, Egypt and Syria. The families paid rent to the Jordanians.
    3
  4454. Guterres uses his "toughest language" to attack the victims of Oct 7th Guterres defends Hamas : "The massacre didn't happen in a vacuum"
    3
  4455. Flip his words :- Oct 7th will NOT break Israel It has UNITED Israel - they are more determined to crush Hamas Everything Barghouti said could be reversed for Israel What's the difference ? That Palestine has been losing for 75 years
    3
  4456. And Jacob Zuma faces 726 corruption charges which the South African parliament won't investigate. And the African Union say it is a disgrace. (Not Jacob Zuma, they are happy about that, all African politicians are corrupt ; they say Trump is a disgrace for recognising their corruption, greed, venality and cupidity and calling them shitholes. )
    3
  4457. The gloves came ff after Russia's invasion. Advising Germany was no longer enough : the time for words had past, it was time for action. The civilised west breathed a sigh of relief. Close Russia German ties have never been good for humanity.
    3
  4458. What price India's honour ? Answer :- A single shipment of cheep oil + Russian military junk Putin treats Modi with condescension (watch the sword incident) The Ukraine invasion is THE big event of the 21st century, Hand history will show India to be a contemptible nation.
    3
  4459. Temmy, The Turks had a reputation at the end of the 19th century for committing unimaginable atrocities. It continued into the 20th century with the Armenian genocide. That is why all Turkey's neighbours hate Turkey. The Eastern Europeans will NEVER let Turkey join the EU they hate the Turks for good reason. Also, Erdogan is an Islamofascist which doesn't help.
    3
  4460. No surprises that France are supporting the Kremlin. France collaborated with the Nazis in North Africa and fought against Britain and the US. France collaborated with the Nazis in Europe. France collaborated with the Japanese in Indochina. Every president post WW2 had been a collaborator. People have very low expectations for France. The only time France got tough was when the bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland killing a Green-Peace activist.
    3
  4461. Great interview my ass. Not a single criticism about the persecution of Russian journalists investigating corruption. Not a question about opposition being intimidated and killed.
    3
  4462.  @ritwikmallik8875  Galwan is a border clash. Russia's invasion is the defining event of the 21st century. The EU is redesigning its whole foreign policy. The USA, Britain, Canada, Australia, all the major players are now focused on Russia (and China). India has a huge army but very little that is hi-tech. Its army is essentially a welfare program to provide employment, healthcare and a pension. India's weapons are Russian : they have been shown to be rubbish. When a real war start with China, India can hide behind AUKUS. They could help with logistics and transport. But all the heavy lifting will be done by nuclear submarines, which will enforce the blockade on China.
    3
  4463. @Abe Tsenoh , I agree. But those are things one can't change. What the Palestinians can change is their hero-worship of Yasser Arafat, and their quiet acceptance of the total failure of the corrupt Palestinian Authority. World-wide support for the Palestinian cause is utterly undermined by their appalling lack of democracy and total acceptance of corruption. 70yrs of failure has taught them nothing.....except to expect more of the same : stone throwing. (Good strategy, invented by Arafat to distract attention from his gargantuan corruption).
    3
  4464. When Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran from Paris (1979) He was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied , "I'll kick their teeth in ". He executed 7000 opposition supporters in his first year. The Socialist party was huge in Iran, they overthrew the Shah, what do you think happened to them ? They were slaughtered in the Ayatollah's death camps. Read "The executioners deserve medals". They hanged them six at a time from forklift trucks.
    3
  4465.  @respectothers9680  Moral condemnation : that's what the UN would deliver. But the Axis of Evil veto condemnation. Russia and China always side with brutal dictatorships.
    3
  4466. The "mulberry pier" will not be in northern Gaza Israel wants northern Gaza empty, for security reasons The Mulberry pier will be down near Rafah - that's where the folks are
    3
  4467. Ahmad, me too, it looked very futuristic. Unfortunately Iran will be on the receiving end of those.
    3
  4468. 2:45 the presenter takes a verbal punch on the chin "I'm afraid it's dead". But soon recovers, to grab his pen and jot down "Nuclear deal : he thinks it's dead". But seriously , it was good analysis.
    3
  4469. He wants France to express itself clearly. May I , as an Englishman , speak for France. (Cough) France would like the government in Tripoli to £uck off and die. They are backing Haftar and so this FM may as well blow it out of his @ss.
    3
  4470. Mmmm, I thought the Gulags had destroyed Russia's rebellious spirit.
    3
  4471. LOL Hamas don't celebrate Christmas.
    3
  4472. 1:15 What a marvellous picnic. A very enjoyable video. Well presented by someone who is a credit to Mother Russia.
    3
  4473. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
    3
  4474. It makes one realise what a marvellous operation the Yanks performed to execute Bin Laden.
    3
  4475. Congratulations. They've given it to some real criminals in the past :- Henry Kissinger, yaser Arafat etc They gave it to Obama for doing sweet FA All-in-all the Nobel committee are discredited and self serving but on this occasion they've picked a genuinely deserving winner.
    3
  4476. Why apologize to the International community ? Because Columbia has failed to meet international standards. And who sets those standards ? Well not Chinese culture, not the Ottoman Turks, or Pan-Islam, not the Russians (who enslaved 50% of their own people - drunken nobles would gamble families at the card table), the standards are set by Europe . I watched Tariq Ali discuss "The Mexican Drug Wars", and do you know who he blamed ? The FBI :- "because they know who the corrupt Mexican politicians are, and who the corrupt Mexican police are, and they do nothing". Imagine being so deluded, and so anti-U.S. that one even blames them for NOT intervening in a neighbouring failed state.
    3
  4477.  @BobQuigley  Good observations. Which is why Fukuyama's book : "The End of History and the Last Man " was such nonsense. The AI revolution will end all capitalism and nationalism. There will only be one AI : that is what will end the nation states and the competitive capitalist market.
    3
  4478.  @barondra38  Mohammed Morsi was the Muslim brotherhood. He was removed in a coup by al-Sisi (2013). So Egypt are hostile towards the Muslim Brotherhood. Jordan are also hostile. The Gulf states are hostile. The EU and US have branded Hamas a terrorist organisation. With all those opponents, success for Hamas is impossible.
    3
  4479.  @destructivedistillation3207  Sorry this is my fault (it is because my comments get removed). It has nothing to do with Shia-ism. The president of Egypt al-Sisi is hostile to Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood. al-Sisi ousted Morsi (Muslim Brotherhood) with the approval of the EU, the US, and the UN. Jordan are also hostile to Hamas. Jordan are also hostile to Fatah : after the attempted coup by the PLO/Fatah in 1970. Syria sent 300 armoured vehicles to support the PLO coup attempt, but Israel stopped them. Therefore, king Hussein owes his crown to Israel, and feels a slight hostility to (mistrust of) Fatah, and is very hostile to Hamas.
    3
  4480. LOL 2:10 "I'm not saying you are being sensationalist" Well I am ! at 1:45 after he's talked the situation down she ramps it up " Okay but there is military there there is activity". It's like Brass Eye ......she's trying to get a war started.
    3
  4481. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    3
  4482. I agree : they are amphibious ! Small rivers are all over Ukraine, battle lines are frequently determined by them This is GREAT news.
    3
  4483. MBS is like Elizabeth I. Remember the Reformation (1534) , she ordered everyone to stop talking religion and do as they please in private. In other words she was religiously neutral : so is MBS. NEOM will have no place for radical Fakirs and will have western secular laws. I have long maintained that MBS will be the death of Islam. (By death I mean Islam will be neutered like Christianity in the West).
    3
  4484. I've listened to Rana Mitter on radio 3, he has a very ready wit : which would have been more evident if this had been a discussion.
    3
  4485. Where were social services ?
    3
  4486.  @neodym5809  Thanks for that info. I'm looking forward to the memoirs and history books. Germany and France froze when Russia invaded. Macron "We must not humiliate Russia" Even Biden, "I don't want WW3" Who were the stalwarts ? My guess : Mark Milley, Lloyd Austin, Boris, Liz Truss, Ben Wallace, the Baltic states, Poland, Jens Stoltenberg, ...... But you won't find macron and Scholz on that list.
    3
  4487. LOL
    3
  4488. Iran's economy is a wreck : inflation 50% and GDP down -6% Iran is up to its chin in quicksand.
    3
  4489.  @shafiyaalgiquadra1105  Iran is NOT going to go all-in the Palestine Hezbollah will be annihilated if they start a war How ill the situation change ? The US and EU support Israel, don't fool yourself over the protest movement
    3
  4490.  @diegoyuiop  Oh, my mistake. I think for Germany, they were simply following the course of least resistance - cheap gas, a large market for German manufactured export goods etc Also, a remarkably naive Green anti-nuclear lobby has hobbled Germany. Germany should be a military deterrent, instead they are the foremost pusillanimous windbags.
    3
  4491. Well said General. Well done USA. Please supply the thousands of drones the general recommended.
    3
  4492. The Iraqi army are great fighters....against unarmed civilians. If 300 ISIL fighters turned up in pick-up trucks they would run a mile.
    3
  4493. In a civilized country that would never happen : the first whiff of corruption and a politician is finished.
    3
  4494. What is worrying is that without the Panama Papers this corruption would never have been discovered. There is no independent oversight of government in Pakistan. No accountability. The Army is a law unto itself. The government is unaccountable. The people indulge in religious barbarity. Pakistan is a systematic failure.
    3
  4495. 1:25 "Oil under the control of US and Kurds" Which is why Trump was such a Jackass to say he is pulling troops out. I said, "It will never happen" And I was right. I'll repeat that : I was dead right. Jackass Trump was wrong and I called it ! Whoever controls the NE oil-fields controls Syria and that's the US & Kurds.
    3
  4496. And Germany wonders why the US demolished Norstream 1 & 2 The US 101st on Romania's border are not there for NATO They are part of a multinational force that will act when and if Russia goes nuclear. France & Germany will veto any BATO response. So gen Petraeus said, "A multinational force will destroy every Russian asset in Ukraine"
    3
  4497. This is bullshit : the Quran specifically states there is no need to fast if you are old, young, ill or at war or participating in Jihad
    3
  4498. Sunak goes to Paris for the weekend and comes home using the "C" word : "Ceasefire" Macron has initiated Sunak into the world of Wang Yi He's seduced him with the possibility of friendship with Xi
    3
  4499. 2 points, says it all. ( I don't have two points to make, I'm just saying Macron has increased the gap by 2 points. He now leads le Pen by 8 points)
    3
  4500. @climate scientist "traditional oil and gas" What does that mean ? I'm criticising Germany because it froze. Instead of immediately supporting Ukraine Germany waited - to see whether Russia would score a quick victory. Germany didn't want to offend Russia.
    3
  4501. Complicated but well explained.
    3
  4502.  @eugeniusbcmumba3710  NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia.(Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    3
  4503. good summary, very comprehensive
    3
  4504.  @papabear90  , I thought the Arab Spring started when a Tunisian street vendor, having been harassed by corrupt police, finally snapped and set himself on fire ? That is the reading of history every rational person has.
    3
  4505. Qatar funds Hamas Qatar enabled the massacre on Oct 7th to take place Incredible propaganda - to present Qatar as peacemakers
    3
  4506. What a daft professor Joe Siracusa is. a) Ukraine has just called up 200k reserves b) the US has sent 30k kits of full body armour, uniform, rifles etc : that's 3 whole divisions, and there will be more to follow. c) Even the guy who started all this, Igor Girkin (the separatist who shot down MH17, and was recalled to Russia for being too much trouble), even he said Russia are losing. He said, they had too few troops to begin with, and spread them too widely. He now says Putin must achieve total victory or it will be total defeat, and it will all happen within weeks. And that's from the guy who started it.
    3
  4507.  @BigBodyBiggolo  "Nature reserve" and "Ecology" are odd words to use during a war. It is quite obvious NATO et al. have been considering how to avoid "humiliating Russia". They have decided what a settlement will look like. Here is an informed guess :- a) Crimea is neutralized (a nature reserve) Russia is given a rolling 99yr lease for a Sevastopol naval base. So Russia has the only troops in Ukrainian Crimea. b) Donbas gets autonomous status : self governing region (like Basque in Spain) Russia removes all troops. Ukraine has border troops for defence.
    3
  4508. Palestinians need democracy. Why are they a one-party state ? Yaser Arafat ruled like a dictator for 40yrs with his own secret police who beat or killed any Palestinian critics. Arafat also looted $3billion from the people. Fatah have continued the practice. If you don't believe me go to a meeting and ask about corruption, you will be dragged outside and beaten.
    3
  4509. @J/W LOL listen to you morons discussing 'nukes' : it's like visiting a lunatic asylum. LOL The US has unbelievable firepower. Don't confuse insurgency war with conventional war. Insurgency is fighting amongst civilians and very difficult to win. Conventional is Al-Tayib : remember when a battalion of Russian mercenaries crossed the Euphrates and the US destroyed them in an afternoon without breaking sweat or suffering a single casualty.
    3
  4510. Spanish Police said 300,000 .I am only quoting reliable sources. Well respected media are saying the same. 1.1 million is a propaganda figure coming from Madrid. It's not a question of personal opinion : the crowd size is a demonstrable fact.
    3
  4511.  @runningriot6743  , Netanyahu spoke for 5 mins and never mentioned God once. The Hamas leader mentioned God 11 times in 3mins. He is an embarrassment. The world media cringe every time he says "God". Modern, rational, enlightened people don't go on about God. That is for cranks.
    3
  4512. .......who doesn't think before he tweets.
    3
  4513. Robert, do you recall Trump saying he knows all the best people, then when John Dowd resigns Trump asks Fox News Joseph diGenova to represent him. And when Trump meets him the guy has a dirty shirt on and unclean fingernails, so Trump changes his mind. LOL This is Trump who knows the best people hiring a TV dosser.
    3
  4514. LOL Maduro has no class. Look at the nations supporting him : they are all $hithole countries.
    3
  4515. "How dare the UN not condemn Hamas murder & rape ?"
    3
  4516. Does anyone remember the President of Chile apologising to the "International Community" because the police had arrested and raped a young woman ? The point being :- The leaders don't apologise to their own people, to whom they feel indifference, they simply want to be accepted by Western civilization.
    3
  4517. The young girl shot in the neck was just a college kid. Most protestors were no more violent than the anti-Vietnam college kids 50yrs ago. I don't think they needed to shoot her in the neck.
    3
  4518. India is a bad country. But what adjective did you use to describe Pakistan in 1971 after they killed 3 million in Bangladesh and raped 250,000 women and girls ?
    3
  4519. Very well explained and well written. Concise and understandable. Well done. (Wion usually goes in for a hectoring diatribe)
    3
  4520. Good Islam arrived as conquerors Now they are meeting resistance
    3
  4521. Russian state TV : "China and India are our closest allies" India must feel so ashamed. !41 nations voted to condemn Russia at the UN Those nations view India with contempt.
    3
  4522. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    3
  4523. Sadaya, everything east of the Euphrates is gone for good , Including the oil fields. So you can temper your jubilation.
    3
  4524. There is no freedom of speech in Gaza. It would be nice if you mentioned that. Anyone criticizing Hamas is beaten or killed. I suppose one could conclude that Al-Jazeera and Hamas are, maybe not bedfellows, but on close speaking terms.
    3
  4525. One chap removed his comment :- " "and you have never had a historical knowledge: Italy had a common political and geographical unity in the Roman era .. since 88 BC. until 476 d.p. all the inhabitants of the peninsula had the " Which is a fair point. But if one wants to analyse a country's dysfunctional polity, then studying the preceding 1000yrs is a good idea. To skip two millennia and return to the Roman Empire, is the sort of thing Mussolini would do.
    3
  4526. John Barry, let's look at it rationally : before Oct 1st polls suggested 47% were separatist. After the violence, beating and kicking by the Spanish Police human nature tells you support for independence must go up. It is currently around 55-60% : as will be demonstrated in the December election. Spain crushing democracy and forcing the government into exile can only push up support further. Who would vote for a pro-Spain ,fifth-columnist, back-stabbing, turncoat quisling ?
    3
  4527. What Palestinians need is another Yasser Arafat : he knew how to squeeze cash out of them becoming a $billionaire , while crushing all criticism & dissent. Here's how he made a quick $300 million http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/1446309/Arafat-diverted-300m-of-public-money-to-Swiss-bank-account.html
    3
  4528. Why ! Why can't you tell them about Hamas rapes ? Tell them about sadistic Hamas torture
    3
  4529. Also, how does he spend $2 billion from a wheelchair. He should've settled for $2 million.
    3
  4530.  @billcallahan9303  In 1730 Montesquieu said, "In England there is no religion : if you mention religion everyone laughs". The British don't invoke God in a German (or American) way, not literally. God is used figuratively, as the ultimate judge, or an allegorical wise person.
    3
  4531. Do you love the Axis of Evil ?
    3
  4532. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    3
  4533. The Houthis are fanatical fascists, fighting to impose a genocidal theocracy on the people, funded by the Ayatollah. The Houthis are the Yemeni version of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah control the finance ministry, refuse to move, and Lebanon is bankrupt. The Ayatollah is the ruination of every country his fascist fingers manipulate.
    3
  4534. Ban Al Jazeera - promoting terrorism Al Jazeera glorifies Hamas The West should ban this Qatar funded propaganda
    3
  4535. This guy thinks "Proxy war" means "Phoney war" They are two different concepts.
    3
  4536. Ditto, I'm glad you had the courage to say that. I'm naturally pusillanimous.
    3
  4537. My hope and expectation is that Zimbabwe becomes the new S Africa. Yes, a one-party, utterly corrupt, economically ruined African nation. I think they can succeed and Mnangagwa is just the man to do it : he is an unprincipled swine whose thievery knows no limits.
    3
  4538. Symbionic is Shona (Mugabe's tribe) : he can see the country is in ruins but his tribal loyalty forces him into a delusional world where external forces (Britain) take the blame and Mugabe takes the credit. Symbionic sees with his own eyes the currency destroyed , 90% unemployment and rampant corruption but deludes himself into believing it to be a US spy plot. Part of the reason is humiliation. When your country is a non-functioning cow-pat denial seems like a good option.
    3
  4539. Pennicky , you sound like someone who has lived through struggles. Of course you will feel nostalgic about Mugabe. But the young people on here don't know about history. And you can't blame them for being idealistic and blaming ZANU for corruption and incompetence. LOL your home-help taking the main bedroom.....then inheriting the house. Zimbabwe's position wasn't that different to Middle East oil states. In the 1950s they had to ask the west for technology to get the oil out. Mugabe did do well with literacy and education : I think history will recognise that as an achievement.
    3
  4540. It has nothing to do with hatred of Israel or Sunni/Shia or youth unemployment or the legacy of colonialism. It goes right back to 1453 when the Turks captured Constantinople. The Muslims controlled trade with the east and Christendom was haemorrhaging money. (It is estimated Europe spent 65000kg of silver on spices before the voyages of discovery Columbus 1493 and Vasco da Gama 1498) Voyages of discovery ushered in the Enlightenment (1500-1800) which led to the Industrial revolution(1750)
    3
  4541. 1948 Arab/Israeli war : Jordan occupied the West Bank and annexed it Handing passports to west bank Palestinians 1967 Israel reclaimed the West bank. Jordan then cancelled passports
    3
  4542. Pak has been slapped - and can't do anything in reply Pak's army is a laughing stock
    3
  4543. Iranian terror drones - killing civilians Iran needs hitting hard, very hard. Israel & the US must work on plans immediately.
    3
  4544. What ? Do you mean who pays to clear up the mess , the government (or taxpayer).
    3
  4545. 0:30 "Came out on top" ? They had 2 planes shot down by Pakistan, a pilot captured, and then dozens killed by China. How does that make you a winner ? India's surgical strike hit nothing - every independent analysis shows that. I'm anti-Pakistan, but looking through rose-tinted spectacles will get India nowhere.
    3
  4546. India has to hope for a Russian WIN : it is a simple fact of geography. Just as Turkey has to hope Russia LOOSE : so Turkey dominate the Black Sea. Britain and the Commonwealth countries, and Western Democracy, may have to temporarily say "Goodbye and good luck", to India"
    3
  4547. "Do you treat Hamas terrorists ?" Yes They push their way to the front, so they can get patched up and continue fighting
    3
  4548. What a choice.
    3
  4549. Without straining anyone's patience and at the risk of repeating myself, I've made a terrific video on the historical failings of Spanish-America ; which I'll precise in a sentence : the leviathans of Spanish society, Church & Nobility, inured the Americas to authority which easily segued into military dictatorship. As opposed to North America which championed representative assemblies in religion and politics.
    3
  4550. HTS are horrible ......but highly motivated and fight like lions. Who in the Syrian army wants to die for Assad (not many) They'll take some shifting.
    3
  4551. LOL In Palestine they haven't had an election for 15yrs. This is the Middle East, democracy doesn't stand a chance.
    3
  4552.  @lazycalm41  , because I assume they're from Breakfast TV or some other inane, celeb-culture, pop-production.
    3
  4553.  @lazycalm41  I hope I'm not being tactless in saying that "worst case ever" sounds like Breakfast TV hyperbole. Thousands have died. I wish him well, but saying he's 'the worst case ever' seems to diminish the mortalities. Surely they had it as bad as it gets.
    3
  4554. Assad family running Syria for 50yrs. Arafat ruling Palestine for 40 years. It's the story of the Middle East : despots at every turn.
    3
  4555.  @Nswix  In a nutshell :- a) North America was built from the bottom up (the people electing Church councils, town councils and representatives) b) South America was built from the top down (The Catholic Church organises all education and censorship, the aristocracy control land and governance.)
    3
  4556.  @umair1015  , I'm no expert and have never read a book on the Bangladesh Genocide. Experts say between 300,000 and 3 million were killed and between 200,000 and 400,000 were raped. So you are right 3 million is probably an exageration. How many does "Dead Reckoning" say were murdered and raped ?
    3
  4557. As part of the 2016 Panama Papers data leak, it was revealed that Mahmoud Abbas's son Tareq Abbas holds $1 million in shares of an offshore company associated with the Palestinian Authority
    3
  4558. Modi has found his moral compass. It takes courage to defy Russia, and Biden has found the courage from somewhere. Biden said Modi "Looks shaky", but Modi has come good. Well done India.
    3
  4559. Keith, you took the words out of my mouth.
    3
  4560. Saudi youth make up 2/3 of the population. Appealing to them is reminiscent of Mao's Cultural Revolution which was successful (although it devastated China's heritage and was the cause of much suffering and death) in securing Mao's position.
    3
  4561. Russian state TV : "China and India are our closest allies" India must feel so ashamed. !41 nations voted to condemn Russia at the UN Those nations view India with contempt.
    3
  4562. Lord Owen was asked on radio 4 about Putin's nuclear threat. "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families", was his reply.
    3
  4563. Zuma's get-out-of-jail card ?
    3
  4564. I'm going to use some bad language :- I hope that corrupt cow goes to prison. There I've said it.
    2
  4565. Putin looks very sheepish with Trump
    2
  4566. Cool, yeah, but the dollar has devalued. If the same house was 30,000 and is now 300,000 the dollar has devalued. Wages have risen and inflation isn't out of control so that's good. But don't pretend the dollar hasn't devalued.
    2
  4567. $3 an hour : was that pay scale commensurate with the Indian caste system ?
    2
  4568.  @fallendown8828  Salonika was a hotbed of secret societies, nationalist movements and foreign agents. Ataturk was born there in 1881, three years after the Treaty of Berlin (1878). In 1875 rebellion had spread to Bulgaria : Abdulaziz responded with the Bulgarian Atrocities. He was deposed and killed. Murad V ruled for a few months before having a mental breakdown. Abdul Hamid II was forced to accept a Constitution (1876) by Europeans, who threatened intervention. Russia invaded (1877-78) and forced the Treaty of San Stefano on the Turks : this created a huge Bulgaria and was replaced by the Europeans by Berlin (1878) to keep Russia out of the Mediterranean. (I'm just making a video on Ataturk, it will be finished in about 4 weeks : I'll send you a link).
    2
  4569. Military thugs .......they are just the ticket to terrorise the civilian population. They don't need to be well paid ; just let them loose on civilians , they specialise in extortion.
    2
  4570. He is a clown. The Greek problem ......one shipping magnate said ,"I'm not paying tax to those corrupt politicians". That is why Greece has to reform. You never hear Yanis mention any of that.
    2
  4571. Bannana Peel, I dare you to go to a Fatah meeting and ask about corruption. They'd drag you outside and beat you to a pulp. Then you could come back on here and tell us all about it.
    2
  4572. Bannana, " Fatah stands for "Palestinian National Liberation Movement" They also stand for corruption, unaccountability and ant-democratic oppression. "Israel is the devil , and have illegally obtained land" That didn't stop the PLO trying to take over Jordan in 1970. It didn't stop the PLO taking over a huge chunk of Lebanon with the help of a foreign power : Egyptian President Nasser forced the Lebanese to hand over an autonomous region to armed Palestinians. Bannana, you are either ill informed about history or have double standards.
    2
  4573. Marine le Penn didn't benefit personally from EU cash. To equate her with Fillon, who got his family more than a million euros, is wrong.
    2
  4574. LOL ERdogan has 240+ journalists in prison. He has intimidated and imprisoned the opposition and turned Turkey into a one-party dictatorship. And he speaks of international law. Egypt are there and they torture and kill Europeans (Italian student) This bunch is an international disgrace.
    2
  4575. Directed at Jeremy Corbyn and the Corbynites. Who hate the U.S. and who want us to leave NATO. Corbyn adores Russia : he invited them to help in the investigation of the Skirpal poisonings, when the FSB/KGB used Novichok in the British Isles. Corbyn's second wife said, "In the 3yrs we were married he never read a book" That's Jeremy - thick as two short planks.
    2
  4576. France has a long history of welcoming exiles. Very creditable. Almost admirable, where it not for memories of Ayatollah Khomeini (that recidivist savage). France welcomed the Ayatollah to parry the British.....the final set of the Fashoda Incident. Look where it has got France today - branded as the most hated nation by the Islamist world. The moral of that story is, don't sup with the devil (even tif it spites the British)
    2
  4577. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine.
    2
  4578. In a chaotic situation thugs always rise to the top. Look at Ayatollah Khomeini after the Shah fell. The Shah was ousted by a plurality of democratic opposition (Socialists, Communists, Democrats etc) but it was the Ayatollah's thugs that seized power.
    2
  4579.  @curlyfry3049  , good observation. But the Monroe doctrine was 1823 and wasn't the die already cast by then ? Look at the mother country Spain : nobles would be ostracized for engaging in trade. South America's nobility lived in haciendas and let other work. In North America wealthy merchants would take pride in passing on a business they created to their family. Then compare religion : one authoritarian & absolutist , hand-in-glove with an authoritarian ruler (Spanish America). The other Congregationalist and politically assembly-minded. No, I think Marv the die had long been cast before Monroe.
    2
  4580. Meatwaggon, I'm an admirer of your erudition and principles and didn't mistake you for being a Trump or Hillary supporter. It is simply my policy to traduce Hillary if I see an opportunity , or can contrive an opportunity , as I'm about to do now. Do ends justify means ? Well if you are Hillary Clinton $600,000 may not justify you being a crook but it certainly won't stop you being a liar.
    2
  4581. Moscow State circus more like.
    2
  4582. Two wrecked economies clinging to each other in the hope of a bailout from the West
    2
  4583. The philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre enjoyed attending Nazi soirees, then after the war claimed he was gathering intelligence. Macron's phone calls fall into the same bracket. France has supplied 1/40th of the weapons Britain sent. And 1/20th of the weapons Poland sent.
    2
  4584. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    2
  4585.  @coplandbr1  You're a rare find on Youtube : someone who is well-read. Herberstein also said, "They say publicly that the will of the Tsar is the will of God".
    2
  4586. Switzerland is blocking weapons for Ukraine The Swisses have a $1.7 billion investment in Russia and want to see a quick Russian victory
    2
  4587. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    2
  4588. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    2
  4589. Never do business with Hezbollah. Hezbollah control Lebanon's Finance Ministry and refuse to leave. Hezbollah and Iran : the root of all evil.
    2
  4590. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
    2
  4591. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  4592. Folksy anecdotes are just what we need in troubled times - well done.
    2
  4593. I'm neutral on Brexit. But if there were a 2nd referendum people are certainly better informed than they were. The 2nd referendum would be a decision made on informed facts instead of conjecture.
    2
  4594. Saudi Regulator ? LOL What do they regulate.....corruption, lies, incompetence, backroom-dealing, back-stabbing, cronyism, nepotism, financial-chicanery and greed ?
    2
  4595. Do you know where the last Caliph headed (1924) ? Switzerland. They wouldn't let hm in because he had too many wives. But I assume the made some concessions, or maybe he just chose one wife and retired the others.
    2
  4596. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    2
  4597. Hezbollah. Hezbollah's sine qua non is violence. Hezbollah's métier is assassination. Hezbollah's raison d'etre is Islamofascism. One hardly needs a tribunal.
    2
  4598. LOL In geopolitics the expression "Talking daft" describes countries that make wild claims. Eg Iran closing Hormuz or China monopolising rare earths. The rare-earth mining operations are in Africa (not China) and China have no muscle in Africa , they are incapable of operating beyond adjacent territory. There will be many laughs in the Pentagon at this Chinese daft-talk.
    2
  4599.  @bluemental325  I just tried to find his name (the victim of Hezbollah) there are dozens :- A female political activist has been shot dead in the Iraqi city of Basra Protests Erupt After Iraqi Activist Ehab al-Wazni Killed Iraqi activist Reham Yacoub was killed by unidentified gunmen on Anyone that doesn't support a theocracy ruled by a rabid Ayatollah is being murdered by Hezbollah. And you try to justify it by gaslighting ! Shame on you. You should support democracy and human rights, not apologise for religious assassins.
    2
  4600. LOL if you want to see 3rd rate politicians look at the UK : Conservatives are underwhelmed by the choice on offer and Labour have a guy that's a tomato short of a salad.
    2
  4601. Soviet, "Hamas won't hold elections unless the West Bank does" Well they've arranged that nicely. So they both rule like corrupt dictators. Arafat stole $3billion from the people over 40yrs how do you explain that ? The PLO tried to take over Jordan (1970 because they had enough men and weapons) when Jordan kicked them out they took over a huge chunk of Lebanon. Wherever they went they behaved like gangsters. All armed groups behave like gangsters : look at the IRA and UVF in N.Ireland.
    2
  4602. In 1900 Japan told Britain they would have to go to war with Russia. Russia had occupied Manchuria, and had their eyes set on Korea. Japan were building their military strength and staying silent. Finally, they sank the Russian fleet in 1905 - which caused a Revolution in Russia. (A precursor to the main event 1917) The Kremlin seem to consider Ukraine/NATO to be a casus belli, leaving one to conclude that next week is the most ideal time for an invasion. Giving them 6 weeks until the mid-March thaw.
    2
  4603.  Middle East History Channel  Look, everyone agrees North Korea are part of the Axis. So who created N Korea ? The Chinese. So, we have N.Korea + China Also, Russia is a corrupt Gangster state, imprisoning opposition and throwing journalists from windows. So we have N Korea + China + Russia + Iran = Axis of Evil. Everyone can agree on that.
    2
  4604.  @newworld8526  "when big nose" ? In 1947 the UN 2 state solution was turned down. In 2000 at Camp David, Yasser Arafat turned down a 2 state solution. A historian said of Arafat : "He never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity"
    2
  4605. Hamas is resupplying fighters in Gaza city The hostage deal is all about allowing Hamas to re-occupy Gaza city Civilians in Gaza city are being used as shields by Hamas fighters
    2
  4606. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    2
  4607. Very nice to see William learning the ropes. His posture could be improved. "The blessings of almighty God" to rest upon their councils. I'm sure their Lordships will find sustenance in that.
    2
  4608. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    2
  4609. Why would the Yanks escalate things when Iranian inflation is 50% and their economy is slumping by 6% . All the US needs to do is wait, Iran can't survive. Now ask yourself : why would Iran sabotage tankers ? Because it is in Iran's interest to disrupt the world oil supply and apply pressure to the US to pull back on sanctions. There is only one way to read this. You folks are irrational morons.
    2
  4610. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  4611. Carrie Lam will sell the Hong Kong down the river. China always puts the CCP first. Whatever is best for the Communist Party becomes policy.......the people are of no significance.
    2
  4612.  @thennow898  , shame on China's secret police.....arresting a doctor who tried to warn of the virus. Only expect lies from the CCP.
    2
  4613. What about Chris Cuomo's attack on Bernie Sanders ? The CNN town hall was a set-up : they wanted a sound bite to crucify Bernie with, never let him elaborate on his policies and discriminated against him in a pre-arranged ambush. CNN were part of the DNC sabotage meeting :- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/us/politics/bernie-sanders-democratic-party.html
    2
  4614. Mister, you are correct. The number according to Spanish Police was 300,000 and they are not even Catalans And true Catalans turn out 400,000 on an evening to protest political prisoners (two Jordis)
    2
  4615. The Jesuits would be pleased : they ruined Poland 400yrs ago with their Counter Reformation. Actually, Poland was ruined by the self-interest of the nobility long before that. The Polish nobles believed themselves to be a different race. They paraded all their wealth wearing cloaks covered in gold & jewels and riding around followed by all their possessions for the world to admire. They invested nothing in agriculture or production. Finally, the country was absorbed into Russia, Prussia and Austria.....oh, and Sweden took a slice.
    2
  4616. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  4617.  @lancerevo9747  It also serves Russia right : they are being utterly humiliated. The world is watching (and frequently laughing)
    2
  4618. Ha ha ha, very enjoyable...."A Manchurian candidate" We had that in the UK with Jeremy Corbyn :- After the Skirpal poisoning (by Russia's FSB) Corbyn suggested inviting the Russians to help us investigate. (and presumably sharing our intelligence with them). Corbyn was a dyed in the wool 1960s Socialist : he never grew up, and according to his wife "never read a book".
    2
  4619.  @jeffperteet2327  LOL Sweeney Todd chopped victims up and made them into pies to sell to the public. MBS would enjoy it.
    2
  4620. True - but that's Hamas' problem They should've considered that
    2
  4621. Fatah & Hamas are forming a unity government. They are united in corruption and a desire to keep power and deny democracy to Palestinians. Any journalist investigating corruption is beaten or killed. That is why there are no other parties : no pluralism : no democracy. Hamas actually hate democracy and want a Caliphate.
    2
  4622. Ha ha ha . poor old Erdogan : he must be crying in his coffee.
    2
  4623. Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascist thugs. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? Welcome to the world of Hezbollah.
    2
  4624. Good news : Australia joined AUKUS That is a muscle alliance. Let me give you an example :- Russia's nuclear threats. 19 Oct Ben Wallace flew to Washington and the US and Britain agreed a nuclear response to Russia 21 and 23 Oct Shoigu call Lloyd Austin asking for peace talks in Ukraine.
    2
  4625.  @irvinmcb  Let me give another example. A nobleman wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf girls (Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow) : he was deported to Siberia. Nobles would advertise girls as "Having an attractive figure and pretty face" Serfdom was finally abolished in 1861. The Orthodox Church opposed emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners.
    2
  4626.  @socrates5647  One can learn a lot from History : the Normandy landings (Overlord) took 18 months to assemble, and involved floating harbours across the Channel. Experts estimate it would take China from now till 2025 to get their invasion forces in place. This will never happen.
    2
  4627.  @socrates5647  I agree "Taiwan has to use telephone and binocular telescope". China's 2000 missiles can nock out Taiwan's comms. But what do you think cruise missiles would do to China in return ? The power pants of the East coast would all be knocked out :- China in one big blackout. Add that to a blockade which would be imposed 6 months before the invasion (as soon as China's intent was clear). China would be economically crippled. And only a sinophile optimist would think troop ships could traverse 110 miles unscathed.
    2
  4628. WRONG ! Not "crash", you mean hard landing LOL
    2
  4629. Author N'Diaye estimates that 17 million East Africans were sold into slavery: "Eight million Africans were brought from East Africa via the Trans-Saharan route to Morocco or Egypt. A further nine million were deported to regions on the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean." "Most people still have the so-called Transatlantic [slave] trade by Europeans into the New World in mind. But in reality the Arab-Muslim slavery was much greater," N'diaye said. From 1820, Omani settlers began cultivating cloves in Zanzibar to meet the growing demand on the world market. Large plantations quickly developed and slaves could be bought cheaply at the nearby slave market.
    2
  4630. German weapons will be there for winter. And you can take that promise to the bank ....... it is a solid gold commitment.
    2
  4631. Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
    2
  4632. Well done Iran : you are now a pariah rogue state. Just one of many reasons the UN will not allow you to have nuclear weapons. Your economy is a wreck and there is no prospect of improvement. The EU have just said they will increase sanctions because you breached the nuclear accord. And you were hoping for so much from the EU.....oh well, this is a real world ; not some medieval despotic theocratic world from your fevered imagination.
    2
  4633.  @nurkeyali8325  "They don't need nuclear weapons". Oh man, this whole issue is about them enriching to make weapons grade Uranium to construct a bomb ! What did you think the Obama deal was ? It is to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons. They have repeatedly said "We will wipe Israel off the map" (Google it) And the nuclear weapons will enable them to carry out their promise.
    2
  4634. Xi is laughing up his sleeve at Putin.
    2
  4635. Why is France incapable of dealing with Russia's invasion ? Guizot 1830 :"In France every storm becomes a deluge : opposition becomes insurrection, and insurrection revolution" That is why France is on its 5th Republic. That's the French character. Which is why they are unable to display equanimity towards Russian aggression. Macron must imagine the worst. The USA and Britain have been here before, they know how to deal with tyrants. Macron is a product of French history and culture.
    2
  4636. But Russia are the bastion of Despotism, European liberals hate Russian despotism. They hated it when Russia invaded Hungary (1954), they hated it when Russia invaded Czechoslovakia (1968). Liberals have always hated Russian despotism.
    2
  4637.  @ignaciomunizdiaz5194  Parliamentary democracy began in Britain and was exported around the world. The United States was democratic right from its foundation (1776). The title the Tsar chose was "Autocrat of all the Russias". After the Vienna Congress (1815) Russia was the most proactive member of the Holy Alliance, whose aim was to stifle democracy. Russia invaded Hungary (1954) and Czechoslovakia (1968), Georgia 2014, and Ukraine (2014). Russia is an aggressive invader and "destroyer of liberty and civilization wherever it exists" (To quote Queen Victoria)
    2
  4638. 1:19 go for it Iran. The old Foreign Minister is doing a double twist : holding talks with Japan whilst bombing tankers, then saying "Hey why would we bomb a Japan-related tanker". LOL you'd bomb it precisely because you can say that (you £ucking clown)
    2
  4639. LOL - Hamas backed bullshit
    2
  4640. It's a war started by Palestinians, and Palestinians are losing
    2
  4641.  @mokolocomadafaka  The Shah was overthrown in 1979 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : they were hanged 6 at a time from forklift trucks. Read The executioners deserve medals.
    2
  4642. Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA Hamas has also infiltrated hospitals and schools Their ideology of murder is everywhere
    2
  4643. Challenger II can do that from 6km with HE shells 20 Jan Ramstein 8 in Bonn : a dozen Challenger II tanks for Ukraine will be announced.
    2
  4644.  @hooman008  , LOL, don't reply to idiots that talk about bombing. Trump said "Middle east wars are for losers". He may be a big, ignorant dummy but he got that statement right.
    2
  4645. Importance of History a) How will history judge Madrid ? Brutal violence (beating old ladies, dragging girls by the hair) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=8s Imprisoning elected Politicians for sedition. Spain will be vilified. b) How has Spain behaved in the past and what is the historical justification for Catalan Independence ? Under Franco the Catalan language was denied to them and even family names were declared illegal. Catalonia have a strong historical case for Independence. c) What are the key events which will have major repercussions in the future ? Spanish violence will inflame young hearts with separatist feeling for another generation. The declaration of Independence is an IRREVERSIBLE ACHIEVEMENT. It will remain in history and be recalled during every coming struggle.
    2
  4646. Yoo, LOL . I had to look up "Spasiba" it means "Thank you" in Russian. Oh, you did make me laugh. Very sarcastic : I've never seen so much sarcasm in 10 words.
    2
  4647. Yes indeed, that old rogue added some theatricality. One never knew what the carpet-bagger would say next. He always had a trick up his sleeve : usually the one he'd been saving for judge.
    2
  4648. Why not take a haircut ? "The answer is purely political", says Yanis. Obviously it is. Europe isn't bailing out a corrupt, systemically & chronically malfunctioning Greek economy. Why should they work to 67 to bail out Greeks that retire at 45 ?
    2
  4649. Putin's feet dancing below the table. LOL he is a nervous old man.
    2
  4650. "Pickpocketing" but no mention of sexual assault or rape. I wonder why ? Liberal media bias.
    2
  4651. A very historic moment . Conducted in a civilised statesman-like way : a marked contrast to Rajoy/Madrid who see violence as the solution to all problems. Rajoy is like Mr Punch : any problem can be solved with brutal force.
    2
  4652. Oooh, "Time for resolve, not for appeasement" That was aimed at Macron. Very surprising. Scholz will be hiding behind the sofa.
    2
  4653. @Kotomine Berndrewd "This then is my creed" was a letter addressed to William Cobbett MP. The source is an essay written by AJP Taylor on John Bright MP.
    2
  4654. Well said. Correct. Russia would also have to pay Germany for breaking the contract. Russia have launched an illegal war and will pay Ukraine reparations. Russia would also pay for breaking the contract with Germany.(WTO) Russian assets seized by the EU will be used to pay all these costs.
    2
  4655. French rewriting of history : Macron actually said, "We must not say Russia has to be annihilated". Rest of the world, "We must all need our ears testing"
    2
  4656.  @alexandergonzalez5975  , and a savage police force :- Azizollah Rajabzadeh, the former commander of Tehran police, is named in the video (by the cameraman) as the person behind the campus attack. The riot police behaved so brutally that even some of the Basij tried to stop them, as the video shows. Students were harassed verbally and physically when forced to lie on the ground. Some were bleeding profusely but the police continued to attack them. This was the point when five students were killed by being beaten with electric batons on their heads. Later that night, students were made to stand in front of a dormitory block with plastic bags over their heads. The video their hands bound with plastic ties – known in Iran as "Israeli handcuffs" – and 46 of them were taken to the basement of the interior ministry on nearby Fatemi Street. It was there, on the building's upper floors, that the vote-rigging was going on, according to opposition supporters. Another 87 were taken to a security police building on Hafez Street where they were tortured and mistreated. Their ordeal lasted 24 hours and before being released the students were ordered to put on fresh clothes (without bloodstains) supplied by the police.
    2
  4657.  @januszpodlodowski2128  Correct. Muscovy was controlled by Genghis Khans Mongol hordes for 120yrs (ending in 1485) Look at the features of Putin, Lavrov, Shoigu etc, they are all descendants of Genghis Khan.
    2
  4658. Just one thing :- People keep drawing Watergate comparisons, but Nixon was no Trump. Trump is much more formidable. Nixon didn't even know what fake news was.
    2
  4659. Kaido, you are right again about the CIA & Military destabilisation and supporting regimes with terrible human rights records. But. You have to read history in perspective. At that time Stalin had killed 30 million Russians And Mao had killed 30 million Chinese. They were terrible times and there was a Cold War going on. By comparison the US is nowhere near the same scale as the Communist countries (Vietnam total deaths 1.1 million : I would guess the US are responsible for 30% of them)
    2
  4660.  @nikhil1342  Kazi Rahman's ignorance is nothing new : one Pakistan college kid said the 1971 Pakistan Genocide was committed by India soldiers wearing Pakistan uniforms. Ignorance and fanaticism are the bedrock of Pakistani failure.
    2
  4661. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    2
  4662.  @Chuck44442  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  4663.  @IK_MK  In 1939 Finland gave the Russians such a pasting it inspired Germany to invade in 1941. Even the Yanks expected Germany to arrive in Moscow very soon : the Russians were hopeless. Only by throwing 19 million men at the Germans did Russia manage to survive.
    2
  4664.  @omarlittle-hales8237  Thanks for your reply. The Ottoman empire collapsed in 1922 The Jews elected a representative council The Palestinians were given a Grand Mufti by the British In 1947 the Jews established a state while Palestine still looked to Damascus Later Palestinians looked to Nasser's Arab League in Cairo Only after losing two more wars 1967, 1973 did Palestinians decide to go it alone with their 1988 declaration of statehood. Hope that helps.
    2
  4665. The Axis of Evil
    2
  4666. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate" them.
    2
  4667. 7:00 The US general is Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    2
  4668. Sanctions ? And yet Germany are building Nord-Stream 2 to get Billion$ of natural gas from Russia. Where is the logic ? Thankfully Trump has put the jankers on Germany's gas hopes.
    2
  4669.  @johnlop7763  Obviously I'm being sarcastic.
    2
  4670.  @navinasimoes " Not our problem Imao " Some folks would call your comment imbecilic, but it is actually accurate. Geography forces India to desire a strong Russia against China, and it forces India to desire a Russian VICTORY. Western democracies must realise this, and shake hands with India, saying, "Goodbye and good luck"
    2
  4671.  @militant2477  I shouldn't really reply to your comment (it is so infantile), but I will. You are living in the 17th Century. That was when Empires (Spain) lived off stolen wealth (American silver). Everything changed around 1700. The Dutch began a trading empire a century earlier (Bank of Amsterdam, 1609) The English (Britain from 1707) had the Bank of England 1694. The economic empires trading empire-nations operated on 60% credit. Even small shops (eg a shop in Cumberland had 400 suppliers from 14 countries, and half its business was on credit). Literacy :- was essential for a modern economy. .......write the rest yourself, it's plain sailing from here.
    2
  4672. Parliamentary democracy originated in England. (Some will point to Greece, but there is no continuity from there ). Parliamentary democracy became the foundation for Western Civilization. It is quite amazing, that even the most undemocratic tyrant wants to taste the elixir of democracy - to support his rule. Without the mirage of faux democracy, the tyrant would have to acknowledge they were simply ruling by force. It makes me laugh, to see these uncivilized thugs attempting to con their way in to the civilized Western world.
    2
  4673. Odds are 2/5 that he goes this year, and 4/1 that it is this week. Roll up, roll up.
    2
  4674. Italy is inconsequential. The US is calling the shots. Even Germany and France can take it or leave it. Scholz spent all February hiding behind his sofa. Macron has employed appeasement diplomacy. In April the Pentagon met defence CEOs and asked them to create new production lines, that was game over for Russia.
    2
  4675. The Pakistanis raped 250,000 women in Bangladesh. There was no inquiry into that/ So I wouldn't have much confidence in this case. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_Bangladesh_Liberation_War
    2
  4676. Remember the signing ceremony ? The Iranian FM throwing his head back laughing, after Iran won the jackpot with Obama's deal. That seems like a long time ago. Oh, how the Ayatollah wishes he could recapture that euphoric moment when they out-witted the West.
    2
  4677. Pay nothing Provide nothing But reap all the benefits. Neutral countries are $hithouse countries.
    2
  4678. Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
    2
  4679.  @a6893_  students of history will have a good laugh about this war : how Putin thought he had an invincible army, then saw it crumble.
    2
  4680.  @jnusslein6301  , what nonsense.
    2
  4681. 6:20 Imagine storming Monte Casino with no cleats on your boots.
    2
  4682. Shut up Iranian people. Your government is building you nuclear weapons, why not show some gratitude.
    2
  4683.  @blackflag6976  , imagine the Palestinians had a leader like Nelson Mandela, do you think they would get more traction on the international stage ? Or do you think fanatical medieval Jihadism is the way to go.
    2
  4684.  manisha ra  , but Islamic Jihad opposes ALL western values : democracy, civil rights, equality, enlightened education, tolerance and human rights. Why would the Palestinian people tie themselves to an outfit like that ? Well obviously they had no choice : there's no democracy amongst the Palestinians and never has been : Arafat set the standard with his 40yr corrupt dictatorship.
    2
  4685. I've reluctantly given this a thumbs down. It's not mind-blowing or even deep. I thought you might explore Peter Atkins observation that the uniformity of time is what gives us the conservation of energy and that that uniformity reflects the aeons of timeless nothing which preceded the Universe and that the speed of light is the speed of causality and that the conservation of energy is the reason mass becomes infinite at light speed. Or something like that. All I'm saying is that this interpretation is bog-standard and not mind blowing.
    2
  4686. Regrets ? Bannon will only regret it if Mueller has no case. If Trump & Co fall like ten-pins then Bannon looks good.
    2
  4687.  @jeron8852  , the money belonged to the Iranian people not the Ayatollah.
    2
  4688. 1:02:00 I am sweating cobs with empathic embarrassment. Macron is trying to undo the "Humiliate" faux pas, and failing miserably. He even throws Schulz under the bus, and brings up WW1. How utterly embarrassing. Especially when France prides itself on being "a diplomatic superpower"
    2
  4689. Despotism restored. I think the joke is on the people who wanted democracy.
    2
  4690. It is the middle-east in microcosm. Islamic thugs and innocent civilians don't mix.
    2
  4691. What consequences did Hamas expect when they gave a 6pm deadline to Israel to remove all forces from Al-Aqsa. Then at 6:01 Hamas launched rockets into Israel. What response did they expect ?
    2
  4692. Yaser Arafat stole $3billion. Is it possible to locate it and return it to the people ?
    2
  4693. Well done EU - they managed to condemn Hamas butchery That was a tall order
    2
  4694.  @simko8665  , Well said. Hezbollah cannot be removed from the Finance Ministry - they have Lebanon by the throat. Iran back Hezbollah : so it is the Ayatollah that has the people of Lebanon by the throat.
    2
  4695.  @SI-cd7xs  , I'm not so sure : I think it just takes a Tunisian incident (street-trader-immolation) and Iarn's Ayatollahs will be running for cover.
    2
  4696. Why is N America a democratic success and Central and South America are $hithole countries ? It's because Castile had an authoritarian absolute monarch and the Spanish Empire was a Castilian Empire and absolute monarchy segued into dictatorship with no culture of representative government or independent institutions.
    2
  4697. Well done Cliodyn, for trying to engage Orcs in rational debate. Unfortunately, it is a waste of time. Russian Orcs only understand force. They must be totally defeated on the battlefield.
    2
  4698. Βικεντιος, I'm not sure population growth is good. Education is good and technical development is good. Having libraries and honest government is good. Having an independent uncorrupted judiciary and police is good.
    2
  4699. The FSB planted bombs killing Russian citizens until they were caught by the Police planting a bomb that took bomb-disposal 2hrs to defuse. Then the bomb mysteriously became a bag or rice......and it was the FSB testing the preparedness of the Police. LOL Any country that bombs its own citizens won't think twice about killing doctors.
    2
  4700. May I address the idea ,frequently floated on here, that the Iranian people are behind the Ayatollah and against the US. Well, let's suppose it's true , what does it prove ? Everyone knows the Ayatollah wouldn't win an election (even he knows that, hence the dictatorship) ; so what can we deduce : that the Iranians want a quiet prosperous life (who doesn't) and would like the Yanks to F-off. But the US can't ease-up on Islamofascism because folks would prefer a quiet life. It's actually all the more reason to bring down the Ayatollahs. Then people can elect a liberal government and tell the Ayatollah to F-off.
    2
  4701. The American dream.
    2
  4702. LOL The US say the withdrawal will take 100 days. ie it will never happen
    2
  4703.  @sanjaymandal6572  He knows nothing about geopolitics or history, but he is giving us all a good laugh for Christmas LOL.
    2
  4704. WION are hopeless. Their reporting is like a student rag. Don't try to change them it isn't worth the effort. Just recognise WION as ill-informed, historically illiterate, garbage mongers.
    2
  4705. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asks his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha says, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. Turgenev's Grandma struck a peasant boy, and was so infuriated at him lying there wounded she smothered him with a cushion. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  4706. @El Loco in 1917 "Russia was incredibly ignorant and backwards". Stalin took that ignorance and gave it electric shock therapy. Kojeve : " He turned it into a jelly which he could mould" When the USSR collapsed (1991) that jelly needed leadership : that's when the KGB rebranded themselves FSB and picked up the reins.
    2
  4707. That elite Russian Pskov is a 100% liar. Don't release him.
    2
  4708. The Paris deal was acceptable to Israel It is Hamas that is adding delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a non-starter" It is NOT Israel, you should be asking the question of Hamas
    2
  4709. Great analysis - it's the best ! (For me the thumbnail looked like clickbait ; but the content is great)
    2
  4710. We all know what happened ........someone was smoking. This is the umpteenth time this has happened. Someone should make a public awareness film : simply NEVER smoke near a tanker.
    2
  4711. Good reporting.
    2
  4712. Perhaps China need to harvest his organs.
    2
  4713.  @tabuseventythree5678  Yes that is true That is why Palestinians must NOT return to their homes It will take the IDF years to clear Gaza It would be best for Gazans to move into Sinai
    2
  4714. Saudi is an embarrassment to the West ; which had only just recovered from the bone-saw episode. One can only hope there were some radical Imams amongst the victims.
    2
  4715. Well done, a very interesting perspective. And a very brave performance (those dogs could've turned nasty).
    2
  4716. The Houthi spokesman : I'd like to see him reading Shakespeare. There is no modulation in his voice, no change of cadence, no change of volume - everything is fortissimo, no nuance, no inflection, no dialectic ; it is a monotonous, voluble, declamatory ear-assaulting noise.
    2
  4717. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
    2
  4718. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
    2
  4719. Moscow is boasting about an airstrike that killed children at a railway station.
    2
  4720.  @nickshelbourne4426  , you haven't come across any George Friedman howlers ? I suspect you're only young, and George can come across as a Nostradamus with his authoritative manner, but I would urge you not to waste time reading his Almanac ; read a classic , like Tony Judt "Postwar" : an excellent summary of the 20th century which will fill your mind with facts and analysis to treasure.
    2
  4721. What about the charge of abduction and kidnapping ? India is as bad as Pak.
    2
  4722. One BILLION apiece, not one million A billion is 1000 million
    2
  4723. A few points :- a) the Turks audio may not exist. They may be using it to cover the fact they have a source inside Saudi Intelligence. b) Sanctions will happen, Lindsey Graham says they'll be veto-proof. c) MBS is up $hit Creek without a paddle.
    2
  4724.  @Just_another_Euro_dude  , Putin has said he has a military police force ready to move into Belorussia to support Lukachenko. He openly admits that to the media.
    2
  4725. 4:50 "We don't really know what's happening" God I wish I hadn't watched this ill-informed rubbish.
    2
  4726. Those hard-working Palestinians should be living in Israel. They have the 3rd largest party in parliament. A transparent political system with independent judiciary : all the things they don't have in Palestine. Palestinian Mistakes :_ a) not accepting the 1947 UN 2 state solution. b) tolerating a 40yr corrupt dictatorship by Arafat. c) tolerating anti-democratic fanatics (Fatah & Hamas) d) tolerating a corrupt judiciary e) Keeping women out of politics (why not elect a charismatic woman like in New Zealand ?) f) neglecting education : primary school children training with wooden rifles, and teenagers encouraged to martyr themselves pulling down a fence.
    2
  4727. "Those who do not know what freedom means" Alexander Nevev (1850) said the same thing : "Russia is politically immature, we have no liberty and no justice." 175 yars on, and Russians still have no liberty and justice.
    2
  4728. Almost everyone would sympathize with the Palestinians here. But then look at Hamas : fascist violent, anti-democratic thugs. Then look at Fatah : corrupt thugs, also anti-democratic. Then look at history : Yasser Arafat, a corrupt anti-democratic thug. The Palestinians can sure pick a loser.
    2
  4729.  @josephyates9936  The AUKUS deal was a success the minute China went into a flap about it. The whole point is to keep China in check. This is a fighting alliance (from day 1) and the Chinese know it : these are 3 countries who have been fighting allies for a century.
    2
  4730.  @josephyates9936  Just look at the behaviour of France (over the subs deal). That is how France would respond to Chinese aggression : like a big girl's blouse.
    2
  4731. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  4732. Accusing a Pakistani politician of corruption is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indi-500.
    2
  4733. LOL Hamas lies - "The war started on Oct 9th" Ooops, he forgot the Hamas massacre
    2
  4734. When East Pakistan declared independence one Pakistan general said, "We will kill a million and the rest will eat out of our hand". I wonder if they are thinking the same in Madrid.
    2
  4735. You've a lot to learn about Africa. All African armies are there to oppress their own people. Look at the history of Africa. That observation belongs to VS Naipaul and he was dead right. Africa is a disgrace.
    2
  4736. Has he explained why he allowed COVID to spread around the world ? The WHO knew there was an outbreak in China, but let it spread Have they finished investigating how that happened ?
    2
  4737. Hamas demands were delusional Biden "Hamas demands were over the top" Even UNRWA can't supply enough ammo for Hamas to survive
    2
  4738. Good news, Iran are moaning. Remember the last deal ? At the signing ceremony Zafira was throwing his head back laughing at Biden and Obama.
    2
  4739. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
    2
  4740. My understanding is that Al-Jazeera rented the building from Hamas. They paid rent to Hamas. I may be wrong.
    2
  4741. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    2
  4742. "The indigestible extremism of Spain". Emmanuel le Roy Ladurie. If the Scots had organised an unofficial referendum the British would have ridiculed it or placated it or something political. But the Spanish extremists send in Police thugs to beat people then sentence politicians to 13yrs in prison. Spain is responsible for the failure of Spanish-America : for why the 12 countries of the South and 7 central all segued naturally to military dictatorship and despotism. There's no moderation or tolerance in Spain just "indigestible extremism". I've made a video about it : "Spanish-America failure "
    2
  4743. The Pakistan Taliban , responsible for more civilian deaths. When will Pakistani military intelligence stop supporting the Pakistan Taliban ?
    2
  4744. What does it take to become a civilized country ? The answer is hundreds of years. 1166 the Clarendon Assize trial by ordeal replaced by trial by jury (Henry II) 1215 Magna Carta the Royal Council develops into the English Parliament. 1235 Henry Bracton codifies Common Law (When Bracton is quoted to James II he sacks his Chief Justice but still refrains from going against common law) The Arabs have nothing like this . That's why there's is not a civilized democracy anywhere to be found in the Arab world.
    2
  4745. Egypt : its museums are a graveyard for artefacts, the damp is rotting everything, acid pollution is eating everything. Display cases are not airtight, bugs, damp, and neglect are ruining the lot. I would imagine India is in the same boat.
    2
  4746. said Hochstein, a US citizen who was born and raised in Israel, adding........
    2
  4747. Never forget who the real enemy is. This trade stuff is knockabout gamesmanship. The real enemy is the Axis of Evil : China, Russia, N. Korea, Iran, Turkey, Venezuela, Cuba etc
    2
  4748.  @nomore1486  , I'm just a geopolitical observer of the Middle-East. Israel has the only democracy, independent judiciary and successful economy. Why wouldn't a country experiencing rampant corruption and anarchy want some of that ?
    2
  4749. No they are not dangerously low. You are thinking of India. India has a rust bucket for a flagship (INS Vikram) India has no nuclear submarines (China is laughing) India has a gigantic peasant army which consumes 65% of their budget.
    2
  4750. Fatah & Hamas are forming a unity government. They are united in corruption and a desire to keep power and deny democracy to Palestinians. Any journalist investigating corruption is beaten or killed. That is why there are no other parties : no pluralism : no democracy. Hamas actually hate democracy and want a Caliphate.
    2
  4751. I'm watching Paris Direct (France 24) : it ends with an old French oil executive saying "The war has entered a new phase". "And does France have the resolve ?" asks the host. "I don't know, we'll have to wait and see. Certainly in words they have". Bloody hell, we're carrying top weight with the French (and Germans). [In a horse race handicap, the best horse carries top weight]
    2
  4752.  @magatism  The Franco Prussian war (1870) taught everyone the power of a General Staff and command structure. The leaders aren't supposed to be on the front line. Abiy Ahmed has lost his marbles : Ethiopia is finished.
    2
  4753. Poor old India. It is struggling to establish a civilized police service. Why did the British East India Company strive to stamp out corruption ? Because it breeds inefficiency and failure. Examiners and applicants had to sign to say no money has changed hands. Corruption is the millstone that prevents progress.
    2
  4754. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  4755. Churchill chief of staff Alan Brooke wrote, "Churchill would be consumed by an idea for 48hrs then forget all about it" That is why Gallipoli failed : Churchill passed it on to folk who had no interest in it.
    2
  4756. "And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Ukraine's counter-offensive."
    2
  4757.  @YairNavarrete  You don't live there, so you wouldn't know. Even if removal of sanctions meant economic prosperity (which it certainly wouldn't) Cuba would still be a state prison camp.
    2
  4758. Well done France 24 This is a boring subject, but you tackled it meritoriously.
    2
  4759. Guterres is silent - he's too busy defending Hamas
    2
  4760. Compare it to Bangladesh if you want to see slaughter. Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000.
    2
  4761.  @AbdullahKhan-qq9qs  , I'm not surprised you ask, hardly anyone has heard of it. In 1971 Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) declared independence. A Pakistan General said, "Kill 3 million and the rest will eat out of our hands" (Google it) The Pakistan military then committed genocide and raped 250,000 women and girls. Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months.
    2
  4762. Iran is clutching at the EU straw of sanctions-by-pass. It's a mirage.....Iran's economy is a wreck : inflation 50%, GDP shrinking -6% The deal : Zarif was laughing his head off as he signed . Obama was completely gulled. Obama was given a Nobel and was desperate to earn it. The deal stank !
    2
  4763.  @jaimemartinez4971  , It's your history I'm talking about , that is the reason for Spanish-America's poor performance. Absolutism is parasitic. Take a Royal-Court , it doesn't produce anything it lives off the people. Take the Pope & Vatican : they are parasitic they don't produce , they live off the people. Once you embrace that system you are already in a hopeless state. That is the history of Spanish-America. Now , for example, in the North the Church was communal : if they wanted a Church building they would work as a team to fund and build it. (And also work as a team to raise barns etc, communally). Political assemblies were also communal. Absolutism was anathema. In Spanish-America absolute royalism segued into military dictatorship .....which again is parasitical. It was the ruin of South & Central America.
    2
  4764. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  4765. Ursula von der Leyden - a fine ambassador for Europe. Mahatma Gandhi was a fine ambassador for India. Historically folk should remember that Independence for India, Ireland, America, etc was achieved through the British parliament. Imagine if autocratic Russia had held the reins - imagine the sadistic brutality. No nation ever gained its independence through the Duma.
    2
  4766. @Dan 240Z , I agree , that's another good point. But also there is the factionalism. How does that work ? Well each power- group gets a slice of the budget to administer. The leader of the group divides it amongst his supporters who then hand it to their local voters , with each handler taking a percentage and handing contracts to his own supporters. It is monumental mis-administration. It reminds me of Yaser Arafat and how he failed the palestinians : he was in power for 40yrs by paying of his friends and buying off his rivals. He personally stole $3 billion : imagine the investment in education that would bring. And I don't mean fanatical Islamic madrasa ; I mean modern Enlightened colleges.
    2
  4767. Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
    2
  4768.  @Ali_Maldini1899  "Due to sanctions over many years, Hezbollah has consolidated a shadow economy and a black market framework removed from the current banking crisis" Ordinary folk suffer : Hezbollah have the financial backing of the Ayatollah.
    2
  4769.  @muslimsoldier8012  "The paramilitaries, thought to be Ansar-e-Hezbollah and Basij, began attacking students, kicking down doors and smashing through halls, grabbing female students by the hair and setting fire to rooms. " The Tehran student protests (1999) Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascist thugs.
    2
  4770.  @nurieln  Correct. Hezbollah are fighting to impose an anti-democratic fascist theocracy.
    2
  4771.  @mohamadmuzakkirbintajuddin6081  , Erdogan has imprisoned more journalists than any country on Earth. I included him in the list because his Islamist ideology does NOT deserve to be treated as equivalent to Western Democracy.
    2
  4772. 15:00 "In favour of free-trade but it doesn't mean you give people money to buy your products" Actually that is exactly what Maynard Keynes suggested at Breton Woods. Countries running a huge surplus should have 3 years to spend it or take a huge fine.
    2
  4773. He he he ,"You can't start dialogue with someone who threatens you" That's rich, coming from the country that said it would exterminate Israel. LOL , who said the sour faced Islamists don't have a sense of humour. Have you seen the Revolutionary Guard speaking at a rally ? Talk about grim faces : I've seen more smiles at a funeral. The vivacity of the Persian people has been crippled by the maniacal ignorance of the Ayatollah.
    2
  4774.  @mikhaillobach3152  Medvedev is a drunk. Counter Offensive :- "Some of the territories, towns, and villages have been liberated. Relying exclusively on official data confirmed by the General Staff I can say that the total number of the liberated towns and villages is 44."
    2
  4775. History's biggest Ponzi scheme.
    2
  4776. Well done Australia. What a wonderful Prime Minister or President or whoever he is.
    2
  4777. Why does the Taliban shoot a schoolgirl in the head, then 3 years later say it will allow girls to be educated in schools ? If schooling for girls is against the Koran, why after 3 years do the Taliban decide it's okay for girls to go to school ?
    2
  4778.  @simonsimonovic2072  , because Russia's gangster state assassinates people in other countries, supplies BUJ missiles to shoot down passenger planes, invades its neighbours and threatens the civilized world.
    2
  4779.  @Trooper-tr6zi  , when Putin was deputy mayor of St Petersburg $89 million went missing. Putin didn't get it all , only his share. That's how corruption works, that's how he stays in power : he bribes his friends and pays-off his opponents. Yasser Arafat did the same for 40yrs in Palestine. Mugabe did the same for 40yrs in Zimbabwe. Money and corruption is what keeps them in power.
    2
  4780.  @Trooper-tr6zi  , Russia is a gangster state.
    2
  4781.  @andrespodra8459  , " Russia has great relationships with Finland" : you have got to be kidding. The Fins hate Russia. The great Sibelius' Karelia Suite laments the Russian invasion and annexation of Finland's territory. Imagine there was a nuclear exchange with the Yanks : both countries annihilated, The Fins would reoccupy Karelia in a flash. And ask yourself who would help rebuild Russia ? Nobody. The US would get economic support from the whole civilized world. Everyone would be glad to see Russia reduced to rubble.
    2
  4782.  @andrespodra8459  , " Russia has great relationships with Finland" : you have got to be kidding. The Fins hate Russia. The great Sibelius' Karelia Suite laments the Russian invasion and annexation of Finland's territory. Imagine there was a nuclear exchange with the Yanks : both countries annihilated, The Fins would reoccupy Karelia in a flash. And ask yourself who would help rebuild Russia ? Nobody. The US would get economic support from the whole civilized world. Everyone would be glad to see Russia reduced to rubble.
    2
  4783. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    2
  4784. But what Assange did was lazy. He dumped 2.5Gb of info into the lap of Russia, China and every anti-democratic, anti-human-rights country in the world. It included information about human rights protestors and informants. They all went down the pan. Just so lazy Assange can claim the credit for a scoop.
    2
  4785. Assange released 2.5Gb of info : that's about 7000 books. He had no idea what was on it. Assange betrayed hundreds of activists who who working for democracy against dictatorships. Why ? Because he couldn't read it all and didn't want to share it. He could send it to Amnesty or other journalists but didn't want them stealing his limelight. Lazy, egotistical Assange wanted all the glory of dumping intelligence that endangered other people's lives. Obviously he exposed war-crimes : we all want that but you can't condemn other activists to arrest & torture at the same time. You have to filter it and protect the good guys. Assange has no friends....except for ill-informed Jimmy Dore types.
    2
  4786. Desmond, good question. Corruption is the key : one person needs to take charge of the coffers and start doling out the cash to his family, cronies and henchmen. The ordinary Kurdish people won't get a look in but they will be allowed to participate in rigged elections. At some stage one party will seize the cash and internal disputes can then be settled with bribes, houses, cars and Swiss bank accounts.
    2
  4787. The Devil will have fewer pebbles to dodge. So at least he'll be laughing.
    2
  4788.  @someguy007  , "Haaaapppy" ? South Africa has become the very definition of a $hithole country and you are happy ? Even the party (of youth) that campaigns against corruption is totally corrupt : witness the African bank driven into insolvency by thieving, looting EFF/ANC politicians.
    2
  4789.  @someguy007  , well said, that's a fair point. I'll tell you why I'm negative : because I campaigned against Apartheid ; travelling to London for rallies and marches. Then when they get into office , as Desmond Tutu said,"They stopped the gravy train just long enough to get on ". The only way to punish a party is to vote them out of power. Reform never works.....not while they're still in power.
    2
  4790. Rohypno, no, the whole world fears the rabid Ayatollah developing nuclear weapons.
    2
  4791. Alexander Herzen (d.1870): all Russian literature is "An unrelenting indictment of Russian reality"
    2
  4792. Iran are a blight on the Middle East. They are benighting countries were their version of corrupt totalitarianism.
    2
  4793. Well done : a great citizens arrest.
    2
  4794. "How dare the UN not condemn Hamas murder & rape ?"
    2
  4795. !2, 13 & 14th of March is when it is all decided. IDS (Duncan Smith , baldy above) can say what he wants. On the 14th March there will be a vote to extend article 50. Mark my words.
    2
  4796. You are quite right.....but Israel didn't cast all the ballots to elect them to power : that was the people of Gaza that did that. But Hamas were funded by Israel to oppose Fatah.
    2
  4797. Good question. What hope is there for palestine when Yaser Araft stole $3 billion and it can't be found ? What hope is there when the PA are totally corrupt and beat up any journalists asking them to account for all the money that comes in from Gulf States ? What hope when all the PA are driving luxury SUVs and president Abbas is still in power even though he was elected for 4yrs and that was 9yrs ago ?
    2
  4798. De facto. Just like the Golan Heights has become part of Israel with time. (And a huge chunk of the West Bank and East Jerusalem have). There is a window of opportunity, once it is passed .............. you're waiting for a miracle.
    2
  4799. Compare 1917 and 1979 Both revolutions were hijacked : one by Totalitarian Bolshevism, the other by Fascist Theocracy. The Bolsheviks slaughtered their opponents, and Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians. The most ruthlessly violent rise to the top : Lenin & Trotsky, and the Ayatollah
    2
  4800. Well done India. India decided to sit on the fence : this encouraged Russia, and now we have a full invasion. India should side with the civilized world, they are too close to the Axis of Evil.
    2
  4801. UN Peacekeepers reveal publicly infoormation to help Hezbollah The UN must leave The UN is a total failure
    2
  4802. Could these fires be caused by incendiary balloons from Gaza ? It would be a terrible irony.
    2
  4803. Don't worry, all China's top businessmen have property in Canada, USA, Australia, Europe, etc They are all ready to bail-out of China when the bubble bursts.
    2
  4804. Man years ago Eric Trump told a golf buddy, "We don't use American banks, we get all the money we need from Russia". Trump has been laundering Russian money for decades. Deutsche bank has just been fined $600,000,000 for laundering Russian money. Do you know who Trump's European bank is ? Deutsche bank , it may be coincidence but I doubt it.
    2
  4805. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Oh, thank God she won.
    2
  4806. LOL I started researching mass graves in Tunisia, then when I came back it was Libya. I'm glad it wasn't my mind.
    2
  4807. "George Floyd smiling down" Trump is goading the Black Lives Matter movement. Trump is trying to up-the-ante so he can use troops.
    2
  4808.  @СёМи-ц7ч  How many of them were won with equal forces ? Military history isn't my forte, but I'm reminded of the Battle of Plassey (1757) British forces 3,500 Indian forces 55,000 An amazing victory for Major general Robert Clive. Righteous wars ? Well, when General Gordon conquered Sudan (1885) defeating the Mad Mahdi, his first dispatch home included plans for a college at Khartoum. The PM Lord Salisbury agreed that it "would advance civilization".
    2
  4809. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Also :- Germany blocks EUR 8 billion financial assistance to Ukraine
    2
  4810. The ICC are looking at 2 major cases :- a) storming the fence : that was Fatah's great idea, to deflect attention away from folk calling for democratic elections. The corrupt old men encouraged teenagers to martyr themselves. It was a disgrace. b) the Illegal settlements. This is a better case, but one wonders where the ICC will find a precedent, especially when the US Secretary of State has given the settlements his blessing.
    2
  4811. "Civil defence" = Hamas That guy talking is Hamas
    2
  4812. They should charge Police thugs with assault for indiscriminately pepper spraying unarmed people.
    2
  4813. Well done : very impressive. Heart-warming.
    2
  4814. Man years ago Eric Trump told a golf buddy, "We don't use American banks, we get all the money we need from Russia". Trump has been laundering Russian money for decades. Deutsche bank has just been fined $600,000,000 for laundering Russian money. Do you know who Trump's European bank is ? Deutsche bank , it may be coincidence but I doubt it.
    2
  4815. Baltasar Garzón : Spanish judge suspended for investigating Franco's fascist crimes. Spain's judicial system is full of fascists. No fascist crimes were ever investigated : Spain's establishment is still fascist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=18s
    2
  4816. TYT be fair, Republicans have had 7yrs and have just sat on their heinies. Imagine it wasn't Trump , you'd be siding with the President and saying the Senate are hopeless.
    2
  4817. Germany sent their warship "Bayern" to the South China Sea. It avoided all contentious sea-lanes and asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai : China told them "get lost" Germany and France (the EU) will never be more than windbags.
    2
  4818. ....and what about the $1 billion Hunter Biden got from China for his hedge-fund ?
    2
  4819. 18yrs ago when the deal was made CNN were conspicuously silent about Democrat donor Epstein.
    2
  4820. No surprises. Russia have been using poison as a political weapon for centuries.
    2
  4821. "India is praised by the Axis of Evil." That must be very consoling. Write that in the history books to explain India's complicity in savage Russian atrocities.
    2
  4822. "Feeling the pinch" Iran's economy is a wreck. "Inflation 30%" It is 50%. The chap at 0:47 says purchasing power is halved. My God DW is biased and shabby. Typical pusillanimous anti-US drivel.
    2
  4823. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Macron & Scholz must learn how to display some courage.
    2
  4824. There are fires every year, why don't they organise ? I saw a framer with a huge plastic cube ( 2000 buckets) and he was extinguishing his stubble field fire. Why do villages have only buckets ? Why not 4 huge cubes in every village, and why not practice and have a yearly drill ? Why is it always make-do-and-mend in southern Europe ?
    2
  4825. My thoughts exactly.
    2
  4826. Yes. It would show that corruption and Islamism can live in harmony.
    2
  4827. Wow, Ted Cruz telling it like it is. Well done, very instructive. LOL, remember CNN in Syria - the reporter sniffs an item of clothing and declares "That smells like nerve agent". At least Ted didn't do anything that daft.
    2
  4828. 1948 Arab/Israeli war : Jordan occupied the West Bank and annexed it Handing passports to west bank Palestinians 1967 Israel reclaimed the West bank. Jordan then cancelled passports
    2
  4829. Resign ! The Speaker must go
    2
  4830. US-Poland actively working on a deal. Modi is hiding, trying to avoid awkward questions. Trying to keep a foot in both camps. Trying to ride two horses at once. There is only one winning side, and Modi isn't on it.
    2
  4831. Biden : "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Blinken had to be dashed out for damage limitations. Biden's mind is for the knackers yard : he is like an old Grandpa talking with the children.
    2
  4832.  @michaelmoses4637  Well said. Remember the chimney sweep boy who sued the Queen's jeweller and won ? British justice.
    2
  4833. She is the one showing signs of dementia.
    2
  4834. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  4835.  @carrotsandpeas4091  Because she doesn't look like a trouble causer : she's no maverick. She looks like a safe pair of hands. Even if she got a scoop, she wouldn't reveal anything that might cause embarrassment.
    2
  4836.  Too Smart  , quite right. Also, Egypt, Jordan and Syria all claimed Palestine for themselves.....none of them recognised a Palestinian state. Only after 3 wars and 3 defeats did the Arabs then turn to the UN and declare Palestine to be a nation. The Palestinians were then offered a terrific deal at Camp David 2000 and turned it down. Clinton famously declaring "Arafat can't be trusted". If Clinton had bothered to study history he would've known all the Arabs hated Yaser Arafat , he had stabbed them all in the back at some stage. The tragedy of the Palestinian people was to be saddled with Arafat's corrupt dictatorship for 40yrs.
    2
  4837. What is it ? It is a shallow draft ship (5m) That can carry 200 pallets of food 26 pallets = 1 truck So about 8 trucks The ship can do a round tip in 24hrs So at best it is 8 trucks a day (Hardly worth it)
    2
  4838. Kremlin lies :- Russians committed no war crimes in Chechnya no war crimes in Afghanistan didn't shoot down MH17 didn't poison anyone with Novichok didn't assassinate opposition politicians didn't throw journalists out of windows didn't commit atrocities in Bucha didn't torture civilians didn't rape women didn't loot property The Pope described Russia as "Infantile", it was very perceptive of him. There is a banality about Russian brutality, they are lie evil children.
    2
  4839. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  4840. Well done Trump for two reasons : a) The US does NOT want to be the one to cause the first fatalities. Shooting a drone is one thing but killing a civilian another. Keep the high moral ground : public opinion is everything and Iran is at rock-bottom. b) The drome was shot by the Revolutionary Guard who are independent of government they are an imperium-in-imperio (state within a state) and pathologically fanatical.
    2
  4841. Let me give you all some background :- Palestine were offered a 2 state solution in 1947 and 2000 (Camp David, Clinton) and turned it down. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3billion from the people. He had to, that was how he stayed in power : he bribed his friends and paid-off his enemies. Fatah are totally corrupt, have never been audited and tolerate no opposition : they are the archetypal one-party state. Hamas are anti-democratic fascist thugs. The biggest tragedy of the Palestinians is a total failure of leadership. If they had a liberal, democratic , honest leader the whole thing would have been resolved decades ago. Gulf $dollar$ has paid to keep the conflict going for political advantage.
    2
  4842. Hamas are hardly going to support this project. They would be more likely to store rockets there. Anything un-Islamic is verboten for Hamas.
    2
  4843. Well said. When German ministers visit the Kremlin they find them to be bullying, boorish and unbearable ; all qualities the Germans displayed in the 20th Century. In short, the Germans see their former selves.
    2
  4844. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    2
  4845. Al Jazeera is 100% pro-Hamas They are not a news source - they are propaganda Ban Al Jazeera in Europe too !
    2
  4846.  Hello There  " Baghdad conceded that 800 insurgents had stripped the main army base in the northern city of Mosul of weapons, released hundreds of prisoners from the city's jails and may have seized up to $480m in banknotes from the city's banks." Iraq had 2 divisions there - that fled.
    2
  4847. This lady is a very good advocate Why doesn't Palestine elect someone like her ? The international community would like to see a democratic advocate PS "Demographic threat" : Hamas encouraged large families - demography is a weapon of war West Bank settlers value large families : demography is everything, a simple fact
    2
  4848. Bloody hell, Biden has lost his marbles.
    2
  4849. Danny, well said. "The Saudi is backwards in lots of ways". If it wasn't for oil the Saudi would still be rubbing sticks together to make a fire.
    2
  4850. "Slowly then suddenly" That's how Gen Ben Hodges said the Russian Federation would collapse
    2
  4851. Rajoy's nightmare is that he imposes 155 , calls elections and the Separatists come back with a bigger majority. That is why the EU called it "the worst option". I think Puigdemont would welcome being made a martyr and I think it crossed his mind to call immediate elections for the same reason. All indications are that after the Police violence Catalan separatism support has increased. Passions are high and people are ignoring economic downsides and voting with their emotions.
    2
  4852. 1973 Yom Kippur Israel was almost defeated : Gold Meir pleaded for US aid. OPEC imposed an oil embargo The Saudi minister, when told Israel had holy sites in Jerusalem, said, "Build them another wall somewhere, so they can wail against it"
    2
  4853. "Thousands" "Millions of Israelis support Israel's strategy to destroy Hamas" Netanyahu : A hostage deal will only delay the assault on Rafah Once Rafah is occupied "Israel will be within weeks of total victory" Amen
    2
  4854.  @kevinherbert4256  Ask yourself what was AUKUS all about ? It was about Australian submarines. Now ask yourself why ? Because China can hit surface ships with missiles. China's weakness has always been geographical : it depends upon imports (and economically upon exports) and it is very easily blockaded. Also, crossing the 110 miles to invade Taiwan is virtually impossible with packs of submarines around.
    2
  4855. bari, the invasion of Idlib was to garner support for the election. Manbij is US and Kurd held , Turkey will never invade that was my whole point. We'll see who's right. Erdogan was simply electioneering when he said he'd push on to Manbij. When the US wiped out a Russian battalion at Al-Tabiyeh it sent shock waves through the geopolitical world. The US did it without batting an eyelid : it was like shooting fish in a barrel. The Turks will never confront the US.
    2
  4856. Erdogan is an Islamofascist. He is anti-democratic. Erdogan said, "Democracy is like a bus : you ride it to your stop and get off".
    2
  4857.  @taintabird23  , The Irish did produce magnificent soldiers. Montrose (James Graham) relied on his Irish infantry (although they did disgrace themselves in the 1644 sack of Aberdeen, where they helped themselves to young ladies to add to their harems). The Gallowglass that accompanied Shane O'Neill to London made quite an impression. One can imagine the hollow rattling of Tudor cod-pieces, as the becloaked ,long haired warriors confidently cruised into Court.
    2
  4858. Putin is petrified of NATO (More specifically of the US and UK nuclear threat) Macron declared neutrality 13 Oct - a day of infamy ans shame for France
    2
  4859. David, you are quite right , however ,Chomsky fails to mention the 30 million Russians killed by their own government or the fact that the same KGB that had killed them were the ones suggesting a Greater European Defence Force. Chomsky fails to mention that Russia is an anti-democratic gangster state run by former KGB and that they export oppression corruption and state violence. Chomsky could have mentioned the journalists killed in Russia or that there is no freedom of speech only State Broadcasting. Other than that Chomsky was most perceptive.
    2
  4860. @Unique1inNC , no, I'm saying look at the big picture and don't blind yourself with hatred for the U.S. Stalin killed 30 million Russians (and others) with his 5yr plans, starvation and the Gulags. Mao killed 60 million. Alex Unger talks about Japan and has no idea of the atrocities they committed. He needs to read about the rape of Nanjing. You need to put everything into perspective : all the countries you acclaim are anti-democratic, they are all totalitarian savage nations. The U.S. has an independent judiciary, democratic elections, term limits on the presidency to avoid dictators. The U.S. is a beacon, despite all its faults. Why do you think Chinese millionaires are buying property there .....to have a safe haven when things go wrong with China's dictatorship.
    2
  4861. You nailed it. This election is like a game of musical chairs - the Palestinians will vote and when everyone stops laughing Fatah will control the West Bank and Hamas will rule in Gaza.
    2
  4862. West African leaders to hold summit (Gosh) Will they be welcoming another corrupt despot into their ranks ?
    2
  4863.  @nenasiek  You are talking nonsense to cover for French perfidy NATO nuclear deterrence is "Collective" You must be French to talk with such illogical perfidy.
    2
  4864. 1:50 Look at Frankfurt LOL That's supposed to be replacing post-Brexit London as the financial centre of Europe ? It's dead. Where's the get-up-and-go ?
    2
  4865. Gosh, can't wait to see the markets on Monday.
    2
  4866.  @baptsan  (I was being ironic. Let's give the guy a break)
    2
  4867.  @ulflyng  Thanks Ulf. You take care.
    2
  4868.  @flak8855  , but how can anyone take the Palestinian Authority seriously when they've been utterly corrupt for 70yrs, never tried Democracy and always maintained a government of corrupt old men. Why not allow women into politics, like they do in civilized countries. That would grab some headlines and might move things forward. Or, better still, stick with corrupt old men and get young kids to throw stones (nice strategy). That's been successful so far (Not).
    2
  4869.  @Alitacyan  It is from an essay by AJP Taylor on John Bright. The essay gives no reference but says "from a correspondent of Cobden". Richard Cobden was an MP, so it may have been from a constituent, or colleague.
    2
  4870. I'm a bit of a whizz-kid at editing (you are free to criticise my videos). May I suggest a few ideas : a) crop Yanis into one corner and have the 3/4 screen showing something pertinent. One would hardly notice the cuts. b) Fade in and out from Yanis' talking head to something pertinent. c) Why not have Yanis on his motorbike split screen ? Okay I'm running out of ideas but you get my drift.
    2
  4871. Well done, for tackling a complex question like this. May I have a stab at it ? Firstly you have old India - it's religion ,caste-system, culture. Then you have the Muslim invasion - a new culture partially melding into the old. Then you have the British. Indians loved the British : the education, the political constitution, the administration, everything. 240,000 Indians volunteered to fight for Britain in WW2 (for which we are eternally grateful). So India's soul is simply a combination of all those things. The best thing that ever happened to India was the arrival of "The Enlightenment" : the scientific method (Francis Bacon etc), literature (Shakespeare etc) , rational thinking (Locke, Hume etc) , religious tolerance (Elizabeth I 1559 religious settlement : "I refuse to make windows into men's souls") ...................
    2
  4872. In a book entitled Islamic Governance, published in 1970, Khomeini outlined his plans for the creation of an Islamic state in Iran, reconceptualising the doctrine of velayat-e faqih to justify clerical guardianship of the state. The ayatollah claimed that God had made Islam for it to be implemented as shown by the creation of divine law (sharia). Given that no one knew Islam better than the clergy, Khomeini argued, it was natural that they should rule as guardians of the state until the return of the 12th divinely ordained Shia imam (Imam al-Mahdi or the Hidden Imam), who Shias believe was withdrawn into occultation by God in AD 874.
    2
  4873. All the Arab leaders in the region hated Yaser Arafat as a back-stabbing liar. Nobody trusted him : after Camp David president Clinton said, "Arafat can't be trusted". During Arafat's 40yr dictatorship he had one aim : to remain in power. He bribed his friends and paid-off his enemies. When he finally died it was found he'd stolen $3billion from the Palestinian people (yet they still walk around with his face on their T-shirts).
    2
  4874. Why did Wion delete this comment ? "Photographic evidence shows the missile attack. The Russians are shameless liars. (Of course Indian sympathisers will agree with Kremlin lies)."
    2
  4875. Russia ? Test for polonium, and novichok.
    2
  4876. "Umbrella group of Shia" That's Hezbollah : the murderous, anti-democratic fascist thugs.
    2
  4877. Mohaamd, what about the 15 hit men ? How often do 15 hit men turn up at the Saudi embassy on a rapid then leave with diplomatic bags ? I suppose they were just dropping some mail off LOL Use your brain you numpty : they turned up to kill him and left with his body in diplomatic bags. he embassy has CCTV why not show him leaving ? Because he never left ........correction, he did leave but not in one piece.
    2
  4878. Hollywood stars who got away with murder :- a) Fatty Arbuckle b) Robert Wagner c) the chap from Electraglide in Blue d) Burt Reynolds ......etc
    2
  4879. The Palestinians must be glad their coup failed (September 1970) Even if they'd taken over Jordan look at the problems they'd have now.
    2
  4880. I thought they were withdrawn during the Cuba crisis ? That was the secret deal to get nukes out of Cuba. But it wasn't widely publicized.
    2
  4881.  @juvezhang1715  "Turkey has no enemy" Turkey has no friends (is what you should've said). The warlord in Libya is long gone (that was a total waste of Turkish lira).
    2
  4882. In case they shoot down MH17 Nobody wants the blame.
    2
  4883. Why ! Why can't you tell them about Hamas rapes ? Tell them about sadistic Hamas torture
    2
  4884. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  4885. Macron : "The EU shouldn't gang up on China with the US"
    2
  4886. LOL Iran is keeping us laughing Iran has fired their shot and must now wait for the reply LOL
    2
  4887. You dumb clot : obviously they are collateral damage from the Kremlin's assassination attempt on the Skirpals.
    2
  4888. The Pakistan Army raped 250,000 women during the Bangladesh War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_Bangladesh_Liberation_War
    2
  4889.  @sale4257  But historically accurate bla bla bla The Serb leader was Pašić He was constantly shifting his position "one couldn't take him at his word of honour or anything else"
    2
  4890.  @milosmiletic970  Thanks for your reply. Austro/Hungary had collapsed in 1918 Serbia moved fast to occupy Croatian, Slovenia, Banat and Montenegro They established assemblies that would vote to unite with Serbia. The small nations believed President Wilson would overturn these shame referenda.. It never happened
    2
  4891. Hezbollah will never leave the government. They are fanatical thugs. Assassinating anyone who moves against them. The seeds of Lebanon's problems lie in Iran and Syria.
    2
  4892. Israel's economy will boom All that real estate in Gaza - Israel will develop it, it will be worth $trillions Gaza will be split - north for Israel, south for Palestinians That's Israel's compensation for Oct 7th
    2
  4893.  @pilgrimfolk  , It took me 10mins of research to find the 'Hamas Ultimatum'. Hardly anyone is reporting the chronology of events. If the belligerents went to County Court in Barnsley the Magistrate would immediately ask, "Who started it ?"
    2
  4894. @Crucesignatus I am trying to shame the EU into action (I'm so ashamed of them). One would never imagine the EU has 50x the economy of Russia, but minus two kahunas.
    2
  4895. LOL "Putin respect" Erdoğan warned Russia not to encroach with their warplanes. Finally, he shot down 2 Russian planes. Putin responded with a sanction on Turkish tomatoes. Russia is a paper tiger. Look back to 1905 when the Japanese sank their fleet in an afternoon. Look back to 1969 when China gave Russia such a hiding, Khrushchev wanted to drop a nuclear bomb, but was prevented by Nixon. Look back to 1921 when Polish Lancers sent the Cossacks packing. WW1 when Germany trounced Russia. Russia only have one victory to their name WW2 : and only because KGB/NKVD were sending to the Gulag any officer who didn't race his colleagues to berlin.
    2
  4896. Could one imagine Biden doing an unscripted address like this ? Or anyone for that matter. Maybe Macron could do it unscripted, but he's a bit of a phoney. Boris could do it, but we'd be waiting to cringe. Anyway, cometh the hour cometh the man.
    2
  4897. Axis of Evil : China, Russia, Iran, North Korea , Cuba....... No democracy, no human rights, no freedom, no independent judiciary, corrupt police, state sponsored violence. Western powers must remain vigilant : civilization is in a delicate balance.
    2
  4898. LOL. I watched a documentary on this, it was impoverished Syrians who were on the Azerbaijan front line. The Azeris drones did all the work and the impoverished Syrians took all the casualties. I hope the Azeris don't allow themselves to be fooled into thinking they are a force to be reckoned with.
    2
  4899. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  4900. A few facts :- a) Every war has been started by Pakistan b) Jinnah et al were the driving force behind partition : both the British and the Indian Congress wanted unity. c) the slaughter that followed Partition was the responsibility of rabid fanatical Imams and genocidal Hindu nationalists : both of whom stoked hatred and fear into their illiterate supporters. d) Pakistan is a basket case and cannot compete with India economically : that's why Pakistan adopts a policy of violence, conflict and chaos. There are Islamofascist fanatics queueing up to murder innocent people. It is the one department in which Pakistan is top dog.
    2
  4901.  @cultureabroad8983  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  4902. Well done Nancy. Well said.
    2
  4903. Putin is afraid to meet Zelensky for talks. Putin has locked himself away, afraid of catching Covid.
    2
  4904.  @ЮрийУшаков-в5ъ  There are 3 aims :- a) To support Ukraine to total victory b) to strengthen NATO as a deterrent to Russian aggression c) To weaken and degrade Russia's ability to wage wars of aggression. All 3 aims are heading to success. Putin has made the biggest blunder of the century.
    2
  4905.  @HH-co9yo  Russia only has two friends in the world North Korea and Eritrea. Putin asked Kagyristan for troops : NO Putin asked Belarus for troops : NO etc China has reduced trade dramatically Laptops - down 46% Mobile phones - down 58% Telecommunications - down 98% Chinese companies do not want secondary sanctions. Russia is finished. The G7 has pledged to reduced commerce with Russia to zero. The EU will "Reduce gas and oil imports to zero, consistently and forever" Russia is utterly doomed.
    2
  4906. The Alternative (To Boris & Cummings) Britain would be fighting alongside Hamas. The Alternative was Jeremy Corbyn.
    2
  4907. WE should wait for Trump Europe hasn't a clue
    2
  4908. "Hysteria" LOL - it;s Russia that had a Wagner coup last June I'd call that Moscow hysteria - they were all fleeing from Moscow LOL
    2
  4909. France knows about this. Thankfully for French Presidents, France didn't take it too seriously. (Almost all French presidents were collaborators - cept de Gaulle).
    2
  4910. China are using debt-book diplomacy which is worse than gunboat diplomacy : it lasts for generations. And relies upon the IMF to pick up the tab.
    2
  4911. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    2
  4912. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  4913. @Tagedieb I'm stating facts - Macron appeases China, Germany gets a slap in the face, and Australia decide to get themselves allied to a genuine defence treaty.
    2
  4914. Momentum = mass x velocity One suspects the velocity was high
    2
  4915. Rejoice ! Al Jazeera is taking hit after hit (They are pro-terrorism)
    2
  4916. Moscow regards France as a "neutral" country, how does that happen ? Because France is only half engaged with NATO and keeps close contact with the enemy. Vichy France is not an aberration, it is French culture :- a) Macron : "Countries should not gang up on China" b) Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" c) Macron asks Iran to be a peacemaker in Ukraine France instinctively places a foot in the enemy camp : they don't try to hide it, they are shameless.
    2
  4917. How times change. In the old days the CCP would've exterminated all protestors without batting an eye. They would like to do that now but fear world opinion. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  4918. There are 2 camps :- a) For resolute defence of democracy : Biden, Boris, Trudeau, Von Der Leyden and Charles Michel (which means victory for Ukraine) b) For capitulation : Macron Schulz and Draghi propose peace (which is victory for Russia)
    2
  4919. I wonder how many women will be stoned to death ? When the Taliban get beck in power. It will be a sad day for girls studying at college : they will be forced to marry Taliban fighters.
    2
  4920. This is a face-saver for Iran , they are desperate. The Ayatollah wants to talk to Trump but can't do it on his knees so needs to appear to have something to negotiate with. Iran's economy has crashed -6% GDP and inflation at50%. The Persian people won't stand for the rabid-lunacy of the clerics much longer.
    2
  4921.  @RandomGuy-hz4wu  , that's a pre-condition. That means sanctions are lifted. Then what incentive is there for Iran to do anything other than drag its feet.
    2
  4922. Phoenix Ghost (loitering munition) Coming soon to a Russian battalion near you.
    2
  4923. Modi will be smiling..... at the strength of Russian arms. India has sold its soul for Russian missiles & planes. Shame on India.
    2
  4924. In Britain there are many Liberals (Jeremy Corbyn and the Archbishop of Canterbury) that want to stop military support for Ukraine. One smells the odour of appeasement on them. They should think on Britain's proud history. In 1864 half a million turned out to greet Garibaldi when he visited London. In 1824 Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence against the Ottomans. The appeasers cowardly considerations would undermine all that, and give strength and support to the Kremlin. Putin relies upon vacillating liberals to swallow his threats and sow discord and fatalistic dejection. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's threats on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" Spoken like a man : by a member of the Intelligence Committee. We must all show resolve. And recall the spirit of 1895 :- when Abdul Hamid II ordered the slaughter of Armenians and British marines went ashore to stop the massacre. They didn't turn round and say, "But there are thousands of Ottomans and only a few of us", they had the courage and conviction of doing the right thing.
    2
  4925. Good report - that guy is one of Al Jazeera's best reporters
    2
  4926. ....an anti-blasphemy party. Whilst Imran Kahn lectures the UN on women's rights. LOL Pakistan, they do entertain us. Future generations will look back and wish they still had a few in a museum, just to see that they were for real.
    2
  4927. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  4928. LOL "Russian lawmakers" : the parliament are Putin's rubber stamp.
    2
  4929. Very impressive. Those bullets go a long way (and they make bloody big holes).
    2
  4930. But when Iran are up to their neck in quicksand why would Israel/US/Saudi want to stage an attack ?
    2
  4931. Prussia made great gains through being weak and marrying well. Land was gained and favourable alliances made. Prussia exploited the great powers' fear of each other.
    2
  4932. LOL, you picked the one example which wasn't a false flag. Why not pick Gulf of Tonkin or something. History has recorded the U-boat that sank the Lusitania. The "false flag" part of the story was that it WAS carrying munitions , which was denied at the time.
    2
  4933. Putin just said he will attend the G20 in Indonesia. That's not a guy preparing to use nukes. It's a guy wanting to remain accepted by the international community.
    2
  4934. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    2
  4935. I wonder about the education young Palestinians get : total indoctrination. They are taught to hate Jews and applauded for violence. What progress has been made in 70yrs. Arafat ruled as a corrupt dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. Where has it got the Palestinian people ? Why not get successful Palestinians to advise schools on curricula, try to recover some of the stolen $3 billion to invest in colleges. Get rid of totalitarian Hamas and the corrupt, incompetent Palestinian Authority (where Abbas has just awarded ministers an illegal 67% pay rise) and ask successful secular Palestinians to advise a representative assembly from the people. Why not try that ?
    2
  4936. A dark cloud - les choses en noir.
    2
  4937. thndrn, are you paid by the Communist Party to be pushing that line ? You sound like a propagandist.
    2
  4938. LOL Hamas lies - "The war started on Oct 9th" Ooops, he forgot the Hamas massacre
    2
  4939. Always use the prefix "drunken" when referring to Russian militia. They were drunk when they shot down a passenger plane. They are drunk when they fire shells at civilians. Permanently pi$$ed, and morally bankrupt.
    2
  4940. Sinwar/Hamas are unacceptable to every western nation Palestinians have picked another loser They've been losing fr 75yrs
    2
  4941. Resign ! the Speaker must go 1863 Namik Kemal Young Ottoman : "Admired the British for the indomitable power of public opinion against authority" The public will not accept a back room deal cooked up to save the Speaker in the next parliament or Labour will vote him out !
    2
  4942. 21:24 CET: Polish radio station PolskieRadio24 reports: "A witness to the event, who called Polish Radio 3 before 5:00 p.m., reported that two rockets flew over the village. - One exploded in the field, the other hit the corn cart next to my neighbors in Przewodów - he said."
    2
  4943. No thanks to Germany - who sabotaged Ukraine. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Scholz had to have his arm twisted to untether Germany from Russia.
    2
  4944. The "expert" is talking nonsense. Russia wouldn't hack the system and send the information to Russia. You would send it to Europe, download it onto a DVD and pass it to the Kremlin in a diplomatic bag.
    2
  4945. China is a totalitarian corrupt one-party state. It has built internment camps for 1 million people in Xinjiang and had only recently stopped the practice of harvesting human organs from prisoners. The West should unite against China.
    2
  4946.  @mrobserver474  Correct. Remember "Storming the Fence" ? The corrupt old Palestinian men encourage teenagers to get themselves shot. One international cyclist had his leg amputated. Meanwhile, Abbas build himself a $3 million mansion : then when he is exposed for corruption, he donates the building for civic use. LOL they are shameless.
    2
  4947. Gosh, I hope there isn't a collision : Macron & Erdoğan are travelling at Mach speed to promote themselves, I do hope they don't collide.
    2
  4948. I've been doing that since day 1, you dunce. If you are outdoors and 2m apart the chance of infection is zilch.
    2
  4949. Biden "A small incursion will incur small sanctions" Biden "I don't want WW3" (That was in Feb 2022 BEFORE Putin made any threats ! )
    2
  4950. 2:45 "end up in one of the Paddy vans" I believe that expression comes from New York (1930s) The Irish drunks being arrested on a weekend was such a regular routine the vans became known as "Paddy wagons"
    2
  4951.  @davidvpn9619  , Putin is a KGB/FSB thug. When Putin was deputy mayor of St Petersburg he was part of a group who stole $98 million. The Police investigated it and couldn't find the money. Putin has been a crook for decades.
    2
  4952. France v UK USA and Australia. Well, the French fought then in North Africa when they landed to oust the Nazis. The French fought them again in Indochina when the French sided with the japanese. So there is some unfortunate history for France. If it kicked off in the Pacific one could easily imagine France remaining neutral or even siding with China.
    2
  4953. "We have been waiting for a year" Yes so. What else could Iran do. They are waiting for EU help because Iran is helpless. They are now playing the only card they have left the 2 of Trumps. (When the US have played the Ace of Spades) LOL
    2
  4954. That thumbnail LOL Putin doesn't really want a hug.
    2
  4955. Shame on India.
    2
  4956. In depth analysis : I couldn't even look away to have a bite of toast.
    2
  4957. Interesting theatricality.
    2
  4958. Optimism is natural when a conflict ends. But let us not be carried away :- a) Palestinian leadership is in a shambles with no election in 15yrs. Hamas are designated terrorists by the EU and US. Hamas also have few friends in the Middle East (that count). b) Biden has invested nothing : he hasn't even chosen an ambassador. He sent a deputy assistant to negotiate, and is hardly motivated to invest political capital in the "Palestinian issue". c) Israel is also leaderless. Netanyahu's key support are hardliners, so he won't budge. Where is the breakthrough supposed to come from ?
    2
  4959. LOL 0:33 he didn't want to talk 2:08 she didn't want to talk. China : what a surveillance nightmare : nobody dare talk. Nobody dare criticise the CCP who rule the country like Chicago gangsters. Nobody dare mention corruption for fear of arrest and having their organs harvested. China : what a $hithole.
    2
  4960. Meanwhile the millionaire corrupt gangsters in the CCP can literally get away with murder. Axis of Evil :- China , North Korea, Iran, Russia etc etc
    2
  4961. Thanks, I'll try find that Most Ministers are speaking to the gallery (their own hot heads)
    2
  4962. "Sacrilege" is normally pronounced with a soft "a", as in sack. Not a hard "a" as in sacred.
    2
  4963. Well done Trump. Biden would be in China's pocket now - handing away American jobs.
    2
  4964.  @TheDrAstrov  The Crimean War :- There was only one aristocrat in the Charge of the Light Brigade (Lord Cardigan) he was accused of cowardice, because, though he charged at the Russian guns, he turned round immediately and rode back. So no aristos were killed. Russia had to accept the neutralisation of the Black Sea (1856) : that meant they could have no warships in the Black Sea. Their entire policy from that date was based upon reversing the Treaty of Paris (1856). They finally managed it (1870) : the price Russia paid was allowing Prussia to defeat France and unite into Germany.
    2
  4965.  @muslimresponse103  Thank for replying. Which claim is the problem ? I do wish folks would be more specific, I'd be happy to give chapter and verse - just specify which point you disagree with.
    2
  4966.  @mohammedzakari5561  In 1922 Jerusalem was a small dirty town, Damascus was a large wealthy city. Jerusalem was NOT an administrative centre - there were no governors there it was of much less significance than Haifa or Acre. "Nationalism" is a 19th century European invention If you had asked a 1922 Palestinian "Are you a nationalist ?" He wouldn't have understood the concept. In the Caliphate all land was owned by the Sultan who was "Our Lord on Earth" Israeli Jews were European - they knew about Garibaldi, 1789, Bismarck etc
    2
  4967. Well done Ukraine
    2
  4968. SG is at his best on Pakistan
    2
  4969. Even Italy has supplied weapons. Finally Germany has found a moral compass.
    2
  4970. 3:00 "A lot more people wearing sneakers" It takes a local to know what that implies. Very good luck to the people.
    2
  4971. Frank, who can forget the Guinness share-trading fraud : it turned out most of the directors who had previously been running the company and fully supported at AGMs were now unfit to stand trial. Of course Harley Street doctors testified that was true.
    2
  4972.  @sankalp6872  "Did Ukraine come to our aid ?" Nobody is asking India for troops. Just a moral condemnation. (India's moral compass seems to be faulty) India should remember that future generations will look back on their disgraceful neutrality.
    2
  4973. Brussels and brave don't mix.
    2
  4974.  @annaredding  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  4975. Maduro hasn't lost any weight. And his 2000 corrupt generals look healthy.
    2
  4976. Oh, what a shame. The Saudis had invested a lot of money in that chap.
    2
  4977. A very good point. But we mustn't forget that Al Jazeera are owned by Qatar, who fund Hamas to the tune of $20 million per month. So they are hardly innocent players.
    2
  4978. Spain Prime Minister Rajoy is leader of the People's Party. The PP were formed by Franco's minister Farga who was a committed fascist. Madrid adopted a veneer of democracy to join the European Union but underneath there is a powerful belief in fascism. The Nazi salute has not been outlawed in Spain. Many supporters of the PP can be seen giving the fascist salute as the Police headed to crush democracy in Catalonia. They were shouting,"Go get them".
    2
  4979. Anyone who says Fatah is not corrupt I would challenge to attend a Fatah meeting and suggest KPMG audit their accounts. They would be dragged outside and beaten. But because the Palestinians have been conditioned like Pavlov's dog they would still support Fatah from their hospital bed
    2
  4980. Move the godamn banner you CNN corporate-advertising-@ssholes.
    2
  4981. Very good...... a corruption sharing agreement. Cabinet positions will be allocated (and a slice of the budget).
    2
  4982. Wise words. Historically, Poland was ruined 400yrs ago by the Jesuits. (Jesuit policy was to control the nobles through education and take control for the Counter reformation. The peasants didn't count and were actually pagan for centuries.)
    2
  4983. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
    2
  4984. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    2
  4985. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    2
  4986. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    2
  4987. South Africans attend court wearing football scarves South African newspapers celebrate them as heroes This is a pantomime to put South Africa on the world stage Research "Political assassinations" : the ANC turns a blind eye to 485 killings of its opponents in the townships The ANC is a corrupt murderous regime
    2
  4988. She is very good at analysing Russia
    2
  4989. Draghi hasn't got it to give. There will be no easing of sanctions.
    2
  4990. I'm not so sure. Imagine a terror group had launched rockets at France, then Al-Jazeera (who fund the terror group to the tune of $20 million per month) start producing provocative videos to stir up more trouble. I think the French might react by detaining the journalist.
    2
  4991.  @barron975  LOL I'm sure Russia have some strengths. General Suvorov was famous for many victories : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers said he ate "cattle-cake" and drank vodka, surrounded by filth. Suvorov's maxim was "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad". In other words he was a barbarian, who could whip the peasants into a frenzied savage attack. Nothing has changed : the Russian army is still essentially medieval.
    2
  4992. Taliban celebrations will be held in football stadiums. Executions and torture. (It's the only enjoyment they get - oh, and " forced marriage" )
    2
  4993. Those Rambos look like a sorry bunch of losers. They probably imagines something like "Wild Geese". Instead they were arrested, duffed up, and paraded for the media. Now Columbia has to start answering questions.
    2
  4994. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  4995. Russia's strategy is terrible : based on emotion and desperation 15 Nov Bali Kyiv 10 point peace plan - Kremlin "Ukraine is legally and factually refusing to negotiate". Missiles followed. Short term - it has no impact on the war Long term - Russia is now a terrorist state
    2
  4996. Russian Security Council :- Chairman - Putin Deputy Chairman - Medvedev Secretary - Patrushev That is the pecking order.
    2
  4997. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  4998. Day 12 and Modi is still dancing on eggshells, trying not to displease his master (Putin)
    2
  4999. NATO needs AI robots to stalk Russians back to their lair, then enter Russian trenches and kill everything that moves.
    2
  5000. LOL : when the War Veterans turned the farms into brothels it was goodbye to farming.
    2
  5001. The Guernica factor. Russian atrocities in Ukraine will have a dramatic affect on public opinion. Although Germany is currently disinclined to sanctions, public revulsion will demand maximum sanctions. Russia will be an isolated pariah for the next generation.
    2
  5002. "Turning point in history" ? Then why did Germany block weapons to Ukraine if n February ? a) RAF flight blocked b) Estonia howitzer transfer blocked c) direct sales blocked
    2
  5003. Hillary has been a liar her whole life. The NYT described her as a congenital liar. She started being corrupt back in Arkansas with the $100,000 "cattle deal" she has been corrupt ever since (and probably before then). Why do people defend a corrupt liar ?
    2
  5004. What are the facts ? Well the copper plant might be poisoning the water or maybe opposition politicians are spreading lies. Either is possible. There are no independent trustworthy institutions in India. Education is the answer. And honest independent institutions.
    2
  5005.  @RICKY-RIKON  "In the 60s and 70s Lebanon was another thing " LOL there was no Hezbollah in the government then. Lebanon was governed by Conservatives (business people). Hezbollah thrive on violence and chaos : that is their strongest suit. Hezbollah aren't capitalist business folk : they are fascist Islamists.
    2
  5006. Wow they got them both. The second guy keeps walking like the proverbial chicken, then falls over. I wonder what killed the second guy - for him to keep walking like that ?
    2
  5007. Iran : pity the Iranian people oppressed by rabid Ayatollahs. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 i his first year : more than the Shah had executed in his whole life. Khomeini, when he landed at Tehran from Paris, was asked what he would do with democrats , " I'll Kick their teeth in ", replied that unholy evil man.
    2
  5008. Let me give you a tip : listen to Trump then think " What would be best for the US ?" Never take Trump at his word. Always think 'what's in it for him'.
    2
  5009.  @janblackman6204  , I've read the story :- It was a Russian ship whose crew were unpaid, it made an unscheduled stop at Beirut and had the cargo impounded before sinking. The captain said, "I'm only surprised it didn't sink sooner". The captain then added "They should have used the fertilizer on their fields and had some lovely crops, instead of an explosion".
    2
  5010. France wants trade deals with Iran France always thinks of France They always put French interests first Israel comes way down the list
    2
  5011. Why not turn to yourselves ? Why not demand democracy ? The Palestinians allowed Arafat to rule for 40yrs as a corrupt dictator (stealing $3billion dollars). They then allow Hamas to abolish democracy in Gaza. They allow corrupt Fatah to suspend democracy in the West Bank and they never demand that Fatah be audited to see how all the money is distributed.
    2
  5012. She is WOKE - it is a religious stupidity Graham Greene : "Innocence is a form of insanity" Lunatic Liberals believe in the goodness of human nature like a religion They think everyone is like them : they have a naive stupidity
    2
  5013. You are throwing the baby out with the bath-water, by including Britain in that list.
    2
  5014.  @TheLocalLt  You are both right and wrong :- The people of Rwanda are responsible, but culture takes centuries to establish, and fifty years is nothing. The impact of Belgium was atrocious. Unlike Britain, Belgium contributed nothing. The impact of Belgium is entirely negative.
    2
  5015. I'm only slightly wiser for watching that. What exactly are they investigating - how the accusation were handled, whether the accusers were encouraged or whether evidence was withheld/mishandled. There is a suggestion Sturgeon was liaising with Salmond, and the Scottish government were certainly generous in reimbursing his legal costs (£500,000), but Salmond appears to feel ill-used. I'm no wiser.
    2
  5016. Why is Russian TV revolting ? The presenters are grotesque, the content lacks humour and humanity : they have no class. The Soviets were the same - barking out rhetoric. One isn't allowed to say they lack civilization, one will have one's comment removed. But they certainly deserve the moniker 'Orcs'.
    2
  5017. Cuomo lost it ! Cuomo made a jackass of himself The producer told Cuomo to "Cool it" Cuomo ended the interview like a chided child
    2
  5018. The Arab sates NEVER backed Palestine. It was claimed by Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Only after 3 wars and 3 defeats did they reluctantly back a Palestinian state. 1948 war 1967 sic day war 1974 yom kippur war (ends September) 1974 (November) the Arabs recognise Palestine. What took them so long ? Well they wanted the land for a greater Egypt (or Jordan or Syria ) none of them recognised Palestine as a state.
    2
  5019. For anyone watching in the Middle East this must be confusing. Let me explain :- In civilized countries democratic leaders, when they've lost the confidence of their party and/or the people will often resign or call a general election. To people accustomed only to despots this might be confusing but it's how civilized parliamentary democracy works.
    2
  5020. ​ @anfrac3700  A fair point. But Boris was PM, and NATO strategy was decided many months ago, so his statement does validate my hypothesis.
    2
  5021. It is extraordinary to only have one murder because most people accept the town must be £$%&ing nuts , so you would expect those whack-jobs to be committing more homicides than ordinary folk.
    2
  5022. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  5023. "Isn't far from reality" And yet The Axis of Evil is reality. China really are imprisoning hundreds of thousands in Xinjiang, Russia really have imprisoned, poisoned and assassinated opposition leaders.
    2
  5024.  @ZIGZAG12345  "More than 3 million Uyghurs are detained in concentration camps because of their ethnic identity. Millions more are literal slaves in factories across China." "USA has 2.3 million prisoners" China owns to 1.7 million prisoners + the genocide in Xinjiang = 4.7 million China are the winners, and their neighbours and their own citizens are the losers. China are the premier Axis of Evil country.
    2
  5025.  @autumnsword8450  No I haven't. But we have folk in England who hate the West so much they appear to be in bed with China, Russia, Iran and any Islamist group going. We quite like them : they're our clowns. Jeremy Corbyn is a good example - during the election campaign a Scottish chap shouted ," Who's the first terrorist you'll invite to Downing Street Mr. Corbyn ?" It occasioned much mirth.
    2
  5026. The Russian mafia.
    2
  5027. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    2
  5028. 125 yr old ? According to legend. He is probably about 79.
    2
  5029. Palestinians who are planning or plotting against Israel Palestinians who support Hamas
    2
  5030. Hamas out Israelis in
    2
  5031.  @uslimov  This is the history of European autocracy :- a) In 1815 (Vienna Congress) the Holy alliance, headed by Russia, agreed to suppress any call for democracy. b) In 1830 Russia mobilized to suppress revolts in Spain, Italy Belgium etc c) In 1848 Russia mobilized again and invaded Hungary and Prussia. d) Russia invaded Hungary again in 1954 e) Russia invaded Czechoslovakia. f) 2004 Russia invaded Georgia g) 2014 Russia invaded Ukraine. Queen Victoria was a very prescient, wide lady.
    2
  5032.  @johnjarou2357  You haven't disputed the evidence ! a) You have seen the video - hostages being taken by Hamas into hospitals b) Hamas command post beneath UNRWA office, with power cables going through the floor c) Al Jazeera reporter Muhammad Wishah photo in Hamas garb with weapons
    2
  5033. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran etc = Axis of Evil countries.
    2
  5034. Representing the US at the Olympics in philandering would be JFK who bedded a different woman each week he was President. His younger brother Ted would compete in the Culpable Homicide event (he drove his mistress into a river then fled the scene with alerting the emergency services to rescue the lady).
    2
  5035. His two questions are easily answered :- a) The Industrial revolution accounts for the 14 fold increase in prosperity b) The disparity between nations is simply their ability to harness "a)" Those nations which were stagnant - China , India, Africa were left behind. Even Catholic southern Europe - Spain was medieval, eastern Europe still had serfdom.
    2
  5036. 1:30 "There is a lot of irony and sarcasm even in Russian information space" LOL Even the Russians can see it is hopeless. They are shaking their heads and mocking the Kremlin.
    2
  5037.  @jahservantgad9042  Peace will come, when Russia is defeated on the battlefield.
    2
  5038. Techworld, let's put things in perspective , he's killed one man in Turkey but 100s of thousands in Yemen. Russia has assassinated more people abroad than the Saudis and China kills more of its own people everyday. So let's not exaggerate.
    2
  5039. The Ayatollah dreams about the 12th Imam who will arrive with Armageddon. That is why Iran are rushing to develop nukes.
    2
  5040. Well said. AUKUS is a treaty, "no limits" are simply nonsense words : they aren't wort tuppence.
    2
  5041. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    2
  5042. She's Hillary lite.
    2
  5043. Yo yo, you are misinformed : the missile was fired 4hrs AFTER the purge began. I'll repeat that :- News of the purge came out. Then 4 HOURS later the missile was fired. I'll repeat it again. The missile was fired as a result of the purge, to add to the confusion or to discredit the Crown Prince's war in Yemen. Whatever the reason THE MISSILE CAME AFTER THE PURGE STARTED !
    2
  5044. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    2
  5045. Certainly China would have liked Hillary to be President. Hillary was a liar and corrupt and the Chinese admire that.
    2
  5046. Egypt & Sicily were the bread-baskets of the Mediterranean. One can imagine Egyptian farming being very antiquated. Rising food prices, would've been an issue the Muslim Brotherhood jumped on. But they have all been arrested and are no longer a political force. I'm not sure there is an opposition in Egypt.
    2
  5047. Al Russia's neighbours fear the Kremlin despots.
    2
  5048. Michael, you are accusing the Russian state of killing its own citizens simply for political convenience. Next you will be telling me they dumped radioactive waste into a river people drank from even simply for convenience. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyshtym_disaster
    2
  5049. 2:50 that looks like a good democracy (not) It looks more like a banana republic (i.e. a $hithole country).
    2
  5050. Germany has vetoed heavy weapons to Ukraine. Shame on Scholz. Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately : the German gov. prevented it, saying they couldn't be delivered in time - but they never even inspected them. Germany (and France) are trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia.
    2
  5051. Merkel : she created a safe haven for Islamists in Europe.
    2
  5052. LOL that was the mother load.
    2
  5053.  Muhammad abdallah said  , you are right I've never been there but those economics statistics are accurate. Also, I doubt you know how Iranians feel even if you live there. Cliques tend to mix with their own milieu. So if you are fanatical Muslim you know how those sort think but nobody who opposes you will voice an opinion for fear you inform on them to the state Police.
    2
  5054.  Muhammad abdallah said  , yes I'm the same : I've read many books on Iran. Did you know when Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with the democrats in the Shah's parliament and replied, "I'll kick their teeth in " ?
    2
  5055.  @mistergeopolitics4456  Oh boy oh boy you are living in a dream :-" after 2 years of recession Iran is supposed to bounce back with 6% growth". I'm trying not to laugh. How do you arrive at 6% growth from an economy in a 3.5% decline ? " The impact of the sanctions are really being exaggerated" really ? With inflation at 50% it's hard to imagine the people are fine and dandy. With the new total ban on oil sales inflation will only increase, the economy can only shrink, and the people can only suffer. I acknowledge there is no starvation but hyper-inflation is deadly and has serious consequences (look at Venezuela)
    2
  5056. These young people are a credit to China : articulate, principled and courageous. What does the CCP want ? Automatons under 24hr surveillance ? A Vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  5057. Eric, you are so right. Fox news has the most brain dead viewers of any Media. Look at the imbecile's comments. They are ill-informed, historically ignorant, uneducated morons. No wonder the USA ranks 34th in world education tables.
    2
  5058. Hamas & Hezbollah are teacher-decapitating barbarians. There is no civilized country in the world that would want them as neighbours.
    2
  5059.  @MTLmunchies  , you don't know much history. Arafat's party 'Fatah' are still in power. What has changed ? Change in what the Palestinians need. Are you saying stone-throwing Intifadas are a good strategy ? Are you saying governance by corrupt, incompetent old men, presiding over a one-party-state is a good thing ? Change is exactly what is needed - and a free democratic election !
    2
  5060. Guterres never mentions hostages - he is 100% pro-Hamas
    2
  5061.  @shah-zj1tt  The very fact a tiny country held Russia to a standstill, then pushed them back, was a considerable victory. The Estonian President said, "We remember what occupation by Russia was like in the 1950s, all the beatings, rapes, and imprisonment". Russians never change. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  5062. Omar, the audio has been listen to by many people who have reported what is on it. It hasn't actually been released. I've never heard it. I'm reporting what those who have heard it said.
    2
  5063. Bad Goy, I'm no expert but those who know say it is unlikely it was his watch. It is more likely Turkish intelligence used the watch to explain how they had a complete recording without admitting to having bugged the embassy.
    2
  5064. David, it is very common to bug both friends and adversaries but it is equally common to not admit it. The Vatican is bugged, the UN is bugged but governments are reluctant to acknowledge it and would prefer to claim the information came from elsewhere......as Turkey are doing.
    2
  5065. If she gets it through Parliament it will be because they were watching a snowball fight in Hades.
    2
  5066. Oh, I thought Iran said the US have to do this quickly. The Ayatollah's economy is on its knees and Blinken is blinking-well dragging his feet. He said he want's to consult all the folks in the region - Saudis, Israel et al. and of course the EU. The EU operate at a glacial pace so don't expect any news this year.
    2
  5067. Marvellous. A very brave performance.
    2
  5068.  @pubg3188  why should modi have to condemned Russia ? Because Putin has invaded a democratic neighbour and described them as unelected Nazis. Putin is clearly mad. Even Erdoğan has stated :"WE find the invasion unacceptable and reject it". Yet Modi remains silent. Shame on India. Future generations will have to live with the disgrace. This is the defining event of the 21st century and India are with the Axis of Evil.
    2
  5069. 1:30 "Calibrated" LOL He had to add that to atone for Biden's gaff. Biden said, "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Blinken redrafted that as "Anything short of a military invasion" Which is clearly not what Biden said. LOL the Whitehouse are jumping through hoops to patch up the mess made by Biden.
    2
  5070. Any restrictions placed on advanced science in the West will be violated by China and Russia and every other rogue state. Take AI for example : you often hear liberal idiots say it should be restricted, but that wouldn't apply to Russia and China : it just means the west falls behind.
    2
  5071. Turkey, Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" India finds Turkey teaching them how to use a moral compass.
    2
  5072.  @suhailbhat1996  That is true in a sense. It was the secular PLO that established nationalism as the future for Palestine. The failure of the union between Egypt and Syria (1958-1961) merely helped reinforce the Palestinian premise that Arab unity should not be considered the main vehicle. The PLO was formed in 1964. Fatah also declared that ‘revolutionary armed struggle’ was by far the most effective means to liberate Palestine. Arafat blew (stole) $3 billion in 35yrs, and left nothing to show for it. He was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month (France has the bank records). What are Arafat's successes : One historian said, "Arafat never missed the opportunity to miss an opportunity".
    2
  5073.  @suhailbhat1996  Also, don't (favourably) compare Arafat with Ataturk. They were both secular nationalists, but Ataturk always put Turkey first, Arafat always put himself first. Ataturk left very little in his will (his sister got something, and his wife, but there was no fortune). Yasser Arafat was worth hundreds of millions.
    2
  5074. Pakistan is cutting off its nose in spite of bankruptcy.
    2
  5075. Someone has been left off the gravy-train. Paramilitary organisations have one thing in common : a love of cash.
    2
  5076. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    2
  5077. Brad, Trump knows what he's doing LOL, the hell he does. You must be an affable half-wit. I don't know where to start.........oh. Trump just doesn't know what he's doing c'mon, his own Sec State said, "He's an effing moron".
    2
  5078.  @billy6pack887  Also, the invasion of Ukraine would be a Slavic Civil War, for which Putin would never be forgiven.
    2
  5079. Trump said, " The US and Pakistan are getting on better now we've stopped the $1.3 billion subsidy than we were when we were giving them it ". That's because nobody had any respect for Obama. The Iranians demanded £1.8 billion in cash ! They had to fly plane loads of it from all over the world. Imagine a US President bending over backwards to facilitate an Islamofascist dictatorship.....weak weak weak.
    2
  5080. More lies ! "500 trucks daily" was the number normally delivered Most of that was consumer goods - food and essentials were 120 per day Al Jazeera always lies
    2
  5081. 1978 when the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he would do with secular activists, trade unionists and feminists who had overthrown the Shah : he said, "I will kick their teeth in ". That is how Iran became an Islamofascist state.
    2
  5082. Ain't that the truth. His cell in the Hague will be like a 3 star hotel.
    2
  5083.  @JustMe-uc8wj  "Trolling ?" No. I've been lambasting the EU for years and felt I should give credit where it's due.
    2
  5084. Mearsheimer = a despicable traitor
    2
  5085. Shame on Labour - unable to stand up to Islamist threats Mr Speaker must resign !
    2
  5086. rajesh, there aren't any trolls with historical knowledge. Trolls are morons ; what I'm talking about is history. I notice you haven't denied Yaser Arafat stole $3 billion. You haven't denied Fatah are corrupt. You don't deny Hamas are anti-democratic Islamofascist thugs.
    2
  5087. France24 should NOT promote this The guy was mentally ill You could be prosecuted if someone parrots his senseless death thanks to France24 glorification
    2
  5088. The problem : Israel needs the Golan Heights and Jordan Heights Without them Israel is easily defeated Israel can NEVER hand over either to their neighbours/enemies The C21st will be one of crisis : climate crisis, economic crisis, water shortage Israel will need FULL security
    2
  5089. History :- when has the Spanish government ever been reliable ? Ever since Philip II went bankrupt 5 times, Philip III devalued so often folk would hide gold and silver coins and live by barter. In 1700 when the last Habsburg - the disabled Charles II died, Spain had to appeal to France for "Jam makers". They manufactured nothing. Which is how the Bourbons took over. Spain's prospects barely improved : a century old civil war between Republicans and Carlists segued into military dictatorship, with corruption running rampant the whole time. Given all this, why would anyone trust the Spanish government with their entire family life savings ?
    2
  5090. UN resolution : Hamas refuses to "release hostages unconditionally" Hamas fails to comply with the UN resolution If Hamas release ALL hostages the war ends
    2
  5091.  @r1learner178  Very well said, and very accurate. Britain acquired the Asciento in 1713 as part of the treaty of Utrecht, which is when the slave trade rocketed. Slavery was abolished , as you say, in 1807 and anti-slavery became a driving force in the British parliament. At every conference of Europe (post 1815) Britain always raised the issue of abolition of slavery. In the 1890s Britain was spending £100k a tear on six cruisers to patrol East Africa and stop the Arab slave trade. Slavery has always existed : in the 10thC Dublin had the largest slave market in Western Europe. Slaves were sent over from Anglo-Saxon England : chroniclers describe their plight - saying one would weep to see the young girls, victims of the depravity of their owners. Britain was the last in and first out.
    2
  5092. 0:20 The guy in the tweed jacket looks dangerous He had elbow patches, showing he was ready for some rough-n-tumble The coup army ? Think of the Nutcracker Suite and you've got the picture
    2
  5093. LOL The Ayatollah certainly knows how to win friends. Attack merchant tankers, shoot down US drone and make nuclear bombs. Meanwhile the Iranian people simply want a good economy and freedom. They'd like to be shut of the rabid fanatics : the Ayatollah , Hezbollah and Revolutionary Guard.
    2
  5094. The DNC knows it is going to be a propaganda war around Biden. Everything this fool says can be said about demented Biden.
    2
  5095. This Pakistan march strikes fear in the West It strengthens Western support for Israel The West fears Islamism We pity Israel being surrounded by folk who want to exterminate them
    2
  5096. This lady is 100% FSB Ukraine intelligence warned everyone a long time ago. When she 'fled' to the west the first thing she did was call for "An end to sanctions". Saying it hurt the Russian people and didn't affect the regime.
    2
  5097. Not a machine gunner. (I made the same mistake, and someone corrected me) It's a grenade launcher.
    2
  5098. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    2
  5099. How sad for the Palestinians of Gaza. Historically they have had nothing but terrible leadership. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. Fatah rule in the West Bank like feudal lords Driving luxury SUVs : they are a law unto themselves. Hamas are totalitarian fascists who encourage young people to show their loyalty and patriotism by becoming martyrs. The irony being that young Palestinians and Israelis want exactly the same things : a peaceful, prosperous , fulfilling life. In an environment of democracy , independent justice and a free media. (None of the last 3 have ever been supplied by Palestinian authorities to their own people)
    2
  5100. Antonio, well observed. There is a lot of ignorance. Rajoy could have solved this months ago. The use of brutal force was a huge mistake.
    2
  5101. Cicero, your polemic is a credit to you and your namesake. Catalonia are asking for dialogue that's all. They held a referendum which gave a 90% vote for independence. There's nothing in the constitution says you can't hold a referendum. The Spanish Police beat, kicked, dragged girls by the hair, sexually assaulted girls, threw old ladies down steps and stomped on people. I think that makes the blood on Spain's hands. Rajoy is a paper tiger. He can't take control of Mossos (he tried it once and failed Oct 1st) .He can't order fresh elections nobody will take any notice. He has no power in Catalonia that's why Madrid are"using 155 as a scalpel not an axe". You've got to laugh LOL they don't have an axe ! Madrid can't use violence . Merkel's EU Commissioner has already said Spain are "Planning Civil War". That was a broadside at Rajoy telling him to negotiate. The solution is negotiation and a Statute of Autonomy similar to Basque's.
    2
  5102. Of course they will change the backstop. A hard border is desired by neither London, Dublin nor Brussels. So what if 200million euros id filched in border crossing ; the EU gives Ireland 1.2 billion euros so just make it 1billion. Mark my word this is nonsense. Sir Ivan Rogers said this is a good deal for the EU. They will not sit and watch a hard Brexit when they've negotiated a good deal for the EU. The EU will "cave" at the 11th hour. (Of course it's only a faux cave because they have just what they want).
    2
  5103. Hong Kong intelligence ? Surely you mean China ? OH, I forgot - Macron is big friends with China, so France 24 pushes pro-China propaganda
    2
  5104.  @klowen7778  Historically, I can't remember an event where Germany has done the right thing. They pulled out of the Alliance against Napoleon and cut their own deal ~(1797) Then were slaughtered at Jenna (1806) Only the Tsar's religious attachment to divine monarchy (Tilsit 1807) saved them. The rest of the 19th century is German opportunism. The 20th century the same.
    2
  5105. Why is Latin America authoritarian (Military Dictatorships in abundance) whilst North America is democratic ? The answer lies in 500yrs of history. North American settlers came from Northern Europe which was protestant and in the case of Britain the founder of Parliamentary Democracy. South and Central America were settled by authoritarian Catholics and despotic Monarchs. Philip II ordered all Olive trees to be destroyed in one colony because olive oil was exported to America from Spain. The Jesuits ran the civil service, education, etc, and enforced Draconian censorship. The wealthiest person in any region would be the governor who was an idle aristocrat. The wealthiest institution would be the Catholic Church. North America had representative Protestant Churches (elected councils), representative governance (democracy), freedom of speech and education. The wealthiest person in a region might be associated with oil or railways or farming or industry. In the north there wasn't a bone-idle aristocrat to be found. Nor was there a super-wealthy authoritarian church. In 1700 when militarism became fashionable in Europe : for the first time Royalty would be seen in uniform....... I''l let you finish this for homework. (Obviously the Latin Americans go all in for militarism it appeals to their authoritarianism.)
    2
  5106. Well done You present a convincing argument for Trump to take action
    2
  5107.  @alis.3899  , have you done no research ? lazy mug. The fire was started by welders on a roof. Everyone accepts that. The warehouse stored fireworks you can see them going off (use your fricking eyes). The building became a furness and at a critical temp the ammonium nitrate detonates.
    2
  5108.  @jprivet5601  I'm assuming you are being sarcastic, and simply saying it is what you would expect from Germany.
    2
  5109.  @gerhardvanderpoll7378  Piracy like slavery is prehistoric. As long as hominids have traversed water they have attacked one another. Boer war : good point. What you don't mention is that half the British parliament opposed the war. British people were free to oppose it and speak out against it. When did that ever happen in Germany or Napoleonic France ? The massacre of Indians was also condemned in parliament, as was the Irish football stadium massacre - enquiries were held into both, and perpetrators were sanctioned (albeit lightly) When was there any justice under Stalin or Saddam or Mao ?
    2
  5110. Honestly this is dreadful : Shirvan is well out of his depth. 1:40 "It was an indirect conflict for global supremacy" It certainly wasn't. The USSR were invited to take part in the Marshal Plan (but refused). The Cold War was stumbled into. Anyone that has read the history knows that. Immediately after the war Eisenhower slashed defence spending (look at a graph) and 'one factor' in the origin of the Cold War was the overstating of Soviet capability (to justify an exponential increase in the defence budget). There are man other factors : it's complicated . Read a good book by a recognised historian. But this synopsis by Shirvan is not accurate.
    2
  5111.  @mosesracal6758  , my point is that I've read about the origins of the Cold War (eg Postwar by Tony Judt) Shirvan is just winging it. 1:50 "The Cold War never switched to the Hot War, one can assume the later would have involved the thermonuclear annihilation..." This is just patter. There are no facts or analysis or observations just patter.
    2
  5112.  @Alex_Plante  , Wow, that's what I call good analysis. If you wrote that without consulting notes good on yer. Clearly someone who is au-fait with postwar history. My area of expertise is "Early Modern" you're welcome to criticise :- 30yrs war Spain's swan song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3wy7XbYkvA&t=1s
    2
  5113. The big picture Roy, is a clash between Western Civilization and Asiatic Autocracy. Putin and President Xi are Asiatic Autocrats : Ukraine and Taiwan are identical power grabs. The Caliphate was an example of Asiatic Autocracy, it is fundamentally opposed to Western Civilization. While ever the Palestinians back Hamas and Hezbollah, they will never find a friend in the West. Look at the history : Arafat rules as a despot for 40yrs and steals $3 billion. He was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month. The Palestinians need a democracy first, then look for supporters in the West.
    2
  5114.  @Mrjffjjfhfucuc  NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    2
  5115. Jay, they never backed them in the first place ! Egypt, Syria and Jordan ALL claimed Palestine. They didn't want a Palestinian state. The first recognition of Palestine came after two catastrophic wars Six day war, Yom Kippur. Just a month after a second catastrophic defeat Egypt recognised Palestine. I don't know why folk don't know this.
    2
  5116. Hospital blast :- Justin Bronk senior research fellow RUSI “If this is the extent of the damage then I’d say an airstrike looks less likely than a rocket failure causing an explosion and fuel fire,” Al Jazeera video shows a rocket rising from Gaza, exploding in midair & falling
    2
  5117. Iran are trying to pressure John Kerry into revealing more top-secret intelligence. Good Luck. They will probably succeed.
    2
  5118. Lloyd Austin and Blinken have recognised Ukraine's victory. They are talking about "Supplying Ukraine with weapons to avoid and future invasions" Even the Kremlin know they have lost : they have called a ceasefire in Mariupol, and Putin has asked the UN to call for a ceasefire. Russia is desperate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmthcGDaLxM
    2
  5119.  @errormatrix4159  You may be correct. But Russia is transporting (by rail) missile launchers from the East, and are increasing tanks, artillery and planes, whilst Ukraine suffers a German embargo. Who does that benefit ? It appears to benefit Russo-German relations.
    2
  5120. You are a cynic Blinken is trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat I'd like to see Bill Burns do that
    2
  5121. Very well done, not to ruin the whole thing for folk who haven't seen it. Bravo.
    2
  5122. The WHO isolated Ebola in Africa. With Covid19 they allowed it to spread so as not to cripple China's economy. It has been a successful policy..........for China.
    2
  5123. Compare Putin & Franz Joseph (1914) Austria went to war in 1914 to suppress Serb independence Because without Serbia, Austria would be unbearably diminished Putin believes without Ukraine, Russia would be unbearably diminished. So Russia went to war in 2022
    2
  5124. What happened to MH17 ? Russia supplied the drunken rebels with a BUK missiles and the drunken Russian tugs shot down a passenger plane. There has been a full enquiry with photographic evidence, documenting the BUK missile transport. Moscow deny everything. The Pope described Moscow as "Infantile". Putin doesn't even attempt to be civilized or rational.
    2
  5125. Here is some comedy for you..... Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  5126. China promotes surveillance techniques for autocrats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8WAIFatAqw And climate protestors want to cripple the West. China and Russia are laughing in their hats.
    2
  5127. Ha ha ha. As if the superstitious bungled and botched have anything to contribute.
    2
  5128. History (brief) :- In 1947 Pakistan was 90% illiterate. The peasants listened only to their Imam. The politicians had to pander to the Imams to deliver them the vote. Jinnah wanted a secular state like Britain. He had been educated there and loved the country. Unfortunately the religious crackpots were an irresistible force.
    2
  5129.  @irfanshan2373  , nonsense ! How does Britain apply ANY Islamic laws. We do have a Pakistani MP Keith Vaz who suggested a blasphemy law for the UK, but the UK has no time for religious crackpots like Mr Vaz. Britain gave the world parliamentary democracy, an independent judiciary and free press. Those are the things Jinnah wanted. Jinnah did not want powerful crackpot Imams to ruin the country.
    2
  5130. lorena, I don't know as much as you , I admit, but this is what I do know :- When Franco died all the fascists stayed in power : the Judges, Police, Civil servants. There was a pseudo democracy sitting atop a fascist state. Today, the only fascists I know of are the ones you see on Youtube. Apropos Germany :- Belgium didn't arrest Puigdemont , niether did Denmark and I'm speculating that the reason germany did is because of an historical bond they have. Remember it was Germany that established Franco's 35yr rule.
    2
  5131. Alexander, you are quite wrong. There was no "Truth & Reconciliation Committee" like in S Africa. What happened was the criminals of the fascist dictatorship stayed in power. All institutions are self-perpetuating :- Take the Metropolitan Police : if they were racist in 1960 and 1970 and 1980 then they are very likely to be racist in 1990. Spain were fascist in 1960 and 1970 and 1980 and without a wholesale clear-out of the existing establishment are very likely to be fascist in 1990 and 2000 and 2010 etc. Institutions replicate themselves by promoting people who share their opinions and values.
    2
  5132. Please use Harpoon missiles to sink the Russian Black Sea fleet. Those ships are irreplaceable. They represent Kremlin power in the Middle East.
    2
  5133. Russia supporting anti-democratic, corrupt dictators. The Axis of Evil.
    2
  5134. What a lot of superstitious nonsense
    2
  5135.  @erfanrahmati964  , I've read a biography of Mohammed Massadegh. The Shah was overthrown by a conglomeration of opposition, not just the Ayatollah's supporters. There were Socialists, Communists, Trad-Unionists etc. After the revolution all the Ayatollah's opponents ended up in his torture camps : read "The executioners deserve medals".
    2
  5136.  @mohammadsabah8619  , Yes Modi is (or appeals to) Hindu nationalism. That clown costume he wears...I doubt he would ever put it on if it weren't to get votes. But the subject is Pakistan : the founders, Jinnah etc , wanted a secular parliamentary Pakistan , based on the British model. ( Jinnah was educated in Britain.) But the politicians needed votes and the fanatical clerics could deliver. (they had thousands of illiterate followers). The end result was a religious fanaticism that has poisoned Pakistan for 70yrs.
    2
  5137. The history of civilization teaches us that established religious bodies always side with authority. I wonder what the Buddhists are saying ? A quick Google shows I'm right :- 'I shall reign with righteousness': Thailand crowns king in ornate ceremonies. BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Saturday completed Buddhist and Brahmin rituals to symbolically transform him into a living god as the Southeast Asian nation crowned its first monarch in nearly seven decades. The Buddhists are propping him up as a god.
    2
  5138. Any man that uses the "F" word in front of his wife and daughter to impress the media will never be President.
    2
  5139.  @casteretpollux  China is currently expanding its military at an unprecedented rate. That is why Australia (and others) are responding. A conflict with China in the 21st century is almost inevitable. And I'll bet France remains neutral.
    2
  5140. Had the Catalonia referendum taken place in Scotland : it would have been seen as a political problem and dealt with in a political way (eg look at Ireland - given subsidised water rates and £1 billion from the Tories etc). Spain have always displayed "idegestible extremism". So they use brutal, fascist police thugs to beat people and then imprison politicians for organising a democratic vote. It is simple extremism. Spain have always had it. It has been the ruin of them.
    2
  5141. @N Fels I didn't know much about Amess, my brother said he supported animal rights, so I mentioned it to garner the chap some sympathy. Dead Tories don't instantly inspire sympathy : that's why I mentioned animal rights - something most sentient people can equate to.
    2
  5142.  @Augfordpdoggie  , too true. Also, Donna Brazil admitted everything....once she had a book to sell. Apparently the DNC was in debt and totally funded by the corrupt Clintons. Oooh, there were some despicable folk in the DNC. But why didn't Bernie use a euphemism like "poor judgement" to mean lying or crooked behaviour ? When Hillary challenged him he could say , "You showed poor judgement......" then list her lies and crookedness. But for crying out loud don't just shrug !
    2
  5143. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
    2
  5144. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "Nuclear neutrality" Europe cannot rely on France France will capitulate and collaborate every time (Vichy is just below the surface)
    2
  5145. In the 19th century the Papal States were the most oppressive and backwards in Europe. There was no freedom of speech and the Pope had more political prisoners (per capita) than any other dictatorship. No education other than Catholic (like sharia law in Islamist countries) No human rights or civil rights. A complete dictatorship until the Italian State took control and forced the Pope's hand.
    2
  5146. South Africa is a one-party state. Just like Russia, Egypt, Zimbabwe etc All one-party states are corrupt. There has never been one that wasn't.
    2
  5147. What needs to happen :- a) Palestinians get proper representation. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs,stole $3billion and achieved nothing. Fatah have ruled as dictators for 70yrs. Palestinians need free and fair elections. b) Israel must make concessions : as they did in 1947 and 2000 when they offered a 2 state solution. c) Palestinians and Israelis both want (what we all want) security and an independent judiciary and Police, opportunity for jobs and education, free elections and freedom of speech. Religion doesn't come into it.
    2
  5148. 0:26 An escape capsule LOL The poor Orcs are being immolated.
    2
  5149. 21:24 CET: Polish radio station PolskieRadio24 reports: "A witness to the event, who called Polish Radio 3 before 5:00 p.m., reported that two rockets flew over the village. - One exploded in the field, the other hit the corn cart next to my neighbors in Przewodów - he said."
    2
  5150. D.MD , be careful I think the joke is on you haha. As if S Korea are calling the shots when N Korea are threatening the US with multiple war-head ICBMs. Do you honestly think Moon is determining policy ? You're in a dream world.
    2
  5151. All politicians in this era are 2nd rate. Raab is no exception and maybe this performance is 3rd rate.
    2
  5152.  Din Joekhannaz  , a fair point. But "bite the sanction " ? It's done that and its economy has crashed. That's why it is threatening to increase enrichment. It is desperate. Iran is clutching at EU help. Iran is on its knees. Next year will be 10 times worse and the year after that 100 times worse. It is exponential decay for Iran. "Biting the sanction" is NOT an option.
    2
  5153. How much shame do India feel. India "abstained" at the UN : giving Moscow a nod & wink of appproval. Shame on India.
    2
  5154.  @winterfell2650  Germany will always prioritize itself. Culturally, Germany traded its principles for success in 1848 : the revolutionaries offered to forgo democratic principles in return for nationalist expansion. The same occurred again in 1866 (they absolved Bismarck of unconstitutional tax collection) The same Faustian pact was made with Wilhelm II and Hitler : success for the nation in exchange for abandoning all principles. Germany has always been like this.
    2
  5155. Hamas is employed by the WHO, UNRWA etc Israel has to identify Hamas terrorists who have infiltrated these organisations Well done Israel
    2
  5156. There is no light at the end of the tunnel for Iran......... just economic collapse followed by regime collapse.
    2
  5157. Poor analysis. Trump wants Sessions to resign, he won't fire him, it would draw too much heat..
    2
  5158. Palestinians are moving from the West Bank to Jerusalem. Very few Israeli Palestinians are leaving. Statistics say Palestinians are moving to Israel. For democracy and the rule of law, as opposed to corruption and a judiciary tied to Fatah.
    2
  5159.  @Syakirin57  , well I agree. This whole episode has been a disaster for Israel. The only good news for Israel were the Hamas rockets. As long as Hamas fire Iranian rockets, Israel can justify all their actions.
    2
  5160. Because the dictator who has been in power since 1994 is Russia's man. Only recently has there been popular pushback against Russia and Lukashenko has jumped on this bandwagon ; hence his attempt to smear his rival as being promoted by Russia. (There's more but I'm having my breakfast).
    2
  5161. I've watched to 6.41 and I'd like to say :- When you hypothesise an infantry war of attrition in which Israel lose (a correct deduction) then it is reasonable to discard the hypothesis and try another. Instead Shirvan keeps running with the ball because he has his eye on a touchdown. A touchdown that is based on a floored hypothesis.
    2
  5162. Because Palestinians have "no law" in their own regions :- a) Hamas never face justice if they 'accidentally' kill their own people. There is no legal inquiry. b) Fatah can kill anyone who questions their corruption. There is no law for Palestinians. That is why dissident Palestinians try to live in Israel.
    2
  5163.  @Kropbot  I sympathise with the Palestinians. I'm trying to explain why there is no support from the West. The West are horrified by Hamas, and disgusted at Fatah. 16 Fatah policemen just beat a Palestinian to death because he was campaigning against corruption. And you expect help from the West ?
    2
  5164. They are the luckiest people to have a job in that court : the Judges (dozens for each case) work 3hrs a day and are paid a fortune. All expenses are paid. It's a fantastic gravy-train.
    2
  5165. On 13 Oct Macron waved the white flag to Russia "If Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region France will be neutral" Why ? 13 Oct NATO Brussels : discuss nuclear response Macron panicked with fear 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington signs joint nuclear response Why did France surrender ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" French greatness began in C18th with Louis XIV France led the world : militarily, Enlightenment, architecture, literature; French was spoken from Madrid to Moscow France had the shock of 1789, but accompanied by military greatness, republican leadership and world changing ideas. In spite of defeat it confirmed France's conviction that it led the world. 200yrs of humiliation and failure has left France bereft of principles and courage.
    2
  5166.  @ptonpc  Poor old Biden, his mind is for the knackers yard.
    2
  5167. UNRWA worker jokes and laughs about capturing a Jewish sex slave He is a Palestinian UNRWA worker teaching in an elementary school It is quite sickening
    2
  5168. The Poker table :- a) Erdogan has hardly any chips but manages to survive round after round. b) Putin has hidden his chips, but the MOD said, "They have a dwindling stockpile" c) Zelensky is being bank-rolled by the USA and has essentially limitless chips. d) the EU have had to leave the table - the doctors said it was too much for their nerves.
    2
  5169. Julie ,I agree, such a small bomb 200g but enough to get him back in the news as Russia's defender. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_apartment_bombings
    2
  5170. Well done to "The Print" for publicising these incidents.
    2
  5171. Mohammed , Palestinians need democracy. Why are they a one-party state ? Yaser Arafat ruled like a dictator for 40yrs with his own secret police who beat or killed any Palestinian critics. Arafat also looted $3billion from the people. Fatah have continued the practice. If you don't believe me go to a meeting and ask about corruption, you will be dragged outside and beaten.
    2
  5172. Resist, I agree Hamas won that election because they were sick of Fatah corruption. Abbas won an election in 2005 to be President for 4 yrs and he's still there how do you account for that ? The money that flows in from Saudi : no wonder politicians drive round in luxury SUVs.
    2
  5173. Those pilots are as soft as marsh-mallows. Fire one Stinger missile and take down one plane and the rest will refuse to fly. You'll have $5 billion worth of hardware just sitting there.
    2
  5174. Well if you can trace the $3 billion Yaser Arafat stole it would be a start. At one stage he was sending $1 million a month to his wife in Paris. How much are Hamas and Fatah filching ? You'll never know because there is no accountability (or democracy).
    2
  5175. Great news. However, I expect the profits will feed corruption. And mismanagement will reduce the benefits to a fraction of their worth. A few will get extremely rich and the people will be lucky to break even.
    2
  5176. Modi will never understand this. Estonia and Latvia have principles. India has no principles and will happily fraternise with the Axis of Evil.
    2
  5177.  @FrancisXLord  LOL I usually have 8 books on the go (library) and highly recommend :- a) AJP Taylor The course of German history. b) Kenneth Clarke Civilization. c) Melvin Bragg :Roots of English (I read that twice) d) Hillary Mantel : The mirror and the light. e) Age of Expansion : Hugh Trevor-Roper f) Spain a people betrayed : Paul Preston (very depressing)
    2
  5178.  @FrancisXLord  Frank Zappa's apothegm : "So many books, so little time"
    2
  5179. Zimbabwe was the bread basket of Africa. Ruined by Mugabe and corruption, and despotism
    2
  5180. This phase is "Degradation" : to wear Russia down. "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    2
  5181. This funeral is an allegory for the Ayatollah's fanatical rule in Iran. Shia ideology anticipates the arrival of the 12th Imam after Armageddon. The Ayatollah's job is to bring about Armageddon : that's why they have a nuclear program. Any deaths encountered on the way are simply martyrdoms ....the 40 folk killed at this funeral simply go to Paradise. There is no reasoning with fanatical Islam.
    2
  5182. Drone defence was switched OFF Because a US drone was returning
    2
  5183. Who brings a bone-saw to a fist fight ?
    2
  5184.  @houseofwisdomchannel1268  "Does the civilized world also stand with Palestinians ?" The answer is maybe. First the Palestinians must find themselves a democratic leader - something like a Nelson Mandela, maybe an inspirational woman leader. Palestinians must dump Hamas. The entire world detests fascist extremist Islam. Palestinians must have an election : it's not much to ask, considering how much cash they receive from the EU and US.
    2
  5185.  @mahirop5743  , thanks : nice to hear from someone who knows their stuff.
    2
  5186. Trump will be furious at this display
    2
  5187. Good debate - "Let's talk again" Pity that can't happen in the Muslim world
    2
  5188. Turkey - they're not shy about taking charge LOL
    2
  5189. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    2
  5190. "Young worshippers" = stone throwers Nice Euphemism
    2
  5191. .....and for their corruption and anti-democratic violence.
    2
  5192. Voting, yes, in faux elections. Protesting, no : Iranian police snipers shoot protestors. Such drastic action is required because the Ayatollah's regime is hated in Iran.
    2
  5193. 7.08 that looks right cosy at the back of the field gun : sheltered on 3 sides with a roof. I could imagine getting tucked in there with a flask and some biscuits.
    2
  5194. Western Civilization is relying on long term demographics : Russia's population is shrinking (along with its GDP) By the end of this century there will be no threat to humanity from the Orcs.
    2
  5195. Tell Modi. He is still supporting Putin.
    2
  5196. Does anyone remember Erdogan saying he was going to take Afrin from the Yanks ? I said at he time it would never happen. Does anyone remember Trump saying he was pulling the troops out ? I said at the time it wouldn't happen ? So now we've established I'm an expert what do I predict :- Whoever controls the oil-fields (east of the Euphrates) controls Syria's economic rebuilding and future. At the moment that is the Yanks and Kurds. They will be calling the shots.
    2
  5197.  @meilinchan7314  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  5198. Look at the state of the Iranian port. All that oil money and it looks like a scrap yard. What has Iran been doing with the oil money ? It's a long story of supreme incompetence and corruption (Shah), followed by savage fanaticism and ill-informed, irrational religious ignorance.(Ayatollah)
    2
  5199.  @amey24xxx33  , oh bless you, where do you learn that argument , in college ? "Why has it anything to do with anyone else ?" Well, because they are not going to use nuclear weapons on internal dissidents, they have torture camps enough for those people. The Ayatollah has repeatedly said he intends to exterminate Israel. It isn't "their internal matter".
    2
  5200. LOL roll out the limousines and get the five star accommodation ready. This is a networking event to facilitate corruption. Remember when African leaders all had a chest full of medals ; they thought it gave them status. Now they get status from private jets and villas in Monte Carlo.
    2
  5201. "How dare the UN not condemn Hamas murder & rape ?"
    2
  5202. Is anyone curious how it started ? I seem to be the only one who knows :- Hamas, gave Israel an ultimatum to stand down its forces at Al-Aqsa by 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). At one minute past Hamas fired rockets into Israel. The start of the conflict.
    2
  5203. " A stop to the fighting is the only way forward". Just as Houthi drones finally have Saudi refineries in their focus.
    2
  5204.  @AB-sr9mc  I think 60% of India's defence spending goes on pensions, healthcare and wages for their personnel. That money should be spent on nuclear submarines. PS India's aircraft carrier INS Vakaris is simply a bullseye waiting for a Chinese missile.
    2
  5205. Biden with a desk full of folders reaches first for Ukraine : why ? Because his son is getting the big pay-off. It's like Hillary's $600,000 speech : it's legal but crooked.
    2
  5206. How do folk do business in China ? Are there translators , what are the laws, do you have to use Chinese lawyers ? It's a minefield. But still : Joe Biden never asks his son how it went . His son bagged $1 billion for a hedge-fund and never says "Things went great" It is totally unbelievable. Biden simply has to be a liar.
    2
  5207. Liars ! Al Jazeera and Hamas lies ! "Exchange all the prisoners" is wrong The UN said, "Unconditional release of ALL hostages" Of course Al Jazeera simply broadcast lies
    2
  5208. Who is talking please ? Is it NATO, is it Joe Biden, who is talking ? It's AUKUS - so you'd better start paying attention.
    2
  5209. I wonder if the Argentinian Pope could help. For one thing h could stop the Catholic Church collecting money from impoverished citizens and sending it to the Vatican where the Cardinals stuff themselves like gluttons.
    2
  5210. Well done Poland. Thank Merkel. EU folks think there are no consequences to their ludicrous liberalism.
    2
  5211. It began on Monday 10th May at 6:01 pm when Hamas fired the first rockets. Israel had ignored the 6pm Hamas deadline to remove all forces from Al-Aqsa.
    2
  5212. The Russians are getting knocked from pillar to post The Orcs that survive will make good stuntmen : they could go into the movies.
    2
  5213. However, the freeze reportedly does not apply to military aid for Ukraine. This clarification came from Oleksandr Kovalenko, director of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD).
    2
  5214.  @stephen6452  No need ! Boris is going cap-in-hand to Europe as I write. Extending Visas and a cordial welcome to any foreigner big-hearted enough to help us out.
    2
  5215. "Push the border back just moves it somewhere else" Wrong Not if you push them into Sinai Hamas then becomes Egypt's problem
    2
  5216. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  5217. A couple of thousand mercenaries in Afghanistan could have tipped the scales.
    2
  5218. Berkay, there is truth in what you say. But Erdogan is only intelligent regarding Turkish opinion ; he has isolated himself internationally and is a pariah. International support is important and the Kurds have got that. Remember Erdogan's thugs beating protestors in Washington, the U.S. were appalled (and the civilized world was appalled) Everyone views Erdogan as a dictator thug.
    2
  5219. Mugabe's "War Veterans" didn't want to work farms.......they wanted somewhere to get drunk and money to pay for liquor and hookers.
    2
  5220. IDF reveals: Al Jazeera journalist by day, Hamas commander by night There is overwhelming photographic evidence Muhammed Wishah - a Hamas commander, also an Al Jazeera reporter Well done Israel for exposing the truth !
    2
  5221. PS If Al Jazeera removes this comment I shall report them to YouTube as propagandists for Hamas
    2
  5222. Trudeau supported "shutting the city down" in India (by farmers). Trudeau's chickens are coming home to roost.
    2
  5223.  @senomaganu2723  "Currency reserves" ? What does that mean = they have printed lots of roubles. Every Russian with any wealth (and sense) has put their money overseas. That's probably why Russia's central bank has such an abundance of roubles LOL
    2
  5224. The news just keeps getting better Hezbollah is being dismantled
    2
  5225. Abbas was elected in 2005 for a 4yr term.......how is he still President ? Well, let's talk about corruption : Fatah are utterly corrupt, Hamas are a bunch of fascists. Everyone is happy with the situation because it could be worse : you could have another yaser Arafat , he looted $3billion from the Palestinians and turned down the 2 state solution at Camp David (Clinton and Barak). One historian said "Arafat never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity."
    2
  5226. LOL "EU says No sanctions" . Iran is already up to its neck in quicksand. What would be the point of more sanctions ? Obviously there's no need for more sanctions : the Ayatollah is sinking. The Theocracy is going down. Goodbye Dictatorship , hello Democracy.
    2
  5227. "We have been waiting for a year" Yes so. What else could Iran do. They are waiting for EU help because Iran is helpless. They are now playing the only card they have left the 2 of Trumps. (When the US have played the Ace of Spades) LOL
    2
  5228. Liars ! Al Jazeera are saying this because the hostages looked like camp survivors
    2
  5229. The Kim, mmmm, I think you might be wrong. MBS is going over the Wahabi heads and appealing to young folk. (of which there are many in Saudi) I think the Royal Family (ie MBS) is winning and Islam is losing. The new city NEOM will have western laws : that must tell you something.
    2
  5230. What is the connection between this story and Netanyahu's wife being prosecuted ? Answer. It shows Israel to be a civilized democracy that hold authority to account. Now look at Iran : a fanatical theocratic dictatorship. And you're happy for them to have nuclear weapons. Shame on you.
    2
  5231. He is special. This one is out of the top-drawer. "They all have a little smile on their face because they can't believe they've gotten away with it so long".
    2
  5232.  @ronnel7855  Russia is the invading nation, butchering civilians. The Russian negotiating tactic is to humiliate your opponents and try to elicit an emotional response. The Russians are contemptible.
    2
  5233.  @ronnel7855  " he doesn't wanted to kill civilian " I think you are trying to convince yourself.
    2
  5234. Israel IS holding Hamas to account : that's what they're doing in Gaza
    2
  5235. End Times :- the new Testament is unequivocal on this , it is to happen withing the lifetime of those listening, ie within a generation. Here we are 2000yrs later still waiting. Conclusion : it is all bullshit.
    2
  5236. @CryptoReview101 Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    2
  5237. The Pakistanis are laughing in their hats at the Taliban victory. Painting Pakistan as a victim fools nobody. Everyone knows Pakistan wanted the Taliban to succeed.
    2
  5238. Hamas abducted babies They filmed themselves with Jewish babies Good propaganda by Al Jazeera
    2
  5239. Hostages = camp survivors
    2
  5240. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    2
  5241. If you are looking to the China model for growth don't saddle yourself with $trillions of debt. Anyone can grow at 6% if you are borrowing $4 for every dollar of growth.
    2
  5242. Turkey supports Hamas launching incendiary balloons, then ends up with gigantic wildfires. What an incredible irony.
    2
  5243. The Ayatollah (liar) denied shooting down a passenger plane..... until mobile phone footage was posted online showing the Iranian missiles.
    2
  5244. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    2
  5245. Well done Western Democracy. Shame on India.
    2
  5246.  Joost FF  " Ansar-e-Hezbollah began attacking students, kicking down doors and smashing through halls, grabbing female students by the hair and setting fire to rooms. Several students were thrown off of third story balconies "onto pavement below, their bones crushed," and one student paralyzed."
    2
  5247. Nagorno-Karabakh showcased drones. Yet not a single Russian factory opened to produce them. All the Russian elite saved their cash for casinos and whorehouses. If they wanted Ukraine, why not invest some of their own cash in it ? Because they wanted it on the cheap, and when it went wrong tried a cheap bluff. They are cheapskate crooks. Their nuclear bluff is transparent tosh.
    2
  5248. What do you expect from France : they fought with the nazis in N Africa and with the Japanese in Indochina. Then when the Japanese were defeated they marched into Saigon to regain their colony. Members of the French Resistance were denied promotion the the Police on the grounds they might be Communist ; so fascist Vichy collaborators got all the top jobs. Every French President post=war had been a collaborator.
    2
  5249.  @viaceslavmikhailovich9825  "An estimated 38 to 42 percent of all Kazakhs died, the highest percentage of any ethnic group killed by the Soviet famine of 1932–1933. Other sources state that as many as 2.0 to 2.3 million died." I wonder whether they knew they had 'the right to leave the Soviet Union' ? They should've asked Stalin. Then taken a one-way trip to the Gulags.
    2
  5250. LOL Ronan is Irish, he hates the British and has done since the day he was born. "There's going to be no renegotiation", says a delighted Ronan. Based on what ? The EU has always left it until the 11th hour before making any deals why should this be different. They are desperate for the 38billion because EU rules state they cannot borrow to fund a budget deficit. That means Germany has to pay, on top of which German exports will face a tariff. That double whammy will go down well with the German people who are already disillusioned with the arrival of 1million Muslims. And what's the sticking point ? A termination date for the backstop.  If you think the EU is going to sink its own ship over that principle you have got be an idiot.
    2
  5251. Hamas use mosques, schools, camps, hospitals It is common knowledge Hamas started the war but provide nothing for their citizens "UN should provide shelters" said Hamas spokesman
    2
  5252.  @Eirikr83  And probably cheaper than the Russian method of mass artillery which misses almost every time. Also, one only needs a few shells, whereas the Russians need truck loads.
    2
  5253.  @nehorlavazapalka  Correct. Even a "perfectly ranged" shell will almost certainly miss by a few metres. These bullseyes are guided.
    2
  5254. China is supporting the coup. Russia (& China) are vetoing the UN condemnation. Always expect the Axis of Evil to oppose democracy.
    2
  5255. World Cup & Olympics : money well spent ? Temer and 2/3 of the politicians are totally corrupt and will try to give themselves an amnesty. Meanwhile the country goes to the dogs.
    2
  5256. Corbyn supports every Islamist group going. Corbyn rejects British Intelligence findings and suggests the Kremlin be given samples and join the investigation into their own Novichock poisonings. Corbyn is anti-Semitic. He's ignorant of history and naive in geopolitics , and totally unqualified to be prime Minister.
    2
  5257. All civilians must move south - northern Gaza is a war zone Hamas must be cleared from northern Gaza
    2
  5258. Biden said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats" Germany is a disgrace. I wish the west could simply dump that "ally". Ilya Ponomarev makes a great observation about how nicely Putin protects his own health - with the quarantine length table.
    2
  5259. Does "tremendous successes" = "Humiliate Russia" ? Macron warned Ukraine not to do this ! After the Bucha atrocities, one wonders how Macron found the perfidy.
    2
  5260. This is the 3rd Al[Jazeera I've watched on Yemen and not understood. Did you know a diagram is worth a 1000 words. I've half a mind to download this and add some diagrams then repost it to make it comprehensible.
    2
  5261. Heap opprobrium on Trump by all means : he deserves it. But I tell you what, there isn't a nation in the world is going to push against the US . Trump retaliates against minor things ; on the geopolitical stage he's a dangerous man and other countries are very wary.
    2
  5262. Egypt banned Palestinian immigration in 1952 Nobody wants Palestinians - they are trouble cf Jordan coup Sep 1970, then kicked out of Lebanon
    2
  5263.  @alicethegreat3742  Correct Rome used the name "Palestine" to infuriate the Jews after their uprising- 135 CE, after stamping out the province of Judea There is no Arabic word for "nation state" In the Caliphate all land was owned by the sultan who was "Our Lord on earth" Europe introduced land ownership as part of the Tanzimat 1840 reforms (to encourage Ottoman economy so they could pay their debts)
    2
  5264. This century (with golbal warming etc) could be extremely volatile Eg :- Jordan has a ciivilised king and is no threat Given the chance Jordanians would elect a Hamas II Muslim Brotherhood One must always consider Jordan as a "potential" enemy - in 10-50 years The idea that Jordanians could simply manoeuvre to Jerusalem to launch an attack is nonsensical
    2
  5265. Hamas has "toughened their demands" because of UN support The UN support Hamas, so Hamas now demands more concessions for hostage release Well done UN (supporters of terrorism) Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  5266. 14 Palestinian policemen beat Nizar Banat to death : they have all been released.
    2
  5267. Curious that nobody raised a point of order over Bill Clinton's rapes. And nobody ever asked the Home Secretary for a statement on Hillary's crookedness.
    2
  5268. Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
    2
  5269. Celebrations by Hamas in Gaza Hamas have failure written all over them. They are the Muslim brotherhood......the ones who were deposed in Egypt. They strike fear into Jordan and the Gulf states, and are branded a terrorist organization by the EU and US. Why chose Hamas ? The Palestinians have been failing for 70yrs, and now place their hopes in Hamas : it's a tragedy.
    2
  5270. Latest News : the Russian cruiser Moskva has rolled over and sunk. India has a Russian rust-bucket, INS Vikrant. In any conflict, China would sink it on the first day. Modi has allied himself with a loser. The 21st century is about technology, not Russian medieval barbarism.
    2
  5271. It does vary, but everyone agrees the Ayatollah is an old fanatic ruling through his thugs in the IRGC. The IRGC were the ones posing as police snipers and killing protestors.
    2
  5272. Barbarians
    2
  5273. Free Palestine from the tyranny of Fatah and Hamas :- both corrupt and anti-democratic. Ever since Yasser Arafat ruled for 40yrs as a dictator and stole $ 3 billion (he was sending his wife in Paris $1 miilion per month) the Palestinians have been denied a voice. Have free and fair elections and allow women to play a role !
    2
  5274. Axis of Evil : China, Russia, N Korea Iran etc etc Ask yourself this : would China prefer a civilian democracy in , say , Sudan or corrupt generals ? Obviously corrupt generals : the CCP know who to bribe and can do business. That is the China agenda........corruption, dictatorship, anti-democracy , anti-human rights. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  5275. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  5276. 3:1 is the statistical ratio of Attack to Defence. Ukraine has acknowledged over 3000 casualties ; therefore it is reasonable to assume 9000 Russian casualties. Can Russia conceal the casualties ? Putin has already confessed to the Russian people that he lied about not using conscripts. Can Putin keep lying about casualties ?
    2
  5277. There is a tremendous amount of historical confusion/ignorance. In simple terms :- a) for 400yrs all land was owned by the Sultan, who allocated parts to his vassals (feudalism) in return for military service. b) after the Tanzimat reforms ~1840, and the constitution imposed by Europe 1876 the Caliphate began to parcel out land titles. Many corrupt governors registered land in their own name or in the name of family or cronies. This was then legally sold to purchasers. c) Many/most Palestinians were illiterate (the result of the Caliphate banning printing in 1515) They didn't know what a land title was and even if they possessed one they often sold it. d) The caliphate collapsed in 1922 (the Sultan fled in a British ambulance) and the last Caliph jumped on a train to Switzerland with £2k. e) The British were appointed with the Palestinian Mandate, and they in turn appointed a Grand Mufti in Jerusalem. He became the leader of the Palestinians and sought to make Palestine a part of Syria. f) Later it was decided to make Palestine part of the Arab League, with the capital at Cairo. g) Only in 1988 did Palestine declare independence. h) The Israeli court recognises legal land title, which many Palestinians don't possess. Venezuela A similar issue occurred around 1895. When Venezuela claimed large parts of British Guiana. The United States adjudicated, and the British insisted that residency for 60yrs should constitute title.
    2
  5278. India may have made a good choice with the French Raphael Australia is having nothing but trouble with its F-35s
    2
  5279. N Korea has already intimated it wants to gradually denuclearise as sanctions are lifted (and blatantly broken by China and Russia ; which is what they have both agreed in private discussions) It will end with N Korea being destroyed with a targeted first strike by the US. I've been saying this for months.
    2
  5280.  @grzegorzzientek8223  At the Treaty of Paris (1856) everyone said "The Russians will never accept neutralization of the Black Sea. What happened ? The Russians removed all their warships from the Black Sea. Russia is no stranger to humiliation.
    2
  5281. Oman is utterly corrupt : they could have mentioned that. Also, there is no justice for people in Oman : anyone connected with government can swindle or assault without prosecution. Why not mention that ?
    2
  5282. Why not Community Service ? He could teach a master-class in corruption for other African leaders. Not that they need it.
    2
  5283. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    2
  5284. Don't call for justice. In Africa there is none. Only corruption, incompetence and dictatorship. Look at South Africa's ANC : 188 political assassinations. Nobody dare stand against the ANC in the townships........ they are worse than Hamas and Fatah in Palestine.
    2
  5285. Great analysis
    2
  5286.  @vulgarisopinio  If that is true, then why did the Kremlin go ballistic when Ukraine used ONE drone to destroy an unmanned artillery position (that had been placed on the Ukraine side of the Dunbas line ? Why did the Kremlin go crazy ? Go back and look at the news on RT : they went berserk. Why ? Because drones, missiles, guided bombs, scare the hell out of Russia - which depends upon old style infantry.
    2
  5287. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
    2
  5288.  @Macario_Sakay  Thanks for your comment Ibn Khaldun ~1400 was a Caliphate historian who had no interest in Europe Islam has never been interested in infidels That's why the Muslim world fell so far behind (the sick man of Europe) Your comment shows the Muslim attitude is unchanged
    2
  5289. Macron was speaking to Putin on the phone : the Russian president then expressed the situation by referencing a joke about raping Sleeping Beauty. It rhymes in Russian. Putin was comparing Ukraine to Sleeping Beauty, explaining how he was metaphorically about to "rape" her. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' Macron was horrified. The tape transcript was leaked. The Whitehouse were asked what they thought of Putin's joke. Which they tactfully side-stepped. Putin is a KGB thug. The KGB headquarters is the Lubyanka. It is a torture camp where victims were interrogated before being sent to the Gulags. The KGB used many techniques to break-down prisoners : humour was one of them.
    2
  5290. The most shocking scenes. Israel has lost the plot : this is a display of fascism. It has set back Israel 50yrs. This is a poisonous display of violence and thuggery, which will take some recovering from.
    2
  5291. The terrible truth : The Russian people know their army is responsible for atrocities, and they don't care.
    2
  5292. Venezuela will be coming online this year. Iran too will come online. By November, oil will be well below $100.
    2
  5293. "China is a family" Yeah, that harvests the organs of some of its cousins. What bull$hit. The CCP is frightened to death of the people. They know they have no legitimacy. The number one priority for all regional governors , ahead of economic growth, is social stability : no social unrest. That's the priority because that's what they fear most. Family my @ss.
    2
  5294. Yaser Arafat stole $3000,000,000 yes that's $3billion . Has anyone traced it ? Because that would help the Palestinian people. The Palestinian Authority are totally corrupt and never account for where the money goes that they receive from Gulf States. Let the people have elections. Abbas has been President for 9yrs but was only elected to serve 4yrs.
    2
  5295. 22:00 why interrupt him ? When he's giving the best analysis on the long term future of Israel/Palestine Incredible !
    2
  5296. All those sentiments are laudable ......but Iraq is already in the jackpot ISIL, Iran , the US they all have skin in the game asking them all to leave won't help. 1:10 "he's also a nationalist" LOL that radical cleric is anything but. His only interest is power, for himself. Do you think he'd step down in the 'national' interest, never. All those mad clerics are the same, God knows why folk vote for them.
    2
  5297. Hitler : " A nation that has once yeilded to one threat, will go on yeilding". (Mein Kampf) Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Macron : "Countries should not gang up on China" France is a ntion that will go on yielding.
    2
  5298. A glimpse of the future : a) Putin : " ..if Kyiv provides guarantees" b) Grain shipping continues (Russia ignored) c) Russia is marginalised and weak d) History : Russia is appealing to Ukraine Putin is powerless, the UN and Turkey have ignored him
    2
  5299. N Korea has great opportunities for economic progress. They intend to market a range of Kim Jong-un suits : plain cut jacket with tree-trunk trousers.
    2
  5300.  fairplayall  , remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah. China use Triads to beat Hong Kong protestors the Ayatollah uses Hezbollah. It's an old trick : dictators have been using thugs for decades.
    2
  5301.  Hdye Hdhde  , Hezbollah is a totalitarian terror group. It's anti-democratic thugs have been assassinating politicians in Lebanon for decades.
    2
  5302. Just to make the TIMELINE CLEAR to everyone :- The missile was fired 4hrs AFTER the purge began. I'll repeat that :- News of the purge came out. Then 4 HOURS later the missile was fired. I'll repeat it again. The missile was fired as a result of the purge, to add to the confusion or to discredit the Crown Prince's war in Yemen. Whatever the reason THE MISSILE CAME AFTER THE PURGE STARTED !
    2
  5303.  @clavo3352  Reaper : everyone is running with the story they are going to Ukraine. "US sending reaper drones to Ukraine" I know Turkey supplied 49 Bayraktar drones. The Ukraine defence minister called them "A super-weapon" One imagines he'll be impressed with the Reaper.
    2
  5304. @The Judge , I'l have a friendly bet with you : in 40yrs time the Palestinians will still be governed by corrupt old men and will be 10x worse off with no prospects or democracy.
    2
  5305. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    2
  5306.  @Tobi-ln9xr  A fair point. But the joint monarchy began in 1867. (After the Prusso-Austria war of 1866, Austria was bankrupt and divided the monarchy and the debt). After 1848 Hungary lost its Parliament and judiciary, and was under military rule. The 1848 Revolutions were a contest between :- a) Dynastic property Based on Feudalism, with Autocratic arbitrary rule. and b) National Sovereignty : based on rational ideas human rights & national self-government. The Hungarian revolution was defeated by Russia, which wanted Autocratic rule throughout Europe. The Hungarians were denied constitutional reform and freedom, and fell under military rule.
    2
  5307. Mohd, you are quite right. But in all those countries they should have been governed by the UN until they establish institutions. That should have happened in Africa : you can't just become democratic without institutions like Guilds, Professional bodies, Educational bodies , Religious bodies. In Africa they just had tribes : that's no basis for democracy.
    2
  5308.  @Blackowl44  The laughing soldier is saying "The village must pay", he isn't saying 'The government'. The soldiers will go round and help themselves. Let me tell you a story :- When Ataturk was a lieutenant, his unit went on patrol in Syria and he wasn't allowed to go. He made an excuse and went to join them anyway. He found them raiding villages and extorting money and goods. And said to his friend (a fellow officer), "Don't touch that money is you have any self respect". That is how armies behave when there is no accountability, no authority or justice : they simply loot.
    2
  5309. 2:14 "The US would have to invade". The US will NEVER invade Iran under any circumstance. It is entirely unnecessary. It will take out Iran's infrastructure (electricity supply etc) and the Ayatollah would collapse. Shirvan's observation about US pressure is very good and his observation about what Trump wants : a more comprehensive deal.
    2
  5310. What a lot of rubbish from Wion An unsourced report regurgitating India's pusillanimous position. Yet including the Whitehouse statement that Russia must withdraw all its forces ! India does talk some rubbish.
    2
  5311. H.G. Wells said he would never drive in France, "Because the urge to run over a Catholic priest would be irresistible"
    2
  5312. Steve Bannon wipes the floor with these ' intellectuals '.
    2
  5313.  @AndyM_323YYY  Well put. Hillary Clinton said, "They can't make a success of their own country, they can only take from the achievements of their neighbours" (Referring to their looting, grain-stealing robbery)
    2
  5314. What will the history books say :- That when war started France and germany froze - like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Germany forced British planes to fly around its airspace. Macron cried, "We must not humiliate Russia" It is France & Germany that were humiliated.
    2
  5315. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    2
  5316. LOL Sri Lanka doesn't know whether to $%it or take a shave.
    2
  5317. Zubair , do you know what the tragedy of the Palestinians is ? A total failure in leadership. 40yrs of Arafat dictatorship , during which he stole $3 billion. They were offered a 2 state solution in 1947 by the UN and rejected it. Again in 200 at Camp David (Clinton) and rejected it. Zubair, your comment shows the same medieval mindset that has plagued the Palestinians for 70yrs
    2
  5318. B Kelly, you are a jack-boot licking , half-witted, self-deluded, ill-informed, bog-brained puddle-merchant.
    2
  5319. A new director............nepotism, cronyism and corruption.
    2
  5320. One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    2
  5321.  @karaipremnath6038  Well said. From the reading I've done, I think the "Potemkin Villages" is an apocryphal story. It was very likely invented to discredit Potemkin. The showpiece for Catherine the Great (d.1796) was the shipyard at Sevastopol.
    2
  5322. The Police thugs indiscriminately pepper spray protestors. The Police thugs are trying to get a violent response so they can use tear-gas and armoured vehicles.
    2
  5323.  @adrien5834  13 Oct Brussels : a NATO meeting discussed Russian nuclear threats. That evening Macron (without consultation) declared on TV that France would be neutral if Russia used nuclear weapons "in the region" 19 Oct Ben Wallace flew to Washington, where the US and UK agreed a nuclear response to Russia. 12 Dec Scholz :- "One thing has changed for the time being: Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons. In response to the international community marking a red line," The Red line was NOT marked by France It was marked by the USA and UK
    2
  5324. G7 "Support Ukraine till victory", very reassuring, well done you wealthy nations. 'God helps them that help themselves', is the motto of the G7 and they are lending financial muscle to Ukraine. Heathen, benighted Russia with an Arch-deacon who is a KGB spy, they are friendless.
    2
  5325. Mules, you never mentioned money laundering. That has been going on for years. Eric Trump said,"We get all the money we need from Russia". Trump jr said, "We don't use American banks we get our money from Russia". That is how Trump is tied to Russia.
    2
  5326.  @ARCSTREAMS  , oh boy, let me explain. Hezbollah know there was an ongoing court case over the impounded ammonia nitrate. They know the government will be castigated by an external investigation, therefore it is safe to ask for one. Do you get it ? Even though you don't want it, you can ask for it knowing it will never happen. Then you get the plaudits for asking for one, and it makes you look like an innocent party. Hezbollah control the port. That is a fact. Beirut is like gangs of New York : different factions control their own patch : and Hezbollah control the port.
    2
  5327. One moron said "There are no pictures of the ammonia nitrate, therefore it's not Hezbollah's fault", then deleted his comment. I'll reply anyway. Read the Russian captain's account of how his ship was impounded, then sank. He said the only surprise was it hadn't sunk sooner. He then added "They should've used the fertilizer for crops instead of storing a potential bomb for 6yrs". Now Hezbollah controls the port, everyone knows that, and if the ammonia nitrate wasn't moved for 6yrs it was because Hezbollah wanted it to stay there.
    2
  5328.  @GIJoe23  Who am I ? I'm the guy who has studied Iranian history. I know all about the overthrow of Muhammed Mossadegh by the UK USA and BP. I know about the Ayatollah landing in Tehran and being asked what he'd do with democrats and saying "I'll kick their teeth in". I know in the Shah's jail prisoners spoke about tedium and boredom and in the Ayatollah's jail they described terror torture and death. I know the Ayatollah executed 70000 in his first year ; more than the Shah had killed in his entire life.
    2
  5329. Hamas has certainly doomed Gaza If Hamas releases the hostages then the war ends Shame on Hamas
    2
  5330. What a terrible opening. Waffle - "There's now a demand for the strongest submarine capability". It misses everything that has gone on. The Australians approached the UK for nuclear subs. The UK handed them over to the Yanks, who reacted positively. It was then a question of dotting the i's and crossing the t's All this was settled in a side room of the G7 in July, while France (Macron) was in the next room.
    2
  5331. Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are non-starters"
    2
  5332. Those black areas are burnt out vegetation : this was huge. (Or whooge, as Bernie Sanders would say). The poor sods crossing the river wouldn't have known what to do : forward to certain death, or backwards to obliteration.
    2
  5333. Turks need to work harder - like Erdoğan's son, he's a multi-millionaire.
    2
  5334. One assumption : that the "slave debt" would've been used to build schools, bridges and infrastructure. But mightn't it have been expropriated by the ruling elite ? Wouldn't it have been spent on luxury goods, and visits to casinos ? I am certain Haiti would NOT have been one iota better off than it is today.
    2
  5335.  @Kevin-cm5kc  , have you looked at UN peace-keepers lately ? What colour helmets do they wear ? Look at any sci-fi, futurism movie and the totalitarian fascist police always dress like......well they look like.... I suppose you'd have to say French Police (Or British police or Spanish or US or etc) Don't just accept convention use your intelligence and ask why do they dress like fascist storm-troopers.
    2
  5336. Precision artillery has two components :- a) the howitzer (Panzer 2000, Caesar etc) b) the shell ( Excaliber or SMArt 155)
    2
  5337. He used the words "Political and corrupt". Never mind the DOJ you could have been talking about that lousy bunch of crooks who are all testifying to Mueller , handing over evidence against that other lousy bunch of crooks that will shortly be indicted and impeached.
    2
  5338.  @ICHope1  Exactly - there are miles long fleets of trucks waiting at Rafah EU ship carries 8 truck loads in 24hrs It's a joke Hamas must go into exile, release hostages and end the war
    2
  5339. They have that back to front : corruption comes first, then growth & jobs. Managwe "The Crocodile" will have a nice nest-egg from this deal (wink).
    2
  5340. Well written analysis.
    2
  5341. Could Iran face new sanctions ? I hope so. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. (Where do you think the opposition went : there was a huge Socialist Party which overthrew the Shah, then vanished into the Ayatollah's torture camps.)
    2
  5342. In Pakistan if you have a factory employing ten people you can expect 3 power-cits a week. Imran Khan's multi-million $ mansion has never had a power-cut. I rest my case : Pakistan is a corrupt $hithole country that is run for the wealthy. Don't get me started on Pakistan's military : the most corrupt inefficient, ungovernable, unconstitutional tyrants in the East. Every war with India was started by Pakistan : I rest my case
    2
  5343. Malaysia is a $hithole country. Go away.
    2
  5344.  @fahmifarid2793  Malaysia is a basket case and your ridiculous whining comments only serve to amplify the fact.
    2
  5345.  @aussieraver7182  . Imagine outrageous corruption and human rights abuse. Which country pops into your head ? Maybe Malaysia ?
    2
  5346. Yes. I'm with her ! It's her turn ! She's in it to win it ! She could borrow Hillary's tag lines (they're both as corrupt).
    2
  5347.  @emmittabramoff5067  , well they didn't shoot down MH17 (that was a BUK missile supplied by Russia and fired by drunken Russian separatists) they didn't poison Litvinenko or the Skirpals and they don't throw journalists out of windows or assassinate opposition politicians. That's Russia's game.
    2
  5348. Try doing some research before you comment ill-informed nonsense. Human rights activists begged Assange not to publish everything. They asked him to hand his material to other journalists so relevant information could be selected. Assange wanted all the attention : he didn't want to share anything with other journalists, so he published the whole lot. This jeopardized the lives of activists in despotic regimes. But Assange had got the attention he craved.
    2
  5349. It is pretty funny. Putin keeps sighing. The other folk all know Russia has lost. Day 133, the first day that the Russian army has failed to announce territorial gains. A turning point ?
    2
  5350.  @haydnbrewer7426  In 1940 Britain stood alone against the Nazis. Russia had made a pact with Hitler to divide Poland. (And not for the first time : see 1772, 1793, 1795) Russia has been a threat to European liberty since 1815. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  5351.  @Eli_dmitkor  When you finish your schooling, you might go to college and be allowed to read Western books : they contain proper academic well researched history : it will be an eye-opener for you.
    2
  5352.  Young Dre  LOL
    2
  5353. Thanks for that information : it's heartening to know.
    2
  5354. Vincent , you know what historians say about Arafat : "He never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity". Arafat was the worst thing that ever happened to the Palestinians. He ruled as a dictator for 40yrs then when he died it was discovered he'd stolen $3billion. Actually Arafat had to do that ; it's how he stayed in power : bribing his friends and paying-off his enemies.
    2
  5355. Birds and witches, Wow, they say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and you are giving us all a concrete example of that. Ireland became a state about 50yrs before the bombing of an Parliament member. It was debated in Parliament and the argument for Irish independence was so strong a majority of members voted in favour. There had been the Easter Rising which was a flop. But the strength of argument in favour of Irish independence won the day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Ireland_Act_1914 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Ireland_Act_1920
    2
  5356. They say the current President Temer is corrupt. I don't believe that .......he's got such an honest face.
    2
  5357. This phase of the war is to degrade Russia's army. "Russia has dwindling stockpiles of modern weapons" MOD NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    2
  5358. Russia (the gangster state) is the biggest existential threat to humanity. The Moscow mafia are much more dangerous than climate change.
    2
  5359. Macron stabbed NATO in the back, why ? Why does France dislike NATO ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    2
  5360. It is 110 miles from China to Taiwan : I'd bet my house that not a single troop ship makes it.
    2
  5361. @America First , LOL you believe he meant to say "wouldn't" when he said "would". You half-witted big dope.
    2
  5362. The Nobel Committee must have lost their minds. Abiy Ahmed has no moral compass. In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding sexual violence in war. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[130] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war” UN report :- "Nearly a quarter of reports received by one agency involve gang rape, with multiple men assaulting the victim; in some cases, women have been repeatedly raped over a period of days. Girls as young as eight are being targeted," Lowcock said. In June 2021, representatives from multiple countries called for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Abiy to be re-considered because of the war crimes committed in Tigray.[111][112] In an opinion piece, Simon Tisdall, one-time foreign editor of The Guardian, wrote that Abiy "should hand back his Nobel Peace Prize over his actions in the breakaway region".[1
    2
  5363. This is India's only strength : it is a huge consumer and producer. India is like the continent of Africa - it is huge. Geopolitically, India is hopeless. Foolish folk say, US needs India against China" That is simply nonsense. The US no more needs India than it does Africa. The US simply doesn't want India to offer Russia sanctions busting opportunities. The QUAD is a pressure group, not an alliance. AUKUS is an alliance - to defeat China by blockade. For which Australia will acquire 9 nuclear submarines (which is 9 more than India possess).
    2
  5364.  @dhanushgowda4061  The secret of India :- India’s current solitary nuclear submarine has limited endurance and missiles with a limited range. This compares poorly with China : which has ten nuclear-powered submarines, with greater endurance and long-range nuclear tipped missiles. (And India think "The US needs us against China") India would be a dead weight. In WW1 the Germans said their alliance with Austria was 'like being tethered to a corpse'. I'll let you draw the analogy.
    2
  5365.  @gwendolinkirkegaard1812  Well said, a very reassuring reply. Unfortunately you're wrong. In 1848 German liberals were defeated : they wanted a constitutional government and representation and didn't get it. What they got was a Faustian deal : if they stay out of politics the leaders (Bismarck and Kaiser) will deliver prosperity and success. Success = Schleswig Holstein (1864) Austria (1866) France (1870) Economic = decades of industrialisation with government subsidy and tariffs. Social = Unions and welfare But never were the liberals allowed to govern. Briefly a republic was forced on them after WW1, but quickly overturned. The Faustian pact is now ingrained in German culture : that is why Germany froze. It had nothing to do with fringe minorities. Germany is also following its own energy policy for the same reason - it is part of German culture to preserve economic success at all costs.
    2
  5366. LOL 0:05 look at the Qatar general , he couldn't tie his own bootlaces let alone command an army. In any Western army his rank wouldn't be corporal or private he would be the janitor that cleans the bogs. Why do you think they lose against medieval Houthi : they're not military men they are family members of the elite : soft hands, wet lips, spineless, ignorant, indolent, cowardly and cruel.
    2
  5367. Viktor Orbán was duffed-up by that handshake. Shame on the Magyar fascist, he should've been ready for that. (Defend yourself at all times, says the referee before a boxing match)
    2
  5368. Jack is looking at the thick end of 28 years
    2
  5369. 1860 Namik Kemal : Admired the British for :- "their indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
    2
  5370. Whyah, Surgeon, but there is a difference. It's to do with the power relationship and the history. It's hard to ignore the fact that blacks were transported here as slaves. Then when you look back at lynchings where whites brought their kids to make a picnic out of it (and often gang raped the woman) Then they would pose for photos to make it into a postcard to send to their friends :- https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lynching+postcard&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjf87KKlKDYAhVpJMAKHVoSDTkQ_AUICigB&biw=1024&bih=748&dpr=1.25 All this makes the use of derogatory terms towards whites, not excusable but in a different category to racist comments about blacks.
    2
  5371. Fragile masculinity ? France has room to talk Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    2
  5372. Ahmed, we're on the same side : we both want the secular Pakistan Nehru and the founders started. Tell the religious nutters who support Blasphemy laws to get lost. Tell the corrupt Generals & Military to get lost. Tell corrupt politicians to get lost.
    2
  5373. Adam Smith : "The Church was the most formidable combination ever formed.......... against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind " This is a great day for Ireland. The Church has crushed the Enlightenment in Ireland for hundreds of years but finally things are beginning to change. Let's hope some Bishops go to prison for covering up paedophile priests.
    2
  5374. "Thick covering of corruption". LOL good metaphor to accompany a thick covering of snow. But corruption eats the heart out of a nation like a beetle. Civilisation is what is needed to beat corruption : independent institutions, Judiciary, Police, freedom of press and speech. These take centuries to develop. All the corrupt countries you see today will still be corrupt when you die. It takes centuries to become civilised.
    2
  5375.  @prajwalbharambe343  When Chinese forces are attacking you with clubs at Galwan, what use are nukes ? When China builds a bridge, then defends it with troops armed with clubs, what use are nukes ? Infringements by China cannot be stopped using nukes ? So why mention them ?
    2
  5376. I'm an old timer. Ginnal is an alleyway. Urban slang gives : Ginal or Ginnal = To think up something original or have a new, cool idea that signifies independance, or to agree with or acknowledge something of someone else. Or else JInal = trickster. Zelensky is a Jin. Jin = Islamic spirit. I think it is the root of genie.
    2
  5377. Notice Al Jazeera NEVER explain the deal It's simple :- a) Hamas refuse to let the PA administer Rafah b) Hamas want NO checks on fighters returning to the north c) Hamas wants the Philadelphia corridor free from Israeli inspection so they can load up with rockets and bombs
    2
  5378.  @blah329  There are 45 million Kurds : they attended Versailles 1919 and were refused a state because they are too tribal and have never had a state Same applies to Palestine - even now they can't hold an election Fatah has ruled using thuggery (Arafat and Abbas and zero democracy) for 60 years Palestinians have been offered a 2 state solution 1947 UN and 2000 Camp David, and both times refused
    2
  5379. UN supports Hamas Guterres came out and said so
    2
  5380. A great pity Barzani (Kurdish leader) is as corrupt as Yaser Arafat and intends to become a lifelong dictator. Barzani has already murdered journalists who are critical of him.
    2
  5381. "...protracted warfare" Postwar will look like this :- Gazans in Rafa & Al Mawasi The rest of the rubble patrolled by IDF That will last for years There is no going back to pre 7 Oct status quo : those days are over !
    2
  5382. 3:25 "Is that fair , is it reasonable ?" Wow, that's a great legal case against a national-security decision. The US is sure to reverse it. Every time someone thinks national defence is unreasonable the US should always abandon it and simply leave themselves wide open to hacking. (Baldy is talking out of his @ss)
    2
  5383. I agree, but in fairness this programme is supposed to be like the BBC's 'Hard Talk' , where one gets stuck in, and the other fellow has to simply fight his corner. If the old Polish guy, let's call him "Sleepy Joe", wants to ponder upon his answers then he's in the wrong arena.
    2
  5384. Human rights ? What about Bangladesh ? " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
    2
  5385.  @avikumarirm  , good sarcasm. I thought I was good at sarcasm but I can see I've still a way to go.
    2
  5386. Sean Carroll is very un-American : he's articulate, eloquent, intelligent and likeable.
    2
  5387. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "Nuclear neutrality" Europe cannot rely on France France will capitulate and collaborate every time (Vichy is just below the surface)
    2
  5388.  @basj6352  Putin also thought the Ukraine war would be over in 3 days : the troops brought dress uniforms for a parade. That is why they had no supplies. One Russian website issued a prearranged "Thank you Putin" article to celebrate victory. So, when you say "He knew it was coming", the fact is Putin hadn't a clue what was coming : the scale and immediacy of the sanctions was a devastating shock.
    2
  5389. Russian soldier killed in action. One has to lay one's Christian principles aside, and say "Good".
    2
  5390. Zelensky has asked for 500 anti-tank, and 500 anti-aircraft missiles per day. That is an incredible ask. However, Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts ". No nation can withstand an industrial onslaught by the Yanks.
    2
  5391. Not deleted yet: I'm seeing it if that's any comfort
    2
  5392. Well said. Modi is living in the last century. India's aircraft carrier Vikramaditya : how should it be used ? Remove all hazardous material, sail it into a bay, and use it for target practice. Modi hasn't a clue about modern warfare, his head is full of cobwebs, he looks like a haunted tennis ball. India should partner with Israel, not rag & bone junkyard Russia.
    2
  5393. Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" AUKUS is a fighting alliance. Any group which includes France (and India) will never actually get stuck in. Both nations have a history of disappointing performance.
    2
  5394. "All out war" is for his domestic audience. Iran does not want war : it would take them 100yrs to recover. Their infrastructure would be worse than Syria's. They would achieve nothing. They are talking big to divert attention away from their catastrophic economy.
    2
  5395. At Bretton Woods (1944) Maynard Keynes suggested countries running a huge trade surplus should have to spend the surplus in deficit countries or face a fine. It's a bit like US grid-iron football : the bottom clubs get first choice of new star players. So, according to Keynes, Germany would run say a $100 billion surplus and would have to spend/invest that in the countries which are buying German products and running a deficit. Instead you have an ever increasing imbalance with no opportunity for the deficit nations to devalue their currency and increase their export competitiveness.
    2
  5396.  Tyler Hopkins  ". "We refuse to have our ministers appointed for us,” Hezbollah said in a statement released on September 17 that reiterated their insistence on retaining control of the Finance Ministry." What is false about that ?
    2
  5397.  @____-zs4rc  , Well you can criticise the USA all you want, but they are not the ones sitting in the Finance Ministry in Lebanon refusing to move. That's Hezbollah.
    2
  5398. The Guernica factor. Russian atrocities in Ukraine will have a dramatic affect on public opinion. Although Germany is currently disinclined to sanctions, public revulsion will demand maximum sanctions. Russia will be an isolated pariah for the next generation.
    2
  5399. I love the IRGC , they are so laughably hot-headed. They were the crackpots that attacked those tankers. Remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was the IRGC : the Ayatollah's henchmen.
    2
  5400. Marwan : Al Jazeera's senior propagandist
    2
  5401. Gas is not an issue. NATO have already sent in the hardware. The EU have given a $1.2 billion loan. Putin has egg on his face, he is like the lion from Wizard of Oz. This is all over - NATO is on a victory lap.
    2
  5402. I heard the US say, "They are finding inventive ways to use the missiles"
    2
  5403. Why is North America a success and Central and South America failures ? It's because the settlers in the North championed assemblies both religious and political. Whereas the Spanish south championed royal & religious absolutism.
    2
  5404. Isaiah Berlin wrote a great essay on Chaim Weissman. "Russian Jews were like a medieval iceberg that began to melt with enlightenment ideas." "After 1881 assassination of Alexander II pogroms started" (cf Fiddler on the Roof set in 1905) The British offered Herzl land in Uganda and he said Yes. The medieval Russian Jews wouldn't hear of anywhere but Palestine. The Russians had been living in their own isolated state (the Pale) and had the skills to reproduce that self-sufficient community. "The Zionist project could never have succeeded without the Russian Jews" I'm only half way through it. All quotes are paraphrased. PS :- The proposal (1903 Uganda idea) faced strong opposition particularly from the Russian delegation who stormed out of the meeting (6th Zionist Congress)
    2
  5405. Let me explain Afghanistan :- I'll begin with a story. In Spain ~1900 they had the El Turno Pacífico established by Antonio Cánovas del Castillo . This was a corrupt system that alternated between two governing parties (Liberals and Conservatives - modelled on Gladstone & Disraeli, but without the democracy) which both represented the landed interest "Latifunismo". The corrupt system was called Caciquismo : regional gangsters with a sub hierarchy of corrupt underlings. The similarity with Afghanistan is this :- that when Antonio Maura tried to clean the stables he couldn't get anywhere. He had to employ the bosses (caciques) and he ruled over the most corrupt system, even though he was a reformer. The history of Naples and Southern Italy is the same : total corruption, which is not part of the establishment, it is the establishment - it makes the wheels turn. Conclusion : one simply cannot rid Afghanistan of corruption. In Spain it took the fall of Franco 1975 and supervision by the EU, and Spain still isn't out of the woods.
    2
  5406. Ha ha ha, Putin the Imperial leader who took the country into default. Get that in the history books. LOL
    2
  5407. Mao Great Leap Forward = 60 million deaths. Mao Cultural Revolution = 100,000 deaths , torture and destruction of antiques. CCP = 1 million imprisoned in Xinjiang, Falun Gong organ harvesting, Tienenman Square 10k slaughtered.
    2
  5408. I don't know why. The Israelis can NEVER hand back the Golan or the West Bank heights. Artillery would be able to reach every part of Israel : it would be suicide. Did anyone actually think Israel would leave itself at the mercy of its enemies ? I'm no fan of Israel but this is common sense.
    2
  5409. Marvellous to see, how wonderful. What a shame the politicians are totally corrupt , the religious authorities are anti-democratic Islamofascists and yet the people still risk their lives to vote.
    2
  5410. "India is shaky" said Biden. Fear of China, and fear of offending Russia, force Modi to be "shaky" India is the weak-link in the QUAD Buying cheap oil from Russia, is Modi's smart move. Everything else he does stinks.
    2
  5411.  @idostuff220  Have you ever watched the western "Ride the High Country" ? That is where I got the quote from. Joel McCray delivers the line as they are sitting down for supper, with their religious-minded host.
    2
  5412. I wonder what Marx would think of a government subsidy for a communist newspaper. That ill-informed idealogue would probably have to reconfigure his risible interpretations of history.
    2
  5413. Victory for corruption and despotism Unelected corrupt Palestinian officials applaud the UN UN supports autocracy, despotism, corruption - no surprises there Half the countries are autocracies Democracy is for civilised countries
    2
  5414. Imagine an oil company said solar panels don't produce as much electricity as an oil-fired generator, everyone would be shouting , " Obviously you need 1000s of solar panels ; you're presenting misleading stats". But the BBC says tropical trees absorb more carbon than northern trees and that's taken as end-of-subject. Well plant 20% more northern trees to compensate ? NO. That's not what the BBC want. This is a propaganda piece whose aim is to make you support the BBC position :- no tropical deforestation, save habitat (stuff the developing economy) and green power in developed countries . I've never seen a more biased presentation. How the bungled & botched swallow BBC propaganda.
    2
  5415. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" That is why Putin has not destroyed Ukraine's power-grid. Putin fears confrontation with NATO That is why his Victory Day speech was so anaemic - no mobilization, no escalation, no threatening rhetoric. Putin hasn't got it to give.
    2
  5416. Zucchinna, I use those terms interchangeably. It's great that someone knows the different definitions though. Considering the whole thing has died a death it's like archaic wisdom.
    2
  5417. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    2
  5418. I'll tell you what everyone does understand :- When Trump says, "We're not playing games". It sends shivers down a few spines. If you're not one of them it's because you think his fire & fury is a bluff : it isn't.
    2
  5419. All these topics are now a footnote to the horrors in Ukraine. Well done Modi - he has reduced India to a supporting actor in the first genocide of the 21st century. It is hard to imagine greater shame for a democracy.
    2
  5420. rashida, but MBS also kills princes that try to flee to Jordan to avoid arrest. You've got to credit him for that.
    2
  5421. Ukraine now has the finest infantry in the world. Experience and professionalism are everything, coupled to NATO technology - it's a sure winner.
    2
  5422.  Dawn Of The New Evil Age  , you never addressed yourself to the Persian people living under the indignity and suffering of a theocratic dictatorship. I wonder why ? Either you are ignorant of the savage executions by the Ayatollah (7000 in the first year, killing democrats, socialists, trade-unionists etc) or maybe you support religious fanaticism yourself.
    2
  5423.  @barryc1968  I'm simply stating the Kremlin's analysis. The Allies must be on their guard that Germany has a foot in both camps. (That's why we demolished Nordstream)
    2
  5424. "Is Iran planning an attack ?" Usually accompanied by a bespectacled Ayatollah smiling ruefully
    2
  5425. Erdogan is a dictator. Turkey has no independent judiciary, no rule of law. It is heading towards Islamofascism at 100mph.
    2
  5426. I said procrastination was Rajoy's best option and that's what he's doing. Article 155 will be imposed in UNBELIEVABLY slow motion. Each item Rajoy proposes has to be sent in writing to Puigdemont and there is " no limited window of opportunity" for him to reply. Nothing will happen. Rajoy cannot take control of Mossos : he tried once and failed (Oct 1st) Rajoy cannot call fresh elections : Catalonia will ignore him.
    2
  5427.  @mohamedosman2183  50yrs ago in my school there was 1 staircase for girls and 1 staircase for boys. If this school has 15-16yr old boys and 11yr old girls, then the girls should leave 10mins before the boys. If everyone is charging out of school together it is a recipe for disaster. Let the youngest leave first.
    2
  5428. NO. Biden said "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Blinken's "Calibrated response" was to atone for the President's gaff.
    2
  5429. A range-finder, then it's go, go, go.
    2
  5430. Russia is a pathological threat to humanity. Even when the war is over, the sanctions must remain : Russia must be isolated like a virus.
    2
  5431.  @rg-sb4ez  , what did Catholicism ever do for Spain ? The Inquisition banned students from studying abroad and banned the importation of books, resulting in Spain missing out on the European Enlightenment. Spain was the last medieval country in Europe (along with the Papal States, which banned the telegraph and railway). It wasn't until 1767 when Ferdinand VI expelled the Jesuits that Spain finally woke up. The Austrians were almost as bad : Maria Theresa refused to have an Academy of Science because "It would encourage heresy".
    2
  5432. Soviet countries killing without warning : no surprise. Remember when Russia's FSB were planting bombs and killing civilians to discredit separatists ? The Russian army spent 2 hrs defusing one bomb, only for the Kremlin to announce it was a bag of sugar. LOL Killing civilians without batting an eye : that's Russia and its puppet dictators.
    2
  5433. India depends on Russia for military arms. Russia depends on Iran. What does that make India ? 3rd fiddle to the Ayatollah. (if that doesn't make you sad, nothing will)
    2
  5434. The big picture is Iran 3:15 "Nobody expects the Palestinians to get a state anytime soon" 1922 The Palestinians didn't know what a state was Under the Caliphate all land was owned by the Sultan (Our Lord on Earth) There was no private land ownership There were no "nations" 1922 The British appointed a Mufti for Palestine and he looked to Damascus as his capital 1964 Nasser Arab League, Palestinians looked to Cairo as their capital 1988 Palestine declare statehood and look to Jerusalem (3rd fiddle to Damascus and Cairo)
    2
  5435. The protesters are brave. Because Iran are totally brutal Islamofascist thugs. They usually call in Hezbollah to torture & kill unarmed protesters. Hezbollah are Islamofascist thugs who will kill anyone who doesn't follow their ideology.
    2
  5436. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jack-boot stamping on a human face.
    2
  5437. Erdogan and Turkey are examples of corrupt-authoritarian-pseudo-democracy (CAPD) CAPD is a danger to genuine western democracy : it proliferates throughout Africa, S America and Asia and is a bigger enemy than Communism. Turkey are only nominally members of NATO
    2
  5438. Axis of Evil : Russia , China, North Korea, Iran etc etc All anti-democratic, anti-human-rights, with corrupt governments. In Russia's case a corrupt bunch of gangsters : the Moscow mafia.
    2
  5439.  @laughorcry5218  The UK invented parliamentary democracy. The US had the first secular constitution. France : ""liberty, equality, fraternity" The Axis of Evil countries are solid dictatorships. With the exception of Iran which had a creditable democracy under Mohammed Mossadegh. Mossadegh would turn in his grave if he could see the rabid Ayatollah rule.
    2
  5440. twenlil, ask yourself this :- If a country was threatening a nuclear attack on China and China says it will pre-emptively strike, the hawks are talking fire & fury. Well would you take them seriously ? Of course you would. Well you better take the US seriously. How many dead ? For the US none. The US have 2 SSBN submarines on the coast. Half the missiles from one SSBN would totally eradicate N Korea. That's what "fire & fury like the world has never seen" meant
    2
  5441. I don't have enough time to watch this, unfortunately, but I'll add this for folk to ignore or peruse. a) Many British people supported India's independence. Just as they did the USA. On both issues parliament was divided. b) The Indian Congress Party was founded by Freemasons. Freemasonry was created in Scotland around 1770, and arrived in India with the military. There were many benevolent Lodges and prominent Indians were invited to join. Secret societies appealed to intellectual society folk everywhere : the Royal families of Europe were often enrolled. c) When the East India Co was ended in 1874, they boasted that they had, "Handed Britain the finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen". That was the contribution of Britain. d) Loot ? Many people became wealthy through trade, even the humble sailor or trooper was allowed cargo space, to return with tea or spices to sell. However, Warren Hastings was impeached for violence and corruption, faced an 8 year trial which bankrupted him, and was finally acquitted. The charges were made by Edmund Burke and Charles Fox and based on rumours from India. British justice never collaborated with looting or violence. It was respect for the British system that inspired India to a similar democratic system.
    2
  5442. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness was in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    2
  5443. Mugabe's "War Veterans" didn't want to work farms.......they wanted somewhere to get drunk and money to pay for liquor and hookers.
    2
  5444.  @edytha2090  Thanks. I just reread my own comment and gave it a like - it really sums up Russian history.
    2
  5445. This is NOT click-bait. Hells bells if this doesn't make you cringe you must have been a Hillary supporter.
    2
  5446. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  5447. Russia using children as human shields to prevent attacks on tanks and trucks. Russia committing the customary crimes against women. Russia shooting civilians as they retreat. Russia mining bodies and setting trip-wires in houses - to kill civilians Pope Francis described Russian atrocities as "Infantile" - the Russians have been humiliated and are taking revenge, the invasion was infantile, the lies to justify it were infantile : the Russians are without shame. In the 21st Century, Russia has reverted to Barbarism : it will take generations to undo.
    2
  5448.  @sacobelens  LOL They don't want to listen, but they must
    2
  5449.  @mrhand3350  Palestine has been losing for 70yrs (since 1947 when Israel declared themselves a state) It took Palestine until 1988 why ? Because in 1947 Palestine declared itself part of Syria, then with the Arab league they were part of Nasser's Egypt (capital at Cairo) Only after losing 3 wars : 1947, 1967, 1973 did they declare statehood in 1988 Palestine is one big loser - yet they think stone-throwing and terrorism will bring victory, even though its has failed for 70yrs and is scorned by civilised nations.
    2
  5450. 24. The Russians are artless liars. Lacking subtlety and guile they flatly contradict all facts presented to them , revealing themselves to be utterly without shame . An undignified , squalid bunch of gangsters fuelled by lust and greed.
    2
  5451. 25. Russians are peddlers of corruption : any country falling within their sphere of influence becomes maximally corrupt. The Kremlin Mafia thieve cash from state assets and hide it in civilized western countries where they hope to retire. Like unprincipled swine their thievery knows no limits.
    2
  5452.  @DanielMousavi1  In 1953 Iranian democracy was overthrown by Britain, the CIA and BP : who reimposed the Shah. In 1979 when the Shah was overthrown, Iran didn't return to democracy, The Ayatollah imposed theocracy. The justification for this was Velayat-e faqih, which means the Iranians are treated as widows and orphans and the Ayatollah is their guardian.
    2
  5453. Kain, here's a good example of your double standards :- Remember Black September ? The Palestinians found themselves in Jordan with thousands of heavily armed troops and decided to take over the country. I never hear you comment about that little episode.
    2
  5454. The EU are too busy hijacking vaccine shipments to worry about this. They care more about closing the Irish border without informing the Irish PM. Such is the vindictiveness of the EU : such is their failure to act against the Belarusian tyrant, and the Ottoman warmonger.
    2
  5455. What is it ? It is a shallow draft ship (5m) That can carry 200 pallets of food 26 pallets = 1 truck So about 8 trucks The ship can do a round tip in 24hrs So at best it is 8 trucks a day (Hardly worth it)
    2
  5456. 2:16 "It won't affect his polling in the leadership race" Well the latest poll says he's gone from +7 to -3 against Hunt. So it looks like it has affected the polling.
    2
  5457. The Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1922 The Jews elected an Administrative Council (to shadow the British governors) The Palestinians had the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (appointed by the British) The Mufti looked to Damascus as the Palestinian capital : the Palestinian farmers had no notion of what a state was : for centuries they had been told "The Sultan is our Lord on Earth" There was no such thing as land ownership (until Europe forced the Tanzimat reforms) all land was owned by the Sultan. Palestinian woes, and the failure of the Arab Spring, are the legacy of the Caliphate.
    2
  5458. It will take Africa 500yrs to join the civilized world.
    2
  5459. Why a "state actor" ? Any guy can dive to 200m, and one doesn't need much Semtex underwater. The force is magnified.
    2
  5460. This is democracy in action ! Are you watching Saudi Arabia (you bone-idle, indolent, ignorant corrupt tools) Are you watching Iran ( you theocratic, ruthless, inhumane dictators) Are you watching Egypt (you utterly corrupt, contemptible military dictators) Are you watching Pakistan (you incompetent corrupt no-hopers) Are you watching Africa ( you endemic non-starters) It's as easy as that.....to hold authority to account. Why not try it ?
    2
  5461. How very sad. Corruption , incompetence and indifference. I made a video on Spanish American misfortunes. The Catholic historian Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie describes "the indigestible extremism of Spain" in the C17th. It was Spanish governance Church/State (the parasitical leviathans) which was transferred to the Americas (together with the Inquisition). It is a terrible legacy. The Church then opposed independence movements, opposed democracy and sabotaged a secular republic with the military coup of Catholic officer Juan Peron. Spanish authoritarian-extremism segued naturally into military dictatorship.
    2
  5462. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    2
  5463. LOL look at the Ayatollah in face mask and plastic gloves quarantine. That old tyrant who has protestors shot by police snipers. The dictator who sends in Hezbollah to throw students from windows. He looks a pitiful wreck : hard to imagine he's responsible for so much misery.
    2
  5464. Well done EU. Everyone said the EU was a pusillanimous talking shop.
    2
  5465. @Guido di Cesare , When US Secretary of State Alexander Haigh visited Argentina (after they invaded the Falklands), he said the Argentinian generals were all drunk. So it is hardly surprising the economy recovered when the military junta was kicked out.
    2
  5466. Iran is a fascist state. I feel sorry for the people. Islamofascism is on the rise in the Middle East. When Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran he was asked what he would do with secularists, he said, "I'll kick their teeth in". That is what the fascist fakir did. He tortured and killed any socialists or trades unionist that opposed him.
    2
  5467.  @Rage_Harder_Then_Relax  , I was in the Socialist Workers Party before you enrolled at Kindergarten. You only need look at the last debate when the moderator used the expression "Collectivised haters" to describe folk who wanted secure borders. What's wrong with secure borders ? The Progressives have a very fascist attitude to pluralism which is no pluralism : you are either with them or a 'hater'.
    2
  5468. Here's another example :- Ilhan Omar says US commentators pronounce Islamofascist group's names with disgust. The Imams attached to these groups say their members can either rape the mother or rape the daughter but they can't rape both mother & daughter. And the progressives tell us to pronounce the Islamic names with neutrality. The US progressives are detached from reality. I look forward to seeing them lose in 2020.
    2
  5469. The Saudi is bone idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant , arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel. Why does Trump humiliate them after they bought $380-billion of arms ? Because he despises them , as we all do.
    2
  5470.  @MrVioletpandora  Wrong Zionism is C19th nationalism The "nation-state" is a product of the 19th century The folk who wrote the bible hadn't a clue what a nation-state was
    2
  5471. The Long View (What history will remember) a) A referendum was held despite brutal violence by Spanish Police (old ladies beaten, girls dragged by the hair, masked Police snatching ballots) b) Independence was declared Oct 2017 (This cannot be overstated , it ranks alongside Companys declaration in 1933) Here are Spanish fascists burning the Catalan flag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AycpYmCxYb4 This video is an historic record of Spain's brutality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=18s Many girls were sexually assaulted. This is some of the evidence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPISm5p8GD0 No Police have been charged and no investigations ordered. Spain's propaganda minister said "It is fake news".
    2
  5472. Holy Moses, the UAE are slow. I always knew they were lazy, but hells bells they're boring too.
    2
  5473. Modi has picked the losing side. This is the defining event of the 21st century, and India is in bed with China and Pakistan. One doesn't need to be an expert to know India has made a mega blunder.
    2
  5474. What is the difference between Russia and the West ? Russia has no middle class liberals : no chattering class. Russian Populism was the name given to the Inteligensia movement (1850-1881) In the spring of 1876 the Radicals took "liberation and freedom" to the peasants, who immediately reported them to the police. The Russian middle class were hated from above and below. Stalin then exterminated them. In the West the middle-class were the source of all wealth and progress.
    2
  5475. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
    2
  5476. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The German ambassador responded with exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration.
    2
  5477. "Weeks not months" Then a pre-emptive strike on the Ayatollah's nuclear stockpile.
    2
  5478. They should have sacked him for denying the Armenian genocide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide
    2
  5479. 1 delegate per country : pity the corrupt delegates. They usually charge $1000s on expenses. It is a huge gravy train for the corrupt attendees, the UN should save millions of dollars now. (Of course they will find another way to steal the cash).
    2
  5480. The UK is 87% in support of Israel Israel must have secure borders "It is common sense" , as Trump would say
    2
  5481. Bruce, you ill-informed fool, those avaricious thieves have stolen the money from the Russian people. It is their duty to restore Russian heritage (if they had an ounce of decency - they spend more money on prostitutes than they do preserving Russian history).
    2
  5482. Putin is freaking out the pupils. They will have nightmares.
    2
  5483. @Alex , the last king Frederick August was Saxon, 1805 -15 From 1764-97 it was polish 1734 -63 Saxon 1709 -33 Saxon 1705 -09 Polish 1697 -1706 Saxons 1648 - 68 Swedish
    2
  5484.  @janrudnicki6111  , I agree about the liberal Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth : I think I mentioned town Councils could include Lutherans Catholics and Jews. "Ran a farm", you mean "owned land": the nobles weren't schlepping up and down ploughing. The Polish nobles invested very little in agriculture, which is why productivity rose only 25% in 300yrs (see Adam Zavroyski).
    2
  5485. Lord Slash, yes I agree , Hamas were supported by Israel. There's a lot of that goes on : the Mujahideen supported by the US against Russia , springs to mind.
    2
  5486. Experts say Ukraine's no.1 advantage over Russia is in infantry. The Ukrainian infantry outperform the Orcs on every level. Even Igor Girkin said,"They are decisive, motivated and well-commanded" Ukrainian infantry, at this moment, are probably the best in the world.
    2
  5487. One Palestinian said, "This is the greatest nation on Earth". Why doesn't anyone fact check Palestinians ? Palestine has never been a nation : it was Roman, Byzantine, Umayyid, Abassid and Ottoman. And if it was a nation it wouldn't be the greatest : it would be a corrupt authoritarian pseudo democracy one-party state.
    2
  5488. Wow I just watched an African Policeman refrain from clubbing a defenceless woman with his baton.... 2:00 Things are looking up : who said there's no hope for Africa. Decades ago the Nobel Prize winner VS Naipaul observed that all African armies (Police) are there to oppress their own people.
    2
  5489. India has disgraced itself. Any chance of a permanent seat on the UN security council is gone. Russia will be kicked off. India has no chance, it has lost all credibility.
    2
  5490.  @willemhill2265  Ukrainian Army Kills 100 Russian Soldiers at Hotel in Krasnyy . Russia is losing badly.
    2
  5491. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    2
  5492. What do Russia and Kazakhstan have in common ? They are both "democracies".
    2
  5493.  @stevem9766  That's why I used "inverted commas", in the 21stCentury all corrupt despotic states play at being faux democracies.
    2
  5494. May I post a link to "Battle of the Downs 1639" It's a prequel to the Anglo-Dutch wars and Franco/Anglo - Dutch war. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vx-tQ7M_xc
    2
  5495. China & Russia support the generals : The Axis of Evil. Tiananmen Square is a fine example for the Myanmar military to emulate.
    2
  5496. France want to (effectively) access 82% of British territorial waters. Britain has offered them (effectively) 40%. I wonder whether Macron, in view of the Christmas season - goodwill to all men, might lower his demand to just (effectively) accessing 80% of British waters. The French have always reasonable and well-disposed towards Britain in the past.
    2
  5497.  Lev Truman  I was subtly praising Israel's democracy. Every other Middle East country is a disaster, democratically speaking.
    2
  5498.  @sardendibs  "Nuance is totally absent from DW's factually incorrect statement " My statement is 90% correct Palestine has NEVER been a state 1988 Palestine declares statehood
    2
  5499. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm Moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
    2
  5500. They were big tractors........if you get a crowd of festive folks around those they'd be unmoveable. Good luck Catalonia !
    2
  5501. assassinate, a peaceful sign protest is a great idea : I support that. But answer this question :- What would happen to a sign protest for democracy in Gaza ? Hamas would beat them senseless. What would happen to a sign protest against corrupt Fatah ? They would be beaten senseless.
    2
  5502. 75% of them haven't even started shaving. It will be a year or two before their Mum buys them their first razor.
    2
  5503. The Saudi cannot fight a war : they pay someone to fight for them. The Saudi area of expertise is whoring around Europe. It's what they do best.
    2
  5504. LOL as if democratic Israel is comparable to Islamist fanatical Iran.
    2
  5505. I'm replying to a comment which has been removed. In which the chap asks "WTF are you saying ?" I'm saying the Iranian police snipers shot unarmed protestors and killed hundreds. The Ayatollah's fascist regime has no legitimacy and the Persian people would like a modern democracy. That is it in a nutshell.
    2
  5506. I hope so.
    2
  5507. STOP calling it "crash" It is a hard landing LOL
    2
  5508. Hamas & Hezbollah are teacher-decapitating barbarians. There is no civilized country in the world that would want them as neighbours.
    2
  5509. Wow success for Iran : its inflation is 50% and its economy is shrinking by GDP -6% per year. That's working out well. If Iran continue this run of success they will have 100% inflation and the economy in the $hithouse. Things are looking great......the people are tired of the Ayatollah winning all the time.
    2
  5510.  @shahjahannizamee2727  , my thoughts are with the Ayatollah's victims : those people being hanged 6 at a time from forklift trucks. Does the Koran allow you to hang 6 at a time ? I suppose Muhammed didn't have forklifts or he might have used them himself.
    2
  5511. And if the leaders stopped giving companies to family and cronies who siphon off the wealth. Iran is utterly corrupt. If this grey beard with dyed hair thinks protests are small why not have a fair election ? He's a lying scumbag ,fascist Islamist.
    2
  5512. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year. Read "The executioners deserve medals".
    2
  5513.  @genghissmith4949  ,My point is a serious one : Beto was asked about allowing a film crew to accompany him and said , "I thought what the £uck". His wife then gestured to him to mind his language and pointed to their daughter. A guy like that can't be president.
    2
  5514.  @ahmedhussain9095  You are right. I'm only talking about the military exchange between Hamas and Israel, the "mini-war". Hamas started the "mini-war". The history goes back to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire : the last sultan fled by night (1922) in a British ambulance with chests of jewels. The last Caliph jumped on the train to Switzerland (1924). Britain defeated the Turks in WW1 and occupied the land (Mandate). The Palestinians looked to Syria. They wanted to be southern Syria with their capital at Damascus. The French invaded Syria, defeated king Faisal, and scuppered those plans. The Palestinians then looked to Pan-Arabism, with the capital at Cairo. The key year is 1920. The Jews elected a General Assembly to shadow the British administration. The British installed the Mufti in Jerusalem as a leader for the Palestinians. The Jews had democracy. The Palestinians had the Mufti.
    2
  5515. Chris, did you notice Netanyahu's wife being prosecuted ? What's the significance of that........think about it. It shows Israel to be a civilized democracy that hold authority to account. Now look at Iran : a fanatical theocratic dictatorship. And you're happy for them to have nuclear weapons. Shame on you.
    2
  5516. China supports military rule in Myanmar. Russia supports Lukashenko's despotism in Belarus. And they wonder why they are The Axis of Evil.
    2
  5517. General Ben Hodges (retired NATO commander) "hemingway's character says he went bankrupt in two ways slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation could collapse." The West should be prepared. Medvedev :"They are trying to disintegrate Russia for a 2nd time" Russia and America are in agreement.
    2
  5518. Congratulations Catalonia and Good Luck I am sure Spain will react with VIOLENCE. Donald Tusk (EU President) has just repeated a warning to Spain, " The force of argument is better than the argument of force ". Junker said :- “For some time now I asked the Spanish prime minister to take initiatives so that Catalonia wouldn’t run amok,” he said. “A lot of things were not done.” Economic impact :- markets are already dropping in Madrid and its debt and borrowing costs are forecast to rise. Madrid's economic forecast for growth next year has been slashed again. World opinion is that Madrid have chosen the "worst option" at every opportunity.
    2
  5519. "What's left of Hugo Chavez's legacy?" 2000 corrupt generals.
    2
  5520.  @sepxviii731  Russia is like a gigantic bear, it will suffer death by a thousand cuts. Slowly Russia come to a halt, then casually retreat to their own lair. NATO doesn't want Russia to become hysterical. Ukraine must win "incrementally"
    2
  5521. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  5522.  @Madd-ng8cv  Hezbollah would lie to extend the Ayatollah's Caliphate to the Mediterranean. I call it a Caliphate - but actually that the Ayatollah has police snipers shooting protestors from roof-tops. It is more like a dystopian nightmare, ruled by a barbaric old ayatollah.
    2
  5523. 1:50 "Convince international partners Germany is reliable & can be trusted" But it can't ! That why Nordstream was demolished Even Jens Stoltenberg breathed a sigh of relief when Nordstream went up. It was the best day's work NATO ever did. German sabotaged Ukraine 3 ways blocking RAF flights Weapons transfers (Estonia) direct sales Boris said, "Germany and France wanted a quick victory for Russia"
    2
  5524. Lito, you seem remarkably well informed about Bolivia. I wish they's interviewed you on Al-Jazeera.
    2
  5525. I like to see them segue into another language - none of the Yanks can do that : the Yanks struggle with English.
    2
  5526. Great News for Europe as Finland and Sweden join NATO. Meanwhile Modi is trying to emulate Russia and turn India into a Hindu dystopia. Gangs of young Hindu males can be seen shouting at Muslim girls wearing Hijab. It reminds everyone of the fascist Russian thugs. Well done Modi - taking India down the Russian road to dystopia.
    2
  5527. Ataturk was Circassian, he was exasperated by the Turks. He abolished Muslim courts, Muslim schools, Muslim councils, and created a secular democracy. Erdogan is trying to undo the good work of Ataturk. Ataturk said he wished "All religions at the bottom of the sea"
    2
  5528. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  5529. Very emotional, and heartfelt. Biden had seen the civilian victims of Putin's savage invasion. Well said Joe. Britain is sending 6000 NLAW missiles (apparently the Ukrainians often shout "God save the Queen" after destroying a Russian vehicle) Boris said, "The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts"
    2
  5530. "How dare the UN not condemn Hamas murder & rape ?"
    2
  5531. Total abuse of power ....by Biden. His son knows nothing and is getting $50k a month just to sweeten his Dad. Total abuse. Very cleverly nothing can be proven ( just like Hillary's $600,000 speeches )
    2
  5532. Apropos the advert at the end : water in Gaza. Will someone answer this : why not use the millions from Saudi to build a desalination plant ? The Saudis are the world leaders. Why did Arafat steal $3billion ? Why not build a desalination plant instead of stealing ? I'll answer : because it serves the purpose of the Arab world for Palestinians to suffer. It is a stick to beat Israel with. No Arab country recognised Palestine as a state, they all wanted to claim the land for themselves : Jordan, Egypt, Syria. Only after losing 3 Arab-Israeli wars did they recognise Palestine.
    2
  5533. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Shirley described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    2
  5534. Xi's problem is debt. The bank of Australia issued a statement saying it is making provisions for the collapse of China's economy.
    2
  5535. Caller says : first world interventions have been good and 3rd world bad. Yes but remember those 3rd world countries are shitholes anyway. Africa has been free from colonisation for 50yrs and has gone downhill. UN investigation reveals staff raping women and threatening to fire them if they complain (not all countries just shithole countries ). The African Union never sanctions any member for dictatorship or corruption. Palestinian Authority has never had its accounts published ever : Arafat stole $3billion : it is how the system works, you buy your friends and pay off your enemies.
    2
  5536.  @kpakilealexandreniambalamo8343  Correct. It will be a very short war, but Russia may not occupy the whole country. Russia only want the east corridor to Crimea. It is essential Ukraine launch everything in the first 2 weeks and make Russia pay :- a) Drones : 256 Turkish drones (+ others we don't know about) should be fired & not used sparingly. b) Rapier anti-tank missiles should all be used (~300). Fire at anything that moves. c) Anti-ship missiles should hit the Black Sea : start with large ships, but hit anything you can. d) Missiles should all be used, not saved for later. The war will be short. Hit any assembly areas, even if they are in Russia. Don't confine targets to Russian forces in Ukraine. Hit Russian targets anywhere in range. Russia must be made to pay an enormous price, and they will. There are 10k technical advisors waiting to earn their pay.
    2
  5537. Jordan for Jordanians ? But Jordan was created by Britain for the Hashemites from Saudi 1921 the Saudi Hashemite kingdom was relocated in Jordan You Liberals speak as though Jordanians have existed for thousands of years
    2
  5538. Isn't the stable door being investigated to mitigate criticism of the folks who assured us there was no need to quarantine China ? The horse having bolted while the WHO looked on with institutional insouciance ?
    2
  5539. Oh, that was music to my ears. I just read the comments from some saps, who have fallen for the PR. Iraq has major problems : it needs to become a secular state ASAP. When Ataturk was modernising Turkey : giving the Sultan the boot 1922 and waving goodbye to the last Caliph 1924 . He once said in desperation "I wish we could convert them all to Christianity". Not because Kemal Ataturk believed in any religion, but because Christianity was slightly less backwards than Islam : it was already neutered. In 1860 Namik Kemal (a young Ottoman) campaigned to have a British constitution adopted by the Sultan : he admired "the indomitable power of public opinion against authority".
    2
  5540. Crossword Clue :- A democratic country that elects the same party (ZANU 40yrs or ANC 25yrs) even though they are corrupt and incompetent. 8 letters S**TH*LE Anyone like to guess ?
    2
  5541. The EU have warned Rajoy/Madrid not to use violence. Tusk said,"The argument of force is not as effective as the force of argument", and the whole EU parliament applauded. Rajoy is isolated on the international stage. He is like Mr Punch he thinks the solution to all problems is violence.
    2
  5542. Is he Sweeney Todd, the one who had the bone saw ?
    2
  5543. What does Islamic indoctrination have in common with Chinese indoctrination ? They are both spectacularly ill-informed and mind-bogglingly wrong-headed. Why not read some science and history and become a rational person ?
    2
  5544.  @OBCBTTB  I agree : Putin's invasion has reinvigorated the entire defence establishment. Macron said, "NATO is brain-dead" Nobody talks like that now - folk think NATO is the only thing between them and the Russian hordes.
    2
  5545. Great analysis
    2
  5546. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    2
  5547. Abbas and Fatah just sent 14 policemen to beat to death one of their critics, in his own home. Abbas sits there in corrupt insouciance. Amazing.
    2
  5548.  @mohammadrezayazdani7913  "......and all of Iran's air defenses were active," Wouldn't it have been a humane idea to inform the airport ? The people wouldn't have boarded the plane. Also, if it was a "mistake", why lie about it ? The Ayatollah would be lying still if mobile-phone footage hadn't proved him a lair.
    2
  5549. It's Africa : don't expect too much.
    2
  5550. Also they are the most shameless liars.
    2
  5551. Shame on Labour - unable to stand up to Islamist threats Mr Speaker must resign !
    2
  5552. France and Germany will make the nuclear threats for Russia. Putin can relax. Death is mightier, stronger and more fearful to Macron & Scholz than life. They would sooner prostrate themselves before Putin than fight for Ukraine.
    2
  5553. Abbot Suger (1150) said,"The English are destined by moral and natural law to be subjected by the French and not contrariwise". Wise words. When Queen Elizabeth I boasted that England had never been conquered, a brave courtier said, "Save for the Normans Ma'am" To which that wise Queen replied, "But they couldn't have conquered us without them being us". Very wise words. Hence, the English should be able to cast their hats into this ring, and declare themselves for....MACRON (because he is a stalwart in the fight for democracy)
    2
  5554. That already happened. Syria was divided on June 18 after the Russian jet was shot down. Syria/Russia denied airspace west of the Euphrates to the allies. Which meant East of the Euphrates was US/Kurd. That is how the division was made.
    2
  5555. Very interesting
    2
  5556. Invasion of Taiwan (crossing 110 miles) is a huge operation. It will take China 3yrs to prepare for it.
    2
  5557.  @vikash7660  The Bible says, Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold.” India has sold its good name for cheap oil and Russian arms. Based on the Hindu proverb "I'm alright Jack" I hope Israel doesn't besmirch its national honour.
    2
  5558. Very good analysis by the Hong Kong guy.
    2
  5559.  @manestrengthandcourage7121  ,I don't favour the Turks. But anyone prepared to crush Haftar has got my backing. Also, as a historian, one likes to see an undisciplined mercenary rabble routed by professional forces.
    2
  5560.  @justice1justice167  I agree, but Russia are invading, so you are going to have a war like it or not.
    2
  5561.  @kr540ime3  "March east" that is how Russia think - they are still obsessed with infantry. Modern warfare is about drones, missiles, intelligence directed strikes. That is why Putin went crazy over ONE drone strike by Ukraine. Go look at the Russian headlines :- "Russia is warning Turkey over arms sales to Ukraine after a Turkish-made drone attacked Russian-backed rebels in Ukraine" Drones & missiles are a game-changer, and Putin knows it.
    2
  5562. War with China Pros & Cons. a) China cannot strike the US : but it can launch ground based anti-ship missiles b) AUKUS has an overwhelming submarine advantage and can easily blockade China. c) China has short supply lines, but if it strikes Taiwan's infrastructure, then China's infrastructure becomes a legitimate target (and there are some juicy sites) d) The US has seen it all before - they have the world's greatest navy. e) China has a peasant army (a bunch of amateurs).
    2
  5563. Rabbi, I'm sitting here in the UK. Medi Hasan asks Glen ," If western intervention killed tens of thousands in Iraq and Libya then has Syria shown that non-interventions costs the lives of 500,000 ? ". Of course Glen simply doesn't answer : why would he , he's full of $hit.
    2
  5564.  @bafiostom3338  LOL, Farage did you mean ? I'm pro-EU I'm trying to encourage the EU in an avuncular way : "Come on Europe, show some backbone"
    2
  5565. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
    2
  5566. A Dutch general ? They usually step aside and allow a massacre to take place.
    2
  5567.  @knockknock1246  , I'm not well-informed on the history of Nagorno-Karabakh, I'm simply aware that the Armenian military were ill-prepared for drone strikes. And the top general is trying to lay the blame for that on the Prime Minister, when in fact the Armenian military are responsible for defence planning and spending.
    2
  5568. The EU ignores referenda and silences free speech. EU fascism : this is step 2. Booze sodden dictator Juncker will approve : anyone that accuses him of being soused will go to jail. Accuse the EU of corruption and go to jail.
    2
  5569. Well said. AUKUS is a treaty, "no limits" are simply nonsense words : they aren't wort tuppence.
    2
  5570. Russian soldiers are shooting Ukrainians who surrender :- "These ... reports suggest that atrocities are not the result of rogue units or individuals; they rather reveal a deeply disturbing pattern of systematic abuse across all areas where Russia's forces are engaged."
    2
  5571. He he he, who would've thought it.
    2
  5572. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries. Russia actually need therapy.
    2
  5573. Shame on Wion, and shame on India. Wion calls the war "Op" for operation. Disgusting.
    2
  5574. Has Hillary had her security clearance revoked ? Because she DID mishandle intelligence. She had it on a personal unprotected server that all foreign powers had hacking access to.
    2
  5575. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    2
  5576. Ben Wallace and Liz Truss are just as committed as Boris. Liz Truss leaves the Kremlin apoplectic, every statement she makes.
    2
  5577. Makes very little difference . The US are very serious about a military strike on N Korea. The repercussions will be disastrous for all countries in the region. But it will hardly effect the US. If China encourage N Korea to play hard-ball, and demand the US remove their base from S Korea, then the US will strike. If China tighten sanctions and pressure N Korea to denuclearise then it sours N Korea against them. There are no good options fore China.
    2
  5578. LOL exactly. "We must build a security pact before we share it with NATO, then offer it up for negotiation with Russia" Macron has been pushing this for years. He is using the Ukraine crisis to push his own agenda. Typical of the perfidious French.
    2
  5579.  @sergiytokio7295  Correct. A Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    2
  5580. Are you having us on ?
    2
  5581. 8:29 Trump's face : he appears lost, almost lachrymose
    2
  5582. Well done USA Iran sponsor many terror groups and are destabilising Iraq.
    2
  5583.  @annmarie1569  Thank you. Bismarck said, "The most significant fact in modern history is that North America speaks English". It was a very astute observation ; and it is the basis for AUKUS.
    2
  5584. No, he's simply paying them : all $hithole countries have a corrupt military.
    2
  5585. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  5586.  @nochance3914  India have "Abstained" twice. India refuse to condemn Russia. Modi has chosen the wrong side, in the defining event for the 21st Century. It reminds me of the Ottomans choosing Germany in WW1. When the big event arrives, one must choose the right side. Modi chose the Axis of Evil.
    2
  5587. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    2
  5588. 2009 Corbyn : "I consider myself a friend of Hamas & Hezbollah" The same Corbyn who called on the Kremlin to investigate the Skripal poisonings Corbyn trusts Russia more than British intelligence : he puts Terrorists before civilised democracy He is the lunatic Left
    2
  5589. 2% of GDP was what NATO demanded from the start. Germany are finally thinking about pulling their weight. Having relied on the US and Britain for decades.
    2
  5590. Sweet spot ? You are kidding :India is despised by all and sundry. Remember Putin snatching the ceremonial sword from Modi ? Putin looks down his nose at Modi. Biden calls him "shaky". India is living in fantasy land.
    2
  5591. Imraan Desai What nonsense. The Ottoman Caliphate was the most corrupt, decrepit system of governance imaginable. The last Sultan (Mehmed VI) filled two trunks full of jewels and fled to the French Riviera. (1922) The last Caliph was given £2000 and packed off to Switzerland. The Caliph's hobby was painting ladies in his harem (Google it and have a look, he was quite a good artist). The Caliph was stopped at the Swiss border because he had too many wives (bigamy is illegal in Europe). But they must have allowed him in because he lived there for the rest of his life.
    2
  5592.  @amitfahim6607  Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented over the course of human evolution. Each religion reflects the period in which it was invented :- a) So the Torah (Old Testament) reads like a Bronze Age myth because that's when it was invented. b) the Koran reads lie a medieval myth, because that's when it was invented. It contains medieval superstitions : like dust-devils have a JInn living inside them. Science has taught us that a dust-devil is simply a vortex, but Muhammed didn't know that because he belonged to the medieval mindset. No religious book contains any information beyond what was available to the guy who wrote it (invented it).
    2
  5593. Also, the "Palestinian flag" is the flag of the Hashemite kingdom 1924 It was purloined around 1964 by the PLO
    2
  5594. Karl Marx described Russians as "the immobile Mongol". After they were governed by Genghis Khan's hordes for 250yrs. Genghis Khans tyranny is the basis for Russian autocracy.
    2
  5595. LOL this is laughable propaganda. It is made by drunken half-wits. Probably the same drunken thugs who shot down MH17
    2
  5596. ....and what about Beto O'Rourke ? Did anyone notice him ?
    2
  5597. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    2
  5598. ......meanwhile Iran's economy goes into free-fall . LOL Notice nobody is discussing an EU mechanism to bypass US sanctions. Notice how the spotlight is on Iran as a rogue state.
    2
  5599. National Security : The Kremlin would rejoice to see Liz Truss and Ben Wallace to go. Thank God Britain doesn't have Jeremy Corbyn in no.10 Also, the pacifist, anti-nuclear Labour cabinet. (And I've voted Labour my whole life, but utterly reject Labour's capitulation policy)
    2
  5600. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. Prisoners of the Shah recorded in their memoirs the boredom of prison life. Prisoners of the Ayatollah reported horror, torture, screaming and death. The Ayatollah is the worst thing to ever happen to Iran.
    2
  5601. It is pretty funny. Putin keeps sighing. The other folk all know Russia has lost. Day 133, the first day that the Russian army has failed to announce territorial gains. A turning point ?
    2
  5602.  @Aphorim  , I agree. When the Spanish (Castilians : only Castile could trade with America through Saville/Cadiz all governors were Castilian the whole empire was Castilian) colonised America they looted precious metals but then had to start mining : they didn't design the mining operation , the Indians already had advanced mining techniques, the Castilians just forced slave labour to increase output. One example of 'Spanish' absolute rule was that when colonists planted olive trees the king ordered them destroyed so they remained dependent on trade through Saville. A key feature to consider is THE ENLIGHTENMENT . Spain was 200yrs behind Europe. The Inquisition banned the import of books and stopped students studying abroad : Spain was backwards. That backwardsness was exported to exported to the Americas. Compare the US with Jefferson, Franklin, Tom Paine, with the thinkers in the Spanish-South. Spain & Catholicism are responsible for the divergence of North & South America.
    2
  5603. Correct : the body-language imbalance Putin "I love you" LOL Incorrect "Putin can't lose" : he can lose and he will lose Gen Ben Hodges "Slowly then suddenly is how Russia will collapse"
    2
  5604. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    2
  5605. Nord Stream 2 Leave it to Germany to jump into bed with Russia (they've done it before).
    2
  5606.  @Food00  Even China is dismayed at Russia's pathetic performance. You must be in a category of 1.
    2
  5607.  @Food00  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  5608. Jonny and Travis, " the ones placed by Japan, or the EU, or Australia, or South Korea?" and " giving China credit? What about the South Koreans" Both those would never have happened if Trump hadn't threatened to nuke N Korea. The important point is that it was a credible threat : he meant it. That is why China and the rest applied sanctions. Surely you don't think these developments would have happened without Trump ? Even if you hate someone you should always place rational thought above prejudice : give the guy some credit.
    2
  5609. Hamas : fascist terrorists Fatah : corrupt authoritarians Wouldn't it be nice for Palestinians to bypass both these losers, and start debating their future. Start up there own newspaper and all join in an open debate about the future. Not likely. Fatah will send 14 policemen to beat you to death in your own home. Hamas will send thugs to assassinate you.
    2
  5610. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  5611.  Achu  India backed Russia in the UN by abstaining. Even the Bucha massacres couldn't force India to vote against Russia. India (Modi) picked the loser.
    2
  5612.  Achu  Tell that to AUKUS when China invades. The INS Vikrant will be sunk within 24hrs and India will be desperately looking for allies - then you can tell everyone that India looks after its citizens and ignores atrocities committed by Russia.
    2
  5613.  @uweinhamburg  , Merkel just said a solution to the backstop can be found in 2yrs or 30 days. 30 days : that's before the UK leave. A solution will be found because the problem never existed in the first place. It was a perfect negotiating tool : the EU had the high-moral ground (written into the Good Friday Agreement) but could cave-in any time because the problem was artificial. A deal in the final week mark my words.
    2
  5614.  @B100inCP  , yes, but there isn't going to be a hard border period. All borders are porous. Only 1% of imports/people are checked. N Ireland is a red-herring. P.S. the EU doesn't need all 27 countries to accept a back-stop solution, the negotiators (Barnier) are empowered to say,"Fine". Which is just what they'll say in the final days.
    2
  5615. They are “breaking the chains of slavery,”
    2
  5616. LOL Fox news morons. "Will rise to 25% should China retaliate". That's wrong you dumb @sshole. They rise to 25% regardless. Trump said there will be an ADDITIONAL $267 billion in tariffs if they retaliate. Fox News is presented by dummies for dummies to watch.
    2
  5617. The Pak military are a law unto themselves. Pak is a faux democracy, the government are restricted : for instance they can't cut the military budget or remove officers. The army are the ruination of Pak.
    2
  5618. 8.28 when he says "Whoever secedes him ", he means " whoever succeeds him ".
    2
  5619. Tanzimat reforms 1839-76 Introduced into the Ottoman Empire by Europeans who wanted their debts repaid Private property was introduced for the first time Most Ottoman officials fleeced farmers into signing away their property rights Palestinians were mostly illiterate (cf 1515 Ulema bans printing) Consequently - this West Bank land has no owner
    2
  5620. The building was owned by Hamas. The AP paid rent to Hamas. Hamas supported the decapitation of the teacher in France, who showed an image of the prophet.
    2
  5621. "Ideal President", should declare neutrality, buy cheap oil to profit from the misery of others, then plug-ears to annoying questions about human rights, stand there with a stupid smile, looking like a dotty old man from centuries past, and throw away your nation's good name.
    2
  5622.  @madhaviaiyanna1470  Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    2
  5623. Right wing ? I would guess 75% of Israelis think Iran must be hit hard Why always "Right wing" ?
    2
  5624. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    2
  5625. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Shirley described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    2
  5626.  fafar gol  , Iran has got one great thing going for it : the Persian people. Everyone likes them and they are enterprising and industrious. Iran's big negative is the Ayatollah's Theocracy, everyone hates it and despises the fascist clerics ; also they hate the Revolutionary Guard who filch from the economy and fund Hezbollah who were the ones clubbing students in Tehran 1999.
    2
  5627.  @wumao50centtroll52  Criticism of Israel is a must. But the Palestinian cause is Ill-served by the fascist religious fanaticism of Hamas. Hamas are a disaster for the Palestinians. Folk often talk about apartheid in the West Bank ; well you know how that ended ? It was ended by a world boycott and diplomatic & economic pressure. Who is going to boycott on behalf of Hamas ? Which civilized country would support Hamas ? Get it into your head : Hamas are losers and a disaster.
    2
  5628. Assange released 2.5Gb of info : that's about 7000 books. He had no idea what was on it. Assange betrayed hundreds of activists who who working for democracy against dictatorships. Why ? Because he couldn't read it all and didn't want to share it. He could send it to Amnesty or other journalists but didn't want them stealing his limelight. Lazy, egotistical Assange wanted all the glory of dumping intelligence that endangered other people's lives. Obviously he exposed war-crimes : we all want that but you can't condemn other activists to arrest & torture at the same time. You have to filter it and protect the good guys. Assange has no friends....except for ill-informed Jimmy Dore types.
    2
  5629.  @kungfew1396  , I'm on your side : I want yank war crimes exposed but Assange dumped 7,500 books worth of intelligence. He'd no idea what was on it or who he was betraying. The point is he didn't care, it was all about him grabbing the limelight. It's all about Assange's ego not about activists working under a dictatorship who he exposed. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/sep/18/julian-assange-wikileaks-nick-cohen
    2
  5630. Dionysos, maybe you have a point. But consider the Israeli/Palestine problem in the big sweep of history. Stalin killed 30million Russians, Mao killed 30million Chinese, Pol Pot killed 3 million Cambodians, etc etc The Israelis did forcibly evict Palestinians.....but the Arabs had said they'd push the Jews into the sea. Look at Africa : the Bantu & Zulus spread and took land, cattle and women from every tribe they conquered. Nobody is asking the Zulus to hand it back. And historically the land was Jewish. What is happening in Palestine is hardly the crime of the century. Much better for Palestinians to say ,"Fair enough we lost 3 wars let's make the best of it and try to integrate our economies".
    2
  5631. Macron vetoed external sourcing to supply 1,000,000 shells France provided 1/3rd Czechia overturned the French veto and supplied the shells to Ukraine On the SAME day Macron made his "Troops to Ukraine" declaration He is a bullshitter - it is a publicity stunt Macron denuded Ukraine of artillery ! He plays this game to change the narrative (Do some research !)
    2
  5632.  @kathyrogers6076  , When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran (1979) he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied "I'll kick their teeth in ". he executed 7000 in his first year. Some folk think the Ayatollah is old-fashioned....... but no, he invented a new way to execute people : six at a time hanging them from fork-lift truck pallets.
    2
  5633. UN refuse to supply refugee tents Shame on UN The UN are hand-in-glove with Hamas, they want civilians to remain as human shields
    2
  5634. Putin is behind it. The Kremlin gangsters seek every opportunity to destabilize their civilized neighbours.
    2
  5635. Well done. We now need to find a group to replace India in cricket competitions. Ostracizing India will force it to employ a moral compass in its foreign policy.
    2
  5636. Thank you China.
    2
  5637. "Huawei are willing to sign no-spy agreements". LOL.......that's not worth the paper it's written on. Ask them to sign a few thousand then use them for toilet roll. No spy agreement , ha ha ha I know they have contempt for western democracy and civilized values, human rights and freedom but they really are taking the piss.
    2
  5638. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    2
  5639. 2021 : the year the Ayatollah falls. Freedom for the Persian people is just round the corner.
    2
  5640. Training ? Fair enough, but what really counts is guts - I saw one lad, head out of turret hammering a Russian column. Bullets were whizzing past him, one hit the cover of the ammo box. He had a red beard and a warriors countenance - look out for him. Cross the road if you see him coming.
    2
  5641.  @tadasblindavicius8889  " Bernard Shaw, Pablo Picasso, Theodorakis, Yves Montand,...........W.H. Auden, Bertolt Brecht, Jean Paul Sartre ....... " It's a tiresome list of Stalin supporting morons.
    2
  5642. It's a revver : only a short stroke and big bore. I like a long stroke motor with lots of torque.
    2
  5643. Axis of Evil : China, Russia, North Korea , Iran etc etc Iran employs Hezbollah thugs to beat students (1999 Tehran) China uses Triad gangster thugs to beat democracy demonstrators. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  5644.  @hmthisisit  , allow me to summarise your position :- Greek woes are the fault of - a) foreign governments & speculators b) politicians (who are Greek but not really Greek.....not like all the ordinary Greeks who retire at 45 and pay no taxes ; then vote for governments that promise jam today and "We'll have our cake and eat it".) Have a look at South Korea it was totally on its knees after the Korean War ....started by foreigners, you would say. Actually those "foreigners" died saving the South Koreans from the psychopathic dictatorship you see in the North. South Korea sent miners to Germany in exchange for infrastructure. Remittance kept the country afloat and it grew its way into the top tier economy it is today. Look at Pakistan....another remittance economy......but utterly wrecked by poor leadership and religious fanaticism. Who's to blame for that ? Who's to blame for Pakistan's backwardness ? You are in a state of denial about Greece. They fudged the books and kept borrowing just to get re-elected ; expecting to grow their way out of debt as they had in the past. Then they sweeten the electorate with early retirement and state-sector jobs and utterly inadequate tax collection. The Greeks keep voting these folks back into office....because why spoil the party. Then when it all goes belly-up folk like you start pointing the finger at everyone but the Greeks.
    2
  5645.  @pangtsr , the devastating 190yrs ended with WW2 . Greece boomed under the Marshall Plan. The problems of modern Greece have NOTHING to do with the C19th. They are all Postwar. In fact more recent than that, the reliance on 7% growth meant Greece could borrow huge amounts, which they came to rely on. It was actually Greek success that led to extravagant borrowing. Governments bought elections (graft, corruption & cronyism) by borrowing huge amounts. The financial collapse of 2008 meant the party was over and the Greek workers had to pick up the tab.
    2
  5646. What did you expect. Yasser Arafat ruled as a corrupt dictator for 40yrs and stole £3 billion (yes billion : that's 1000 million $. He was sending his wife $1 million per month when she was in Paris, a very generous allowance.) What is the Palestinian program : throw stones + Intifada = abject failure. Why not try having an election, allow women to stand ; elect a charismatic young woman with a fresh approach. Why just leave it to corrupt old men ?
    2
  5647. A very good report. Corrupt politicians, Iran, fanatical Islam, and no future.
    2
  5648. Very brave Hong-Kongers. The Chinese want to stamp out democracy : it is a threat to the ruling elite. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) rule with a rod of iron. Anything goes for them : corruption, murder, human organ trafficking, human rights violations, mass incarceration. They share no values with the West.
    2
  5649. The fix is in : Zuma pleads guilty and gets a tap on the wrist. He doesn't blow the whistle on all the others and in exchange keeps his wealth and mansion. And even gets a good pension from the state. Zuma knows ALL the corrupt politicians : that's why the charge is "he acted alone".
    2
  5650.  @kiranvasishta9763  Russia entered the war with its full peacetime army. It has now lost 60% of its capability. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" Many people thought it was too late.
    2
  5651.  @karfomachet7265  Well said. The election was cancelled because even a rigged election might have failed to return the corrupt incumbents. That's how unpopular Hamas and Fatah are.
    2
  5652.  @Scaliad  Breaking News :- "Russia calls for new world order with China" Is that what you would prefer ?
    2
  5653. Victory = Ukrainian fighting ability + USA manufacture and logistics.
    2
  5654.  @luisfabiobrito8499  That wasn't a war - t was a dispute between Hitler and Stalin, a squabble between thieves.
    2
  5655. The Speaker must resign !
    2
  5656. Democracy takes 500yrs to establish. And don't point to the USA (1776) because those folks were 100% European (ie British). Magna Carta 1215 Book of Common Law Henry de Bracton ~1250 Glorious Revolution 1688 Bill of Rights 1699 Political parties ~ early 18th century Whigs and Tories One cannot impose democracy on a nation with no institutions.
    2
  5657.  @ambessaseway5594  A fair point. In defence :- a) Britain was the last in (Asciento after the War of the Spanish Succession 1714 Treaty Utrecht) and first out (1806 abolished slavery) b) In 1895 Venezuelan crisis, there was a possibility of conflict between Britain and the USA. The British cabinet conjectured what they might do if it came to a military clash. A three-pronged attack on New York was agreed, with one minister suggesting,"It might be accompanied by a massive rising of Red Indians" So even around 1900 the British government was unaware just how few 'Red Indians' remained. c) Royal Proclamation of 1763 Is "the first legal recognition by the British Crown of Aboriginal rights" This was partly a cause for the American Independence wars (1775-83). Britain had guaranteed the rights to land for the indigenous Indians.
    2
  5658. Video evidence - hostages taken to UNRWA schools I've seen it ! Naked bodies being beaten, children been brought out to watch One child appears to vomit You must have seen it ! (Or were you all in a safe room ?)
    2
  5659.  @haroldcruz8550  Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    2
  5660. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    2
  5661.  @yeshwanthsai2961  Thank you, I do have India's interests at heart. That is why I keep telling them not to worry about China :AUKUS will finish China. That is why the US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear subs. It is why Australia will get 9, which added to Britain's 11, is more than enough to blockade China into economic collapse.
    2
  5662. Do your own research on the US Navy : trawl through YouTube and you will find countless videos of Captains and senior officers behaving like jackasses. The quality of senior officers is appalling as evinced by the case of Owen Honors who despite his obscene behaviour still enjoyed the support of his fellow Captains who rallied to his defence.
    2
  5663. Why is Spanish America a failure ? Because they cherish absolute authority in religion and politics. By contrast North America cherishes assemblies in religion and politics. A good example of the contrast is Eva Peron , who was worshipped by the Argentinians and beseeched for benefices. The Spanish-Americans saw nothing unusual in absolute luxury and power controlling them , that was their history. The mother country, Spain was an absolute monarchy, the Pope was an absolute ruler, absolutism is in Spanish-American DNA. And yet in the North absolutism was the biggest fear : the Constitution (1788) was written specifically to deny any attempt at absolute rule.
    2
  5664. "US Congress clears $25 million for democracy, gender programmes in Pakistan " That money could have been spent wisely on power-supply. Pak will always be undemocratic, educationally-failing and discriminatory to women. Why waste $25 million to find that out.
    2
  5665. Well done Erdogan. Turkey's FM thoroughly enjoyed himself. The Turks enjoy Europe. Lord knows they spent some money on C19th Parisian fashions. It virtually bankrupted the Ottomans. And led to the Young Turk rebellion, 1908. I made a video on that topic if anyone is interested.
    2
  5666. Well said : the West supports Israel
    2
  5667.  @davidlang5461  , the CIA didn't invent Al-Qaeda but may have financed them if they were the enemy of the CIA's enemy. That sort of thing has been going on for well over 2000yrs.
    2
  5668. Hezbollah weapons depot.
    2
  5669. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  5670. Events dear buy events :- 22 Oct Shoigu phones Lloyd Austin 23 Oct Shoigu phones France, Turkey, Britain 23 Oct Shoigu phones Lloyd Austin 23 Oct Bakhmut collapses : Ukraine liberate 2km ! (everything Russia took over 2 months) Something is in the air "Slowly then suddenly is how Russia will collapse" Gen Ben Hodges One can almost feel tectonic plates shifting
    2
  5671.  @kenmken  , Let's skip Hezbollah atrocities against students in Tehran (1999). Why go so far back as 1999? As recently as October of last year, when the protests against government corruption started and protesters were camping out at Martyrs' Square, Hezbollah thugs came and torched the tents of the protesters and beat them up. And in June 2013, when SHIA protesters were outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut protesting its interference in Lebanese politics, a gang of Hezbollah members came out and beat up and shot the protesters, killing one by the name of Hisham Salman (look him up). Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascist thugs.
    2
  5672. Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. The Shah was overthrown by many groups : Communists, trade unions, feminists, democracy activists. All those groups vanished into Khomeini's death camps. Read "The executioners deserve medals"
    2
  5673.  @alastairhill3043  , what sort of one word analysis is that ? Are you saying a police would never expose themselves in a restaurant ? Or are you saying there is no link with murder ? Anyone who has the vaguest notion of psychology knows that every crime committed by a person follows a trajectory. If someone gets counselling and education the crime can stop or reduce. The murderer was never even assessed - simply allowed to continue in uniform.
    2
  5674.  @ianc1097  , okay you oppose rational speculation based o facts, so let's examine what we DO KNOW. a) we know he was at a restaurant, someone accused him of indecent exposure and the police were called. b) we know he wasn't suspended or placed on leave c) we know he kidnapped and murdered Sarah Everard 12 days later. If you're happy with that chain of events then I'm sorry for you. Because any rational person would be crying out for answers.
    2
  5675. The siege of Mariupol bought Ukraine time. The street fighting in Severodonetsk took the sting out of the Russian offensive. That was Putin's apogee. The tide has now turned. And all the success of Ukraine is built on the sacrifice of those who fought earlier.
    2
  5676. Germany closed its airspace to weapons deliveries for Ukraine in the first days of the war. Germany will never be forgiven for that.
    2
  5677. Wanderer, I'll second that.
    2
  5678. God bless Ukraine. We must all pull together to defeat the evil invasion. One hopes for a rescue mission to Mariupol. Anti-ship missiles to sink Russia's Black Sea fleet.
    2
  5679. At one time Arafat had 3 billion dollars......all stolen from the Palestinians. Is it any wonder he would assassinate an influential critic in London.
    2
  5680. Merkel
    2
  5681. Looting ? Only Haiti's elite are allowed to do that. They may be the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere but they top the league in corruption, political killings and torture.
    2
  5682. "Are the FSB your friends ?" "Well why do you invite Russia to investigate the Skripal poisonings ?" Corbyn is "friends" with Moscow, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Ayatollah Corbyn objects to NATO, the USA, and Western influence Coryn is systematically anti-British
    2
  5683. Abducting Ukrainian children ::- One wonders whether Russia's demographic collapse is a partial motivation ? Historical abductions :- South America : children were taken from socialist parents and handed to friends of the military junta.
    2
  5684. Angie, I'd like it explained more as well. How is it everyone is connecting the raid with Trump ? Now Trump's only European bank is Deutsche and trump is suspected of laundering Russian money ; after all Eric told a golf buddy, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". So I can only imagine people are putting 2 and 2 together.
    2
  5685. "The EU is split" : you can say that again. France & Germany sided with Moscow in February :- Germany closed its airspace to british weapons flights, and refused Estonia permission to send its howitzers. Macron sided with Moscow saying, "We must not humiliate Russia". Both Franc and Germany wanted Ukraine to trade land for peace. This produced an Easter EU bloc that sided with the USA and Britain. Now France and Germany are pretending to be 100% behind Ukraine.
    2
  5686. Hamas MURDERED him
    2
  5687. When Kim hugs Moon that is meant for Trump. Moon is accepting the hug vicariously. Moon is the 'vicar' of Trump, if you will. Trump shouldn't think he's missing out ; and besides hugs are an inexhaustible resource. There will still be plenty left for June 12th.
    2
  5688. 3:20 "No territory to Russia" Macron cannot believe this. If France were in Ukraine's position, they would've capitulated almost immediately. Italy too, cannot understand Ukraine : they would've surrendered. No nation can escape its culture.
    2
  5689. Well said.
    2
  5690. After watching Spanish police beating old ladies and young girls, one would've thought the Spanish fascists would want this episode to be forgotten.
    2
  5691. Conspicuous by her absence.
    2
  5692. This is only 50% racism....Indian students should flee to Belarus. It is just easier to identify folk from India and Africa. Indians are supporting Russia. The Ukrainians are at war and folk who are educational tourists are simply getting in the way.
    2
  5693. What is Pakistan doing ?
    2
  5694. Colin Powel famously said, "Special forces are more trouble than they're worth" adding that they always needed to be extracted , whether they'd accomplished their mission or not. I suppose he'd be just raising his eyebrows at the loss of two helicopters. As much as to say, "I told you so".
    2
  5695. Fear of China and fear of offending Russia : that is the Modi mindset. Modi wakes up with fear, and goes to bed with fear. Meanwhile, India's reputation is traduced. Ask anyone, "Who is the weak link in the QUAD ?" India, they will answer.
    2
  5696. Putin is saying, "Give me Donbass and Crimea or I will nuke you" Why not ask for Poland and the Baltic states as well. Russia has lost. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    2
  5697.  @Senny_sen  Interesting. Kazakhstan has 12% of the world's uranium resources and in 2021 produced about 21,800 tU. In 2009 it became the world's leading uranium producer, with almost 28% of world production. And Kazakhstan has just moved into China's orbit.
    2
  5698. Remember Trump being attacked for the remark "$hithole countries".
    2
  5699. Schulz & Macron = European leadership (capitulation and concessions) Europe is like a damsel in distress waiting for the US to rescue them. Reluctantly letting Ukraine do the fighting, and hoping the British will give Russia the hard word.
    2
  5700. Hamas wants a crisis - so the International Community force a ceasefire Hamas wants more death & starvation to increase pressure Israel want all hostages returned
    2
  5701. 1:44 lesson no.1 don't pat Trump on the back he hates it.
    2
  5702. Very revealing. If anyone is going to write a history book on this war, they will have to watch all Zolkin's videos - they are packed with crucial information and specific details.
    2
  5703. Russia would suffer economic ruin. No country can survive without the world economy.
    2
  5704. UNRWA joined in the massacre Stop all aid to Gaza The west is funding Hamas terror Al Jazeera (Qatar) funds Hamas
    2
  5705.  @meny258  Hamas are a disaster for the Palestinian people.
    2
  5706. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  5707. Why have Germany and France switched sides ? When Russia invaded they both decided on appeasement - Germany sabotaged weapons deliver from Britain and Estonia, Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". They both considered Crimea to be de facto Russian territory. Why have they now sided with Ukraine ? Because by offering a carrot to Moscow France & Germany were prolonging the war.
    2
  5708. It is better for Putin to stay on until Crimea is liberated. If Putin goes France & Germany will demand a ceasefire, and will then try to normalise relations with Russia. If fighting stops Ukraine will never get Crimea back.
    2
  5709. Macron is an excellent welcomer.
    2
  5710. Big J, how right you are. I just replied to another Beto-believer :- "May I point something out to you : the reason Trump is there in the first place is because the DNC ran with Hillary who was the most loathed candidate they've ever had ! Why pick someone who has no policies, who goes into the woods for mystical experience, who is a failed pop star and uses the "F" word freely in front of his wife and daughter ?
    2
  5711. Gosh the WHO are getting tough with their words. I didn't notice that when the virus was only located in China !
    2
  5712. "Interdict Iranian drones" LOL Many people are champing at the bit to see the Ayatollah get his comeuppance.
    2
  5713.  @danoneall4013  , good pint. Haftar is finished - and Erdoğan finished him. But it was a pyrrhic victory. Both of Haftar and the old duffer are out of the game. There are new players emerging. Erdoğan placed all his chips on the old duffer who has/was retired.
    2
  5714.  @AverageGuy916  " stop buying from your competitor " That is hard to do, with global supply chains. It can take months to rearrange supplies, it's a massive restructuring. China has a restricted market, with punitive terms for foreign companies. The USA did the right thing to demand China Purchase more. China agreed - but the Covid outbreak meant they didn't meet the targets. China would never do the same for the EU, because the EU has no muscle.
    2
  5715.  @seanhastings4432  Russia is no stranger to "sexual slavery" : serf girls were advertised as "having a pretty face and attractive figure". One noble wrote a book about the abuse of serf girls "Road from St Petersburg to Moscow"...... he was exiled to Siberia.
    2
  5716. Uninformed and apparently on the Apple payroll.
    2
  5717. What nonsense. Haven't you heard Trump decry how many trillions were wasted in Iraq ? Trump is famous for saying "Wars are for losers". Trump said " 5 trillion dollars (Iraq) should have been spent in the US on infrastructure". I don't know where you get your nonsense.
    2
  5718. This Irish guy is always anti-Israel "Israel must leave and it is non-negotiable" Even if Hezbollah are active in the South ? Typical of this guy
    2
  5719. LOL that is a pretty sparse demonstration, by a lot of folks about to lose their high salary jobs. I don't see many ordinary folk protesting.
    2
  5720. And Jacob Zuma faces 726 corruption charges which the South African parliament won't investigate. And the African Union say it is a disgrace. (Not Jacob Zuma, they are happy about that, all African politicians are corrupt ; they say Trump is a disgrace for recognising their corruption, greed, venality and cupidity and calling them shitholes. )
    2
  5721. Poor leadership ? We need Biden.........he knows what to do (LOL)
    2
  5722. + also Russia just bombed Idlib (which is home to Turkish militia) I'm sure that was part of the conversation.
    2
  5723. "India is shaky" said Biden. Fear of China, and fear of offending Russia, force Modi to be "shaky" India is the weak-link in the QUAD Buying cheap oil from Russia, is Modi's smart move. Everything else he does stinks.
    2
  5724. What happened to MH17 ? Russia supplied the drunken rebels with a BUK missiles and the drunken Russian tugs shot down a passenger plane. There has been a full enquiry with photographic evidence, documenting the BUK missile transport. Moscow deny everything. The Pope described Moscow as "Infantile". Putin doesn't even attempt to be civilized or rational.
    2
  5725.  @mohmedhassan6875  That is true But whose fault is it ? That there is no democracy for Palestinians Israel supported the only thugs who could challenge the PA The PA beat up and kill anyone that challenges their dictatorship, so Israel supported Hamas thugs to undermine the PA If there had been multi-parties in Gaza Hamas might not have won in 2006 The fault is with Palestinian democracy not with Israel
    2
  5726. Never trust the Revolutionary Islamist Iranians
    2
  5727. No thanks to France "We must not humiliate Russia" France has sent 1/40th of the weapons Britain provided.
    2
  5728. What does history teach us :- a) The overthrow of Mohammed Mossadegh was the work of CIA, British & BP b) Gulf of Tonkin was a false flag Therefore, history shows you always get found out, especially in the age of whistle-blowers. So did the Yanks do it : definitely not (okay 99.9% not) Did Iran do it ? Well what other cards do Iran have to play ? Obviously Iran did it.
    2
  5729. France = neutral ? That means France is looking after its own interests as it always does. France is not a team player, it is a half-hearted member of NATO
    2
  5730. Hamas must stop hiding behind children
    2
  5731. Iran will become a stone-age economy. The US will take out all the infrastructure :- a) power plants and sub-stations, b) roads and railways c) water plants & dams d) communications facilities e) transport hubs : airports , train stations They will minimise casualties by giving advanced warning of the target. The aim being economic destruction rather than human life. Iran's only hope is a short messy conflict, caused by them but deniable, which doubles global oil prices and in which they can paint themselves the victim.
    2
  5732. This guy is the intellectual voice of the Lunatic Left
    2
  5733. How will Morsi be remembered ? As the guy who let the presidency slip through his bigoted-buttery fingers. As a medievally minded fanatic who couldn't wait to start imposing his intolerance on minorities. As a Theocratic fascist who wanted to change the constitution and establish Sharia Law.
    2
  5734. I've previously commented on how the Ukrainians cherish every tank. This one is a well camouflaged example. The Russians just junk their tanks. I think protecting the tank makes it a more effective unit in the army.
    2
  5735. Ha ha ha, "share power", the first sign of weakness. That old communist tyrant is finished. Yaser Arafat ruled Palestine as a dictator for 40yrs (and stole $3 billion) Lukashenko must be very disappointed with his 26yr tyranny.
    2
  5736. "It is an internal matter." That is the excuse all dictators use.
    2
  5737. I never use profanities but when you consider what the assholes at Fox, MSNBC, CNN etc earn , then good luck to Pakman if he is making a decent living, he is much better and more entertaining than that lot. And obviously he has overheads etc.
    2
  5738. Why did the Arab Spring fail ? Because Caliphate countries have no notions of democracy What about Turkey ? Turey was birthed by Ataturk, an atheist : he abolished Islamic courts, schools, councils and dress (Fez) He introduced a western alphabet, western surnames, western education and western governance Turkey was transformed by Ataturk into a 100% western nation. It's done a bit of back-sliding lately, but democracy is hanging in there.
    2
  5739. China is a totalitarian state with arbitrary use of law. It harvests human organs and is prepared to slaughter it's own citizens (Tienanmen). China is antithetical to all liberal values.
    2
  5740. Luciana Berger has Corbyn by the corbels. He can say "There's no anti-Semitism" but she is the judge. Poor old Jeremy, he's in bed with every Islamofascist group going.
    2
  5741. 0:30 the very definition of brainwashed. All those chanting drones, educated in Madrasa to hate the West. With inflation at 50% and GDP declining at 4% per year the Ayatollah's dictatorship is on its knees. In 1979 Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year : read "The executioners deserve medals".
    2
  5742. "Not surprising" why do you say that ? "It's not surprising" you've said it again. This only happens in fanatical countries. You don't get mass casualties in a civilized country. Winston Churchill had hundreds of thousands lining the street (in civilized respect). There weren't dozens killed in a stampede.
    2
  5743. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    2
  5744. 2:49 just look at that river. I believe Germany has about 17 navigable rivers , Spain has one. Spain also had terrible roads : it cost as much to transport goods from Lisbon to Madrid as it did to bring them from the East Indies. They only spent money on infrastructure after the Spanish Succession 1714 "Spain Rise & Fall" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad8Gg73AnUs&t=3s "30yrs war Spain's swan song" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3wy7XbYkvA&t=1s
    2
  5745.  @meandmetoo8436  , interesting. It appears most European development is trade driven. In a belt from from the Byzantine trading hubs (Venice Bari Amalfi) through France/Germany to England and the Baltic. I made a short video "Fall of Rome Dark Ages Rise of Europe" if you'd care to criticise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEhJao7S1wY
    2
  5746.  @dxxeer8606  The ANC didn't end Apartheid, that was done by the International community with boycotts and sanctions. The De Clerk regime became pariahs, they were ostracized and shamed into allowing pluralist politics. If there had been a civil war the ANC would have been crushed. The South African army was the best in Africa. Jacob Zuma is an uneducated, violent, corrupt thug, and the reason S Africa is going down the pan is because people like you hero worship corrupt backwards leaders.
    2
  5747. Germany froze : they thought Russia would win, and didn't want to disadvantage themselves. "Germany has not denied access to its airspace as the UK did not submit a request. There has been no dispute between the UK and Germany on this issue." Meanwhile, a German Defence spokesperson claimed the C-17 planes were not prohibited from entering German airspace. This is despite the fact the aircraft also avoided Germany on their return flight to RAF Brize Norton."
    2
  5748. What a marvellous delegation : their demeanour and bearing, even sans necktie one perceives their noble countenance. God bless the USA. Russia's aggression is the defining event of the 21st century - Asiatic Autocracy against Western Civilisation. Thank God for the USA.
    2
  5749. How times change. When Pakistan went into Bangladesh they killed 3 million.
    2
  5750.  @vihreelinja4743  Look at a graph of world currencies : the dollar accounts for 45% of world transactions, the Euro for 40%, the pound Sterling for 5%. After that come the 4th rate currencies. Anyone that thinks the world is going to trade in Rimini, or Rupee is kidding themselves.
    2
  5751. @Momin ki Makkari aur Dhokebaazi "you wouldn't like to be labelled as evil would you?" No. That is why I am making the comment. I like India. Britain has a very close relationship and high regard for India (albeit not always reciprocated LOL) Europe simply wants India to side with democracy.
    2
  5752. Total humiliation for Russia Erdogan bestrides the Black Sea like a colossus. Putin & Erdogan esteem themselves to be "Men of their word" They both hail from the Steppes with their ancient tradition of honour and keeping one's word. Putin flew into a rage and hysterically pulled out of the grain deal : Erdogan held him to it. Russia is shrinking on the world stage. (Erdogan, with hardly any cards to play, is rising)
    2
  5753. Modis mistakes :- a) India has picked the wrong side : Putin is a loser. b) INS Vikrant : India has picked the wrong vessel. Carriers are easily sunk by missiles, the Vikrant won't last 24hrs in a war. c) India has a huge peasant army (1.5 million) it eats 65% of the budget, which goes on wages pensions and healthcare : it is a welfare army. d) India is a half-baked nation : it is living in the Soviet past. The future is with the West.
    2
  5754. Oct 7th video shows abducted hostages being held captive in hospitals Hamas uses hospitals as a safe-zone UNRWA offices had Hamas command centres below ground The evidence is overwhelming , nobody denies it !
    2
  5755. LOL The UN picked Libya to head the Human Rights That was when Gaddafi was torturing non stop
    2
  5756.  @ellismaytham456  , why were police snipers shooting protestors from rooftops ? Why take such barbaric action against folk who are protesting economic stagnation ? Why does the Iranian Revolutionary Guard corner 30% of the economy ? The most profitable part is co-opted by the IRGC, ordinary folk can't even trade without running foul of the corrupt IRGC.
    2
  5757. well said
    2
  5758. NATO power - very impressive Russia is a paper tiger (so is China)
    2
  5759. "It's the New Year and there's not much happening" LOL Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht managed to get right up Moscow's nose : they are regularly attacking her.
    2
  5760. Dershowitz talks nonsense. Comey said, "She mishandled intelligence without intent". But that makes no difference. If a corporal in the Marines does it they go to jail. You don't need intent. And in any case there was intent when she set up the private server. The whole point of that was to avoid scrutiny. Hillary put her own safety (from scrutiny) before national security and she did it "intentionally". So many people have wilfully got it wrong over this : don't forget Dershowitz is part of the same milieu as the Clintons he rubs shoulders with all the elite down at Matrha's Vineyard.
    2
  5761. So much for not answering Biden's phone call. The Saudi's have the 4th most expensive military and can't even defend an oil terminal. The Saudi's are a cowardly, barbaric joke. In any straight fight, the Houthis will demolish the Saudi. (Every nation hates the Saudi)
    2
  5762. 4:50 Was anyone else not happy about the way that went on ? It's lopsided : the last one he did went on flush.
    2
  5763. Hamas, had given Israel an ultimatum to stand down its forces at Al-Aqsa by 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). At one minute past Hamas fired rockets into Israel. The start of the war.
    2
  5764. East & West Ukraine :- but in the referendum on braking away, even East Ukraine voted to leave Russia (by 67%)
    2
  5765.  @mikeny5020  , my eyes can't make out what that is. Also, I'm an old duffer and wouldn't know its meaning even if I could make it out. However, that aside, I do believe my post to be accurate. Erdoğan has often drawn attention to the Muslim population in Northern Greece and talked about redrawing the border. Turkey are champing at the bit for war, because they know they'll beat Greece and reckon they will gain territory.
    2
  5766. "Iran denies attack on oil tankers" Well they would say that wouldn't they. (That is actually a reference to a political scandal in Britain ha ha ha) But seriously, when will the corrupt totalitarian Ayatollah finally get the message : ordinary folk want you to F-off. All that theocracy died in the middle-ages. The Persian people want a quiet prosperous life, freedom of speech and an independent judiciary ; equal opportunities and an end to Revolutionary Guard filching from the economy.
    2
  5767. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. The number 1 priority of the Chinese Communist Party is the Chinese Communist Party.
    2
  5768. Yes. This is what the EU is good at - talking. They are good listeners, and good sympathisers. When it comes to war they are like a damsel in distress.
    2
  5769. Ruwan, you boasted about poisoning Litvinenko with plutonium. You then boasted about killing traitors abroad. Why deny you killed a traitor abroad with a Russian nerve agent. Russian children are brainwashed with propaganda from the first time they go to school. They don't know that Stalin killed 30 million Russians , through starvation, relocation, purges and Gulags. Russians know nothing about history and even less about the present.
    2
  5770. Martin, that is something to celebrate : open the Vodka ! Russia has a history of brutal authority against its own people. They were made serfs/slaves, then impoverished by aristocrats then murdered by Communist dictators. The Russian people are shell-shocked with state-brutalisation. There is no vivacity in Russia no joie-de-vevre . Just drunken morbidity. When there was an attempted coup against Yeltsin the people of Moscow ignored it : they knew they'd be brutalised whoever won.
    2
  5771. "The Nobel Peace Prize Committee" must be proud.
    2
  5772. 16:00 "The Palestinians are leaderless now" Well, Yasser Arafat ruled as a dictator for 35yrs and stole $3 billion, so maybe being leaderless isn't so bad. Who was the last good leader that wasn't a corrupt, clueless, old man ?
    2
  5773.  @stagg2158  "Putin never expected this kind of response " I think the Kremlin were being opportunistic, hoping something would turn up. Putin has always been lucky - eg after invading Georgia, the Lehman Bros. collapsed. I think it has backfired. NATO were a football team with nobody to play, Putin provided a tournament, and NATO are now performing a victory parade - Canada, Spain, Denmark and France all sending ships and planes. The Kremlin have now changed their rhetoric from strong threat to victim : blaming Western aggression. All Russia's neighbours have lined up against her (Sweden, Finland etc) It has been a disaster for Russia. NATO has been magisterial - organized, civilized, conciliatory and strong.
    2
  5774. Rouhani should talk to the Iranian people ! He should apologise for the damage Islamofascism has done to Iran. He should begin a process of normalisation : so that Universities and schools can start teaching rational Enlightened curricular. The corrupt Ayatollahs should start a truth & reconciliation commission so their crimes can be investigated.
    2
  5775. Nikolas, you are a well informed and erudite, I enjoyed your replies. "a big part of the Iranian people are religious and conservative" (sic) A big part are also socialist and when Khomeini came to power he was asked what he would do with them and said,"I'll kick their teeth in". I think a free and fair election would surprise a lot of people who think they know what the Iranian people are like.
    2
  5776. Remember Romania when the Ceaușescu was overthrown and he just looked like an old duffer ? Well that's the Ayatollah : he's just a daft old man. Why do they all worship him ? It's bizarre : the Ayatollah has never said a smart thing in his life.
    2
  5777. A few facts :- a) Every war has been started by Pakistan b) Jinnah et al were the driving force behind partition : both the British and the Indian Congress wanted unity. c) the slaughter that followed Partition was the responsibility of rabid fanatical Imams and genocidal Hindu nationalists : both of whom stoked hatred and fear into their illiterate supporters. d) Pakistan is a basket case and cannot compete with India economically : that's why Pakistan adopts a policy of violence, conflict and chaos. There are Islamofascist fanatics queueing up to murder innocent people. It is the one department in which Pakistan is top dog.
    2
  5778. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    2
  5779. The Revolutionary Guard (Iran) do not answer to Rouhani. They are essentially a rogue organisation within Iran. This attack together with the drone attack on the Saudi pipe-line and the tanker sabotage are very likely the work of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
    2
  5780. The Revolutionary Guard (Iran) do not answer to Rouhani. They are essentially a rogue organisation within Iran. This attack together with the drone attack on the Saudi pipe-line and the tanker sabotage are very likely the work of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
    2
  5781. Oct 7th video shows abducted hostages being held captive in hospitals Hamas uses hospitals as a safe-zone UNRWA offices had Hamas command centres below ground The evidence is overwhelming , nobody denies it !
    2
  5782. I heard Rajoy talking about reforming the constitution LOL I've never seen a bloke climb off his high-horse as quickly. Merkel & the EU warned him not to use violence and now he's running around like a Spanish waiter. Rajoy is a clown and has lost Catalunya for Spain. The speech he wrote for the King was a disgrace : he made the King sound as stupid as him.
    2
  5783. Well done Nikki Haley She is thinking about hostages Al Jazeera refuse to show the Hamas hostage video Why ? Well ask yourself - what do you imagine it shows ? All the girls smiling ?
    2
  5784. Doctor, that is a fair point. But in the case of the US the people are still rational. 78% said they didn't trust Hillary. Some of them voted for Trump ; but once the evidence for Trump's impeachment is presented you'll find 78% of the US say he should be prosecuted.
    2
  5785. fx gamer, I'm not saying every person but the majority. Look how they turned on Nixon. 68% said they didn't trust Hillary (that included many Democrats). Look how they distrust their own government and never accept Whitehouse (or military) statements but send reporters out to get the truth. Do you want to see irrational behaviour ? Look at Russia : the people were asked if they wanted an investigation into the Gulags and the millions killed by their own government and they said "No".
    2
  5786. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    2
  5787.  @richardbayer5702  I hope you are wrong. Germany is two-faced, you are right about that. Boris revealed "Germany wanted a quick victory for Russia". That is 100% true. However, I find it inconceivable Germany can say no to Leopards. Why ? Because even Macron is pushing for a "Yes"
    2
  5788. UNRWA employs terrorists to teach terrorism to children Sinwar was an UNRWA headmaster
    2
  5789. WRONG ! Not "crash", you mean hard landing LOL
    2
  5790.  @harrow2355  , very interesting. I suppose at the time France considered its actions to be a matter of national security. But to bomb a ship moored at a harbour in New Zealand ! Didn't France ever consider the repercussions. I believe France threatened an EU boycott if New Zealand didn't return its agents - who were treated as heroes when they landed in Paris.
    2
  5791. All media is regulated. The BBC is, France 24 is, DW and RT are all regulated. What about Al-Jazeera ? Well I can't mention Qatar or Hamas or the comment will be removed.
    2
  5792. Trump would've stopped this in 24 hrs
    2
  5793. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    2
  5794.  Joe Xavier  , good points. The North American native Indians were treated genocidally. The Patagonian Indians were exterminated by 'Argentinians'. Economically you are also right : slave labour was so integral to the Southern states they fought the Civil War(1861-65) over it. And finally you are right again, indigenous people have inherited political power. Unfortunately the also inherited Iberian Peninsular culture (Church, Crown Inquisition, corruption, censorship, militarism, seigneurial indolence and servile superstition - Catholicism).
    2
  5795. Well done Nikki Haley She is thinking about hostages Al Jazeera refuse to show the Hamas hostage video Why ? Well ask yourself - what do you imagine it shows ? All the girls smiling ?
    2
  5796. Very thoughtful reflections on the war. "Then we should prepare for the next one" That is what Liz Truss said, "There can be no peace until Russia is pushed out of Ukraine, and the borders secured with forces to deter Russia in future, only then can we talk about peace" (I'm paraphrasing)
    2
  5797. Macron : weak with China and a fool with France.
    2
  5798. @jas crilly "surrender to them " what a strange attitude. Ask yourself why everyone is flocking to live in the US : wealthy Russians, Chinese, Iranians etc It's because the USA is a free countries with laws, property rights , an independent judiciary and an accountable transparent government. Now ask yourself why there is no opposition movement in Iran ? Because they died in Khomeini's torture camps.
    2
  5799.  @tonyhero1628  LOL But let's be serious : India has picked the wrong side. AUKUS will finish China with a simple blockade. That is why the US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines, it is why Australia are getting 9 nuclear submarines. China cannot feed itself and has no oil : a six month blockade will collapse the CCP. Modi needs to get on the winning side.
    2
  5800.  @tachikoma7757  Hamas fighters are not going to "shoulder arms" as they march up the beach Hamas re-appeared in the north - how do you think that happened ?
    2
  5801. Corruption is simply eradicated by giving the party that confesses a pardon. (Just like the US price fixing laws : eg Virgin confessed it had fixed prices with American Airlines, they got off and American Airlines are fined and jailed).
    2
  5802. "The Grand Strategy of the Hapsburg Empire" LOL isn't that an oxymoron. The Habsburgs were desperate for survival from day 1. They were always dependent on alliances. During the Grand Alliance against Louis XIV, Britain was sending them £3 million per year. In the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756, Britain realised the hopelessness of the Habsburgs, and allied with Prussia. The Habsburgs had to immediately look to France. Then under Joseph II, looked to Russia. The Habsburgs were never a power, and certainly never had a Grand strategy.
    2
  5803.  @CHMichael  Fair points. The reason I said 500yrs is because democracy doesn't come from nowhere. England(Britain from 1707) possessed "The indomitable power of public opinion against authority" (Namik Kemal Ottoman 1860) One can't graft democracy onto a culture. Take Spain :- Spanish/Portuguese culture branched (bifurcated) into Central and South America. Neither the mother countries nor the colonies developed stable democracy : Spain was a fascist dictatorship until 1975. Portugal, a fascist dictatorship until 1974. For the failings of Latin America, look no further than the mother countries.
    2
  5804. 9:30 "The green light from the Supreme Leader of Iran" What a phrase : right out of the dictator's manual ; straight out of medieval despotism. I think N Korea use the same phrase for their crackpot dictator.
    2
  5805. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, then quietly become a $hithole country.
    2
  5806. Soixant huitards
    2
  5807. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That's Hezbollah.
    2
  5808. 110 miles from China to Taiwan. Not a single troop ship could make the journey without being sunk : Taiwan have 6 subs and the US have more than enough. So, China CANNOT invade. What about a paratroop drop - it would be like shooting fish in a barrel. What you are watching is posturing : China would need an operation like Overlord to invade Taiwan (and even then it would fail).
    2
  5809. Good move Iran : developing nuclear weapons will win you friends. Oh and boost your economy. Everyone wants to trade with fanatical Islamist crackpots.
    2
  5810.  @Guy-cs8yj  , well said. I'm in the process of making a video on the battle of Dunbar 1650 ; and those fanatical crackpots in the Scottish Kirk were as bad. Needless to say they were also passionate witch burners. Wouldn't it be great to see the Islamist theocracy in Iran fall in our lifetimes.
    2
  5811.  @Guy-cs8yj  , well said. I'm in the process of making a video on the battle of Dunbar 1650 ; and those fanatical crackpots in the Scottish Kirk were as bad. Needless to say they were also passionate witch burners. Wouldn't it be great to see the Islamist theocracy in Iran fall in our lifetimes.
    2
  5812. Hezbollah funded by the Ayatollah (Iran). Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah : anti-democratic, fascist , murderous thugs. Don't expect Argentina to investigate : it is corrupt from top to bottom.
    2
  5813. Nobody looks as though they're starving They all look healthy We've seen starvation in Sudan & Ethiopia, these folks are healthy
    2
  5814. Iran's threats are for domestic consumption. If you want to win an election in Iran you have to talk tough to the US. The threats are just empty rhetoric.
    2
  5815. Mubarak was kicked out after 30yrs. But Arafat kept his dictatorship going for 40yrs - and was celebrated as a hero, even though he stole $3 billion from the Palestinians. There's none so blind as those who won't see.
    2
  5816. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    2
  5817. Let us analyse Iran :- a) a Theocratic dictatorship b) Opposition are imprisoned and tortured read 'The Executioners Deserve Medals'. c) protestors are killed by Iranian police rooftop snipers. d) The Ayatollah wants a nuclear weapon to "wipe Israel off the map". e) the religious fanatics are anticipating the 12th Imam, who will arrive with Armageddon. f) The Ayatollah embraces Armageddon and has nuclear plans to bring it about.
    2
  5818. China is looking after itself. It is spreading totalitarianism at an alarming rate. Ask yourself this : do African governments want transparent democracy or total surveillance corrupt totalitarianism ? They will take China any day over Europe.
    2
  5819.  m g  , China is leading the world in 24hr surveillance Are you telling me African despots wouldn't prefer that to democracy ?
    2
  5820. Well done France. The intelligence services knew who it was immediately. That's how well informed they are. He was a well known Islamist gunman.
    2
  5821. "Killed Palestinian informers", you know who falls into that bracket ? Anyone that opposes Fatah. That's how Arafat ruled for 40yrs , killing anyone who criticises him. That's how corrupt Fatah stay in power. Democracy and human rights don't exist for West Bank Palestinians. At least Palestinians in Israel get to vote and the government is held accountable : look at Netanyahu having to account for the cigars he received. None of that in Palestine.......the corruption and murder go unchecked.
    2
  5822. LOL "a lion" You mean the lion from Wizard of Oz.
    2
  5823. Russia don't understand Europe. In 1815 (after the defeat of Napoleon) the Vienna Congress decided to uphold autocratic dynasties and suppress progressive democracy. So in 1830 "the July Revolution in France along with revolutions in Congress Poland, Italian states, Portugal and Switzerland and Belgium. Russia mobilised its army to intervene. In 1848 revolutions swept Europe : again Russia mobilized. L B Namier "Hatred of Tsarist Russia, as the mainstay of the Holy Alliance (1815) and the guardian of autocracy was universal among European liberals and radicals" Even Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    2
  5824. I'm always impressed by Palestinian people - even old men who look like senseless fanatics, turn out to be talking sense. What is behind the tragedy is Palestine ? History. In 1947 Palestine was claimed by Egypt, Jordan and Syria. An armed struggle ensued and military minded men rose to the leadership and stayed there. Yasser Araft stole $3 billion and ruled as a dictator for 35yrs The PLO were now totally corrupt with Gulf Oil money, driving luxury cars and living in mansions. Arafat sent his wife in Paris $1 million per month (that was in the 1970s when one could retire comfortably on a million) No money was invested in education for the young. Toddlers were taught to crawl in the dust clutching wooden rifles. The military PLO demanded obedience and respect. That is the tragedy of Palestine.
    2
  5825. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy , indolent, ignorant, over indulged, bigoted, discriminatory, cruel and cowardly. If you think they've no sense of humour watch their military in action. They will never understand the West. Saudi doesn't know what humanitarian values are : they think expelling Canadians is getting them recognition, it is but the wrong sort. Everyone is recognising them as a $hithole country.
    2
  5826. Very impressive. I think he used tweezers to hold the parts and glue them together. Then used tweezers to insert the picture. If that doesn't make Biden sign back up to the Paris Accord nothing will.
    2
  5827. And in Palestine today they wear Arafat T-shirts even though he stole $3 billion from them. Money which has never been recovered and that could be used for redevelopment.
    2
  5828. If Hamas releases ALL hostages the war ends Why does Hamas allow folk to suffer ?
    2
  5829. Green eggs, that was very good analysis. Erdogan blew hard without securing air access to Afrin. Syria (Russia) have said NO and now Erdogan must call it off and eat humble pie. Turkey look like fools.
    2
  5830.  @steveo976  " means you can move your Air Force into position" Good point. Essentially, that is what the Yanks will use their carriers for - literally, to carry F-35s into the war zone.
    2
  5831. What a daft question Syria will be like Iran - the elections will be FAUX election Syria will have FAUX democracy The EU will pay for it because they have kindergarten naivety
    2
  5832. 0:23 Look at Ayatollah Khomeini's eyes and you can believe he executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. They were the Persian opposition : Socialists, Trade-Unionists, Democrats, Feminists. Iran's religious crackpots now want to develop nuclear weapons. They eagerly await Armageddon when the 12th Imam will appear. No wonder the rest of the world fears them.
    2
  5833. LOL
    2
  5834. The Axis of Evil
    2
  5835. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    2
  5836. Crossword Clue :- A democratic country that elects the same party (ZANU 40yrs or ANC 25yrs) even though they are corrupt and incompetent. 8 letters S**TH*LE Anyone like to guess ?
    2
  5837. The Orcs are getting smashed. Drones sniff out their squalid camps, pulverize the barbaric war criminals The world exhales.
    2
  5838. The politicians are the most corrupt anywhere in the world. The wealthy pay no tax and don't pay their utility bills......but they never suffer power-cuts. It is the working people, who have to pay their bills ,they get the power cuts. Then there are the religious fanatics who are a disgrace. I heard one ex-general saying Pakistan should spend much less on defence , he was asked about India invading and said, "India wouldn't want Pakistan if you gave them it". What has Pakistan got other than a labour force that sends money home. India have all the labour they need.
    2
  5839. Hardly signs of a downfall. I'd say the opposite : it was the English Civil war that injected vitality. That led to the Empire and Industrial revolution. Historically stable states : China and India stagnate. I think it's like a bush fire , how everything starts growing afterwards.
    2
  5840. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. It is impossible for Russia to reform- it would take at least 3 generations. Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (8161) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  5841. Tony Blair = Hipocrite David Cameron = Dodgey Dave
    2
  5842.  @TypeZero31  Thanks. I'm an armchair military expert : I should've said, "NATO Nimrods" But one thing I'm sure of is that NATO intelligence are working around the clock. Delivering real-time 'processed' information to Ukraine. Processing takes hundreds of man-hours, I think Russia are leagues behind on this metric.
    2
  5843. 3.59 When David says Revile he means Revere. I'm not criticising : I couldn't orate like he does. And the concision of his arguments is exemplary.
    2
  5844. Look at the comments. The Fox News viewing morons are totally unaware of his human rights record. What do you expect from Yanks. They are as thick as they are loathsome.
    2
  5845. Good luck to the protestors but I'm not hopeful. You have a cocktail of Africa + Islam and you are trying to make a civilized democracy. It won't happen in our lifetimes.
    2
  5846.  @cait2177  , "Prior to the 1880s, Argentina was a relatively isolated backwater, dependent on the salted meat, wool, leather, and hide industries for both the greater part of its foreign exchange and the generation of domestic income and profits. The Argentine economy began to experience swift growth after 1880 through the export of livestock and grain commodities ". My historical analysis is prior to the 1880s The die was already cast. Argentina is owned by 100 families, the residue of the Spanish nobility. In a symbiotic relationship with the Church : which opposed independence and sabotaged a secular republic. I'm not blaming Spanish America. I'm just saying that the model of Spanish governance was not a good one. Representative assemblies had produced the Dutch stock exchange and national bank (followed by the English). England produced Parliamentary democracy and the Industrial revolution on the back of representative assemblies. Independent institutions like the Royal Society (science) ; Huygens, anatomy etc in Holland. In Spanish America the Church controlled all educational establishments. It is simply a bad model : the Spanish model segues naturally into military dictatorship.
    2
  5847.  @cait2177  , one aspect of the Black Legend is that the Inquisition were like the Gestapo : untrue. They were a deeply conservative paternal presence. Like the Muslim-brotherhood or the Taliban or Ayatollah. They were primarily concerned with conserving religion. That's why they cut Spain off from European educational development. That's why all scientific advances are English, Dutch , German etc etc That isolationism and conservatism was transferred to the Americas.
    2
  5848. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, and quietly become a $hithole country.
    2
  5849.  @UnintendedConsequences  Was it Marx who said, ....... “Hegel remarks somewhere that all great, world-historical facts and personages occur, as it were, twice. He has forgotten to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce.”
    2
  5850. Amazing professionalism - the Ukrainians are natural combatants. Well done France : the Caesar is a first-rate howitzer. The Russian advanced has stalled, now they are incrementally failing as the tide turns.
    2
  5851. "Mr Macron you were right then, and you are even more right today" Gosh, can you get that engraved and famed. Nobody has ever soft-soaped Macron like that ! I wondered where those hugs were leading.
    2
  5852. Dictatorship.
    2
  5853. Never expect the UN to speak on behalf of hostages The UN sides with Hamas, UNRWA fights with Hamas
    2
  5854. Tokayev is then visiting Paris - that's the key part.
    2
  5855. Russia's way is a corrupt one party state. Even opposition parties in Russia are funded and organised from the Kremlin : they are faux opposition just to make the public happy. Poor Russian public are fools. Russia is in real trouble there cash reserves have dwindled, they are in demographic decline and the lack of investment now will make a big impact on energy production further down the line. In the meantime the Russian oligarchs get their money out of the country as quick as they can.
    2
  5856. " Is there an apparent conflict of interest ?" Biden "Don't ask me that, look at Trump". So nobody is allowed to ask about even "apparent" conflict of interest. Crooked Democrats : we're not even allowed to ask !
    2
  5857. Fatima’s Taliban husband was so controlling that he refused to allow her to bathe and threatened to burn her face if she dared wear make up, suspicious that his 12-year-old Afghan wife was trying to make herself attractive to other men. (Reuters)
    2
  5858. No thanks to France, who has supplied 1/40th of the weapons Britain sent. And 1/20th of the weapons Poland sent. The philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre enjoyed attending Nazi soirees, then after the war claimed he was gathering intelligence. Macron's phone calls fall into the same bracket.
    2
  5859. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". She was a very wise, prescient lady.
    2
  5860. Shoni, when you say nonsense you mean "Coojsta69" and his idiotic theories. Your post is quite correct : Britain had no interest in Zionism. Apropos the Caspian Report. I wonder if Israel are living on past glories ? Iran have thousands of militia who have been fighting for years and are battle-hardened. The IDF are doing lots of check-points with civilians but it doesn't harden you for battle. And don't think Nuclear Deterrent because that wouldn't stop an infantry invasion. Israel would never use it. The Arabs would buy one from Russia and use it to finish Israel off. I support democracy and israel but worry that the Yom Kippur and 6 Day war may have infected them with hubris.
    2
  5861. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    2
  5862. Egypt : the Army is a state within a State and is totally corrupt. They have their own roads, supermarkets etc. The Army are utterly incompetent but are idolised by the people. In the Six days War they were humiliated and infamously betrayed the Jordanians. The Egyptian people are conditioned like Pavlov's Dog into subservience and are complicit in their own subjugation.
    2
  5863. This is an example of British culture :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMphb6cNScM You've seen it : the bus driver wiggles his fingers out the window to warn the motorcyclist there's a pedestrian crossing. Now one is West Indian and the other might be Asian. The point is they are behaving in a British manner. Culture not race is the defining factor. When immigrants come to a country and start changing it (for the worse)then it's resented. At parents evenings mothers have to sit outside while the Muslim father speaks to the teacher about the pupil. (That's not British) There are forced marriages, genital mutilation, divorces over the phone by Sharia. All these things are fundamentally un-British. That is what is resented.
    2
  5864. Facts :- a) Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history, is that North America speaks English". It is the basis for AUKUS b) India needs a strong Russia as an ally against China : ipso facto, India wants Russia to succeed in Ukraine c) Turkey wants a weak Russia, vis-a-vis the Black Sea d) China is easily blockaded and has no oil : it is a geographical weakness. e) Likewise, by geographical fact, India's strategy is opposed to the West. India is an insignificant player against China - AUKUS simply doesn't need India. Conclusion : India is on Russia's side. This make take ages to dawn on western politicians, but eventually India will be marginalised.
    2
  5865. Notice Al Jazeera NEVER explain the deal It's simple :- a) Hamas refuse to let the PA administer Rafah b) Hamas want NO checks on fighters returning to the north c) Hamas wants the Philadelphia corridor free from Israeli inspection so they can load up with rockets and bombs
    2
  5866. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    2
  5867. I hope you heard Macron saying, NATO has no axe to grind in SE Asia, and he vetoed and condemnation of China. Thank goodness Australia signed up for AUKUS and didn't tie themselves to a vacillating nation like France (a nation with a long history of disappointing its allies).
    2
  5868.  @ljl1072  NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
    2
  5869.  VobisPacem  an interesting comment. 1979 Iranian Revolution : the Ayatollah was in Paris. The "majority" who threw out the Shah were democrats, Socialists, Communists, Trade Unionists, Feminists etc. Why do you think the Ayatollah executed 7000 Iranians in his first year ? They were the opposition activists who overthrew the Shah. To seize power the Ayatollah sent them to death camps. If there is a majority, then why not have a fair election ? Because in a fair election the Ayatollahs would be out on their ear.
    2
  5870. Pity the Palestinians : they have had nothing but appalling corrupt, fanatical leaders. Yaser Arafat stole $3 billion and ruled as a dictator for 40yrs. Hamas are fanatics who believe in Jihad sacrifice ( for everyone but themselves) Hamas encourage young people to throw themselves into gunfire and become martyrs , but they never make the trip themselves.
    2
  5871. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    2
  5872. I hate Erdogan and I'm no fan of Turkey.....but they have a professional army and once they arrived in Libya the rag-tag warlord and his pick-up-truck army were always going to be on the back foot.
    2
  5873. LOL Afghans have been fighting each other for centuries. I was just reading about Alexander Burns (~1830) The fanatical Wahabis arrived in Afghanistan around this time (all the Armenian wine merchants packed up and left Kabul.) The warlords were constantly fighting : Afghanistan hasn't known peace for centuries (if ever).
    2
  5874. Sony, those are wise words. Erdogan spoke in haste when he said Turkey will invade Afrin. He should have secured air access first. Syria?Russia have said NO and now the invasion is off. ERdogan must eat humble pie.
    2
  5875. In any choice between Islamism and Israel Corbyn always chooses Islamofascism. Corbyn sides with Hamas, Iran, Turkey, Hezbollah etc etc Corbyn never sides with Israel. He doesn't recognise democratic Israel. Corbyn embraces Islamofascism because he's fundamentally an anti-Semite.
    2
  5876. What nonsense. Western countries imposed the 1876 constitution on the Ottomans after the Bulgarian Horrors. And Europeans always encouraged Middle East despots to govern in a humane way. British workers sent money to Garibaldi to unite Italy as a democratic nation. Garibaldi hated official receptions but allowed Newcastle's miners to present him with a sword. 600,000 British turned out to great Garibaldi when he arrived in London.
    2
  5877. Great news. NATO's biggest fear is Kremlin hysterics (at losing). The more normal things become the better. Russian losses should be quotidian (occurring every day : usual) The US were in Afghanistan for 20yrs and spent $5 trillion, Lloyd Austin said the Ukraine war could last 10yrs and cost as much. Russia must become used to suffering huge losses daily.
    2
  5878. Iran's diplomatic strategy :- Step 1 : attack tankers in the Hormuz Straits. Step 2 : shoot down a drone in international airspace Step 3 : kidnap a British crew Step 4 : enrich uranium Step 5 : announce to the world your intention to wipe Israel off the map It's a genius strategy : can't fail.
    2
  5879.  Zorba  , I agree : Syria has been a disaster for Turkey. That's why Erdogan encouraged migrants to storm Europe : he was desperate for EU/NATO support.
    2
  5880.  ikweetnietook  , that is probably true, but Haftar has lost what it took him 6 years to gain. That is the result of a professional offensive. Regardless of whose boots are on the ground it is organised by a professional Turkish military. (As opposed to Haftar's half-wits)
    2
  5881.  ikweetnietook  , Haftar's General Staff comprises 2 guys with a satellite phone, directing pick-up trucks. The Turks have moved in with a professional HQ : with communication, co-ordination and logistics. Never confuse and African general (a jumped up, clueless clan chief) with a professional soldier.
    2
  5882.  @Barbaros108  , Interesting, about the language, and the relocation.
    2
  5883. I distrust Macron : is that wrong ? His priority if France and French leverage, which he has with the present system. he will voice the people's concerns but will never actually force change. Unless change guarantees more French influence he will stick with the present system.
    2
  5884. What did it say ? Oh, since you ask, it detailed the collapse of the Ottoman Empire : the last sultan fled in 1922, the last caliph in 1924. It explained how Yasser Arafat created Palestinian nationalism in 1960 and much more.
    2
  5885.  @mimovil8730  , Well I did mention the printing press (not sure how offensive that is). There were 30 in Palestine in 1900 : six owned by Jews and 24 by Syrian monasteries. I went on to explain how the Ulema banned printing in 1515, and to mention the "inability to read" of most Palestinians. That when the Ottomans collapsed the British installed the Mufti in Jerusalem (1920) as a governing guide for the people. In the same year the Jews held an election and created a General Assembly shadow administration. The point being that nationalism was created by Arafat in 1960 Prior to that the Palestinians looked to religious leaders or Pan Arabism.
    2
  5886.  @afaqz123  Do you mean Yasser Arafat didn't steal $3 billion ? He was a dictator for 35yrs : that is only 85 million per year, and he was sending his wife in Paris 12 million per year. So it sounds entirely reasonable. Where did the money go ? Well Arafat had to bribe his friends and pay-off his enemies, you can soon blow $85 million a year.
    2
  5887.  @Jesssco  Palestinian Authority says 14 officers to be charged for Abbas critic Nizar Banat death
    2
  5888.  @freyatilly  Palestinian Authority says 14 officers to be charged for Abbas critic Nizar Banat death
    2
  5889.  @Moabi4  , I admire the EU's faith in human nature ; unfortunately it is extremely naive. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year, where do you think the Socialist Party went ? Iran had a huge Communist Party, where did they vanish ? They all went into the Ayatollah's terror death camps. Where they used fork-lift trucks to hang them 6 at a time. Read "The executioners deserve medals".
    2
  5890. The US condemn Hamas attacks all the time. The US hate Hamas and Hezbollah.
    2
  5891. EU never mentions hostages EU funds UNRWA who teach Islamism Children are not born hating - they have to be taught And the EU funds that teaching
    2
  5892. 10:00 Employment for Gwadar residents : building swimming pools for the Chinese workers LOL
    2
  5893. Well done. It reminds me of how liberating cycling was for women in Europe. Back in the 1920s and 30s, cycling clubs would at a local landmark, and may be 80 or 90 men and women would set off on a jaunt. The women wore loose trousers, the men with their caps on (they might also be chewing on a pipe - sensibly unlit, until the first stopping point)
    2
  5894. Ukraine cannot join NATO, but I would like to think, if Western Civilization is in peril, Ukraine will send one of their invincible battalions to help NATO achieve victory.
    2
  5895. The Pope is an innocent....he doesn't know about things like child abuse. He is at his best saying mass & praying. That's why we love him. \the \pope called the victims "Slanderers" because he wanted to protect his Bishop. And why shouldn't he protect the clergy. The Church should always come first !
    2
  5896. Hillary Clinton. Where's the investigation into her corruption ?
    2
  5897. "Russia needs smashing in the face," said Zelensky. The US has just sent the 19th tranche of rockets, drones, and missiles. It is really happening : Russia is being humiliated.
    2
  5898.  @paulcalder9697  " there was no battle of Kyiv" Tell that to the dead Russians : they were slaughtered. And they were Russia's elite. One elite Chechen Brigade lost 56 tanks in a day - it was an ambush based on US intelligence and carried out by Ukrainian special forces (magnificently).
    2
  5899.  @pashakdescilly7517  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    2
  5900. Ukraine counter-offensive begins in July. Mid-August will be the turning point (Major General Kyrylo Budanov ) Kherson and izyum (one would imagine) will be the first to fall. Putin (one would imagine) will fall shortly after that.
    2
  5901. The Axis of Evil : hand-in-glove with the Myanmar generals.
    2
  5902. Will Dominic Cummings wear one ? Also, why wear a mask when the Prime Minister is spreading the virus shaking everyone's hand !
    2
  5903. Abiy Ahmed (Ethiopian PM) In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding the sexual violence in the Tigray War. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[133] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war”
    2
  5904.  Planet Earth  ,that's a fair point : the US unilaterally pulled out of a multinational agreement. But think about it : it doesn't compare to bombing merchant tankers and shooting down a drone. If you equate violent aggression with pulling out of an agreement then where do you stop ? Equate murder with litigation ? What if Iran kill US troops , will you wave your hands and still blame the US. Also, do you know much about the Islamic regime, about Khomeini's executions ? What do you think happened to the Socialists , secularists and democrats who overthrew the Shah while the Ayatollah was in Paris ? You could do worse than read up about it, you'll need a strong stomach.
    2
  5905.  @ANYoungTrue  , yes it's a claim ; just like the USA claim they landed on the Moon. If someone is determined not to believe their own eyes they're free to do so.
    2
  5906.  @ANYoungTrue  , LOL , okay I've met my match : I'll let you win this one.
    2
  5907. Kuwait505, you need to grow up you foul-mouthed ,ignorant , half-witted moron. Dan Man , every historical instance I quoted it fact , you should try reading some history. FAHIM, "I don't want democracy" Of course you don't you brain-washed imbecile. You take comfort from the medieval stupidity you have been brought up in. Democracy would require you thinking for yourself , questioning things and becoming Enlightened. Much safer to remain ignorant.
    2
  5908. Very brave. I saw Russian soldiers with missing limbs being given medals. Whilst the Kremlin "patriots" steal from Gazprom. This young lady's FSB interrogators will never suffer from active-service.
    2
  5909. Well done : fighting for liberal democracy and civilization. Shame on India, Pakistan and China for siding with Russia, and abstaining at the UN. Modi has placed India in the same camp as North Korea, China, Russia, and Pakistan (the Axis of Evil)
    2
  5910. Alex Salmond wasn't much better (actually he was worse)
    2
  5911. True. But let's be fair-minded. Turkey are hemmed in by Greek maritime zones. It is slightly unfair. However, Erdogan's bellicosity, anti-democratic thuggery and Islamic fanaticism will win no friends in Europe.
    2
  5912. Hezbollah do NOT respect heritage - they use old buildings as a shield
    2
  5913. 0:00 Wow look at all those folks.....I wonder how many of them are corrupt ? Don't ask me , I don't know any of them. But Africa is brim-full of corrupt despots (ANC, ZANU-pf) The Middle East is worse : no democracy, no human rights, incompetence & corruption. I don't hold out much hope.
    2
  5914. "Iran already feels under siege " Of course it does : the people are sick of corruption and dictatorship. Iran spends billions of dollars supporting conflicts throughout the middle east and the ordinary Iranian just wants a better life.
    2
  5915. LOL what nonsense. Tariq Ali made a very revealing comment, (Ali & Corbyn are two peas in a pod, so the same applies to both), he said, "The world has changed, but I haven't" It was a proud boast. Now Corbyn's opinions were formed in the 1970s and have never changed. His second wife said, "He never read a book in the 3yrs we were married". Corbyn has no need for books : he has immutable opinions from the 1970s.
    2
  5916.  @yakivpopavich  You are totally deluded : did you not see the Colonel on Russian TV saying "The whole world is against us" ? The Colonel then said, "Soon Ukraine will have a million men armed with modern NATO weapons" The Colonel was trying to explain that Russia (Putin) had made a mistake, and that they couldn't win. You must have watched it ?
    2
  5917.  @yakivpopavich  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  5918.  @yakivpopavich  Five reasons Purin is backtracking on Ukraine :- a) Putin's victory day speech was mild and anaemic : no WW3 declaration, no mass-mobilisation. b) Shiogu and Gerasimov have started talking to their US counterparts (previously they had refused to answer the phone) c) the signal event of the Russian colonel on TV : saying "The whole world is against us" etc d) Putin now says he is comfortable with Fuinalnd and Sweden joining NATO. e) Conscription age has been raised to 40. The Kremlin is running out of manpower and fears mobilisation would cause a social explosion.
    2
  5919. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
    2
  5920. Russia has no friends, it is a sad, isolated pariah. The Russian people are simplistically brainwashed : they have a long history of Kremlin oppression and fall for state propaganda like hypnotized chickens. Russia has started back down the path of cultural & economic bankruptcy : despised by the civilized world.
    2
  5921. @mriinal deb Quite right. Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented during human evolution. Each religion represents the epoch in which it was invented : so the Torah reads like a Bronze Age myth, (which it is) the Koran reads like medieval myth etc They are all invented.
    2
  5922. China is a founding member of The Axis of Evil, and as such doesn't prioritize honesty.
    2
  5923. But they do care about a bipartisan committee finding her guilty. Guilty of lying to parliament. That's a nice one to have on your CV for the upcoming elections.
    2
  5924. Can I play Devil's advocate ? Let's imagine Khashoggi was Muslim Brotherhood and imagine MBS is actually hardly interested in Islam at all (a contention I've long maintained), well then was it such a bad thing (aside from the inhumanity of it). What I mean is Khashoggi was more Islamist than MBS so shouldn't the West always side with the least Islamist party ?
    2
  5925. The UN is pro-Hamas : they wanted unrestricted arms smuggling The UN never condemned Hamas murders and rapes
    2
  5926. Examples of misinformation LOL How did she choose those, and who believed them ? To be effective misinformation must be credible. She picked 3 incredible jokes, then claimed they'd swung the vote. Her claim is misinformation - credible misinformation. That is how the chattering class discredit any opposition.
    2
  5927. Hamas have just praised God for their victory. "We have forced Israel from Al-Aqsa" said the fanatical leader of Hamas. And now he has egg on his face, because Israel are right back where they started.
    2
  5928. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    2
  5929. Nosawa, you won't be so upbeat about Manbij. Because the Yanks are going nowhere. Erdogan will have to eat humble pie.
    2
  5930. Who can you trust when 2 liars give evidence ? I'm reminded of Loretta Lynch (attorney general) and Bill Clinton meeting on a plane, dismissing all staff and security and then talking in secret about "golf and grand-children". Who can you believe ?
    2
  5931. Perhaps they could organise a memorial concert : we could all dance on his grave.
    2
  5932. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  5933. I will....even though this video is bull$hit propaganda. I blame them for the timeline they adopted........(not for manipulating the key players, as if JInnah would do British bidding LOL ; as if the Indian Congress could be played like puppets). The timeline was Mountabtten's so he could take up the position of Admiral. It should have been much longer and better managed. I blame Britian , but not because of divide and rule which is utter stupidity written by a moron with no knowledge of history.
    2
  5934. Macron has "the vision thing". I applaud him. A lot of thought has gone into this. Putin said, "Russia has the best prostitutes in the world", he also joked about "raping Ukraine". Then he praised the Israeli PM who had been sent to prison for rape, saying, "He turned out to be a strong man, raped 10 women," the Russian president was quoted by Russian media as saying at a meeting in Moscow with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. "I never would have expected it of him. He has surprised us all, we all envy him!"
    2
  5935. First 3 mins invective is directed at Hezbollah. He daren't name them because Hezbollah have threatened to put 10,000 armed thugs on the streets to crush any calls for reform. "More powerful than the Lebanese army, the Hezbollah obviously fears for its own popularity, and worries that it will in the future be cast into the outer darkness of Lebanon’s sectarian world rather than hero-worshipped. Their appearance at the demonstration in Riad Solh Street was extremely sinister." Sinister is Hezbollah métier.
    2
  5936. Pompeo has total contempt for that disgusting barbarian. He did well to be diplomatic. If the N Koreans try their usual treaty-tricks they will be on the wrong end of a one-way nuclear exchange.
    2
  5937. UW, that is a fair point. But the US has a free press that report on the civilian casualties caused by their military. The US has an independent judiciary that bent over backwards to prosecute Blackwater mercenary murderers. There is no free press in China or Russia or N Korea. There is no independent judiciary ; they are dictatorships - corrupt and barbaric : look at Tienanmen 10,000 killed by China's own military.
    2
  5938.  @saqibkhan2908  , the 7000 killed by Khomeini ? I'm glad you asked. Under Mohammed Mossadegh there were trade unions, a huge Communist party, democrats, feminists and all sorts. All these groups opposed the Shah (while Khomeini lived in Paris). When those groups, together with Khomeini supporters overthrew the Shah Khomeini returned. In order to rule unopposed the Ayatollah had to silence the numerous opposition. They all went into the camps. What do you think happened to the Communists and trade-unionists ? Where do you think the democrats vanished to ? Why do you think the Ayatollah today has to use police snipers to kill protestors ?
    2
  5939.  @saqibkhan2908  good points, that is a fair argument and I agree with you. Allow me to draw a parallel with Europe :- Catholicism in the South always opposed liberal progress and was hand-in-glove with monarchism. Northern Europe was protestant. That religion is based on congregations who make decisions, the same folk who sit on town councils, it is fundamentally democratic. That is why the protestant north prospered and the catholic south didn't. This was mirrored in the Americas : North a protestant success, South a Catholic failure. Now back to the Middle East :- For centuries Islam has been hand-in-glove with despotism. There is no history of democracy or rights, only unquestioned authority and despotism. Over the centuries this produced an outcome very similar to hierarchical, authoritarian Catholicism : it was hand-in-glove with the despotic ruler. That is why the Middle East is struggling to make progress. Although I totally agree that the West has manipulated extremists and ousted democracies for their own ends.
    2
  5940.  @lastword8783  , thanks for your interesting reply.Yours is the Africa argument : all the faults are down to evil colonialism. If it was so evil why did 500,000 Indians volunteer to fight for Britain in WW2 ? Why did Nehru and Jinnah both want their countries to model Britain ? Why was it that a British education was the making of Nelson Mandela ? 50yrs after colonialism and Zimbabwe (the bread basket of Africa) can't feed itself. Yours is an old lefty argument, from the Jeremy Corbyn hymn book. One chap on this thread said, "The eastern mind is different to the Western mind". And you will hear the CCP say that about China. And Putin says the same about Russia. It takes ~500yrs to make a democracy : from Magna Carta 1215 to the Bill of Rights 1689. You can't turn a despotic culture into a democracy by decree. Just as you can't turn Sunni against Shia by drawing a straight line border. Your argument is very old, ill-informed lefty nonsense. (and I'm former SWP and should know).
    2
  5941.  @lastword8783  , under Islam half the population (women ) are excluded from the political arena, and yet when I mention religion you call it a 'straw man'. No condemnation of the suppression of women in the Middle East. In fact you go out of your way not to mention religion. Imagine a student writing an assessment of the Middle East and not mentioning religion : that is how ludicrous your position is.
    2
  5942.  @lastword8783  , Interesting video : Nasser was quite the charmer, one would have that he'd have hit it off with Anthony Eden, that they'd have resolved Suez over a Martini. Divide and rule by Romans, Egyptians, Ottomans etc, didn't undermine my argument ; I was stating that most countries have coped with occupation, just like famine, plague and crop failure. Colonization isn't a unique reason why some C20th countries fail to become democratic. Consider Israel : no nation has been more occupied, exiled and trodden upon, and yet they re-establish a homeland and within weeks it is a free democracy - with independent police and judiciary, a free press, transparency and accountability. How is that possible by your reasoning ? Whereas my correct analysis accounts for it perfectly. Consider Palestine : they never opposed despotic Ottoman rule. They never sided with the British (like the democratic-Greeks did). Then when the Turks were defeated the Palestinians had the 40yr despotism of Yasser Arafat (who stole $3 billion from them). Now they have fascist Hamas and Fatah, with not an election in sight. Why is that ? Because evolution works by competition : a multi party democracy, a critical free press - all produce progress. The Middle East has had stagnant despotism for over 1000yrs. There is no lively debate in Islam ; there is no lively political debate. Despotism and Islam are the Herculean twin pillars of Middle East stagnation. (Compared to which, straight line borders are simply a smoke-screen)
    2
  5943.  @Moepowerplant  , "Lively debate : the key to Western Civilization" Allow me to give another example :- a) Henry VIII (~1535) ordered every Church to have an English bible available for everyone to read. This had ordinary folk debating theology with each other and the parson. b) The Levellers (~1640) then used biblical justification for their communist beliefs. England (Britain after 1707) was an open forum for debate : producing Parliamentary democracy and the industrial revolution. The Middle East epitomizes stagnation : Islam condemns anyone who questions its tenets, and Despots punish dissent.
    2
  5944.  @ernstwiltmann6  , you cannot explain Middle East despotism and backwardness by looking at the C20th. I'll only give 2 examples :- a) The Koran has the answer to everything - the law, governance, spirit world etc b) Before the modern era 99% of the Middle East was illiterate. Now compare Europe :- a) In 1535 Henry VIII put and English bible in every church. The ordinary folk were so dynamic in debating its contents it had to be removed from some churches to allow services to take place. Europe was a dynamo of debate and ideas. In 1630 the Levellers used verses from the Bible to justify their communist beliefs (communal land ownership). European culture is totally different to that in the Islamic world. Lively enquiry and debate were the key to Western Civilisation. Both these are missing from the despotic, stagnant Middle East.
    2
  5945.  @frida507  , Correct. Protestant monarchies could include Prussia, France (partially) : Henry IV was protestant and famously (apocryphally) said, "Paris is worth a mass" as he converted in 1589 (the first Bourbon - replacing the Valois). The best (defining) example is Maria Theresa (Catholic Habsburg Austria) who refused to have a science academy because it encouraged heresy. She died in 1780. This was a century after England had their Royal Society (Newton etc) ; founded in 1660 . When Charles II came to the throne - after Cromwell -the Restoration.
    2
  5946. Puigdemont's good fortune is to come up against a pantomime villain (Rajoy) who aint no smarter than a turnip. Whatever happens Rajoy will make a wrong move. Meanwhile the world looks on at the moral disgrace which is silently condoned by the EU.
    2
  5947. The Russian fascists will certainly want the war to "end soon", when Ukraine begin their counter-offensive. Those poor Russian conscripts looked very poorly equipped : their officers have stolen the money intended to buy them uniforms and first-aid kits.
    2
  5948.  @ahmeddeedatjalloh4892  Are you saying Palestine has been a success for 70 years ? 14 Palestinian policemen beat a critic of Fatah Nizar Banat, to death in his own home. The young man in this video was fighting and grabbing a machine gun. Nazir Banat was pulled from his bed by 14 Palestinians and beaten to death
    2
  5949.  @josefabuaisheh6262  Consider point 3) loosen the death grip One does that by pulling on the choking arm/hand. Watch at 1:09, the civilians are holding the arrested man's arm, so he is hardly been chocked. When they release his arm, he immediately starts punching the officer. One can only conclude : the civilians were holding his arm to prevent him punching the officer. They were trying to diffuse the situation. 1:09 freeze frame - they've just let go of his arm and he swing back to clobber the officer. 1:10 he hits the officer smack in the face, full force. Once he gets free, he doesn't try to get his breath back - he continues his attack with both hands, trying to grab the gun. 1:17 the officer is clearly running away, backing off, as he is being attacked. 1:19 the officer is hitting the guy's arm trying to get him to let go of the gun. 1:20 the officer is smacked in the face again (no signs of choking, this lad is very fit and punching the officer's lights out) 1:21 as the officer pulls his pistol out, the young man has wrestled his machine gun from him 1:22 Now you do have a point ! Seeing the pistol the young man stops his violence and starts to back away. He clearly gets down spread eagle. However the officer is in a state where his machine gun could be picked up by anyone. The officer has lost his gun and is in some potential danger.
    2
  5950.  @josefabuaisheh6262  A few points a) "who let it happen! " That's rich. 14 Palestinian police passed through an Israeli checkpoint to murder Nazir Banat, so the Palestinians blame Israel, because they must have known it was a Palestinian death squad. That really is rich. b) "get's a lot bigger and it starts to involve other countries" Are you kidding ? The Abraham Accord shows even Arab nations are deserting Palestine (after 70yrs they have finally recognised a lost cause). c) "don't fear our government" You do fear them. Try starting a campaign against corruption, and ask the EU to stop funding Fatah (You will be beaten to death) Go to Gaza and protest against Hamas - they will kill you immediately. You are living in a dream world.
    2
  5951. Notice how nobody ever expects any help from Hamas ? UN : "We can't distribute aid" But nobody ever asks where is Hamas Hamas are never expected to provide any help or security Hamas is 100% focused on terrorism
    2
  5952. Okay, I must object. It is simply "Bloody Sunday". At first it sounded quaint when Palki used the definite article "The" inappropriately, but now it just sounds ill-informed. It is as if someone has stumbled upon a topic which they know nothing about, then attempts to discourse upon it. It is simply wrong and sounds half-witted.
    2
  5953. Fantastic. Well done Ukraine.....repel boarders ! A brilliant demonstration of how to say "Russians go home", in any language.
    2
  5954. LOL "We are at October 6th" That situation will NEVER exist again Israel will create a buffer zone (ignore Harris, those are platitudes) The Buffer zone is northern Gaza Ideally, Israel wants transfer A buffer zone is just the consolation prize if transfer fails
    2
  5955. "The Iranian people can't remember war". No, but they can remember the student protests in Tehran (1999) when young girls were dragged by the hair and beaten with clubs. That was the Revolutionary Guard & Hezbollah (good at fighting unarmed students and girls).
    2
  5956. Suhair, yes a civil servant appointed by an undemocratic government ie Fatah or Hamas or both. Palestinians never have had democracy. Arafat ruled for 40yrs and stole $3billion. This lot Abbas & Corrupt Co. have been in power for 9yrs on a 4 year term. Nobody opposes Fatah or Hamas they rule through violence and bribery.
    2
  5957.  @BoleDaPole  The US were in Afghanistan 20yrs and spent $3 trillion : they gave it up as a bad job.
    2
  5958. Dana. it would have been helpful if Trump Jr hadn't said,"We get all our money from the Russian, we don't use banks". And then if Trump Jr hadn't tried to set up a back channel communication link with the FSB. And then if he hadn't met Russian Intelligence agents in Trump Tower. That all makes folks think something is not right.
    2
  5959. EU "To reduce Russian oil and gas imports to zero, consistently and forever" Russia is doomed (and humiliated)
    2
  5960. Europe is blessed to have a neighbour like Ukraine. The time may come for us to join the fight : this speech makes one's heart swell with pride. Britain has pledged its support to Sween and Finland. God bless our soldiers, and thank God for NATO resolve.
    2
  5961. China is a totalitarian dystopia god help us all if the US fail to kerb them.
    2
  5962. 5:50 "Baffling" as to why Russia would announce plans to seize part of Moldova. I think the statement is fantasy. It was aimed at the Russian public, to explain why the Special Operation is taking so long. The fact that it won't be achieved will be explained with the same format which ends the war - negotiations with NATO (Putin hates talking to Zelensky, his ego won't allow for it) and UN peacekeepers in Donbas. In exchange for an immediate end to sanctions.
    2
  5963. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  5964. Russia will have to pay reparations for all the damage. US Congress has already voted to seize Oligarch assets to aid Ukraine. But the true cost to Russia will be over $1 trillion.
    2
  5965. Hurrian Hittite, I compliment your erudition. The distinction between Kurds and Palestinians is quite right .But I wouldn't agree with "squatting" : Shlomo Sands in 'The invention of the Jewish People' showed there was no exodus and that the Palestinians are probably Israelis who converted. However, they have always identified with their clan and not as a nation. Unlike the Israelis in exile who would say,"Next year in Israel". That aside, the Kurds also have identified as a nation, have their own language and ethnicity. Turkey recognise they have a legitimate claim that's why they banned their language ,denied their human-rights and brutally oppress them.
    2
  5966. The IOC are in China's pocket ........ just like the WHO and the UN.
    2
  5967. Well Ronald, the video link you gave is pure propaganda. RT is not an unbiased news source. Those two academics ignore the rampant corruption, cronyism and illegality of Viktor Yanukovych : when he and his ministers fled there was stacks of gold and cash in every mansion. Those two Putin apologists ignore all the illegality of the Yanukovych gangsters and blame the USA. The fact that the CIA supported the opposition is enough for some commentators to cede the moral high-ground to the Kremlin. As if thousands of protestors can be brainwashed by an intelligence agency to protest against corruption.
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  5968. What about the indigenous tribes who were there before the Zulus ? Can they claim their land back and damages for the stolen cattle and raped daughters.
    2
  5969. Hezbollah :- they are the problem. Corruption and violence has ruined the country. Hezbollah refused to move from the Finance Ministry. Hezbollah are trying to stop the blast investigation, they have threatened to put 10k armed thugs on the streets.
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  5970.  @niftyszn9469  I have no recollection of writing my comment. Never assume "teleology" - that Evolution has a goal. Evolution is a process. Eg Conway's Game-of-Life cellular automata : they just adapt to an environment. Spinoza - "We are just a spark in an infinite purposeless universe" Montaigne :- “Whoever considers as in a painting the great picture of our mother Nature in her full majesty…whoever finds himself there…as a dot made with a very fine brush; that man alone estimates things according to their true proportions.”
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  5971.  @niftyszn9469  That's why I gave your comments a like - they are combative and keep one on one's toes.
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  5972. What price India's honour ? Answer :- A single shipment of cheep oil + Russian military junk Putin treats Modi with condescension (watch the sword incident) The Ukraine invasion is THE big event of the 21st century, Hand history will show India to be a contemptible nation.
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  5973. 1.45 the corrupt Fatah money-grabbers pretend the people would like them if they knew how 'hard' they are on Israel. They think you are corrupt ! And want to know what happened to the 4£ billion Yaser Arafat stole (that should have gone to the Palestinian people).
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  5974. Erdogan has imprisoned more journalists than any other nation. He has imprisoned and threatened opposition politicians and made democracy a sham (like it is under Putin in Russia).
    2
  5975. Very well spoken (for a change).
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  5976. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
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  5977. I'm afraid Assad won't pay for it. The US , Kurds and Assad are now all allied against Turkey. The US needs the base in eastern Syria because Turkey could be leaving NATO and that would leave the US without a crucial airbase north of Iran. (The other air-bases are Kuwait and Qatar) In the long term Assad is finished but for now the US must concentrate on Iran and N Korea.
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  5978.  @sweethomealabama9789  The stockpile costs money to maintain and can never be used. 21st century warfare is :- a) casualty averse (citizens no longer tolerate 100,000 of their own troops being slaughtered on the battlefield.) b) He-tech. Look at Azerbaijan defeating Armenia with drones. c) Intelligence led, and targetted. d) economic - for China that would mean blockade. Which is why the US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear subs. e) International - nations look to the world community for approval. It is essential to be in the right, and possess the high moral ground. To even threaten a nuclear strike makes a nation an international pariah : it's the sort of thing North Korea do (and look how well they're doing).
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  5979. What will the history books say :- That when war started France and Germany froze - like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Germany forced British planes to fly around its airspace. Macron cried, "We must not humiliate Russia" It is France & Germany that were humiliated.
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  5980. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    2
  5981. Lula : a former metalworker. In the UK parliament we had a metalworker as Mr Speaker, Michael Martin and he was corrupt. He had to resign. He's the first corrupt speaker to resign. And he was Scottish.
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  5982. This is par for the course in Africa. V,S. Naipaul (Nobel prize winner) pointed out that African armies aren't there for national security but to oppress their own people.
    2
  5983.  @mohammedmuadh9567  I'm not an expert, but from my limited research I think I'm correct. It was something like this : 10 March 1897, Theodore Herzl wrote, "The Jewish Colonisation Association is currently negotiating with a Greek family (Soursouk is the name, I think) for the purchase of 97 villages in Palestine. These Greeks live in Paris, have gambled away their money, and wish to sell their real estate (3 % of the entire area of Palestine, according to Bambus) for 7 million francs." That is why the Court has to recognise Jewish legal ownership. The diplomatic debate is to whether the Palestinians should receive the property they currently occupy as compensation.
    2
  5984.  @geozap4518  I've just replied to your comment on "occupiers". But you are right, it has been removed : by Youtube (one assumes). It seemed a reasonable comment to me. Oh, actually it may be Al-Jazeera who removed it. You mentioned "Arab occupiers", and that could be a trigger topic.
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  5985.  @geozap4518  Al-Jazeera (as you know) are owned by Qatar, who fund Hamas. I've had many comments removed which are critical of Hamas. So now I subtly criticise Hamas for being anti-democratic, fascist thugs.
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  5986. 50 Brimstones were used against Snake Island. And I'm inclined to think this may be Brimstones again. They are astonishingly accurate, and have a range of 120km. It is not M777, it could be Himar, but my money is on Brimstones.
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  5987. Wion is hiding half this story :- The food surplus was the catalyst for Modi's farming reform, which caused all the riots and protest in Punjab. The Ukraine crisis is now a God-send. It means India could export its way out of farming reform.
    2
  5988. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
    2
  5989. History :- "The vision of the founding fathers" : Imran is talking about Jinnah et al. They wanted a secular Pakistan based on the British model. Unfortunately to garner votes some unscrupulous politicians made deals with fanatical Imams who guaranteed their illiterate followers' would votes. Pandora's Box had been open and Pakistan was now Islamofascist. Can Imran Khan succeed ? NO a) the corrupt elite won't allow it b) the corrupt military won't allow it c) the fanatical corrupt Imams won't allow it.
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  5990. "alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people" You could try locating the $3000 million Yaser Arafat stole. Try looking in French banks......they are good on corruption with the Arabs. The money Arafat looted would go a long way to helping Palestinians.
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  5991.  @celinyin1494  Assange also released information to jeopardize activists working in despotic regimes. Read Nick Cohen. Assange was a self-promoting egotist.
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  5992. Lukashenko & Modi both try to play both sides at once. Lukashenko liked to do the “Eurasian shuffle” Modi does the "East-West dance" They are a pair of chancers that all sides despise.
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  5993. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
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  5994.  @FingerPrinces  Neighbours who hate and fear Russia :- Lithuania Estonia Latvia Georgia Ukraine Belarus (the people, not the Stalinist thug propped up by the Kremlin) Chechnya (not the despotic thugs imposed by the Kremlin but the people) And everyone else whose name escapes me.
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  5995.  @pissfather6798  Yours is the most intelligent assessment I've seen so far. If Russia intended to reclaim the Ukraine, that was the time to do it - 2014. Ukraine's army was defunct : there was political uncertainty, the right wing Ukraine parliamentarians had banned the Russian language - violating UN human rights, etc Putin must wake up thinking he missed an opportunity.
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  5996. Surely it should be "Rootin for Pootin"
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  5997.  @andy101903  , nobody wants to see the US come unstuck more than me but I'm being a realist : the US dollar is the only show in town.
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  5998.  @markjohnson1312  , you are missing the point. The Iranians spread terror through the region. The protests against corruption and incompetence in the Iraq government ended with 450 killed : that's Iran's influence. The corruption and incompetence in Lebanon is Iran. Lebanese protestors are threatened with death : the Hezbollah solution.
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  5999. The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
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  6000. They will NOT declare Independence. Rajoy has gifted them a million extra pro-independence votes for the elections next Spring. Also, any economic downturn in Catalonia (certain with civil disobedience) will be blamed on Madrid. Every weekend there will be protests in Barcelona demanding an end to occupation. For Puigdemont it is win win. Dunce-Rajoy has made nothing but bad moves and this is the worst.
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  6001.  @TheFoolintherainn  , my apologies, I should have put that opening paragraph in quotes. It is straight from the web (Wikipedia 'Juan Peron ' under criticism or something)
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  6002. Never expect the UN to speak on behalf of hostages The UN sides with Hamas, UNRWA fights with Hamas
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  6003. Cooper : " A state of a people is a right, not a gift from its neighbour" Does that apply to the Kurds ? They attended Versailles 1919, but missed out on Statehood (Palestinians didn't attend Versailles, when did they become a state ?) Answer = 1988
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  6004. What a lot of propaganda.
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  6005. If you read letters between Southern politicians ,years before the war, they predict a war is coming and clearly state the reason is abolitionists in the Whitehouse. The North holds back and tries all sorts of compromise deals to avoid a split. Emancipation only occurs halfway through for political reasons because other states which are uncommitted may be driven to join the South. Read those letters : the main issue is abolition ,there is no talk of independence. Independence sounds honourable and is a line run by modern Southerners who are rightly ashamed of slavery.
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  6006. Lincoln's address was made after the most atrocious loss of life. He was stating his priority was to preserve the Union. Before the war started abolitionists had made every compromise to avoid war : even allowing slave owners in the South to pursue slaves who had run away into the North. Many were appalled but it was to prevent war.
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  6007. The question is "Would the South have gone to war for Independence if slavery was not an issue ?" The answer is 'No'. The conclusion then is that they fought for slavery. That was the issue which the South went to war over. It is in all the correspondence between Southern politicians. Nobody mentions Independence , just abolition. You are also letting your prejudice influence your analysis of Catalonia. Spain have been warned not to use violence by the EU. There is now(after Police brutality) an overwhelming majority for independence and Rajoy is seeing the situation slip through his clumsy fingers.
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  6008. Yes the North were preparing for war. So were the South. The Southern officers who were still in Union service stockpiled weapons and then defected to the South (before the war started) , that is treachery in anyone's book. The South then attacked Fort Sumter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv-pTU99RcY
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  6009. "fight them to the death or go to civil war" ; what on Earth are you talking about. You've been playing too many computer games. This is a political problem in the 21st Century. It is about public opinion and general strikes, civil-disobedience , sit-ins and road gridlock. All that doesn't make for much of a PC game but in the real world has consequences. Rajoy/Madrid will be pressurised by the EU if they cause economic chaos.
    2
  6010. LOL you have turned the question on its head , accidentally or very cleverly ? The question is WHY does the state want to secede. Not WHICH REASONS would you allow secession under. That's not the question. U.S. secession will never be allowed period. Now go back to the question. What was the issue that caused the South to secede ? If there were no abolitionists in the Whitehouse would the South still have fought for independence. Answer No. Therefore the issue they fought over was abolition.
    2
  6011. "if one were to allow that the South fought for independence" Nobody who is rational is going to allow that. The only people who pedal that line are revisionist amateur southern historians. The South fought a war because abolitionists had control of the Whitehouse. Read correspondence between southern politicians they all refer to abolition and nobody mentions independence.
    2
  6012. Sean & Mohd, you two dunces should get together and talk nonsense. Since hominids evolved civilization there have been over 10,000 religions invented. Religion binds tribes together in common belief and ritual. Religion is a natural part of evolution. There is no God. And the world will be a better place when the paedophile priests and rabid old Fakirs £uck off.
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  6013. It is worse than that. Palestine is suffering from :- a) Corruption b) Despotism. The legacy of the Caliphate. c) Islamism. A Lack of rational education, and a perpetuation of Caliphate mentality : that the Sultan is our Lord on Earth. For example, Yasser Arafat ruled as a despot for 40yrs, stole $3 billion, at one stage sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month (in the 1970s when one could retire on a million), and Arafat was a hero - adored by young Palestinians. d) Extremism - a rejection of democracy. Throwing their lot in with Hamas, the Palestinians fail to see the fascist extremism of Hamas ideology. Another legacy of the Caliphate.
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  6014.  @Qwerty-jc3so  141 countries condemned Russia at the UN, India wasn't amongst them. What does that mean ? It means Modi didn't condemn Putin. Along with China and Pakistan. When India finds itself in bed with China and Pakistan, you can be sure they have made a massive blunder. This is the defining event of the 21st Century and India are on the losing side.
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  6015.  @manfromukraine4678  Great news ! The Antonovsky bridge (Kherson) has been hit. Also the railway bridge. Russians in Kherson are in real trouble. There are only 15k of them, and there are 45k Ukrainians moving forward - with 230 Polish tanks, German howitzers Panzer 2000, French howitzers Caesar, British MLRS270, in fact the whole kit and caboodle. Kherson will fall before September.
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  6016. Axis of Evil : China, Russia, Iran, North Korea etc
    2
  6017. Amnesty should focus on Russian atrocities. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping Ukraine" The Kremlin called Ukrainians "Nazi Scum", and gave a green-light for horrors. I suspect some Euro-liberals are trying to sabotage Ukraine. (Probably French or German anti-war liberals)
    2
  6018. LOL
    2
  6019.  @Mercy.96  , well spotted Sherlock Holmes.
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  6020. Those Spanish Police wouldn't hesitate to shoot Catalans. Violence is the only solution Rajoy/ Madrid can think of.The People's Party were founded by a fascist and many of the Court judges served in Franco's government. I hope no Catalans are killed or injured but it is clear what Spanish intentions are : more brutality.
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  6021. Russian TV : "North Korea has promised 100,000 volunteers. And they will provide artillery and rocket launchers. They have the best anti-battery artillery in the world" LOL that was on Russian TV, talk about clutching for straws.
    2
  6022.  @avananand1614  Russia TV :"North Korea has promised to send 100k volunteers" This is magical thinking, it is clutching at straws. Russia is in a boatload of trouble.
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  6023. UAE vehicles......NOT soldiers. Both the UAE and the Saudis are complete cowards. They can supply other people with equipment and money but they couldn't fight their way out of a girl's school.
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  6024. 1:50 The face of corruption.........incompetence and indifference.
    2
  6025. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  6026. What about CNN rigging the DNC primary by giving Hillary the questions ? Did CNN compromise democracy by trying to rig the election ? CNN are so crooked I'm amazed they have the gall to point the finger at anyone else.
    2
  6027.  @angelopugliese6034  Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
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  6028.  @scratchy996 " Contracts have clauses, and they can be invalidated." The sooner the better. It isn't even that cold : Europe can survive without Russian gas. We should never have decommissioned nuclear power stations (that was the Germans again - Ribbentrop) Germany have been dancing to the Kremlin's tune. Hopefully that is all over : Russia must be isolated. (We will have no more invading Hungary 1954, or Czechoslovakia 1968) NATO need to strengthen the border and stop all trade.
    2
  6029.  @briant5685  Correct Putin saved Russia from the Apartment bombs 1999, do you know that story ? Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    2
  6030.  @covertpuppytwo3857  Good point. But after the 1973 oil price hike they never needed to do it again, the price stayed high LOL But seriously, it didn't do the Gulf any good, because all their money is invested in the West anyways.
    2
  6031. "A charm offensive" ? That Kremlin hussy couldn't charm a smile out of de Gaulle after he'd said "Non" to Britain joining the Common Market (1967)
    2
  6032. Why doesn't Hamas accept the UN backed "Deal" ? Call Israel's bluff Because Hamas wants a guarantee it will remain in power It's always about power - Hamas and Fatah will never relinquish power
    2
  6033. How will India vote ? Modi has picked the losing side, will he now try to jump ship ? He is certainly unprincipled enough to do it.
    2
  6034. UN action is vetoed by the Axis of Evil (Russia and China).
    2
  6035. Putin & Lukashenko = two Stalinist thugs.
    2
  6036. @theraven900 Theodor Herzl's "The Jewish State" : he encouraged Jews to purchase land in Palestine, although the possibility of a Jewish state in Argentina is also considered. What is the great insight to be had there ? The land was part of the Ottoman empire. There never has been a Palestinian state which was acknowledged by Egypt , Syria and Jordan who all claimed it was theirs. Now if you want to read about a land grab try Black September 1970. The Palestinians had been given refuge in Jordan. They were heavily armed and behaving like thugs : ignoring Police laws firing weapons, intimidating locals, they were barbarians. Finally they plotted to take over the state but Jordan's military struck first. So the PLO went to Lebanon and tried to take over there. All I'm saying is that Arafat's dictatorship got Palestinians nowhere (except $3 billion missing from the treasury), stone throwing and Intifada gets nowhere, so why not try a different tack ?
    2
  6037. Hamas refuse a ceasefire They want the International Community to save them So, Hamas wants things to get worse
    2
  6038. Legitimacy is what counts - and Putin has it By the constitution, if Putin goes the PM takes over PM Mishistin is simply a tax inspector, he has no party or lobby, and he has no inclination to be involved in a coup. Any coup that doesn't use PM Mishustin is UNCONSTITUTIONAL and will not happen Everyone fears doing 10yrs in prison, and that can easily happen Putin must be persuaded to step down, and that's unlikely Once Russia retreat from Crimea, that is a crisis point where events dictate themselves Nobody can predict the outcome.
    2
  6039.  @ordinarygod2938  " can you give same democracy to Putin?" Queen Victoria described Russia as " the great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists" She was a very wise, prescient lady. The fact is that Russian democracy will take at least a century :- First they have to establish independent institutions : academic, a Law Society, journalists, a Medical Association, and a middle class that values freedom of speech. 30% of Russians were slaves until 1861 (emancipation of the serfs). Stalin then exterminated anyone with an independent mind (the Gulags). Te result is an inborn social subservience : the Russians posses that in spades.
    2
  6040. Ha ha ha ha
    2
  6041. Good analysis.
    2
  6042. Maduro has an international arrest warrant out on him : drug smuggling. His prospects of a happy retirement are not good.
    2
  6043. What a shame both India & Pak leaders have to be bullshitters. India did NOT kill 300 militants and Pak did not chase off India's jets. I wish one side or both would just be slightly honest.
    2
  6044. TriState, she may not show I agree. But if the master-plan is to let the accusation die from non-appearance why the hell are you shouting ,"CONFIRM KAVANAUGH NOW !!" Why not follow your Leader's plan. You simple minded sheep.
    2
  6045.  @marcusmagice  , why on Earth would Trump go to war ? Iran's economy is sinking fast and they are desperate. Why go to war when you can just sit and watch ?
    2
  6046. Italy just sent 30 self-propelled howitzers Sweden just sent 12 state-of-the-art howitzers Ukraine is waiting for a frost - then the next counter-offensive begins. Gen Mark Milley 9 Nov "Right now Russia is on its back"
    2
  6047. Erdogan would like to repeat the Armenian genocide. Only this time against the Kurds. (I know how that barbarian's mind works).
    2
  6048. Funny you should say that because a bumble bee landed on my big toe and seemed to be looking for pollen.....like all confused, so after I'd hoisted him off and he's dropped on again (as I was reading) I shoved him on a flower. But he sure seemed confused (or drunk, because happen he'd been supping a cherry laid in the Sun).
    2
  6049. Two more points a) the Kurds a very battle hardened b) the Turkish army morale is suspect : every officer will know someone imprisoned by Erdogan. It doesn't auger well.
    2
  6050. Hamas has a lot to answer for I bet they wish they hadn't started it all with Murder, rape and abduction
    2
  6051. Very impressive production : very creative.
    2
  6052. NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
    2
  6053.  @escee6280  65% of India's defence budget is spent on wages, pensions and healthcare : India has a huge welfare army. It is a peasant army. India needs to slash the numbers and develop a professional army. They need drones, Himars, F-35s, nuclear subs etc What has India got ? A big old carrier INS Vikrant, that China would sink with one missile.
    2
  6054. 2:25 "Do they still have to worry about the city coming under attack ?" There is a deal being hammered out in Ankara as we speak. So hopefully the answer is - No.
    2
  6055. 8th Oct 2023 Hezbollah started an unprovoked war on Israel Why does France 24 blame Israel all the time ?
    2
  6056.  @Nillix1  Interesting observations. But one must remember that Russia is a leviathan. It has huge resources and tremendous momentum. It is like stopping a gigantic train - it keeps trundling on. But gradually it begins to slow, and finally it stops. Then begins to slowly retreat, until retreat turns to rout. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia", because he fears the Kremlin will become hysterical when their military collapses.
    2
  6057.  @sepxviii731  Everything is fine, thanks. It is going exactly to plan... "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    2
  6058.  @sepxviii731  Russia is like a leviathan, it has tremendous momentum : it will take some stopping (death by a thousand cuts). Snake Island retreat is a signal event - Russia has lost control of the Black Sea : its fleet daren't leave Sevastopol.
    2
  6059.  @sepxviii731  Russia casually retreated from Snake Island. That is NATO strategy : they want Russia to casually retreat, not to become hysterical and start threatening a nuclear war. Ukraine will win "incrementally"
    2
  6060.  @sepxviii731 " Satellite images show emptied Russian military base near Finnish border" Russia is scraping the barrel. "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD The end is inevitable. Did you see Shoigu's face with Putin ? He looks like a man expecting the worst : he knows Russia s finished.
    2
  6061.  @sepxviii731  Simply look at what has happened. The strategy is working a treat.... NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    2
  6062.  @sepxviii731  "Satellite images obtained by Finnish public broadcaster Yle have revealed that much of the ... Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been removed" That is satellite imagery. Empirical evidence. Asia LOL they couldn't find their own ass with both hands.
    2
  6063.  @sepxviii731  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  6064.  @nzs316  Burt Lancaster asks a private why he volunteered for Vietnam and receives a nonsense answer. "I'll tell you why you're here", says Burt, "You're a £ucking war tourist. Well this is no war kid - you should've been with us at Anzio, that was a real war".
    2
  6065. Qatar deny supporting terrorism. LOL ALL Arab Gulf states support terrorism ! Iran supports terrorism (Hezbollah etc). Pakistan supports terrorism. The USA supports terror groups (YPG/PKK etc) The list is endless. It's how the middle-east works.
    2
  6066. When the Axis of Evil countries fail to show, one can hardly expect a global agreement. Many, many years ago james Lovelock (Gaia) predicted this, and suggested the West fend for itself.
    2
  6067. What might a peace treaty look like ? a) Russia has suggested demilitarising Crimea, and turning it into a nature reserve. Zelensky stole their thunder and said he intended to do that. A minister then said the Kerch bridge as "damaging to the ecology". b) Russia would give up everything to have the Minsk agreement implemented. Putin is laying a foundation of credibility (snake island, the grain deal, nuclear inspectors etc) to get the West to apply some pressure on Kyiv to compromise. c) Russia would accept arbitration : they are desperate for this to end. They would withdraw from Donbas and Crimea - leaving UN to protest Russians, and allowing an arbitration panel to decide sovereignty over an (unlimited) period. Russia would drag this out indefinitely, just as Ukraine dragged out the implementation of the Minsk agreement. Conclusion : possession is 9/10ths of the law. Russia will try to use arbitration to buy itself breathing space : retaining possession of land whilst an international panel beats around the bush for 10 years.
    2
  6068. "French youths" ? Can we see some mug-shots and judge for ourselves.
    2
  6069. LOL I said days ago that Macron wants to maintain the status quo. Macron is only interested in French influence, not a people's revolution. France has a lot of influence over the corrupt current regime and macron wants to keep it that way. The French always put their self-interest first.
    2
  6070. The Ayatollah's plan :- He believes that Armageddon will herald the arrival of the 12th Imam. After which all the faithful (sorry USA that's not you) enter paradise. So he's not as mad as you think : humans in the US die in a nuclear war but the faithful go to paradise. What's so objectionable about that ?
    2
  6071.  @ydhalla25  LOL "against their beliefs" pull the other one. Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran (1979) and was asked what he'd do with the democrats and said, "I'll kick their teeth in". He then executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. So don't talk to us about religious beliefs.
    2
  6072.  @krisrogers3751  , Other religions would say Christianity was false. That's the great thing about religion, you create your own truth. Unlike Science where everyone agrees what constitutes a fact. One is rational (Science), the other irrational (religion).
    2
  6073. In Sep 2022 Putin said "This time I'm not bluffing" after Ukraine's counter offensive crushed Russia's SMO Feb 2023 Britain said they were sending 4 Apache helicopters - Biden said "No" The west fears arming Ukraine because it would "provoke Putin" Ukraine can easily defeat Russia but the west refuses the weapons
    2
  6074. Your brain is in a much worse state intelligence wise.
    2
  6075.  @africanprince8941  , LOL you jackass you are a North Korean troll. Nobody in their right mind would defend that diabolic psychopath. Unless you are a total jackass and are too dim-witted to realise it.
    2
  6076.  J A B B A  , I'm secular. But I'll tell you what the Ayatollah believes : he believes in the 12th Imam who will arrive at Armageddon. So the Ayatollah doesn't fear nuclear Armageddon he actually looks forward to it !
    2
  6077.  @SirSub77  Good question. In 1855 Britain and France were in Crimea because Russia had seized the mouth f the Danube. As you know, the Danube is an important river serving Europe. Russia controlling it was out of the question. Russian aggression caused the Crimean war (1853-56)
    2
  6078.  @piperafrica1150  , correct - there is corruption in the U.S. but it is on an entirely different scale. Latin America and Africa have corruption that paralyses state function ; so does Pakistan. US corruption is primarily lobbying, share options etc Take Greek corruption : every civil infrastructure project cost 50% more than it would have done in Europe, because at every stage of the chain backhanders had to be allowed for. Corruption on that scale is paralysing.
    2
  6079. Spratly has no civilians so in any conflict a simple MOAB will wipe the place off the map. Civilians are the best protection against air-strikes. The US will be applauded for bombing the Chinese on Spratly.
    2
  6080. The Palestinian Authority are totally corrupt. Fatah are corrupt, Yaser Arafat looted $3billion from the people. Hamas abolished elections (once they had been elected) they are fascists. Remember the Iranian students protesting for liberty ? It was Hamas who were beating them with clubs. President Abbas was elected for four years in 2005 : he's still there, what happened to elections and democracy ?
    2
  6081.  @drakes4625  , remember all the assassinations in Lebanon ? That was Hezbollah. Finally, they were allowed into government and their utter incompetence married to their sabotage of other institutions, coupled to their threat of imminent violence , has ripped the guts out of Lebanon.
    2
  6082. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair" Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Timing is obvious : Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back Jens Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
    2
  6083. I wish Europe would unite for Ukraine. This protest is indicative of idiot liberalism coddling the Kremlin. We have a jackass in the UK called Jeremy Corbyn : he could attend a rally like this. Anything to take the heat off Russia.
    2
  6084. 1917 : "Russia was incredibly ignorant and backwards". Stalin took that ignorance and gave it electric shock therapy. Kojeve : " He turned it into a jelly which he could mould" When the USSR collapsed (1991) that jelly needed leadership : That's when the KGB picked up the reins.
    2
  6085.  @proselytizingorthodoxpente8304  Correct. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo declared "We are the new aristocracy". A very revealing observation, which made the Russian people the new serfs.
    2
  6086.  @proselytizingorthodoxpente8304  I agree. One Russian observer pointed out an interesting detail :- That Litvinenko would've been assassinated by FSB because he was FSB. Skirpal would be assassinated by GRU because he's military. He said that they respect each other's turf.
    2
  6087. "Our duties" - kidnapping women and children
    2
  6088.  @sohaibshehzad2052  Good point. But everyone has to stop moving at some stage, and establish a base, a command centre, a supply dump. All those become Howitzer targets - with devastating effect.
    2
  6089. Hungary 1954 Czechoslovakia 1968 Georgia 2008 Crimea 2014 It appears Russia has quite a history of invading small neighbours.
    2
  6090. In the 1990s the Taliban behaved like savages. Imagine the Nazis coming back to power 2 decades later and saying "We've changed".
    2
  6091. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    2
  6092. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  6093. "Evidence based conversation" Do you mean what is Trump's gut telling him ?
    2
  6094. A Russian video shows a Ukrainian POW having his genitals mutilated and then his skull crushed. All Ukrainian POWs are mistreated - packed in small rooms and starved. At prisoner exchanges, the Ukrainians look like concentration camp inmates. The US must supply 300 km Himars.
    2
  6095. NO. Putin dreads the involvement of NATO. That is why Russia hasn't destroyed the power-grid or Internet in Ukraine. Russia fears escalation.
    2
  6096. 5:25 "perpetrating the status quo" He means perpetuating. (prolonging). 3:49 "The one idea is that we want to be free" A platitude, a banality, a cliché. It is like South Africans saying "We want an end to corruption" And then voting for the ANC (again).
    2
  6097. kaze, I appreciate your candour but have you ever wondered where are the young Palestinians who protest against Fatah corruption ? Or who protest against Hamas fascism ? Where were the young Palestinians protesting against Arafat's 40yr dictatorship ? Do you not think it strange, you didn't see a single protestor ? They would be threatened & beaten & then killed.
    2
  6098. Pro-Russian murderers also shot down MH17. The half-drunk savages looked at the wreckage and asked, "Is there another military plane that has come down as well ?" The total morons thought it was a coincidence that a passenger plane had been shot down by their BUK missile.
    2
  6099. 1978 when the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he would do with secular activists, trade unionists and feminists who had overthrown the Shah : he said, "I will kick their teeth in ". That is how Iran became an Islamofascist state.
    2
  6100. China gave the generals the green light.
    2
  6101. This is all over now. The permanent ceasefire talks just need finalising. This attack was a Parthian shot by Putin, who is on the retreat. Russia has been humiliated. Putin will be gone by Christmas. He has taken the Russian crown jewels, the invincible Red Army, and humiliated them.
    2
  6102.  @explosivfurret3007  Thanks for your reply. Britain also has its faults. But when Warren hasting returned from 12yrs (Gov of India) he was immediately impeached for excessive violence and corruption. An 8yr trial bankrupted him and he was found not-guilty. When did Germany or France impeach anyone ? When Garibaldi visited Britain (1864) 600,000 turned out to greet him : including the house of Lords, Royal family, archbishops and common folk. Which other nation would do that ?
    2
  6103. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6104. Good luck to them. The Kremlin gangsters won't go easy.
    2
  6105. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee can sure pick 'em.
    2
  6106. Will Modi recognise the referendum results in Donbas ? It depends whether the Kremlin order him to.
    2
  6107. Hamas friends & family stealing aid and selling it Hamas are crooks Nepotism & cronyism - it's the old story of Palestinins, same on the West Bank They are all crooks
    2
  6108. Very entertaining : they can run but they can't hide. (Joe Louis)
    2
  6109. Putin has very few cards to play - Russia is losing. France and Germany are supposed to twist Zelensky's arm into trading territory for peace.
    2
  6110. Novocastrian, you effing dope.
    2
  6111. The guy in glasses was a very good spokesman for the Axis of Evil.
    2
  6112. Obviously ! Russia cannot supply its own troops - they are ill-equipped and underfed. Russia simply hasn't the logistics capacity to provide for civilians. One could easily see this coming.
    2
  6113. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  6114. Lavrov, Putin Gerasimov and Shoigu are the grandchildren of Genghis Khan. Asiatic Autocracy is clashing with Western Democracy. That is why conflict is inevitable.
    2
  6115. In the history of hubris, has any nation ever been humbled like Russia ?
    2
  6116.  @SiliconFlux  Good points. But Britain in the Revolutionary Wars (1775-83) was fighting a slightly unpopular war : half the Parliament thought it a mistake. The army struggled to conscript soldiers because the East India company paid better. So the government asked the Company to refrain : they said "No", and the government could do nothing with legislation because it might be defeated in the Commons. Bismarck said "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English" (I've just added that for your delectation) France defeated Spain at Rocroi (1643) ending a century of Spanish domination of Europe. Louis XIV (d.1715) then dominated Europe till 1713 (Utrecht). Aristocratic decay set it : France lost the 7yrs war (1756-63). The Revolution followed (1789) Napoleon had great success - but ended in total failure. 1840 Crisis : France was humiliated. !853-56 Crimea, with Britain and Sardinia France defeated Russia. 1871 Sedan France was utterly defeated by Prussia. Fashoda (1898) France was humiliated by Britain. 1918 France lost miserably 1940 France capitulated. France has a miserable military history.
    2
  6117.  @blitz8702  I wish I hadn't added a comment to this stupid thread, because the initial comment is banal, and the subsequent comments are parroting the same banality.
    2
  6118.  @aussie8114  Asiatic Autocracies is a fair description. The Mongols ruled Moscow for 250yrs. The legacy of the Mongols is plain to see - Lavrov, Putin, Gerasimov, Shoigu.....etc The historical similarity between China and Russia is undeniable.
    2
  6119.  @Umbra_Watcher  Correct The British simply couldn't live with themselves if they'd waved a white flag to Russia. But for the French surrender is just a policy to adopt.
    2
  6120. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    2
  6121. Israel isn't responsible for Palestinian backwardness. The entire Middle East is backwards : the result of Ottoman despotism and Islam. In 1947 Israel declared themselves a state and created a modern Western democracy. Why didn't the Palestinians do the same ? Because they had no idea what a modern state looks like. Also, their land (Palestine) was claimed by Egypt, Syria and Jordan. I sympathise with the Palestinians and hope fresh elections oust the corruption of Fatah and theofascism of Hamas, but don't blame Israel for Palestinian backwardness.
    2
  6122. 0:50 Yes, yes, yes.
    2
  6123. Organization of American States (OAS) Organization of American $hithole countries (OAS) is considering military action against Venezuela...... I wonder if it will have the blessing of the Pope.....there might be child abusing possibilities for the Pontiff's clergy.
    2
  6124. Bernard Weatharill (speaker) told one member, whose jacket had been pulled as he stood to speak, "May I suggest the honourable member be a bit more robust"
    2
  6125.  @ИльяКовригин-й9ы  Correct. Budanov was then assassinated by Chechens. My point is the Russian state will acknowledge "Murder", but not "gang rape and torture". That is why there was no inquiry into the Gulags : the horrors cannot be accepted by the Russian state. Russia simply closes it eyes and ears to the atrocities committed in its name.
    2
  6126. As GOD is my witness that 500 bucks came out of campaign funds
    2
  6127.  @edytha2090  But 3rd fiddle to the Ayatollah, how does that feel ?
    2
  6128.  @tenzinganag5348  If Russia is "not that advanced", why is Modi licking their boots ?
    2
  6129. Article 155 administrators will need to be extraordinary people. Each Morning a police escort through protesters, every evening plastic bullets fired to clear an exit. The administrators will need to be committed fascists : probably Civil Guard armed Colonels. Picture the scene :- an armed fascist colonel taking control of TV3 and forcing them to broadcast propaganda. That is why the EU (PACE) committee said article 155 is the "worst option". It can't work without traducing Dunce-Rajoy's good name.
    2
  6130.  @samsong6746  You make my case for me ! If the ENDF had such success, why are the rebels now approaching the capital ? That looks like a collapse : which is the question I attempted to answer. Psychology :- why did PM Abiya act so badly ? Because he grew up protesting against the ruling class (who were from Tigray), and he developed a short fuse towards issues dealing with them. He then acted precipitately when they held elections in Tigray - and now Ethiopia is on the brink of collapse.
    2
  6131. "Accountability and transparency" , those are words not found in the political dictionary of the Middle East. Which Muslim countries have 'accountability and transparency' ? Not Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait,Jordan Syria, Sudan ; the list is endless.
    2
  6132. A very good answer. Russian atrocities affect everyone - in the peaceful West we have trouble eating or sleeping. The Russian inhumanity and barbarity affects everyone's mental health. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated on the battlefield".
    2
  6133. What was Africa like before colonialism ? Well imagine Jacob Zuma only 1000x worse. The chief would have two dozen wives and a harem of 200. As the women got older he would sell them and replace them with younger ones. What rights did the people have ? None
    2
  6134. Iran will play right into US hands if it tries to block Hormuz. Trump has 2 embarrassments on his hands : Venezuela and N Korea. A short sharp war with Iran would be music to the US ears.
    2
  6135.  @PezhvakIMV  ,"for no reason" ? Dude are you following the news ? The reason :- Iran spend million$ supplying Hezbollah (were do you think Gaza gets the missiles) ; they supply the Houthi, they supply every terror group in the middle east ; they are a totalitarian theo-fascist dictatorship. "For no reason" ? Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year. More than the Shah killed in his whole life. Read prisoners' testimony : under the Shah it was tedium, boredom, ennui ; under the Ayatollah it was torture, terror, fear. Read the records. Who did the Ayatollah kill : democrats, trade-unionists, feminists. When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with the democrats in parliament (the Shah did have a parliament) and he said, "Kick their teeth in".
    2
  6136. Well done Germany. I'm sorry that I called you the Kremlin's 5th column.
    2
  6137. The Kremlin lies : "It sank whilst being towed" The Moskva sank YESTERDAY, it began to list to port, then rolled over and sank. The Kremlin are lying turds.
    2
  6138. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
    2
  6139. Liban, I agree with the difficulty of unification : it would be many times harder than German unification. I sort of agree about Japan & the US helping build S Korea but they actually did an awful lot of it themselves. One thing they did was send 8000 miners to Germany to work in exchange for German help to start an industrialisation. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/02/116_61404.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_on_the_Han_River Those South Koreans who slaved hard back then enabled their grandchildren to be swanning around shopping malls today.
    2
  6140. 2:20 'Diplomacy at a lower level in Paris'......... Don't say that! "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" Lord Salisbury (Prime Minister 1895-1902)
    2
  6141. Turkey showed the world how to deal with Russia : simply shoot them down.
    2
  6142. The only sane person........and ironically the biggest moron.
    2
  6143. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  6144.  @unpaidtroll8475  , certainly NOT ! George IV had a potato thrown at him and the offender was never even charged. Kings and Queens were regularly jeered. Charles II, though a cad and not particularly liked, used to walk up and down the street saying "How do" to folk. Britain's history is VERY different : it's why we gave the world parliamentary democracy and freedom of speech.
    2
  6145.  @psychonaut1829  remember when Trump was in a press conference with Netanyahu (Israel) and revealed confidential intelligence ? Netanyahu just smiled. Trump was a first class jackass. The Yanks can sure pick 'em - from a jackass to a demented old man.
    2
  6146.  reza golbaz  , you have been educated propaganda in an Iranian school. Do you think the Ayatollah would teach the real history of the fascist Islamic revolution ? What do you think happened to all the other parties who ousted the Shah ? It wasn't just Islamists, there were Socialists, Communists, etc. Where are they ? Read about the Ayatollah's death camps.
    2
  6147. The argument is that israel could you gas as a lever. Therefore get it from Algeria or Qatar etc .....and they won't use it as a lever ? .....they won't be telling Jordan what to do vis-a-vis Israel ? .....they won't be playing Jordan like a marionette apropos the Palestinians ?
    2
  6148. Turkey may be in for a shock when they encounter US weapons taking out their tanks. Also anti-aircraft missiles. Also, Turkey are the aggressors and that looks bad in world opinion. All Turkey's neighbours hate Turkey because of its history of brutality and oppression towards them. The EU hate Erdogan and Eastern Europe hate Turkey. I would back the US and Kurds.
    2
  6149. What's in it for China :- " A foothold in west Asia" LOL The Yanks have got that place wrapped up :- a) They have Kurdistan in Iraq, which also hosts an Israeli military base. b) They also have Syria - north of the Euphrates. (Kurds again) c) Both locations are brim-full of oil & gas, and the Yanks and Israelis will be there for keeps. d) China has no power - no aircraft carriers or military presence, no planes. Without muscle, you are not really a player in West Asia. Conclusion : don't overrate China, like you do India.
    2
  6150. What a lot of lies The Speaker must resign Labour & Mr Speaker cooked up a deal - Mr Speaker now says "It was to save lives" (save lies more like)
    2
  6151. Well done Trump ! Bob Woodward's new book reports general Mattis told his opposite number "If you want to fight we'll fight you". That is how you have to interact with China I'm afraid.
    2
  6152. At what stage will India see sense ? And condemn Russia. India are bringing shame on future generations.
    2
  6153. Shattered star, No Russia is not to blame for corruption. All corrupt countries are corrupt for the same reason : they have never been civilized. Let me explain : countries need a history of people demanding rights and representation. Eg England : 1166 Clarendon Assize trial by ordeal replaced by trial by jury, 1215 Magna Carta the King's power limited, 1235 Henry Bracton codifies Common Law. If the people of a country have no history of rights & representation they are much more likely to accept unaccountable corrupt authority.
    2
  6154. Why is ONLY Grace Mugabe being called upon to hand over her corrupt gains ? What about the corrupt swine in ZANU PF ? Zanu have been corrupt for decades. The Police are corrupt, the Army is corrupt. Do you know why the Army acted ? Because the general was going to be arrested. They acted to save their corrupt selves NOT to save Zimbabwe. I hope things improve. But Zanu are corrupt swine and their thievery knows no limits.
    2
  6155. That's why Australia ditched the French and joined AUKUS.
    2
  6156.  @mogamadrayaandawjee6732  No. I'm simply pointing out the history, and trying to explain Palestinian failure. The legacy of the Caliphate condemned the Palestinians to ignorance and servitude. Printing was banned in 1515 - leaving most working people illiterate, there was no representative government - leaving ordinary folk looking for leaders. In 1922 the British appointed a leader for the Palestinians the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. To a large extent Islam has contributed to Palestinian failure.
    2
  6157. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    2
  6158.  @delighthwata9546  , I'm no expert on Zimbabwe but I believe the rural districts support Zanu-pf and the urban centres support Movement for Democratic Change. So the answer to your question would be : illiterate peasants voting with 'tribal' loyalty
    2
  6159. God bless the US Europe means well, but can't defend itself for trying. Nancy delivered a lovely reassuring, deferential handshake (who said the Yanks were arrogant : oh, it might have been me) Thank God for the USA
    2
  6160. Deary, deary : Russia and Ukraine , two countries with no history of democracy or independent institutions or independent judiciary or freedom of speech and education ; countries held backwards by medieval religion and authoritarian feudal rule ; unchecked corruption, unaccountability and a zero sum contribution to humanity.
    2
  6161. Hamas has caused much suffering
    2
  6162. UN demands "Unconditional release of hostages" Hamas MUST release ALL hostages unconditionally Will Hamas comply ?
    2
  6163. I wonder if Alex Jones can spell ? I'd like to give him a spelling test :- a) dissembling-money-grabbing-half-wit b) caustic-con-man c) self-promoting-conspiracy-whack-job-cretin
    2
  6164. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    2
  6165. The Speaker MUST resign ! He claimed Islamic terrorists had threatened MPs lives That means the British parliament was intimidated by Islamists ! He must resign
    2
  6166. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine.
    2
  6167. The first clause of your statement is incorrect : "If Belarus is part of the EU " So your statement is logically equivalent to saying : "If Belarus is part of the EU, then the moon is made of cheese". Because a false premise can be followed by any conclusion and will always be false.
    2
  6168. Medvedchuk looks like Josef Goebells.
    2
  6169. Be patient- the cheque is in the mail All Gazans will be evicted to Sinai
    2
  6170. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a new world. India has sided with Russia, China (and believe it or not) Pakistan. When Modi's foreign policy makes him a bedfellow of Pakistan then one can assume a mega blunder has occurred. Russian jets - easily shot down by Stingers Russian attack helicopters - easily destroyed by Stingers Russian tanks -easily destroyed by British NLAWs Modi has signed up for a pile of junk.
    2
  6171. Doc, he needs more than Kavanaugh as a safety net. I'm afraid Trump is stuffed. Eric Trump told a golf buddy,"We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". Then Trump Jr tries to establish a back channel to the Kremlin using Russian intelligence. What ? You think this is going to be glossed over by Brett. Trump has been laundering Kremlin mafia money for decades.
    2
  6172. Modi will never understand this. Estonia and Latvia have principles. India has no principles and will happily fraternise with the Axis of Evil.
    2
  6173. @Mohammed Sultan , " Sometimes you have to bend to stand Tall again". I Like that expression, also you talk a lot of sense. However I have a visceral detestation of theocracy of every kind (from the Pope to the Ayatollah) and am rubbing my hands at the prospect of seeing an end to those fanatical Islamist crackpots ensconced in Tehran.
    2
  6174.  @Metsada007  , gosh you are dangerously naive. Do you remember the student protests in Tehran (1999) ? Remember those thugs beating them over the head with clubs ? That was Hezbollah.
    2
  6175.  Mati Velázquez  , I agree with you : to separate Zionism and Semitism. Also let's separate the Iranian people from the rabid Ayatollahs murderous Revolutionary Guard. Most Iranians hate the Ayatollah who only remains in power because they slaughtered 7000 after the Revolution. Ask yourself, "What happened to the Socialists and Trade Unions ?" "Where are the democrats, secularists and feminists ?" That's right : imprisoned, tortured and killed.
    2
  6176.  @gunnarbrunstig8377  , The US support human-rights, democracy, freedom and civilised values. That's why people flock to live there : I haven't noticed folk flocking to Iran.
    2
  6177.  @coozieladexi4127  "India is not needed" referred to the actual blockade of China by nuclear submarines, which will collapse the CCP (US 19, Aus, 9, UK 11) Of course, India is needed culturally and economically as the world's largest democracy. India is a KEY ALLY of the west. But militarily, its navy is a dead weight. INS Vikrant would be used by China for target practice, carriers are a liability : even the Yanks know that.
    2
  6178. Krauthammer was the only intellectual Fox News had. I would love to hear his views on this Syria crisis.
    2
  6179. Assange released "Everything" even classified secrets to help Russia and China There was too much for him to sift - so he released the lot The Russians & Chinese were laughing Assange needs locking up Leak war crime stuff, okay, but Assange helped Russia, Iran China etc
    2
  6180.  @jamey55lee  , Corbyn does back Hamas, I'll try and find the clip on Youtube for you where he jokes about how welcome they made him and how they managed to whip up a good meal despite the blockade. He thinks they're great guys. Oh yes , that's anti-democratic Hamas that beat-up any critics and refuse to hold elections. Corbyn also idolises Yaser Arafat : that dictator of 40yrs who stole $3billion from the people. Corbyn is a nice guy but incredibly naive and ill-informed. I'll give you another example : Corbyn supports the ANC even though they are a corrupt one-party state that assassinates any opponents in the townships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_assassinations_in_post-apartheid_South_Africa It breaks my heart to inform you that Corbyn hasn't a clue.
    2
  6181.  @jossaha  , you are 100% correct. But just because BP, the CIA and UK overthrow democracy it doesn't mean it's okay for the Ayatollah to do the same. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : they were Socialists, Trade-Unionists, Democrats and Feminists. Prisoner's journals under the Shah describe boredom and tedium ; under the Ayatollah they speak of terror, torture and death. They make grim reading (especially for someone like you who supports the Theocracy).
    2
  6182. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    2
  6183. @Agatha Jeez, I'm not absolving anyone. I've no time for Serbia ; it's national character is bigoted chauvinism and proud of it. It goes without saying they're corrupt.
    2
  6184.  @gato-grande  , Yes the governments lie, but the UK and USA have a free academia and free press : the media & history books expose the truth. In Japan the school books are lies. Iran isn't a free country to this day : the IRG still imprison opponents of the Ayatollah's fascist theocracy.
    2
  6185. Xi is laughing up his sleeve. All Russia's neighbours want to see a weak Russia. And Putin is playing the loser to a tee.
    2
  6186. Oh deary dear, Saudi chickens are coming home to roost. As you reap so shall you sow. Men of blood shall not live out half their days. Here endeth the sermon for today.
    2
  6187. Dave, if you're a Kremlin troll you're not doing a very good job. You are supposed to sow confusion and muddy the waters. So that idiots don't realise Russia is a gangster state , totally corrupt and guilty of assassinations in numerous countries. Putin has ruled for longer than Stalin (it tells you everything).
    2
  6188. Very brave soldiers. Impressive professionalism, and dedication.
    2
  6189. What do the middle east despots make of this ? Saudi, Iran, Egypt, Jordan , Syria, Algeria, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar,etc etc Not a democracy amongst them. I'm thinking of making a video on it : the leviathan that ruined the middle East : Islam. Just like the leviathan that ruined Spanish-America was Roman Catholicism and the Spanish nobility/state (the Spanish model of governance). That video is called "Spanish-America failure North America success why ?"
    2
  6190. Delirium :- I had Covid starting 21 February 2020. I caught it from my niece, who teaches at a Primary School. This was a week before the government announced the first case in the UK (28 Feb 2020). My brother also had Covid, and said to me "Do you see monsters before you go to sleep" I had to laugh - because I did see grotesque faces, just as I was dozing off.
    2
  6191. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    2
  6192. Well done Boris. The West says, "Let bygones be bygones", vis-a-vis that bone-saw episode. Now is the time to unite against Russia (and its allies India and China).
    2
  6193. Very brave citizens. China supports the military dictators. Russia supports Lukashenko in Belarus. (The Axis of Evil support tyranny and destroy democracy)
    2
  6194. awab, "With his resignation over Panamagate, Sharif failed to break the jinx – no Pakistani Prime Minister has completed a full term in office since its formation in 1947." This is historical fact. In the first decades after 1947 most were assassinated. It reflects very badly on Pakistan and I'm surprised Pakistanis still chant "Death to.....whoever".
    2
  6195. Pakistan have yet to atone for their ......... in Bangladesh in 1971
    2
  6196. The EU are already doing their "utmost". Now the Ayatollah is going nuclear.........oh dear, it won't win friends. Developing nukes is popular with the fanatical fascists IRGC and Hezbollah but not popular with the Civilized world. Iran are playing to the fanatical gallery.
    2
  6197. Naughty !
    2
  6198. In Russia butter is $6 and broccoli is $12 Poor old Russians ...... there is always Gulag stew.
    2
  6199. Notice Hamas never fire rockets from close to their own homes. Hamas rule Gaza like feudal warlords : there is no justice in Gaza If a Hamas official assaults someone there is nobody for the victim to appeal to : Hamas are the anti-democratic, psychotic, fascist dictators.
    2
  6200.  @leehotspur9679  On Russian TV one chap said, "Those people who have been robbing us for 30 years" He could only have meant the Kremlin.
    2
  6201.  @apassionatenerd.3564  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  6202. Russia is behind it. Axis of Evil = Russia China, North Korea, Iran etc That's what the protestors are up against, the Axis of Evil.
    2
  6203.  Chakir  The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War announcing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a small minority Jewish population. Okay, what happened next ? The British bring down the Ottomans. In 1920, they install a Mufti In Jerusalem. The Mufti wants Palestine to be part of Syria with the capital at Damascus. The French defeat King Faisal and scupper that plan. Plan B The Mufti wants Palestine to be part of a Pan-Arab state with the capital at Cairo. Meanwhile the PLO (Arafat) decide to promote Palestinian nationalism. After the six day war defeat, the Mufti is replaced by the PLO. And in 1988 the State of Palestine is recognized by Egypt, Syria Jordan etc So only in 1988 did Palestine claim Jerusalem as the capital of a national state. The Jews were there with King David in 1000 BC Can you tell me what is wrong with that ?
    2
  6204. Erdoğan runs with the hare and the hounds.
    2
  6205. Hundreds of MEPs gathered outside the European Parliament in Brussels in solidarity, holding pictures of the pair, headlined: “Freedom for Catalan political prisoners”.
    2
  6206. A great conclusion : "Shows how much Cairo's power has withered........and how past dealing can impede on future resolution ". Other great phrases " Geographic virtue " (the Nile) " Riparian state " (by a river) Very good analysis. Very enjoyable.
    2
  6207. He he he, the corrupt sticking together. LOL the incompetents showing solidarity. The African Union supports all corrupt dictators and considers torture and violence legitimate means to line your pockets.
    2
  6208. 2:00 Hungarians will not be welcome in Kyiv : Orban is doing all he can to sabotage the West and assist Putin.
    2
  6209. 10:02 Wow the Deputy Assistant is flying to Israel. Gosh, roll out the red carpet - the deputy assistant is here. They are bringing in the big guns : when the deputy assistant hits town you know it's serious.
    2
  6210. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries. Russia actually need therapy.
    2
  6211. The Saudi never does a days work. The Saudi CANNOT fight : they pay someone else to fight. The Saudi CANNOT walk down the street of any Muslim city without being beaten : everyone hates the Saudi. The Saudi area of expertise is whoring around Europe
    2
  6212. LOL France is backtracking at speed : "Macron was saying we mustn't say 'annihilate Russia'", that is simply false : Macron said 'we mustn't humiliate Russia', he also suggestion territorial concessions were essential for peace. France is trying to rewrite history (and not for the first time). Read French school history books just after WW2, and try and detect a connection with reality.
    2
  6213. At the Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles : they were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine.
    2
  6214. This is like the Battle of Stalingrad : with Russia playing the part of the Nazis.
    2
  6215. Gorgeous.
    2
  6216.  @bck481  France was a founder member of the European Defence Community (1950) : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    2
  6217. Always say "Drunken Russian militia". When investigators analysed the wreckage of MH17, they were surrounded by drunks. The Russians are permanently sozzled, from morning to night. MH17 the passenger plane shot down by drunken Russian militia. What about justice for all those innocent civilians ?
    2
  6218. Of course Biden was correct. Correct when he called Putin a butcher, correct about Putin being a war criminal, and correct to say "Putin must go".
    2
  6219. Very good point : " basket of deplorables" comes to mind.
    2
  6220. The Taliban appealing for world condemnation of attacks (on them) That's a new one. Maybe Jeremy Corbyn will be calling for an end to airstrikes (he is equivocal on every Islamist terror-group).
    2
  6221.  @teebrain8977  Too true. NATO have teams of professionals analysing many Gbs of raw intelligence. This is then processed into 'actionable intelligence' which is handed to Ukraine, and quickly becomes a Himars target. One imagines Russian intelligence to be as ineffective as their military.
    2
  6222.  @indycoon  All democracies are supported by the West. In 1864 half a million turned out to greet Garibaldi in London. In 1847 Lord Minto travelled to Italy to try and help establish constitutional government. What was Russia doing ? Well, 38% of the population were bought and sold as serfs. One noble wrote a book about the abuse of girls - he was exiled to Siberia (Aleksander Nikolayevich Radishchev). The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation (1861) for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". She was very wise, and prescient. Witness Hungary 1954, Czechoslovakia 1968, Georgia 2008 and Crimea 2014.
    2
  6223. David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
    2
  6224. ....or probably dead". One down 75,000 to go.
    2
  6225. There is so much great news : the Russians are being demolished before our eyes. I am so grateful to Ukraine. The history books will show :_ a) Biden trembled ("I don't want to see WW3") b) Macron made a clown of himself c) The EU had to lay down with nervous fatigue. d) The Yanks (Lloyd Austin, Mark Milley, the Senate and Congress) saved the day. e) Britain (Boris, Ben Wallace, Liz Truss) were the first off the military mark.
    2
  6226. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    2
  6227. Of course, had he won, there would be no prosecution today. That is how corruption works in France. Throughout history France has been tres corrupt.
    2
  6228. The UK ambassador's job could be done thousands of folk. There is only one Trump. Why keep some privileged toff in the job ? He's not entitled to it : it's just the cherry on the cake of his other privileges.
    2
  6229. Syima, you should read human rights reports (unless the Iran dictatorship has banned access to them) .Here is an extract :- "One witness testified that a woman in her sixties was raped and executed; another stated that she witnessed revolutionary guards raping girls.16 There were also reports of threats of sexual abuse made to female prisoners and female relatives of male prisoners.17 "
    2
  6230.  @2012isnear-my-my-my  Good reply. Slavery has existed from Biblical times. Britain acquired the 'asciento' to supply slaves to America at Utrecht 1713, ending the Spanish Succession war. They then profitably transported ~3 million. In 1806 they abolished slavery. Historically Britain was the last in and first out. In 1895 Britain was spending £100,000 a year on six cruisers to patrol East Africa and stop the Arab slave trade : Britain became fanatically abolitionist. India :- Every treaty Britain made with an Indian ruler included a clause for returning Kashmiri slave girls. The British were appalled at India rulers. One British governor and his wife was given an official reception by an Indian ruler, who had his slave girls perform an 'orgy' : the British were horrified. India's history of slavery goes back to neolithic times.
    2
  6231. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug.
    2
  6232. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6233. France was a founder member of the European Defence Community (1950) : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    2
  6234. "Why show up and soft pedal like that ?" LOL Susan Sarandon has given up her whole day to protest and still gets a swipe from Jimmy. C'mon, give her a break.
    2
  6235. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6236.  @muhammedali2578  Well said. Having said that, the Japanese launched balloons across the pacific in WW2 : one of them killed a parson having a picnic. Although it was tragic, there is something comical about balloons.
    2
  6237.  @xpact83  I thought you were going to say "Why don't NATO just put the boot in" LOL I was going to say, "They are doing" Russia is getting slaughtered. Macron said, We must not humiliate Russia", but I'm afraid Russia are humiliating themselves.
    2
  6238.  @TheShepTV  , but it's not a club. Say you belong to the golf club or some whack-job club. Then you accept the rules and maybe grumble a little. The EU is different : it is essentially a trading-bloc with huge political clout. One joins out of economic necessity and is promised a voice. If that voice differs in tone from the ruling elite then one is silenced. The unelected elite decide the liberal values and then enforce them on others with an economic cudgel. That's why this new madam is holding back cash unless folk abide by her liberal values.
    2
  6239. A long tradition in Russian - from serfdom (abolished 1861), through WW1 a million with no boots or rifles, WW2 NKVD shooting Russians or sending them to the Gulags, it is simply Kremlin business as usual.
    2
  6240. Mordant, I can understand your patriotism but why goad people into hating America. It's like George W Bush saying, "Bring it on". Then letting US servicemen pay the price for his bravado.
    2
  6241. Salim, I wouldn't be so sure. The US has bigger fish to fry than pushing Saudi (who is hopeless at fighting) into a war in Yemen (which Saudi is struggling to lose). Also, it takes two to make a war.....how on earth did the US engineer the Houthi to line up for this fabricated war ?
    2
  6242. What about the indigenous tribes who were there before the Zulus ? Can they claim their land back and damages for the stolen cattle and raped daughters.
    2
  6243. Pakistan is hand in hand with Global designated terrorist Hafeez Saeed who was responsible for 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which killed around 200 innocent people
    2
  6244. Elliot, On 16 December 2014, six gunmen affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) conducted a terrorist attack on the Army Public School in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. The militants, all of whom were foreign nationals, included one Chechen, three Arabs and two Afghans. They entered the school and opened fire on school staff and children,[6][8] killing 149 people including 132 schoolchildren. Tehrik-i-Taliban are Pakistan Taliban.....you £ucking moron.
    2
  6245. That theocratic fascist thug has sure got an honest face. His unflappable demeanour and considered replies would convince most folk. Of course, you'd think differently if you saw him stoning a woman to death.
    2
  6246.  @anuragpoddar8631  Good point. Ataturk's second wife was educated at the Sorbonne. My only doubts are that france has an unsettled past :- a) Louis XIV tyranny - to Louis XVI b) revolution 1789 c) Napoleon's Empire to 1815 d) Bourbon restoration to 1830 e) Parvenu Louise Philippe to 1848 f) Second republic to 1851 g) Napoleon III empire to 1870 h) Battle of Sedan, 3rd republic 1871 When Ataturk was young it was the British that represented strength, stability, power and democratic parliament. But he may have expressed French feelings. As an envoy to Bulgaria, he certainly recommended the Ottomans remaining neutral in WW1 : then coming in on the side of the Allies to retake land from Bulgaria.
    2
  6247. Notice Hamas never fire rockets from close to their own homes. Hamas rule Gaza like feudal warlords : there is no justice in Gaza If a Hamas official assaults someone there is nobody for the victim to appeal to : Hamas are the anti-democratic, psychotic, fascist dictators.
    2
  6248.  @catherine6403  , Yaser Arafat being a dictator for 40yrs and stealing $3billion is irresponsible.
    2
  6249. I was praying that the next salvo would hit the road.
    2
  6250.  @theaussienurseflipper.8113  Russia is like a gigantic bear : it will take a lot of killing. Russia has used 330,000 troops ; about 10% have been killed and 30% maimed and wounded. But Russia easily replaces those. Russia has lost 25% of its helicopters : those are more difficult to replace. The war will drag on, but Russia will lose. Boris said, "If Ukraine is struggling, we'll ramp up the dial".
    2
  6251. Remember the Garden of Eden fable : the tree of knowledge ? Well, this young woman has supped from the cup of Western Civilization, and there is no return to the ignorance of Islam for her. No kowtowing to the village elders, no subservience : she is now empowered by Western Enlightenment. Good luck to her.
    2
  6252. Ernesto, 90% for independence. That was a great result when you consider Rajoy's thugs stole ballot boxes and closed polling stations. There were 760,000 votes missing which would have made the turnout 58%
    2
  6253. Iran lies ! There is a mechanism for humanitarian aid which the Ayatollah refuses to use. The fanatical Ayatollah is using the suffering of the people as a political tool. Humanitarian aid would be there in days if he just triggered the mechanism.
    2
  6254. They were cheering on Oct 7th
    2
  6255. A fantastic training ground : defending Ukraine and sending a shiver down the Kremlin's fascist spine. Magnificent professionalism - it's pure NATO, only battle hardened against the Orcs.
    2
  6256. 0:20 "Turkey has been back-sliding on reform" This is as old as the hills. The Tanzimat (1839) reforms were replaced with autocracy and corruption. The British ambassador (Canning) said, "It is a lifeless paper, valuable only as a record of good intentions". The Turks then went on to slaughter (Bulgarian Atrocities), massacre by bugle call after Friday prayer, and genocidally exterminate 1.5 million Armenians.
    2
  6257. Sabine is a very deep thinker
    2
  6258. Samuel, well spoken. That's why the law in Denmark forbids teenagers to go around in ski-masks. The law treats everyone equally irrespective of religion. I don't think there are any laws in Europe that discriminate. I think it is actually illegal to discriminate and discriminatory laws are pounced on by the European Court of Human Rights.
    2
  6259. 1:13 Elbow and knee to roll them over. I only know that because I watched a Ukrainian medic doing it.
    2
  6260. Well done Germany (We must encourage them, even though they are extremely wobbly allies)
    2
  6261.  @so.marley  "How many would've been alive without US occupation ??" Good question. Also, would there be any democracy without the US and Western intervention. Remember, it was the European powers that imposed a constitution (1876) on the Ottomans - after the Bulgarian Horrors. The West has always encouraged despots in the Middle East to become more humane in their governance.
    2
  6262. In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding sexual violence in war. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[130] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war” UN report :- "Nearly a quarter of reports received by one agency involve gang rape, with multiple men assaulting the victim; in some cases, women have been repeatedly raped over a period of days. Girls as young as eight are being targeted," Lowcock said. In June 2021, representatives from multiple countries called for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Abiy to be re-considered because of the war crimes committed in Tigray.[111][112] In an opinion piece, Simon Tisdall, one-time foreign editor of The Guardian, wrote that Abiy "should hand back his Nobel Peace Prize over his actions in the breakaway region".
    2
  6263. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
    2
  6264. Turgenev's Grandma lost her temper and struck a serf-boy. He fell to the ground wounded, which so enraged her, she jumped on top of him with a cushion and suffocated him. A simple domestic murder. That was Russia in 1850 and that is Russia in Bucha - murderers by nature.
    2
  6265. Modi's foreign policy (it stinks). The facts :- a) China's weakness is blockade by AUKUS subs ; a route to Central Asia is essential. b) In any border clash with China, India will be driven back to Delhi (again) c) India's only hope is international condemnation. d) Against China, India would be defeated by land, sea, or air. e) Only one opponent can take down China : AUKUS (Don't be fooled by Afghanistan, the US has a "massive, massive superiority". Afghanistan was like painting a shed with crumbling walls : as soon as one finishes, one must start again. Eventually, even an idiot will give it up as a bad job). f) Modi thinks Russian weapons will enable India to confront China : wrong. g) India lacks military mojo. Turkey shoots down two Russian jets, and Erdoğan gets a Kremlin welcome. Modi gets a ceremonial sword snatched from his hands. h) Pakistan has military mojo : Indian border guards abandon their post for winter, to warm their feet, and come back to find it occupied.Pakistan then shoots down two Indian Migs. Nobody fears India, because they have no military mojo. h) There is a world confrontation taking place : the defining event of the 21st century, and Modi has chosen the losing side.
    2
  6266. The UN has proposed a hostage/ceasefire deal Hamas MUST accept that deal Pressure must be applied to Hamas to accept the UN deal
    2
  6267. Allah never buttered a parsnip : he was invented in early Medieval times.
    2
  6268. . @jauharkhan6782  ,what I mean is that all religions are human inventions. Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented during human evolution. When I say Allah never buttered a parsnip I simply mean he's an invention and is incapable of doing anything.
    2
  6269. China is a one-party state. The CCP are totally corrupt and ruthless (cf Tienanmen square massacre 10k dead) There are 3 million security personnel monitoring online communications to prevent Chinese citizens saying anything against the Party. China ,under the CCP, is a threat to freedom & democracy around the world.
    2
  6270. Hartono, those are fine words. But what happens when the one-party state kills 10,000 protestors in Tienanmen Square ? Who do the families go to for answers ? The same people who killed them. That's the problem. A one-party state can start harvesting organs from dissidents and who's to stop them. Go to any hospital in China and you can have an organ transport without delay. Why , because the prisons have plenty of donors : the Falun Gong .
    2
  6271.  @mponengmorabe2815  The failing lies with Hamas South Africa should be applauded One peace negotiator said "Hamas has set back the Palestinian cause by 75 years"
    2
  6272. I always chuckle at Pakistan's blasphemy laws : the laws are only applied to minorities - by any Muslim who has a vendetta.
    2
  6273.  @DerDop  Oh, I didn't know that. Very interesting.
    2
  6274. A former member of the PLO She must have witnessed some corruption, I bet she could tell some tales Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion over 30 years He was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month (That's one helluva shopping allowance)
    2
  6275. Don't be fooled, this is perfect.....carrot and stick. The US loves it. It wouldn't have it any other way. Much better for the EU to offer hope of a sanctions bypass mechanism.
    2
  6276. IAEA inspectors : Russia refused anyone from the USA or Britain. There are two "pro Russia" inspectors from Serbia, and two "pro Uraine" inspectors from Poland and Slovenia. But France is considered by Moscow to be "neutral". Why ? Because France is only half committed to NATO and regularly has a foot in the enemy camp. Macron : "Countries should not gang up on China" Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Macron is a typical French man - Vichy to the core.
    2
  6277. Well done Trump for two reasons : a) The US does NOT want to be the one to cause the first fatalities. Shooting a drone is one thing but killing a civilian another. Keep the high moral ground : public opinion is everything and Iran is at rock-bottom. b) The drome was shot by the Revolutionary Guard who are independent of government they are an imperium-in-imperio (state within a state) and pathologically fanatical.
    2
  6278. rain, you are quite correct. Few people realise what Buddhism is like. Under the Dali Lama Tibetans had no education or healthcare and were forced to pay taxes to the Temple or receive a good beating from the monks. It was a fascist theocracy. Theocracies never allow progress in their country because it loosens their grip on power. I hate the Chinese but peasants in Tibet at least can get an education and healthcare under Chinese occupation.
    2
  6279.  @owen-zw8xo  Well said. May I add two-penneth ? Almighty God, though you have never buttered a parsnip, thank the humans who invented you, and repay their adoration with blessings of banality.
    2
  6280. The Allies are providing 24/7 information processing. Intelligence is useless in bulk, it must be sifted. There are teams working around the clock to do this. Ukraine gets high-grade intel. That is a huge advantage over medieval Russia. Russia has always relied on brute force - masses of troops and carpet bombing.
    2
  6281. I don't know who the Fox News interviewer is but she should have interrupted him much more because he's as boring as £%&*
    2
  6282. The United States must be pleased :- a) Their Himars are knocking bells out of the Russians. b) Merkel's energy policy has allowed Putin to toy with the EU c) France has contributed 1/10th of Poland's $1.6 billion, and Macron like a capitulating Cassandra is calling, "We must not humiliate Russia" Thank God for the USA, and its faithful side-kick (us, that's uz not U.S.).
    2
  6283. Collateral damage : 13 Oct 2022 Macron's vanity project the "European Defence Force" died France waved the white flag to Russia Which nation would join a French led EDF now ? Capitulation has become habitual for France Macron recommended it to Ukraine
    2
  6284. Also, Turkey committed the first genocide of the 20th Century against the Armenians. 1.5 million died as they force marched them through the country. Turkish men took any daughters to make them family slaves. Any historian who writes about the genocide goes to prison : that is why Turks are totally brain-washed : they have no freedom of speech or enlightened education.
    2
  6285. France are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.
    2
  6286. The Alternative (To Boris & Cummings) Britain would be fighting alongside Hamas. The Alternative was Jeremy Corbyn.
    2
  6287. Germany were unbearable in the 20th Century. Portugal asked Britain for a loan, and when the kaiser found out he demanded compensation. Lord Salisbury told the Germans it had nothing to do with them. So the Kaiser instructed his ambassador in Lisbon to threaten the Portuguese, who withdrew the loan request. The Germans know how the Kremlin mind works : bullying, boorish and unbearable, it is just how the Germans were last century.
    2
  6288. I've watched to 6.41 and I'd like to say :- When you hypothesise an infantry war of attrition in which Israel lose (a correct deduction) then it is reasonable to discard the hypothesis and try another. Instead Shirvan keeps running with the ball because he has his eye on a touchdown. A touchdown that is based on a floored hypothesis. Conclusion : Israel will not send infantry into Syria to remove Iranian troops.
    2
  6289. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  6290. Good. The sooner the EU windbags recognise Russia as the enemy, the better.
    2
  6291. LOL Iran's letter : the definition of pusillanimous. Also, Tehran looks like a real dump. Why don't they spend some money on infrastructure instead of handing $ billions to Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guard. That neighbourhood is a disgrace : Trump would call it a $hithole country.
    2
  6292. Palestine need democracy. Let's hope one day Fatah step back from imposing a one-party corrupt state on the Palestinian people. Let's hope Hamas step back from imposing brutal dictatorship. When Palestinians get a representative democratic leadership I'm sure PEACE will follow.
    2
  6293. Be thankful, things will never be as bad as Bangladesh. " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
    2
  6294. Remember the 1999 Tehran student protests ? Remember students beaten and thrown from windows ? That was Hezbollah fascist thugs. The Ayatollah's Hezbollah are the ruination of Lebanon.
    2
  6295.  @Limitless_enjoyablegames  If my memory serves, then the IDF had many more casualties than expected. I suspect that is why they then resorted to air-strikes on infrastructure - incurring world condemnation. On the whole it was a bit of a disaster, probably due to hubris.
    2
  6296. Sultan, that's a curious statement. What on earth is the thinking behind it ?
    2
  6297. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    2
  6298. If the Taliban kill Americans as they withdraw, then the U.S. should feel morally obliged to drop a Daisy-Cutter on the Taliban HQ.
    2
  6299. Turkey : what about a red-line on imprisonment of journalists. Erdogan is a corrupt dictator : why would anyone listen to him. European Union are warning : LOL they are the great do-nothings. Where is their moral standing after Spanish Police beat old ladies trying to vote in Catalonia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEi7noGYisA Perhaps Palestine should recognise it is governed by a corrupt one-party system. ( It's the one thing Fatah and Hamas agree on : they hate democracy and accountability) Then they can establish an independent judiciary and an honest Police force ; then perhaps some progress can be made in negotiations.
    2
  6300. I'm perplexed by Iran's strategy. What is the ned goal ? Well the end goal is to develop nuclear weapons and exterminate Israel. But is the Ayatollah acting judiciously ? Could he achieve his goal by a more roundabout way. Well yes. Obama handed him the roundabout route to developing nukes. What should the Ayatollah do now ? Well it's not good. he's already attacked tankers, shot down a drone and attempted an abduction. Worse still : after the Obama deal the economy shot up 12% and has now slumped -6% , and history shows there is nothing worse than deflated expectations. There's a long list of revolts after peasants saw things improve then decline. Good news. He still has the loyalty of the Revolutionary Guard who are more than prepared to slaughter Iranians to keep him in power.
    2
  6301.  @javaman9010  , well the roundabout ways are to bide ones time. remember the Muslim-brotherhood in Egypt ? They should have bided their time , but instead imposed Islamofascism in a hurry , then the world applauded a military coup. Well Iran could quietly drop the nuclear enrichment, develop a vibrant economy, education & commerce , then wait on events dear boy events : perhaps a world economic crash or whatever.....while everyone is distracted, Iran emerges with operational nukes and missiles. Israel didn't make a song & dance about it. Why does the Ayatollah have to shout from a minaret "We'll exterminate Israel". Why not employ some guile.
    2
  6302. Pakistan is hand in hand with Global designated terrorist Hafeez Saeed who was responsible for 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which killed around 200 innocent people
    2
  6303. Malaysia is a corrupt authoritarian regime. It is a faux democracy with a sham government controlled judicial system. Well done Al-Jazeera. Genuine investigative journalism often entails prosecution by fascist regimes.
    2
  6304. Trump was criticised for using the expression $hithole countries. Yet few would disagree : the entirety of Central America is a shambles.
    2
  6305. Nobody likes to see homes demolished.... But imagine Egypt and Syria had won in 1973. We have all seen Syria's torture chambers, irremovable dictators, anti-democracy, brutality, suppression, no freedom or justice, no accountability, incessant surveillance by an omnipresent secret police. We have seen Egypt's torture methods : Egyptian courts refuse to release mobile phone data from an Italian student they tortured and murdered, because "it would violate his privacy". The civilized world weeps at Egypt's disgusting corrupt, despotic judiciary. Now imagine the Jews had fallen into their hands. The 3rd largest party in the Knesset is Palestinian. I think we all know there would have been zero parties under Egyptian & Syrian rule. Zero justice, zero accountability.........etc
    2
  6306. Barrie, thanks for your well informed, interesting reply. I admit I was being deliberately provocative with my comment and you have addressed many of my mistakes. But. The Battle of Britain a) wasn't won because of fighter v fighter contrition, it was the sheer number of bombers being lost by the Germans in fighter v bomber attacks. b) the performance had nothing to do with it. It was the simple logistics of getting as many fighters in the air as possible and keeping them there. c) Far more important than top speed or manoeuvrability was speed of manufacture. Just like the Battle of the Atlantic being won once the US started mass producing merchant ships. Also, in the Pacific the US planes had armour protection (making them heavier but more lethal ) And I seem to recall Spitfire carburettors failing on a steep dive whereas German fuel injection operated in all circumstances. Barrie, I suspect you fall into the category that believes Churchill won the war. When Alan Brooke said, "He'd be passionate about something for 48hrs then forget all about it". As when Churchill came up with with Gallipoli , resulting in thousands needlessly killed , once he'd lost interest and palmed the idea over to people who'd spoken against it and had no enthusiasm for it.
    2
  6307. Imagine a Jew protesting in a Muslim country : you can't imagine it ? Obviously a protesting Jew would be tortured to death, not by security forces just by Muslim shoppers.
    2
  6308. Interesting : the Palestinian is clearly firing blind.
    2
  6309. LOL - Democracy, no corruption, no nepotism Oh what a wonderful dream And it's all the fault of Israel LOL Palestinians are deluded about themselves : they are culturally Caliphate That's their problem The Caliphate collapse in 1924, and Palestine never even got going : that's the truth !
    2
  6310. Very interesting. Persia had the printing press in 1639 but nothing resembling the Frankfurt Book Fair in Europe. Reading was the essential ingredient for the Enlightenment. Records of the sales of Diderot's Encyclopedia show which regions were most receptive. (Obviously Northern Europe). The Ottoman Ulema banned printing in 1515 and haven't recovered yet.
    2
  6311. LOL "Blessed be the meek for they shall be Iranian" This is the weakest response Iran could think of LOL
    2
  6312. History : Bangladesh : 3 million killed by Pakistan. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself in Kashmir.
    2
  6313. LOL what a lot of religious nonsense. India and Pakistan will be another 200yrs before they fully experience the Enlightenment, and recognize religion as being a product of human evolution.
    2
  6314. China has been corrupt for centuries. The people of China have NEVER known freedom.
    2
  6315. In Africa and the Middle East once a leader/government is ensconced the duty of the army is to keep the people docile, whilst the politicians feather their nests.
    2
  6316. If India wants to become civilized :- a) Politicians shouldn't call for people to be lynched b) Police shouldn't simply shoot people. c) Indian culture shouldn't allow men to grope and assault women with impunity....."Eve teasing".
    2
  6317.  @SoloRenegade  Thanks, I've edited it.
    2
  6318. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    2
  6319.  @davidbroadbent854  The BBC speculated on 3 reasons Putin might threaten to go nuclear, and one of them was......... A Russian ship is sunk, with a large loss of life, by an anti-ship missile. The BBC were quite right in thinking this would lead the Kremlin to go ballistic.
    2
  6320. "Wipe Israel off the map" Google it and see how many times the Ayatollahs have vowed to exterminate Israel. And you folks want them to have a 'monitored ' nuclear program. The Obama deal was just the roundabout route to nuclear breakout.
    2
  6321. In geopolitics Africa doesn't count, it never has. South Africa had some importance to the british as an alternative shipping route to India. Suez had importance as a shipping route to India.
    2
  6322. LOL The USA has just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Why ? Because the US knows aircraft carriers are too vulnerable to missile attack. LOL : India has just jumped on the bandwagon with their rust-bucket, just as aircraft carriers become obsolete. Typical of old man Modi.
    2
  6323. Good propaganda
    2
  6324.  vega albin  , Tsar Nicholas said his preferred form of government would be a Republic, but he said Russia was so backwards (serfdom) and ignorant (medieval nobility) that autocracy was needed to make the country function. Tsar Nicholas then instituted a huge spy network to keep monitor Russians : Gogol's 'Dead Souls' was banned for being heretical. There were spies in every level of society informing on their neighbours and colleagues. That was the pattern in the C19th it continued into the C20th, and Russia is backwards and uncivilised to this day.
    2
  6325. David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
    2
  6326. Wow, I've seen the photos - it IS Sinwar His teeth are very distinctive Sinwar is dead - 100% true !
    2
  6327. @Miyamoto Musashi Putin isn't taking anything : there will be no invasion. Listen to Ryabkov (deputy foreign minister) he is a Russian dove, and has said there will NOT be an invasion. He also asked NATO and the US to "meet Russia halfway" That is very different to the Kremlin demands. Also, the March thaw means Russia have already left the "invasion" too late. It will never happen : it was just Kremlin hot air.
    2
  6328.  @hirdleyreid5796  NATO false flag operations don't exist to my knowledge. NATO are too tight laced. The most famous US false flag was Tonkin Bay 1964, which justified US invading Vietnam.
    2
  6329. @Miyamoto Musashi I agree, but haven't Russia also emerged as a slightly aggressive, threatening nation ? I suppose if one is a Putin supporter, then one applauds the threatening posture. But if one is an ordinary neighbour (Finland, Latvia, Estonia etc) then isn't one left slightly fearful of the Kremlin ?
    2
  6330. Anyone notice a huge contrast ? The Israeli leader is elected and accountable, the Palestinians are corrupt and anti-democratic. Why not allow Palestinian women into politics ? Why not elect a charismatic woman (like New Zealand) ? Why stagnate with clueless corrupt old men ?
    2
  6331. When the 6pm deadline given by Hamas passed, and they launched the first rockets into Israel, what did they imagine the response would be ?
    2
  6332. Do you know who Despotism's twin brother is ? (Incompetence)
    2
  6333. Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion over 40yrs. In 1970s prices, that is 40,000 times his own weight in gold. Why would anyone steal that much ?
    2
  6334.  @hycb5136  How does progress work ? In science one idea is challenged by another and replaced. In commerce one buisiness model fails and is replaced. What about Palestine ? corrupt old men keep lining their pockets and telling kids to throw stones for 70yrs and nothing changes. Well done Palestine , no change, no progress, no hope.
    2
  6335.  @AntonNb  , Iraq have more oil than Norway and look at the difference. Norway have a $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund and a civilised, enlightened society. There is absolutely no reason Iraq can't do the same. It is all about leadership and education. The people need educating out of their medieval mentality. They need to experience the European enlightenment albeit 300yrs too late.
    2
  6336. AUKUS is a fighting alliance. Any group which includes France (and India) will never actually get stuck in. Both nations have a history of disappointing performance. Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China"
    2
  6337. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6338. What happened to MH17 ? Russia supplied the drunken rebels with a BUK missiles and the drunken Russian tugs shot down a passenger plane. There has been a full enquiry with photographic evidence, documenting the BUK missile transport. Moscow deny everything. The Pope described Moscow as "Infantile". Putin doesn't even attempt to be civilized or rational.
    2
  6339. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    2
  6340. How did it sink ? Well, no thanks to Germany - who refuse to send heavy weapons. Germany is as shaky as India. France too, is trying to retain relations with Russia. Thank God for the USA, Britain and Australia = AUKUS. Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history is that North America speaks English" = AUKUS
    2
  6341. 1948 Arab/Israeli war : Jordan occupied the West Bank and annexed it Handing passports to west bank Palestinians 1967 Israel reclaimed the West bank. Jordan then cancelled passports
    2
  6342. EU liberals have destroyed Europe They don't want to hear the truth Merkel is trying to rewrite history
    2
  6343. ATS, LOL, I was going to respond to N Bains with "There's one born every minute".
    2
  6344. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    2
  6345. Calling on the UN to put out fires ? They can't even extinguish a fire ? What happened to the Lebanese army ?
    2
  6346. A reprise of the ANC bank It was looted by politicians and their families and had to close bankrupt Of course ordinary fol lost their money (the ANC always rob the little guy) The ANC will rob South Africa until it collapses under the weight of corruption and mismanagement
    2
  6347. Ryan, very well informed comment. And a very insightful prognosis.
    2
  6348.  @sharminshuchi1756  , that doesn't excuse the Ayatollah executing 7000 opposition party members six-at-a-time off fork-lift trucks !
    2
  6349.  Jack Emerald city sider  , wrong. They stop the Ayatollah constructing a nuclear missile which he would happily use. The Ayatollah prays for Armageddon when the 12th Imam will appear (and would happily hurry it up).
    2
  6350. Over 70 years how successful have the Palestinian Authority been ? Well, you had 40yrs of dictatorship by Arafat during which he stole $3 billion. At one stage he was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month. Now to have Abbas, whose term expired long ago but has decided to forgo democracy. Hamas et al. encourage young people to throw stones and get killed. My question is this : is that a successful strategy ? Why not have fair election and elect maybe a woman leader. That would really get world attention n a positive way.
    2
  6351.  @ThePinkerston  , I think the Palestinians rejected a UN 2 state solution in 1947. Arafat rejected it again at Camp David . And I think there was another occasion when a 2 state solution was rejected. My point is this : for 70yrs the corrupt old men who speak for the Palestinians have utterly failed them. Is anyone saying the last 70yrs has been a success ? So why not try something different : Democracy and equal rights. Allow women to stand for election. There are more options than just throwing stones and the corrupt old men haven't got you anywhere. Try another tack.
    2
  6352. Qatar funds Hamas Qatar is hand-in-glove with Hamas Everyone knows that
    2
  6353. All being well he'll enrich himself. But not to the tune of $3billion like Yaser Arafat did. Arafat had to steal that money : it's how he stayed in power for 40yrs. By bribing his friends and paying-off his enemies.
    2
  6354. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP) John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6355. Tucker has lost his mind. Who the hell made him say this ?
    2
  6356. RT, a media war ? Germany is in bed with the Kremlin : just look at Nord Stream 2 It's as bad as the Ribbentrop pact.
    2
  6357. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    2
  6358. Nobody forced the Ukraine parliament to ban the Russian language. That was a red-rag to a bull. The West WILL supply arms and logistics, technical expertise and intelligence. But don't forget who started it all with their stupid nationalist policies : the Ukraine right-wing idiots.
    2
  6359. Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA Hamas has infiltrated schools and hospitals They are all centres of terrorism
    2
  6360. God bless the USA Europe couldn't defend itself for trying. Thank God for the USA (20 C17 cargo planes per day - who could match that)
    2
  6361. Dennis, is that an acronym ? I don't get it.
    2
  6362. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
    2
  6363. ......meanwhile Iran's economy goes into free-fall . LOL Notice nobody is discussing an EU mechanism to bypass US sanctions. Notice how the spotlight is on Iran as a rogue state.
    2
  6364. ......meanwhile Iran's economy goes into free-fall . LOL Notice nobody is discussing an EU mechanism to bypass US sanctions. Notice how the spotlight is on Iran as a rogue state.
    2
  6365.  @kimmogensen4888  , In 1979 when the Ayatollah landed in Tehran from Paris he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied "I'll kick their teeth in ". The Ayatollah executed 7000 opposition supporters in his first year. They were hanging them 6 at a time on a forklift truck. Why don't you address the oppression of the Iranian people ?
    2
  6366. Tony Judt "Postwar" a must read book ! However, it's Palestine that arrived too late - 1988 to be exact That's how long it took them to declare themselves a state Why ? Because in 1948 the British appointed Grand mufti looked to Damascus as the Palestinian capital In 1967 the PLO looked to Cairo as the Arab League capital Only after losing 3 wars did the Palestinians in desperation declare statehood in 1988
    2
  6367. "A guarantee the process will eventually end in a permanent ceasefire" That is logically equivalent to = a permanent ceasefire A process that leads to A Is equivalent to A If there is no shooting in between, then accepting "the process that leads to A" = accepting A Hamas are having a laugh
    2
  6368. Blinken could have a stab at a presidential run. He is a household name now.
    2
  6369. WHO pushed Chinese propaganda for months (so as not to damage China's economy) Then when it goes global they act like they weren't at fault. The brass neck of this fella.
    2
  6370. "The UAE Saudi Arabia .......and Norway, described last month's attacks" Isn't it strange how much weight Norway adds ? Because the world know the Arabs to be a bunch of despotic liars, but once a civilised country joins their ranks it makes the findings credible.
    2
  6371. Resign ! The Speaker must go
    2
  6372. a) Islamism b) Russia In that order - those are the threats to France Good luck France
    2
  6373. 101, you are quite right. Matthew is living in a Walter Mitty world where he goes sleuthing around the internet finding his own facts. I don't even know who Jordan Chariton is but , from what Cenk has just said, he hasn't a leg to stand on.
    2
  6374. NOTICE : Al Jazeera have to speak to a representative of the regime and ask him what the protestors want. They can't ask a protestor. Because as soon as the Islamofascist state recognised him they'd have his family arrested and tortured. So this grinning pillock has to denigrate the protests to Al Jazeera.
    2
  6375. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    2
  6376. In February Germany thought Russia would be victorious so hedged its bets in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany was then forced to supply some weapons, always with great reluctance. Never at its own initiative. Never a team player.
    2
  6377.  @aliduman7316  , I agree, let me rephrase my comment : "Erdogan needs kicking out of Turkey". Secular Turkey are welcome in NATO. It's fanatical anti-democratic Islamofascist Erdogan who is the problem.
    2
  6378.  @analuciasanchez104  , "Sounds like something that could be true" That, my dear, is the first rule of propaganda. There's no point making up something so fantastic nobody believes it.
    2
  6379.  @mikeoxlong4110  Your warning was addressed by Preside Biden when he said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats"
    2
  6380. "The judge in Madrid" When Franco died (1975) the fascist justice system in Spain never dismissed anyone, it continued business as usual. Fascism in Spain is alive and well, the establishment simply continued.
    2
  6381. How can Russians have faith in the Kremlin after the 1999 Apartment Bombings ? "Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    2
  6382.  @Xaiando  , very interesting thanks. I remember reading years ago, an expert on China said, "You'd be amazed how insecure the elite feel at any sign of civil unrest ". I found a link https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023257/several-intercepted-and-refused-entry-hong-kong-through
    2
  6383. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asks his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha says, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  6384. Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942 That must hurt : utter humiliation. Ukraine's counter-offensive was a match for any in history. A magnificent victory.
    2
  6385. What about "Nabobs" ? (a Muslim official or governor under the Mogul empire)
    2
  6386.  @yusuferdal4627  Ataturk described Mohammed as a carrier of Arab nationalism and said that as for Turks, their religion had always been 'a religion of nature.'
    2
  6387. Albanese was more polished, but he was up against a rough diamond. Boris wasn't firing on all cylinders, because Albo was glaring at him. Boris is sensitive to hostility and socialism, he loses his nerve. He likes the Bonhomme of the G7 and the Ukraine conflict.
    2
  6388. Putin is a coward ? Well have you seen him greeting Russian soldiers or speaking to them ? Putin has isolated himself, like a madman (or a KGB coward ?)
    2
  6389. Bernie blew his chance in 2016. When Hillary challenged him to name any time she has lacked integrity.... and he shrugged his shoulders like a schmuck. Is that how he will deal with Russia & China & North Korea , shrugging his damned shoulders. We want a President that can be combative. When your opponent hangs their chin out you're supposed to land a blow.
    2
  6390. Of course they will turn themselves in. You don't understand the psychology : life becomes an unbearable strain knowing everyone has your mugshot and can turn you in any time. Every knock at the door takes 5yrs off your lifespan.
    2
  6391. India is forced by Geography to desire a Russian VICTORY. It needs a strong Russia to oppose China. Western democracies must realise this, and temporarily say to India, "Goodbye and good luck"
    2
  6392. The Bedouin were the reason Judea/Palestine was almost empty Bedouin tribes would roam around stealing livestock and abducting women & children It was so bad villages vanished and moved The whole area was depopulated This was before the establishment of empires ~ 400 to 800 CE
    2
  6393. 2:20 "Vengeance served cold" Well, that applies to France as well :- a) They fought the Allies in North Africa b) De Gaulle made Harold MacMillan cry when he said "Non" to joining the Common Market, then turned round, quoting an Edith Piaf song and said "Don't cry my Lord" c) They repeatedly humiliated the Yanks over WMD in Iraq (admittedly there weren't any) d) Brexit : their intention was to scupper Britain. e) Mers-el-Kébir (1940) : the Vichy French ships had to be pounded by the Royal Navy, because they would've ended up aiding the Nazis.
    2
  6394. Victory Day : Russian tanks prepare to celebrate victory in Moscow. Irony is quality Russia has always gone big on. Stalin is the "Father of the nation" : having extirpated a 1/5th of the people. Patriarch Kiril is the ungodly, Rolex-watch-wearing pontiff : Glasnost files exposed him as a KGB agent, informing on his cleric and parishioners. The Moscow Police were christened "The werewolves within" during the 1990s that was after their rampage of rape and murder on the population they were supposed to protect. Irony is part of Russian culture.
    2
  6395. Mehran , you are quite right , Iran is entitled to retaliate against the US pulling out of the deal and imposing sanctions. But, ask yourself this : why does the whole world fear a nuclear armed Iran ? Look at the IRGC commander , does he look like a level headed guy to you ? Listen to Iranian leaders vowing to exterminate Israel ; does that sound like responsible statesmanship ?
    2
  6396. "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown"
    2
  6397. 6:01 pm Monday 10th May Hamas fired the first rockets to start it all. However, this was after much provocation - evictions, harassment etc But the war was started by Hamas, who must have expected retaliation from Israel. When the teacher in France was decapitated, that was supported by Hamas.
    2
  6398. Yes, and let the Revolutionary Guard have 30% of GDP while unemployment grows and the economy stagnates. Iran are going to get their just desserts.
    2
  6399. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  6400. Shane, you are right and wrong. You're wrong about no evidence of collusion. Geez buddy, Eric Trump said," We get all the money we need from Russia". Jared asked Russian intelligence to set up a back channel that couldn't be monitored by the CIA. And Trump suggested inviting Russia's cyber experts to help set up cyber defence in the US. How much have you missed ? You're right on Hillary. I wonder what evidence would have come to light if they'd used the same strong-arm tactics on her.
    2
  6401. There are 12 countries in South and 7 in central America and they all share a similar political development. They have a common influence : the Spanish leviathans of Church & Nobility/state. Paternalism is part of Spanish-American culture. The Caudillo or strongman leader. In North America the culture in both religion and politics is representative assemblies. In North Africa and the Middle East the leviathan is Islam and the Caliphate , which has influenced development to this day. My video "Spanish-America failure : North-America success why ?" addresses this issue from an historical perspective.
    2
  6402.  Patel Yusuf  , thanks for that reply. Ibn Khaldun was encountered in an essay by Hugh Trevor-Roper. When Ataturk abolished the Caliphate, where did the last caliph go ? He headed to Switzerland but couldn't get in as a bigamist......the Swiss relented, but I'm not sure if they allowed him to bring all his wives. Kemal Ataturk said he "feared the people" because Islam had so brainwashed them. and at one stage, in desperation said, "I wish we could convert them all to Christianity". Why did he say that, he was an atheist ? Because Christianity is a veneer and easily shrugged off : Islam penetrates every aspect of life and thoroughly retards the individual making them incapable of rational thought.
    2
  6403.  Ali Al-Yunani  , A biography by Lord Kinross. Are you suggesting it may be a fake quote ? It is entirely in-keeping with Ataturk's philosophy. He was 100% committed to transforming the Ottomans into a part of Western Civilisation. He despised the Fez. His mother thought the Sultan was "Our Lord on Earth" and Kemal despaired at her ignorance. "The only thing I fear is the Turkish people" he said. He meant the ignorance, and their propensity to back-slide into backwards Ottoman Sultanate ways.
    2
  6404.  @shd1394  , Compare Latin America and North America, you will notice a huge difference. That is because North America was built from the bottom - representative assemblies, electing a church council, a town council and a government. Latin America was built from the top : the Catholic Church controlled education, censorship, the postal service, hospitals etc ; and the aristocracy controlled governance, the military etc. One of them was a success and the other a failure. Now take a look at the Caliphate and tell me which one you think it resembles. Was it built from the bottom (with representative assemblies) or from the top (with a despotic sultan and authoritarian Islam). Was it open to innovation, or did it champion medieval tradition ?
    2
  6405.  @shd1394  , Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented over the period of Man's evolution. I don't comment on the content of these : I'm simply saying how they perform historically. When Maria Theresa (d.1790) refused to have a science academy because it would spread heresy, it left the Austrians backwards, in comparison to Northern Europe, and Austrian Ministers pointed this out. When Austria expelled the Jesuits the education minister, who had been educated by Jesuits, said "Before they do any more damage to future generations". I'll leave you to draw the comparison with Islam. (Was it wise for the Ulema to ban printing in 1515 ? etc)
    2
  6406.  @shd1394  , forgive me for labouring a point :- The Ottomans attempted constitutional government twice : A) 1876 the Europeans forced it on them with the Treaty of Berlin. Abdul Hamid II simply accepted the constitution and parliament then dismissed both to rule as a despot for 33 years. Atuturk's mother said "The Sultan is our Lord on Earth" do you think Islam had anything to do with that ? B) The Young Turks deposed Abdul and the CUP held an election which they rigged and then banned opposition parties. They demanded respect and obedience not opposition and debate. Can you think of a religion which demands respect and obedience, with no debate, would that be Islam ? Catholicism is the same - it never promoted democracy : look at Latin America (which bears a close resemblance to the Middle East).
    2
  6407.  @shd1394  , Consider "Paradise Lost" Milton (1667) : the hero is Satan who rebels against the tyranny of God. There is nothing like that in the Islamic world. Anyone daring to write that would be decapitated. Milton is a product of the Enlightenment. Consider Henry VIII placing an English bible in every church (1535). The congregation would sit around debating the scriptures. A century later the Diggers and Levellers would use bible verses to justify their communist beliefs. There is nothing like that in the Muslim world.
    2
  6408.  @HaithamAmar-u9o  "Islam is the religion with no priesthood, papacy, or central control" What nonsense. What do you think the Ulema is ? The Ulema banned printing in (1515) and condemned the Caliphate to 90% illiteracy. So when the Caliphate collapsed (last Sultan fled by night in a British ambulance in 1922 , the last Caliph fled to Switzerland in 1924), the people were totally ignorant. Palestinians ,for example, had never heard about 'parliament', didn't know what a President was, or an election, or a nation. Whose fault is that ? The Jews held their first election in 1920 (to shadow the British administration). The British installed a Mufti in Jerusalem to give leadership to the Palestinians. How is that "strong individualism " ? When the people are looking to the Mufti for guidance.
    2
  6409. Don't be fooled. This is what Madrid actually said :- “It’s not a question of applying it in its entirety or of taking over every government function or department. Clearly the Catalan government would lose many of its powers, though not all. It’s a case of using a scalpel, not an axe.” Rajoy cannot do anything because he knows the Catalans will ignore him. He tried to take over the Mossos on Oct 1st and they said, "No". They are hardly likely to say Yes now. He can't order fresh elections because nobody would organise them. There are 750 mayors facing sedition charges. They are hardly likely to take orders from him. Finally he can't use the Civil Guard because it would be catastrophic.....you don't need me to paint the possible scenarios do you ?......okay, they Civil Guard clash with Mossos, tempers flare , blows are exchanged and somebody fires a warning shot. You now have shots being fired. It can get worse , that's why Rajoy can't use them. 155 will be used like a scalpel : that means directed at individuals , Puigdemont and his colleagues.
    2
  6410. let me give you another example :- a) What is the difference between Jacob Zuma and Nelson Mandela. ? Zuma : He received no formal schooling Mandela : studied at a Methodist school and a British University Fort Hare. Zuma is ignorant and Mandela is educated. That's the difference. The difference between North and Spanish-America is that the North is based on representation and distrust of authority ; Spanish-America is based on authoritarian religion (Papal supremacy) and authoritarian royal-absolutism, which becomes elite-absolutism then segues into military dictatorship.
    2
  6411. Well done France. Well done macron. The British parliament also gave a standing ovation. Britain wants to apologise for Fashoda (1898) After being dispossessed of the fortress on the upper Nile, there was no need for Captain Marchand and his French garrison to trek across the desert back to Paris. They could've sailed down the Nile. The Prime Minister (Lord Salisbury) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling". Anyway, that's all water under the bridge : let's stand together against Russia.
    2
  6412. Hezbollah : violence is their sine qua non, assassination is their métier, terrorism is their raison d'être, and fascism their forte.
    2
  6413. Thank goodness. Russia's savage war has made the civilized world feel like vomiting. Modi is hoping for an end to his painful fence-sitting. He has been up on his insouciant perch for 3 weeks
    2
  6414. 2 points :- a) what an ugly building it would have been. It looks like an airport terminal. In an historical environment , on a hill top, a disgrace to the region. b) The Palestinians wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near : if they had approached it the security would have beaten them.
    2
  6415. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6416. How daft - the big players didn't sign This is just theatre - it's what the EU do best
    2
  6417. He'll be the guy who ordered police snipers to kill unarmed protestors.
    2
  6418. Nice to see a good news story for a change
    2
  6419. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    2
  6420. How the mighty fall.
    2
  6421. Why have Germany and France switched sides ? When Russia invaded they both decided on appeasement - Germany sabotaged weapons deliver from Britain and Estonia, Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". They both considered Crimea to be de facto Russian territory. Why have they now sided with Ukraine ? Because by offering a carrot to Moscow France & Germany were prolonging the war.
    2
  6422. I'm not sure Russia cares. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she records Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    2
  6423. Peace ? You mean developing nuclear weapons to "Wipe Israel off the map " ? You mean developing long range missiles ? You mean funding Hezbollah the fascist thugs ? Remember the Tehran student protest ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? Welcome to Hezbollah. Earth Man, you are an uninformed ignoramus with a head full of naive Peace. You don't know the half of it.
    2
  6424. German anti-aircraft Gepard tanks : they also sent 10,000 rounds of ammo. That ammo is not cheap. Each bullet has a range of 6km and probably travels at Mach 2, they are expensive rounds.
    2
  6425. The Poker table :- a) Erdogan has hardly any chips but manages to survive round after round. b) Putin has hidden his chips, but the MOD said, "They have a dwindling stockpile" c) Zelensky is being bank-rolled by the USA and has essentially limitless chips. d) the EU have had to leave the table - the pressure was to hazardous to their health
    2
  6426. Ban Al Jazeera ! This is Hezbollah propaganda Never once does Al Jazeera mention Hamas or Hezbollah (they are dirty words) Al Jazeera simply presents Israel as fighting civilians PROPAGANDA !
    2
  6427. Nobody mentions the January debacle when Iranian officials stormed out slamming the door. The EU officials were complaining about an Iranian assassination program in Europe. Oh dear, you can never reason with Islamofascism.
    2
  6428.  @nikolasmacedonites917  "would risk losing precious European and global friends " So as not to loose European 'friends' they bang on the table jump up, storm out and slam the door. Let me explain how Iran works :- the 'moderate Rhouhani has limited power : he has no control over intelligence or the Revolutionary Guard, he doesn't call the shots on assassinations. Of course the Iranians plan assassinations in Europe, you would have to be an ingénue to think otherwise.
    2
  6429.  @meandmetoo8436  , well said. I wish more people would take that on board. Unfortunately it is politically correct to treat all nations equally (even if they oppress their own citizens with theocratic fascism)
    2
  6430.  @meandmetoo8436  , well said. I wish more people would take that on board. Unfortunately it is politically correct to treat all nations equally (even if they oppress their own citizens with theocratic fascism)
    2
  6431. You obviously do not live in Iran. You are nice and cosy living in the West, don't speak for Iran.
    2
  6432. The EU are heavyweight champions in negotiations. I don't know why the UK were convinced they'd have their cake and eat it.
    2
  6433.  @declannewton2556  , let me give you another "non racist" example of the difference between Catholic south and protestant North society :- After the 12yr truce (1609-1621) the Spanish occupied Flanders and wealthy Catholics fled to the Dutch Republic . (It had nothing to do with faith and everything to do with commerce.) Of the 300 largest accounts in the Dutch national bank half were Catholics from Flanders , and the Dutch West Indies company was largely founded by Catholics from Flanders. So why did they flee Catholic Spain ? Because Spanish Society was absolutist and inimical to trade. There you have a perfect example of the difference between North & South America. Spanish society - absolute rule in government and Church. North America , assembly government, assembly Churches and open for trade. Consider land distribution :- in Spanish-America "nobles families" get almost all the land. In North America pioneers work the land, sell it for a profit then move West. They are totally different societies.
    2
  6434. I could watch Trump all day long That guy cracks me up
    2
  6435.  Ctg  But the US attracts folk from across the world, everyone wants to live in a free democracy : Chinese billionaires, Russian millionaires, South American immigrants, folk from the Middle East. Whereas nobody trusts Axis of Evil countries, people fell from them if they can afford it. The people of Ukraine & Belarus would like to join the EU. Nobody wants to join Russia. Russia is hated and feared by all its neighbours.
    2
  6436.  @RFUPDATE1  Putin has cancer and Parkinson's ; he is a dying man. Putin hopes to leave a legacy for Russians to be proud of : but he will be remembered as a second Stalin.
    2
  6437. Ha ha ha , how the mighty fall. remember that dictator having a comedian arrested for making jokes about him. I suppose we're all free to make jokes about him now.
    2
  6438. Well well well, it turns out they're not closing the strait of Hormuz after all. (Not that they even had a mechanism by which they could have done) FM wants it kept open for ALL countries including Iran. Nice. Where's the bellicose Revolutionary Guard general who wants war ? He's conspicuous by his absence. I'm sorry for the corrupt dictatorship of the fascist Ayatollahs but there's no light at the end of this tunnel : just economic pain and protest until you £uck off back to the radical mosque that bred you.
    2
  6439. Turkey is playing to the gallery in public (anti US & Israel) But behind closed doors it's different
    2
  6440. Notice Al Jazeera NEVER explain the deal It's simple :- a) Hamas refuse to let the PA administer Rafah b) Hamas want NO checks on fighters returning to the north c) Hamas wants the Philadelphia corridor free from Israeli inspection so they can load up with rockets and bombs
    2
  6441. Nicholas -fat-c@nt-Madurohasn't lost any girth I notice.
    2
  6442. What a disgrace
    2
  6443. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  6444. They are both speaking platitudes : vacuous, vapid nonsense.
    2
  6445. LOL Mike has been doing this job for 12 months and still doesn't know to keep quiet when the presenter greets him Wait until it is your turn to speak, then begin with a returned greeting For God's sake !
    2
  6446. All evidence points to it being caused by a malfunctioning rocket fired FROM Gaza by Islamic Jihad Hospital blast :- Justin Bronk senior research fellow RUSI “If this is the extent of the damage then I’d say an airstrike looks less likely than a rocket failure causing an explosion and fuel fire,” Al Jazeera video shows a rocket rising from Gaza, exploding in midair & falling
    2
  6447. Pakistan was founded in 1947 as a secular state. Politicians did deals with fanatics to get votes and the country became an Islamic state. In the first few decades every president left office through assassination and corruption was the system of government. It has never recovered or established itself as a civilized country. The reasons for this are embedded in the culture and history of the people.
    2
  6448. GDP is also a factor. China build's cities to boost GDP, and the same applies in Israel. Each new settlement contributes to economic growth.
    2
  6449. Learn from us, you are a FAKE TROLL......bog off you b@stard.
    2
  6450.    , they could rescind it. She would then be the first recipient ever to have an award rescinded.
    2
  6451. Alexis, no there never was a non-corrupt President.
    2
  6452. I think you summed it up.
    2
  6453. Xtb, it's not a deflection : it's a comparison. A comparison of justice. On the one hand you have transparent civilized justice (albeit that you disagree with) On the other hand you have barbaric , uncivilized medieval Muslim brutality. I'm not against a Palestinian state , provided it's democratic (which Fatah and Hamas are not) : Fatah have been in corrupt control for 50yrs. In the West that is called a one-party system. A pseudo-democracy, like Russia. Go to a Fatah meeting and ask about corruption : they'll drag you outside and beat you senseless.
    2
  6454. Hamas are very culpable- that's true
    2
  6455. Rejoice at this news ! Russians are in full retreat and blowing up bridges to stop the Ukraine Offensive on Kherson. "The Russians have punched through in 3 places", Prof Michael Clarke.
    2
  6456.  @АняШалманова  I think you are being deliberately censorious. The "montage begins with roses before a damaged cottage. Then a cat feeding. Spring foliage contrasted against war damage, Finally, rusted steel that looks like a modern art creation. It has clearly been edited for visual impact : which is why I said, "Nice montage", in other words - Well done, nicely filmed and edited presentation.
    2
  6457.  anti zion  , good point. a) answer this honestly : are there any independent institutions in Iran ? Is there an independent statistics bureau or some oversight for elections, in other words are they trustworthy and reliable ? b) all those candidates are pre-selected by the Ayatollah. c) even I'd vote for an Ayatollah rather than a suspiciously wealthy corrupt politician. d) if the Ayatollah has a majority why not have a fair election : simple. Just make Iran democratic and the Ayatollah wins hands down. Of course the Ayatollah knows he can only survive in a Faux Democracy. Did you see Netanyahu arrested 6 times for corruption ? That's what true democracy looks like.
    2
  6458. This has evolved into a genuine Threepenny Opera.
    2
  6459. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    2
  6460. 1917 : "Russia was incredibly ignorant and backwards". Stalin took that ignorance and gave it electric shock therapy. Kojeve : " He turned it into a jelly which he could mould" When the USSR collapsed (1991) that jelly needed leadership : That's when the KGB picked up the reins.
    2
  6461.  @rnc8062  , that's very insightful of you. It echoes my own thoughts. Not only is China hated by all its neighbours but the occupied provinces within China would declare independence in a flash.
    2
  6462. General Ne Win was the first dictator :- "Ne Win would stand in front of a mirror and shoot his image with the revolver he kept at his side. When warned of a bloodbath, he was advised stand in front of the mirror and trample on dog entrails or in a bowl of pig’s blood to simulate the carnage. The use of dog entrails was no coincidence either, whenever he travelled the country (whether in a fleet of helicopter or vast armoured motorcade of jeeps and limos) he would have all the stray dogs in the location slaughtered by his men prior to his arrival. His soothsayer had told him to steer clear of dogs, especially ones with crooked tails." A complete crackpot.
    2
  6463. If the USA pull the plug on Israel 3 things happen :- a) Biden loses in November b) conditions in Gaza become catastrophic, the iDF go in all guns blazing and finish Hamas c) the IDF now turn on Lebanon. Israel cannot live with the Hezbollah threat If Iran fires missiles Israel will nuke Iran France warned Israel that Iran is 3 weeks away from a nuclear weapon
    2
  6464.  @ThePieMaster219  , I think you are 100% correct. The shortages of medicine are the result of risible mismanagement by the fanatically Islamist Ayatollah's regime, which prioritises funding Hezbollah terror.
    2
  6465. The EU are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.
    2
  6466. Chris, you moron. You should always back Democracy against Oppression. The countries you are standing with (Russia,Turkey,Iran,Syria) all imprison journalists and lock up opposition politicians. Wake up you dope.
    2
  6467.  @AbdilatifAweys  Without Israel Us policy in the middle east is finished The US will ALWAYS support Israel The US needs Israel Hamas must go into exile and end the war
    2
  6468.  @the-noble-path  Without Israel Us policy in the middle east is finished The US will ALWAYS support Israel The US needs Israel Hamas must go into exile and end the war
    2
  6469.  @bubullibooooo9928  Without Israel Us policy in the middle east is finished The US will ALWAYS support Israel The US needs Israel Hamas must go into exile and end the war
    2
  6470.  @artin3141  , are you defending fascist theocracy ?
    2
  6471.  @artin3141  ."Iran is not a fascist country" Did you see police snipers shooting protesters from rooftops ? The Ayatollah shut down the internet and police snipers killed maybe 150 protesters. Obviously that didn't coincide with your holiday in Iran.
    2
  6472. India ? On the UNSC ? That would only strengthen the Axis of Evil
    2
  6473.  @suzannemarchetti1628  Think about it : Russia has the GDP of Italy, how can it compete with the Yanks ? Obviously the Yanks will come out on top. I doubt whether half the Russian junk works.
    2
  6474.  @Zed.Leppelin  "If you had you'd attack already." Why would anyone want to attack ? It reminds me of something a Pakistan Air Marshall (retired) said, "India wouldn't take Pakistan if we gave it to them" In the same manner - "Europe wouldn't take Russia, if you offered it to us".
    2
  6475.  @ФеликсДзержинский-ф2ш  Britain did make money from India - through trade. Primarily spices, tea, silk, printed fabrics etc But then after the Ind Rev, cotton was exported from India, and finished goods were sold to India. In Africa Britain made little to nothing. In the 1890s Britain and France spent £100,000 each patrolling the East coast to stop Arab slave traders. The Boer war was over a) the route to India (in the event of Suez being unavailable due to war etc) b) gold and diamonds. Other than India, Britain's main income was Jamaican sugar. British workers raised money to support Garibaldi (Italy) fight against tyranny (Austria, SpainishNaples and the Pope) When Garibaldi visited in England in 1864, 500,000 turned out to greet him. More than attended any royal or national event ever.
    2
  6476.  @aryamandalal1039  There is truth in what you say. Obviously, Britain wanted to maintain influence in India. But remember that Parliament contained many MPs who supported Home Rule for Ireland and Indian independence. Also, MPs supported the USA during the independence war (1775-83) One can never overstate the magnificent contribution to civilization of the Parliamentary system (it is entirely missing in Russia, where dissenters fear for their lives). India's parliament, too, is becoming very Hindu-nationalistc, a great shame, and a source of much injustice.
    2
  6477. Prime minster Abiy Ahmed : Nobel Prize winner :- In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding the sexual violence in the Tigray War. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[130] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war”. The Nobel Committee can sure pick 'em.
    2
  6478. Afghans are not like the Ukrainians, they are more like French and Italians.
    2
  6479. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6480. All around the world, folk going about their normal business, are suddenly exclaiming, "B@stards". That is because they have remembered the Russian invasion. Those words will become synonymous : so whenever anyone uses the word 'Russian' in a conversation, someone might mutter, "B@stards".
    2
  6481. Hamas carnage is made in Iran (We are left to deduce the punchline ourselves)
    2
  6482. Axis of Evil : China, Russia, North Korea , Iran etc etc A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  6483.  @listocalisto8124  "They have the time on their side " That's my point : they don't have time on their side. Inflation is 50% their GDP is falling 6% per year, they are in terminal decline. If your only hope is that Saudi suffer "because oil is becoming less important" I give in. You win.
    2
  6484. Negotiations or........the collapse of the Russian Federation My money is on economic collapse of Russia
    2
  6485. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    2
  6486. I'm going to cover 500yrs of history for you (very briefly) Under the Ottoman Caliphate non-Muslims Rayas "flocks" were there to be exploited. Many wars were fought on the basis of protecting Orthodox Christians. When the Ottoman Caliphate collapsed (the sultan fled in 1922, the caliph in 1924) the Palestinians looked to Syria. They wanted to be southern Syria with the capital at Damascus. The French invaded Syria, defeated king Faisal and scuppered that notion. Next, they set their hopes on Pan-Arabism with the capital at Cairo. In the 1960s the PLO/Fatah (Arafat) introduced the notion of nationalism. And in 1988 the State of Palestine was recognised by the Arabs.
    2
  6487. Bernardo O'Higgins ruled Chile as supreme director from 1817 to 1823. O'Higgins angered the Roman Catholic Church with his liberal beliefs. That is just the start of Chile's struggles. A history of Authoritarianism (benign or malevolent) from state & Church.
    2
  6488. Allie, that will never happen : imagine a sensible, mature , adult President saying "Trump did it so I'm doing it". It would be suicide. Professional politicians cannot look back to Trump and emulate his deeds. They would be tagged Trump-esque and plummet. Trump is a one-off. The things he says and does are unique to him.
    2
  6489.  @UrMom-jb7vl  , you are quite right : there have been about 27 since the law was passed in 1977. So why is Nancy saying it sets a dangerous precedent ? And besides what I say about no future President claiming to be "doing a Trump" holds ; they will never claim to be following his example. It would be suicide.
    2
  6490. China has a terrible geography problems :- a) It needs to import food b) It must import fuel c) it is easily blockaded, and is dependent on export trade. d) Chinese overseas assets would be frozen, the repercussion would collapse China's economy. e) China is hated by all its neighbours, just like Russia. Neither country has a friend in the world. f) China and Russia are Asiatic Autocracies, they are fundamentally in opposition to Western Democracy. The clash is inevitable, and China will follow Russia to humiliating defeat.
    2
  6491. Hamas strategy - it is simply a continuation of 75 years of utter failure
    2
  6492. Russia can't build a civilisation : it can only destroy and conquer. Russian conquest is like Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol".
    2
  6493.  @endribardhyli1340  I think you are misunderstanding the Court's offer. The court has given Palestinian residents seven days to present a list of names for protected tenancy, effectively giving them a week to consider whether to accept the compromise. It remains unclear which generations of families would be considered protected tenets. You are referring to the OLD Israeli position ; I'm talking about the NEW offer that the Court has made. " It is unclear" say the lawyers representing the families. So my question is valid - even the lawyers aren't clear.
    2
  6494. Actually in the last NATO exercise the enemy target was named "Erdogan" which doesn't augur well for Turkey.
    2
  6495. LOL Palestinians have finally found an ally - dumb teenagers LOL the PLO and teenage morons, what a combination This can only mean one thing - 75yrs of failure will soon be success LOL
    2
  6496. "The United States of Amnesia" Gore Vidal.
    2
  6497. There is still a long time to go. Trump won't need much provoking.
    2
  6498. Macron "France will not respond to a nuclear attack on Ukraine" Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    2
  6499. This is an insight into the dystopia that is Russia :- Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    2
  6500. LOL
    2
  6501. "Painful to read" Hugh Trevor-Roper said that about Scottish Calvinist sermons. The Calvinist theocracy in Scotland had such an inflated opinion of itself they recorded all their sermons. They were childish drivel, obsessed with "nosing out witchcraft", "sniffing out a witch". Calvinism and Nazism, witchcraft and Jews.
    2
  6502. Weaponisation of aid :- a) Hamas can smuggle weapons disguised as aid b) Hamas steals aid and stockpiles it c) Hamas wants civilian casualties to cause an international outcry Hamas is weaponising aid - yes I agree
    2
  6503. Look at the EU - getting ready to act ! There's life in the Old Windbags yet.
    2
  6504. In February Scholz froze. Should he side with big business and Russia or support Ukraine ? Scholz still hasn't decided. That's why the Yanks bombed Nordstream (Germany is an extremely unreliable partner and a strategic weakness)
    2
  6505. Uncertain future ? The girls will be married to Taliban fighters. (As soon as they are of age......12yrs)
    2
  6506. 1812 Tsar Alexander I refused to speak to Napoleon until every French soldier was out of Russia Zelensky has said the same : Russia must remove its troops before talks
    2
  6507. US and World Bank have suspended aid. What about the EU windbags ? They are still considering doing the same. They will set up a talking shop committee. Never expect anything from EU windbags.
    2
  6508. Axis of Evil + China = Corruption + Hungary
    2
  6509. This is nonsense. The yanks always overreact.
    2
  6510. Hamas should NOT hide behind children
    2
  6511. LOL, even the Kremlin couldn't stoop to that (Not with the world watching)
    2
  6512. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". She was a very wise, prescient lady.
    2
  6513. France sides with despotic Turkey against democratic Israel. What did you expect ?
    2
  6514. Thailand is a disgrace. It is an example of why Western Civilization succeeded, and why the rest of the world was colonized. It was British influence in India and Hong Kong that produced anything resembling democratic good governance, the rest of S.E Asia is lamentable.
    2
  6515. Notice Al Jazeera NEVER explain the deal It's simple :- a) Hamas refuse to let the PA administer Rafah b) Hamas want NO checks on fighters returning to the north c) Hamas wants the Philadelphia corridor free from Israeli inspection so they can load up with rockets and bombs
    2
  6516. 21 and 23 Oct Shoigu phoned Lloyd Austin Those were the first feeler for peace The US and Russia are talking in Ankara Russia knows it has lost I think the deal includes a neutral Crimea - demilitarised
    2
  6517. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "Nuclear neutrality" Nobody believes in France
    2
  6518. The Israeli Army has claimed that Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Washah is also a senior Hamas commander, according to pictures and documents retrieved from a laptop that belonged to him Al Jazeera are as thick-as-thieves with Hamas
    2
  6519. Right at the end (1hr) Macron throws Zelensky under the bus - saying he asked for negotiations, then throws Schulz under the bus talking about WW1. Then Macron denies saying, "Don't humiliate Russia". Am I the only one sweating cobs of embarrassment ?
    2
  6520. Macron wants the UK and Ukraine to join a new "European political & defence Union" (Meanwhile, a trade war is in the offing)
    2
  6521. LOL very well written and presented. The British have a good sense of humour and know when someone is making a joke with us.
    2
  6522. LOL This clip doesn't show the smirking saps behind him. Trump has never heard of the Al Aqsa mosque and obviously can't pronounce it, ha ha ha. His administration are like freshers, who know less than Trump (if that's possible). This won't save him. Biden's message is "The USA is in tatters", that's what folk will vote on.
    2
  6523. Hamas hides in hospitals
    2
  6524. $3 an hour : was that pay scale commensurate with the Indian caste system ?
    2
  6525. But whilst they are being built, Australia has the full support of the USA and Britain.
    2
  6526. Shame on Ireland Ireland sent condolences to the Nazis when Hitler died Ireland is mostly on the wrong side of history
    2
  6527. Palestinians haven't had one of these for 15yrs. They're getting one for Christmas this year, which will be a stitch up. Hamas and Fatah will play musical chairs - and switch personnel around, then when we all stop laughing, Hamas will rule Gaza and Fatah the West Bank. (As they do now)
    2
  6528. Excellent report by Caspian. I've been looking forward to it. Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) :- I'm not sure a lifetime spent chasing whores in Europe is the correct preparation for a Head of State to govern a country. MBS knows nothing about military matters (neither do his generals) The Saudi only knows how to cream a percentage from a US arms deal.
    2
  6529. Narahs, Thankyou very much. I didn't bother watching it all. 3.15 he says Trump will be indicted before Christmas : this guy is a schmuck. You know why he has all those writing jobs.....because most Yanks are schmucks and like reading puerile rubbish.
    2
  6530. KC, my hat's off to you. You are very game , you just keep getting up off the deck to take more punishment. I was laughing all through both your posts. You're a one off. You really are the sort of schmuck that believes Hillary tried her hand at investing in cattle futures with no experience or knowledge and bagged herself $100,000 at the first attempt. You're the sort of half-wit that believes she gets $600,000 for a speech because of her erudition & wisdom. I'm glad to see you didn't defend Bill and start attacking his accusers. There's still hope for you. My guess is that you are a bright college kid.......and you've held your corner I'll say that for you.
    2
  6531. 3:30 I wonder whether he was amongst the victims ? Fingers crossed insha' Allah.
    2
  6532. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    2
  6533. Fox News are the masters of propaganda. It is so easy for them : you just say whatever it is you want to believe and guess what , they have a whole bunch of undiscerning viewers who just scoff it down.
    2
  6534. 1:25 That's clever, how they roll injured soldiers onto their side.
    2
  6535. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    2
  6536. Good analysis. Quite honest, when he said the EU also used N. Ireland as a tool. But not as much as Britain. Quite true, the EU were playing the game but the British more so.
    2
  6537. Nothing will happen. Mark my words. Putin wants a peace deal. Erdogan said he will arrange a summit in the near future. Moscow is not going to commit an atrocity against civilians. Let's see if I'm correct......
    2
  6538. Afrin, Manbij, Syria :- Trump will be well aware that weakness against Turkey will be a comfort to N Korea. I don't think the US can back down against Turkey.
    2
  6539. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6540. Fascist Ayatollahs never make a good representative government. Authoritarian Ayatollahs don't represent the people of Iran. The US supports the Iranian people. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard take 8% of GDP for corrupt enterprises within the state (they run commercial businesses etc) It is all very corrupt. The EU should back the Iranian people and sideline the Ayatollahs.
    2
  6541. Remember about a year ago, Erdoğan urged patriotic Turks to transfer their dollar savings into Lira ? I wonder whether his multi-millionaire son did the patriotic stupid thing ? Of course not. Erdoğan was addressing the schmucks (his followers).
    2
  6542. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, then quietly become a $hithole country.
    2
  6543. I like Corbyn but why does he support Hamas and Hezbollah and all the Islamofascist groups ? Why does he speak for the Kremlin and the Ayatollah ? I wish he'd consistently support Western Democracy.
    2
  6544. Thank God for Slovenia, Poland, Latvia Lithuania and Estonia. Scholz and Macron are an utter disgrace.
    2
  6545. I wish Trump would say CIA instead of CAA . I'm sick of him mincing his words.
    2
  6546. Lucky France are world leaders in nuclear power-stations. Well done France. Macron also just signed a $40 billion deal to supply Saudi with nuclear power.
    2
  6547. Fascist Spain. When they segued to pseudo democracy after Franco died nobody was ever prosecuted for anything. Spain today has the fascist roots running deep through the establishment.
    2
  6548. What is the connection between this story and Netanyahu's wife being prosecuted ? Answer. It shows Israel to be a civilized democracy that hold authority to account. Now look at Iran : a fanatical theocratic dictatorship. And you're happy for them to have nuclear weapons. Shame on you.
    2
  6549. The Morocco guy is the only one with interesting observations. The other two are just platitudinarians.
    2
  6550. except that China is spreading despotic totalitarianism through the jackboot, and the EU is encouraging democracy and the rule of law. How is that hypocrisy ?
    2
  6551. That's why Russians mistreat POWs, it is the only way for them to feel superior. The Orcs are sad losers..... Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008
    2
  6552. I wonder what the Argentinian Pope thinks ? Remember him, Pope Francis, the one that supported the invasion of the Falklands, the one that supported the Columbian child abusing Bishop, yes him ; I wonder what he thinks.
    2
  6553. The Pope supports child abusers (if they are members of the clergy) but condemns individual rights. Historically the Church has always maintained maximum power at the expense of individual liberty. That's why Adam Smith (1776) said "The Church is the most formidable combination ever formed against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind".
    2
  6554.  @TOFKAS01  Good point. In the Russo-Turk war 1768-74 Catherine the Great's conceived a Greek kingdom for Constantine, and a Bessarabian kingdom for Potemkin. Her son Constantine was taught Greek, so he could rule a 'Byzantine' empire from Constantinople. Russia has always had ambitions to reach the Mediterranean. In 1853 they seized 'Moldova' the mouth of the Danube. The Turks (sick man of Europe) were about to collapse. Napoleon had said, "The Ottoman empire will collapse in our lifetime." Britain and France had to act. The Turks sent a nominal force, and so did Piedmont- Sardinia : they wanted support for Italian unification (1871).
    2
  6555. And Snake island is back with Ukraine. (The Donbas will follow, and then Crimea)
    2
  6556. The last election results were : 47 % independence 39% pro-spain 14% uncommitted. (After the Police violence expect independence to poll 55-60%) Rajoy thinks that flying military helicopters over Barcelona will intimidate them into voting for him. It is just the opposite. Remember Hillary Clinton ? Her team discovered that the less she appeared the more popular her adverts were. The same applies to Rajoy : he's revolting. Puigdemont is hardly charismatic with his pudding-basin hairstyle but ,come the election, that will be transformed into a Beatles mop-top and he will be mobbed like Ringo Starr. The EU think Rajoy is a total dunce and blame him for the chaos. Junker said ,“For some time now I asked the Spanish prime minister to take initiatives so that Catalonia wouldn’t run amok,” he said. “A lot of things were not done.” Rajoy's moronic brain and ugly mush will set the seal on Catalan independence.
    2
  6557. Oct 7th video shows abducted hostages being held captive in hospitals Hamas uses hospitals as a safe-zone UNRWA offices had Hamas command centres below ground The evidence is overwhelming , nobody denies it !
    2
  6558.  @nazmusshama4148  Nazmus, you are whistling in the wind Everyone accepts the evidence Just because you have your eyes closed won't change that
    2
  6559. Good
    2
  6560. Very good analysis for kindergarten kids. Let me tell you what Russia wants ; tol use N Korea to force the US to remove their military bases in S Korea. China want the same ; they are both using N Korea to weaken the Yanks.
    2
  6561. POSTWAR Ukraine is riding high on the world stage : Victories in the same league as the "Six Day War" Everyone is watching with unabated admiration. When the war is over Ukraine will be the power that humbled Russia Status that will last for centuries
    2
  6562. BBC Fake News :- Hillary told James Naughty she wrote the definition for Impeachment while working as an intern with the legal team. She is a f***ing liar , but the BBC report it as fact. JIm Naghty should stick to reviewing books : he can't distinguish truth from lies !
    2
  6563. She was dismissed from the legal team after losing documents she'd taken home !
    2
  6564. Ryan, Youtube is full of hog-wash but you have just won Gold ! That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. The Bank of N Korea ? The Bank of Syria ? Russia's banks are run by gangsters . The countries you've listed nobody would want their banks. I heard a Pakistani ex-general saying they should slash defence spending ; he was asked about India invading and said, "India wouldn't want Pakistan if we gave it to them." There are 98 million people living in 3rd world conditions , who wants Pakistan. And who wants those $hithole banks you listed.
    2
  6565. Corbyn supports Hamas what more evidence do you need. Hamas are anti-democratic, totalitarian fascists. Israel is a democracy with an independent judiciary, there's nothing like that in any Muslim country. Yaser Araft ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3billion from the people and yet Corbyn considers him a hero.
    2
  6566. What is it ? It is a shallow draft ship (5m) That can carry 200 pallets of food 26 pallets = 1 truck So about 8 trucks The ship can do a round tip in 24hrs So at best it is 8 trucks a day (Hardly worth it)
    2
  6567.  @seanmurrie7582  , If the US want to use this tanker attack as a Casus belli, then why down-play it by reporting "sabotage" with no footage. Whilst the Iranians are saying there are 4 tankers ablaze ? Why would Iran exagerate the attack ? If the US are using it to start a war ? But think, what if Iran has attacked the tankers and are trying to talk it up and the US are trying to talk it down. It makes more sense that Iran actually have sabotaged the tankers and are saying it's a huge success.
    2
  6568.  @Waverlyduli  I agree, it hasn't really panned out that way. Germany closed its airspace to British weapons flights, and blocked Latvia from sending Howitzers. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Ukraine", and tried to frighten NATO into capitulation. Jens Stoltenberg has been marvellous, and Ursula von der Leyden showed grit. The good news is that we know who the wobbly ones are.
    2
  6569. Casualties : as a general guide, the ratio is 3:1 (attack to defence) Ukraine acknowledge they have had 3000 killed. Which means 11,000 for Russia isn't unreasonable.
    2
  6570. "A clear provision for a ceasefire" Russia has been defeated : rejoice at that news ! Modi will be quietly weeping : his master has been humbled.
    2
  6571. Russian GDP = $1.4 trillion Italy GDP = $1.8 trillion Russia's military is a paper tiger.
    2
  6572. Kremlin gangsters. It is surprising how quickly their crooked empire can unravel. (God willing).
    2
  6573. Remember the Chinese Olympic opening - synchronised automatons ? That is China's forte : lots of people drilled into obedience. China's military are incapable of dash, flair or audacity. Western officers have panache and poise : they would scupper Beijing's plans. China's rigid obedience against daring and dash -- swagger and experience.
    2
  6574. HK z, the solution to corruption is amnesty for ONE PARTY. The way the US catches price fixing cartels. The party that informs walks away scott free (cf Virgin and American Airlines) ; the guilty party then gets a record fine and a huge prison sentence. Problem solved. I'm amazed nobody does this.
    2
  6575. Maybe the Japanese should meet the victims of their war-crimes ? Maybe they should teach school children how they really behaved in WW2 All the comfort women forced to service the troops ?
    2
  6576.  @LetsLearnEconomic  , If you research Japan's education curriculum you will find they never mention their war-crimes to children. Children grow up thinking Japan was the victim in WW2 Also if you research the history of the Shogunate you will discover the horrendous treatment of peasants. It was general McArthur that introduced democracy and insisted women be represented in parliament. McArthur also used all the army food stocks to feed the starving population. How does that compare to Japanese occupation of the countries it invaded ?
    2
  6577. Putin knows an old kid who restores cellos and flogs 'em. Apparently all the millions in the Panama Papers belonged to the old kid. Perhaps this mansion also belongs to the old kid. I wonder how many cellos that cost ?
    2
  6578. Biden said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats" Germany is a disgrace. I wish the west could simply dump that "ally". Ilya Ponomarev makes a great observation about how nicely Putin protects his own health - with the quarantine length table.
    2
  6579.  @aforzaobayed3817  , Israel is a country that scores 76/100 on the Freedom-house index. There isn't an Islamic country that scores more than 50. Pakistan for example scores 32. Iran scores 27. Those countries are supposed to be beacons for Islam.
    2
  6580. UN has approved a "Deal for hostages and ceasefire" Hamas refused Hamas said "NO" Pressure must be put on Hamas to agree
    2
  6581.  @ok_laptop7963  , when people are crying in the street I'd call it worship. The Russian people were weeping when Stalin died and he'd murdered 30 million of them. Look at Mexico : every president corrupt and the people weep when each President dies (it's why Mexico is a $hithole country). You are supposed to criticise and impeach presidents and if you get the odd one that's not too bad you're lucky.
    2
  6582. 2:30 "Pro-Russian lobby in Europe" The 4 point Peace Plan proposed by Italy :- Point 3 :- " Crimea and Donbas would have almost complete autonomy, including in questions of defence, but would be part of Ukraine." So even the 'pro-Russia lobby' envisage Ukraine keeping all its territory. Russia called the plan a fantasy.
    2
  6583. Ukraine's battle against the Russian invasion is heroic. More than that - it is a noble fight : defending democracy and civilization.
    2
  6584. 0:54 I've made a video on Spanish-America and that image sums it up. Catholic historian Emanualle le Roy Ladurie described C17th the "indigestible extremism of Spain ". That was transferred to the Americas. The parasitical leviathans of Church and State : bloated bureaucracies dominated society. The Church opposed independence and democracy and controlled education. The Inquisition played a powerful role during Spanish-Americas formative years. The Spanish system segued naturally to military dictatorship. That is why Spanish-America in no way resembles the north.
    2
  6585. The build up :- Macron's final question was on his "must not humiliate Russia" position. Macron jabbed his finger at Zelensky, saying Zelensky had asked Macron to speak with Putin. Macron then threw Schulz under the bus and referenced WW1. Macron had totally lost it. Both Zelensky and Schulz began scratching their heads, watch the footage. This embrace follows that debacle.
    2
  6586. Shame on India
    2
  6587. There will be no Ayatollah if he continues down this path.
    2
  6588. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    2
  6589. I said Bernie was a schmuck a long time ago.
    2
  6590. The Russians are raised on propaganda. The whole nation suffers from paranoid delusions that the West want to invade them. Crude Kremlin propaganda works every time : it's like hypnotizing chickens.
    2
  6591. Palestinians have been there 3000yrs and never shown any desire to be a nation. They were Roman, Byzantine, Umayyid , Abbasid, and Ottoman Nationalism is a fad that was invented in the 19th century. Before that you has empires, monarchies, caliphates and tribes etc Only after the Enlightenment did folk get it into their heads a democratic nation might be a good idea. That idea is anethema in the middle east where they respect a strong man like Yaser Arafat who ruled like a corrupt dictator. Arafat has been succeeded by Fatah who are one-party dictators. (Go to a Fatah meeting and mention corruption ; you'll be dragged out and beaten).
    2
  6592.  @ЛеК-я6ж  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    2
  6593. Ha ha ha, you've got to laugh. These crackpot countries are always demanding artifacts be returned (which had been taken by Western countries). This is the shambles they would be exposed to : it is much better for antiquities to stay in the West, until the crackpots countries become legitimate, democratic, accountable, transparent states.
    2
  6594. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    2
  6595. Lavrov is embarrassing Russia : Putin's threat simply shows Russia is losing. Lloyd Austin is talking about "Supplying Ukraine for tomorrow - to avoid a second Russian invasion". Everyone recognises Russia has lost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmthcGDaLxM
    2
  6596. Conditions ? May I suggest the phrase "Quarantine Conditions" : to stop the chaos in the UK spreading to the EU through the medium of a recalcitrant UK Prime Minister.
    2
  6597. He looks honest. He'd been a corrupt dictator for 31yrs. Believe it or not there will be Africans mourning him.
    2
  6598. The last election results were : 47 % independence 39% pro-spain 14% uncommitted. (After the Police violence expect independence to poll 55-60%) Rajoy thinks that flying military helicopters over Barcelona will intimidate them into voting for him. It is just the opposite. Remember Hillary Clinton ? Her team discovered that the less she appeared the more popular her adverts were. The same applies to Rajoy : he's revolting. Puigdemont is hardly charismatic with his pudding-basin hairstyle but ,come the election, that will be transformed into a Beatles mop-top and he will be mobbed like Ringo Starr. The EU think Rajoy is a total dunce and blame him for the chaos. Junker said ,“For some time now I asked the Spanish prime minister to take initiatives so that Catalonia wouldn’t run amok,” he said. “A lot of things were not done.” Rajoy's moronic brain and ugly mush will set the seal on Catalan independence.
    2
  6599. What a daft lady
    2
  6600. Turkey may be in for a shock when they encounter US weapons taking out their tanks. Also anti-aircraft missiles. Also, Turkey are the aggressors and that looks bad in world opinion. All Turkey's neighbours hate Turkey because of its history of brutality and oppression towards them. The EU hate Erdogan and Eastern Europe hate Turkey. I would back the US and Kurds.
    2
  6601. .....and so pro-Russia.
    2
  6602. 0:20 "Sweden are co-operating". That's not true. Sweden are investigating two rape cases. Unless Chomsky is calling the women liars. If he is he should stop the innuendo and come out and say it.
    2
  6603. He he he .....The legacy of the Caliphate : despotism.
    2
  6604. Gosh I didn't know about Biden : watch this ....... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ-YjGmpO4Q
    2
  6605.  @han1218  , you know what historians say about Arafat : He never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
    2
  6606. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. Modi simply looks on with indifference.
    2
  6607.  @billt8504  , none of the revolutionary Guard will be held accountable (for shooting the plane down) : because there is no law in Iran. Iran's judiciary is totally controlled by the fanatical Ayatollah.
    2
  6608. Having witness the Russian aggression and atrocities in Bucha, one wonders why Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia"
    2
  6609. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  6610. LOL Norm has lost his marbles
    2
  6611. Good luck But I've no confidence in India. INS Vikram is Indian procurement in a nutshell : it was 2nd rate in its conception and out-of-date at its launch.
    2
  6612. LOL this is rich coming from the Pope. Historically the Pope has always supported tyranny and opposed democracy. The Pope anathematised Magna-Carta (1215) , Championed 'trial by ordeal' after European rulers had abolished it (1122 Henry II) Continued the practice of torture after enlightened rulers outlawed it. Adam Smith said " The Church was the most formidable combination ever formed against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind". Amen.
    2
  6613. This war is Europe's reckoning with Russia, and has been coming for 200yrs. Ever since Alexander I formed the Holy Alliance to crush liberal freedom and representative democracy in Europe (1815). "In 1848 Liberals across Europe hated Russia" Lewis Namier.
    2
  6614. LOL Putin is the conductor. Not a mediator. Putin authorised the Stalinist thug in Belarus to do it. Putin orchestrated it !
    2
  6615. Russian rust-buckets can still be a danger, NATO must become stronger and remain vigilant.
    2
  6616.  @tikemyson8839  , that's a good point. I wouldn't debate that with you because I'd lose. But I would certainly debate the "Ayatollah is a dictator" and win. He simply ticks every box : anti-democratic , no opposition, no independent institutions, no free media, no freedom of speech, no toleration for minorities. Just an homogenous rabid religious fascism.
    2
  6617. Hamas support the Taliban, in fact Hamas are the Taliban of the Middle East.
    2
  6618. Good episode : one of your best. Very informative. 13:00 what a lovely building.
    2
  6619. Iran calls the shots in Lebanon (What a disgrace)
    2
  6620. Merkel.
    2
  6621. "Cultural erasure" : research the destruction of Mecca and Medina by Saudis They bulldozed all the medieval heritage to make a car park They believed old building shouldn't become icons for worship
    2
  6622. Streets, it is whom, you were right. If “he” or “she” fits, you should use who. If “him” or “her” fits, you should use whom. X is it that you can bully ? You can bully HIM (hence use whom)
    2
  6623. Argentina has a shocking history of human rights abuse There is NO chance Britain would ever negotiate handed over the Falklands
    2
  6624.  @frankkent4434  Assange betrayed activists in despotic countries. There was too much material for him to sift - so he released the lot. Ego has landed Assange in jail, and he will have many years to reflect on that.
    2
  6625. Darlene, take a look at the WHOLE of South America , they are all $hithole countries. What I'm asking is why ? I'm suggesting it dates back to the authoritarian/absolutist Spanish Empire which , in partnership with the bigoted/authoritarian Catholic Church established a docile populace which allowed monarchy to segue into military dictatorship. Chavez was a military dictator. Norway is a civilized liberal democracy.
    2
  6626. Why the 3rd man ? a) Maybe he was the officer b) It makes it less certain where the shot came from.
    2
  6627. "Nobody knew" And yet Trump is on record saying "He liked younger girls" (talking about Epstein)
    2
  6628.  @charlemangedan2919  That's exactly what I'm saying - "We will win a nuclear exchange, and Russia knows that". Of the Kremlin's 7322 nuclear missiles most are unusable : they are "reserve stock" that needs to be recommissioned. The only missiles that count are those that can be fired within 20 minutes. Russia has about 300, and most of those will be shot down. The USA has an awesome arsenal, it is incomparable : their submarines alone would wipe out the entirety of Russia, and they can be launched in minutes. Russia knows the Yanks are light years ahead. Don't be fooled by hypersonic, that's a red herring.
    2
  6629.  @charlemangedan2919  With a soubriquet like Charlemagne, one would have thought you'd show more mettle. Russia invaded because they (and others) thought it would be over in 3 days. The troops brought dress uniforms for a parade in Kyiv. Russia is afraid of NATO, as evinced by the reasons I gave. Europe is in this war for the similar reasons to why it went to Crimea 1853 (on that occasion Russia had seized the mouth of the Danube)
    2
  6630. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  6631. British newspapers : the strongest condemnation. Marvellous. The British have always defended the oppressed : In 1864 half a million turned out in London to welcome garibaldi. Well done Britain : the birthplace of parliamentary democracy, and a guardian of Civilization. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    2
  6632. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days.
    2
  6633. It's like Iran's Revolutionary Guard they don't want peace. They thrive on conflict. They are utterly corrupt and take 20% of Iran's GDP while the people suffer. The Revolutionary Guard are experts at suppressing dissent : especially female protestors who are raped in custody.
    2
  6634. Hostages were hidden in hospitals (video evidence) Hospital staff worked hand in glove with Hamas UNRWA also helped Hamas - tunnels beneath were Hamas command posts Al Jazeera reporter Muhammad Wishah was also a Hamas fighter
    2
  6635. This is dynamite : great video, great reportage, and great analysis. Well done India. At last, India is standing firm.
    2
  6636. Why is South & central America so unlike North America ? I've made a video on the subject looking at the historical roots of North & South America :- "Spanish-America failure : North America success why ?"
    2
  6637. LOL what an irony. Of course Fatah & Hamas say they can't hold elections because of Israel. Remember Catalonia - old ladies beaten by police trying to vote ? You know why ? Because polling gives legitimacy to a state and Catalonia wanted to be independent. Elections for Palestine would give them legitimacy, and nobody is stopping them - except their own internal corruption.
    2
  6638.  @omarawad5705  , if you think Palestine can become a state "Without World Opinion" then you are wrong. Palestine has had 70yrs of failure : the Abraham Accord has finished Palestine. You seem to have missed that. I'm saying Palestine will get world opinion on their side if they have an election, vote in a charismatic leader (maybe a young woman ?) and start prosecuting corruption. If not - then another 70yrs of failure.
    2
  6639.  @omarawad5705  , hold onto your hat - the Palestinians are having an election, the first in 15yrs ! What do you want to bet they vote Fatah back in for decades more corruption & failure ?
    2
  6640.  @kumarj4693  One hopes you are laughing at Hamas' strategic blunder;; I'd hate to think you were dismissing the near inevitability of Gazans losing turf.
    2
  6641. Golfinho, very interesting facts. " How long do you have to live in a place called Palestine to become a Palestinian? " I suppose the consensus would be a few hundred years.....unless the previous occupants laid claim to it. In which case it would be settled the way land claims have been settled for millennia.
    2
  6642. Why not use it as a laundry facility ? North Korea stinks. It has insufficient housing, insufficient sanitation, and insufficient food. Why not make use of the building ? At the very least allow folk to use the toilets.
    2
  6643. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6644. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    2
  6645. Punish - I think that is the right word. France wants access to 82% of British waters (effectively). Britain has offered 40%. Level-playing-field : Britain will be forced to follow rules decided by (amongst others) Mediterranean corrupt $hithole countries. Could you imagine having to swallow rules determined (partly) by the Maltese mafia. LOL
    2
  6646.  @jean-lucturquin6557  Kagame : human rights groups and a leaked United Nations report allege Rwandan support for two insurgencies in the DRC (Congo). Kagame : The United States government in 2006 described the human rights record of the Kagame government as "mediocre", citing the "disappearances" of political dissidents, as well as arbitrary arrests and acts of violence, torture, and murders committed by police
    2
  6647. Israel's relationship with Azerbaijan , Turkey, Iran ........and cash $$$
    2
  6648. 0:44 if he's not corrupt I'll eat my hat. 1:08 if he's not corrupt I'll eat my hat. Historically talent gravitates to power : for instance , in China every wealthy person wanted their sons to take the imperial examination, that's where wealth and power was. In Europe (Age of Expansion) trade was the place to be. Even bureaucrats in the government tried to do some trading on the side. African governments don't do anything on-the-side , they do corruption up front. It's why Africa is a mess. It starts from the top.
    2
  6649. Good video. great analysis Timeline : 12 Oct NATO defence ministers (discuss nuclear) 12 Oct Macron declares nuclear neutrality on TV 19 Oct Ben Wallace MoD in Washington (urgent) 21 Oct Shoigu phones Lloyd Austin 23 Oct Shoigu phones France, Turkey, Britain 23 Oct Shoigu phones Lloyd Austin 24 Oct Romanian minister resigns for suggesting Ukraine cede territory for peace Why now, he said it 2 weeks ago ? Is the US sending a message to Moscow ? Speculation : a) Shoigu revealed a shock to the US, he said, "It is all over for Russia, we need a deal this week. Hard-liners are planning a dirty bomb, we are contacting France, Britain and Turkey to tell them. (That is like a boxer appealing to the ref to stop the fight) The US don't want the fight stopped so.... b) The US told Ukraine to throw the reserves in and deliver a huge blow - regain 2km at Bakhmut c) the US phone Roumania, "Sack the minister who suggested Ukraine trade land for peace" He resigns Can you see how the pieces fit together : these are not coincidences.
    2
  6650. God bless Lord Owen On Russia's nuclear sabre rattling, Lord Owen said : "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability, they know what would happen to their families"
    2
  6651. There are 2 camps :- a) For resolute defence of democracy : Biden, Boris, Trudeau, Von Der Leyden and Charles Michel (which means victory for Ukraine) b) For capitulation : Macron Schulz and Draghi propose peace (which is victory for Russia)
    2
  6652. Amused , bravo !
    2
  6653. The West are 100% behind Israel. Hezbollah are fascist anti-democratic thugs. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That's Hezbollah.
    2
  6654.  @Thinking858  , this article describes the Texas Education Board policy of denying evolution https://www.statesman.com/NEWS/20170202/Texas-education-board-approves-curriculum-that-challenges-evolution What is it with Texas ? Not only are they retarded and pre-Enlightened but they want their children to be inculcated into moron-hood. John, might I politely suggest you are the one who lacks knowledge.
    2
  6655. Ah yes. Well spotted. Hillary had industrialised her dishonesty and had a team working for her whose main task was to protect her corrupt activities from public scrutiny.
    2
  6656. Are Russian conscripts forced to scrape the bodies out of the car ? Or do they bury the car or what ?
    2
  6657.  @bluestar4324  "Debt to Iran " ? It isn't a loan. It is money deposited in South Korean banks, and that money has been frozen. When a criminal is caught his assets are often frozen - that is what has happened here. The US has frozen the assets of the Ayatollah's fascist theocracy.
    2
  6658. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug.
    2
  6659. LOL - Reconstruction will have nothing to do with Hamas Leave it to Israel and the UAE Al Jazeera should stop supporting Iran
    2
  6660.  Ur Boi Ali  , the female doctor was assassinated by Iran not the USA. Iran is the country that imprisons women for attending a football match. Iran is where police snipers shoot protestors. The Ayatollah and his thugs Hezbollah killed the female doctor, everyone knows that. (You must be a deluded moron).
    2
  6661. LOL this won't end well for Maduro. I notice the fat-pig has actually put on weight as the country starves.
    2
  6662. Apropos the Papal States, I've made a terrific video which includes a comparison of the Republic of Venice and the Papal States. The former possessing a first rate University (Padua), first woman doctorate, first factory production line. The other a backwards despotic failure (Papal States) The video is called " Spanish-America failure North America success why ?" The parallel being Venice with North America and the Papal States with South/central America.
    2
  6663. "How dare the UN not condemn Hamas murder & rape ?"
    2
  6664. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief, was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    2
  6665. 0:10 "Ceasfire between Israel & Gaza" No. Israel and Hamas. Why are you afraid to say "Hamas" ?
    2
  6666. .....and what about criminal charges ?
    2
  6667. NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    2
  6668.  @jacobturan7948  Correct. The West also has teams of Intelligence professionals, analysing Gbs of data, and feeding real-time 'actionable' info to Ukraine. "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD In April the Pentagon met defence industry CEOs, "To open new production lines". Nobody out supplies the USA. Nobody beats the USA at logistics.
    2
  6669. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    2
  6670. Myanmar people are fighting the generals and China. Good luck. China will supply the despotic generals with whatever they need.
    2
  6671. Western Alliance :- at some stage it will crack. Some nations have a history of standing strong, and standing alone. Other nations have a history of collaborating, and caving-in. I hope we don't see any back-sliding.
    2
  6672. The Minneapolis Mayor : he's just a young chump who's barely shaving. How on earth do folk vote for a half-witted tyro like him ? Also, the councillors appear to be young folk who don't know anything. Thank goodness for Nancy Pelosi & Joe Biden, at least the country will soon be safely in the care-home hands of those demented old timers.
    2
  6673. "What does this mean for Russia ?" It means Russia has been defeated by Ukraine. It means Russia will be an impoverished pariah for the next century. And it means India has picked the wrong side.
    2
  6674. 0:20 William Marshall, "The first English statesman" To give some context, all the aristocracy are French speaking. The first king to swear his coronation oath in English is Henry V (1413) The founding father of the English is Alfred the Great : he learnt Latin at 40, and helped translate books into English which he distributed to his 12 bishops. Establishing the English language and culture in opposition to the Danes. The breakthrough for the English came in 1204, when French-speaking king John was defeated by Philip II. Nobles had to choose allegiance. Simon de Montfort swapped some Norman land and opted for England.
    2
  6675.  @nathanlykouretzos4308  Pyotr Chaadayev wrote an article in 1830 describing relations between authoritarian Russia and the West : he was declared insane and sent to an asylum. Russia was incarcerating intellectuals long before the USSR
    2
  6676. Axis of Evil
    2
  6677. Boko Haram : the brutality and barbarism, the ignorance and illiteracy, all mixed with Islamic fundamentalism into a lethal concoction funded my Gulf oil money. Where is the African Union ? All these countries have military (trained to oppress their own citizens), why don't they organise military exercises with the object of killing Boko Haram ?
    2
  6678. Russia invaded Hungary in 1954 Russia invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 Russia invaded Georgia in 2005 Russia invade Crimea in 2014 The Eurpean EU leaders are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.
    2
  6679.  @ghulamhussain687  The EU has frozen $300 billion, Russia can consider that lost. Also, the oligarchs frozen money - Congress has already voted, that it should be used to rebuild Ukraine. So Russia is paying already.
    2
  6680. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    2
  6681. Endgame :-financial gravity will catch up with China's exponentially increasing private debt. End of story.
    2
  6682. Peace & prosperity mean nothing to Russia, and liberty is unknown. Russia celebrates death & destruction on Victory Day. Russia didn't liberate Europe in 1945, they imposed Stalin's terror on Eastern Europe, and introduced the Gulags, the KGB and Russian fascism.
    2
  6683. Don't be dispirited about a Russian advance. In 1775 Bunker Hill : the rebels fell back, but had inflicted casualties on the British that were unsustainable.
    2
  6684. Scholz spent the whole of February hiding behind his sofa. Only when NATO and the US told him it was safe did he come out.
    2
  6685. Bismarck : "Genius consists of hearing the distant hoofbeat of the Horse of History, then leaping to catch the Horseman by the coattails" 2022 is Putin's folly Ukraine is riding the Horse of History A powerful nation is being formed before our eyes
    2
  6686.  @amritpalsingh3293  V.S Naipaul ( Indian Nobel Prize winner) : I've read a few of his novels, also his travel writing is interesting. But he's no historian, he doesn't possess crucial insight. Tony Judt's insight into the C20th is worth reading. Everyone would gain something from that book : I've recommended it to countless people.
    2
  6687. "Heads will roll" - well done Israel for putting your hand up and admitting a tragic mistake It was right to notify the charity and relevant countries first Israel is clearly acting in a responsible, transparent manner
    2
  6688. LOL Bernie is played out : he's got no umph. Bernie will quit to support Warren.
    2
  6689. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
    2
  6690. Wrong : not "A U-turn", and not "A radical change" It is a minor adjustment. Boris said, "The priority is the Good Friday Agreement, which may mean minor changes have to be made, the EU protocol isn't the law of the Medes and Persians" Bible Daniel 6:12: 'The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not'.
    2
  6691. Could someone give a synopsis of this ? I'm very interested but don't have 50mins to spare.
    2
  6692. Wow the 4 components (malignant narcissism) all apply brilliantly to Hillary :- a) Paranoia : constantly lying to the media and investigators. b) Sadism ,"We came we saw he died", hysterical laughter. c) sociopathy : even assaulting her own staff. d) narcissism : "It's her turn", "I'm with her" and $75million spent on the glass-ceiling video.
    2
  6693. Mace, well said. I applaud you for taking on Hillary's defence. Unfortunately, the more you think about it 'Malignant Narcissism' exactly describes Hillary. a) Paranoia : after her defeat by Obama she went through all her staff's emails and sacked anyone who had criticised her. Leaving her with toadies & sycophants. b) Sociopathy : her only friend is Uma whom she pays $500,000 a year. c) Sadism : look at her face when asked about Bernie the venom she displays. d) Narcissism : "I'm in it to win it" "It's her turn" ; all the slogans are focused on her , not jobs for Americans.
    2
  6694. Miro, LOL apropos " Malignant narcissism exactly describes Hillary" after saying psychiatry is nonsense. I enjoy being corrected. (Which means I'm not a troll , just an astute observer). I notice you didn't have a go at Olteders : "Hillary is self-confident and ambitious....and the US misogynist". Olteders must be nuts : imagine ignoring the $600,000 per hour Wall St speeches and laying the blame on the US public.
    2
  6695. Rajoy has a dream : a night-time Police assault on Catalonia and in the morning he stand victorious in Madrid. The reality is Rajoy is a clown. The reality of a Police assault will be an international spectacle of Spanish violence that Spain's minister of propaganda will describe as "Fake news". Spain's options Overwhelming force is much less likely to result in casualties. A full military invasion with Police support armoured vehicles etc discourages any resistance. A small assault or arrest squads would encourage resistance and could lead to shooting. The long term result of military invasion are devastating for Spain. Negotiation is the obvious way out but Madrid's authoritarian mentality won't allow it.
    2
  6696. Journalists ? But Al Jazeera is 100% pro Hamas Al Jazeera is the mouthpiece for the Hamas terrorist organisation
    2
  6697. 1:20 LOL Exxon Russia can't drill in the Arctic, they don't have the technology Russia has to ask Norway or USA companies to drill for them. Russia is a hopeless medieval country (India and Russia share that much in common)
    2
  6698. Virgin, exports from the US make up 28% of its GDP For China exports make up 51% of GDP China is very reliant on exports. The US is a self contained economy. Conclusion : China will collapse when the US employs a blockade. I've yet to hear anyone explain how China survive a blockade.
    2
  6699. Is anyone surprised ? The Ayatollah's fascist theocracy began with a bloodbath (7000 executions - read "The executioners deserve medals") The Ayatollah's police employ rooftop snipers to kill protestors. Is anyone surprised at their inhumanity ?
    2
  6700.  @amrbahram  , interesting.
    2
  6701.  @brainwashington1203  , why would a government use "plain clothes paramilitaries" ? So it can deny the consequences. All murderous dictatorships use paramilitaries for the deniability. "The evening of the protests "about 400 plainclothes paramilitaries descended on a university dormitory, whispering into short-wave radios and wielding green sticks." The paramilitaries, thought to be Ansar-e-Hezbollah and possibly Basij began attacking students, kicking down doors and smashing through halls, grabbing female students by the hair and setting fire to rooms. Several students were thrown off of third story balconies "onto pavement below, their bones crushed," and one student paralyzed."
    2
  6702. Russia is an Asiatic Autocracy trying to pass itself off as Enlightened European. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    2
  6703. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  6704. The Ayatollah's police snipers were shooting protestors, maybe this is payback ? The Iranian opposition want an end to crackpot religious dictatorship, what better way than by damaging the totem of theocracy : a nuclear bomb making facility ?
    2
  6705. Exactly. They can have their cake and eat it.
    2
  6706. Victory Day : Russian tanks prepare to celebrate victory in Moscow. Irony is quality Russia has always gone big on. Stalin is the "Father of the nation" : having extirpated a 1/5th of the people. Patriarch Kiril is the ungodly, Rolex-watch-wearing pontiff : Glasnost files exposed him as a KGB agent, informing on his cleric and parishioners. The Moscow Police were christened "The werewolves within" during the 1990s that was after their rampage of rape and murder on the population they were supposed to protect. Irony is part of Russian culture.
    2
  6707. Watch this you socialist schmucks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhO6EhUMicw UN human rights say Maduro is killing people right left and centre. Not that it interests you morons.
    2
  6708. Kaiser, China ISN'T central planning : it's a one-party state free market economy. Central planning is when the Kremlin determines the price of say vegetables. In China the market decides ; that's a free market (with qualifications). In Venezuela Chavez went round privatising every business that was profitable he then created lots of jobs but made the business uncompetitive and dependent on oil money. The whole country now depended on oil. That's central planning.
    2
  6709. What a marvellous delegation : their demeanour and bearing, even sans necktie one perceives their noble countenance. God bless the USA. Russia's aggression is the defining event of the 21st century - Asiatic Autocracy against Western Civilisation. Thank God for the USA.
    2
  6710. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
    2
  6711. Just sit there and take the punishment of Hamas ? Wait for Iranian rockets to kill more civilians ?
    2
  6712. I can't believe I sat through all this it was so boring.
    2
  6713. LOL "Two state solution" - roll out the platitudes LOL Trump wants to clear out Gaza The UAE will govern it using technocrats and private security contractors
    2
  6714. The Kremlin always looks for a "Patsy" That's how they solve crimes in 24 hrs Of course those prisoners don't appear on video footage - because it's not them
    2
  6715. A Roman era church - wonderful architecture Hagia Sophia was also a wonderful church It's a great shame
    2
  6716. Michael, in its 200yr history the Catholic Church has never supported democracy. The people you list : fascist, authoritarian dictators have a lot in common with the Catholic Church. Imagine the Church had real power in Ireland , would there be a referendum ? Of course not ; the Church believes in authority. Hitler Stalin Mao and Pol Pot are at the same end of the spectrum alongside the Spanish Inquisition and the Catholic Church. Read about the Papal States : it has more political prisoners than any state in Europe. Refused to allow telegraph , railway or any technical progress and like ISIS demanded all children be indoctrinated.
    2
  6717. Jacob, you've got to be having a joke . Of all religions Islam is the most fascist.
    2
  6718. The Supreme Court has to rule against Imran Khan. One cannot set a precedent for any vote of confidence to be overturned by a "Trump card".
    2
  6719. Brazil 1979 passed a law to pardon all military & police guilty of torture murder and rape Lula can't lecture anyone on the world stage Brazil has endemic corruption : Lula was sentenced to 26yrs in jail (later rescinded, for what it's worth)
    2
  6720.  @thehomeplatespecial597  , a circus is just what the US does need : something to cheer folk up and bring people together.
    2
  6721. 2 points :- a) none of them will be used in the US....all mines will be laid in someone else's country. b) if they self-neutralise or self-destruct then it's not quite so bad.
    2
  6722.  @juinorpersaud9180  , fair point.
    2
  6723. I think you'll find Petrobras did it with the good ship "Corruption" and its companion "Incompetence".
    2
  6724. India will NOT be a superpower in 2yrs. You are deluding yourself. Even China isn't a superpower , nor is Russia. There is only one superpower : the US.
    2
  6725. Well said Boris......"Russia must fail and must be seen to fail".
    2
  6726. The Ayatollah is a wise man. If he returns to the negotiating table the US and EU will make him jump through hoops : there is nothing but humiliation down that path. So he is staying on the economically disastrous sanctions path, why ? Well he doesn't have a lot of choice, he has to wait on events dear boy events. Like Wilkins Micawber, "Something will turn up".
    2
  6727. Irish, that argument "Your not on his level" is what religious morons use when you question God's logic : "The mind and ways of God are beyond rational understanding". It's nonsense. Musk's level is just what he says, his level is the argument he puts forward and it is puerile. There's no genius or supernatural mind behind it. It's not that mortals are incapable of understanding Musk. We understand and think it's rubbish.
    2
  6728. Spain was a fascist dictatorship till 1978 and ... They never purged the system of fascists Ireland sent condolences to Nazi Germany after Hitler's suicide Ireland & Spain are two dingbat countries, with a discreditable history They should leave the morality to nations which have always fought for democracy
    2
  6729.  @saidmohammed7597  Thanks That makes sense
    2
  6730. Great analysis, and great news Congratulations on victory
    2
  6731. State subsidised furloughs........Greece was doing that for decades by creating meaningless state-sector jobs for their supporters. There were so many folk working for Greek railway, economists said it would've been cheaper to get the travellers a taxi.
    2
  6732. LOL The USA has just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Why ? Because the US knows aircraft carriers are too vulnerable to missile attack. LOL : India has just jumped on the bandwagon with their rust-bucket, just as aircraft carriers become obsolete. Typical of old man Modi.
    2
  6733. Unbelievable. Biden's dementia is deteriorating by the month. Bernie for VP though, could be a winner.
    2
  6734. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Scholz - sabotaging weapon supplies to Ukraine. Germany closed its air-space to flights of weapons from the UK. Germany refused to allow Estonia and Spain to send weapons. Germany behaves like the Kremlin's 5th column. (It almost makes one hope Russia cuts off the gas)
    2
  6735. Iran are taking the only option open to them. It is win-win for the US , Israel and Saudi Arabia etc Fighting the West is not an option. Iran are the victims of their own bellicose rhetoric. They have to do it to get elected : it plays well with the public but is disastrous economically.
    2
  6736. Ursula described Russia's war as "odious". It is hard to watch. And Russia will never be forgiven. It will take generations for Russia to be reintegrated into the civilized world.
    2
  6737. American assistance to India totalled $10‐billion from 1950 to 1971, the largest amount of aid given to any country. The aid included 50 million, tons of emergency food, largely sent in the 1960s to avert famine. ......then India side with Russia at the UN The definition of gratitude.
    2
  6738. Oh boy, ain't that the truth.
    2
  6739. LOL look at Nicaragua's minister........the face of corruption and incompetence. He will have a nice nest-egg squirrelled away and property abroad.
    2
  6740. Al Jazeera is 100% Islamist They are liars The audience is pro-Hamas and they are fed Islamic falsehoods Islam is founded on falsehood - read a Turkish school history book Every Caliphate country fills the heads of kids with false history Al Jazeera has just grabbed an old baton and run with it.
    2
  6741. Greeks and Italians involved in corruption - that's hard to believe LOL
    2
  6742. Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258 Vasco da Gama reached India in 1498 Printing press Gutenberg 1439 It was the fall of Constantinople in 1453 that precipitated Columbus 1493 and Vasco da Gama. They both sailed with the crusader cross on their sails. The West were handing their wealth to Islam to purchase silk, spices etc A route to the east was essential to combat Islam.
    2
  6743.  @PEdulis  .....meanwhile, a British destroyer was sailing off Crimea (in International waters) being shot at and taking on the entire Russian Black Sea fleet single-handed. I think the difference between Britain and France is plain for all to see : that is why Australia chose AUKUS.
    2
  6744. But MBS is a butcher and murderer ! That doesn't stop the G20 rolling out the red carpet. The US, EU and every other country will also glad hand MBS. The hypocrisy is very disappointing. Israel are just grabbing what they can from oil-rich Saudi, just like everyone else.
    2
  6745.  @kaidi223 " In March 2006, immediately after allegations emerged that Falun Gong prisoners were being targeted for organ harvesting, overseas investigators began placing phone calls to Chinese hospitals and police detention centers. The callers posed as prospective transplant recipients or organ brokers and inquired about the availability of Falun Gong organs. In several instances, they obtained recorded admissions that organs could be procured from Falun Gong prisoners. A selection of these conversations were cited as evidence in the report by David Kilgour and David Matas"
    2
  6746.  Yeahhh Merrjrhri  The European Parliament heard testimony about organ harvesting in China during a 6 December 2012 session on human rights in China. One year later, it passed a resolution expressing "deep concern over the persistent and credible reports of systematic, state-sanctioned organ harvesting from non-consenting prisoners of conscience in the People's Republic of China, including from large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners imprisoned for their religious beliefs, as well as from members of other religious and ethnic minority groups
    2
  6747. Words fail me
    2
  6748. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    2
  6749. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  6750. Very polished
    2
  6751. Explorer, you miss the point. The point is they were "beaten up by thugs". It doesn't matter who protests : they might be feminists or LGBT or whatever. You don't have your thugs beat people up. That is how barbaric dictators behave. In Turkey it happens all the time. That is why the world is appalled at Turkey's brutality and authoritarianism.
    2
  6752. A pun like that deserves more than 2 thumbs-up....it's now 3.
    2
  6753. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP) John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6754. There are 2 things unite Eastern Europe :- a) they hate & fear the Russians b) they hate Turkey While Turkey expands to the Danube valley what is everyone else doing ? Turkey aren't going anywhere they are universally loathed. Name one neighbour that has friendly relations with Turkey ?
    2
  6755. 14 Palestinian policemen beat Nizar Banat to death : they have all been released.
    2
  6756. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  6757. Modi is pursuing dual tracks : on his knees to Russia and hiding from China.
    2
  6758. Imagine a nuclear exchange between China and the USA. Imagine it is devastating for both sides. What next ? Well Canada,Mexico, UK and the EU would help rebuild the USA. What about China ? Well all China's neighbours hate China they would help themselves to chunks of territory : Russia will take Manchuria, India will take Tibet etc China would just vanish and they have nobody to blame but themselves all their neighbours hate them. What does that tell you ?
    2
  6759. "The PA has no space to breathe" - what does that mean ? It means if you handed the PA a huge territory corruption would vanish, and incompetence would become a thing of the past ; they would become democratic, transparent and ditch nepotism and cronyism. (Good fairy tale)
    2
  6760. Argentina will have plenty of experience ,identifying the missing : their fascist military killed, tortured and stole children from thousands. Argentina's military are the same today as they were : no charges were brought. One old fascist general is in a wheelchair and highly respected.
    2
  6761.  @TheDukens90  "Honour" is also in the interest of a nation. A nation without honour would look grim.....what would it look like ? France.
    2
  6762.  Marek Kolenda  , it is difficult to change Iran from the inside, when unarmed protestors are killed by police snipers on rooftops.
    2
  6763. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    2
  6764. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are filled with childish fiction.
    2
  6765. Trump only has one overseas bank........anyone like to guess ? I'll give you a clue : a bank that facilitates Russian money laundering. You know how Trump has "no" Russian connection, even though Eric Trump told a golf buddy "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia".
    2
  6766. Do you know what would make the world sit up ? If the Palestinians had an election. The same corrupt old waxworks have decided to rule for life. Why not allow women to participate ? Elect a charismatic woman, like New Zealand.
    2
  6767. Gosh, do you support those medieval fanatics : the ones who stone women to death ? Shame on you.
    2
  6768.  Kawaii Treasures  , you know nothing about Islam. If a woman accuses a man of rape she needs two witnesses. Obviously there are never witnesses, that's why women have to keep quiet and endure the injustice of Sharia Law. In the West men and women are treated equally, you must have noticed that !
    2
  6769.  @jdocean1  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
    2
  6770. Russian thugs are thick on the ground in Eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin only needs to supply them with drink and arms and the fighting continues. The Ukraine also has drunken nationalist thugs but not nearly as many , Ukraine has to rely on conscripts who find the whole conflict unappealing.
    2
  6771.  @binekmaurus55  , you are talking about US troops stationed in NATO countries. I'm talking about Russian thugs who shot down a passenger plane (MH17). There's no comparison. US troops are legitimately on duty in an allied country. Russian thugs are killing innocent victims.
    2
  6772. What were the Nobel Committee thinking ? Abiy Ahmed in a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, made a prescient remark regarding sexual violence in war. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[130] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war” UN report :- "Nearly a quarter of reports received by one agency involve gang rape, with multiple men assaulting the victim; in some cases, women have been repeatedly raped over a period of days. Girls as young as eight are being targeted," Lowcock said. In June 2021, representatives from multiple countries called for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Abiy to be re-considered because of the war crimes committed in Tigray.[111][112] In an opinion piece, Simon Tisdall, one-time foreign editor of The Guardian, wrote that Abiy "should hand back his Nobel Peace Prize over his actions in the breakaway region
    2
  6773. The protesters are brave. Because Iran are totally brutal Islamofascist thugs. They usually call in Hezbollah to torture & kill unarmed protesters. Hezbollah are Islamofascist thugs who will kill anyone who doesn't follow their ideology.
    2
  6774. Iran are doing well. They have a block of 170 in the Iraqi parliament who do the Ayatollah's bidding. There are 328 seats in the Iraqi parliament. Pro Iranian motions always get 170 votes. To incorporate Iranian militia into the Iraqi army...... 170 votes To expel the US.....170 votes The Iraqi people hate Iranian influence in their country.
    2
  6775. Abiy Ahmed has a very defective moral compass :- In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding sexual violence in war. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[130] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war” UN report :- "Nearly a quarter of reports received by one agency involve gang rape, with multiple men assaulting the victim; in some cases, women have been repeatedly raped over a period of days. Girls as young as eight are being targeted," Lowcock said. In June 2021, representatives from multiple countries called for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Abiy to be re-considered because of the war crimes committed in Tigray.[111][112] In an opinion piece, Simon Tisdall, one-time foreign editor of The Guardian, wrote that Abiy "should hand back his Nobel Peace Prize over his actions in the breakaway region"
    2
  6776. Xi is pretending to be a peace-maker and thanking Putin for pretending to be in trouble Putin is saying, "But I am in trouble" Xi : "That's good, keep up the performance" Putin : "No really, I'm drowning - help, save me" Xi : "Don't over do it, it has to be convincing" Putin :"For God's sake help me get out of Ukraine"
    2
  6777. Pray for the hostages Turkey is now putting pressure on Hamas Israel has wisely threatened Rafah and "progress is being made"
    2
  6778. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    2
  6779. 5:36 "Ukraine wasn't even consulted" Confusing two things : a) Xi's "Peace proposition" which he was to announce on the 24th Feb (cancelled) b) China's 12 point plan Ukraine saw part of Xi's Peace proposition and liked what they saw
    2
  6780.  @rinsedpie  " When the dust has settled, there will be much finger-pointing " There will also be history books written. And India's school-children will read those books, with tears of shame in their eyes.
    2
  6781. He was obsessed by Islamic terrorists and said on social media " Just about all Wikipedia articles on Islamic terrorism were written by me". That's kind of odd. Then he expressed an interest in doing humanitarian work in dangerous places. And finally resolved to go back-packing with his family to Afghanistan. Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury I rest my case.
    2
  6782.  @antoniorsoftware  When the USSR collapse 1991, there was an exodus to the West : anyone with any talent migrated. Russia lost 6 million, Ukraine lost 8 million. Most people in Russia would move West if given the chance.
    2
  6783. Gulf oil wealth is essentially USA wealth. Remember when France refused to deliver a frigate to Russia after the Crimean invasion ? The USA spoke to Saudi, who said, "We'll buy it". I hope the US manage to twist the arm of Venezuela : this is Maduro's big opportunity. (If Maduro doesn't take it, the US should consider a Russia style "military operation" in Venezuela, to get those oil fields active)
    2
  6784.  @lopezmt5  The interesting thing about Napoleon and Hitler vis-a-vis Russia, is that Russia signed deals with both :_ a) 1807 Tilsit Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I carved up Europe betwixt themselves. b) Molatov-Ribbentrop Stalin and Hitler did the same again. It is almost as if Russia invites its enemies to attack, with its perfidy.
    2
  6785. You have no idea how badly the CCP elite are sleeping when they see so many people protesting. The days of Tienanmen Square massacres is over : everyone has mobiles to film China's military slaughter. Axis of Evil : China, North Korea, Russia, Iran etc etc : all anti-democratic dictatorships. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  6786. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranian opposition members in his first year. More than the Shah executed in his lifetime. What happened to the Socialists, Communists, Trade-Unionists, democrats and Feminists ? They were sent to the Ayatollah's death camps, where they were hanged 6 at a time from fork-lift trucks. Read "The executioners deserve medals."
    2
  6787.  Terence T  , It is actually called "supporting dictatorship". It is what the Axis of Evil do all the time.
    2
  6788. 1:49 "Social iniquity" She means inequality. Iniquity = devious immoral behaviour
    2
  6789. How times change. When Pakistan invaded Bangladesh they killed 3 million.
    2
  6790.  ΠΑΝΑΓΙΩΤΗΣ ΓΑΛΑΤΗΣ  , allow me to give an historical perspective :- a) Elgin removed the marbles 1802-1812 b) Greece became independent in 1832 In 1820 the Greeks rebelled and appealed to the co-religionist Russian Tsar Alexander , who was convinced it was a plot directed by revolutionaries in Paris (comite' directeur). Tsar Alexander had huge calluses on his knees he spent so long praying for God to preserve divine monarchy. Who did help Greece ? Britain actually : at Navarino (1827) they totally destroyed the Turkish fleet. Russia, Prussia and Austria even wanted to send a fleet to South America to restore divine monarchy, which is why Monroe declared it off limits (Dec 1223). Only Britain resisted the eastern European nonsense. Castlereagh called it "Mystical nonsense". Never expect an historical perspective from Al-Jazeera, they are purblind.
    2
  6791.  @emplp  You are right :- "The Parthenon and the other buildings were seriously damaged during the 1687 siege by the Venetians during the Morean War when gunpowder being stored in the Parthenon by the Ottomans was hit by a cannonball and exploded" This was 4 yrs after the seige of Vienna (1683) which started the Great Turkish War (1683 -99) : it was decided at Zenta (1697) when Eugene destroyed an Ottoman army twice his size, and the Treaty of Karlowitz (1699) marked the first major territorial loss for the Ottomans in 3 centuries. The Ottomans had been weak for ages but Europe was in the throws of the "Great Global Crisis" - 30yrs war, 80yrs war, Fronde, English civil war, Catalonia Portugal rebellions etc.
    2
  6792. Magnificent display of united, civilized power. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" He was referring to the occupation of Russia by Genghis Khans Hordes for 250yrs. Russian barbarism is the evidence to validate for Karl Marx observation.
    2
  6793. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    2
  6794. Italians are blaming the EU LOL Italy should start by looking at corrupt politicians, corrupt business and Mafia links. Photos show this bridge was falling to pieces weeks ago. You don't need to be a civil engineer to see it was unsafe, look at the photos.
    2
  6795. Mariupol is totally destroyed : that is all Russia can do. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists".
    2
  6796. A great insight into Russian failure. So desperate are they for a victory, they have to parade a young POW. In Donbas they have started arresting civilians and claiming they are Ukrainian soldiers in disguise. It is the definition of Russian failure.
    2
  6797. Macron is a conman He wants to lead a "European defence Force" He does NOT support NATO troops in Ukraine Czechia won the vote for shell procurement outside the EU Macron lost - so he gas-lighted by talking about troops in Ukraine Macron said, "Russian cannot be dfeated" 13 Oct 2022 macron declared "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region Stoltenberg : France has shown its hand ie France capitulated (that's the true Macron)
    2
  6798. The Russian Orcs are getting knocked from pillar to post. Good work. Himars are hitting ammo dumps, fuel dumps, and barracks. Apparently the Orcs are in a panic.
    2
  6799. Yes, but Trump has guys in hard-hats standing by his side. Biden is in the pocket of Wall St (or any multi-national that will employ his son).
    2
  6800. God never buttered a parsnip.
    2
  6801. Возможно, вы правы. Это похоже на Китай в Тибете: они принесли много развития. Даже ужасные режимы могут принести пользу.
    2
  6802. Very informative. SG knows a surprising amount.
    2
  6803.  @MilaPriima  Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    2
  6804. The threats from the USA looked juvenile, bullying and crass.
    2
  6805. Ireland is hopelessly twisted in its dislike and rejection of Britain. Ireland fears being associated with Britain and would rather cut off its nose to spite its face. The irony :- The Pope granted Laudabiliter (1155) to Henry II because the Pope wanted Ireland to be civilized. Dublin had the largest slave market in Western Europe. The warlords of Ireland were barbaric. The Pope trusted the Norman cathedral builders, and handed them Ireland. Everything civilized in Ireland stems from that moment.
    2
  6806.  @master_shifu4208  The golden rule in journalism is explain what's happening in the first few sentences Viewers find it frustrating to NOT KNOW I stopped watching Can you say who is shooting whom ? Or did they not get round to that
    2
  6807. Lord Owen : "The Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability ; they know what would happen to their families" When asked whether the threat was real.
    2
  6808. Israeli hostages were seen in Gaza hospitals - being concealed by medical staff Hamas uses hospitals and schools for its terrorist operations
    2
  6809. "The Russian public are buying into the Kremlin's propaganda" It's like hypnotizing chickens. The Russians are raised on propaganda from cradle to grave.
    2
  6810. "I recognize our International responsibility for the failings" Why do you think he said 'International responsibility' ? Because standards and values of humanity are imposed on failure states, by other civilized states. This is the story of civilization. The Ottoman Armenian massacres (1894-97) only stopped because of International pressure (Britain & France). The British landed marines in August 1896 to stop one massacre. And yet colonial influence is always assumed to be negative. One wonders why Abdullah Jevdet said :- "There is no second civilization; civilization means European civilization and it must be imported with both its roses and its thorns".
    2
  6811. I sympathize with the Palestinians and wish they would dump Hamas. No civilized person can support that fascist terror group. Historically, the Jordanians were the Apartheid state : Jews weren't allowed to own property. In Israel, the 3rd largest party in the Knesset is Arab.
    2
  6812. Just for the pedantic :- 1 billion = a thousand million = 1000, 000, 000
    2
  6813. Hamas MURDERED him
    2
  6814.  @jont2576  Stalin and Hitler were similar dictators, but the NKVD was much worse, and much larger than the Gestapo. Stalin treated every Russian POW as a traitor - they were all sent to the Gulags after the war. Russian women POWs were liberated by the Red Army then raped by them : read the history.
    2
  6815.  @mr-vb3id  Putin invited Tony Blair (British PM) to a 3hr Stravinsky concert in Moscow : a display of culture. But Putin doesn't listen to Stravinsky or Prokofiev, he listens to punk rock. Putin is an ill-educated peasant, who joined the KGB and became a successful thug. He isn't a statesman. Nicholas II was, as was Lenin : Stalin was a thug, and the rest were peasants. Gorbachev and his wife had salads and fruit juice, whilst the rest of the Politburo ate Caviar with Champagne. Russia, for the last century, has been mostly governed by thugs. Putin's humour gives the game away.
    2
  6816.  @patriotenfield3276  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  6817.  @moestietabarnak  "UKRAINIANS were the Russian army" Good point. But now Ukraine is looking West. Allow me to give the historical background. Genghis Khan's Golden Horde conquered Russia and forced tribute (~1250) Ivan II was their bagman (he collected the taxes from other princes to hand to them. Novgorod was WEstern and paid tribute but wasn't governed (through proxies) by the Mongols. In 1480 Ivan III conquered Novgorod and exiled the merchants deep into Russia. (Just as Putin is relocating Ukrainins deep into Russia) In 2014 Ukrain (like Novgorod) finally looked West again - towards democracy and civilization. Russian Tsar titled themselves "Autocrat of all the Russias", they were continuing the Mogol tradition of Asiatic Autocracy. Ukraine has broken free from the Mongol yoke (Putin, Shoigu, Lavrov, Gerasimov), and is once again joining humanity.
    2
  6818. There are 12 countries in South America and 7 in Central America and if you can find an honest politician let me know. Actually, Uruguay have a good President who drives around in an old VW Beetle , everyone loves him and he's honest as a beehive.
    2
  6819. Do you have any idea how many flights they deliver per day ? Twenty. That is one hell of a supply train.
    2
  6820. Turkey call the shots The EU pays the bills Nice work Erdogan - the EU being gulled again
    2
  6821. How likely is peace ? If you've read 'The Art of the Deal' you will know it is very likely.
    2
  6822. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". She was a very wise, prescient lady.
    2
  6823. Who attended ? Or, more importantly, who DIDN'T attend ? The left-wing pro-Hamas liberals
    2
  6824. It becomes a means of oppression. Just like "Widow burning" in India :- The ancient Hindu tradition called sati, wherein a widow would throw herself on her husband's pyre and burn to death, was initially a voluntary act considered courageous and heroic, but it later became a forced practice.
    2
  6825. Rajoy has a dream : a night-time Police assault on Catalonia and in the morning he stand victorious in Madrid. The reality is Rajoy is a clown. The reality of a Police assault will be an international spectacle of Spanish violence that Spain's minister of propaganda will describe as "Fake news". Spain's options Overwhelming force is much less likely to result in casualties. A full military invasion with Police support armoured vehicles etc discourages any resistance. A small assault or arrest squads would encourage resistance and could lead to shooting. The long term result of military invasion are devastating for Spain. Negotiation is the obvious way out but Madrid's authoritarian mentality won't allow it.
    2
  6826. randy, you are so right : it's like when Democrats cold-called voters asking if they'd vote for a candidate who had had a baby with his mistress. Oh I forgot that was the Republicans using a hypothetical to smear and honest happily married man. Republican liars and propagandising b@stards.
    2
  6827. Anita, that sounds like a foolish observation. You start with a platitude and finish with some half-baked ideas.
    2
  6828. Milk cream, I haven't watched the part you're referring to but I'm assuming Niall is paraphrasing the old adage "No taxation without representation". Apart from receiving services (sanitation, police, roads etc) the most direct contact you have with the state/government is through taxation. Of course you have a fair point about folks who don't pay tax but most of them will do and are aware their parents do etc.
    2
  6829. Gaza would be the best investment the US ever made
    2
  6830. There are more questions than answers.
    2
  6831. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    2
  6832. And Jacob Zuma faces 726 corruption charges which the South African parliament won't investigate. And the African Union say it is a disgrace. (Not Jacob Zuma, they are happy about that, all African politicians are corrupt ; they say Trump is a disgrace for recognising their corruption, greed, venality and cupidity and calling them shitholes. )
    2
  6833. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That was the work of fascist, anti-democratic Hezbollah.
    2
  6834. Good work Turkey (and I hate Erdogan's guts) The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant, arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel........oh and a gigantic effing liar.
    2
  6835. Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
    2
  6836. Malta is a Mafia state. It is corrupt to the core. The politicians are corrupt, the justice system and police ar corrupt. The whole country needs investigating.
    2
  6837.  @vinithravi1091  , the politicians ? I'm only an occasional observer of Sri Lankan politics but I thought I was on pretty safe ground saying, "They are all corrupt".
    2
  6838. Remember the $1000,000 football field for prisoners : that was Obama. Obama's state Illinois (and Chicago) are huge over-spenders. Every project they endorse is massively over-costed. Look at statistics : they are the most indebted, badly run, state in the Union. I haven't studied Obama's Amtrack plan but I'd bet it is over-costed.
    2
  6839. Hamas are LIARS Emily Hands was with her mother 48 hours before her release Hamas says "We can't find the mother" They are clearly lying What do you expect - Hamas are brutal murdering thugs, of course they are liars
    2
  6840. 100% famine : young males look very healthy It is only the old and young starving Young Palestinian males are fighting fit
    2
  6841. DW NEVER explains the deal It's simple :- a) Hamas refuse to let the PA administer Rafah b) Hamas want NO checks on fighters returning to the north c) Hamas wants the Philadelphia corridor free from Israeli inspection so they can load up with rockets and bombs
    2
  6842.  @erhardpostinger1326  Es gab 1848 einige wunderbare Deutsche auf den Barrikaden (unter ihnen Wagner) Ferdinand Brudell zeigte die Bedeutung der Geographie für die kulturelle Entwicklung. Großbritannien profitierte von seiner Inselsicherheit. Brudell sagte: "Sie sollten eine Statue für den Herzog von Guise errichten, der endlich sein teures Engagement in Europa beendete (1558 Calais)."
    2
  6843. Will there be another war ? If there is it will be the end of the Ayatollah's dictatorship. The Ayatollah's totalitarian Islamofascism can't survive a war ; even with the support of those brutal rabid-lunatics the Revolutionary Guard.
    2
  6844. Turkey are attacking Syria for 2 reasons :- a) because there is an election in 2019 and this whips up nationalism b) because Turkey is flexing its muscle (cf shooting down Russian jets) and it wants to influence the nature of a future Syria.
    2
  6845. UN resolution calls for the UNCONDITIONAL release of all hostages Hamas has said "No" Hamas refuses to comply with the UN Al Jazeera never tell you that !
    2
  6846. Best for Turkey to stay out Turkey wants to rule the roost
    2
  6847.  @diegoyuiop  Well said. It is a luxury to vote Green. They take security and Western Democracy for granted : they leave it to the Yanks to protect them, then criticize the Yanks from morning till night.
    2
  6848. Hamas stockpile food Young healthy males are stealing aid The young men - Hamas supporters all look healthy
    2
  6849. "Palestinians deprived of everything" Yes, they have been deprived of democracy by Hamas and Fatah who both rule with a despotic rod of intolerance Yes, they have been deprived of a voice - nobody can speak out against Hamas or Fatah Poor Palestinians, when will they be free to choose ?
    2
  6850. 21:24 CET: Polish radio station PolskieRadio24 reports: "A witness to the event, who called Polish Radio 3 before 5:00 p.m., reported that two rockets flew over the village. - One exploded in the field, the other hit the corn cart next to my neighbors in Przewodów - he said."
    2
  6851. Hezbollah is making a ruin of Lebanon (at Iran's direction) Best to get rid of Hezbollah
    2
  6852. Wow : it's toe-curling. Talk about two third rate politicians. If there's a statesman in the room he's behind the camera.
    2
  6853. The US proposed a ceasefire which also criticized Hamas "rapes" The Muslim countries refused to vote for it
    2
  6854. Ha ha ha, when did he realise that ? Was it after 1 million Uyghurs were imprisoned in camps, or after 10k were slaughtered at Tienanmen.
    2
  6855. The EU will probably condemn this killing (that is how contemptible the EU are) Macron wants the French to trade with Iran and doesn't much care whether the fanatically fascist Ayatollah possesses nuclear weapons or not. France simply want the trade revenue.
    2
  6856. Bajoy, that's a very sensiblesolutio. Vincent, security for a West Bank under Jordan is not an intractable problem. It could be demilitarised (like the demilitarised Rhineland) with Israel being allowed military bases on the Jordan heights for security.
    2
  6857. A Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    2
  6858. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  6859.  @itsJPhere  In 1905 the Russian fleet was destroyed by Japan : it almost collapsed the Tsar Nicholas II. WW1 did collapse Imperial Russia (1917) It is hard to imagine Putin surviving this debacle. It is a humiliation which will last for a century. Nobody can ever take Russia seriously again. They are barbaric and incompetent in equal measure.
    2
  6860. Egypt is a $hithole country. The people democratically elected a dictator. Why ? Because they are a $hithole country. Like Zimbabwe (ZANU) , S Africa (ANC) Malawi (Joyce Banda) etc etc It is the people who are to blame .
    2
  6861. Rest assured nobody will be held accountable. The "investigation" is for the media.
    2
  6862. linda, I notice you don't deny Hezbollah were beating students and that Hezbollah are anti-democratic. Or that Hezbollah are fascist. You simply point to the fact they fought against Israel ( the demon of the Left ) therefore they get your support. Shame on you Linda : you should support democracy and stop being an anti-Semite.
    2
  6863. Facts :- a) Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history, is that North America speaks English". It is the basis for AUKUS b) India needs a strong Russia as an ally against China : ipso facto, India wants Russia to succeed in Ukraine c) Turkey wants a weak Russia, vis-a-vis the Black Sea d) China is easily blockaded and has no oil : it is a geographical weakness. e) Likewise, by geographical fact, India's strategy is opposed to the West. India is an insignificant player against China - AUKUS simply doesn't need India. Conclusion : India is on Russia's side. This make take ages to dawn on western politicians, but eventually India will be marginalised.
    2
  6864. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  6865. سلطان العتيب , give me an example where the Saudis have shown real industry and hard work in developing something , show me where they've used ingenuity to overcome a problem or create something or show me where they've advanced humanity and civilization. They simply found themselves sitting on oil and left everything to others. There are 2 things which unite everyone on Earth :- a) regardless of race,political persuasion or religious affiliation , everyone hates corruption. b) everyone hates the Saudi
    2
  6866. Lack of trust ? Not without good reasons :- a) remember the FSB planting bombs they claimed were bags of rice ? b) remember the lady being injected when she asked what was being done to save her husband ( a submarine had sunk). c) remember the FSB poisoning the theatre, ostensibly to immobilize the terrorists but also gassing all the captives, then not informing the doctors what gas they used. d) remember the Dyatlov Pass incident : hikers mutilated by the Russian military. e) I'll stop there, but I could go on all day.
    2
  6867. I only came here to look at the comments, and I wasn't disappointed.
    2
  6868. @beetle yus Why must the world be blackmailed by a nuclear Iran ? Why can't Iran concentrate on the welfare of its citizens ?
    2
  6869. I thought Greece enjoyed 7% growth per annum for a decade in the 60s and 70s It was called the Greek miracle. Where Greece came unstuck was in a) political corruption (creating jobs for cronies in nationalised industry with more than generous remuneration), b) endemic cupidity (everyone was on the take : civil servants, politicians etc), c) cooking the book ( the accounts were constantly fudged to win elections and deny responsibility for financial mismanagement). Greece was the European country which benefited most from the post-war Marshall Plan and their misfortunes are entirely of their own making.
    2
  6870. Ha ha ha, Putin the Imperial leader who took the country into default. Get that in the history books. LOL
    2
  6871. Can Turkey count on the support of their friends ? Turkey have been good friends to Islamist groups in Syria who are raping Yazidi girls perhaps they would help support the currency. Turkey are good friends with Islamist Uyghurs from China perhaps they will help. Turkey has powerful friends in all these ramshckle ,human-rights-violating thuggish groups, can't they help Turkey's currency ?
    2
  6872. Israel wants to arm a "Palestinian police force" to guard the distribution of aid Hamas said they'd kill them as collaborators Hamas wants starvation and chaos Hamas is stopping aid
    2
  6873.  @deanmann2210  , there are two ways to acquire nukes :- a) go straight for it : the direct way b) take the long route, the Obama way Trump has decided to put a stop to both ways.
    2
  6874. 22 Jan Elysee Anniversary Macron will send Leclerc Scholz will okay Leopards Trust me
    2
  6875.  @95Andrzej  You are not disputing the history : all those defeats happened. Russia collapsed in 1917 after defeat Afghan defeat in 1989 precipitated Russian collapse again in 1991
    2
  6876. Genocidal Turkey are attacking civilians once again. Look at history :- The Bulgarian atrocities The Armenian genocide The Greek massacres Turkey have different values to Europeans. They are hated by all their neighbours. Look at the artist in Turkish prison for doing a painting of a Turkish atrocity :- https://news.artnet.com/art-world/painter-zehra-dogan-sentenced-to-jail-for-artwork-902015
    2
  6877. The Truth, LOL in Turkey that moniker would land you in prison. Don't you know Turkey have imprisoned 269 journalists for telling the truth. Do you know a young female artist is in prison for a painting depicting a Turkish atrocity. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/painter-zehra-dogan-sentenced-to-jail-for-artwork-902015
    2
  6878. The Truth, Historians go to prison for writing about the Armenian Genocide, Journalists (269) are in prison, the artist Zehra Dogan is in prison. Turkey are worse than China. There is no freedom or justice in Turkey. Also, Erdogan wants to release rapists if they agree to marry the under age girls they have raped. I think that tells you everything about Erdogan and Turkey.
    2
  6879. For those who don't know. The raid is cleared by the Deputy Attorney General and a high Court judge. Seized material is sifted to remove "attorney client" communications before the rest is handed to investigators.
    2
  6880.  @darik2788 " what have italy, spain or france done especially the first two???" LOL it's a low bar if you are lumping Germany in with that rabble.
    2
  6881.  @CarpeDiem13x  You are trying to exculpate Germany. There is no constitutional reason RAF flights couldn't have crossed Germany. YOu are talking bull.
    2
  6882.  @CarpeDiem13x  ""Germany has not denied access to its airspace as the UK did not submit a request. There has been no dispute between the UK and Germany on this issue." Meanwhile, a German Defence spokesperson claimed the C-17 planes were not prohibited from entering German airspace. This is despite the fact the aircraft also avoided Germany on their return flight to RAF Brize Norton." No mention of Constitution - just a flat denial it happened. Even the empty plane returning had to fly around Germany. It was empty, so why ? Because Germany froze. It thought Russia would win, and didn't want to disadvantage itself.
    2
  6883. Who is supplying the Taliban with weapons ? Look no further than Pakistan.
    2
  6884.  @denisgorjunov  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6885. Why does France promote capitulation ? Why did Macron declare French neutrality on TV ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    2
  6886. What sort of question is that ? You should be putting the boot into the legal system not blaming the victims.
    2
  6887. Even Guatamala has withdrawn their ambassador from Moscow. When will India find its moral compass ?
    2
  6888.  @jmhorange  But Jodie, the strategy is working a treat..... a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia.(Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally' and Ukraine is winning incrementally.
    2
  6889. Zelensky has some nerve. He's now demanding more, yet only two weeks ago he was complaining about scaremongering ruining his economy. Boy that guy has some noive.
    2
  6890. Maduro is a disgrace.
    2
  6891. "President" ? You mean despot Palestine hasn't had an election for 20 years Abbas is a despot, Hamas are fascist thugs Palestinians have NO elected representatives
    2
  6892. Good news : the Russians have shot their bolt. Russia is now having to buy artillery shells and rockets from N. Korea. It must be so humiliating to be Russian. Also, Russians are hiding their munitions in schools and churches - sheltering behind children.
    2
  6893. Afghan Grand Council LOL The first thing they do is grant themselves an amnesty for all crimes and corruption. They are utterly corrupt. Totally self serving , venal criminals.
    2
  6894. moses, you half-witted dip$hit : developing nukes won't win the Ayatollah any friends.
    2
  6895. Alan, when Franco died Spain effortlessly segued into democracy of a sort. Everyone kept their jobs : all the fascist police, judges, civil servants etc . There was never a commission to investigate crimes against humanity. ( 2008 Franco's period ruled "A crime against humanity") The reason there were no investigations or prosecutions is because of all the fascists still in power. And they remain there to this day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Terror_(Spain)
    2
  6896. Well done Al-Jazeera . You handled the topic of Western decadence very tactfully.
    2
  6897.  @Bluebelle51  Was that Hamas fighter living in a house with no furniture and no food ? He was hiding because he is Hamas
    2
  6898. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  6899. I'm missing Trump : when he used to go off-script and say things like, "Boy that was a real beauty" or some marginal commentary on the substance of his speech. It really livened things up, because you were never sure where it might lead. My prediction : Biden's dementia will advance more rapidly than ISIS under Obama.
    2
  6900. Hamas have just claimed victory for forcing Israel away from Al-Aqsa. Have a thought for Hamas, they'll have to explain the egg on their face.
    2
  6901. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    2
  6902. Ukraine counter-offensive begins in July. Mid-August will be the turning point (Major General Kyrylo Budanov ) Kherson and izyum (one would imagine) will be the first to fall. Putin (one would imagine) will fall shortly after that.
    2
  6903. Rubbish old repeats.....I've reported you to YouTube for wasting time.
    2
  6904. Arms sales will continue. Lindsey Graham says he'll move the House to extend the Magnitsky act to those in Saudi responsible. That means sanctions on MBS and all his cronies. Graham said it would be veto proof , so nothing Trump decided could stop it.
    2
  6905. Putin is playing the role of Herr Hitler.
    2
  6906. Britain and the US conducted nuclear attack drills 5 days ago. Ben Wallace MoD has flown to Washington for a conversation "beyond belief". That means he is signing off on joint strike plans. That explains why Macron went on TV to declare neutrality (The perfidious French stabbing NATO in the back) Putin may be bluffing but the response is locked & loaded.
    2
  6907. clickbait - no info whatsoever !
    2
  6908. Hezbollah are most likely responsible for storing the explosives. But indirectly it is Iran. The explosives are stored for terrorism. They are located at the port to be shipped out when needed. This is just informed speculation.
    2
  6909. "Tehran know the score" : their inflation is 50% and GDP shrinking -6% their economy is in free-fall and they are finished. Where is the light at the end of the tunnel, what are their options ? They have one card to play : a short messy conflict that sends global oil prices through the roof. That's why they attacked the tankers and shot down a drone : they want a messy conflict, where they can plead innocent victims.
    2
  6910. Trump said this could happen, and everyone called him a clown. Trump is a clown, but even a clown can state the obvious.
    2
  6911. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    2
  6912.  @smok3sphyer770  Very shocking. Russia has performed this way in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    2
  6913.  @exploreandunravel5773  Thee are more right-wing fascists in Russia than there are in Ukraine. Russia is full of paramilitary fascists. The Russian army is a goose-stepping fascist army. The invasion of Ukraine is a fascist, imperialist military doctrine.
    2
  6914. I'd like to see a 155mm Howitzer open-up on them. See how they like that.
    2
  6915. Yes, well spotted. NATO was like a premiership football team with nobody to play. Now they are performing a victory lap.
    2
  6916. Oh joy ! Rejoice at that precision. It's moving, then it's stationary, then it's smoked. God bless the gunner and the spotter, and God bless the USA.
    2
  6917. Arif, you are right. That is why what MBS is doing is ripping the guts out of Islam. He is investing $500billion in NEOM which will have Western laws ; no religious fakirs will be allowed in. He is liberalising policy towards the young (Saudi has one of the youngest demographics ). MBS is marginalising the religious and leading Saudi into a modern Western style liberalism. It's great.
    2
  6918. 0:20 Wow great speech.....NOT This guy has them bored rigid with his Zionist conspiracy. Good to hear sanctions have failed : that means inflation must be ? oh, still 50% ; and GDP growth must be ? Oh no, still -6% I suppose sanctions are working after all.
    2
  6919. What does everyone want ? a) The US want a passive Iran (preferably with an Ayatollah). b) Iran want to be left alone : free to sell oil and support terror groups like Hezbollah c) Saudi have a hatred of Iran and are VERY fearful of a nuclear Ayatollah. d) Israel are maximally afraid of a nuclear Ayatollah who has vowed to exterminate them. e) Russia seek to capitalize on any consequences.(oil prices rising etc) f) Europe want peace, especially France with big contracts in Iran. So who attacked the tankers ? Iran obviously : they are the only beneficiaries of closing the Straits. So why did Iran shoot a US drone ? because a short messy conflict could end with sanctions being lifted. Iran are sinking and desperate, a messy conflict with global repercussion is their only hope.
    2
  6920. Corruption and incompetence. Remember the "African Bank" ? It was looted by the ANC to such an extent it went bankrupt. The victims were the poor sods - the savers. The ANC have ruined S Africa.
    2
  6921. "A two state solution" That is a soundbite that circumvents for intractable problem
    2
  6922.  @marcuscro8887  12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
    2
  6923. Egypt : the Army is a state within a State and is totally corrupt. They have their own roads, supermarkets etc. The Army are utterly incompetent but are idolised by the people. In the Six days War they were humiliated and infamously betrayed the Jordanians. The Egyptian people are conditioned like Pavlov's Dog into subservience and are complicit in their own subjugation.
    2
  6924. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    2
  6925. Maybe Labour should bring back Jeremy Corbyn. He would be speaking for Russia. Following the Kremlin line on Ukraine, and being a good advocate for Hezbollah Hamas and his other terror groups.
    2
  6926.  @vsezaquilt  In Russia it was commonplace to beat serfs. Some drunken landlords engaged in the lost sadistic pastimes : it was simply Russian culture. Some intellectuals asked for a law to be passed that serfs could be removed if a landlord was insane - because insane landlords were essentially running torture camps. This is Russian culture. It is why the revolution happened in 1917. It is also why the revolution was so bloody. It is why the Soviet Union was so brutal. It is Russian culture - the product of benighted centuries.
    2
  6927. 0:18 "It worked really well with S Africa". It sure did. Look at it now a one-party-state that is crippling the country with corruption, cronyism and incompetence. A health minister who promotes garlic & lemon as a cure for AIDS, an Economic Freedom Fighters party that has raided S Africa's only bank and sent it into liquidation because of stolen assets (stolen from regular working S Africans), an assassination policy in the townships against anyone that challenges the ANC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_assassinations_in_post-apartheid_South_Africa Well done Jimmy. You will do the same in Palestine. Yaser Arafat was a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3billion (that's not million it's billion). You people are the sort of ill-informed morons that unwittingly support fascism.
    2
  6928. 1:20 LOL Exxon Russia can't drill in the Arctic, they don't have the technology Russia has to ask Norway or USA companies to drill for them. Russia is a hopeless medieval country (India and Russia share that much in common)
    2
  6929. 8:00 very prescient of Ron Placone : who'd have though just 3 months later 7 women would be accusing Joe Biden of inappropriate behaviour ?
    2
  6930. Total corruption and hypocrisy. That's Pakistan Backwards medieval religious fanaticism. That's Pakistan. Belligerence aggression and violence. That's Pakistan. Every war with India was started by Pakistan.
    2
  6931. Norway and Britain are sending thousands of micro-drones (observation). Simply to spot the Orcs so heavy metal can kill them.
    2
  6932. How marvellous, he is a credit to Libya and humanity. Of course Gaddafi wouldn't be interested : that dolt was doped-up most of the time, slurring his words, ordering night-time arrests and executions.
    2
  6933. Pity the people of Afghanistan if those fanatical Islamists reinstate Sharia Law.
    2
  6934. Hallelujah. The Palestinians need a Nelson Mandela : I've said it for years. Western leaders look at the clueless, corrupt Fatah leaders, then look at the fanatical, repulsive Islamic Jihad and Hamas : it makes the West puke to look at them all.
    2
  6935. Good Defund UNRWA terrorists
    2
  6936. Russia is supported by - North Korea, China, India and Pakistan (The Axis of Evil countries)
    2
  6937.  @lv3609  LOL, very topical.
    2
  6938. LOL Hamas lies - "The war started on Oct 9th" Ooops, he forgot the Hamas massacre
    2
  6939. May I give India some tips :- a) Ministers should stand up when they make a statement. Eg explaining how a missile was accidentally fired at Pakistn Don't sit slouching in a chair making a statement, stand up like a man. b) When one explains the maintenance schedule, don't use the expression, "They are checked on from time-to-time". It sounds sloppy. c) Remember, every person is a representative of India : not just Modi, but Police officers, Military, Politicians, and ordinary people.
    2
  6940. Bit misleading. Charges have been "dropped" so the investigation can be redone properly ? Maybe not enough evidence had been gathered. Maybe they were rushing prosecution for political reasons and the new prosecutor want to ensure conviction. ? This report is a bit toxic quite honestly.
    2
  6941. 14 Palestinian policemen beat Nizar Banat to death : they have all been released.
    2
  6942. Maybe the European Court will think twice before defending terrorist values and criticising the UK's civilized values. Perhaps the ECJ could read some history books over Christmas and discover that Britain was the beacon for European liberty. Voltaire (1726), a refugee from French tyranny, used Britain as his model for French freedom.
    2
  6943. India is the most parochial nation on Earth. It believes the world revolves around Delhi and Punjab. Every event, every handshake, every sporting fixture, has to have an 'India' angle. So unsure of themselves as a nation, India must look for approval in a telephone call, an invitation, an expression of friendship, or a mundane trade deal. This is why India is currently Kowtowing to Moscow.
    2
  6944. Sequence of events :- 3 Hamas terrorists killed in a car : a Hamas commander and his bodyguards. Hamas fire a rocket from Gaza Israel responds. Hezbollah has ruined Lebanon. Hamas are trying to ruin Israel.
    2
  6945. Not wearing masks - I agree. But at least they're not overthrowing the government.
    2
  6946. Why are some countries stable and others volatile ? Well, it takes centuries to create democracy :- 1215 Magna Carta 1615 Edward Coke opposes king James I, on the king's Common Law violation 1689 Bill of Rights etc Now look at Italy :- Deeply divided for centuries, separated into rival principalities (Venice Florence Naples Sicily etc) fought over by Spain and France ~1500, Post 1700 Spanish Succession (when the French Bourbon Philip V took the Spanish crown) Italy is divided betwixt Philip V progeny and Austria. In other words Italy has never had stability, and has no tradition of unity or democracy.
    2
  6947. Now another comment has been removed :- "vinm300 yes, but your analysis is too general, there were also periods of stability in the last 1000 years" My argument is that a nation needs 500yrs to establish democracy - not "a period". You may point to the US and say they did well. Only because all the folks came from Europe : the very folks (non-conformist religious groups) who had railed against abuse of authority in their native land. And the ideas they used to justify their attacks on despotism were grounded in 500yrs of history. Eg :- In 1535 Henry VIII ordered an English bible to be placed in every church. This produced endless debate amongst the congregations. 100yrs later the Levellers were using bible verses to justify their communist beliefs. a) folk have to be literate , which they weren't in say the Middle East or Russia. b) they have to have access to books, which they didn't in Spain under the Inquisition. c) they have to have the wherewithal to speak out : one might instance the apprentice calling out "Mary has the better claim" when the Palace announced the accession of lady Jane Grey. None of which were possible in the Middle East under the twin yokes of despotism and Islam. Nor possible in Russia, swamped by slavery, illiteracy, poverty and despotism. Nor possible in ......etc etc
    2
  6948. “From an evolutionary standpoint, if it took and extra ten percent longer for conscious life to evolve on Earth, it wouldn't evolve at all" There is no scientific reference for this. What does he mean ? He assumes consciousness arose with the first brain 521 million years ago. The Universe is 14 billion years old. 10% of 13 .5 billion = 1.35 billion. Therefore if it had taken 1,350 million years longer to evolve, then the 521 million evolution would not have occurred. We would have to wait another 1350 - 521 = 829 million years. It sounds clever, but it is actually a daft observation, which could be applied to any aspect of evolution.
    2
  6949.  @lovingbeast5045  "knows EXACTLY how long it will take for a new species to emerge" LOL exactly. Elon can choose his own parameters, it is a meaningless statement. He could've said the same about "life" or "vision" or "the formation of planet Earth" (In the Earth example, he would have to make it 60% longer)
    2
  6950. China is a totalitarian state with arbitrary use of law. It harvests human organs and is prepared to slaughter it's own citizens (Tienanmen). China is antithetical to all liberal values.
    2
  6951. Jeff, you are quite right, things is China will be pretty good. Do you know what the no.1 priority for all regional governors is ? It's not increasing GDP or growing their economy. It is "No civil unrest". The CCP is very conscious of its illegitimacy. China's military pledged allegiance not to China but to the CCP. The CCP rules by force but the trick is to never use force. Jeff, you are a good person but incredibly naive ; you think like a tourist. If you have a good holiday you think the country is super. Read some books Jeff and don't be superficial.
    2
  6952. Random Dude, you're at it again. Well said. The Police figure was 300,000 Not the 1.1 million spread by Spain's propaganda minister. December Election :- Will Catalans vote for a pro-union quisling ? After Spain kicked ,beat and humiliated them ; then chased their government into exile ? Who'd vote for a pro-Spain back-stabbing, fifth-columnist , turncoat quisling ? They will vote for Bonny Prince Carles and his government in exile. The brave separatists forced to flee by the democracy crushing Spanish.
    2
  6953. Hey, the bearded guy has it totally wrong : "The Venezuelan Socialists have been playing the game , paying their debt cheap". Is he nuts ? Venezuela is in the $hithole of all $hitholes. Where did they find this guy ?
    2
  6954.  @rajeshrai6293  Okay, but if I gave you 100 bucks to bet on one side, would you place it on those goons ?
    2
  6955. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm Moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
    2
  6956. FACTS : Deepseek's final training run cost $6 million Chat GPT's final training run cost $100 million Not billions versus $6 million Only the FINAL training run cost $6 million
    2
  6957. "That's right Wolf....." "What we know Wolf......" "Wolf we found out....." Why always segue his stupid name into every response ?
    2
  6958. Why not go the whole hog ? Have a referendum on Sharia Law and become a totally backwards anti-democratic, theofascist dictatorship.
    2
  6959. In Britain there are many Liberals (Jeremy Corbyn and the Archbishop of Canterbury) that want to stop military support for Ukraine. One smells the odour of appeasement on them. They should think on Britain's proud history. In 1864 half a million turned out to greet Garibaldi when he visited London. In 1824 Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence against the Ottomans. The appeasers cowardly considerations would undermine all that, and give strength and support to the Kremlin. Putin relies upon vacillating liberals to swallow his threats and sow discord and fatalistic dejection. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's threats on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" Spoken like a man : by a member of the Intelligence Committee. We must all show resolve. And recall the spirit of 1895 :- when Abdul Hamid II ordered the slaughter of Armenians and British marines went ashore to stop the massacre. They didn't turn round and say, "But there are thousands of Ottomans and only a few of us", they had the courage and conviction of doing the right thing.
    2
  6960. Quite a variety of interesting topics. Especially the last one 6:30 on the Antarctic glacier. I didn't know a chunk was supported on an underwater ice mountain. It looks to me, and I'm no Jeremiah, as if the whole lot is going to go "splash" within a couple of decades, causing quite the coastal commotion.
    2
  6961. Turkey are bussing in the Al-Nusra rapists. I pity the citizens of Afrin. Al-Nusra are a terror group affiliated to Al-Qaeda , Turkey support them. Turkey also allow ISIS fighters free passage through Turkey from Syria. That is why Turkey can never join the EU.
    2
  6962. Impossible ! I've seen Al Jazeera video of Palestinian (Hamas family & friends) selling aid packages on the roads There is plenty of food - Hamas cronies are making a profit selling it ! Do some research. There is video everywhere
    2
  6963. Lukashenko & Modi both try to play both sides at once. Lukashenko liked to do the “Eurasian shuffle” Modi does the "East-West dance" They are a pair of chancers that all sides despise.
    2
  6964. This is a nice story :- The new president Ebrahim Raisi was the architect of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. " Mahmoud Royaee, another political prisoner interrogated by Raisi during the execution of up to 30,000 opposition activists in a 1988 purge, said Raisi once handed down a death sentence to an inmate who was in the midst of an epileptic fit."
    2
  6965. Aden is the most valuable bargaining chip. Possession is 9/10ths of the law : who holds Aden dictates largely how the final settlement will look. My money is on the Saudi's opponents : they have the motivation. What are the Saudi/Presidential Guard fighting for ? a corrupt leader who hides abroad ?
    2
  6966. Yemen is the theatre in which Saudi and Iran have decided to fight a proxy war. The West cannot afford to upset Saudi so turn a blind eye but nobody is enjoying it.
    2
  6967.  @vadymvv  Google translates "Точное попадание" as 'Near miss'.
    2
  6968. Fantasy thinking The UAE will rebuild Gaza, they will provide security contractors The contractors will clear out Hamas and relocate the people Do some research, this is all on a timetable Construction can't happen alongside Hamas Hamas would kidnap workers : Gaza has to be cleared out
    2
  6969. Trump said, "That's this Presidency over I'm £ucked". Why would someone say that when there is no Russia connection ?
    2
  6970. Turkey, Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" If only India could find such courage. Modi is like the lion in The Wizard of Oz, searching for courage.
    2
  6971.  @gamers-xh3uc  Ukraine are doing magnificently. Russia's air force has vanished. This is a disaster for Russia : it couldn't possibly be worse.
    2
  6972. Tethloach, your summary of history has got us all laughing. You make a fine Jester and should get into the after-dinner speaking circuit. You'd have them rolling in the aisles.
    2
  6973. The Speaker must resign !
    2
  6974.  @Takeawayking971  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    2
  6975. Snake Island is like Verdun (WW1) : the Ukrainians will bleed Russia white.
    2
  6976. Russia has failed in Kyiv. Failed in Kharkiv Retreated from Snake Island. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    2
  6977. Thank goodness, peace talks are progressing. Russia's savage war has made the civilized world feel like vomiting. Modi is hoping for an end to his painful fence-sitting. He has been up on that insouciant perch for 3 weeks now.
    2
  6978. The terrible truth : The Russian people know their army is responsible for atrocities, and they don't care.
    2
  6979. Not very Christian, but I hope the personnel were inside the vehicle.
    2
  6980. Javed, everything east of the Euphrates is gone for good , Including the oil fields. So you can temper your jubilation.
    2
  6981. Well done Trump : the only leader protecting the free-world from the Chinese jackboot.
    2
  6982. China is hated by ALL its neighbours. You forgot to mention that.
    2
  6983. "Heads will roll" - well done Israel for putting your hand up and admitting a tragic mistake It was right to notify the charity and relevant countries first Israel is clearly acting in a responsible, transparent manner
    2
  6984. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    2
  6985. 1:00 I watched that video. There was still a fire-fight going on in the background whilst those lads with complete insouciance examined the result of their handiwork.
    2
  6986.  @tanay2412  , "Shot down an Indian MiG-21 warplane and captured its pilot". I was thinking of Erdogan shooting down two Russian jets. My apologies.
    2
  6987. Hamas lies :- a) 0:48 "More ration from our people" Wrong Hamas fired the first rockets after their deadline expire at 6pm Monday 10th May b) 1:12 " We have a REACTION against the atrocities " Hamas fired the first rockets (see above) c) 1:26 "The aggressors the Israeli army" Wrong Hams started it. Hamas are the Aggressors (albeit provoked by Al-Aqsa and evictions, but Hamas fired first). d) 1:50 "The dead children are my family" Wrong, none of his family have died. e) 2:01 "This war has been imposed on us" Hamas fired first. f) 2:03 "It's not a war it's an aggression it's an offensive" I'm fed up with this......it is non-stop lies. Good interview NOT.
    2
  6988.  Mike B  , hardly a terrorist Mike. Since when did a terrorist have such a wonderful turn of phrase as " Wet lips, fat bellies and soft hands" ? What sort of terrorist describes Saudi generals as " soft marshmallows" ? And while we're talking about Saudi, I don't notice any foundations being laid for NEOM (the futuristic city). Don't tell me Saudi have run out of cash.....or ideas ? Those bone idle, indolent, ignorant, work shy, backwards, unenlightened medieval-morons.
    2
  6989. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    2
  6990. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    2
  6991. Putin's lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it was a war of Imperial expansion)
    2
  6992. Winnie-the-Pooh LOL , they've censored that in China. You can't search for or talk about Winnie-the-Pooh. Nice society.
    2
  6993. Hamas lost - they must immediately and unconditionally release ALL hostages ! ALL S Africa's provisional measure were chucked out
    2
  6994. That's a biggy : it obviously detonated the tank's arsenal.
    2
  6995. Excellent
    2
  6996.  @paulanthonydelacruz7215  The Bible says, Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold.” India has sold its good name for cheap oil and Russian arms. Based on the Hindu proverb "I'm alright Jack" I hope Israel doesn't besmirch its national honour.
    2
  6997. Genocidal Turkey are attacking civilians once again. Look at history :- The Bulgarian atrocities The Armenian genocide The Greek massacres Turkey have different values to Europeans. They are hated by all their neighbours. Look at the artist in Turkish prison for doing a painting of a Turkish atrocity :- https://news.artnet.com/art-world/painter-zehra-dogan-sentenced-to-jail-for-artwork-902015
    2
  6998. Everyone hates the Saudi. Why does Trump humiliate them in his speeches , when he's supposed to have a good relationship with MBS ? Because he despises them, as we all do.
    2
  6999.  @senoadjiaditya1535  , I'm not so sure. You may be right. But, for example, 78% of US folk want a hard-line on China........Trump Also, 63% (of Fox News viewers) don't believe the Covid-19 death toll totals. I do agree that Trump's Tulsa rally was a disaster, but I wouldn't call this election until after the debates.
    2
  7000. Jokes like that could keep him in the running until March at least. Another joke that good and he'll be moving up from 4th to joint 3rd.
    2
  7001. LOL "Palestinian police", you mean Hamas Hamas rule in Gaza - they are ALL Hamas There is no independent police force :Hamas is not an accountable, representative government. Hamas are thugs, the police are Hamas thugs
    2
  7002. The system :- US spy satellites pinpoint the artillery with GPS location. Real-time intelligence goes straight to Ukraine. Artillery battalions are given coordinates : action, fire, Boom. Same again tomorrow.
    2
  7003. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    2
  7004.  Vinland  "Cancelling Russian culture" sounds obscene after one has witnessed the Bucha atrocities. As if Russia's contribution to civilization is wort the price.
    2
  7005. I hope France provides some Exocets to pound Russia's Black Sea fleet.
    2
  7006. Good question. This is a typical Al Jazeera lacuna : there is no intelligence behind Al Jazeera's reports : they are often made by college kids. Let me have a guess. It sounds as though there is only one plant, and they have had no rain - so it's just about the only source of water. If the population is 20,000, that would be 1 litre per person per day. I think that is the daily total. Oh, I just checked the population is half a million, so kindly ignore my speculation.
    2
  7007.  @SerBallister  I can't compose a fresh synopsis of French history for each comment. France dislikes NATO, and I'm giving you an historical context. Macron's response to AUKUS can also be explained by history. Macron's statements : "Countries should nt gang up on China", and "We must not humiliate Russia", can also be explained by history. I'm saving you years of research.
    2
  7008.  @CypherNeo101  , that is very true, but in a sense that is a strength of democracy. In 1865 the Young Ottoman (reformer) Namik Kemal said he wanted the Ottoman's to adopt the British system of constitutional democracy, "With the indomitable power of public opinion against authority". In other words those in power must act in accordance with public opinion or they will be out. This is often negative and against national interests : eg) the Crimean War (1854) : the Russians had retreated back across the river Pruth, the Austrian army had occupied Moldavia and Tsar Nicholas I was humiliated, but a spirit of national adventurism had taken hold and so against all military advice the seige of Sevastopol took place.
    2
  7009.  @ahmadrama9802  , you make some good points, but do you honestly think Fatah will ever hand over power to a rival party ? Do you think the ANC in S Africa will ever relinquish power ? Not in our lifetimes.
    2
  7010. Trump's Deal :- a) immediate ceasefire b) Russia agree to hand back some territory in exchange for Ukraine recognising Russian sovereignty of Crimea and Donbas It stinks ! Ukraine must keep fighting - and force Europe to help them Trump will sell out Ukraine and Taiwan
    2
  7011. If your idea of a President is a Noob then vote for Beto. A guy that uses the "F" word in front of his wife and daughter. Who goes into the woods to find himself. Goes on a road-trip to connect with himself. And has it all recorded on a documentary.....about himself.
    2
  7012.  @bendouglas5607  , what the hell does "Bye" mean ? I've never seen a debate where a speaker closes his opening statement by declaring "Bye". Have some confidence in your convictions. Why not round off your opening remarks with "Bring it on".
    2
  7013.  @paragraph339stgb3  I like to learn history : I wish you had pointed out which part was false ! I backed up everything with researched quotes. Gladstone's pamphlet “The Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East” (1876) An Allied report (in June 1921) stated that 12,000 Greeks were massacred and 30 villages destroyed. Ambassador Morgenthau's Story (1918) :- the book is a primary source regarding the Armenian Genocide, and the Greek Genocide during the last years of the Ottoman Empire.
    2
  7014. Morocco denies the allegations - well they would wouldn't they. (That is a reference to the British political sex scandal 'Christine Keeler, it was her reply to the MP's denial, "Well he would wouldn't he" )
    2
  7015. "....until they can be reunited with their recovered owners". The Italian nurse said, "We've never weaned anyone off a respirator".
    2
  7016. UNRWA supply Hamas with food and supplies Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    2
  7017. Palestinians need democracy. Why are they a one-party state ? Yaser Arafat ruled like a dictator for 40yrs with his own secret police who beat or killed any Palestinian critics. Arafat also looted $3billion from the people. Fatah have continued the practice. If you don't believe me go to a meeting and ask about corruption, you will be dragged outside and beaten.
    2
  7018. Snake, good point. And ,archaeologically, dig down and it is Jewish all the way.
    2
  7019. No nobody is saying that. They are just saying look who's Prime Minister.....another Dave Lee-Travis, a Benny Hill type groper.
    2
  7020. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    2
  7021. I hope IRAN is invaded or at least bombed into submission. It is an Islamofascist state and has just used it's ARMY to kill its own citizens who protested against Islamic theocratic dictators. There is clearly a huge portion of the population wants to see the regime brought down. Saudi, Israel and USA will have watched these events and will use them to justify an attack. I hope its successful.
    2
  7022.  @slow-mo_moonbuggy  , but ask yourself why did Maduro change the constitution, why did he promote 2000 corrupt generals ? Also, the Chavistas have been in power 20yrs ; how long are they going to rule, forever ? Name another democracy that promotes 2000 generals and rules indefinitely, then ask yourself whether it's really a dictatorship.
    2
  7023.  @she825  NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    2
  7024.  @she825  "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD Himars are destroying Russian ammo and fuel dumps, the missiles are wrecking Russian logistics and command centres. HImars are a game changer.
    2
  7025.  @r1rider787  , you are quite right, I'm just giving an historical perspective. I'm saying that 3 million haven't been killed (which is what Pakistan did in the Bangladesh War) And 250,000 women and girls haven't been raped :- Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months
    2
  7026. Well done Ursula von der Leyden : a very brave journey, and a firm message of resolve. Macron wants to recommence dialogue with Putin : "Pas de recul ", said Ursula (no backsliding) Historian Tim Snyder of Yale voiced the consensus when he said, "Peace isn't possible with Putin, only the military defeat of Russia can end the war"
    2
  7027.  @RebeccaTurner-ny1xx  In 1948 Trans-Jordan occupied the West Bank !967 Israel took it back That land was never a Palestinian state Palestinians rejected a UN 2-state solution n 1947
    2
  7028. How times change. When Pakistan went into Bangladesh they killed 3 million.
    2
  7029.  Farhad Drafsh  , think about it......how do you think science progresses ? Because wrong headed theories are weeded out. It is a process that everyone engages in. The same happens with news : idiot fringe media is on the fringe because it is clap-trap produced for morons. Main-stream is always biased but based on facts. They simply emphasise what suits them. You idiots with your alternative news are living in half-wit land. All the facts I've mentioned are accepted by historians. Let's see some facts from you ; let's all have a laugh at your fringe theory.
    2
  7030. World opinion is a fine thing :- a) It prevents China doing a Tienanmen Square in Hong Kong b) It prevents India doing a Bangladesh (Pakistan killed 3 million) in Kashmir.
    2
  7031. Trump would call Nepal a $hithole country..... ....and he'd be right.
    2
  7032. WRONG Before Oct 7th there were 500 "trucks" going in NOT 500 "trucks of aid" Most trucks were consumer goods There were 100-150 trucks of food So DW is WRONG again That's what comes of using college kids
    2
  7033.  @olegrudkovskyi7616  The Kremlin made a statement to say "Bags of rice were found" The Kremlin said officers were conducting an alertness test. Yet police bomb experts spent 90 mins diffusing an actual bomb. Russian official sources provided that information.
    2
  7034.  @atsuini  Fair point. Lord Owen was referring to the enormous nuclear firepower of the US. One submarine carries 8 missiles, each missile has 12 warheads, and each warhead is 100 Hiroshimas. It is awesome firepower. Russia would be wiped off the map in minutes.
    2
  7035.  @jasonmcroberts7994  Each US submarine holds 8 missiles, each missile has 12 warheads, and each warhead is 100 x Hiroshima. That is why Lord Owen said, "The Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear firepower". Russia CANNOT wipe out the USA, but the USA certainly can destroy every city in Russia. And the Russian generals know that.
    2
  7036. The Speaker must resign !
    2
  7037. Trump called Mexico a $hithole country. (I think most folk would agree)
    2
  7038. Feb 2022 Germany blocked : a) RAF weapons b) 3rd party transfers (Estonia howitzers) c) direct sales They sent 5000 tin-hats Boris : "Germany wanted a quick victory for Russia" With friends like that, who needs enemies ?
    2
  7039. If Trump is such a dummy why are the Democrats preparing to run a 2020 candidate on his policies ? The DNC say they want to rewrite trade deals and invest in infrastructure projects. It turns out Trump was correct then.
    1
  7040. Obama pardoned all the Hillary crooks for crimes they may have committed. Not specific, just anything illegal up to a certain date. Democrats are a bunch of crooked thugs. Look at rapist Bill meeting the Attorney general Loretta Lynch on a plane.......by accident. With no witnesses present (everyone told to leave). Bunch of crooks.
    1
  7041. Incompetent, unhinged,stupendously ignorant, egotistical,delusional and melodramatic ; I think Trump has had his fun and it's probably time for him to go.
    1
  7042. This is nonsense. Applying for Visas isn't illegal it is commercial sense. Trump can't run his business into the ground to just please Pakman. There is nothing contradictory about making sound business decisions and yet wanting an end to immigration.
    1
  7043. My understanding is no. When she drops out she may be eligible to vote along with the DNC committee , I'm not sure ,but it would be just one vote.
    1
  7044. So we have an offside and a forward pass , any more bids ?
    1
  7045. Mike Rogers' wife was on the board of Aegis which provided security for embassies abroad : he had a vested interest in a cover-up ; why is it you don't mention that ? Perhaps it doesn't suit your agenda ? But you should inform people.
    1
  7046. Maduro is a bus driver who doesn't understand economics. He sacked a finance minister who was trying to rectify the country's economy. If only running a country was like driving a bus Maduro would be World Champ.
    1
  7047. I hope you are wrong : I'd hate to see the Saudis have to work for a living.
    1
  7048. You are a credit to Somaliland sharing those wise words. Good luck to the Kurds !
    1
  7049. Poor old Bernie.........they say there's a sucker born every minute.
    1
  7050. God-dam lefty BBC traitors.
    1
  7051. EU gas use has dropped about 25% from 2010-2014 and the trend is for it to rapidly decrease over coming years. This is why investment in supply projects is being re-evaluated.
    1
  7052. LOL for rigging the Primary be feeding Hillary the answers. Nice one !
    1
  7053. The ANC will never hand over power peacefully. It's the story of Africa.
    1
  7054. I think the world would be a better place if this Pakistani Fakir was put to &%$£.
    1
  7055. UK = England, Scotland, Wales, N.Ireland Britain = England, Scotland, Wales (The island, land mass) Great Britain is just used historically or maybe for sports. I could be wrong.
    1
  7056. And Arafat was a great guy......he only stole $3 billion from the Palestinian people. He had to. In the final years it was only through bribing his enemies and rewarding his friends that he could stay in power. And also using his 5 intelligence agencies to beat up any critics. Ever see a Palestinian call him corrupt ? Obviously not, it was a sure way to be killed.
    1
  7057. I haven't watched Pakman for a while but this is a great performance. Very enjoyable.
    1
  7058. Ernest Becker has his head up his ass. He personifies the uselessness of Philosophy.
    1
  7059. Good try. Allow me to add some facts. Scotland CANNOT veto the Brexit. The EU will NOT entertain Scotland somehow remaining a member. SCotland will not vote to secede because it can't afford it (since 2008 the UK has grown 23% Scotland has grown 4%). The EU are taking a hard-line to deter a domino effect. They cannot afford to let the UK leave the single market. The compromise will be Associate Membership (the German Finance Ministry acknowledged that). France is already saying the EU needs to reform and compromise. Obviously Brussels wants to maintain a hard-line as a starting point for negotiations : it doesn't want to have back-pedalled before article 50 has even been triggered.
    1
  7060.  @troller8680 " while Stalin was responsible for at least 6 million, and as many as 9 million if “foreseeable” deaths caused by deportation, starvation, and incarceration in concentration camps are included." Those are foreseeable deaths - that he knew would happen. Add the accidental or collateral deaths and that will be double the foreseeable, so you have 9 + 18 = 27 million deaths. I think that's near enough 30.
    1
  7061. Do you know where the last Caliph headed (1924) ? Switzerland. They wouldn't let hm in because he had too many wives. But I assume the made some concessions, or maybe he just chose one wife and retired the others.
    1
  7062. Obama pardoned all the Hillary crooks for crimes they may have committed. Not specific, just anything illegal up to a certain date. Democrats are a bunch of crooked thugs. Look at rapist Bill meeting the Attorney general Loretta Lynch on a plane.......by accident. With no witnesses present (everyone told to leave). Bunch of crooks.
    1
  7063. Good luck. Bringing democracy to North Africa is an uphill struggle. Not only did the Caliphate collapse (1922) leaving 90% illiteracy ; but it left the people without a clue about democracy or statehood.
    1
  7064.  Simon. Tesfaye  Are you having a laugh ?
    1
  7065. When she says, "China is not self-sufficent yet" She means developing a consumer economy. China will NEVER be self sufficent. They can't feed themselves and must import food and they need energy imports (oil & gas).
    1
  7066. Germany still refuse to allow Lithuania to send Howitzers to Ukraine. (Damned German 5th columnists).
    1
  7067. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  7068.  MEBEARDOG  , a good example of Spanish/America is the devotion of Eva Peron......the Argentinians recognised their subjection to authority and pleaded for benefices by worshipping her as a deity. That could never happen in the protestant north. Catholicism by its nature is subjugation : the laity subject themselves to clerical absolute power. Religion to a large extent sank Spanish-America. (and still does). We had Ecclesiastical courts in England where the clergy could literally get away with murder. They were abolished at the Clarendon Assizes in 1166.
    1
  7069. @Jack of all trades - Master of none , It has nothing to do with race. My example (Hugh Trevor-Roper's example) of Flanders is all European. It is the different societies : Spanish/Catholic divine rule. Dutch/Merchant law & assemblies.
    1
  7070. Canada don't worry Trump has a plan : he's going to release her as part of trade negotiations that benefit the U.S.
    1
  7071. How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  7072.  @videogamestutorial  1917 Battle of Tannenburg : the Russians were slaughtered. Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles. Do some research.
    1
  7073.  @StPiter111  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  7074.  @StPiter111  Don't talk daft. This war was a gamble by Putin that didn't pay off. Russia isn't going to go nuclear over a gamble. Everyone knows that. The Kremlin are embarrassing themselves with their hysterics. Future generations of Russians will look back with shame on this episode.
    1
  7075.  @heisenberg0078  The main Russian battleships have fled to Novorussiysk. The Kremlin correctly believes Ukraine already has 300km Himars, and are just waiting for the green light from the US to be able to use them.
    1
  7076.  @StPiter111  NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  7077.  @StPiter111  Afghanistan was a sideshow, yet the US stayed 20yrs and spent $5 trillion. Ukraine is the Main Event : the US will stay at least 20yrs and spend double.
    1
  7078.  @StPiter111  Great news : Around Kharkiv in the northeast, Ukrainian troops captured the town of Dovhenke from Russian occupiers and were advancing towards Izium, Ukrainian Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in a video posted on YouTube. The Ukrainins are now only 10km from the vital transit hub Izyum.
    1
  7079. Toro, that is an interesting bagful of ideas you have. Let's see if we can make sense of them :- a) China massed their army on the N Korean border because they didn't want 100,000s refuges pouring across when the US struck. (Russia massed troops on its border for the same reason) b) Obama did not kill Kim's brother ! (You idiot) c) Trump may take action against China........but let's deal with things one at a time : first N Korea.
    1
  7080. Elections : Mahmoud Abbas must be kicking himself. This is a great excuse to cancel democracy. If only he hadn't jumped the gun.
    1
  7081. Meatwaggon , you are a fount of information. Very interesting. Of course the woes of a country are generally the fault of the people : look at Russia : they vote for Gangsters in the Kremlin in huge numbers. look at S Africa : a corrupt ANC one party state : people vote for them. look at Zimbabwe : inflation at 3000% and they still vote ZANU PF look at USA : tax cuts for the rich, deficit up by $1.5 trillion
    1
  7082. Meatwaggon, allow me to metaphorically gerrymander your polemic :- Imagine Hillary wanted to butter-up the Bankers, who had speech-slipped several million dollars her way, she might offer the fooltard liberals a bribe (say raising the minimum wage) to get a package of deregulation and tax-cuts-for-the-fat-cats through Congress.
    1
  7083. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  7084. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  7085. Sunak looks like Metternich, he walks like Metternich One could easily imagine Sunak chased from Vienna in 1848
    1
  7086. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  7087. Why ? Russia denied sending the BUK missile which shot down MH17 killing hundreds of civilians. Russia denies everything, even when there is 100% proof. Russia is like North Korea - simply a nation of barbarians that must be isolated.
    1
  7088. Corbyn & Ukraine :- Who could doubt Corbyn would've supported the Kremlin, by advocating a peace-policy to deny Ukraine weapons. Everyone knows Corbyn is a foolish traitor.
    1
  7089.  @issigonis975  Sartre did attend Nazi soirees. After the war he claimed to be gathering intelligence. It was the excuse most collaborators used. Don't research Wikipedia - that's for children, they remove anything contentious. I suggest you research the weapons sent to Ukraine by nation : you will find the French contribution is risible.
    1
  7090. Iran :the Ayatollah uses Hezbollah thugs to beat up protestors. China uses Triad gangster thugs to beat up protestors. The Axis of Evil : China , Russia, Iran, North Korea.......
    1
  7091. Hope Trump is revealing national security information to Putin. The £ucking dotard actually suggested inviting Russian cyber experts to set up a US defence against hacking (remember that ? Who'd even think of that except a treasonous ,money-laundering bag-man for Moscow mafia funds).
    1
  7092. Ursula von der Leyden has Europe's full confidence. She has replaced Merkel as the natural leader of the EU. Zero fear is the theme, unity is the message, and strength is the goal.
    1
  7093. Russia can't build a civilisation : it can only destroy and conquer. Like Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol".
    1
  7094. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  7095. Racing drivers wear flame-retardant suits. Russian generals should get some of that kit.
    1
  7096. The Russians have learnt nothing, and forgotten nothing. They have been losing for centuries.... Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  7097. What are those instruments on the blue gloves, are they scalpels ?
    1
  7098. It will NEVER happen. It is opposed by the Pentagon, Republican senators, Republican congressmen, Fox News, veterans and the entire population of the US (with the exception of that famous traitor Dr Ron Paul)
    1
  7099. Wow ! If that's the worse Al Jazeera can come up with : a woman driving a car arrested, then Saudi can't be doing bad.
    1
  7100. "Democracy at risk" by breaking the law and demonstrating ? What about Suffragettes ? Electoral reform ? Almost all liberal progress has resulted from demonstrations against the law
    1
  7101. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" ie France surrendered Good luck with France as an ally (Europe will always need the Yanks)
    1
  7102.  комиссар полиции обвиняет  Ask yourself why all Russia's neighbours fear and HATE Russia ? Russia is a backwards country, it is an Asiatic Autocracy trying to pass itself off as Enlightened European. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  7103. Corbyn & Ukraine :- Who could doubt Corbyn would've supported the Kremlin, by advocating a peace-policy to deny Ukraine weapons. Everyone knows Corbyn is a foolish traitor.
    1
  7104. Human rights activists begged Assange not to publish everything. They asked him to hand his material to other journalists so relevant information could be selected. Assange wanted all the attention : he didn't want to share anything with other journalists, so he published the whole lot. This jeopardized the lives of activists in despotic regimes. But Assange had got the attention he craved.
    1
  7105.  @johnsch1988  Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  7106. French school history books, after WW2, had to pretend France liberated itself. Such was the humiliation felt by De Gaulle. The same is happening over Macron's "We must not humiliate Russia" remark. They are pretending he said, "We must not say we are going to annihilate Russia"
    1
  7107.  @ngonzales3781  1950 : Mohammed Mossadegh Iranian prime minister, overthrown by CIA and BP (British Petroleum). A very sad episode. I read a biography of Mossadegh, it was a shame how things turned out. I suppose the only defence is to say it happened during the cold-war. And there was a large Communist party in Iran. A sad episode. Quite regrettable. A missed opportunity.
    1
  7108. Covid isolation-madness has driven Putin to despair, now Imran Khan wants to paralyse Pak. Whatever happened to sensible nations ? A steady hand on the tiller, wise words, and dignified sagacity - the qualities of leadership.
    1
  7109. Putin has put Russia on "High Nuclear Alert" If Russia attacks the USA, then the USA will retaliate. But also China will take both barrels. A devastated USA cannot leave China intact. Xi should be aware of this whilst he's backing Putin. The US has phenomenal firepower in nuclear armed submarines : they would turn China into a wasteland.
    1
  7110. Where Eagles Dare.....good result. Mon Capitaine. Tomorrow : Ukraine Defence Contact Group (42 members) discuss the next tranche of weapons. Fingers crossed for some heavy metal.
    1
  7111. Lord Dannatt has changed his tune : "You can't defeat Russia" Was his original position Dannatt opposed any intervention, it was shocking to watch his appeasement position
    1
  7112. Killed in a HARD LANDING, how is that possible ?
    1
  7113. No fear. Lord Owen said on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  7114. Iran said ....... But the Ayatollah is a liar. Remember the passenger plane they shot down in Tehran. The Ayatollah lied for 7 days until mobile phone footage showed the truth to the world. The Ayatollah is a theocratic, fascist liar.
    1
  7115. Palestinian support = student nutcases and the Axis of Evil
    1
  7116. 3:10 "She sounds like a nitwit at the Young Turks"
    1
  7117. Sky-writing : it is saying "Up yours Delors" But translated into Russian for Putin.
    1
  7118. Is that the same Mike Flynn who took $400,000 from Erdoğan (Turkey) and forgot to mention it ? Are we talking about the same slime-ball ?
    1
  7119. Photographic evidence shows the missile attack. The Russians are shameless liars. (Of course Indian sympathisers will agree with Kremlin lies).
    1
  7120.  @derricklarsen462  "Job done" There employer is now in the hot seat. Those Rambos will be singing like canaries.
    1
  7121. The UN usually finds itself helping Hamas and Hezbollah
    1
  7122. Palestinians side with "The Axis of Evil" (Russia, Iran etc) Silly students won't change that
    1
  7123. Eric Trump said, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". Nuff said.
    1
  7124. Nurullah, surely you don't think it is worth losing your rights for economic success ? That's what China offers Taiwan : reunite and grow at 7% but lose all freedom and rights. (Taiwan said "No thanks") Apparently if you lived in Taiwan you'd have said,"Okay". That's what Erdogan has done for you : beguiled you with temporary economic growth while he stripped you of a free secular society
    1
  7125. Oil ? I'm sure she means Hydrocarbons......which are long chain molecules found in oil.
    1
  7126.  @falconeaterf15  , the USA are imbeciles. I said when they occupied the country - "This is the Franco-Prussian war all over". (1871) The Germans collapsed the French government (Napoleon III) and had nobody to negotiate with. They had to garrison the country for months as the French sorted themselves out. Meanwhile, the German harvest needs bringing in and the soldiers are all twiddling their thumbs in France. One has to leave a structural administration in place. Then one can purge it of criminals as time goes by.
    1
  7127. Guterres : "This is an evil war" The Kremlin thugs have unleashed the barbaric Russian army, destroyed cities, tortured civilians, raped women, murdered and mutilated thousands. The Orthodox Patriarch, Rolex-watch-wearing Kiril has called it a holy war, and he is the most ungodly man in Russia : a KGB informer exposed by Glasnost files in 1990, who informed on his fellow clerics and parishioners. Russia is a dystopia : rotten to the core.
    1
  7128. Fauci is a proven liar.
    1
  7129. Fatah will rig the elections (not allow opposition to stand). Too many corrupt people would lose everything. Fatah & Hamas just want their card punched, so they can say they represent the people. Prepare yourself for a faux election.
    1
  7130. Troy (below) says "That is good he tried to overthrow a democratic government he should be locked up he is a criminal." Which is quite right ; so ask yourself 'Why the timidity ?' Why is Maduro and the military so pusillanimous ? Do you need anyone to tell you, okay :- They don't know who to trust. Obviously Maduro trusts the 2000 corrupt generals and he trusts the corrupt Attorney general. But they are all elite ; when it comes to action you have to depend on ordinary folk who are suffering. They won't dare mobile the military because they have no idea where their loyalty lies. Maduro's motorbike thugs will continue firing shotguns but they won't dare bring the military out for fear the troops head to the palace and depose Maduro.
    1
  7131. USA = $773 billion on defence each year India is on the side of Russia, taking Putin's advice on which Russian junk to purchase. India's aircraft carrier : a sitting duck for Chinese missiles = $3.2 billion wasted. Modi is a clueless old man, living in the last century, and taking advice from his friend Putin. Russia is a loser nation. The USA is a powerhouse superpower in a League of its own.
    1
  7132.  @Spectra12  "show us what superpower can do?" It can simply build 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines to blockade China. AUKUS will deliver another 9 nuclear submarines to Australia. Britain already has 11. No nation can compete with the USA I thank God the USA is defending the Civilized World.
    1
  7133.  @Spectra12  "Then how is Russia wrong " If you cannot see that the Russian savage invasion is wrong, then you are not a member of humanity. You must be some deluded psycho.
    1
  7134. Media "age baiting" Biden was ugly Get behind behind and stop age baiting Biden's judgement is GOOD
    1
  7135. "Israel refuses to negotiate" Palestinians refused a UN 2-state solution in 1948 They refused again at Camp David in 2000 The Palestine always have delusional demands (Which they drop 20 years later when it's too late)
    1
  7136. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  7137. Sultan, my thoughts exactly. However, the Houthi are probably no better than Saudis. I would imagine they don't allow women rights and persecute non-believers .
    1
  7138. Micron promises "Jam Tomorrow" 13 Oct Macron declares nuclear neutrality But tomorrow when the EU joins macron's European Defence Force France will provide a security deterrence Cowardice today - courage tomorrow Macron's policy
    1
  7139. I wish it had been in the sights of a stinger.
    1
  7140. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "Nuclear neutrality" Europe cannot rely on France France will capitulate and collaborate every time (Vichy is just below the surface)
    1
  7141.  @WizardJon  I notice that you are living comfortably in a Western country. No Axis of Evil for you. Perhaps you should go to one of those despotic countries for a holiday. Who knows, you may get a taste of their justice (ie brutality).
    1
  7142.  @GaryGraham-sx4pm  , I'm afraid it is governments who have a monopoly on snipers. Look at Iran : Police snipers on rooftops murdering unarmed protestors. Of course Iran will be supporting the Myanmar coup, as is China & Russia - the old Axis of Evil.
    1
  7143. God bless him.
    1
  7144. Rejoice at this news ! Russians are in full retreat and blowing up bridges to stop the Ukraine Offensive on Kherson. "The Russians have punched through in 3 places", Prof Michael Clarke.
    1
  7145. 18 Nov 2022 — Australia has entered 'nuclear confrontation' with China, says Emmanuel Macron. Macron is vindictive and a poor ally for the west
    1
  7146. 18 Nov 2022 — Australia has entered 'nuclear confrontation' with China, says Emmanuel Macron Macron is vindictive (post AUKUS) France is the worst ally the west could have
    1
  7147. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Shirley described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  7148. How much worse could things get if the West sanctioned Pakistan, stopped state aid and allowed it to disintegrate ?
    1
  7149. Very enjoyable. Well presented, well explained and enlightening. The Royal Institute Christmas lecture is going to look a bit tame after this sledgehammer.
    1
  7150. The French guy inspires ZERO confidence Trust Trump on Iran The Ayatollah claims he doesn't want nukes - what a liar !
    1
  7151. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    1
  7152. I fear Bernie is a bit of a petrified old wax-work. Everyone likes him but........I think it's Elizabeth Warren's turn.
    1
  7153.  @JustMe-ec2ph  interesting comment. I must take issue with you on Assange : Wikileaks is hand-in-glove with the Kremlin and so is Assange. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/sep/18/julian-assange-wikileaks-nick-cohen https://washingtonmonthly.com/2019/07/15/ecuador-concluded-that-assange-has-ties-to-russian-intelligence/ You are on the wrong side of history if you are backing Assange. What I mean is you will have egg on your face. Like all the intellectuals who backed Stalin and turned a purblind eye to the Gulags. The evidence is right in your face !
    1
  7154. Mugabe has the goods on everyone : the Judge is corrupt , the accusers are corrupt and Mugabe has all the details. Everyone is tainted and nobody wants it to come out. The Impeachment will have to be held in Camera.
    1
  7155. This guy is pro-Hamas He never mentions reparations for the massacre Why shouldn't Hamas and Iran pay reparations ?
    1
  7156. The UN famously had Libya's chief torturer as chairman of the human rights committee The French representative of Amnesty International blames Ukraine One wonders who will defend Western Civilisation Certainly ATACMS & F-16s are the answer Russia only responds to force
    1
  7157. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  7158. .....and all that budget would be much better spent on AI. Space is made for AI, humans are a waste of time : they need watering entertaining, psychologically monitoring etc AI can spend a thousand years reprogramming and upgrading itself between Galaxies.
    1
  7159.  @MrFancyFingers  , "it's a pipe dream" while ever it's underfunded. Space-cadets have no conception of how big the problem is.....getting out of our Solar System will take 500yrs. It must be obvious to everyone that AI will be incomparably superior by then.
    1
  7160.  @lhaviland8602  , nobody is saying it's either war or a space colony. The question is AI investment or Flash Gordon waste of money. Imagine the human emerging after a 1000yr space voyage : desiccated, atrophied and a psychological wreck. Compared to an AI unit which would have improved itself ten thousandfold en-route.
    1
  7161. The entire Western World is supporting Ukraine's fight for freedom. ( A Great shame Germany sabotaged the delivery of weapons :- by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania from donating a 155mm howitzer)
    1
  7162. Well done. It is too easy to mock the Russians - they are simply deplorable.
    1
  7163. Trump DIDN'T have a private email server in his bathroom though.
    1
  7164. Russian b@rbarians - can never be trusted. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia"
    1
  7165. Russian citizens have no appetite for fighting Ukrainians. That is why Putin is evacuating citizens : he needs to generate enthusiasm, to encourage Russians into believing in a persecution.
    1
  7166. Boris will use a water-cannon.......he bought 2 second-hand from Germany.
    1
  7167. Thank goodness Kashmir is not Bangladesh. Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,00. " In 2008, D'Costa attempted to find those who had been adopted, however very few responded, one who did said "I hated being a kid, and I am angry at Bangladesh for not taking care of me when I needed it most. I don’t have any roots and that makes me cry. So that is why I am trying to learn more about where I was born."
    1
  7168. The axis of evil.
    1
  7169. Muhammed, when Trump says "Russia control Germany" it's hyperbole like when he said, "Obama created ISIS" . He's exaggerating for effect, that's his style (I'm not advocating it). The fact is Trump has a point , Russia has an energy noose round Germany's neck.
    1
  7170. The EU always take it to one minute to midnight.
    1
  7171.  @clairduffy60  , quite honestly I think the Ireland border is nonsense. Imagine £2 million is smuggled across the border : it's a drop in the ocean. Imagine a few hundred immigrants cross : it's negligible. You only need cameras to check every 100th lorry - correlate it with its drop-off point, then fine them heavily for smuggling. Who cares if 80% get away with it : both sides of the border benefit.
    1
  7172.  @swanky_yuropean7514  , all borders are porous to some degree (even German & French) nobody gets prosecuted for porous borders. If anyone thinks excessive smuggling is taking place levy a £10 million fine ; it's peanuts. Total EU spending in Ireland: € 1.818 billion I think you are missing the scale : smuggling (or fines) are peanuts. We are talking billions in trade and funding. The N Ireland border is a red-herring. Wisely dreamt up by the EU , who can legitimately occupy the high-moral-ground while placing a deal wrecker into the mix. The EU are experts at this. The UK's team was led by lazy David Davies and hard working civil servants but they're not in the same league as the EU.
    1
  7173.  @swanky_yuropean7514  , I may have it wrong I'm no expert. But this is why I think you're wrong :- "The average EU tariff is pretty low about 2.8% for non-agricultural products" Most audited companies pay this by default. Customs officials only check 1% of imports if that. So what is your point ? Any border only checks a fraction, most companies pay legitimately , so where is the need for an iron-curtain ? The issue actually is smuggling & illegal immigration and that's the UK's problem not the EU.
    1
  7174. The 2 state solution is looking good : how would you like Hamas as a neighbour ? Where is that old crook Mahmoud Abbas ? The old Western stereotype used to present Arab leaders as unprincipled, untrustworthy and corrupt. Mahmoud Abbas should be trying to shake that image.
    1
  7175. What about the BUK missile that shot down MH17 ? Drunken Russian thugs in Donbas laughed as they shot down a "Ukrainian Cargo plane", only to find out it was a passenger pane.
    1
  7176. India is in trouble. If you think Russia is being humiliated, wait until you see India in action. They have a 1.5 million man welfare army, and a pile of Russian junk. Their "aircraft carrier" is a symbol for how antiquated and out of touch they are.
    1
  7177.  @isaacseyi4160  In 1940 Britain stood alone against the Nazis. Russia had made a pact with Hitler - to divide Poland (again 1772, 1793, 1795) Britain refused a treaty on moral grounds. Russia simply fought for its life.
    1
  7178.  @bezbthatdude4558  LOL The Crimean war (1853-56). Russia said it would never accept neutralisation of the Black Sea. What happened ? At the Treaty of Paris (1856) Russia accepted neutralisation of the Black Sea and removed its fleet. Russia will also leave Ukraine. The Kremlin always says something is unthinkable until they are defeated - then it is thinkable.
    1
  7179. "Date back to the 1980s" Surely longer than that. The Hanseatic League must have traded with Brittany. And even before that.....Brittany only united with France in 1532, When Anne of Brittany was coerced into marrying the French king Charles VIII, then his son Louis XII. Maybe there was a marriage to a Polish noble earlier, I'm not sure. The England Bohemia connection stems from the marriage of Richard III to Anne of Bohemia. That was how protestantism spread from England (John Wycliffe) to Jan Huss, and hence to Luther.
    1
  7180. Place sanctions on China if it provides any aid to Russia (including food ration packs - the Russian military are being served tinned dog-food). Place an embargo on oil. Intercept tankers and tell them to return from whence they came. In other words, blockade China.
    1
  7181. No surprises that France are supporting the Kremlin France collaborated with the Nazis in North Africa and fought against Britain and the US. France collaborated with the Nazis in Europe. France collaborated with the Japanese in Indochina. Every president post WW2 had been a collaborator. People have very low expectations for France. The only time France got tough was when the bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland killing a Green-Peace activist.
    1
  7182. Dan, you are quite right, there were as many if not more proud & brave French men.......but they weren't represented in the political class. Every postwar President was tarnished with accusations of being a collaborator. Most of them used Jean Paul Stare's response ,"I was only pretending". Many heroes of the Resistance were denied promotion in the Police force because of suspected Communist sympathies. So the collaborating police officers were favoured for promotion.
    1
  7183. Not "extremists" : most Israelis think it's a great idea 68% of Israel support Trump's plan In the UK Trump also has majority support : folk like common sense ideas
    1
  7184. Moscow regards France as a "neutral" country, how does that happen ? Because France is only half engaged with NATO and keeps close contact with the enemy. Vichy France is not an aberration, it is French culture :- a) Macron : "Countries should not gang up on China" b) Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" c) Macron asks Iran to be a peacemaker in Ukraine France instinctively places a foot in the enemy camp : they don't try to hide it, they are shameless.
    1
  7185. Russian humiliation in Ukraine makes an attack MORE likely Russia will want to appear a victim - where better than Transnistria The Russian public will then "understand" Russia is a victim of NATO It will throw shade on the Red Army's miserable performance
    1
  7186. However, the freeze reportedly does not apply to military aid for Ukraine. This clarification came from Oleksandr Kovalenko, director of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD).
    1
  7187. Assange released "Everything" even classified secrets to help Russia and China There was too much for him to sift - so he released the lot The Russians & Chinese were laughing Assange needs locking up Leak war crime stuff, okay, but Assange helped Russia, Iran China etc
    1
  7188.  Saroj Bantawa  But India has given Moscow a nod & wink. Surely you must see how disgraceful that response is. This invasion by Russia is the defining moment for the 21st century :young people in India will have to live with the shame of Modi supporting the Axis of Evil
    1
  7189.  Saroj Bantawa  Putin knows NATO could polish off his forces in months, that is why he is always threatening to go nuclear. Which is why NATO can only supply indirect assistance.
    1
  7190.  @reach2prasanna  Nobody is asking for Indian sanctions ! Simply DON'T abstain in the UN. When the vote was taken, India abstained (which is a nod & wink of approval to Moscow). 3 words that describe ..... India : Courteous, civil and spineless. Pakistan : belligerent, bankrupt and ignorant.
    1
  7191.  @aparnachatterji1  Once again India focuses on themselves. The Ukraine war is the defining event of the 21st century. India must stop being so parochial and myopic. India must decide on Democratic Civilization or the Axis of Evil. At the moment Modi is with Russia.
    1
  7192. Sweet spot ? You are kidding :India is despised by all and sundry. Remember Putin snatching the ceremonial sword from Modi ? Putin looks down his nose at Modi. Biden calls him "shaky". India is living in fantasy land.
    1
  7193. "Without US support Israel would change its conduct" Yes. It would be MUCH more aggressive After Oct 7th Natanyahu told Blinken he intended to nuke Iran - that's why they spoke for 7hrs, and the next day Biden & Sullivan had to make guarantees. The US fund Israel to prevent the annihilation of Iran
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  7194. Good punchline. Ouch.
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  7195. The Taliban used football stadiums for torture events :- prisoners were tortured and hanged, women were stoned to death. If given the opportunity, a Taliban would gladly kill his opponent in a suicide attack. They are not normal POWs. They have a desire for martyrdom.
    1
  7196. No what is killing the EU is intolerant (totalitarian) liberal democracy. That believes in open borders and multiculturalism and despises anyone that disagrees.
    1
  7197.  @gauravpdaksh  Thanks for that question. My comment was 'stream of consciousness' that the description of Gandhi had inspired.
    1
  7198. Anne , give me one example where God punished anyone . God never so much as buttered a parsnip.
    1
  7199. Iran should say "Yes" to direct talks. Last time they completely hoodwinked Obama and Biden, Remember Zafira laughing his head off at the signing ceremony. The Ayatollah stitched Obama and Biden up like a couple of kippers.
    1
  7200. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  7201.  @bvbinsane1vanity  Nobody can estimate the chances of the Kremlin becoming psychotically hysterical. How can that be scientifically estimated. Use your loaf. Put any percentage you like there. It doesn't change NATO's strategy.
    1
  7202.  ZOV On Tour  NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  7203.  Derek Lim  , Emperor Xi has vanished from Chinese News (there are usually six stories a night on Xi). Since he 'personally' took charge of the Coronavirus outbreak he has vanished. That's what dictators do ! They don't want to be associated with bad news. China's brainwashed population must only associate their leader with success.
    1
  7204. Putin has overplayed his hand. All Russia's neighbours fear and hate Russia. Unprovoked Russian aggression has only made that worse.
    1
  7205.  @eugenenkadimeng6898  , well spotted : it's Dylan Thomas.
    1
  7206. Well done Trump you hyperbolic lunatic.
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  7207. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
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  7208. Liberal lunacy will destroy western civilisation
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  7209.  @DK4Private  I remember Armenia and Azerbaijan. Maybe Kygeristan has been confused with Azerbaijan ?
    1
  7210. Why is Italy supplying 30 howitzers ? Because Mario Draghi was hand-in-glove with Macron and supplied the bare minimum The new government ignores French fears and looks to Poland & the Baltic states (France & Germany are wobbly nations & no longer lead Europe)
    1
  7211. Sourav, could you tell me what Indian school children are taught about British rule. It is just that everyone repeats the exact phrase "divide & rule". It is common anyway but I just thought it might be a school theme. Anyway,the British Empire began as a trading operation NOT conquest. Nothing was structurally changed in India : the Moghuls and caste system stayed in place. But the administration (civil service) was changed and corruption was reduced and an accountable independent judiciary emplaced.
    1
  7212. gulag, you are missing the point. There were hardly any British in India. They were there to trade and were protected and encouraged. Later on as the Moguls fell apart the British did assume admin duties. The point is this : although individual Brits may have been corrupt it had to be hidden it wasn't institutionalised. In India the whole system is corrupt everyone acknowledges it and accepts it. SKD, I'm British not Pakistani. I agree that India was much more advanced than Europe in ancient times. But you argument about India copying British corruption.....well you know it to be false. The Indians admired the British sent there children to be educated in Britain and recognised the value of an independent judiciary, police force, parliament etc
    1
  7213. ravin, I lambaste Churchill and have done for years. He ordered gas attacks against the Kurds , had women imprisoned and force fed (tortured, often involving breaking the jaw). The US thought he was a drunk (which he was). His chief of staff Alan Brooke said, "He would be passionate about a subject for 48hrs then lose interest". hat's what happened with his Gallipoli plan which resulted in thousands of needless deaths. Churchill was also a racist........I could go on. If anyone is fed propaganda may I suggest it is you. Surely you can't justify the systemic corruption in India , which extends as far as allowing a politician to rape, torture and murder a young girl and get off with doing a few press-ups.
    1
  7214. "women imprisoned" I'm referring to Suffragettes.
    1
  7215.  @ChipmunkRapidsMadMan1869  On demographics you are correct. But nobody needs a million-man army. A highly professional army using high-tech weapons is the future - drones, Himars, etc Read Svetlana Alexiovich, she reports Russians in their own words and won a Nobel prize for it. The Russian people will be a danger for the rest of this century. That's why this war is a defining event of the 21st century.
    1
  7216.  @tonupharry  Good observation, although made in jest, you are very close to the truth. Serfdom and the Gulags have selected a population for Russia that is utterly brainwashed into nationalist fervour. Solzhenitsyn spent 10yrs being tortured in the Gulags : he came out loving Mother Russia and became a guru for Putin (KGB man Putin).
    1
  7217. Why have Germany and France switched sides ? When Russia invaded they both decided on appeasement - Germany sabotaged weapons deliver from Britain and Estonia, Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". They both considered Crimea to be de facto Russian territory. Why have they now sided with Ukraine ? Because by offering a carrot to Moscow France & Germany were prolonging the war.
    1
  7218. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  7219. Turkey is very risky. Turkey's own business community stress the importance of having independent institutions (judiciary, police, central bank etc) Unfortunately Erdogan ans his corrupt son Bilal are dictatorial, authoritarian , mendacious and potentially violent.
    1
  7220.  @gchecktv9194  , are you saying what I said are 'facts' or are you asking me to provide facts. I'd direct you to Hansard and to look at what Corbyn has said in Parliament. He praises Hamas (for their hospitality) and never criticises Hezbollah or any other fascist Islamic group.
    1
  7221.  @mohdmustafa198  , I'm amazed you have to ask. Hamas are fascist, they don't believe in democracy or human rights/freedom. They are totalitarian Islamic fascists. They are thugs who beat up any critics and kill them if they become a persistent nuisance. Hezbollah are worse than Hamas. At least Hamas have a veneer of social welfare to mask their fascism. Hezbollah are simply murderous anti-democratic, murderous ,fascists. Jeremy Corbyn supports both.
    1
  7222. Lukashenko is despised by the Kremlin, for having previously performed "The Eurasian shuffle" Nobody trusts Lukashenko : he is despised by all.
    1
  7223. Why ? Because the Ayatollah is a psychopathic savage. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year. Prisoners were hanged from forklift truck pallets six at a time. Read "The executioners deserve medals".
    1
  7224. I could weep. Chomsky draws no distinction between a murderous tyrant and a democratic nation. In fact he favours the savage dictators and blames the US. I gave up on Chomsky years ago.
    1
  7225. 8 Oct Guterres defends Hamas Now Guterres urges funding for UNRWA terrorist The UN is 100% pro-Hamas It is a disgrace to fund UNRWA when they participated in the massacre
    1
  7226. He he he, this show epitomises just how $hit Fox News is.
    1
  7227.  @Mark-Haddow  Thanks for your reply. Jens Stoltenberg said, "France has shown its hand" Why did he say that ? Because France had acted independently and stabbed NATO in the back. You must be able to see that ? It is quite extraordinary for Macron to go on TV and make a declaration like that. French MP Jean Louis Thieriot said, "I nearly fell off my chair" Are you deliberately down playing the event to protect Macron, or do you genuinely not understand ?
    1
  7228.  @Mark-Haddow  Jens Stoltenberg thinks France stabbed NATO in the back, here is why :- 13 Oct NATO defence ministers in Brussels discuss Russia's nuclear threat. Britain and the US take a hard line which astonishes France. Without any warning or discussion, France breaks ranks and independently waves the white flag to Russia. 19 Oct : Ben Wallace flies to Washington and a joint nuclear response is agreed. Macron was petrified and, to save France, stabbed NATO in the back. I'm amazed you are unable to see this ? The EDF is Macron's vanity project, it is now dead. Who would join a defence force led by a cowardly back-stabber ?
    1
  7229. "I have seen multitudes of Hungarian rustics set fire to their cottages, and fly with their wives and children, their cattle and tools, to the Turkish territories, where they knew that, beside payment of the tenths, they would be subject to no imposts or vexations" The Hungarian Magyars were more sadistic and barbaric than the Turks. To know the Hungarians, research György Dózsa , and the peasant rebellion (1514) (1848) :- Kossuth pleaded in the newspaper Pesti Hírlap for rapid Magyarization: "Let us hurry, let us hurry to Magyarize the Croats, the Romanians, and the Saxons, for otherwise we shall perish" Ethnic cleansing by the Magyar nobility. The Magyars are the reason civilized Europeans struggle to accept Hungarians.
    1
  7230. All around the world, folk going about their normal business, are suddenly exclaiming, "B@stards". That is because they have remembered the Russian invasion. Those words will become synonymous : so whenever anyone uses the word 'Russian' in a conversation, someone might mutter, "B@stards".
    1
  7231. Wow this guy is so moderate. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year. More than the Shah killed in his whole life. Read prisoners' testimony : under the Shah it was tedium, boredom, ennui ; under the Ayatollah it was torture, terror, fear. Read the records. Who did the Ayatollah kill : democrats, trade-unionists, feminists. When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with the democrats in parliament (the Shah did have a parliament) and he said, "Kick their teeth in".
    1
  7232. The Chechen thug has sent his teenage sons, who have returned with 3 captives. These are being paraded and laughed at in a medieval manner. God knows what else they will do to them. The west needs to step up support. And macron needs to grow a pair - stop declaring neutrality don't say "We must not humiliate Russia" : that is playing Putin's game. Putin relies on pusillanimous Macron's cowardice.
    1
  7233.  @lancerevo9747  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  7234.  @nozhki-busha  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  7235.  @zahidabukhari9973  , the evidence is that every historian accepts what happened. What do you think happened to all the Socialists ? They were a huge party and overthrew the Shah. It wasn't Islamofascists : they hijacked the revolution and killed all their opponents.
    1
  7236. Russian drones ? Modi has sold his soul to Russia, but has no drones for India ? India had two Mig-21s shot down by Pakistan : Russian junk.
    1
  7237. What a jackass. He has seen Putin doing chin-ups, so he joins the corrupt party, and as a publicity stunt does some useless stretching exercises on the beach. That training routine was an embarrassment.
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  7238. Not convincing. I think most people have him pegged as a liar.
    1
  7239. Putin's lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it was a war of Imperial expansion)
    1
  7240. Slam dunk !
    1
  7241. India is forced by Geography to desire a Russian VICTORY. It needs a strong Russia to oppose China. Western democracies must realise this, and temporarily say to India, "Goodbye and good luck" as India drifts into the orbit of the Axis of Evil.
    1
  7242. Rouhani should talk to the Iranian people ! He should apologise for the damage Islamofascism has done to Iran. He should begin a process of normalisation : so that Universities and schools can start teaching rational Enlightened curricular. The corrupt Ayatollahs should start a truth & reconciliation commission so their crimes can be investigated.
    1
  7243. Black star, the Argentinians also exterminated the Patagonian Indians in a little known genocide. It is hard to research because nobody seems interested.
    1
  7244.  @markdowse3572  Or partially wild with a gust of divine justice ?
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  7245.  @murphy7801  The Australians are a fighting nation (ANZAC in WW2, Gallipoli WW1) Also, the British are a fighting nation. Marry that to the might of the US (which is also a fighting nation) and you have a force that will freeze China dead in its tracks. Aus is getting 9 nuclear subs Britain has 11 USA has 68 China has 4
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  7246. Survival of the strongest - the story of Palestine Yasser Arafat governed with an iron fist : beating and killing opponents Hamas beat up and kill opponents - they threw Fatah guys off roofs Palestine is like Gangs of New York - the strongest help themselves
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  7247. Osman, I find your sarcasm disarming but in the spirit of open debate I'll continue. Erdogan said, "Democracy is like a bus : you ride it to your stop and get off". This reminds us all of Algeria who held an election after independence and then the elected dictators cancelled democracy.
    1
  7248. Hamas wants more destruction - to force Israel to surrender
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  7249.  @irvinmcb  You e missing the point : Russia cannot look into its atrocities. Take the Gulags : there wasn't a family in Russia that didn't know someone who had been tortures in the Gulags. And yet after the collapse of the USSR (1991), there was no investigation into the atrocities. Russians said they would prefer to turn the page. The Russians cannot look at their own crimes - they are too horrific. The depravity of the Russians cannot be subjected to exposure in a legal court.
    1
  7250. LOL Palestinians have finally found an ally - dumb teenagers LOL the PLO and teenage morons, what a combination This can only mean one thing - 75yrs of failure will soon be success LOL
    1
  7251. Hamas liars denied they had attacked civilians or raped them Then....Hamas say it happened but it was a mistake Hamas liars don't deny their members committed atrocities & the UN has fired the staff Even the UN admit it is true Even Hamas liars admit it is true
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  7252. It's all over : NATO is on a victory lap.
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  7253. In 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran and was asked what he'd do with the democrats, he replied, "I'll kick their teeth in ". Khomeini executed 7000 opposition supporters in his first year. They used a fork-lift truck to hang 6 at a time.
    1
  7254. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe : Macron went on TV the same evening (13 Oct) that NATO discussed Russia's nuclear threat. Macron feared the hard-line approach, so stabbed NATO in the back to protect France “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair" Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Jens Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" Timing is obvious :- Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
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  7255.  @rouz0  Maybe the French are dying of shame ? Macron's Ukraine policy :- a) Charm offensive b) Passivity c) Appeasement d) Surrender - with a TV declaration of "nuclear neutrality" Macron's European Defence Force is now dead. Why would anyone join it when France has declared that its nuclear deterrence is just for itself ?
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  7256. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "the great barbarians, the retarders of all liberty and civilization that exists." The Soviet Russians enslaved Eastern Europe - invaded Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968) The Russian nobles enslaved their own people (serfdom) until (1861). Drunken nobles would gamble entire families at the card table. The FSB (KGB) described themselves as "Russia's new nobility". Putin's childhood ambition was to follow his father into the KGB.
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  7257. Hamas are the Muslim brotherhood. Remember Morsi winning the 2012 election for the Brotherhood in Egypt ? Morsi then appointed , as governor of Luxor, the head of the group that committed the Luxor massacre. When al-Sisi ousted Morsi in 2013, the brotherhood (who hate Western democracy) expected the West to defend Morsi. Similarly, Hamas expect help from the West, and will receive as much help as Morsi, who died in prison.
    1
  7258. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  7259. Hamas has corrupted the West If they can't condemn rapes and murders then what's left ?
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  7260. Trump will make us all laugh whether he wins or loses in 2024. That jackass cracks me up.
    1
  7261. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
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  7262. Luciana Berger has Corbyn by the corbels. He can say "There's no anti-Semitism" but she is the judge. Poor old Jeremy, he's in bed with every Islamofascist group going.
    1
  7263.  @SavingGraceTV  , well I'm not being sarcastic : she really does have the upper-hand. Corbyn and McDonnell can say there's no anti-Semitism but she is the one experiencing it. She knows, they don't. McDonnell famously said, "If they want to stop receiving death threats they should come out publicly and support Jeremy".
    1
  7264. EDF = European Defence Force Macron's vanity project the EDF is dead It died on the evening of 13 Oct when France waved the white flag to Russia
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  7265. It's been breathed on. That is a tuned motor.
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  7266. Nice hypocrisy We all witnessed Hamas rapes Hamas boasted about their rapes - they filmed themselves
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  7267.  @KeyboardWarrior  You only make one accurate point a) ""China may not hit US mainland" b) "a slim chance to de-escalate" Correct. China cannot touch the US, and both sides will keep tension low (when the US sink a troop ship, they will say it posed a threat or fired torpedoes or something. Both sides will play the victim) You are wrong about blockade :- a) that will be accomplished by subs, not by fleets which are an easy target for China.
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  7268. 1923 : France invaded the Rhur and tried to help it secede from Germany cf Donbas Colonel Trenin : "The Kremlin knew Europe were vassals of the US - except Germany, they never expected Germany to shoot themselves in the foot" 4:20 French ambassador "We can rely on Britain" In June 1940 Britain proposed both nations combine into one. PM Reynaud said, "This is the inspiration France needs to keep fighting" Reynaud was arrested by Vichy and handed to the Germans. Half the French are honest and reliable, and genuine allies.
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  7269. Do you know what Russia's army on the Ukraine border represents ? A huge target. When war kicks off, every type of NATO missile, drone, and guided bomb will be fed in to Ukraine. Russia is relying on the war being confined to Ukraine : it won't be. Missiles will hit weapon & fuel dumps across the border in Russia. Russian barracks and canteens will be hit : the casualties will be enormous. Putin will respond by bombing civilians, and the West will be outraged. More guided missiles and drones, more technical assistance, more Russian casualties. Russia are still fighting WW1, with masses of infantry and tanks : it will be like shooting fish in a barrel.
    1
  7270. "Iranian woman dies after falling into coma following assault from ‘morality police’ over hijab" India's new ally in the SCO (Axis of Evil)
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  7271. Congratulations Catalonia and Good Luck I am sure Spain will react with VIOLENCE. Donald Tusk (EU President) has just repeated a warning to Spain, " The force of argument is better than the argument of force ". Junker said :- “For some time now I asked the Spanish prime minister to take initiatives so that Catalonia wouldn’t run amok,” he said. “A lot of things were not done.” Economic impact :- markets are already dropping in Madrid and its debt and borrowing costs are forecast to rise. Madrid's economic forecast for growth next year has been slashed again. World opinion is that Madrid have chosen the "worst option" at every opportunity.
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  7272.  @frankabagnale6436  France defeated Spain at Rocroi (1643) ending a century of Spanish domination of Europe. Louis XIV (d.1715) then dominated Europe till 1713 (Utrecht). Aristocratic decay set it : France lost the 7yrs war (1756-63). The Revolution followed (1789) Napoleon had great success - but ended in total failure. 1840 Crisis : France was humiliated. !853-56 Crimea, with Britain and Sardinia France defeated Russia. 1871 Sedan France was utterly defeated by Prussia. Fashoda (1898) France was humiliated by Britain. 1918 France lost miserably 1940 France capitulated. France has a miserable military history.
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  7273. Why is North America a great success and South America a failure ? History holds the answer. South America was colonised by Castilian absolute monarchs. They didn't have parliaments or any type of representation. The middle class Spanish emigrants saw the strength of absolutism as the key to their easy life so made no demands for representation. The result was absolute monarchy segued into military dictatorship and nobody batted an eye. The people of South America allowed it. You can't have military rule without the support of a huge part of the population : the influential part , business, civil servants, the middle class.
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  7274. Samuel, that's a common misconception (that the military rule by force). I'll give 2 examples :- a) Hitler could never attain power without the acquiescence of big business ,Krupp etc. b) Mario Vargas Llosa (famous Argentine writer) : he lived within earshot of a torture chamber and could hear the screams but never said a word. Not through fear but because he supported dictatorship, declaring on Mexican television, "Mexico is the perfect dictatorship."
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  7275. I hope Professor Pakman doesn't deliver his lectures without tucking his shirt in. Media-Studies fundamentals are a) Presentation b) Appearance and having your shirt hanging out makes you a less convincing communicator.
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  7276. Modi still supporting Russia. Shame on India. Mass graves - one corpse had both arms broken and a noose around his neck. India has no moral compass.
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  7277. @pm The what swamp ? Slaves were traded to Arabs right down the east coast of Africa. "Then, between 1600 and 1800, another 1.4 million Africans were shipped out by the Arabs. The 19th century represented the highest point of the Arabian trade where 12,000 Africans were shipped out every year. The total figure for the 19th century alone was 1.2 million slaves to Arabia." I think you have been brainwashed by Muslim schooling, it is total propaganda. One lad just said "The Ulema banned printing in 11515 to save jobs" LOL Wealthy folk would still buy handwritten decorative books. Printed books were for poor people. It was a new market CREATING JOBS Turkish schools are the worst for propaganda (Turks imprison historians who write about the Armenian Genocide).
    1
  7278. He's not in bad shape for 68. Most Russian leaders are addicts on their last legs at that age.
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  7279.  @studentoffindia  That is a fair point. Turkey also have their self-interest. But they condemned Russian aggression. India wants Russia to succeed. A strong Russia is good for India : that is why India abstained. India is morally bankrupt.
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  7280.  @studentoffindia  Nice try, but it doesn't wash. Russian state TV declares "China and India are our closest allies" India is playing its role by abstaining, not condemning, and buying cheap oil. A strong Russia is a good ally for India. Also, India might get a better deal for oil and arms. India wants Russia to succeed. Sanctions on India should be considered.
    1
  7281.  @studentoffindia  " only India and China have abstained? " 35 countries abstained. 141 condemned Russia. The International Court has declared it was an illegal invasion by Russia. The Ukraine invasion is the critical event of the 21st century. Modi is an old man, his expertise is Punjab politics : he hasn't a clue about global history or geopolitics. India is making a massive blunder. Read the history books in 10 or 20 years time and see what they say about India's tragic mistake in 2022.
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  7282.  @studentoffindia  Fair point. I think the ICJ ruling shows that India's judge could act independently of his government, and that the Russian and Chinese judges (both of whom voted against) were unable to act independently of their tyrannical governments.
    1
  7283. If Pakman were having his organs harvested he may not have such a rosy view of the Chinese government.
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  7284. He's basically talking about Hezbollah, who are the ruination of Lebanon.
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  7285.  @moecentral759  ,"they failed". Lebanon failed, it's a failed state. Israel is doing okay. Lebanon was a disaster before the catastrophe. It is now corrupt, dysfunctional rubble. You do know Hezbollah controlled the port ? You do know the port is their turf, and they decide what goes. If the Ammonia Nitrate was in the port for 6yrs it was because Hezbollah didn't ant to lose possession of it. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That was Hezbollah.
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  7286. Why would anyone ship in a medieval Imam from North Africa ? Gosh, that is asking for bone-headed radical fascist Islamism.
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  7287. Lord Dannatt "Russia cannot be defeated" He was against helping Ukraine Why anyone listens to the old dumbo I don't know
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  7288.  @danielhutchinson6604  You are quite right : but folk choose to tune in to CNN, or MNSBC. They are then told how to vote, but they do have the option to find another news source. In Russia and China, that isn't an option. One woman was thrown out of her window for criticising Putin. Of course nobody demanded an investigation. Putin came to power after the Apartment Bombing 1999..... "Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers! " That was never investigated either.
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  7289.  @Kreedogger  Thank you. The Pentagon has an AI computer. The Ukraine "war game" analysed before February. The parameters indicated a turning point in August, and decisive advances in September. Mobilization increases Russian casualties, and slightly slow Ukrainian victory. Russian defeat was a mathematical fact In February.
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  7290. @Lord Bolton , good & fair question : Morsi shared many things in common with Erdogan ; alongside their Muslim Brotherhood affiliation they both ascribed to the same political philosophy : distilled by Erdogan into a maxim "Democracy is like a bus you ride it into power then get off".
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  7291. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
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  7292. Echoes of Hillary Clinton (corruption and lies).
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  7293. When the Clintons play happy families with their grandchildren the card they match with 'corruption' is 'lies'.
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  7294. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
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  7295. Early 30s
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  7296. @Traiano Welcome , More recently :- " As recently as October of last year, when the protests against government corruption started and protesters were camping out at Martyrs' Square, Hezbollah thugs came and torched the tents of the protesters and beat them up. And in June 2013, when SHIA protesters were outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut protesting its interference in Lebanese politics, a gang of Hezbollah members came out and beat up and shot the protesters, killing one by the name of Hisham Salman (look him up).
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  7297. @Traiano Welcome , please use your loaf. Other than the fact the students knew they were being beaten by Hezbollah, and hat it is common knowledge in Iran that Hezbollah do the Ayatollah's dirty work, why wouldn't Hezbollah beat students who want democracy ? Hezbollah's ideology is identical to the Ayatollah's theocracy. In Lebanon their leader said he would put 10k armed Hezbollah militia on the streets to silence the protesters. Hezbollah aren't shy about their thuggery, why should you be ?
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  7298. Well he probably is corrupt and will face justice. Now compare Palestine :- a) Arafat stole $3billion and ruled as a dictator for 40yrs. b) Abbas has just built himself a $1.8 million mansion. Compare the polity of Israel and Palestine :- a) The citizens of Israel vote for appeasement, peace, hard-liners, settlement-builders, socialists, conservatives. A whole variety. Some successful some not. b) Palestine : same old corrupt men : clueless. uninspiring ,unimaginative, repellent. Why not elect a woman ? Or a young person like Hong Kong's Joshua Wong. Or maybe not......just continue stone throwing and being corrupt. Not to mention the fascist Hamas : they've simply cancelled democracy they don't believe in it.
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  7299. Interesting development. Rajoy has put Puigdemont in a headlock. By calling fresh elections he is daring Puigdemont to refuse and appear undemocratic (like a dictator). Puigdemont's response will be ? To declare independence and call for elections to the Independent Parliament of Catalonia. Unionists parties will be able to run and if they win a majority then reverse the declaration of independence. So effectively it becomes a legitimate referendum on independence.
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  7300. Mister Furious, do you mean by dissolve parliament by Rajoy under article 155 , or by Puigdemont. Both can do it. Rajoy suggested Puigdemont does it as a way out of the crisis. I think you mean IF Puigdemont declares Independence THEN it would be undemocratic because legally it is debatable whether he has that authority. Either way, the key thing is : Puigdemont won't be seen to take orders from Rajoy ; he will act first. Rajoy is walking on eggshells. The EU has told him not to use any more violence. "Spain is planning Civil War" said Merkel's commissioner.That was the warning.
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  7301. That was my solution ! I said it days ago. There should be an all-party committee from Madrid and the same from Catalonia. They would agree something like the 2006 Statute of Autonomy which was offered agreed upon and then withdrawn (by Rajoy's PP).
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  7302. Agreed, talks it is. Meanwhile ,while we've been debating, Rajoy has shown his hand :- it's fresh election from which Puigdemont will be banned ! Now we wait for Puigdemont's response......will he play his ace ?
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  7303. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  7304. Wrong Israel fired warning shots - the gunshot wounds are to their legs The deaths were caused by a stampede & trucks running over people Hamas friends & family are looting aid and selling it on the roadside
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  7305. Erdogan : the face of a dictator. His son is very wealthy.......just a coincidence not corruption.
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  7306. Remember the king of Jordan's response to ISIS ?
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  7307. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
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  7308.  @ppen8359  I agree. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the defining event of the 21st century : woe betide those countries who remained friendly with Russia. It will be a black mark on their reputation in all future history books.
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  7309. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
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  7310. Al Jazeera = Hamas
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  7311. "How dare the UN not condemn Hamas murder & rape ?"
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  7312. "He only needs to demand" That is the problem ! You are looking at one death and forgetting the thousands that came before. Iran is a fascist theocracy, and you speak as though things would be okay if they simply stopped beating women to death. The Shah was overthrown in 1979 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : they were hanged 6 at a time from forklift trucks. Read The executioners deserve medals.
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  7313.  @mokolocomadafaka  The irony is that the Iranian people are hard-working and well liked (unlike the Saudis). I read Mohammed Mossadegh's biography, he was quite a character : a bit of a hypochondriac, lying in bed thinking himself into ill--health. But he was honest, and a good parliamentarian. And brave : in one dramatic episode he had to flee a house by the back-door, and climb through back-gardens to make good his escape.
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  7314.  @keyonkian  I'm afraid Western liberals are devoted to the idea of welcoming the Ayatollah into the international community. Liberals believe in "human goodness" in the same way that religious nuts believe in "divine grace".
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  7315. Looks like an attack on a train by a drone dropping flares. Very unimpressive.
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  7316. This ship sank YESTERDAY. The Kremlin concealed the news, so they could say it sank due to "Instability" whilst being towed.
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  7317. Biden is NOT a statesman : he is a dotty old Grandpa talking to the children. RIP Biden's mind, it departed many years ago. The lights are on in his head, but nobody is home. His mind is no more expansive than the room he occupies, his answers are simply for the folks in the room. Biden's mind is bounded in a nutshell, and he counts himself a king of minimal space.
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  7318. Israel is a civilized democracy (the sort of place where the police interview the president 7 times over a gift of cigars). Russia is a gangster state where the elite steal $billions from Gazprom. Chomsky equates the two because he has been purblind with prejudice against the US and Israel for decades.
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  7319.  @mrleglove3377  What was Britain and France doing in Crimea ? Well, Russia had invaded its neighbour and seized the mouth of the Danube. The Danube is a major European river, and Europe could not stand by and watch Russia place a stranglehold on it. Russian aggression caused the war 1853 Russian aggression caused the war 2022 Spot a pattern ?
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  7320. Palestinians will not look back on Oct 7th as a success story Gaza will be nothing like it was Gulf states have said they will NOT fund reconstruction Hamas must go first Then a long period of demilitarisation and calm Then Gazans can move out of tents into homes again
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  7321. Sadly Zelensky's admin is not untouched 2019 50% said the don't know in approval poll 1yr later 50% disapproved 2yrs later 53% disapproved He is linked with oligarchs who had court cases dropped It is quite a stink He will do a Churchill - who lost the 1945 election after WW2
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  7322.  William Okpara  "Stay in your......" Why doesn't Russia stay out of Ukraine ? Why doesn't Russia allow the people to decide. When Ukraine voted to separate from the USSR/Russia, every single region voted to leave Russia : including Crimea (56%).
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  7323. The UN is pro-Hamas UN has not condemned Hamas' rapes and murders Guterres defends Hamas Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
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  7324. Putin has been overthrown - he speaks at the behest of his advisors whose disputations caused the 16hr delay - about what he should say. A similar thing happened Kaiser Wilhelm II (1908) he gave a disastrous interview to the Daily Telegraph and was effectively removed from power
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  7325. Germany vetoed heavy weapons. Lithuania wanted to send a German 155mm howitzer - Germany vetoed it. Germany will answer for this if Ukraine is defeated.
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  7326. They will answer for it in ignominy. In loathing, execration, detestation, and in getting nil points in Eurovision.
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  7327. Poland has supported Ukraine with 10x the amount France has supplied. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia"
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  7328.  @hoang1730  France has given a lot of support. Also, indirectly through the EU. But for MILITARY aid, they are astonishingly low France $0.16 billion Poland $1.8 billion. That is astonishing.
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  7329. Why ? 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" (capitulated) So Germany has no shield - Macron is the weak link
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  7330. Russia's Dilemma : Lloyd Austin said the US intends to degrade the Russian military so it can no longer pose a threat to its neighbours. What can the Kremlin do ? Seven bells are being knocked out of them. Russia's future is viewed through the crosshairs of a NATO missile.
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  7331. Rex Tillerson (Secretary of State) "He's an effing moron". Tillerson's assessment of Trump was echoed by others including John Kelly who said, "You can't reason with him it's a waste of time he's like a kindergarten kid".
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  7332. Admiral West is clueless : is mind is still in fear of the great Red Army He can't see that Russia is finished
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  7333. The Civilized world condemns India : calling it "shaky" India is held in contempt by the civilized world. Only China & Russia "Woos India" : they are "The Axis of Evil" The Axis of Evil Woos India (That should be the title)
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  7334. The Paris deal was acceptable to Israel It is Hamas that is adding delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a non-starter" It is NOT Israel, you should be asking the question of Hamas
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  7335. Mal, I don't think that's true. The most indicative insight into Trump came at a rally when he threw his arms open and said, "I just want to be loved, does that make sense ?" . It was quite endearing actually. But it fits in with what Packman has said ' He agrees with whoever he happens to be with at the time".
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  7336. The Ukraine invasion by Russian butchers has created a new world. India has sided with the Axis of Evil : they have chosen the losing side. AUKUS doesn't need India. The QUAD is a pressure group - it is not an alliance. The US spends $755 billion on defence. Bismarck said, "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English", that is the basis for AUKUS. India must employ a moral compass, use its head, look to the future, and get on the winning side.
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  7337. If Trump pulls out then the EU have said they will fund Ukraine So it is just a question of does Trump stab NATO in the back
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  7338. Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
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  7339. Suleimanie killed 600 pro-democracy activists in Iraq. All unarmed, and the victims included women. Suleimanie was a coward who ordered the death of innocent victims from the comfort of his harem.
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  7340. Kashmir is India's |Ukraine. If India criticise Russia, folks might point the finger at India in Kashmir. "Tightrope" is a good word to describe India's dilemma.
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  7341. Religion is responsible for more slaughter and suffering than any other invention.
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  7342. Sinwar masterminded the slaughter rape and murder of 1200 civilians Al Jazeera should be ashamed !
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  7343. All these weapons have been developed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC is a terrorist organisation but the EU want to remove sanctions from the businesses run by the IRGC - which would enable them to fund terror. The US wants sanctions to remain on all businesses tied to the IRGC. That is where the US and EU differ on the Iran nuclear deal.
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  7344. "Empty": but it used to contain hostages Hamas used the hospital to imprison hostages Why does Al Jazeera never mention that ? Ban Al Jazeera propaganda
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  7345. The Axis of Evil - Russian hackers. It's not surprising.
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  7346. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  7347. Assange free to expose the identity of activists against authoritarian regimes. Yes, he gave dictators enough info to arrest and torture activists in their country. Assange is an ego-maniac concerned only for himself.
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  7348. George, you are quite right it is propaganda. But like all good propaganda it is based on an element of truth. " And some police and military workers have retired as early as age 40 or 45, Tsoukas said. There are also unique benefits for some workers." 'Unique benefits ', that smacks of cronyism and corruption : which is exactly what happened. For instance the Railways were packed with government supporters who had jobs created for them. An economics expert said it would have been cheaper for Greece to abolish the rail network and get taxis for all the travellers.
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  7349. George, I've given your reply a thumbs up.
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  7350. "Empty": but it used to contain hostages Hamas used the hospital to imprison hostages Why does Al Jazeera never mention that ? Ban Al Jazeera propaganda
    1
  7351. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  7352. Europeans (France) believes in ending sanctions and welcoming Iran's fascist theocratic dictator into the international fold EU liberals are essentially Transcendentalists the believe all humanity has an inner goodness, and that if you welcome theocratic genocidal dictators into the family of civilised nations then they will change
    1
  7353. Picture JD Vance berating Zelensky Picture Trump embracing Putin Then spend, spend, spend on defence and Ukraine Europe will never be safe if Putin forces Europe & UK to capitulate
    1
  7354.  @user-silva  Thanks. I think the fall of Kherson will decide the war. It will be impossible for Putin to spin the Kherson retreat as "a good-will gesture". NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  7355.  @skogsjarvenab7958  I agree, it is heartbreaking to watch. But one must remember it can get exponentially worse (nuclear/chemical). NATO have struck the right balance - slowly ramping up supplies :- a) Soviet stuff b) then M777 howitzers c) German Panzer 2000 howitzers d) finally Himars It is working a treat.... a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  7356. LOL Do you want to join the Axis of Evil ?
    1
  7357.  @crosseyedfrog2141  Consult the 'Freedom House Index' you will find Russia scores 20/100 : which is lower than Afghanistan. Iran is another member of The Axis of Evil and has police rooftop snipers shooting protestors. China has a million Uyghurs imprisoned. India can choose fanaticism and repression or it can join the civilized world.
    1
  7358. 5:38 "What was the ture nature of the President's motivation in firing Comey". Trump blurted that out on TV you dope. Just watch more TV and you won't need to use wire taps.
    1
  7359. Erdogan waisted millions buying Russian S-400 systems, and made Turkey a pariah. Inflation in Turkey is now 180% and his S-400s are junk. Russia is the world's 2nd largest arms producer and is begging the Ayatollah for drones and North Korea for shells. Many nations have made a huge Russian blunder - they've tied themselves to a loser.
    1
  7360. The Palestinians are still living under the Caliphate. Only the tyrant isn't a Sultan, it is Hamas or Fatah or Yasser Arafat (a 40yr crooked dictator). The legacy of the Caliphate was ignorance (90% illiteracy) and despotism.
    1
  7361. It's Chinatown Jake.
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  7362.  @shayaldwarka7907  That's what you say. But actions speak louder than words, and I saw his dancing feet - that was a guy who is a bag of nerves. That's why they now hide Putin's feet (watch RT and tell me if they still show Putin's feet)
    1
  7363.  @cvk4488  Putin has an old man's illness called St Vitus Dance. That is why Russian media no longer include his feet in the shot.
    1
  7364.    , Pakistan said why they didn't shoot India's jets down : "We didn't want to escalate". Why did they shoot them down this time ? They feared India's jets would shoot down their planes , so they fired first. (Of course India was just making a show of chasing Pakistan off ) India are acting up because of the elections, they know the whole thing is a show. The only winners are the militants.
    1
  7365. LOL
    1
  7366. 300 million? I can beat that : Yaser Arafat stole $3billion from the Palestinians. He had to do. That's how he stayed in power. There was no Palestinian exchequer. All the money went into Arafat's account and he bribed his friends and paid-off his enemies.
    1
  7367.  Jhon Gonzalez  Nobody wants to stand on Russian soil, that is the point. It is Russia that is forever invading its neighbours. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  7368.  @danchokonstantinov6735  Lord Owen sits on the Intelligence Committee, whilst you sit in an armchair drinking vodka and dreaming. I think I know whose knowledge I would trust.
    1
  7369.  @androku7479  Wrong :Russia is saying exactly the opposite. The Americans have the ability to first-strike Russia out of the game. Russia does not have that ability. Therefore any move by Russia to activate its decrepit arsenal could produce a first strike from the US. That is why Putin is toning down the rhetoric, and making no effort to activate Russian missiles.
    1
  7370.  @kayrichard915  Every informed person knows America has "a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability". Your statement shows you are uninformed.
    1
  7371.  @leonarrrrr  Even if you don't know anything about multiple warhead missiles, simply ask yourself this :- "When the US spends $800 billion on defence, how could Russia compete, when Russia has a GDP less than Italy ?" "The Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability"
    1
  7372.  @danchokonstantinov6735  Imagine the destructive power of a steel ball travelling at Mach 20. That is all one needs to destroy a Russian missile. Simply buckshot. One doesn't need to chase the missile because it is heading your way : one simply puts a cloud of buckshot in its path. How does one see the missile in time ? Well, hypersonic objects radiate like the Sun. The radiation travels at the speed of light. Imagine the Sun rising thousands of miles away - that is what a hypersonic missile looks like : they are easy to detect and easy to hit. BY contrast, the US has submarine fired, multiple warhead missiles which would obliterate Russia. They can be launched within minutes, and will hit their targets within the hour. "The Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability"
    1
  7373. 8:43 "We are not mediators we are the government" LOL Lebanon is a shambles - governed by a terror group (Hezbollah)
    1
  7374. Wrong Israel fired warning shots - the gunshot wounds are to their legs The deaths were caused by a stampede & trucks running over people Hamas friends & family are looting aid and selling it on the roadside
    1
  7375.  @mmr91296  Well said "Who started this war ?" Hamas with a sadistic massacre Hamas with rapes & torture Hamas abducting children and old ladies
    1
  7376.  @ЭЮЯ-о3к  All the information in the Russian defeats is historically accurate. If you were educated from Russian history books, then it will come as a shock to discover Russia's true military history.
    1
  7377. @Anuradha Graphics LOL thanks. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  7378.  @saellenx3528  LOL thanks. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    1
  7379.  @ЭЮЯ-о3к  You clearly know Russian history, I'll hand you that. But when a small nation inflicts huge casualties on a superpower, and holds them to a stalemate. I think one is entitled to call that a Russian loss. Also, the Battle of Tannenberg (1914) wiped out the Russian army. I don't think anyone would describe that loss as a stalemate. Russia kept fighting for 3 more years, but it was being knocked from pillar to post.
    1
  7380.  @ЭЮЯ-о3к  Peace & prosperity mean nothing to Russia, and liberty is unknown. Russia celebrates death & destruction on Victory Day. Russia didn't liberate Europe in 1945, they imposed Stalin's terror on Eastern Europe, and introduced the Gulags, the KGB and Russian fascism.
    1
  7381. The US Congress has voted to allow Biden to use US forces in Ukraine (In the event of Russia using WMD) Britain will be right there with them. Don't hold your breath waiting for Germany.
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  7382. Biggie Cheese, Wendy said racists , typoed 'ravists (the V is next to C on the keyboard. The fact that you interpret it as rapist is a Freudian slip. You are aware of Catholic priests abusing children for decades and consequently , sub-conciously associate Christianity with rape. Wendy is quite right, the racism in proselytising missionaries is palpable. Christianity has been overtly racist for centuries : take Pope Alexander VI divided the New World between Portugal and Spain. (In fairness he didn't condone the brutality and mass murder but it was the consequence of his infallible decision).
    1
  7383. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  7384.  @williammccusker1722  Thanks for your words of caution. I assumed everyone despised Assad's police-state and torture camps. I agree Syria is not the only despotic country - almost every Caliphate country has segued into despotism. Just as Spanish Catholic South America segued into military dictatorship. It's a question of culture. Authoritarianism lends itself to despotism. Democracy, by contrast, needs nurturing and takes centuries to develop - that why it has withered in so many countries, it couldn't strike roots in the infertile soil.
    1
  7385.  @williammccusker1722  Quigley is not a real historian : read this rubbish :- "The political shift from dynastic monarchy to national state and the shift in weapons from a professional mercenary army to a mass army of citizens allowed the cost of a man's service to be reduced (since he fought for patriotism instead of for money) and permitted a great change in military tactics (since patriotic men were more willing to die than were mercenary soldiers) What about Ottoman Azzars : they cost nothing, fought like barbarians, died in their droves and lived for loot. Quigley is not a real historian. "For what it is intended to be, a history of the world from about 1895 to 1964, the book is a failure" said one review.
    1
  7386. Israel has that much desalinated water it exports it to Jordan. I'm afraid Africa will always lag behind. It's like when Jacob Zuma raped that girl who had AIDS and said he took a shower to prevent him contracted the disease. And the ANC health Minister said garlic & honey cure AIDS.
    1
  7387. India is also taking part in training operations with Russia and China ? Modi doesn't know whether he's running with the fox or the hounds.
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  7388. Bannon is unstoppable. Difficult to fault his reasoning. Also, he's indefatigable.
    1
  7389. The Pentagon's Alpha Go wargames computer worked out victory Himars and howitzers So Italy are sending a further 30, Sweden are sending 12 (state of the art) France is sending an additional 4 Caesar howitzers. Russia is finished. Which is why Shoigu phoned Lloyd Austin twice (21 and 23 Oct)
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  7390. Don't worry there won't be a war. The US doesn't want one and it would take Iran a century to recover from one. Trump said, "Wars are for losers" and he's right. Who wants a war when you can sit and watch Iran's economy crash ?
    1
  7391.  @henrycalvinajax8931  " There are 2 possibilities" But what about doing nothing ? Iran has 50% inflation and its GDP is shrinking exponentially -6% per year. Why not do nothing and let the economy collapse ? That's what Trump is doing right now : nothing. He said "Iran's economy is a wreck".
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  7392. Wagner Group : great intelligence work. Those links show coach loads arriving, then a woman weeping as the stadium burns. It was a big fire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OcTU3h9mJg&t=28s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RUDienVcNM&t=1s
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  7393. Hamas, had given Israel an ultimatum to stand down its forces at Al-Aqsa by 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). At one minute past Hams fired rockets into Israel. The start of the conflict.
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  7394. Tasin, you are probably right , I made up my statistics : I just assumed they would hate corrupt, authoritarian, religious fascists. I feel sorry for any female student protestors : they are usually raped when the Iranian Guard arrest them. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/14/protesters-raped-iran-jail https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8102358/Rape-in-Irans-prisons-the-cruellest-torture.html https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html
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  7395. “It’s not a question of applying it in its entirety or of taking over every government function or department. Clearly the Catalan government would lose many of its powers, though not all. It’s a case of using a scalpel, not an axe.” Why are Madrid "using a scalpel ? Because they can't do anything else. They daren't put boots on the ground because Mossos will no longer recognise their authority. Rajoy is a paper tiger.
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  7396.  @rh1747  Donbas thugs didn't fight for freedom, they fought to make Donbas Russian. Speak to the murderous thugs that shot down MH17, they will never mention freedom. Freedom is an alien concept to Russians.
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  7397.  @rh1747  The British decapitated Charles I (1649) because of his attempted tyranny. In 1688 (the Glorious Revolution) they kicked out James II because he was attempting the same thing. Parliamentary Democracy was one of Britain's gifts to the world. (Alongside the Scientific Revolution 1660 Royal Society, the Agricultural Revolution, and the Industrial revolution).
    1
  7398. Shame on Ireland Ireland sent condolences to the Nazis when Hitler died Ireland is mostly on the wrong side of history
    1
  7399. What a government of mediocrities : there's not a super-flyweight in sight.
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  7400. Obviously ! Hamas' only hope is for international pressure The UN, S Africa, Ireland EU etc are facilitating Hamas Palestinians (Islamists) like Russia, don't human life - sacrificing lives doesn't mean anything to them
    1
  7401. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  7402. Is Russia stealing Ukrainian grain? Do bears $hit in the woods ?
    1
  7403. Kaido, you are quite right , I take that back (axis of evil) ; I never liked it when GW Bush used it. And you have a point about China's feeling threatened. But. The US is a free liberal democracy and China is a one-party dictatorship. China is totally corrupt with no transparent rule of law : party members literally get away with murder. I know who the world should be backing. Who do the world back ? Well imagine a nuclear exchange between China and the US ; ask yourself who would donate the $trillions to rebuild each country. For the US : Europe, Canada,Australia, Japan, S Korea etc etc For China : nobody. Why is that ?
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  7404. What about the oppressed in Afghanistan What about the women dragged to football stadiums to be stoned ? The Taliban are recidivist savages.
    1
  7405. 2:42 Boeing has settled a case with the dept of Justice LOL Boeing receives subsidies from NASA's and Department of Defense programmes and contracts ~ $22 billion
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  7406. 5:40 "Difficult for Russia to back down" Russia are already climbing down :- a) Russian state media announced that Putin had extracted concessions from Biden on missile deployment in Ukraine. b) This was immediately denied by Biden's team, who said that that was part of an agreement signed years ago. Conclusion : Putin is trying to spin a success from his posturing. c) Germany have cancelled Nordstream 2. That is a gigantic failure for Putin. d) Modern warfare has little to do with infantry (Russia's ace card) It is about drones, missiles, and intelligence. (Cf Azerbaijan and Armenia) e) If Ukraine are allowed to buy (using loan guarantees) Exocets, then Russia's Black Sea fleet will go down quicker than in 1905 (Japan).
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  7407. NATO expansion secures freedom and democracyfor Europeans Psychotic Russians see it as a threat to them. But Europe has no desire to 'conquer' Russia and would be happy to see Russia vanish. The Russians have a paranoid fear of invasion that is purely illusory. It is the product of their inadequacy and insecurity, their clamour for recognition and acceptance. Europe's message to Russia is simply "£uck off".
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  7408. Good news ! Religion is on the decline and statistics show that educated people have fewer children.
    1
  7409. Remember Saddam's elite troops ? The Republican Guard. When the US invaded they never did any fighting. They were kept at the rear : their job is to keep the population docile. The elite troops are there to maintain the dictatorship. In Iran it's the Revolutionary Guard who keep the people oppressed
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  7410.  @mustafaghuloom7861  , everyone is the same when it comes to dictatorship. Look at Africa dictators : their army isn't their to defend the country it is their to keep the population oppressed.
    1
  7411.  @sinjhguddu4974  Good point. May I present the case for the defence :- Victorian England was drunk on revivalist religion. Every attempt by the Colonial Office to grab land in Africa had to be presented as an effort to stop the Arab slave trade. (Incidentally in the 1890s Britian was spending £100,000 a year on six cruisers to patrol Africa and stop slavery). A) When General Gordon defeated the Mahdi (1885) his first dispatch home included plans to build a college at Khartoum. To which Lord Salisbury concurred, "It would help spread civilisation". B) By contrast : every treaty signed with a local ruler in India included a clause for the return of Kashmiri slave girls. Local rulers in India were obsessed with their slave girls. British governors (steeped in Victorian revivalism) were horrified.
    1
  7412. Hassan al-Banna : sometimes an anecdote tells you everything. In America he visited a Church Sunday-dance and found it "shameful". College football was "brutal" and Jazz was "primitive". Industrial production was "monstrously noisy and chaotic". He met Egyptians who had emigrated to America and enjoyed it : he declared they had "reverted to ignorance, crass materialism, sexual animalism and vulgar licentiousness". His final assessment : the West was "a rubbish heap". There's no pleasing some people.
    1
  7413.  @tlinkit  It is historical fact. Russia was wiped out by Japan in 1905. It was quite comical : Tsar Nicholas II sent his Baltic fleet all the way round the world to teach the Japanese a lesson. They arrived exhausted and were immediately sunk. You have to laugh at the Russians, they have always overestimated themselves.
    1
  7414.  @omarlittle-hales8237  Thanks, I enjoyed your reply. Nations existed in a loose sense from olden times (Egypt, Greece etc) But the modern nation state (Volksnation, people's nation) began with the French Revolution (1789) 1830 Belgium independence 1832 Greek independence 1870 German unification 1871 Italian unification In 1848 there were revolutions across Europe : they all wanted to end Monarchical rule and establish representative government. In 1515 the Islamic Ulema had banned printing. Ordinary working people in the Caliphate were mostly illiterate and very poorly informed. When the Caliphate collapsed 1922, they didn't know what a nation was. The Jews were largely European and imbued with European ideas : they immediately began to elect a representative council. I hope I've found a few items to interest you.
    1
  7415.  @omarlittle-hales8237  Interesting. I believe exactly the opposite. A survey in Israel showed 35% orthodox Jews, 35% social Jews (marriages Bar-Mitzvah), and 30% atheists. I believe that when Palestinians match those figures, then there will be peace. The Islamic community are not allowed to be atheists (apostates must be killed says the Koran)
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  7416.  @omarlittle-hales8237  I also agree with Shlomo Sands that the Exodus never happened : the majority of the tribes of Israel converted to Islam - they are now the Palestinians. The majority of Israeli Jews are Caucasian. That observation doesn't require genetic analysis. You remind me of Sir Francis Edward Younghusband. He had two divine experiences. The first in the Himalayas : he experienced the unity of the cosmos. The second in Blighty : I think it was another 'wholeness' experience. I was more interested in his conquest of Tibet for the British Empire - part of the Great Game, to keep Russia out of India.
    1
  7417.  @marknakashima4651  Very interesting thanks. Palestine history :- Ottoman from about 1516 to 1922 The Sultan is "Our Lord on Earth" said Ataturk's mum. He owned all land and allocated it to his followers (cavalry etc) There was no concept of land ownership and no notion of nationhood. 1922 British mandate. Don't be fooled by Balfour, by 1947 there was a powerful Arab lobby convinced British interests were better served with an Arab understanding. In 1922 the Jews elected a Council (proto-state). They were fully versed in European ideas of statehood and land ownership : they bought up as much land as they could. How, if the Sultan owned all land ? The Tanzimat reforms (1830 ~1876?) were forced on the Ottomans by Europe to try avoid Ottoman bankruptcy. 1922 Britain appoints a Jerusalem Grand Mufti to lead the Palestinians : he looks to Damascus. Palestinian politicians then look to the Arab League. After 3 wars 1947, 1967, 1973, they declare statehood in 1988 After 70yrs of failure the Palestinians haven't changed one iota. That's why there are no democracies - none of the Caliphate countries have changed. I said that a couple of years ago and someone said, "Look at Tunisia !" Well take a look - it proves my point.
    1
  7418.  @bartversteege2910  After an extensive search, I can only say I've found no reference to that event.
    1
  7419. 14 Palestinian police beat a man to death on CCTV they have all been released. Why does nobody investigate that ? Nizar Banat was his name, they killed him for criticising Fatah corruption.
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  7420. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
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  7421. China promotes surveillance techniques for autocrats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8WAIFatAqw And climate protestors want to cripple the West. China and Russia are laughing in their hats.
    1
  7422. 2 facts : a) Hamas cannot win in Gaza b) The war ends when Hamas leaves Gaza (& releases all hostages) All nations should persuade Hamas to leave It is simple
    1
  7423. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  7424. "UN staff" = Hamas The UN employs Hamas (they have admitted it and sacked some) Stop funding UNRWA
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  7425. "Don’t let Putin turn Ukraine into Syria" That's rich coming from India media. Modi is giving Moscow a nod & wink, and receiving Russian military junk in return.
    1
  7426. Well said. Remember when Pakistan easily shot down two Indian Mig-21 jets ? Remember how easily Turkey shot down Russian jets ? When will India realise they have Russian junk on their hands ?
    1
  7427. In 1920 two things happened :- a) the British installed a Mufti in Jerusalem to compensate for the collapse of the Ottoman Empire (the sultan fled in 1922, the Caliph in 1924) b) The Jews held an election for their General Assembly and established a shadow administration.
    1
  7428. LOL It is China that will be blockaded by AUKUS
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  7429. I'm not sure about Russian morale. In WW2 it was kept high by the NKVD sending officers to the Gulags who wouldn't race to Berlin. Today, Russia has no Gulags (only prisons for opposition politicians and journalists). Will soldiers be enthusiastic ? Maybe they will remember how Putin came to power in 1999 ? He was bringing security after a series of bomb blasts...... Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
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  7430. What does each party to the deal want ? Civilians : a democratic , enlightened state with separation of powers and accountability. Military : power & wealth. The usual. Influence over affairs and a guaranteed slice of the economy. Just like Pakistan, Egypt and Iran : whose military run their own separate economies.
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  7431. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
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  7432. Patriarch Kirill is the ungodly, Rolex-watch-wearing Russian patriarch. Glasnost files 1991 exposed him as a KGB agent, informing on clerics and parishioners.
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  7433.  @xcitemex6353  The US has just sent the largest military package - $2.8 billion Watch for Ramstein 8 on the 20th January There are 60 nations in that group, and they will all be sending weapons. General Ben Hodges predicts Crimea will be liberated in August this year.
    1
  7434.  @xcitemex6353  The US defence budget is $845 billion Money sent to Ukraine is the best investment the Pentagon has ever made. They are knocking the Russians into the 3rd division. It will save money in the long run : it's a great investment. It means the US only needs to focus on China.
    1
  7435.  @alexandriashown5745  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
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  7436. Jordan did not officially relinquish its claim to the area until 1988, when it severed all administrative and legal ties with the West Bank and eventually stripped West Bank Palestinians of Jordanian citizenship. West Bank - occupied by Jordan after 1948 war 1967 Israel pushed Jordan out of West Bank The ICJ does NOT determine where a nations borders are, when that nation has never had any (ie Palestine)
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  7437. avionics, the city of FES was one of the largest in the world. " between 1170 and 1180, with an estimated 200.000 people living there" At a time when Rome had a pop. of about 20k.
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  7438. Guterres is pro-Hamas Guterres wants Hamas to survive
    1
  7439. Nordstream was a message to Russia - "The US is not messing around" It is also a message to Saudi and the Gulf states. If Saudi think they can cut loose and and join Russia to strangle the west they are in for a shock. MBS is certainly in for a surprise.
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  7440. @o O ,LOL, Germany won't do it you mean. The pipe laying ship has been in dock for 18 months and needs a full technical service. NO company will touch it for fear of being subject to sanctions.
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  7441. An expert on China once remarked "You'd be surprised how fearful the CCP are". The Chinese Communist Party know they have no legitimacy and are scared witless of the people. The sight of a million people protesting puts the bejabers up President Xi and his corrupt cronies.
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  7442. "UN staff" = Hamas The UN employs Hamas (they have admitted it and sacked some) Stop funding UNRWA
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  7443. Lord David Owen was on Radio 4 (BBC) 11/10/17 and said he wouldn't criticise Trump's handling of N.Korea. Especially the way Trump has encouraged China to impose tough sanctions. Owen is one of the UK's most respected Foreign Secretaries.
    1
  7444.  @bmanagement4657 " India didn't choose sides over unfounded western attacks on the middle east" A very good point. I like India. I'm simply trying to apply moral pressure.
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  7445. "Leaders who support the murderous dictator Maduro" Pompeo is talking about Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn also supports Hamas Hezbollah and the Ayatollah.
    1
  7446. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
    1
  7447. summvs, I hope you're right (I've never heard of him). But I can only say experience tells us all to expect the worst. Remember the Catholic priest who was elected in Haiti after Papa Doc ? He was very soon as bad as Papa Doc with corruption, torture, detentions etc
    1
  7448.  @militant2477  Very interesting reply, I enjoyed that. I must confess I've never read a history of Africa. The only thing I would point to is the difference between Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma. Mandela had a western education, Zuma was totally ignorant. Zuma was violent, corrupt, incompetent and self-serving. Mandela had vision, principles, intelligence and was self-sacrificing. Education makes the world of difference.
    1
  7449. 6:46 "You never David I really prefer to support other shows ." As if anybody would after that melodramatic delivery ; they'd be more likely to send in a donation.
    1
  7450. Would it be sexist of me to observe what a moron Trish Regan is ?
    1
  7451. Turkey, Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" When Erdoğan teaches Modi how to use a moral compass, one knows Modi has made an error of judgement.
    1
  7452.  @gamerguyriyad  , But what I'm saying is :- The Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot wasn't based on Greek democracy. They hadn't heard of the Greeks. Also, the Polish Sejm wasn't based on Greece. In biological terms it would be called convergent evolution : different species head for the same end point in their own way. Now, if we look at Greece, we see they were a total shambles after the early classical period. If you consider pirate ships :- they always operated on a primitive democratic principle. The Greeks didn't bestow representative assemblies (democracy) on the world. And the version you see everywhere today is basically British.
    1
  7453. STOP calling it "crash" It is a hard landing LOL
    1
  7454.  @learseneshow9175  , anthropologists estimate that since humans evolved there have been 10,000 religions invented. There hasn't been a tribe on Earth that hasn't invented a religion. If you examine the Old Testament it reads like something invented in the Bronze Age (which is exactly when it was invented). There isn't s single saying by Christ in the New Testament that hasn't been said before : love thy neighbour was expounded by Confucius 300yrs earlier. Islam looks exactly like something invented in the C7th, With talk about Jins and Dust-devils (and other superstitious nonsense). All religions are part of human evolution : they help bind the tribe together with common beliefs and instil good social practices for hygiene and welfare.
    1
  7455. USA is supporting victory for Hamas ?
    1
  7456. That money didn't belong to the Ayatollah. The Ayatollah was living in France when various groups overthrew the Shah. They were Socialists, trade-unionists, democrats, feminists, students etc. The Shah arrived in Tehran 1979 and was asked what he'd do with the democrats, he said, "I'll kick their teeth in ". So the money belongs to Iranians not to the dictator that executed 7000 of them in his first year. Read "The executioners deserve medals".
    1
  7457. Here is Corbyn supporting Hamas (those anti-democratic Islamofascists) https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7170106/jeremy-corbyn-exposed-dining/
    1
  7458. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  7459. 0:30 the poor instructor is practically looking down the barrel as the young girl accidentally pulls the trigger. I'm surprised they don't teach them to hold it with both hands.
    1
  7460.  @KarimAlKharsa  , Another question would be why did it take Egypt, Jordan, and Syria until 1988 to recognize a Palestinian state ? Also, why did Palestine throw their lot in with Pan-Arabism if they were so concerned about national independence. It is almost as if they were happy to segue from a Sultan/Caliph, to an Egyptian Pan-Arab leader.
    1
  7461. Assange released 2.5Gb of info : that's about 7000 books. He had no idea what was on it. Assange betrayed hundreds of activists who who working for democracy against dictatorships. Why ? Because he couldn't read it all and didn't want to share it. He could send it to Amnesty or other journalists but didn't want them stealing his limelight. Lazy, egotistical Assange wanted all the glory of dumping intelligence that endangered other people's lives. Obviously he exposed war-crimes : we all want that but you can't condemn other activists to arrest & torture at the same time. You have to filter it and protect the good guys. Assange has no friends....except for ill-informed Jimmy Dore types.
    1
  7462. Kremlin elite hoard their wealth and let schools crowd-fund the military Russia needed 1.5 million and used 150k A cheap invasion followed by a cheap bluff Britain and the US finalised nuclear drills and signed-off on a joint nuclear response : "Beyond belief" France declared neutrality - simply confirming their perfidious nature, by stabbing NATO in the back.
    1
  7463. Not only are folk fearful of China, aghast at China's Uyghur prison camps, and despairing of the corrupt, all-controlling CCP, but also hopeful for a multinational alliance to challenge the Chinese jackboot, advance liberal democracy, and end that eastern dystopia.
    1
  7464.  @Kanal7Indonesia  , quite honestly it comes as a surprise to everyone. Even the Philip III's minister Olivares was surprised how little authority the Castilian crown had over. The King exercised authority because everyone wanted his attention and affection. Not just individuals but towns and religious orders etc. So the King could ask for loans (which were never repaid) and bestow Fueros (grants of autonomy ).
    1
  7465. South China Post spelt it out : "What are we going to do about Putin" Was their editorial
    1
  7466. Let me summarize :- a) Iran can't close the straight, the Iranian guy with the glasses said as much "They will put restrictions on traffic" . Yeah that's not closing it and he never answered how they would even do that. b) US sanctions on the Chinese and Indian companies will take months or years to result in action against them. For those companies it is a ticking time-bomb ; that's why they will look to source oil elsewhere. Everything will happen in slow-motion but the end result is bad for Iran : their GDP drops.
    1
  7467.  @a6893_  Haven't you read the news ? It is all over. State-controlled Russian news agency RIA has reported. Leonid Slutsky added the delegations could soon reach draft agreements. Mr Slutsky said: "According to my personal expectations, this progress may grow in the coming days into a joint position of both delegations, into documents for signing."
    1
  7468.  @a6893_  Correct, the war is a gigantic mistake. Putin has taken the Russian crown jewels (the invincible Red Army) and humiliated it. Putin will have to go. Putin will be replaced by a nationalist, who will have to stage another invasion, to erase the memory of this humiliation.
    1
  7469.  @a6893_  I agree, Putin has tremendous support. It is incomprehensible to the West. I read Svetlana Abramovich, "Second-hand Time " and the characters speak about "Russia has been humiliated for too long", (post Soviet). It is incredible how deeply, and how widely, this is felt. That is why I'm sure Putin will have to go, because he has added to the humiliation ten-fold.
    1
  7470.  @selvammaniamawasi697  The International Court will decide. Putin is finished, he is a spent force (even in Russia).
    1
  7471. This is very boring Everyone is sick of this story - try something new
    1
  7472.  @KekusMagnus  "It might have been a mistake," What a jackass reply. Russia is destroying Kiev with missiles bombs and rockets, and you start splitting hairs saying "Putin may not have ordered it". Try using that defence in the Human Rights Court at The Hague.
    1
  7473. Well he would say that wouldn't he.
    1
  7474. Are there any Germans supporting Ukraine ? Or do they all think like Scholz and Macron and want Ukraine to cede territory ?
    1
  7475. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
    1
  7476. "Will China send in troops ? " Only if it wants the world to think it's a murderous dictatorship. (Oh, the world already thinks that.....so maybe they will send in their murderous thugs).
    1
  7477.  Cincinnati Reds  , what ill-informed nonsense : land disputes are ALWAYS solved diplomatically. How did the 30yrs war end ? How did the Spanish Succession end ? How did the Austrian Succession end ? etc etc They always end with a treaty. Now, if you were well-read in history you could find a few counter-examples, but they are the exceptions.
    1
  7478.  Cincinnati Reds  , North Cyprus isn't recognised as Turkish by anyone. Crimea has landed Russia with crippling sanctions. Goa....that was against Portugal, a military dictatorship. Who wouldn't liberate citizens from a dictatorship ? The Balkans : I'll grant you that example, well done. (PS I had to look up the Goa annexation, you beat me there)
    1
  7479.  Cincinnati Reds  ".... wasn't recognised by any Arab nation at first either." LOL I thought you meant PALESTINE. NO Arab nation recognised Palestine in 1947 : it was claimed by Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Only after losing 3 wars did the Arabs decide to recognise a Palestinian state.   The IRA campaign ended with"The Good Friday Agreement" . The IRA had to verifiably destroy all their arms. How is that a military victory ? It was an agreement. In fact the EU border conundrum looks much more like uniting North and South than terrorism ever did.
    1
  7480.  Cincinnati Reds  , to avoid confusion allow me to clearly state your case :- The Palestinians should ignore diplomatic solutions and seek a military victory. Even though the Arabs haven't had a single success in 70yrs, you believe it will come good in the end. Meanwhile Israel continue to annex more and more land and militarily outstrip opponents. Then to justify this ludicrous position you point to India annexing Goa with 45000 heavily armed well equipped troops. How does that make sense ? My position is that Palestine needs a Nelson Mandela : someone to connect on the world stage, perhaps a woman ? How about having an election and allowing a progressive idealistic charismatic woman to stand ? I know you are saying "We already have charisma.....look at Mahmoud Abbas and Islamic Jihad".
    1
  7481.  Cincinnati Reds  , on Ireland the BBC made a terrific documentary : both sides were utterly exhausted so an intelligence officer approached the IRA and said the UK want to find a withdrawal mechanism (which was true but he hadn't been told to say it). The IRA then responded negatively but the officer edited their reply to be positive, handed it to his superior and the wheels started turning. Both sides were stuck in a quagmire and one guy got the wheels turning. Quite amazing. When Prussia was conquered by Napoleon, Wilhelm von Humboldt said, "We must renew ourselves with intellectual vigour". Could you imagine a Palestinian saying that ? Could you imagine Yasser Arafat investing the $3 billion he stole in technical colleges and saying, "We must renew ourselves with intellectual vigour". Instead you see 7yr old Palestinians crawling around with wooden rifles....and that passes for a good education.
    1
  7482.  Cincinnati Reds  , you are talking daft. The history of how the Good Friday Agreement came about is an historical fact substantiated by documents and the testimony of people ON BOTH SIDES who were actually there. You are a fantasist pedalling pet-theories about revolution and rebellion. You're a dreamer. Martin McGuiness and many others took part in the documentary and all substantiated the version of events the intelligence officer gave. Are you saying they are liars ? Do some research before talking nonsense.
    1
  7483.  Cincinnati Reds  , I used to support the IRA as a young man (40yrs ago) but when six of them stabbed Robert McCartney in a pub , then prevented any witnesses bringing them to justice. All because he insulted them......I'm afraid it was the end of a stupid road for me. I realised all paramilitary groups are thugs. You'll realise yourself when you are older and wiser.
    1
  7484. LOL the UN supports Hamas The UN has ordered unrestricted ARMS deliveries The UN wants weapons smuggled to Hamas
    1
  7485. Lord Salisbury (Prime Minister, 1895-1902) always refused to use Bluff" as a foreign policy. When the Admiralty said the Royal Navy couldn't force the Bosphorus, Salisbury diverted British interest to Egypt. Putin has used "Bluff" in the Ukraine crisis, and now has indelible egg on his face.
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  7486. @Justa Fool ,LOL. But that is what mind blowing is supposed to be : an idea you couldn't have imagined. Like when peter Atkins (Creation) said we live in a 3D universe because you can tie more knots in 3D than you can in 4 or 5 or 6 dimensions. (Obviously you can't tie any in 2D). Mind blowing is an new (usually unproven, speculative) insight.
    1
  7487.  ATG IMM  Read "The executioners deserve medals" it tells how the Ayatollah's torture camps killed 6 Iranians at a time by hanging them off fork-lift truck pallets. I think you'll find the Ayatollah stole control of the Iranian state and its assets. Nobody doubts the money is Iranian : it's just not the Ayatollah's.
    1
  7488.  @marcelooofenwonken4251  , "what the Ayatollahs are doing". I think you'd feel differently if your relatives had been loaded onto a forklift truck pallet and hanged. What do you think happened to Iranian Socialists ? Iran had a huge Communist party, where did they go ? I think you are clueless about history. All Iranian opposition groups went into the Ayatollahs torture camps. Try reading some history.
    1
  7489. This is nothing new :- The Ottomans wanted to hire the Polish military which had been exiled by the Russian partition of Poland. The French Napoleonic experts worked everywhere - Egypt, Persia, Russia, the Dutch Republic you name it.
    1
  7490.  @andreiaes1233  At the end of WW2 Russian POWs were forced (by Churchill) to return. They spent 10yrs in the Gulags. Female Russian POWs in Germany were liberated and raped by the Russian army. Russia has always been a dystopia. They don't know whether to hate Stalin or praise him. The Russian psychology is schizophrenic and paranoid. Paranoia :- the KGB asked school children to inform on their parents, no family was safe from the state. After the collapse of Tsarist Autocracy, Russia segued into Soviet Autocracy : in a memo, the KGB described themselves saying, "We are the new aristocracy". Bari, Stalin's henchman, was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman Beria took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
    1
  7491. The UN is a corrupt waste of time. Russia is on the Human Rights Council. At the UN the psychopaths run the show.
    1
  7492. Magnificent.
    1
  7493. Did he call Obama a 'pussy' because Obama failed to act on the use of Chemical weapons in Syria ? Maybe he did. In which case it was justified because Obama's pusillanimous response totally undermined America making it more likely that N Korea develop multiple warhead nuclear missiles and that Iran and others follow suit. Never understate the error Obama made.
    1
  7494. 1:02 Are they chanting "Free speech" ? Because that is just what they don't have in the West Bank or Gaza. And ironically it is what Palestinians do have in Israel. Also, Israeli Palestinians get to vote, and the 3rd largest party in the Knesset is Arab. Where else in the Middle East could you say that ?
    1
  7495. Non Je Ne Regrette Rein the 1970s ? France jumped into bed with Islamism in the 1970s : hosting the Ayatollah and every fascist Islamic fanatic. It paid off for a while, they had no hijackings or terror threats. But look where it got them - Islamists are now embedded into the fabric of France. Conclusion : never sup with the Devil.
    1
  7496. Eurovision - Israel wins the popular vote In UK Israel easily won hands down The ordinary people support ISRAEL not Hamas You Al Jazeera folk are living in a dream world
    1
  7497. "UN staff" = Hamas The UN employs Hamas (they have admitted it and sacked some) Stop funding UNRWA
    1
  7498.  @sudnnk5138  The best evidence I can present for Ottoman stagnation would be the words of Young Ottomans (1860s) who wanted progress. Some Ottomans praised the old ways but Abdullah Jevdet replied :- "There is no second civilization; civilization means European civilization and it must be imported with both its roses and its thorns". Namik Kemal wanted the Ottomans to adopt the British parliamentary system because Britain had : "The indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
    1
  7499.  @sudnnk5138  "and that's done with now" Actually, a culture takes 500-1000yrs to develop. It is never "done with". Take Poland as an example :- Poland is 93% catholic. That is due to the violent Counter Reformation prosecuted by the Jesuits. That isn't "over", it is a fact of life now. Poland was part of the barbaric USSR for 40yrs, which had a tremendous influence on the Polish character. Now, let us examine the Middle East Why is the Middle East a failure ? The historian considers the 600yr Ottoman Caliphate (actually a caliphate from 1517, an empire from 1299). The overwhelming influence has got to be Islam, and to a lesser degree the nature of the Sultanate. Islam had two major effects :- a) it taught obedience to authority, regardless of the behaviour and capacity of the Sultan, he was "Our Lord on Earth". b) the Ulema banned printing in 1515, which condemned the Middle East to 90% illiteracy.
    1
  7500.  @sudnnk5138  , my point is this :- When the Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1922 (the last sultan fled to the French Riviera with 3 chests full of jewels packed into a British ambulance) 90% of the people in the Middle East were illiterate. That was the legacy of the Ottomans. Ataturk replaced everything Ottoman : the Fez, the alphabet, he abolished the Caliphate (the last Caliph fled to Switzerland with £2000, and his harem). Turkey was then modernized to a Western Civilization parliamentary democracy, with secular education and civil rights. The Middle East was very late modernizing, that is why it is struggling to become democratic. The same happened in Spain, which was a fascist dictatorship until 1975. Very backwards and bigoted thanks to corruption and the Catholic Church.
    1
  7501. Future warfare is :- a) economic b) infrastructure c) casualty averse d) world opinion conscious There won't be a mass invasion. Taiwan will be crippled economically. It's infrastructure totally degraded. The people reduced to subsistence. Then when there's chaos and collapse - no fuel or communications, perhaps China will invade. Now, what's the US doing during this phase ? Well it's doing exactly the same to China : blockading its ports, degrading its economy, attacking infrastructure (casualty averse attacks) and reducing China to chaos and collapse.
    1
  7502.  @jamescheng9578  , I didn't say "wiped out" I said "chaos and collapse". Blockade would lead to financial and social chaos, which would lead to the collapse of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party : the dictatorship)
    1
  7503. India sided with the loser.
    1
  7504.  @abdalifatheroftahaalp6058  Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass. Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it"
    1
  7505. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  7506. Historical analysis :- (I've actually made a video on this topic) a) In North America , during colonial times the Governor might be the 12th riches person in a town. Many merchants were wealthier and wealth brings political influence. So even though North and South America were autocratic , in the North t was ameliorated by trade. In South America the Church and State (governor and deputies) were usually the wealthiest. There was no challenge from the commercial sector. b) The Hidalgo (minor noble : about 25% of Spains population, Conquistadors etc) Thought nwork and trade was beneath him. He came to the Americas to find a village to support him : he had a medieval feudal mentality. Not a northern European trading mentality. c) The Church monopolised education and censorship. It kept independent intellectual movements supressed. d) Juan Alberdi (South America's "Tom Paine" ) educated by Jesuits, said "Let us be catholic as our fathers were, as is proper to our race and culture". He couldn't see past his own enslavement. In 1557 a Frenchman Nicholas Barnaud wrote a book on "Voluntary Servitude" which sums up Juan Alberdi to a tee. e) The Cuidallo (Strongman leader) : Spanish-America segued naturally into military dictatorship and the people embraced ther strongman leader. See Juan Peron : Evita was deified as a spiritual leader. Spain had been kept isolated from the European Enlightenment and clung to a superstitious mindset.
    1
  7507. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  7508. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
    1
  7509.  @ploppill34  I pride myself on being the opposite of ignorant "Black Flag" a good book on the Middle East conflict I've read many books on this region - Ataturk, Ottoman history, WW1, Lawrence of Arabia (TE Lawrence) I'm very well informed, thanks anyway
    1
  7510. Will India condemn an escalation ? NO Shame on India. Modi should try to find some courage, backbone, and morality.
    1
  7511.  @davidnoname6278  "India should condemn the U.S." Good policy. Try it and see where it gets you. Modi has already set India back into the last century. Don't add catastrophe to Modi's current disaster.
    1
  7512. Israeli hostages were seen in Gaza hospitals - being concealed by medical staff Hamas uses hospitals and schools for its terrorist operations
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  7513. Russia are in for a hammering. The Kremlin say there are 10k technical NATO experts in Ukraine. When Russia invade there will be an ungodly barrage of drones and missiles : in the first 2 weeks Russia will run out of body bags. Putin will respond by bombing civilians. This will cause an outcry amongst civilized countries. Who will supply more missiles and drones. Exocets with a range of 200km will clear the Black Sea of all Russian warships.
    1
  7514. Allah has nothing to do with earthquakes Earthquakes are the result of stress in geological fault lines If this had happened in Sweden the Imams would say it was Allah's revenge Islam is an invented myth (like all religions)
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  7515. Putin explained to Macron how he intends to "rape" Ukraine. 'Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it,' Putin said, using an expression that rhymes in Russian.
    1
  7516. Let him assume. Russia is getting its ass kicked.
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  7517. Jacob Zuma had no formal education : he was an ignorant, corrupt, incompetent and self-serving. This lady is also, ignorant, incompetent and probably corrupt. Pity Africa : it has a very long way to go.
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  7518. Hamas, founded in 1987, is the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt hates Hamas. Israel saved the King of Jordan in 1971 as the PLO/Fatah tried to oust the Royal family. Jordan also hates Hamas. Fatah hates Hamas. Why do the Palestinians support Hamas ? Answer : Education. The caliphate banned printing in 1515, and when the Ottomans collapsed in the 1920s Palestine was 95% illiterate. It wasn't until the western educated PLO (Arafat) in the 1960s that the idea of nationalism took hold. This is shockingly late in the day. Compare America : in 1640 the settlers decreed every 50 man colony had to have a teacher, so children could read and write. In 1775 America was overwhelmingly literate. Almost everyone knew what a constitution was, and a parliament.
    1
  7519.  @felisabdi3794  , thanks for your reply. I forgot to add : the Hamas ultimatum included releasing all Palestinians arrested for throwing stones at Jewish worshippers at the Temple Wall. Israel ignored the ultimatum and at 6:01pm Monday 10th May 2021Hamas started the war.
    1
  7520.  @ajay-naz6996  , I agree with everything you said. But those events are provocations or protests, I'm talking about rockets and airstrikes : I'm talking about war and children being killed. That started at 6:01pm on Monday, May 10th. Hamas wanted all Palestinians released, and all Israeli police removed from temple Mount. When that didn't happen they launched rockets. That is 100% accurate. Now, I accept all your points about provocations by Israel, evictions, settlements, the cancellation of the election by Fatah, they all enraged ordinary Palestinians. But Hamas started the rocket fire. Hamas gave a 6pm deadline for war.
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  7521. Let me explain :- Putin is handing the Duma a hot potato. Russia is failing and Putin wants the Duma to be up to its neck in it. The annexation decisions will be the Duma's endorsement of a war which is lost. It has nothing to do with nuclear escalation, or mobilizing a million men. This is Kremlin politics.
    1
  7522. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
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  7523. A great exercise that builds camaraderie and trust. Also, it's fun, and exhilarating. By God I wish I was with 'em.
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  7524. 33:00 "Indian Commandos killed 100 Chinese in their camps" Is this a figment of his imagination ? There is absolutely no evidence for it. Search Google.
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  7525. ....ha ha ha, good laughs. Meanwhile, Maduro and his 2000 corrupt generals run the country into the dust. LOL, who needs 2000 corrupt generals.......a corrupt dictator like Maduro. You schmucks are supporting an a-hole, just because he's anti-U.S.
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  7526. No thanks to Germany - they closed their airspace to British weapon deliveries. Germany blocked Lithuania from transferring howitzers to Ukraine. Scholz had to have his arm twisted to untether himself from Russia.
    1
  7527. This general is talking rubbish. There is NO conventional military option for N Korea, it has to be a total nuclear strike by the U.S. so he can stop his nonsense talk and start thinking about how to get aid to those who survive. Only idiots talk about pilots taking out artillery.
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  7528. China "Friendship without limits" It is just rhetoric said the Chinese ambassador to the EU That was after Xi's disastrous trip to Moscow He left early, then fired braodsides at Putin South China Post "Neither China nor the EU nor France can change the position of others on Ukraine" ie "What are we going too do about Putin"
    1
  7529.  @corwinchelway9969  , well said. " Velayat-e faqih, which is rooted in Shia Islam, has historically been applied to justify limited clerical guardianship over a small section of the populace: those who were vulnerable and incapable of protecting their own interests, such as widows, orphans" So the psychopathic Khomeini considered the people his orphans. And consequently felt justified in using Iranian child soldiers to clear mines. (They were told to jump on them, after which they would become martyrs).
    1
  7530. Europe 24 Feb 2022 : Germany sent "tin-hats" to Ukraine and blocked RAF weapons flights Macron used his first speech - NOT for weapons to Ukraine but for his vanity project "We need a European Defence Force" Admiral Lord West "Macron wants an EDF for all the wrong reasons" Macron's EDF will oppose "brain dead" NATO It will be comfortable with China "The EU must not gang up on China with the USA" France having nukes and a security council seat will lead the EDF Macron's dream
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  7531. Golan folk are Syrian - they love despotism As if
    1
  7532. Read "The executioners deserve medals" How they hanged victims 6 at a time off forklift trucks You might change your mind about supporting the Ayatollah
    1
  7533. Hamas refuse the UN "Deal" but Al Jazeera blames Israel Good propaganda !
    1
  7534.  @f-35lightningii6  Also, there are thousands of drones (well many hundreds); Russia needs a cheap, plentiful drone killer. Trust Russia to go for a glamour project. Russia is obsessed with expensive glamour projects - when it is the basics that aren't working.
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  7535. "It's time we got our freedom" Correct What went wrong ? Palestine was a failure till Yasser Arafat and after that a catastrophe Palestine has never had leadership
    1
  7536. You said it LOL
    1
  7537. Indonesian Pride, good point. Touché'. Everyone has a right to raise a family. And statistics show that as nations develop and the people become educated and skilled they naturally have fewer children. In fact Western countries have to encourage people to have children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_decline
    1
  7538. Slave, interesting reply. I didn't know about the plans to relocate people out of Cairo. I think I read somewhere that the habitable land in Egypt is about the size of Belgium.
    1
  7539. Βικεντιος , you are quite right. However, I have a theory that with AI and robotics we are reaching a stage where countries can comfortably , slowly decrease their population with no ill effects.
    1
  7540. 13 Oct Macron waved the white flag to Russia on TV "nuclear neutrality" It was unnecessary : Putin already knew France would capitulate Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" = Macron has stabbed NATO in the back Putin has had Macron's measure from day 1
    1
  7541. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foor in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    1
  7542. The Speaker must resign !
    1
  7543. @Raging Radishes Russia has concentrated all its forces in Donbas and has accomplished little. The Ukraine Counter-Offensive begins in July. Ukraine Intelligence Chief said, "Mid-August will be the turning point in the war". The Kremlin knows this and is building defences around Kherson and Maritopol. Once Russia's gains start being retaken, Russian morale will collapse totally.
    1
  7544. @Raging Radishes 5 reasons you are wrong :- a) Putin's victory day speech was mild and anaemic : no WW3 declaration, no mass-mobilisation. b) Shiogu and Gerasimov have started talking to their US counterparts (previously they had refused to answer the phone) c) the signal event of the Russian colonel on TV : saying "The whole world is against us" etc d) Putin now says he is comfortable with Fuinalnd and Sweden joining NATO. e) Conscription age has been raised to 40. The Kremlin is running out of manpower and fears mobilisation would cause a social explosion.
    1
  7545. Berlin offers to send helmets but no weapons to Ukraine. Germany are behaving like the Kremlin's 5th column in the West. Macron is opportunistically advancing the EU defence force, whilst calling NATO brain-dead. Then electioneering instead of promoting an EU presidential agenda.
    1
  7546. Tunisia thinks it has problems. There are 2 nuclear warheads in the Black Sea - Russia put them there, when its ship went down. Well done Russia : another environmental disaster to go with Chernobyl.
    1
  7547. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  7548. Compare 1917 and 1979 Both revolutions were hijacked : one by Totalitarian Bolshevism, the other by Fascist Theocracy. The Bolsheviks slaughtered their opponents, and Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians. The most ruthlessly violent rise to the top : Lenin & Trotsky, and the Ayatollah
    1
  7549. Hollywood celebrities : the vacuous , venal , egotistical £uckwits.
    1
  7550. "Fire for effect" has a nice ring. Script writers love those phrases - the authenticity. Ralph Richardson could deliver that line well (or maybe not)
    1
  7551. Germany & France only half support Ukraine. They want the Allies "Not to humiliate Russia" Thank God for the USA (and Britain.....and AUKUS : thank God for fighting Allies)
    1
  7552. How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  7553. She is fighting the Israeli ......but has no voice in her own society. That is the irony : the PLO/Fatah have ruled with a rod of iron for 70yrs and Palestinians are denied democracy and any voice in their own governance by the corrupt old Palestinian 'men' clinging to office.
    1
  7554. May I speak for Western democracy ? As much as we dislike the Islamofascist Ayatollah we have warm regard for the enterprising industrious Persians and in a conflict with the indolent, ignorant, bone-idle, cowardly and cruel Saudis would harbour a silent desire to see the Iranians give them a stuffing.
    1
  7555. "Informational Incongruity" : hey, let's have more of your lecture slides, they're good. I had to hit pause when that came up. It was the best part.........it pushed the Russia scandal off the front page.
    1
  7556. Macron vetoed external sourcing to supply 1,000,000 shells France provided 1/3rd Czechia overturned the French veto and supplied the shells to Ukraine On the SAME day Macron made his "Troops to Ukraine" declaration He is a bullshitter - it is a publicity stunt Macron denuded Ukraine of artillery ! He plays this game to change the narrative (Do some research !)
    1
  7557. Modi's foreign policy is essentially India's cold-war policy. Fear of China and fear of offending Russia make India a "shaky ally". It is unpleasant to watch. Picture the scene : an Indian schoolboy in 2050, reads a history book and discovers his country was in bed with the Axis of Evil. Tears run down his cheeks, tears of shame.
    1
  7558. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  7559. 36 hospitals in Gaza (for 2.2 million) London only has 33 (for 7.6 million)
    1
  7560.  @nageshsharalaya2806  I'm trying to point out how well-off the Palestinians were in Gaza. They certainly had no shortage of healthcare Hamas has thrown all that in the dustbin Gazans will never return to the good life the enjoyed before
    1
  7561. Imran Khan : if he got a piece of coal in his stocking for Christmas he'd add it to Pak's GDP and keep his fingers crossed.
    1
  7562. Hamas carnage is made in Iran (We are left to deduce the punchline ourselves)
    1
  7563. "Tit for tat" wrong ! 170 attacks and only 11 responses by the US Deterrence has to be established over time - it's not a one off thing Biden has let it be known the US is a punch bag
    1
  7564. LOL : a Putin ally - he looks like a half-baked half-wit. The unfathomable ignorance of Russia never fails to amuse us all.
    1
  7565. David Pakman, well said. Nick Cohen wrote a book about it called "What's Left ? " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQQw5T2T94M
    1
  7566. Kim seems like a great guy. I think we all had him wrong : we thought he was a brutal, mass murdering dictator. It turns out he's............just ace.
    1
  7567. Suvorov a Russian hero Massacre at Ismail (1790) Massacre at Praga (1794). British officers reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' surrounded by filth. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad" Suvorov's maxim for slaughter
    1
  7568. Hamas, founded in 1987, is the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt hates Hamas. Israel saved the King of Jordan in 1971 as the PLO/Fatah tried to oust the Royal family. Jordan also hates Hamas. Fatah hates Hamas. Why do the Palestinians support Hamas ? Answer : Education. The caliphate banned printing in 1515, and when the Ottomans collapsed in the 1920s Palestine was 95% illiterate. It wasn't until the western educated PLO (Arafat) in the 1960s that the idea of nationalism took hold. This is shockingly late in the day. Compare America : in 1640 the settlers decreed every 50 man colony had to have a teacher, so children could read and write. In 1775 America was overwhelmingly literate. Almost everyone knew what a constitution was, and a parliament.
    1
  7569. LOL Vice news are terrible at geopolitics. China are very weak and it's all down to geography. A) they can't feed themselves and must import food b) they have to import oil & gas c) 51% of their GDP is exports : a blockade with finish them d) The US only need submarines to blockade China : it's so easy.
    1
  7570. Exogenous, I like China and think 'One Belt One Road' is a great idea. But if the US blockade China it is over , China can do nothing. Imagine China have brilliant anti-submarine technology and sink a US submarine, there are still another dozen, and no merchant ships will cross the blockade. So what can China do ? Have a think.
    1
  7571. Exogenous, you sound like a stuck record. I'm simply saying China are the victim of terrible geography : they can't feed themselves, have no oil & gas and are easily blockaded.
    1
  7572. Exogenous, I agree , freedom & democracy would be great. But not overnight : a slow orderly transition. First you have to establish independent (not corrupt) institutions. So the judiciary and police would become independent. Education would be independent. Business organisations and Trade Unions would be independent. etc, etc Then after a few years a slow transition to democracy. You don't want to end like S Africa : a corrupt one-party state.
    1
  7573. Exogenous , Invasion ? Now that is where China is strong. If China and the US confronted each other in N Korea China would win easily. Chinese infantry are as good or better than US : maybe not technically but they can endure extreme conditions & privation and are prepared to die in huge numbers. China have probably the strongest land army. But in a conflict with the US :- The US would blockade China and collapse their economy, which would lead to the collapse of the Communist party and the fragmentation of China.
    1
  7574. Exogenous, you are very game I'll give you that. China isn't going to be blockaded. Nobody wants China in chaos. Nobody wants anarchy in China. But. If there had to be war it would take the form of blockade.
    1
  7575. Bernard Weatharill (speaker) told one member, whose jacket had been pulled as he stood to speak, "May I suggest the honourable member be a bit more robust"
    1
  7576.  @NaZelensky  US general Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  7577.  @alone-tt8dg6ic6f  US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  7578.  @alone-tt8dg6ic6f  US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  7579. Ursula von der Leyden has been a rock ; along with Jens Stoltenberg - mild mannered lionheart, they have solidified Europe. Even Macron's appeasement diplomacy cannot fracture EU unity. Scholz is hiding behind his sofa, clueless.
    1
  7580. The medieval morons in this video don't know anything about the prophet. If they did they would know Muhammed's message came in two flavours :- a) The Koran written while Muhammed was weak and at the mercy of his opponents; that message is one of peace and tolerance. b) The Koran written when he achieved power ; that message is full of punishment and intolerance (his real face). I pity these Muslim morons who have never read a history book in their lives.
    1
  7581. The medieval morons in this video don't know anything about the prophet. If they did they would know Muhammed's message came in two flavours :- a) The Koran written while Muhammed was weak and at the mercy of his opponents; that message is one of peace and tolerance. b) The Koran written when he achieved power ; that message is full of punishment and intolerance (his real face). I pity these Muslim morons who have never read a history book in their lives.
    1
  7582. How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  7583.  @andyaxelson1775  , you are quite right : the order has been signed. (How you can possibly know Mattis was threatened with court martial is beyond me, when there was only the two of them in the room ; but it does add a touch of drama). I still say it will never happen.......they haven't left yet. The French special forces are also in Manbij and furious at Trump's unilateral withdrawal.
    1
  7584. South Africa's case began with a huge LIE "The only way to get aid to Palestinians is for Israel to stop fighting" Wrong : Hamas could stop fighting and release all hostages South Africa are pro-Hamas liars !
    1
  7585.  @elwray3506  I've simply stated facts. Estonia wanted to send Howitzers, but could only do so with German permission (part of the arms contract). Germany said, "No" That is clear sabotage, which they may regret now, but one cannot change the fact, Germany sabotaged the war effort.
    1
  7586. An old fakir.......soon to be replaced by another old fakir.
    1
  7587. Modi has found his moral compass.
    1
  7588. Marvellous.
    1
  7589. Islam hadn't been invented when those ruins were first built So how can Islam claim ownership The story of Islam is a story of conquest & looting
    1
  7590. Macron :"There is no shame in capitulation, if it saves lives" Ukraine : "Go f%ck yourself"
    1
  7591. What is Modi's endgame ? To alienate India from the civilized world, and to make global liberals anxious to see India get its comeuppance.
    1
  7592. Democracy makes all the difference The USA defends democracy
    1
  7593. The Chechen thug has sent his teenage sons, who have returned with 3 captives. These are being paraded and laughed at in a medieval manner. God knows what else they will do to them. The west needs to step up support. And macron needs to grow a pair - stop declaring neutrality don't say "We must not humiliate Russia" : that is playing Putin's game. Putin relies on pusillanimous Macron's cowardice.
    1
  7594. Ha ha ha, that's like the Democrats investigating the Clinton Foundation and saying there's nothing crooked going on. It's like Loretta Lynch investigating Clinton's private email server, then meeting Bill Clinton on a plane and then announcing she's done nothing wrong. It's like Bill Clinton being a serial rapist and nobody seems to care (certainly not the female libtards that queue for his autograph).
    1
  7595. John, I am a Bernie supporter but I recognise a whole swathe of libtard Hillary supporters who I despise : they are the apologists for Bill Clinton's rapes, they are apologists for Hillary's crookedness. They attack Republicans over the same issue to which they turn a blind eye when it's a Democrat. Look at the big picture , discard political-prejudice and attack everyone guilty of wrongdoing. People will respect you for it.
    1
  7596. Libtard : definition It is essentially a term of endearment. It describes someone whose heart is in the right place but who is befuddled by big issues. They side with Islamofascism thinking they are being liberal. They oppose military intervention thinking they're humane. Mind-washed by liberal-values they rationalise rapes and corruption whilst queuing for Hillary's autograph.
    1
  7597. Seagull, you've got me wrong I'm a Bernie supporter. My comment is simply to encourage everyone to look at the issue from both sides , to be dispassionate and objective. Trump wanted to establish a back channel to Russia to conceal something. Hillary used a private email server to conceal something. Ever wondered why it is so easy to draw parallels ?
    1
  7598. John, it is not obfuscation : it's exactly the opposite. It's called 'looking at the big picture'. 'It's not a defence' and nobody is making one : exactly the opposite. It's quite clear I'm pointing the finger at every guilty party. Once again , I encourage all you blinkered libtards to look at the big picture.
    1
  7599. John, okay, I made a few wrong assumptions about you. In the cut-n-thrust of Youtube that happens all the time. I can't tell you how many times people have assumed I'm a moron. (When I'm just the opposite) But at least we agree that nothing like the Clintons should ever happen to the Democrats again !
    1
  7600. The corrupt generals have an ace up their sleeves : the troops. The trick is for them not to play it. When/if they do play it they could find the troops, once out of the barracks and in amongst the street conflict, turning against the corrupt generals and siding with the ordinary folk. The ace could turn out to be a joker.
    1
  7601. Also, troops which side with the opposition find themselves on the same side as the Yanks : which isn't a bad side to be on.
    1
  7602. Guterres is pro-Hamas He defended murder, rape and abduction immediately after 7th Oct massacre
    1
  7603. 0:37 I was saying to myself "Send 'em to hell" Then that happened !
    1
  7604. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  7605. 2:09 send that chap on the Australian diplomatic mission - he wears his hat like a champion.
    1
  7606. Haiti is a simple story : it's about power & corruption Those who don't have power provoke violence Then if they get into power they impose tyrannical rule and start robbing Why ? All nations have a culture, which is developed over centuries Haitian culture is violence and theft
    1
  7607. Hamas support = Youth culture + one or two odd-bods + transgender + LGBTQ It's not going to get you far
    1
  7608. Warning ! distressing Are you kidding ? Nothing brings more joy, than seeing the Russians get their ass kicked.
    1
  7609. "UN staff" = Hamas The UN employs Hamas (they have admitted it and sacked some) Stop funding UNRWA
    1
  7610. The US and UK don't want the tanker released. They want Iran to continue behaving like a rogue gangster state. The propaganda victory is amazing : the UN and EU are demanding Iran obey maritime law. Much better than talking about a mechanism to bypass sanctions. Iran's economy has crashed and everyone talking about a captured tanker : Iran want to talk about the EU sanctions-bypass mechanism , no chance !
    1
  7611. Merkel's EU Commissioner said "Spain are planning a civil war". The use of inflammatory terms like 'civil war' and 'planning' was a devastating broadside at Madrid. Rajoy is like Mr Punch : his solution to all problems is violence. But the warning from Merkel will cool his choler and should lead to more civilised behaviour.
    1
  7612. Why does France promote capitulation ? Why did Macron declare French neutrality on TV ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  7613. The US will never allow N Korea to develop multiple warhead ballistic missiles. It is impossible to invade N Korea without them retaliating and killing 100ks of S Koreans. Therefore Trump will make a pre-emptive nuclear strike and flatten N Korea. Kim knows this. That is why he is meeting with Moon and encouraging dialogue. The Meeting with Trump will happen at some stage. Because the alternative is a pre-emptive strike on N Korea.
    1
  7614. How times change : in Bangladesh Pakistn killed 3 million and raped 250,000 women and girls :- " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
    1
  7615. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, and quietly become a $hithole country.
    1
  7616. Where is the leadership in Europe ? "We must not humiliate Russia", said Macron. And Schulz has sabotaged Ukraine - closing airspace, refusing 3rd party transfers and blocking sales. The EU is like a damsel in distress.
    1
  7617. Dave Miller - good analysis
    1
  7618.  @ssenyondoibrahim5644  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. Modi simply looks on with indifference.
    1
  7619.  @akshityadav1555  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. Russia is committing the most horrendous atrocities in Ukraine. Modi's duty is to speak out for humanity.
    1
  7620. One Orc is not moving, the other Orc is holding his leg - good shooting.
    1
  7621. The 2000 corrupt generals are holding all the aces. The problem is : when they play them they could turn to jokers. While the troops are in the barracks they're an ace but once let out on the street in the hustle and chaos they could easily shoot the Cuban motorcycle thugs who are killing Venezuelans.
    1
  7622. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
    1
  7623. The UN is pro-Hamas UN has not condemned Hamas' rapes and murders Guterres defends Hamas Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  7624. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated militarily".
    1
  7625.  @vaxx5113  It's not a joke for the Russians : they are getting kicked from @rsehole to breakfast-time.
    1
  7626.  @willw8011  Thanks. I've pasted your well-informed comment into mine.
    1
  7627.  @andrewdutoit9571  Well said. Fortunately the USA are now training Ukrainians to fly F16 and F16 planes. It is a $100 million program, so I imagine they're training around a hundred pilots.
    1
  7628.  @andrewdutoit9571  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  7629.  @andrewdutoit9571  You are forgetting the Bucha atrocities unleashed and encouraged by the Kremlin : torture, rape and murder. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  7630. Well done Ukraine : fighting to defend civilization. The Free World is fully supporting you, and suffering sleepless nights at the sight of barbaric Russian atrocities.
    1
  7631.  @coshvjicujmlqef6047  "I'd rather not say", that is the Russian people's answer when asked whether they support the war. They are afraid to speak. There is the difference : a Free World is one in which folk are allowed to voice opinions.
    1
  7632.  @coshvjicujmlqef6047  Opposition to Putin is labelled "terrorism"; anyone voicing disapproval can face 15yrs in prison, politicians who oppose Putin are poisoned, shot or imprisoned, journalists exposing corruption are thrown from windows, human rights organisations are shut down. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  7633. The daftest argument I've heard in a long time. Oh, and I've unsubscribed.
    1
  7634.  @arhamchoudhary8369  ," The war began after the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against the people of East Pakistan on the night of 25 March 1971". "The genocide is still too little known about in the West. It is, moreover, the subject of shocking degrees of denial among partisan polemicists and manipulative historians. " You are one of those in denial. 250,000 women and girls were raped, no wonder you don't want to acknowledge it.
    1
  7635.  @arhamchoudhary8369  , you are in denial :- "A planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army – codenamed Operation Searchlight – started on 25 March 1971 to curb the Bengali independence movement[25] by taking control of the major cities on 26 March, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military " The planes took off from Pakistan carrying military and supplies. So outraged were the Pakistani people at defeat there was almost a military coup in Pakistan. "When the news of surrender of West Pakistan reached through the national television, the spontaneous and overwhelming public anger over Pakistan's defeat by Bangladeshi rebels and the Indian Army, followed by the division of Pakistan into two parts boiled into street demonstrations throughout Pakistan. Rumors of an impending coup d'état by junior military officers" It was Pakistan that killed 3 million Muslims in Bangladesh and raped 250,000 Muslim women & girls.
    1
  7636.  @arhamchoudhary8369  , Not only was it Pakistan's military that committed the atrocities but they did it with the full support of the Pakistani people. That's why when they lost the war and Bangladesh declared independence there were whole scale resignations and public outcry. (No public outcry for those slaughtered in Bangladesh though).
    1
  7637.  @arhamchoudhary8369  , "Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months."
    1
  7638.  @arhamchoudhary8369  , "Not all Pakistani military personnel supported the violence: General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, who advised the president against military action,[52] and Major Ikram Sehgal both resigned in protest, as did Air Marshal Asghar Khan. Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, a Balochi politician, and Khan Abdul Wali Khan, leader of the National Awami Party, protested over the actions of the armed forces. "
    1
  7639.  @arhamchoudhary8369  , " In 2008, D'Costa attempted to find those who had been adopted, however very few responded, one who did said "I hated being a kid, and I am angry at Bangladesh for not taking care of me when I needed it most. I don’t have any roots and that makes me cry. So that is why I am trying to learn more about where I was born."
    1
  7640. Biden is back ! that was a dynamite performance
    1
  7641. Now one understand why the tail has that 'slider' wedge shaped underside.
    1
  7642. South Africa's case built on LIES Eg "500 trucks a day before the war" Actually only 72 trucks of food There are currently 110 trucks a day going in with food & medical aid South Africa deliberately present lies Eg "The only way to allow aid in is for Israel to stop fighting" Wrong Hamas could release all hostages and stop fighting S Africa never criticise Hamas, they are pro-Hamas
    1
  7643. Mike, we'll all turn out to wave you off. You half-witted whack-job.
    1
  7644. Why is France incapable of dealing with Russia's invasion ? Guizot 1830 :"In France every storm becomes a deluge : opposition becomes insurrection, and insurrection revolution" That is why France is on its 5th Republic. That's the French character. Which is why they are unable to display equanimity towards Russian aggression. Macron must imagine the worst. The USA and Britain have been here before, they know how to deal with tyrants. Macron is a product of French history and culture.
    1
  7645. The rupee has hit a record low against the dollar. Oil has hit $140 per barrel. Modi may regret siding with Russia.
    1
  7646.  @bhupendertomar5653  what has it to do with modi ? The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the defining event of the 21st century. The world is divided into 2 camps :- a) Asiatic Autocracy (Russia and China) b) Liberal Democracy (USA and Europe) Modi has chosen the losing side. India abstained when 141 countries condemned Russia. Modi thinks Russia is a superpower : it isn't. Russian military junk is being seen to fail. India just had two MIG-21s shot down by Pakistan. Turkey just shot down two Russian SU-24s. Russian armaments are rubbish. Modi has picked the losing side. India may end up being sanctioned by the US and Europe.
    1
  7647.  @bhupendertomar5653  India is consumed with two issues :- a) fretting over a trivial border clash with China b) Kashmir There is only one player against China and that is AUKUS. The US has just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines to blockade China. Australia will add another 9. Britain will add 11, (and France maybe 10). India will not even feature in the fight with China. And its border dispute is of no interset to any rational person. I only mention sanctions to try to wake up the Indian public, they are the most myopic fellows concerning their own strategy. If you're happy to have MIG jets destroyed then continue your relationship with Russia, and see how far it gets you. Modi hasn't a clue about military power or geostrategy.
    1
  7648.  @jeevad.tharan4179  I like Modi, he is very civil. But he is also gullible. The Russians have sold him some military junk, and he thinks he owes them the crown jewels.
    1
  7649. I just can't trust this schmuck.
    1
  7650.  @varun649  It is a question of humanity. It is about having a moral compass. Future generations in India will look back with shame on Modi's silence. Modi giving a nod & wink to Putin.
    1
  7651. Al Faw peninsular .....just below Basrah . If anyone else needs to look it up.
    1
  7652. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  7653. I've never seen any rebuttal videos. What re they rebutting ? I've never heard Pakman say anything controversial. This is controversial : vis-avis Jerusalem (it is attacking both sides) Historical Position :- a) Palestinians have never identified themselves as a nation. They were Roman, Byzantine, Umayyid, Abbasid, Ottoman. The Jews have always believed themselves to be a nation in exile even if ,as Shlomo Sands pointed out, it is probably a myth. b) The Palestinians were forced off the land https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8IjnRsRPCQ&t=11s The Israelis have created a fake history of being attacked (just as they did when they invaded Lebanon) ,The truth is they had to clear the land and killed many unarmed civilians. c) Palestinians have never shown interest in democracy : they always lived under Caliphates. That is why Yaser Arafat ruled like a dictator (looting $3billion) and crushing dissent. Fatah are doing the same today : looting cash from the people and crushing dissent. (Go to a meeting and ask about corruption, you will be dragged out & beaten) d) Israel is the only middle east democracy and should be supported by the West. e) Hamas are anti-democratic Fascists. When Iranian students protested it was Hamas that were beating them with clubs.
    1
  7654. Zelensky is a jackass. Only weeks ago he was berating Biden to ....... Zelensky urged his American counterpart to "calm down the messaging,"
    1
  7655. Shame on Wion, and shame on India. Wion calls the war "Op" for operation. Disgusting.
    1
  7656.  @xemnaseast2762  If you search hard enough (I haven't because I don't want to see it) you may be able to find photos. The UN has seen the evidence. So has the International Criminal Court. Everyone is denouncing Russian atrocities.
    1
  7657.  @menotfunnyclips8982  Surely you don't applaud Russian soldiers raping 10yr olds, simply because other nations have committed war crimes as well ?
    1
  7658.  @ElectronicaStation1  Good point. Also, Russia has not arrested those responsible for shooting down MH-17. And killing 178 civilians.
    1
  7659. 2:22 politician goons , glorifying themselves while drawing fat salaries and expenses.
    1
  7660. 1949 when Jordan annexed the West Bank the Arab league called it totally unlawful. Egypt and Syria had both laid claim to Palestine. Nobody recognised a Palestinian state. And while dictator Erdogan is calling it illegal he should remember the last Sultan agreed Constantinople should be a free-city before the coup by the Young Turks. Not that Mustafa Ataturk took any notice of the UN.
    1
  7661. The UN supports Hamas and Hezbollah That is common knowledge
    1
  7662. Rajoy/Madrid's demand for clarification is a good & reasonable move. The trouble is 155 is a nightmare the EU will never allow. It would lead to strikes,sit-ins,traffic gridlock,occupation &mass demonstrations. Imagine Rajoy immediately calls new elections and Nationalists win : the nightmare never ends. The 155 ultimate never happens but a process begins : Rajoy asks the Senate to approve it . That means Rajoy has done what he said and not backed down. But 155 hasn't been implemented and won't be. Trust me on this : mediators are working already there will be no 155.
    1
  7663. Allow me to add a UK angle. At one primary school a Ghanaian family send there kids who don't speak English. The parents are well to do and intelligent, the mother speaks 5 languages including English but she hasn't bothered to teach her kids and left it for the school to do. The mother has a habit of saying a sentence to the kids in Ghanaian but then using French for the object (noun) leaving the kids barely able to speak a word of English or form a sentence in any language.
    1
  7664.  @jennyiyke5576  "The POPE is not God" Correct. There have been three Ecumenical Councils :- a) Trent (1545 -63) : the Counter Reformation b) The FIRST Vatican Council (1869-70) This is the one where the Pope announced he was Infallible. Just at the time when autocratic monarchs were giving way to parliaments throughout Europe, the Pope was declaring himself the tyrant in chief. c) The SECOND Vatican Council (1963- 68) This one backtracked and allowed lay-people to get involved. Hardline Popes tend to ignore this Council
    1
  7665.  @adarshkumarsingh5000  , you are reacting emotionally and not thinking. When the Police come under criticism and shoot the suspects you're not supposed to applaud them. In a civilised country you hold the Police accountable. If the Home Ministry order extra-judicial killings you shouldn't applaud them : the government should be held accountable. If you want the rule of Law and Accountability you have to demand public inquiries not simply cheer a lynching. And if you want an end to sexual violence stop making Bollywood films which glorify a stylized version of it.
    1
  7666. Putin has indelible egg on his face : NATO called his bluff, and they have taken charge of the narrative. NATO appears organized, civilized and strong. Russia - conducting naval exercises off the Irish coast, appear to be just clowning around. Russia is a paper tiger : NATO moved in and Putin just sat there (with his legs twitching under the table)
    1
  7667.  @fleisbester612  When Putin was deputy mayor of St Petersburg he was part of a cartel that stole $98 million (that's according to Russian police) the money was never recovered. The godfather of Putin's daughter (Viktor Medvedchuk) sent Russian poet Mikola Kuntsevich to the Gulags for 10yrs. That's the sort of people running Russia : they are KGB thugs.
    1
  7668. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  7669.  @paheligroundzero  , you ARE secular you moron. Where are the religious laws in India ? There aren't any you Hindu fool : that is because you are secular.
    1
  7670. The US is an oil exporter : so they're fine. Canada too exports oil. The countries suffering most are those with large population, and commensurately large consumption : India and Turkey.
    1
  7671.  @manoranjanraj1382  India buys cheap Russian oil : profiting from the misery in Ukraine.
    1
  7672.  @ythaagruligiztil4813  You haven't noticed because Modi is a sanction busting sneak. India is profiteering from others misery. One day Modi will get his comeuppance, and Western liberals will rejoice.
    1
  7673. LOL for all those replies......everyone is calling him a bull$hit merchant. History :- 1815 Congress of Vienna (after Waterloo Napoleonic wars end) There is essentially a 100yrs of peace . You have minor wars and the 1848 revolutions but nothing on the scale of the 30yrs war (1618-48) which diminished Europe's population by up to 25% in affected areas. 1915 World war 1 1939 World War 2 Already you struggle to find this pattern he talks about. He mentions these two examples :- 1588 Spanish Armada 1688 Glorious revolution. The first was a skirmish at sea ( mythologised by the British : the truth is the British and Dutch outnumbered and outgunned the Spanish) it had no effect on the population. 1688 An oligarchy in Parliament invited William of Orange to be king because James II was Catholic. The population didn't bat an eye.
    1
  7674. Did Trump describe Bangladesh as a $hithole country ?
    1
  7675. LOL Every nation in history has attempted to divide its enemies The US does it in Russia, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt (Muslim brotherhood, the west sat back and watched a coup to get rid of them) Imagine Israel sitting back to watch a coup get rid of Abbas Every nation does it for God's sake This guy is college kid debating
    1
  7676.  @hebagally8567  Hamas wins & stays in power in Gaza Or Israel goes in to Rafah and defeats Hamas There are no two ways
    1
  7677. It would be great to get an "independent opinion". One can't help thinking Ecuadorian corruption has a grain of truth to it. Also, what was the lawyer's commission on the $9 billion ? This lawyer stands to gain $ millions in commission, and may well have been involved in bribery. The whole of Latin America is corrupt. I'm not saying he's guilty, I would simply like an "independent opinion".
    1
  7678. "Venezuela a medieval siege" Okay, for the sake of argument I'll accept this. But you answer me this : name one democratic leader who has promoted 2000 corrupt generals and given them shares in the nations oil wealth, like Maduro has done ?
    1
  7679.  @item6931  "Everyone knows", also, that France will remain neutral in any conflict with China. Macron has said, "Countries shouldn't gang-up on China". That is why Australia chose genuine Allies (as well as better submarines).
    1
  7680.  @item6931  Correct : the EU will never amount to more than windbags.
    1
  7681. Labour claim they were responding to threats of terrorism That encourages terrorists to try something more Labour's message - "Terrorism works" Shame on Labour The Speaker must resign
    1
  7682. "What re the US hoping to achieve ?" Well Iran is an Islamofascist state, it's leaders believe in Armageddon & the coming of the 12th Imam , to which end they have promised to wipe Israel off the map and are pursuing nuclear weapons to achieve that goal. So the US aim to achieve the neutralising of the fanatical Ayatollahs and a return to civilised secular government.
    1
  7683. Let me hypothesise :- China want Rocket-man to demand the US remove their military-base from S Korea as part of denuclearisation. The US will not even consider it. But China will ease sanctions "To encourage progress in talks". So Rocketman gets sanctions lifted, China get the US base put on the negotiating table and Trump gets FA. This is not clever by China because the US are quite sanguine about a military strike.
    1
  7684. MDJ, you talk like a toddler in kindergarten. "don't care about U.S. millitary either because they can destroy the entire fleet in under an hour". There will not be a war. The US can blockade China using submarines. China's exports are 51% of GDP : the blockade will collapse China's economy and the Communist Party will fall.
    1
  7685. They were cheering on Oct 7th
    1
  7686. Fake video. Google it. This has been proved to be fake. The first shot is TRUE. A drone dropped a small grenade. The rest is just edited nonsense.
    1
  7687. The war is heading towards total victory for Ukraine. That's why Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" NATO strategy is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  7688. 3:11 she almost said the "F" word. That's right Spanish fascism : it never went away it morphed into faux democracy. All the fascist Police, Judiciary, civil service etc , everyone stayed in power but all those fascists were suddenly democrats. The true face of Spain is a Police thug beating old women for trying to vote. Ask yourself how many Police thugs have been prosecuted ? Not one. The police even joked about the sexual assaults they were committing.
    1
  7689. Erdoğan is an old curmudgeon : he is a fly in the ointment. Eyebrows are always being raised at Erdoğan. The only question is, "What is he after ?" Something economic - gas fields or more cash ; something military, who knows.
    1
  7690.  @realtalk6195  "Bombed the hospital" :- The Taliban captured the hospital to treat their injured. This made me realise how little logistic support the Taliban have - no mobile field hospitals, limited supply lines - for bullets and RPGs but no heavy artillery etc The Taliban really are rag-tag terrorists, fit only for urban house to house fighting. They are not even close to being an army.
    1
  7691.  taiki 1  Herat has not fallen, it has been attacked. "from April to July the Taliban launched 22,000 attacks in various parts of the country and the attacks resulted in the killing and wounding of 24,000 Taliban." Those figures may be exaggerated, but nobody doubts the Taliban are suffering huge casualties. That they attempted to capture a hospital indicates the Taliban desperation. I think it is all to play for in Afghanistan. The Taliban could sustain pressure on an occupation (USA) but to seize the country may have extended them too far too soon.
    1
  7692. The ceasefire serves the same purpose as the big Belarus summit 19 Dec Belarus distracts from Putin;s cancellation - TV, Duma speech, ice hockey 5 Dec ceasefire distracts from the Himars 400 dead Russians also, Putin is desperate for peace, and must try something : it's desperation
    1
  7693. In 1730 Montesquieu said, "In England there is no religion, if anyone mentions religion, everyone starts laughing". Also, in the 1580s the Venetian ambassador reported, "In England they are neither protestant nor Catholic". That was after Queen Elizabeth's Religious Settlement (1559) When Elizabeth essentially said "Outwardly conform, and please yourself in private"
    1
  7694. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    1
  7695. Hamas = Taliban of the Middle East.
    1
  7696. Not only are dictators "just human", they are invariably poor specimens. Look at Romania : Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife were simply a dotty old couple. And yet they terrorized a nation.
    1
  7697. Russian people fall for this propaganda : it's like hypnotizing chickens.
    1
  7698. 0:57 "Iranian people are being oppressed" I thought he was going to say....by the Ayatollah and the fascist totalitarian Islamic theocracy. But the dumb clot is an Islamofascist himself. What a $hithole the middle-east is : there is only one secular democracy in the middle-east : Israel. Oh yes, it's secular : look at the statistics : there are only 35% actually believe in Judaism, another 35% do it for family/social obligation. That makes 65% of the population rational. Compare that with 100% superstitious, authoritarian crack-pots (Islam).
    1
  7699. Frank Luntz polled 14 swing voters 12 immediately swung to Trump Frank "I've never seen anything like it" Frank "The democrats must throw the nomination open nationwide Not a backroom deal" Biden has to go
    1
  7700. Hostages were hidden in hospitals (video evidence) Hospital staff worked hand in glove with Hamas
    1
  7701. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  7702. "Fully inclusive" No - it will be fully Islamist ! But they want the West to pay for it
    1
  7703. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  7704. Zelensky is asking Canada, USA, Britain and all nations for Howitzers. Which weapons is Germany blocking ? Answer : Howitzers Well done Germany you cowardly, self-serving, I'm-alright-Jack bunch of twits.
    1
  7705.  @simonheric6091  Fair point, Germany has provided substantial economic support. AS for Zelensky and the Minsk agreement : get out of the tress, stand back and look at the wood. This is the defining event of the 21st century.......it's not a Minsk Agreement dispute ! This is the clash of Asiatic Autocracy (China & Russia) against Western Democracy. And don't say Russia isn't Asiatic - it was ruled by Mongols for 250yrs, till 1487. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" Russia is entirely Asiatic, and despotic, just like China.
    1
  7706. The Kremlin always looks for a "Patsy" That's how they solve crimes in 24 hrs Of course those prisoners don't appear on video footage - because it's not them
    1
  7707. What does ISIS-K look like ? Well, exactly like the Taliban : some of whom segued into ISIS-K, and they may well change their mind. Many are still in the Taliban but have sympathy with ISIS-K : they turn a blind eye if they are on security duty. The Taliban are fighting themselves when they try to take on ISIS-K.
    1
  7708. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  7709. But this is inaccurate. Iran HAVE told their proxies to prepare to attack US troops. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/16/iran-tells-middle-east-militias-prepare-for-proxy-war
    1
  7710. All nations should join together to blockade Malacca Straits and strangle China's economy.
    1
  7711. Putin thinks his best generals are January and February. The EU may fold (France Germany etc) But not Poland and the Baltics. Not the US and Britain. And quite honestly if France and germany pull out we'll say good riddance. One is better off without 5th columnists.
    1
  7712. Good analysis : 1:09 That the Sullivan talks (7hrs) paved the way for Biden and Xi. Conclusion : China are sufficiently onboard against Russia for the President to talk directly with Xi.
    1
  7713. Caliphate countries. They used to boast "Tunisia is a democracy" It takes 500yrs to create a democracy, one can't simply graft democratic principles onto authoritarian culture.
    1
  7714. Rival sides agree on roadmap to corruption : they'll share the spoils. Poor citizens. Pity the girls living under Taliban rule. (Actually pity the young boys too).
    1
  7715. A school can't function without discipline. The student has already broken rules by using her phone in class. As part of her reprimand she's told to stand and once again ignores authority. I'd like to see these two smart-Alecs teach a bunch of adolescents in High School !
    1
  7716. Funding ? The EU has said it will assume the US burden if Trump pulls out So will Trump stab NATO in the back ? That's the question
    1
  7717. The people of Iraq hate fanatical Iranian influence. They want prosperity and Western accountable democracy. Not fanatical Islam. Iran have a block of 170 votes in the 328 seat parliament and can push through any agenda the Ayatollah desires. The Iraqi people hate that.
    1
  7718.  @dandare2586  Of course Russia is full of junkies ^ Nazis : Russia is a dystopia. Stalin slaughtered 30 million Soviet citizens. There isn't a family in Russia that doesn't know someone who was sent to the Gulags. The Russian nation is pathologically deranged.
    1
  7719. Huawei are required by Chinese law to assist in spying.
    1
  7720. Huawei are required by Chinese law to assist in spying.
    1
  7721. LOL Russian propaganda : that is the Azov steelworks.
    1
  7722. A buffer zone would've been handy when Russia invaded Hungary (1954) and when Russia invaded Czechoslovakia (1968)
    1
  7723. This war is "The Reckoning", and has been coming for over 200yrs. Ever since 1815, when Tsar Alexander I formed the Holy Alliance to suppress liberal freedom, and representative democracy in Europe.
    1
  7724. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    1
  7725. He is a hard worker. It has aged him : it's put 10yrs on him, this invasion.
    1
  7726. LOL Hamas lies - "The war started on Oct 9th" Ooops, he forgot the Hamas massacre
    1
  7727. 15:00 "Force majeure" Gazprom doesn't have to pay for breaking its contract.
    1
  7728.  @johnkilgallon207  The Pentagon has an AI computer. The Ukraine "war game" analysed before February. The parameters indicated a turning point in August, and decisive advances in September. Mobilization increases Russian casualties, and slightly slow Ukrainian victory. Russian defeat was a mathematical fact In February.
    1
  7729. What nonsense. China Russia and the US produce 65% of all emissions. To focus on peripheral (democratic) countries and damage their economy is highly irresponsible. China & Russia are laughing in their hats.
    1
  7730. These protestors would like the UK to totally disarm and leave themselves at the mercy of China and Russia. That is their infantile mentality. By all means look for global, enforceable, agreements but don't just cripple your own democracy and then leave it helplessly at the mercy of the totalitarians.
    1
  7731. In 50yrs time when we are living under the jackboot of Russia or China , I wonder how proud these folks will feel : that they played their part in dooming liberal democracy.
    1
  7732.  @AtheistEve  , " XR is a worldwide cooperative that is making the same kind of protest in other countries". Ha ! you prove my point : not in China, they're not protesting there ; not in Russia. Proves my point entirely : the totalitarian regimes are laughing in their hats. And they produce 60% of all emissions (with the Yanks supplying the other 25% which leaves you asking "Why cripple the UK ?" )
    1
  7733.  @AtheistEve  , picture the Roman empire with barbarians at the gate and middle-class protestors sabotaging the Roman economy........nuff said ? (China and Russia are laughing in their hats)
    1
  7734. This is very good polling analysis :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJnsvFBAIck
    1
  7735.  @phoenixbagri744  I agree. But wouldn't it be better to wait a few decades, until technology has improved, and then hand the artefacts back, when they can be cared for ?
    1
  7736. Hostages were hidden in hospitals (video evidence) Hospital staff worked hand in glove with Hamas
    1
  7737. Why have Germany and France switched sides ? When Russia invaded they both decided on appeasement - Germany sabotaged weapons deliver from Britain and Estonia, Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". They both considered Crimea to be de facto Russian territory. Why have they now sided with Ukraine ? Because by offering a carrot to Moscow France & Germany were prolonging the war.
    1
  7738. LOL....Trump's face.....he thinks he's in Loony Town.
    1
  7739.  @666-og  , well said I agree that is a scandal. But guess what ? In the USA there is a free press to report abuses within the system. Try going to one of the countries in the Axis of Evil and report abuses in the system : you will be jailed or tortured or killed.
    1
  7740.  @Asientabs  Thank you for that reply, it is a great question to peruse with one's breakfast. The 20th century is littered with counter-examples : Afghanistan, Vietnam, WW1, WW2 (19thC) the Boer war, Crimean war. I suppose one would end up at Bismarck 1866 v Austria and 1870 v France. Britain started the US Independence war (1775 - 83) and lost. AJP Taylor described Bismark as "A genius barbarian", I suppose that's what it takes to start and win a war. A very good question. I suspect you knew the answer.
    1
  7741.  @WiR3DGaMiNG  Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    1
  7742.  @frankdost7573  A fair point. But Russia lost the battle of Kyiv. It lost the battle of Kharkiv. It lost Snake Island, after losing 5 ships, countless lives (and helicopters) capturing it. The Russian fleet has fled from Sevastopol to Novorussia : Russia is in full retreat. I think I'm on safe ground declaring Ukraine the winner.
    1
  7743.  @Asientabs  The Spanish/American war 1898. Certainly started by the US ; whose army was tiny (>40k professional). They humbled Spain, whose global army was 240k. Spanish army atrocities in the 20th century were largely due to this humiliation. eg 1934 Asturian miners strike "1,500 miners were killed, with another 30,000 to 40,000 taken prisoner. The repression of the uprising carried out by the colonial troops included looting, rape and summary executions."
    1
  7744. Shame on IRAN for funding terrorism and massacre
    1
  7745.  @melrose762riser  LOL The UN did not "create" Israel The Jews created Israel - the UN simply acknowledged it LOL
    1
  7746. LOL Palestinians have finally found an ally - dumb teenagers LOL the PLO and teenage morons, what a combination This can only mean one thing - 75yrs of failure will soon be success LOL
    1
  7747. The military coup given the green light by China. (What did you expect from the Axis of Evil)
    1
  7748. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    1
  7749. 3 centuries ago , that's where proto-Argentina went wrong. The land belonged to nobles, the state was run by the Church. Neither had any semblance of democracy. The people looked to the nobility and Church as the source of wealth. Compare North America - where towns are run by an elected council and the wealthiest folk are merchants and industrialists. With South America - where the towns are run by nobles and the wealthiest fol are the governor and Church.
    1
  7750. Of all the shenanigans in Syria this is the most interesting. A battalion sized invasion ? Mc Masters said they have no idea who ordered it. We do know the Yanks hit it hard : Assad described it as a massacre. Certainly the message went out vis-a-vis the Euphrates : they won't cross it again in a hurry.
    1
  7751. Colonel Trenin : "A decision by the Russian leadership to launch a nuclear strike against the US, or NATO is considered to be unthinkable, due to the obviously, suicidal nature of such a decision." This "fear factor" in the West ...... has practically stopped playing any significant role.
    1
  7752. Syria : why does Assad think he has an hereditary right to rule ? That is the problem, not the US. Russia re there because they want a port on the Mediterranean (Tartus). It is all quite simple, and is NOT the fault of the US.
    1
  7753. Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo That means El-Sisi and all his cronies get the Gaddfi treatment with cold steel Egypt's army is not going to allow the Muslim brotherhood into power C'mon !
    1
  7754. History books :- a) Postwar Tony Judt b) Age of Expansion Hugh Trevor-Roper c) Wallenstein Golo Mann
    1
  7755. LOL what if they don't. The very fact you are fantasising like this shows how desperate the situation is for the Islamofascism of the Ayatollah.
    1
  7756. Macron's crimes :- a) Misprision : the treasonous concealment of information. Nobody knows exactly what Putin says, or what macron's angle is. b) France has a long history of keeping a foot in both camps. (A disreputable stance Modi is trying to emulate)
    1
  7757. What about Alexander the Great invading India ?
    1
  7758. Women volunteers. In 1640 Spain asked for 3000 Walloon soldiers to be sent from the Netherlands, because they expected a French invasion. Why not Spanish conscripts ? you ask. Because there is no substitute for professional soldiers.
    1
  7759. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
    1
  7760. Kremlin lies. The Pope described Russia's invasion as "Infantile". The banality of Kremlin lies justifies that observation. Farmers report GPS showing their combine harvesters in Chechnya : savage thieves.
    1
  7761. Very impressive. North Korea should broadcast this in their prison camps : it would take the prisoners' minds off the starvation, torture and sexual abuse. I hope Stockholm are watching : I can see a peace prize heading Rocket-Man's way.
    1
  7762. France : "We stand by the Kurds" (That was directed at Erdogan)
    1
  7763. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  7764. One has to smile : half the stories on Wion are about countries sending an ambassador, or thanking India, or professing friendship. I've never known a nation so unsure of itself. One has to smile.
    1
  7765.  @joem0088  , Not really passing fume :- The Germans sent a warship "Bayern" to the South China Sea. It avoided all contentious sea-lanes, then asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai : China told them "Get lost". You see, China want weak nations (Germany, France, the EU) to be frightened away from their territory. But AUKUS believes in confronting China. That is why China went into a flap, on the announcement of 9 Australian submarines. The war with China will be all about blockade. That is why USA hurriedly built 19 Virginia class submarines, and why Australia will have 9 more. China have no strategy against blockade.
    1
  7766. LOL listen to this mob. Not one dare criticise the ANC because they will be sacked. The ANC control all the jobs and all the money. LOL Zuma said "The ANC will rule until the second coming of Jesus" The ANC fear nothing - everyone fears the ANC (just listen to these cowards)
    1
  7767. Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass. Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it"
    1
  7768. France TV 13 Oct : Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" Macron's policy to Russia :- a) charm offensive b) passivity c) appeasement d) surrender Macron's European Defence Force is now dead in the water. Who would join, now France has declared its deterrence is only for itself ?
    1
  7769. All wars are fought before an audience. The Kurds will play this for the gallery : a heroic defence against aggressive Turks. The Kurds must NOT respond to losing Afrin by bombing Turkey. (The audience would boo) Turkey have to accomplish this with NO civilian casualties , otherwise they are seen as aggressors that kill civilians. You ignore the audience at your peril.
    1
  7770. It is pure propaganda
    1
  7771. LOL a local police officer would escort him off the premises.
    1
  7772. Yes it was the US that forced Chavez to nationalise every profitable private company in Venezuela and then run it into the ground. Leaving the country totally dependent on oil. It was the US that sold off all Venezuela's state assets and crippled it with debt. Chavez was actually economically sound : it was the US.
    1
  7773. Yes it was the US that forced Chavez to nationalise every profitable private company in Venezuela and then run it into the ground. Leaving the country totally dependent on oil. It was the US that sold off all Venezuela's state assets and crippled it with debt. Chavez was actually economically sound : it was the US.
    1
  7774. LOL, As if the FBI won't be able to identify that ruddy-cheeked boozer as a damned liar.
    1
  7775. bob c, why are Republicans 12 points behind in the mid-terms ?
    1
  7776. Well said. (Shame on those Greens talking nonsense about solar solutions. For Christ's sake, Civilization is fighting for its survival right now !)
    1
  7777.  @liamg1706  The TV series. You may not be old enough to remember.
    1
  7778. Trump : US economy doing great Putin : Russian economy in decline , it is a commodity 3rd world economy. Erdogan : economy just nose dived with worse to come , Lira going down the pan.
    1
  7779. Guterres : "Hamas massacre did not happen in a VACUUM Hamas rapes and murder were provoked." Guterres thinks Hamas are the good guys Guterres MUST resign, he is a disgrace to the UN
    1
  7780. Leave it to China & Pakistan. The Taliban is their baby.
    1
  7781. Cash-strapped Argentina buying junk from almost bankrupt Pakistan. It's a match made by circus clowns.
    1
  7782. The Palestinians are failures Compare Estonia - occupied by Hitler then Stalin - tens of thousands murdered, raped and exiled But Estonia is now a world leader in the cyber world Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion Gulf oil money The PLO were enriching themselves whilst children crawled around with wooden rifles at school Palestinians are permanent corrupt failures : they are autocratic and superstitious and have only themselves to blame
    1
  7783. .....and then what ? A return to heart odf darkness.
    1
  7784. Egypt's army has ALWAYS been an imperium in imperio (state within a state). It has its own economy, own restaurants and supermarkets and a guaranteed chuck of the GDP. What did you expect ? Obviously its corrupt. Like the whole of North Africa, Egypt is a political failure. Why ? Watch my video on Spanish-America and for the Spanish leviathans of Church & nobility/state substitute Islam & tribal culture. Here is an example of why North Europe was a success (industrial revolution, enlightenment etc) :- When was the first tithe strike in France ? (tithe is a tax paid to the Church & nobles) It was after the Reformation inspired by the Huguenots. The Reformation wasn't just religion . It was a protest against authority. Hence parliamentary democracy. Hence north America championing representative assemblies in religion & politics. Spanish culture is paternal : the Church (holy father) and nobility. Russia is paternal : Patriarch and Tsar (little papa). Islamic countries are the same : the authority of Islam and the Caliph.
    1
  7785. 0:40 "Protests culminated at Al-Aqsa Mosque" That means 200 Palestinian youths started pelting stones at Jews praying down below. You can still criticize evictions, but give a truthful chronology of events. Later they will say Israel attacked Gaza, while Hamas retaliated with rockets. When everyone knows it was t'other way round.
    1
  7786. He looks and speaks like a madman He shouldn't be in office
    1
  7787. 3 pertinent points.
    1
  7788. The US are sharing direct intelligence with Ukraine. The Kremlin estimate 10k "technical advisors" are active in Ukraine. (They are there to target Russian hardware) It will be a short war : Russia aim to occupy the east, Ukraine aim to inflict a high price. Rapier missiles will hit tanks, APCs, artillery, truck and anything that moves. Drones will hit assembly points, depots, stores, canteens, fuel dumps, etc If only a third of the "technicians" hit one target a day that = 300+ Call it 3 casualties per target, that means Russia are taking 1000 casualties per day. In 1905 defeat by Japan caused revolution in St Petersburg. I think Putin may be in trouble with high casualties.
    1
  7789.  @kentershackle1329  You may be right. But why was the Kremlin so worried over a single drone attack ? "Russia Warns Turkey After Ukraine Drone Strike" Also, remember Khasham in Syria Feb 2014, when 500 Russian and Iranian mercenaries were slaughtered in 4hrs ? It is possible Russia could advance into a firestorm.
    1
  7790. Shame on India ...... giving Moscow a nod & wink of approval. Delhi then tries to gaslight its disgrace by focusing on evacuees.
    1
  7791.  @nethansamuel96  I agree, there are some disappointing scenes. But let me paint the big picture :- The world is dividing into 2 camps : Civilized Democracy, and the Axis of Evil (China Russia North Korea, Iran etc) Japan, S Korea and Singapore are all banning Russia from the airspace ; other nations are protesting too. India's nod & wink policy looks shameful. Don't besmirch India's good name. India (2.6 trillion) has double the GDP of Russia (1.4 trillion). India doesn't need to kneel down for Moscow's blessing.
    1
  7792.  @nethansamuel96  Potential NATO membership is why Putin is prosecuting the war. Had it been granted, we would be engaged in WW3. NATO is working through the EU to supply arms and planes so Ukraine can defend itself. Also "International brigades" are being assembled to go fight Russia.
    1
  7793. Comical, but also very revealing.
    1
  7794. This is the decisive battle for the 21st century. It is the clash of Asiatic Autocracy (China & Russia) against Western Democracy. And don't say Russia isn't Asiatic - it was ruled by Mongols for 250yrs, till 1487. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" The Russian Orthodox Church is wholly medieval - Patriarch Kiril is a rolex-watch-wearing agent for the FSB and formerly informed on his parishioners to the KGB. Russia is entirely Asiatic, and despotic, just like China.
    1
  7795. What nonsense : I've only watched 38 seconds Balance of Power and MAD That guy doesn't know anything Balance of Power was 19th C MAD is cold war What is happening today is China flexing its muscles and aggressively influencing events Australia has already felt the wrath of China economically That guy is a schmuck, posing as a geopolitical expert : he's a Macron
    1
  7796.  @annettelf7644  I like Iranians (Persians), they are industrious and hard-working, unlike the Saudis. However, they are ruled by a medieval fanatic (Ayatollah) who believes the 12th Imam will arrive with Armageddon. That same nutcase (Ayatollah) is trying to develop a nuclear arsenal to bring about Armageddon, and regularly states his intention to "wipe Israel off the map". I think that justifies sanctions on human-rights grounds.
    1
  7797. Luciana Berger has Corbyn by the corbels. He can say "There's no anti-Semitism" but she is the judge. Poor old Jeremy, he's in bed with every Islamofascist group going.
    1
  7798. SUMMARY :- Wikileaks are up against the establishment and are allying themselves with other people who are against the establishment.
    1
  7799. Very well presented. A good report.
    1
  7800. Feb 2022 Germany blocked : a) RAF weapons b) 3rd party transfers (Estonia howitzers) c) direct sales They sent 5000 tin-hats Boris : "Germany wanted a quick victory for Russia" With friends like that, who needs enemies ?
    1
  7801. Historian Stephen Kotkin said "France has a fantasy that it is a diplomatic superpower" Why does it have that fantasy ? Because militarily it is a failure, Imperialistically it was humiliated, and diplomatically France was outmanoeuvred (the 1840 crisis, Fashoda 1898, Agadir 1911). So after WW1, the French role in the League of Nations was celebrated as a triumph. Likewise after WW2, the French role in the UN was celebrated as a triumph. This is why France believes itself to be a diplomatic superpower.
    1
  7802. In Bangladesh Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000 women and girls :- " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
    1
  7803. This is a nice story :- The new president Ebrahim Raisi was the architect of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. " Mahmoud Royaee, another political prisoner interrogated by Raisi during the execution of up to 30,000 opposition activists in a 1988 purge, said Raisi once handed down a death sentence to an inmate who was in the midst of an epileptic fit."
    1
  7804. Good video. The Donbas "forced recruits" is entirely believable. There is a Russian pattern. Boris keeps saying, "Straight out of the Russian play-book"
    1
  7805. TOTALLY WRONG Shoigu is NOT an ally of Putin Putin turned his back on Shoigu Prigozhin was an ally of Putin March Prigo funded by Igor Sechin Rosneft Maybe a power-play by Sechin & Silovik Who knows Churchil : Kremlin lie bulldogs fighting under a blanket
    1
  7806. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  7807. Guterres final words : "There are no Ukrainian troops in Russia, but there are Russian troops in Ukraine" Lavrov : "I can confirm that fact" Thank God for the UN. What would we do without them ?
    1
  7808.  @Scottx125Productions  Russia is like a huge locomotive, it has enormous momentum. But on Day 133, for the first time, it announced no territorial gains. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial" NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  7809.  @Thunderbalderdash  The video is about 2mins long. It is simply eye-candy for morons. If one want to know what is happening, one must research for longer than 2mins. Watch "The Enforcer" his daily live streams are about 2hrs long. Watch Denis Dennysov his daily videos (often 2 or 3) are about 30mins.
    1
  7810.  @dmitryletov8138  NATO couldn't be more pleased. They are sending 8 more HIMARs, with 100 rockets each. Also, they are sending the long range rockets to destroy the Kerch Bridge. Everything is going perfectly. a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  7811. Lord Owen : "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability. They know what would happen to their families" When asked about Putin's nuclear threat.
    1
  7812. When Putin dies, the UN will vote on a resolution : "That he be buried right meetly deep"
    1
  7813. Afghanistan + Ukraine = Doom for any president.
    1
  7814.  @rahulkalkura  , are you saying the Bangladesh genocide was not proven ? Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, senior assistant secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, faced seven charges of war crimes, including planning and advising on the rape of women in the village of Shohaghpur on 25 July . Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months.
    1
  7815. Wow, Trump has certainly grown into his position as President : this is a dynamite performance.
    1
  7816. Wes Clarke will be treating himself to a toddy tonight. The former NATO commander has been calling for heavy weapons to be sent for ages.
    1
  7817. LOL the loser is Democracy ! The Kremlin wouldn't let opposition MPs stand. The old corrupt Moscow Mafia : what did you expect when you elected a KGB man ?
    1
  7818.  @jaimemartinez4971  , let me give you another example in Toledo (1690) 50% of all property belonged to the Church. In Wurttenberg (1552) 1/3 of all land belonged to the Church. This is dead capital. I've no figures for Spanish-America but would guess that the Church and 'nobility ' owned 90%. In North America it was Industrialists that powered ahead : their capital was kept working to acquire more and develop railroads and steel industry. You can't have 90% of a countries wealth sitting idle. That is the tragedy of Spanish-America.
    1
  7819.  @sueloh5035  , Karma isn't getting what you wish for , it is getting what's coming to you. That is what the corrupt CCP face.
    1
  7820.  @sueloh5035  , well the CCP committed the deed at Tienanmen Square when they slaughtered 10,000 civilians.
    1
  7821. LOL Rick Saccone is a Turkey. Trump really had an uphill battle here. Watch at 1.10.00 , Rick just stands there like a schmuck.
    1
  7822. "Cultural erasure" : research the destruction of Mecca and Medina by Saudis They bulldozed all the medieval heritage to make a car park They believed old building shouldn't become icons for worship
    1
  7823. billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/262570-spending-under-scrutiny
    1
  7824. Russia will react ? They can blow it out of their @ss.
    1
  7825.  @AgastyaVed  Good point. For India and America, Britain was simply uncapable of securing them by force. In Ireland's case Britain could have brutally suppressed rebellion, but the House of Commons was full of Liberals who supported Home Rule for Ireland. Just as they supported Garibaldi (Italy) : 500,000 turned out in London to greet Garibaldi in 1864 - the largest crowd for any event, including coronations. Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence (1824). My point is that folk seem to forget it was Britain that inspired nations with ideas about constitutions : Freemasons (imported by the British military) had founded India's Congress Party. Every expansionist move in Africa had to be presented to Parliament as an effort to stamp out the Arab slave trade. Britain has always prided itself on its principles (even when failing to live up to them). In the 1890s Britain was spending £100,000 a year on six cruisers to patrol East Africa and stop the slave trade.
    1
  7826.  @YFi-Pk  , I'm not sure about that : look at Zimbabwe, when the british left it became a disaster, and for the same reasons : factionalism. The war veteran groups all wanted a pay-off, the economy just crashed with inflation at 2000%. Look at South Africa , a one-party-state corrupt, incompetent basket-case. Iraq needs to be governed dispassionately by honest civil-servants , not by different factions.
    1
  7827. There are 2 camps :- a) For resolute defence of democracy : Biden, Boris, Trudeau, Von Der Leyden and Charles Michel (which is victory for Ukraine) b) For capitulation : Macron Schulz and Draghi propose peace (which is victory for Russia)
    1
  7828.  @JoeBlow-zr2ru  I agree. Russia prides itself an a militant anti-liberal barbarism. Alongside paranoia it has miraculously developed a superiority complex, which rhetoric and TV plaster over an underlying awareness of their underdeveloped backwardness. In 1855 Russian intellectuals hoped Russia would lose the Crimean war - they saw it as they only way the country might make progress. One suspects the same is happening in 2022.
    1
  7829. Putin's weakness - he can't be sure what his own colleagues are thinking. That's the weakness of a despot. In 1775 (American Independence wars) The British ministers always acted with cabinet approval - nobody wanted to be responsible for a gaff. Putin's weakness is that he has no mandate. That is why sanctions are so effective ; oligarchs may easily be plotting to find a new leader.
    1
  7830. Colonialism is criticized by some liberal folks, but surely spreading democracy and education was a good thing ? History :- Burma attacked British India (1824) and was then occupied by Britain. Burma's nationalists sided with Japan to fight the British (1942) but were defeated. Aung San negotiated Burma's independence (1948) and the country was briefly democratic. 1962 the military staged a coup to expel communists. Ending the British legacy of peaceful democracy.
    1
  7831. The Pentagon has an AI computer. The Ukraine "war game" analysed before February. The parameters indicated a turning point in August, and decisive advances in September. Mobilization increases Russian casualties, and slightly slow Ukrainian victory. Russian defeat was a mathematical fact In February.
    1
  7832. Nobel Prize winner Gunter Grass (Tin Drum) revealed he volunteered to join the SS in WW2. After spending his career criticising the German people for not confronting their past. That monumental, breathtaking hypocrisy kind of soured me towards his books.
    1
  7833. Sudan is uncontaminated by democracy : they've no history of it, they've no instinct for it, no cultural accommodation for it
    1
  7834. Benji, that is a good point. But when a country has to allocate money it must think about likelihoods. Cyber warfare and artificial intelligence are the future ; economic blockade and crippling international sanctions. : not huge tank divisions. But I take your point : a 20th century war is still possible.
    1
  7835. Jin, they are good at killing their own people as well. Stalin killed 33 million in the Gulags and through starvation and relocation.
    1
  7836. Do some research : the estimates are based on Russian estimates after the fall of the Soviet Union. "Historians working after the Soviet Union's dissolution have estimated victim totals ranging from approximately 3 million[17][6][18] to nearly 9 million[19], not including those who died in famines, and the total number of Stalin's victims is between 9[20] and 50[21] million." That's from Wikipedia.
    1
  7837. 3:25 "I think we will recapture Mariupol" Rejoice at that thought. MSNBC ran the headline "Pentagon says supplies flooding into Mariupol" I had my doubts. Biden is sending tanks and heavy Howitzers, along with loitering drones in two sizes 5kg and 50kg. General Keane said the US must send thousands, not a hundred. Apparently they loiter for 30mins or more, allowing soldiers to pick a target. Well done Ukraine. Fighting to save civilization and democracy.
    1
  7838. Don't blame Erdoğan - he doesn't smoke. His son is a multi-millionaire and will probably donate a few dollars. (Out of the public purse).
    1
  7839. Why did Macron jump the gun to announce AMX10 ? One analysts said he had to "push", but what for ?
    1
  7840. Putin has taken the Russian crown jewels (the invincible Red Army) and humiliated it. He cannot last. Putin will be gone by Christmas.
    1
  7841. NATO have deployed the hardware, how does Putin now climb down and save face ? He can't, he has to go in. The Kremlin always intended to invade, and would have struggled to present a de-escalation narrative to the Russian people. But de-escalation is now impossible : Russia will invade this week.
    1
  7842. Facts :- a) Bismarck said, "The most important fact of modern history, is that North America speaks English". It is the basis for AUKUS b) India needs a strong Russia as an ally against China : ipso facto, India wants Russia to succeed in Ukraine c) Turkey wants a weak Russia, vis-a-vis the Black Sea d) China is easily blockaded and has no oil : it is a geographical weakness. e) Likewise, by geographical fact, India's strategy is opposed to the West. India is an insignificant player against China - AUKUS simply doesn't need India. Conclusion : India is on Russia's side. This make take ages to dawn on western politicians, but eventually India will be marginalised.
    1
  7843. Killing Soleimani was the best day's work Trump ever did.
    1
  7844.  @NG-rg1zz  , but that's an insult it isn't an argument based on historical fact and reasoned analysis. My analysis is backed up with fact :- such as that Ayatollah Khomeini invented a new execution method : using a forklift to hang 6 people at a time (mostly socialist opposition) , his deputy admitted to slaughtering 3000 but it could have been 30,000. I wonder whether the Ayatollah considered applying for a patent.
    1
  7845.  @freestyler5582  , I agree with you . All I'm saying is that Omar's cultural equivalence is WRONG. Western liberal democracy is far superior to any theocracy. Ask yourself : why don't far-right US Christians advocate a theocracy ? Because absolutely nobody wants one. They can only be accomplished with lots of violence : like the Ayatollah executing 7000 Socialists in his fort year. And proudly announcing , when he landed in Tehran and was asked what he'd do with democrats, "I'll kick their teeth in ". You can only achieve theocracy by kicking democrat teeth in. But Omar wants theocracies treated as culturally equal to democracies : she is dead wrong.
    1
  7846. The Kremlin announced the bad news but left quality troops to continue the defence. Over Christmas, Russia will describe "Partisan fighting against the Nazi Ukraine invaders" This is a propaganda manoeuvre.
    1
  7847. 4:00 "If Trump had not been so erratic". That's good advice. You mean he should have been like Hillary : destroy the evidence, get people to take the 5th, pull strings in the Justice Dept, get Bill to meet Loretta Lynch with no witnesses, use Clinton Foundation jobs as a pay-off for loyalty, use Foundation money as a slush fund , use the $1.3 billion you raised from donors to take over the DNC and rig the rules and confirm America's belief that you are an untrustworthy , venal , corrupt, congenital liar.
    1
  7848. I agree, the Russians cannot be trusted.
    1
  7849. Uuurrgghhh.
    1
  7850. NATO strategic aims : "incremental victory for Ukraine" Boris "If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial" NATO does not want decisive victory for Ukraine - that would be dangerous A gradual degrading of Russia's ability to invade its neighbours (Lloyd Austin) The US defence budget of $845 billion can fund Ukraine indefinitely It is the best investment they have ever made
    1
  7851.  @talaahahmed8410  So why shoot a schoolgirl in the head ?
    1
  7852. An AI captain would've repeated its previous entrance Maybe have a human captain as supervisor, but let AI drive the ship
    1
  7853. 2:59 "He prefers......" Surely Pakman was tempted to say "....having direct discooshions with people".
    1
  7854. Wesley, you are quite right. But do you know the secret to a successful faux-democratic-dictatorship ? You need an opposition. That's right one that can't win. It gives you the cover you need. Watch the ANC when they think they might lose power (red in tooth & claw).
    1
  7855.  @vitalygoji  , you might be right : I thought one of them looked like Andy McNab.
    1
  7856. The US were in Afghanistan for 20yrs and spent $5 trillion. Lloyd Austin said the Ukraine war could last 10yrs. Russia's invasion is the defining event of the 21st century, and the US has spent about $20 billion. They will certainly be in the game for 10yrs and will certainly spend $5 trillion. There is no rush for Ukraine to capture Kherson. This is a long war : protect your troops, keep morale high, and wear down the Russians with Himars, MLRS, howitzers (smart and Excalibur shells), Brimstones, Harpoons and whatnots.
    1
  7857. The Africans want one of their corrupt politicians to get the job. The UN is gravy-train for Africa.
    1
  7858.  @chantelle1691  LOL, the only bubble that is about to burst is China's debt fuelled economy. Last year the Shanghai stock market fell 28% the largest fall anywhere in the world. To stop complete collapse the Chinese government told regional governors to start spending and banks to start lending (telling banks to ignore previous leverage guidelines). The Shanghai clearly wants to collapse (financial gravity) and is being kept unnaturally high by the CCP.
    1
  7859.  @garrycoleman8537  , what nonsense. Canada probably wishes it wasn't in the position it is in : the reason it finds itself in this position is precisely because of the law (you great numpty).
    1
  7860. Sanctions are wrong ? What do you prefer, nuclear war ? Would you prefer a conventional war, with tens of thousands killed ?
    1
  7861.  @XXDF-im8uq  , well said. I think that will silence supporters of the Ayatollah.
    1
  7862.  @XXDF-im8uq  , well said. Also, by Sharia Law there must be 2 witnesses to a rape. If a woman is raped and there are no other witnesses than herself, then there is no point reporting it.
    1
  7863. December Election :- Will Catalans vote for a pro-union quisling ? After Spain kicked ,beat and humiliated them ; then chased their government into exile ? Who'd vote for a pro-Spain back-stabbing, fifth-columnist , turncoat quisling ? They will vote for Bonny Prince Carles and his government in exile. The brave separatists forced to flee by the democracy crushing Spanish.
    1
  7864. Les choses en noir No wonder faces look glum on both sides.
    1
  7865. Russia will be more dangerous after this humiliation. Putin will be replaced by a nationalist leader who will be even more aggressive. Before this war, the Russian people were paranoid for no good reason. Now, Russia thinks it has been humiliated by the world - and it's true, it has. It reminds me of Napoleon III in 1970, he was an old egotist, who could barely mount a horse, but he insisted on leading his army to an utter catastrophe at Sedan.
    1
  7866. These guests are all detached from reality If Biden forces Israel to surrender to Hamas (ceasefire) he will have NO chance of re-election Biden will back Israel until Hamas flee into exile
    1
  7867.  @unkownstranger1176  , preprogrammed ? look at my latest historical vignette and tell me it's preprogrammed :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWbwHcrRj0s
    1
  7868. Very impressive : well done Ukraine. Shame on India. Collaborator nations will be tarnished for generations.
    1
  7869. 80% of Americans support Israel That is great news ! "Polls showing that more than 80% of Americans support Israel during the conflict in Gaza"
    1
  7870. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  7871. Having witness the Russian aggression and atrocities in Bucha, one wonders why Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia"
    1
  7872.  @dineshkumarsnair7964  Yes, he is clearly vexed with the Yanks, not least because the Airborne Commander called his regiment cowards :- "“To see their commander in chief call into the question the courage of men I fought with, to claim that they ran is shameful," Mr Tugendhat said." Mr Tugendhat calls for closer military ties with the EU, Japan, Australia, Canada etc: in fact everyone except the Yanks. It is quite clear the Yanks have stirred up some passionate ill-feeling towards themselves.
    1
  7873.  @haroonhrahman2868  No. I'm still shocked by the Imams that told ISIS fighters they could buy and sell Yazidi girls. Those Imams might be laughing.
    1
  7874.  @haroonhrahman2868  Calm down. In the 21st century there is no harm in having a little laugh at folk throwing pebbles at the Devil.
    1
  7875. Russia abducted 20,000 children from Ukraine ICC charged Putin with Child abuse Russia has returned 800
    1
  7876. Well done NATO. They are totally controlling the narrative, they appear organized, civilized and strong. Putin is like the lion from Wizard of Oz. This has been a folly for Russia, Putin has indelible egg on his face. The victory lap belongs to NATO.
    1
  7877. Shame on India. Shame on Modi (giving Moscow the nod & wink of approval) President Xi has described it as a "Russian war" and he called for "Maximum restraint" Modi : silence
    1
  7878. Obama's maiden speech to the UN was a green-light for corruption & human rights violations. Trump, for all his faults is shaking the place up. If you think consensus-sanctions will denuclearise N Korea you are in cuckoo land. Krauthammer said months ago you either acquiesce or go nuclear : there's no third option.
    1
  7879. Wow this is rich ! The Clinton Foundation takes $million$ from foreign donors and acts as a political slush fund for the Democrats. Why hasn't that racquet been investigated ???
    1
  7880. mkbxtr, thanks for your reply. Yes it is minor but indicative of the state of US politics : when a rapist and crook can set up a $multi-million dollar charity and staff it with people who worked for her in the State Department. The sort of people who will plead the 5th to any investigation. meanwhile 2020 will be decided by fund raising and the Clintons are still pulling the strings. Biden couldn't run Obama told him : the donors don't like you. That's because donors back those who pay them back : like crooked Hillary.
    1
  7881. Let me explain :- Putin is handing the Duma a hot potato. Russia is failing and Putin wants the Duma to be up to its neck in it. The annexation decisions will be the Duma's endorsement of a war which is lost. It has nothing to do with nuclear escalation, or mobilizing a million men. This is Kremlin politics.
    1
  7882. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" That is why Putin has not destroyed Ukraine's power-grid. Putin fears confrontation with NATO That is why his Victory Day speech was so anaemic - no mobilization, no escalation, no threatening rhetoric. Putin hasn't got it to give. Sarmat radiates like the Sun - it can be spotted from thousands of miles away, and at Mach 20 one only need place buckshot in its path to destroy it.
    1
  7883. I couldn't keep my eyes off that dress.
    1
  7884. Well said Lindsey Graham (and I don't even like him)
    1
  7885. "Never more important than today" Marwan Good platitude More platitudes like that and we'll be getting somewhere Well done Marwan (King of platitudes)
    1
  7886. What is it ? It is a shallow draft ship (5m) That can carry 200 pallets of food 26 pallets = 1 truck So about 8 trucks The ship can do a round tip in 24hrs So at best it is 8 trucks a day (Hardly worth it)
    1
  7887. Good riddance.
    1
  7888. Nikki Haley will stand as an independent (of that I'm sure)
    1
  7889. Lloyd Austin has been a rock Biden is weak,weak, weak But Austin has managed to negotiate Biden's failings and support Ukraine
    1
  7890. Envy :_ Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexiovich documents opinion. One character said, "They are too like us, for them to succeed" This was a comment on the Crimea invasion 2014.
    1
  7891. "Avoid warmongers " LOL There isn't a statesman in Iran that hasn't said, " We will wipe Israel off the map". Iran are the greatest warmongers in the middle east. Hezbollah : the great terror group. Remember the (1999) Tehran student protests, the thugs beating them with clubs ? Welcome to Hezbollah.
    1
  7892.  @maglectric3624  , that is very very witty (and cutting). But there is a difference : the US is a rational actor. Iran is a theocracy, the Ayatollah believes in the 12th Imam (he arrives after Armageddon and brings paradise). Now, you're saying you are happy for that rabid lunatic to have nuclear weapons ? Nobody else in the world is. It's not often the whole world agree on anything : but a fanatical Islamist with nuclear weapons has them falling over each other to oppose it.
    1
  7893.  opportunity knocks  , you've got all the right ideas but have wrapped them in a conspiracy theory. There isn't any "war plan" codified anywhere. The Koran is a shamble. Mohammed got it that wrong he had to pretend part of it was written by the Devil (Satanic verses). All religions are tribal. All religions are invented. Anthropologists estimate 10,000 religions have been invented. Some are more successful than others. If you execute apostates you're likely to have greater success.If you invent an aggressive warlike religion you'll have more success. Islam has been a successful invention but the Enlightened modern world is rightly fearful of it. Islam segues into psychopathic fanaticism at the drop of a hat.
    1
  7894.  @TheChaumaster  , also it is easy to say Apartheid, when the Caliphate exploited the non-Muslim Rayas (flocks) for 600yrs. The caliphate essentially invented Apartheid.
    1
  7895. The EU have a 5th column : British voters who want a 2nd referendum. (I'm actually a 5th columnist so speak with some authority). Hard Brexit would almost certainly trigger a 2nd referendum or a general election (which could amount to the same thing). No deal now becomes highly likely because the EU, correctly, see it as a way of scuppering Brexit.
    1
  7896. General Cross is an appeaser !
    1
  7897.  nhendrych  , I've made a video I that I think you'd object to and I'd be interested to hear your criticism. It's called "Reformation Radicals & Secularism" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pPcAPBBXR8&t=4s
    1
  7898. Who perceived Hillary to be...... What the hell are you saying ? Sounds like you read her book and have swallowed the lies. "They saw Hillary was establishment and knew her to be a corrupt liar ", that is what you would have said if you had any kahunas.
    1
  7899. I'm not a troll. I hate Trump but hate Hillary more. What annoys me is to see Hillary white-washing her past and making money doing it. She should have beaten Trump by double figures. Joe Biden would have done and so would Bernie Sanders. She is the cause of her own failure. DEmocrats are now swallowing her psychotic lies and making her into a Grande Dame.
    1
  7900.  Princess Warrior  , Yasser Araft ruled Palestine for 40yrs like a feudal lord. Fatah gangsters destroyed any opposition, often assassinating them as 'Israeli spies'. Hamas were an opposition movement and as such were sponsored by the Israelis. Imagine there were some young Palestinians today demanding elections and a change of leadership, imagine there was a charismatic female politician demanding the corrupt Palestinian Authority step down.....well they would be supported by Israel, the EU, the USA and the United Nations : everyone would like to see an end to corrupt , anti-democratic rule in Palestine
    1
  7901.  @Nicolay406  "America creates ISIS too." ? How do the Yanks brain-wash thousands of people ? Fanatical Islam is a product of the middle-east , if the Yanks had the power to brain-wash people why don't they brain-wash everyone to like the USA ?
    1
  7902. Dom, thanks for that ; I've just re-read my comment (I had to laugh, I'd forgotten how good it was). I have a theory that MBS isn't even a believer (in Islam) :- Imagine spending $500 billion on NEOM and there's no place for Islam. Obviously there are Mosques but only in the secular sense of churches in the west. MBS is going to neuter Islam and the West will back him all the way.
    1
  7903. LOL a Palace : what a monument to democracy ! A palace : a monument to his authoritarian absolutist corrupt rule. Why not build a PARLIAMENT for the Palestinian people ? Because Jordan DIDN'T recognise Palestine as a nation. LOL they never mention that. Al Jazeera are propagandists.
    1
  7904. 0:51 look at Iran laughing at the deal : they can't believe how well they did. The Obama deal is the roundabout route to nuclear weapons and Iran are thrilled. All it takes is a major event : S China sea confrontation, economic collapse etc and Iran can break out in months : fiat-accompli.
    1
  7905. on reflection the subtlety of that comment may make it unclear to any political ingénues. Rajoy has fascist )lynch-mob) supporters and has to say he will not negotiate. But the truth is the EU have got his arm up his back and he is longing to find a way out. Puigdemont knows this and is calling for international (EU) mediation.
    1
  7906. I agree the EU want a united Spain. The EU don't want :- more sadistic violence (dragging girls by the hair, throwing old ladies down steps etc) that has undermined the EU's moral standing and will take decades to repair. The EU don't want :- economic turmoil, the Spanish economy slumping. The EU do want :- the problem resolving through negotiation. (That's why Junker said,"Only one side wants to talk")
    1
  7907. What are you comparing it to Cambodia ? I saw Spanish Police beating, kicking, dragging girls by the hair, sexually assaulting one girl , throwing old ladies down steps and stomping on people . If that is acceptable to you then you would make a good People's Party Rajoy supporter.
    1
  7908. Marvellous
    1
  7909. 80% of the West agree with Israel The west tolerates Al Jazeera for 2 reasons a) to maintain good Gulf relations b) to diffuse radical Islam Al Jazeera stinks
    1
  7910. Why is France incapable of dealing with Russia's invasion ? Guizot (1830) : "In France every storm becomes a deluge : opposition becomes insurrection, and insurrection revolution" That is why France is on its 5th Republic. That's the French character. Which is why they are unable to display equanimity towards Russian aggression. Macron must imagine the worst. The USA and Britain have been here before, they know how to deal with tyrants. Macron is a product of French history and culture. Consider his response to AUKUS (hysteria), and now "We must not humiliate Russia" (panic)
    1
  7911. Certainly looks like it.
    1
  7912. Al Jazeera & Hamas are both funded by Qatar - nuff said
    1
  7913. LOL China calling people thugs. (The pot calling the kettle black) China selected illiterate thugs to kill 10,000 in Tienanmen square. Remember the 1999 student protests in Tehran ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah. Iran's Ayatollah uses Hezbollah thugs, China uses Triad thugs. All dictatorships employ violent thugs. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  7914. The US did ! The Paris Truce was arranged by the US & France : Israel accepted it Hamas added delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are non-starters" It is Hamas that wants war - they want to stay in power
    1
  7915. Guterres says, "Massive amount of aid needed for Hamas" Guterres defended Hamas BEFORE the IDF went into Gaza Guterres is pro-terrorism Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  7916. Remember the guy Trump put in charge of the V.A. Medical Examiner ? He turned out to be an unqualified a-hole and had to step down. Way to go idiot.
    1
  7917. I wish folk would stop talking about Nordstream, that had to be done. Russia will be revanchist for generations, and we all know germany would resume handing them $350 billion a year the minute Putin resigns. The world is safer without Nardstream. It was Merkel's tragic mistake, and it funded Russia's invasion. Germany should apologise for having built it !
    1
  7918. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  7919.  @TommyTCGT  A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Shirley described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  7920. UN report reveals some countries staff having been raping women and threatening to sack them if they complain. Guess which countries ? Clue :- It's not Norway It's the Shithole countries. Of course the Liberal Left are culpably blind to all this, you should read Nick Cohen's "What's left ?" , it might open your eyes to the delusion you live under.
    1
  7921. Wow she is comparing Weinstein to her husband Bill Clinton. I am very surprised. I thought she supported Bill's rapes and sexual assaults. She was his enabler , why has she changed her mind ?
    1
  7922. Putin thinks his best generals are January and February. The EU may fold (France Germany etc) But not Poland and the Baltics. Not the US and Britain. And quite honestly if France and Germany pull out we'll say good riddance. One is better off without 5th columnists.
    1
  7923. December 2023 - they said "Gaza is apocalyptic" Now they are saying it again
    1
  7924. Answer me this :- Iran is oil rich and the Persians are famous for entrepreneurial skills. Pakistan has a workforce spread across the globe (remittance makes up 10% of GDP) ; then why are they $hithole countries ? Why aren't they a dynamic hub for the Middle East ? The answer : Islam.
    1
  7925.  @mycodingproject43  ," It has nothing to with economic development." I'm a bit of an expert on the History of Spain : let me give you a snippet :- In Torregrossa in 1670 the clergy owned every large building and 50% of all houses. The Church paid no tax to the state but collected tithes. etc etc (I could go on forever about how the Church held back Spain's development. I'll give another example :- when peasants protested against high tax or lack of food the clergy would march out of the Church displaying the blessed sacrement and the riot would end, it was infallible). Religion has a huge impact on the economy. The entire Middle East is evidence !
    1
  7926.  @mycodingproject43  ," It has nothing to with economic development." I'm a bit of an expert on the History of Spain : let me give you a snippet :- In Torregrossa in 1670 the clergy owned every large building and 50% of all houses. The Church paid no tax to the state but collected tithes. etc etc (I could go on forever about how the Church held back Spain's development. I'll give another example :- when peasants protested against high tax or lack of food the clergy would march out of the Church displaying the blessed sacrement and the riot would end, it was infallible). Religion has a huge impact on the economy. The entire Middle East is evidence !
    1
  7927. During the Civil War news was spread through the pulpit (by preachers). Their interpretation of events would determine public opinion. So parliament sent instructions out to preachers : it was called "tuning the pulpit". There isn't a major historical event in the last 1000yrs that hasn't got a religious dimension. The state of the Middle East has everything to do with religion.
    1
  7928. LOL, good question. Why the timidity ? The answer is because they are uncertain. Everything rests with the military and although the 2000 corrupt generals are loyal nobody is certain about the rank and file.
    1
  7929. Erdoğan is grandstanding for domestic reasons.
    1
  7930. The big picture : China are on the wrong side of history. The protestors are on the right side of history. Look back in 50yrs and you'll see that the jackboot ideology of the CCP was just a disgraceful continuation of totalitarian Maoism.
    1
  7931. 16:00 he misunderstands UK politics. The Conservative dilemma for decades has been the split in their ranks. Cameron didn't say "Oh I can't decide let's have a referendum". He was forced into it. If you don't grasp that you've missed read UK history. Look at Major having to face down the rebels : what do you think that was over ? The leadership challenge, what was that ? I'm afraid the Figaro guy doesn't know UK history.
    1
  7932. Germany has been sabotaging the war effort in 3 ways :- a) blocking its airspace to weapon deliveries to Ukraine b) vetoing 3rd party shipment of arms (Estonia) c) refusing to send heavy weapons Germany has no moral compass : it never has had. (cf 1848 etc) France, like Germany abandoned its principles for success ...... :Napoleon's despotism was tolerated until he came unstuck in Russia, (after which he abdicated) Then again in 1853 when Napoleon III usurped the revolution, promising expansion into northern Italy, then coming unstuck when it backfired in 1871, and he fled to England. The trade is always the same :- success in exchange for abandoning principles. Germany did it in 1849 when the Frankfurt parliament capitulated to Frederick William IV Then did it again in 1866 : exonerating Bismarck for unconstitutionally raising taxes for the army in 1861.
    1
  7933.  @dan3nad  Dan, do you need an eye test ? Russia has taken a hiding : they have lost 20,800 troops killed, 700 tanks destroyed (there is photographic evidence for 520), planes, helicopters and their Black Sea flagship. Quite simply, Russia is losing. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  7934. Angela, you are perhaps deluded because the truth is so unpalatable to you. Or maybe you are a Madrid propagandist , trying to describe sexual assault as "Fake News". The Mayor of Barcelona (who didn't support the declaration of Independence) said, "The mayor announced that she would bring charges against police officers not only for the use of excessive force but also for sexual abuse." “We have received many statements from women who reported sexual violence,” If you send police in to intimidate and assault citizens the border between violence and sexual assault is very easily crossed. Statisticians would be amazed if there hadn't been any sexual assaults. I'm afraid it is human nature when young males get violent with young females : it is just about unavoidable. The sad thing is Madrid are having NO investigation. Even abuses of Police power clearly filmed will NOT be investigated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=30s
    1
  7935. Angela, look at it rationally, dispassionately. You are saying the Police in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=30s who are kicking girls in the ribs and dragging them by the hair, you're saying that when they get them to the police-van they suddenly behave like gentlemen ? Why would you believe that ? A rational person would think it very likely they groped the girls as they forced them in the van. You would have to be very deluded to think otherwise........or perhaps you have a bias you're concealing.
    1
  7936. Angela, we will have to let people decide for themselves. They can watch videos of Spanish brutality :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPISm5p8GD0 and then believe the Spanish Police underwent a Christian conversion once they forced the girls into a police-van. Or they could watch the Spanish violence :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=1s And think it 'probable' that the Police may have groped the girls as they forced them into the van.
    1
  7937. Angela, most rational people would think it 'probable ' that Police , who were engaged in a frenzy of violence might grope a young girl. You are saying it is "Inconceivable". Why ? Then you say someone is a communist and imply it makes them a liar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=4s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPISm5p8GD0 That is circumstantial evidence of indiscriminate violence. The jury would then have to consider testimony from all parties. But of course Spain have said there will be NO inquiry and NO prosecutions.
    1
  7938. "Young scientists more pessimistic" That's because old baby-boomers are natural optimists Baby-boomers are life's winners It's not young folk who are wrong - it is OLD Baby-boomers
    1
  7939. Putin explained to Macron how he intends to "rape" Ukraine. 'Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it,' Putin said, using an expression that rhymes in Russian.
    1
  7940. 1:23 "The leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard" That bandit is a totally rogue operator : he doesn't take orders from Rouhani. The Revolutionary Guard have their tentacles into every aspect of Iran's economy and are filching enough money to make themselves independent of government.
    1
  7941. India has given a nod & wink to Moscow, by abstaining at the UN. Shame on India. Erdoğan shot down two Russian planes 0 he is treated with respect by Putin. By contrast, Modi has a ceremonial sword snatched out of his hands. Russia has contempt for India. Modi responds with deferential courtesy.
    1
  7942.  @babri1402  Good one. But do you know what is a worse killer ? Education. When young people acquire education and become enlightened, they simply dismiss the old superstition of those savages. The more the Taliban embrace modernity, the quicker they vanish.
    1
  7943. Awesome firepower by the US. That was a battalion sized invasion and the US annihilated it.
    1
  7944. Good question. Even with 100% certain intel, nobody could actually believe Putin would do it. Putin has committed suicide for the Russians. Biden said, "It depends on which side of the bed Putin gets up"
    1
  7945. "Children are 1/2 of Gaza's population" Hamas encouraged large families And the UN paid for them That is the Hamas strategy to defeat Israel by demographics
    1
  7946. "The present government is dominated by Hezbollah" That tells you everything you need to know.
    1
  7947. £uck the Vatican ! And the Pope.
    1
  7948. Mahmoud Abbas strikes again
    1
  7949. LOL a perfect target for a Harpoon missile. Or Neptune missile, or Brimstone missile. Russians are living in a propaganda world of their own. They are being "smashed in the face" in Ukraine.
    1
  7950. Tienanmen Square massacre : the British ambassador's report supports the U.S. ambassador's figure : over 10,000 were slaughtered. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/tiananmen-square-massacre-death-toll-secret-cable-british-ambassador-1989-alan-donald-a8126461.html
    1
  7951. Even the best informed Russian experts thought invasion was crazy. No rational analysts believed Putin would invade.
    1
  7952. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  7953. Well done Ukraine. A new world is dawning. One in which Russia becomes an impoverished pariah. China, looks to protect its shrinking economy. AUKUS builds more nuclear submarines to blockade China and collapse the CCP.
    1
  7954. 6:00 "Some nations to be gifted with an innate instinct for freedom" 1864 Namik Kemal admired the British for their "indomitable power of public opinion against authority" One can go back to Magna Carta 1215 (freedom for nobles) Or the Anglo Saxon Witan (council) which checked the authority of the chief cf Novgorod Veche council to curtail the authority of the prince
    1
  7955.  @regregan5755 " Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said a police surveillance team and a specialist tactics group had followed the man from his home in the suburb of Glen Eden to the supermarket in New Lynn." I found that with a quick search. But I read somewhere that the total number of police was 30. Round the clock surveillance consumes manpower.
    1
  7956. LOL "What is the town famous for ?" It's not famous for anything "Is it hi-tech ?" Nowhere in Slovakia is high-tech Let me explain - Czech is industrial Slovak is agricultural, that's why they split Slovaks are bog-brains - that's why they support Russia
    1
  7957. What is it ? It is a shallow draft ship (5m) That can carry 200 pallets of food 26 pallets = 1 truck So about 8 trucks The ship can do a round tip in 24hrs So at best it is 8 trucks a day (Hardly worth it)
    1
  7958. This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it ...............
    1
  7959. A very risky strategy for Macron. Even the German Institute for Foreign Relations thinks war is almost inevitable, for Putin to save face.
    1
  7960. Qatar is monumentally hypocritical.
    1
  7961. Germany's contribution won't arrive until July. Well done Germany : sabotaging Ukraine at every opportunity.
    1
  7962. “You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour and you will have war.” Churchill. Macron, Schulz and Draghi have chosen dishonour and appeasement. "Russia must be curbed militarily".
    1
  7963.  @ozman9353  , she's handled Coronavirus exceptionally well. She's also terrific at empathy - hugging bereaved folk with unfeigned feeling. I'd like to have seen Bob Hawk do that : he only ever shed a tear when his daughter was busted for drug possession.
    1
  7964.  @fahimtajwar1989  ,okay I deleted it.
    1
  7965.  @fahimtajwar1989  , none of those, I'm just an atheist with an interest in geopolitics. An interesting survey in Israel revealed :- a) 35% believed in Judaism. b) 35% didn't really believe but were social Jews, attending bar-Mitzvah, weddings etc but they didn't actually believe in religious nonsense. c) 30% were non-believers. I wonder what the results would be in an Islamic country ? Nobody would dare say they didn't believe for fear of being killed.
    1
  7966.  @BenJamin-rt7ui  ,, Jordan and Syria all claimed Palestine for themselves. They didn't recognise a Palestinian state : they all believed the land belonged to them. The rejected UN 2-state solution did include self-determination.....that's the definition of a state.
    1
  7967. I wonder who didn't sign the declaration to reform the UN.....the axis of evil perhaps : N Korea, Russia, China & Co. Very disappointing.
    1
  7968. Allow me to play Devil's advocate :- Iran allowed Hamas in Gaza to dictate its foreign policy Trump will NOT allow Zelensky to do the same Trumps deal = 2014 borders Zelensky wants more + security guarantees Trump's deal is a good deal On the other hand a lot of "honour" is at stake for Europe and the UK
    1
  7969. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  7970.  @baronvonlimbourgh1716  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  7971. LOL Andrew Marr talks a big game, then immediately throws Rachel Reeves: 'Securonomics' into the mix - essentially admitting HIS big talk was simply big talk Which is also Starmer's dilemma
    1
  7972. He was the greatest intellectual Fox ever had on by a long way. Very unbiased, with a depth of historical knowledge , articulate and occasionally funny. Fox will never replace him. Fox goes back to being a moron station.
    1
  7973.  @GodOfStrategy  Let me paraphrase :- "Israel is the usual suspect, but there are many opponents not least within Iran itself." Now let's imagine you are right and she means hard line Revolutionary Guard units. Well it wouldn't make sense, it would read :- "Israel is the main suspect but it could be IRGC units." Sabotaging their own nuclear plant ? How does that make sense ? What she means is internal opposition to the Ayatollah.
    1
  7974.  @GodOfStrategy  , you could be right. But the subject is sabotage : who done it. She says "Most likely Israel" Then adds "There are many others eg Saudi) Then starts a new sentence BUT on the same subject ie sabotage and says "There is opposition in Iran itself". For your interpretation to be correct, the lady would have to switch subjects and start talking NOT about sabotage but about the internal politics of Iran. So it would go :- "Israel is the most likely saboteur, but it could be Saudi. Also, be mindful there are internal elements that want to go full-nuclear, they don't want a deal". There are two meanings :- a) why would those internal elements sabotage their own facility ? b) internal elements wanting to go full nuclear has nothing to do with sabotage so why the non sequitur ?
    1
  7975.  @Grumbo991  , Also, in 3 previous Israeli attacks/assassinations the Iranians have acknowledged there had to be inside help : ie Iranians facilitating the attacks.
    1
  7976.  @iranpersianzoroastrismus3646  , Lebanon ? Geez I'm surprised you dare mention that. Hezbollah running the Finance Ministry, stealing billions $ of dollars and refusing to move, has brought Lebanon to its knees. Are you proud of that ?
    1
  7977. @MUSLIM HEART LOL you old dinosaur. Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented during Man's evolution. Each religion represents the period in which it was invented :- a) so the Old Testament reads like a Bronze Age myth b) the Koran reads like a medieval myth, with talk of dust-devils and Jinns. All religions are invented. This was realized during the Enlightenment 300yrs ago, and led to the advance of science, humanism, parliamentarianism, and freedom of speech.
    1
  7978. Putin's psychology :- Putin hasn't liquidised any of his own assets : he could personally provide 2 Wagner divisions. Why would Putin go nuclear when he hasn't even put his hand in his pocket ? The invasion required 1.5 million, Putin used 150k The whole enterprise is being conducted on the cheap. Schools are crowd-funding drones for the army. Medvedev could sell a palace and fund a division - the Kremlin aren't personally impoverishing themselves at all. Why would they go nuclear ? Putin gambled on a cheap invasion, and followed it up with a cheap bluff.
    1
  7979. That picture of Cenk : it says Svengali to me. Also, if Cenk was apologetic, wouldn't he wipe that enigmatic countenance from his face ?
    1
  7980. Hezbollah : the root of all evil. They are anti-democratic fascists. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999? Recall the thugs beating students with clubs and throwing them from windows ? Welcome to Hezbollah's world of fascist violence and murder.
    1
  7981. "If one does not know which port to sail for then no wind is favourable"
    1
  7982. Macron has been flirting with the Saudis, and bagged himself a $40 billion contract. Why doesn't macron go and flirt in Moscow ?
    1
  7983. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  7984. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  7985. Why don't Hamas and Fatah form a unity government ? It would be a beacon to world democracy.
    1
  7986. 20 shell companies set up by Biden That took in $30 million whilst he was VP That smells like corruption
    1
  7987. One could say that about the USA in Afghanistan. This is meaningless analysis. No superpower is going to pulverize civilians.
    1
  7988.  @serkantemiz7565  "Driven forward by military escorts, the deportees were deprived of food and water and subjected to periodic robbery, rape, and massacre." The Turkish men took the girls as "servants". They were helpless, the parents starving or dead. It was one of the most inhumane acts by Turkey. Also, research "The Bulgarian atrocities" and "The Greek massacres". Turkey is infamous for inhumanity.
    1
  7989.  @erth_mu  How do you imagine India looked under Mogul rule ? One happy democracy A handful of East India Company (British) could NEVER conquer India unless India had been utterly divided Local warlords sided with the East India Company against their neighbours The Empire stated as a trading company and just grew - because India was so divided
    1
  7990. Think how casually Russia evacuated Snake Island. That is exactly what NATO wants. Russia to lose casually, not hysterically. Ukraine must wear down Russia and make it casually retreat to its own land.
    1
  7991. "Trucks rammed into people" That's not Israel Those are Egyptian drivers The Palestinians are like a mob - they have killed Egyptian drivers by throwing stones
    1
  7992. Eric Trump said, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". Nuff said.
    1
  7993. Russia running out of steam NATO strategy is "incremental victory for Ukraine" The Pentagon computer predicted Russian exhaustion everything is going to plan.
    1
  7994. It is win-win : NATO look strong and meaningful ; Putin can let his hair down, and do the drunken-Yeltsin dance in front of a brass band (he looks such a jackass, things can't get worse).
    1
  7995.  @Jocelyn-075  The Counter Offensive has started : Kherson, 16 miles in one day. Keep watching, things will go from bad to worse for Russia.
    1
  7996. I think I saw a slap. Allegedly ? No, I definitely saw a slap.
    1
  7997.  @TRYCLOPS1  . LOL I've made a video about them (Barbary Pirates). The US had to construct frigates especially to confront the pirates of North Africa. During the Dutch golden age merchants had the advantage of weapons over the pirates. Piracy was much more of a problem when it was "Privateering" : the Dunkirkers (Spanish Flanders) wreaked havoc on the Dutch herring fleet in the North Sea. Likewise English/Dutch privateers did the same to Spain in the Americas. With Pieter Heyn capturing 1/2 Spain's treasure fleet.
    1
  7998.  @TRYCLOPS1  , you have a "head full of pirates" as Long John Silver said of Jim Hawkins. Statistically piracy was not 10% of losses. Weather/accidents/mistakes made up 90% of losses. Piracy was an issue for the US (Barbary) because seamen were being enslaved. Otherwise insurance covered the loss. Eg French merchants sued an English pirate ship owner for £20k through English courts and won their case. (see my video "Gunpowder plot") Why does piracy come under that heading ? Because the pirate seized Lundy island and declared himself King ; he actually had a good claim to the throne.
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  7999. Lukasheno : "For example Putin has mentioned the possibility of withdrawing troops"
    1
  8000. I'd prefer China to be taking over the world with technology than harvesting human organs. (The trouble is they're doing both).
    1
  8001. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant, arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel........oh and they are effing liars.
    1
  8002. Putin is hoping his final card pays dividends : he will stop gas this winter. The German public are already attacking Scholz ; Macron has done little except to use the crisis to pursue his pet-project "The European Defence Force". All this whilst France contributed 1/10th of the weapons POland provided. God bless the Yanks & Ukrainians. History will record the British were the first to send arms (albeit, the planes had to skirt Germany, which had closed its airspace).
    1
  8003. Palestine has been losing for 70yrs (since 1947 when Israel declared themselves a state) It took Palestine until 1988 why ? Because in 1947 Palestine declared itself part of Syria, then with the Arab league they were part of Nasser's Egypt (capital at Cairo) Only after losing 3 wars : 1947, 1967, 1973 did they declare statehood in 1988 Palestine is one big loser - yet they think stone-throwing and terrorism will bring victory, even though its has failed for 70yrs and is scorned by civilised nations.
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  8004. Europe would suffer more than the USA and more than the UK. Where is the leadership in Europe ? "We must not humiliate Russia" Macron, and Schulz has sabotaged Ukraine. (Closing airspace, refusing 3rd party transfers, and blocking direct sales)
    1
  8005. Archibald, your comment deserves the opprobrium it has received. You are clearly a dunce. The Arab Spring was started in Tunisia when corrupt Police hassled a street-seller and he set himself alight. You complete £uckwit do some research and stop talking out of your @ss.
    1
  8006. LOL you ignorant dope. If you knew any history you would know you are describing Yaser Arafat there ! The Jordanians hated him, so did the Egyptians and Syrians etc Arafat stabbed them all in the back and was the biggest liar going. Bill Clinton said, "He can't be trusted". Still, the Palestinians worship him , even though he stole $3 billion from them LOL You are such an ill-informed dope.
    1
  8007.  @Hmongboi228  , in theory yes. In practice, if one is useful (eg Gaddafi) Western powers will send SAS special forces to save your murderous hide and allow you to keep your ill-gotten gains.
    1
  8008. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often jke about rape.
    1
  8009. LOL Zuma's defence lawyers say, "He acted alone and impulsively.....and therefore irrationally" Alone my @ss ; the whole ANC are corrupt. This is a propaganda pantomime for the dopey S. African people. The supporters of ANC are just moronic enough to fall for it.
    1
  8010. LOL Zuma's defence lawyers say, "He acted alone and impulsively.....and therefore irrationally" Alone my @ss ; the whole ANC are corrupt. This is a propaganda pantomime for the dopey S. African people. The supporters of ANC are just moronic enough to fall for it.
    1
  8011. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. The Chinese Communist Party has only one priority : the Chinese Communist Party.
    1
  8012. Obama's deal stank. Iran's economy boomed. 1:30 "Iran is in economic crisis and I don't know what's true and what isn't". Geez let me help you :- a) True Iran is a theocratic fascist dictatorship b) True , Iran has no freedom of speech or political opposition c) True Iran funds terror proxies (Hezbollah etc) d) False, the tanker attack is a US false flag operation e) False the US is going to invade Iran f) False, Iran had no part in the tanker sabotage.
    1
  8013. More propaganda Hamas hide amongst civilians Al Jazeera never mention Hamas (it is a dirty word)
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  8014. Of course they will change the backstop. A hard border is desired by neither London, Dublin nor Brussels. So what if 200million euros id filched in border crossing ; the EU gives Ireland 1.2 billion euros so just make it 1billion. Mark my word this is nonsense. Sir Ivan Rogers said this is a good deal for the EU. They will not sit and watch a hard Brexit when they've negotiated a good deal for the EU. The EU will "cave" at the 11th hour. (Of course it's only a faux cave because they have just what they want).
    1
  8015. This is an uplifting video : "The Industrial Revolution why Britain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PsZmnVqqQ England benefitted greatly from the Dutch Connection ( see my Charles I, Charles II and William III trilogy)
    1
  8016. Oh yes, Israel also has its religious nuts. What did you expect in the Middle East.
    1
  8017. These guests are all detached from reality If Biden forces Israel to surrender to Hamas (ceasefire) he will have NO chance of re-election Biden will back Israel until Hamas flee into exile
    1
  8018.  @tiglishnobody8750  And what did Hamas do the moment they were elected ? They cancelled democracy. Just as they did in Morocco and Tunisia, and Algeria. All Caliphate countries dislike democracy. Erdogan said, "Democracy is like a bus - you ride it to your stop then get off". Fortunately Ataturk's constitution prevented Erdogan from becoming a despot,.
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  8019.  @willtheoct  You are being pedantic. When I do a Yahoo poll I'm amazed how often I'm with the majority. Why is that ? Because it is a statistical Bell curve (Gaussian curve), the majority always coalesce. So one doesn't need to visit every home and take every view into account - one simply needs a representative majority : that's what a polling station does. You can get a pretty good idea by asking a representative 100 people on the street. As all pollsters know, the difficulty is in identifying a representative sample. Fatah would very likely be voted out of office. Hamas won't hold elections because they are fascist thugs.
    1
  8020.  @willtheoct  Thanks for that combative reply. There's a lot there to unravel. a) I didn't say "Palestinians don't 'have fair elections", I said they don't have ANY elections. b) Fatah because they think they might lose wealth & power c) Hamas because they are fascist and don't believe in democracy Majority rule is democracy. However to prevent abuse against minorities Civilised Countries have laws and an independent judiciary. They have discrimination laws, and equality laws. Don't look for that in Caliphate countries : they are 99% Muslim for a reason (intolerance)
    1
  8021.  @saywhatuwanttosay  Cursed were the Sultans of the Caliphate with their harem of 2000 women, with their slavery and cruelty. Cursed was the Caliphate with its corruption and barbarity. Cursed to backwardness whilst Europe enjoyed the Enlightenment.
    1
  8022.  @saywhatuwanttosay  Cursed was Abdulaziz (Sultan 1861 -1876). He spent £3 million a year on his palace, which included 2000 eunuchs to protect his countless concubines. The Ottoman Empire was called the "Sick Man of Europe" because it was riddled with corruption and bankrupt with debt. That didn't stop the Sultans spending : they were in a swoon over Parisian luxury goods, and borrowed European money to live in European luxury. Meanwhile the people of the Caliphate wallowed in illiteracy, poverty and misery. They were cursed indeed. (And still are : they are cursed to despotism and authoritarian inhumanity)
    1
  8023. LOL look at Trump's face 0:49 Absolutely Zero progress has been made (and never will be). All they did was to agree 'to set up teams to resume stalled talks'.
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  8024. I agree about inhumane policies. : Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. More than the Shah had killed in his whole life. The Islamofascist regime killed democrats, trade-unionists, feminists and anyone that opposed a one-party-state theocracy.
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  8025. I agree about inhumane policies. : Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. More than the Shah had killed in his whole life. The Islamofascist regime killed democrats, trade-unionists, feminists and anyone that opposed a one-party-state theocracy.
    1
  8026. Global warming : India will be uninhabitable (Let's hope Russia comes to the rescue, because the West will tell India to get stuffed !)
    1
  8027. Well done India. Modi has found his moral compass at last.
    1
  8028. The Kim v Trump meeting will be a double con. Kim will Con Trump into accepting partial disarmament. Trump will Con the USA into thinking he's done a great job. The truth is NOBODY can guarantee KIm's position of power. Because that rests with the people of N Korea. Kim has to oppress them to stay in power and nuclear weapons keep everyone else out. There is no happy ending to this episode in geopolitics .
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  8029.  @nattygsbord  Well said : I enjoyed reading that. I only mention the Yanks because of their incredible productive power. The US have just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines to blockade China (in the event of war) Australia will get 9 submarines as part of the AUKUS deal. And Britain has 11. So we are all ready for the balloon to go up there. My point about the Yanks is - which other nation could simply knock off 19 nuclear subs ? The military output of the Yanks is phenomenal.
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  8030.  @mostlyright5384  " make them desperate… brilliant!! " Putin is whining that "Russia is never given credit for anything" Lavrov is whining that "The sanctions are just thievery" Russia is now in deep regret. The Russian army has been defeated and is in retreat. The victorious Ukrainians must now turn the Russian retreat into a rout. Well done Ukraine, on an amazing historical victory.
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  8031. @9 year old Aisha 54 year old moha_mad That explains a lot.
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  8032.  @lowkey.darius8461  Good attempt, at trying to put a humanitarian spin on it. The audience were all having a good laugh, they knew exactly what Abiy Ahmed was referring to by "Ten children each". Perhaps you missed the punchline.
    1
  8033. Dead.....and buried. I'm afraid the rabid fascist totalitarian Ayatollahs are £ucked.
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  8034. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
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  8035.  @TheZacdes  , In 1979 the Shah was overthrown by Socialists, trade-unionists, democrats, feminists and secularists. The Ayatollah returned to Tehran and was asked what he'd do with the democrats in the Shah's parliament (oh yes the Shah had a parliament) Khomeini said, "I'll kick their teeth in". He executed 7000 in the first year. Why do you think there are no opposition groups in Iran ? That is the regime you believe has the high moral ground. You run-down the US, the one true champion of Western Democracy and support a brutal dictator : shame on you.
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  8036. @Inquisitive , shame on you for the same reason being totally ignorant of history !
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  8037. The Art of the Deal
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  8038. DW is totally wrong. Putin cannot mobilize, his army couldn't feed 150k in February, they had to beg China for ration packs. Russia cannot incorporate 1 million into a broken army. Why is DW becoming hysterical about a nuclear threat ? Putin will not threaten nuclear war. This is a political move. Putin is spreading the blame to the Duma. He is landing a hot potato (annexation) into the Duma's lap. That's all. No nuclear war. No 1 million mobilization.
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  8039. Timeline 16 sep : Xi misses the final feast of the SCO and asks Erdogan to take his place 17 sep : Xi is arrested as he leaves the plane from Samarkand. 21 sep : meeting of the Military reform commision. Both Xi and his defence minister Wang Fei are absent. Everyone else is there - navy, army, air force etc
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  8040. I wonder if the Pope could help. I know the Pope was in favour of the Falklands invasion , perhaps he might lead another invasion to distract the public's attention from government mismanagement.
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  8041. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
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  8042.  @prinze5  China and India have warned Putin to end this war - didn't you watch Putin's humiliation at Samarkand ?
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  8043. Lula has his own prison cell with a computer , phone , TV and everything ; it even has a cash machine so he can still take bribes.
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  8044. War was not a solution in Bangladesh but Pakistan still killed 300,000 to 3 million and raped approx 250,000 women and girls. (No prosecutions) War is never a solution. Tell that to the Pakistan general who said, " Kill 3 million and the rest will eat out of our hands".
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  8045. Do you mean the 55-60% support that I suggest is the current level for independence ? What do you think it is ? Surely it HAS to be more than the 47% that was independently polled before the referendum. No Catalan could watch the Spanish Police beating, kicking, dragging girls by the hair , sexually assaulting girls, throwing old ladies down steps and stomping on people, then simply say they are happy to be part of Spain.
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  8046. Hamas demands were outrageous - including religious sites in the West Bank Hamas' only hope is international pressure - they want more casualties
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  8047. This isn't a crisis. Iran are no longer asking the EU for a sanctions bypass mechanism. All negotiations are now about Iran's status as a rogue state. It couldn't be better : the Ayatollah's dictatorship is almost over.
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  8048. Russian TV : "NATO wants to snap Russia's spine" 6 Sep Kharkiv Counter Offensive - Russia's army collapsed 21 Sep Putin forced to mobilise UK "97% of Russia's army is in Ukraine" (They mean combat ready troops) Putin knows if Russia collapse against Ukraine's the Spring Offensive there are no reserves : hence, defences around Belgorod.
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  8049. Alan, who are the good friends ? Turkey has no friends and never has had. All Turkey's neighbours hate Turkey. The EU dislike Turkey. Austria would never allow Turkey into the EU. Don't kid yourself that Russia is an ally : Russia has not forgotten the jets shot down and would sell Turkey down the river in a flash.
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  8050. NATO expansion secures freedom and democracyfor Europeans Psychotic Russians see it as a threat to them. But Europe has no desire to 'conquer' Russia and would be happy to see Russia vanish. The Russians have a paranoid fear of invasion that is purely illusory. It is the product of their inadequacy and insecurity, their clamour for recognition and acceptance. Europe's message to Russia is simply "£uck off".
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  8051.  @hasnatsakib7223  , I agree. I'm not blaming the Iraqi soldiers, but the senior officers should have been Court-martialled. There was no chain of command, it was every man for himself. Even at Stalingrad or Dunkirk there was still a command structure. The Iraqi army disgraced themselves against 800 yobs in pick-up trucks. That isn't a retreat from Stalingrad. ISIS had no artillery or air power, no logistics, no supply lines. The Iraqi army only needed to engage ISIS until they ran out of bullets. Any Iraqi with dignity should've demanded a public enquiry and court-martial of the generals.
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  8052. Catalonia was independent from the time of Ferdinand & Isabella (1472). Aragon & Castile were unified in name only : all regions of Spain kept their own parlements and fiscal autonomy. In 1640 Portugal and Catalonia broke from Castille and declared full independence. Spain was never actually united. To say "Catalan independence is a shattered dream" , is to show a total ignorance of history.
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  8053. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
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  8054. Pakman is excellent on this.....very entertaining and effective.
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  8055. Joe Biden started it. He said he'd flatten him for his treatment of women. So Trump said Biden would "Go down hard & fast crying all the way". It was Biden who started it. I'm reminded of Rubio's 'small-hands ' attack on Trump : Dick Morris said "Rubio has just ruled himself out of the Presidency". The same applies to Biden.
    1
  8056. Groucho, I was joking when I said "Biden started it" But Biden has ruled himself out of the Presidency : he sounds like a Trump manque'. You know when Trump says he's stopped listening to advice and started following his own instincts ? That will resonate with Biden who listened to Obama's advice not to challenge Hillary : Biden's missed opportunity.
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  8057. Iranian Islamofascism. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : more than the Shah had killed in his whole life. Young women should not protest : if the Iranian Guard arrest them they get raped for sure. The Ayatollahs turn a blind eye to sexual assault if it's the Iranian Guard doing it.
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  8058. Gulags, to cleanse Russian society. India has picked a fine bedfellow. Modi must be wincing (if he has an ounce of self-respect) India must feel such shame. Putin is a foul-mouthed KGB thug.
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  8059. What an inspirational lady. Very well-spoken. And a well conducted interview. Well done Australia.
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  8060. South Africa disgrace themselves by wearing football scarves in court No other nation would do that Imagine France turning up wearing the Tricolour This pantomime is all about S Africa grandstanding
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  8061. ​ @wilsan2190  If you bothered to research the topic you would know that what counts is the ability to strike a devastating (terminal) blow and to launch it in 20 mins. Only the USA can do that. That's why they spend $800 billion a year.
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  8062.  @davidzeal8697  If you bothered to research the topic you would know that what counts is the ability to strike a devastating (terminal) blow and to launch it in 20 mins. Only the USA can do that. That's why they spend $800 billion a year.
    1
  8063.  @dick_senior31  If you bothered to research the topic you would know that what counts is the ability to strike a devastating (terminal) blow and to launch it in 20 mins. Only the USA can do that. That's why they spend $800 billion a year.
    1
  8064.  @JSkye-uu6dw  If you bothered to research the topic you would know that what counts is the ability to strike a devastating (terminal) blow and to launch it in 20 mins. Only the USA can do that. That's why they spend $800 billion a year.
    1
  8065.  @matimumashaba2678  If you bothered to research the topic you would know that what counts is the ability to strike a devastating (terminal) blow and to launch it in 20 mins. Only the USA can do that. That's why they spend $800 billion a year.
    1
  8066.  @pogo1140  Well said. Russia's missiles are decommissioned by their own admission : the warheads are stored separately for safety, and the rockets would need fuelling. Only the US can launch in 20 mins an unbelievable terminal strike to any nation. The US could terminate China and Russia and launch it within 20 mins.
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  8067.  @capastianluna8896  Russia's missiles are decommissioned by their own admission : the warheads are stored separately for safety, and the rockets would need fuelling. Only the US can launch in 20 mins an unbelievable terminal strike to any nation. The US could terminate China and Russia and launch it within 20 mins.
    1
  8068.  @matimumashaba2678  Wrong. Russia definitely loses - either way, whether it strikes first or second. That is why the US has a "massive, massive superiority". At the end of a nuclear exchange the US will be damaged - slightly, moderately or severely. Russia will be exterminated for good. That is why the US spends $800 billion per year.
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  8069.  @matimumashaba2678  Correct. Your time would be much more profitably spent researching relative nuclear capabilities : all the information is online, you only have to look.
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  8070. Fair point about money. But you must admit passions are high. The highest poll ever for separatism was 49% , well you must admit that after the violence it will be say 60% or more. Anecdotal evidence certainly points to this. Therefore : Rajoy's nightmare of elections returning a bigger majority for independence is a real possibility.
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  8071. General Ben Hodges (retired NATO commander) "hemingway's character says he went bankrupt in two ways slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation could collapse." The West should be prepared. Medvedev :"They are trying to disintegrate Russia for a 2nd time" Russia and America are in agreement.
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  8072. The last chapter ends with Macron's prophetic phrase, "We must not humiliate Russia".
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  8073. Putin is a dictator with blood on his hands, but far worse - he is a loser. Statesmen (especially Xi) do not want to be associated with failure.
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  8074. It's Russia what did you expect ? Oh, actually it will come as a surprise to Noam Chomsky who wanted us to disband NATO and join the KGB in a joint European Defence Force. Russia has no human rights, the Kremlin mafia lie as a matter of course, they throw journalists out of windows and assassinate opposition politicians.
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  8075. When Khomeini landed in Tehran he was asked what he would do with secularists who had just ousted the Shah, he said, "I will kick their teeth in ". The Islamofascist then rounded them up raped & tortured them and finally killed them.
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  8076. @HQS Very few people know about the Hamas deadline. Newsweek :- "The Al-Aqsa episode was used by Hamas to justify firing rockets close to Jerusalem after the terror group issued an ultimatum for Israeli forces (who were protecting Israelis and trying to quell riots) to withdraw from Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah. I heard one popular and influential British radio host scandalously ask her Israeli government interviewee why Israel didn't acquiesce to Hamas's deadline—as if Israel should have stopped protecting its citizens at the behest of a murderous jihadist organization." https://www.newsweek.com/stop-spreading-hamass-lies-opinion-1590956
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  8077. India is backstabbing the West India is an Axis of Evil country Modi was responsible for genocidal riots Russia India North Korea = Axis of Evil
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  8078. I've been a fan of Mehdi Hassan for years. Even though I support Trump & Bolton. I'd like to ask Mehdi what he thought of the Ayatollah's response, when he was asked, uopn landing in Tehran what he'd do with democrats and replied "I'll kick their teeth in ". Then I'd ask Mehdi what he thought when Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year, more than the Shah had executed in his whole life. I'd ask him if he's read anything about the Ayatollah's prisons : under the Shah prisoners spoke of tedium and boredom , under the Ayatollah they describe torture, terror and death.
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  8079.  @IRLSIY  , A role model ? That beats student protestors with clubs ? And sexually assaults them when they've been arrested ? The Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah are a disgrace. Is that what you meant to say ?
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  8080.  @IRLSIY  , I don't want you thinking I'm anti-Islam , I hate all theocracies. There is no place for fascist theocracy in the 21st Century.
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  8081.  @larsjohansson6542  How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
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  8082. Prior to the twentieth century, Arab society in Palestine was predominantly illiterate, with most social and political activities conducted through oral communication. There were no printing presses, no book or periodical production, and no written signs in public places. The reason for illiteracy ? The Ulema banned printing in 1515
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  8083. Adolf, Turkey are about to be kicked out of NATO so I wouldn't worry about those rules. In the last training exercise NATO's targets were Erdogan and Ataturk :- http://www.dw.com/en/nato-apologizes-to-turkey-for-targeting-erdogan-and-ataturk-in-training-exercise/a-41429119 AS far as human rights go Turkey has been violating Kurdish human rights for decades :- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-rights-idUSKBN16H11G Adolf, you are living on a diet of propaganda to reinforce your own prejudices.
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  8084. Adolf, okay I exaggerated about Turkey being forced to leave NATO. But Erdogan is not popular and is viewed as dangerous by NATO members (hence his name being used as the enemy in an exercise). I'm under no illusions about the PKK/YPG but you should remember that after the military coup Turkey outlawed the Kurdish language and committed numerous atrocities against the Kurds. Even now their language is repressed :- https://www.thenation.com/article/in-turkey-repression-of-the-kurdish-language-is-back-with-no-end-in-sight/
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  8085. Adolf, C'mon. You list Gaddafi , Saddam and Putin as role models and your handle is Hitler. You claim the World's media is propaganda but Turkey ,who imprison historians who write about the Armenian genocide and who have 280 journalists in prison, is to be trusted. (hrw is human rights watch) https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/turkey "Authorities demolished large areas of the majority Kurdish cities of Diyarbakır, Şırnak, Nusaybin, and Yüksekova. "
    1
  8086. LOL 5000 tin-hats and then they block RAF weapons flights Going both ways ! LOL Even when it was empty coming home it had to divert Well done Germany (very slow to get started) LOL
    1
  8087. Lavrov - "almost verbatim" quoting MERKEL Merkel said : "The Minsk agreement was just to buy time so Ukraine could re-arm" Merkel said it ! To sell her memoirs and to counter the fact that her government funded Putin's war machine Merkel has provided the Kremlin with a gem She was a disaster for Europe
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  8088.  @taintabird23  " Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn then ruled for a decade of treachery, blindings, abduction and murder before dying in battle. His sidekick Dermot Mac Murrough fled to England to enlist support." It was Dermot who invited the English. The policy of 'Divide & Conquer' wasn't necessary : the Irish clans were already murderously at each other's throats. "Concubines" : you have that wrong. Inheritance was decided by Tanistry (The Chief appointed the most fit person, often a son of a slave-wife he had acquired). The position of the "wife" only meant she had a slight precedence in the harem. Interestingly Irish Christianity came from the Eastern Mediterranean (monasticism), not from Rome. That was the reason for the Whitby synod (664).
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  8089.  @fuh7506  What nonsense. (I hope Taint Abird backs me up on this) The predicament of women was dreadful. In the words of the Catholic Church : "Brohen law provided scant protection for the powerless " Brohen Law was the tribal/warrior law-code of raiding your neighbour and stealing his chattel and women.
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  8090.  @taintabird23  , I think you'll agree that Ireland and Scotland share much history and culture, especially the Western Isles. After Cromwell replaced tyrannical Scottish feudalism with English law, Sir Walter Scott said, "Cromwell certainly did much to civilize Scotland " Henry II did the same for Ireland. Pope Adrian IV solved both problems (barbarity & Papal authority over the Irish Church) by granting possession of Ireland to the law-bringer of England Henry II (Laudabiliter 1155)
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  8091.  @taintabird23  Historicity often goes out the window due to patriotism. French historians are terrible : Fernand Braudel says, "I love France and have to keep checking myself to remain objective" Emmanuel Bernard Le Roy Ladurie : "I come form a long line of Royalist Catholics" . It shows : his history is shocking propaganda. One Irish historical novelist, Maurice Walsh wrote a version of the sack of Aberdeen (1644) it is risible :- "In the course of the campaign, Somers and his foster-brother rescue two women, the first being Meg Anderson, whom they rescue from the stocks during the sack of Aberdeen that followed the battle. The second is Isaebal Rose, who takes refuge with them in order to escape an unwanted marriage. " Walsh denies any war-crimes occurred. And Irish people read that rubbish and believe it.
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  8092.  @tramorester  , you may say, "Don't British historians suffer from jingoism ?" Well actually no. They enjoy dragging Winston Churchill down with Gallipoli, torturing suffragettes and sending troops against miners at Tonypandy. The British historians don't suffer from jingoism for the same reason the nation doesn't celebrate St George's day (barring a few riff-raff). The British identity is so diverse. It includes the descendants of Levellers, Diggers, non-conformists, Yeoman, Gentry, Whigs and Tories, protectionist aristocrats and free-trade Adam-Smithites, imperialists, republicans, abolitionists and reactionaries. Whereas Irish culture identifies itself passionately with Catholicism. The Scots were culturally Calvinist, but after union (1707) prided themselves on Enlightened education. When Henry Dundas reminded George III about his constitutional responsibilities, the king retorted, "We'll have none of your Scotch metaphysics here Mr Dundas".
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  8093.  @memetopia5130  , there is some truth to what you say (as with all propaganda). Irish monasticism was a centre for learning & culture, just as St Cyril created the Cyrillic script for the Russians. The Irish also seeded Scotland and Northern England with monasteries. But monasteries had little effect on Irish clans. The chieftain still captured women from neighbouring clans to add to his harem., he still raided their livestock and killed their menfolk. The "king" of Ireland was simply the most powerful clan chief, he didn't enforce law and justice, or defend the nation. The Pope decreed Laudabiliter in (1155) , for the Norman Henry II to civilize Ireland and impose Roman authority on the Church (which was founded upon Eastern Mediterranean monasticism). The Viking influence was long past : the slave markets were Irish. Henry II was famous for his restless energy - travelling the country and imposing law. That is the definition of kingship. Not raiding your neighbour and capturing cattle, and women for your harem : that is the definition of Clan warfare. The Pope recognized Ireland as barbarous precisely because he could exert no influence. One can only influence a country that upholds civilized values. Which is why Henry II had to do penance after Beckett's murder. CONTRAST : The Archbishop of Dublin John Allen was murdered by Gerald Fitzgerald's son (Silken Thomas), with no penance. Simply an act of barbarism. Condemnation from Rome meant little. Which is why Rome wanted Henry II in Ireland, hence Laudabiliter (1155)
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  8094.  @memetopia5130  , In Muslim Madrasa they teach that Western Civilization is founded upon Islam, and there is truth in that as well : the Islamic world stored vast quantities of Classical knowledge. Europe emerged from the Dark Ages through Byzantium, which had commercial outposts in the boot of Italy. Commerce, Christianity and learning spread up the trade routes through France & Germany to London. The commercial centres became University towns. Ireland was peripheral, barbaric and backwards. Dublin only became sizeable under the English. Dublin cathedral was built by the Normans ( 1192, John Comyn, first Anglo-Norman archbishop of Dublin) Scotland and Ireland were both peripheral backwards and barbaric. Scotland was released from Calvinist theocracy by Cromwell "Who did much to civilize Scotland". And went on to embrace the Enlightenment - Adam Smith David Hume etc Ireland was never released from Rome's influence, which is a source of backwardness to this day.
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  8095.  @memetopia5130  This is an example of clan warfare by the Earl of Tyrone and his sons from (1551) :- .......after a decent pretence of amity, he and his sons started fighting, or, to put it more accurately, devastating one another's lands so persistently that the country was soon brought to very great distress. Sir Thomas Cusack, the Chancellor, wrote in 1551 that "the country of Tyrone is brought through war of the Earl and his sons (one of themselves against other) to such extreme misery as there is not ten ploughs in all Tyrone. Hundreds this last year and this summer die in the field through famine. "This tragedy was deliberately brought about by the Earl himself, who professed such deep-rooted contempt for ploughs and similar implements that he threatened to take very drastic measures to prevent their use on his lands."
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  8096.  @memetopia5130  , You're not alone in being deluded. Turkish children are taught propaganda, Japanese children are, the Polish believe themselves victims of history - not the architects of their own misfortune and France teaches an unreal version of both World Wars. If a panel of academics were to allocate a scale of importance to various nation's contribution to Western Civilization, the Islamic contribution would be far higher than Ireland's. The notion that in 1551 the Earl of Tyrone and his sons could be barbarically destroying their own lands in internecine warfare, in the country (Ireland) that generated Western Civilization is risible. The truth is the Irish (& Scots) were fighting amongst each other for centuries. Brehon Law : For important members of the fine (Clan), their kinsmen of the clan had to pay reparations for their crimes, giving them virtual immunity. "While the English and Palesmen held this custom up as the definitive proof of Irish barbarism (murder being punished only by a fine), it was in fact quite successful in preventing low level violence such as cattle-raiding or feuding from producing out-and-out bloodbaths. It was essentially a way of limiting violence in a chronically violent society. " That isn't British propaganda : it is an accurate telling of Irish history.
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  8097. You can take the boy out of the ghetto But you can't take the ghetto out of the boy
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  8098. Snake island ! Rejoice at that news. NATO wants Ukraine to win "incrementally". Not with a decisive blitz. Russia must quietly withdraw, (not humiliated). Ukraine must quietly celebrate.
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  8099. This trial is a fix : the entire ANC are corrupt and Zuma could name them all. He will play his part in this propaganda trial get found guilty with a suspended sentence and a big fine for which his corrupt ANC colleagues will reimburse him. Zuma won't loose a penny : this is a public relations exercise and the South Africans are just dumb enough to fall for it.
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  8100. Look at corruption investigations in Argentina or Brazil : they are netting loads of people. Why Not in S Africa ? Because it is a show-piece not a real investigation. The ANC are corrupt to the core.
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  8101.  @ParsaB1  , good point. The U.S. and Europe have total contempt for the Saudis, but Saudi human rights crimes are miniscule compared to the Ayatollah. The Saudi people pay no tax and by-and-large give passive approval to their despots. Iran is different : a plurality of opposition overthrew the Shah, while the Ayatollah lived in Paris. He returned and imprisoned all other parties : Communist, Socialist, Democrat, Trade Unions. There were 7000 executed in the first year as the Ayatollah clamped down on dissent. The Iranians have protested, only to be beaten by Hezbollah (students in Tehran 1999) or shot by police snipers.
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  8102. The German President asked to visit Kyiv, and was told "No", why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
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  8103. Pro Kremlin Marwan
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  8104. There is a subtle irony in this. Human rights groups defending Morsi ! The anti-democratic guy who happily imposed intolerant Sharia on a nation.
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  8105. God Bless the USA Macron's vanity project "The European Defence Force" was designed to oppose NATO. Europe is a damsel in distress : Macron and Scholtz have been a disgrace. France has sent 1/40th of the weapons Britain sent.
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  8106. Obviously : he's a Blairite.
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  8107.  @2557carla  Why no democracy in the Middle East ? Well the answer was given by Ataturk's mother who declared the Sultan is "Our Lord on Earth". 600yrs of that type of culture, coupled to unquestioning obedience to Islam produced a paralysed polity. The rejection of printing in 1515 by the Ulema, condemned the poor classes to illiteracy and ignorance. Young people in Palestine still walk around wearing Arafat T-shirts, totally ignorant of his corruption and despotism.
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  8108. My understanding is that financing has it a brick wall https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/12/17/chinas-plans-to-invest-20-billion-in-egypt-collapse They have secured a small loan for a railway but the main project looks doubtful https://www.railjournal.com/africa/financing-agreed-for-cairo-interurban-light-rail-line/
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  8109. Fun fact : Britain had a plan to invade the US in 1895 Venezuelan Crisis A 3 pronged attack 0 to be accompanied, they hoped, by "a massive uprising of red Indians" A cabinet discussion after a heavy lunch
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  8110. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" (capitulated) So Germany has no shield - Macron is the weak link
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  8111. It is certainly safer in the West. But one doesn't want to be handing money to terrorists or gangsters, and encouraging further crimes.
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  8112. Can I play Devil's Advocate here. In fairness she shouldn't have said dying ; she should have said "In critical condition". I'm not being pedantic. Remember she's a politician who happens to be on our side. But if a Republican used hyperbole we'd be the first to slap him down. For her to be correct she really needs a death-rate of at least 2-3 per week and you can't blame Geraldo for pointing that out.
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  8113. Am I the only person who is left clueless by this report ?
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  8114. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug, he has the morality of a gangster.
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  8115. Erdogan has imprisoned more journalists than any other nation. He has imprisoned and threatened opposition politicians and made democracy a sham (like it is under Putin in Russia).
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  8116. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
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  8117. @Dante Quantum foam "Jealousy" What a curiously revealing comment. It has a hint f the master-race about it. Why would anyone be jealous of Germany. Germany is held as the paradigm for just how low humanity can sink. One would imagine Germans still haven't recovered from their history, but apparently not. You are so quietly confident of your superiority you believe any criticism must be motivated by "jealousy". Quite extraordinary.
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  8118.  @christophermichaelclarence6003  I can understand when a French patriot would think that. From outside France appears to be stabbing NATO in the back, but France gains something in doing so :- By standing against NATO France shows its independence and asserts its position in the world. That is why when Russia invaded in February, Macron didn't rush to send military aid to Ukraine, he resurrected his "European Defence Force" The EDF is a French led opposition to NATO Everyone knows France is a wobbly partner that can never be relied upon in a crisis. But from inside France that quality of appeasement and self-assertion is applauded.
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  8119.  @anthonyoffical1234  When this war is over Russia will be revanchist for generations. Germany and France will immediately re-engage with Russia with wilful naivete. (That's why Nordstream had to be demolished)
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  8120.  @nenasiek  And who gave Sweden nuclear protection when they decided to join NATO ? Not France It was a treaty with Britain that provided Sweden with cover until it had article 5 security France is unreliable - famous for perfidy
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  8121. "National Defence no longer limited to borders" That sounds like the aircraft carrier INS Vikram is going on the attack. One Chinese missile would sink it in an afternoon. Modi needs to wake up to the 21st Century : why have the Yanks built 19 Virginia class nuclear subs ? Why is AUKUS strategy built around blockade of China by submarine ? When will India face facts ? It's 1.5 million man army is a welfare scheme, and its flagship is a joke.
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  8122. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 opposition Iranians in his first year. When asked what he'd do with democrats he said, "I'll kick their teeth in ".
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  8123. Maduro and his 2000 corrupt generals have Venezuela in a strangle-hold. How do you remove 2000 corrupt generals ? The best way is sanctions targeting them and their families.
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  8124.  @Deelom100  , a fresh start indeed. The irony of Dutch/ Belgian/ Flanders history is that a critical stage was decided by French speaking Walloons who ended up as part of France. But at the crucial moment had representatives in the States General siding with the Spanish !
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  8125. Why is Spanish America a failure ? Absolutism (Royal Papal and Military) North America championed representative assemblies in religion & politics. Spanish-America embraced authoritarianism (Royal Court & Church). The Church & State were the parasitical leviathans of Spain. In 1695 Tarazona : the Church owned 50% of all property and every large building (Henry Karmen) TWO JOBS Imagine you have 2 identical jobs one with a merchant the other with the Church you would chose the Church. Good prospects and after 5yrs a CV letter from the bishop. North America Imagine 2 jobs one with the minister's church down the road or Standard Oil. That's how the parasitical leviathans of church & state cripple the economy. The Habsburg monarchs repeatedly devalued the currency to clear their debts : crippling the economy and causing high inflation. The absolutism of Spanish Church & State was transferred to Spanish-America. While North-America feared absolutism and wrote a constitution to guard against it. Argentina attempted to move to secular democracy which was sabotaged by a catholic sanctioned military coup : Juan Peron was embraced by the people (and Pope) and Evita deified.  Church & State Spanish-absolutism segued to military dictatorship. That's Argentina's curse. The Church took over many functions that belong to the state in the modern world, such as education, banking, hospitals and public charity. Arciniegas, German. Latin America: A Cultural History. New York; Alfred A. Knopf, 1967, pp. 50-53. 1. Spain attempted to crush the spirit of the Reformation and resisted reforms of the counter Reformation. 2. The Church kept its crusading spirit visible in Latin America. 3. Franciscan and Jesuit missions created a machine for the propagation of the faith, the school. 4. The Church took over many functions that belong to the state , such as education, banking, hospitals and public charity. 5. The Church controlled customs and application and enforcement of immigration laws which were designed to exclude Jews and Lutherans. 6. The Inquisition became a reign of terror in America. 7. Intellectual movements were quashed. 8. The Church saw the expression of aboriginal culture as the work of the devil. The Popes were opposed to progress : read Syllabus Errorum Pope us IX 1864 Statements the encyclical condemns as false include the following examples: "Human reason, without any reference whatsoever to God, is the sole arbiter of truth and falsehood, and of good and evil." (No. 3, rationalism) "All the truths of religion proceed from the innate strength of human reason; hence reason is the ultimate standard by which man can and ought to arrive at the knowledge of all truths of every kind." (No. 4, rationalism) "Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian religion, in which form it is given to please God equally as in the Catholic Church." (No. 18). "The Church ought to be separated from the State, and the State from the Church." (No. 55, separation of church and state) "In the present day it is no longer expedient that the Catholic religion should be held as the only religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other forms of worship." (No. 77) "Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true." (No. 15) and that "It has been wisely decided by law, in some Catholic countries, that persons coming to reside therein shall enjoy the public exercise of their own peculiar worship." (No. 78, freedom of religion) "The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with, progress, liberalism and modern civilization." (No. 80, cf. Jamdudum cernimus)
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  8126. LOL I think Russia has its hands full. Trust India to think the world revolves around them LOL
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  8127.  @chopinmack5418  In 1940 the civilized world waited with bated breath hoping Roosevelt would win the election. The US saved the civilized world. It is France (providing 1/20th of the weapons Poland supplied) and Germany (Nordstream financing Putin's war aims) that are unreliable allies.
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  8128. YES It was the police what smashed windows It was the police what vandalised the library It is all the fault of the police LOL what a bunch of idiots
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  8129. 1:43 I've only got this far and can tell you now this is impossible. Egypt couldn't organise a pi$$ up in a brewery by 2020. "The first residents will be moving in in 2019". You must be kidding.
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  8130. 0:15 Russian clot falling on his fat face.
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  8131. Al Jazeera NEVER calls for hostages to be released Al Jazeera is pro-Hamas
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  8132. Invest is what the Kremlin mafia do with the money they loot from the Russian people. They invest it in the West, because those Russian gangsters have no confidence in their own economy.
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  8133. Wrong. All this analysis is wrong. Remember Obama revealing to the press the exact time operations would begin to seize Mosul ? Trump mocked him for it : it was a gigantic military blunder. By the same token, if Russia intended going in, they should have concocted a pretext, then immediately invaded. This extended delay, and telegraphing of intentions, only favours NATO. It is utterly detrimental to the Russian invasion. It is so detrimental, that one can conclude they have no intention of invading.
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  8134.  @chandanprakash2002  (Obviously not much, but one has to appear united).
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  8135. Ask yourself this : if someone stood up to protest corruption what would happen ? They were be beaten senseless by the Police. So why are Zimbabweans celebrating ? Because they are like Pavlov's Dog : they are conditioned to subservience and complicity in their own oppression.
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  8136. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. Modi simply looks on with indifference.
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  8137. Well really. The EU was established to keep the peace in Europe, its ideology is pacifist. You may have noticed the Eu are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.
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  8138. Alex Jones is a piece of $hit and if you had half a brain you would know that , you empty headed dope.
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  8139. Can we trust Iran ? It is part of The Axis of Evil (China, Russia, North Korea etc), and it sponsors terrorism through Hezbollah. Hezbollah currently control the Finance Ministry in Lebanon and refuse to move. The EU, IMF and World Bank refuse to extend any loans until Hezbollah depart. So what's the answer ? Let us all pray for the collapse of the Ayatollah's fascist theocracy, amen.
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  8140.  @davidnoelfranks1124  , I forgot to mention the missiles Iran is supplying to Hezbollah in Syria, to launch against civilians in Israel. The Ayatollah has said repeatedly that his intention is to "wipe Israel off the map".
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  8141. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief, was a serial rapist. The KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Putin is KGB The Lubyanka is the KGB HQ : every room the scene of torture and sexual assault. The Lubyanka is the pride of Russia and the definition of dystopia.
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  8142. This is like the Battle of Stalingrad : with Russia playing the part of the Nazis.
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  8143. LOL bible prophecy. I thought this was a genuine News provider. It is fronted by cranks (and watched by whack-jobs).
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  8144.  @ulflyng  LOL, I was researching "Trump Iran strike" and this came up. Then when they wizened old dope started to mention prophecy, I thought "Oh this is one of those whack-job channels for religious nuts".
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  8145. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
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  8146.  @yvonnerahmes9618  It is from an essay by AJP Taylor on John Bright MP.
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  8147. How much more can Russia take - death by a thousand cuts. That is NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  8148. Thank God for the USA : manifest in the person of Wes Clark. France and Italy are suggesting Ukraine capitulates. Germany is sabotaging Ukraine :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
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  8149. Russia have a good case. It was Livenenko who put Polonium in his own tea. The Ukraine opposition leader poisoned himself. And MH17 shot itself down with a Russian BUK missile. Russian journalists throw themselves out of windows. Anti-corruption campaigners arrest themselves and torture themselves to death in prison. Leaders of Russian opposition parties assassinate themselves out side the Kremlin. And it's all a plot to give Russia a bad name.
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  8150. Hamas strategy is always maximum civilian casualties Whether it's Israelis or Palestinians - they don't care
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  8151. 25 comments so far and they are all excoriating the Saudi.
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  8152.  @zzzzzsleeping  Well said. Macron also said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" It is the French way. Nobody expects anything better. One wonders why Macron is so fearful, Russia has a history of defeat.... Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  8153. Remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That's Hezbollah. Welcome to the fascist world of anti-democratic ultra-violence.
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  8154. @Adil Asic , do you know what the people of Lebanon want ? A competent bureaucracy. It's that simple. Just a civil-service to run the country without filching money for their supporters and assassinating opponents. It's called Civilization. It's what everyone wants. And there is no place in a civilized world for the likes of Hezbollah.
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  8155. @Adil Asic , good question. Have you ever noticed how these ideologues (be it political or religious) always like to impose their ideology on others ? It's never enough for them to start an isolated commune and enjoy their ideology alone. You know why. Because they are all parasitical : they all require other folk to put bread on the table and make the society work. My advice to the ISIL and Morsi morons is, "£u%$ off into the desert somewhere and establish your own commune and let civilized people manage without you".
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  8156. The West stands with Israel
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  8157. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  8158. azur, thanks for that : very informative. Especially how ' the Arab merchants know how to keep track of everyone ' : trade and commerce are the key to understanding history. Ahad Ha'am : at eight years old, he began to teach himself to read Russian. It reminded me of the story Nabokov told about his father realising he couldn't speak Russian (1906). In those times all Russian aristocrats spoke French at home. Anyway, I digress. I hope an amicable solution is found. The West should always back democracy which is sadly lacking on the Palestinian side.
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  8159. azur, my thoughts exactly (bi-national state) before I continue let me get this off my chest :- The 19th Century saw the collapse of dynasties (Habsburg, Ottoman etc) and the rise of nationalism. Greece had been occupied since 146BC by Romans, Byzantine, Ottoman, then struck for nationhood 1828 Italy broke from the Habsburg 1871 Germany 1871. So how did folk manage for 2000yrs without a nation ? Well if they had freedoms, prosperity and justice they were quite happy. So why don't people settle for those things now ? Well its the zeitgeist of the times : everyone wants to be a nation. Never mind that if Palestine got their wish they'd be a corrupt dictatorship in minutes : all dissent would be punished ( it would be like Putin's Russia). The Quran has explicitly rejected the basis of nationalism. Nationalism is a very Western invention. (Maybe Japan is an exception and China but Africa was tribal not national) Arthur Koestler was a rapist ( he raped Michael Foot's wife) I only add it to blacken his name ( posthumous justice).
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  8160. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  8161. LOL 18 months ago Hezbollah threatened to put their 10k armed militia onto the streets. This was when civilians were demanding honest, competent governance. If there is gunfire, it will be Hezbollah thugs.
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  8162. Why is Parliamentary Democracy the model for the Civilized world ? Because the essence of civilized governance is compromise (AJP Taylor) In the Glorious Revolution of 1688, a petty tyrant James II was replaced by a selected duo William II and Mary I, who signed The Bill of Rights (1689) The landed Aristocrats then compromised to govern with the Merchant class. (Tories and Whigs). That governing coalition then compromised with the working class PM John Peel Reform Act 1832 One could also mention Elizabeth I Religious Settlement (1559), when she "refused to make windows into men's souls" and forbade parliament from discussing religion. Causing the Venetian ambassador to report "In England they are neither Catholic nor Protestant". Anglicanism was always the middle path of 'Don't ask'.
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  8163. ISIS - who would've thought it (We all suspected the FSB : like the 1999 Apartment bombings The FSB were caught planting the bombs. Which were defused by the army then declared to be bags of rice by the Kremlin)
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  8164. Guterres : "Hamas massacre did not happen in a VACUUM Hamas rapes and murder were provoked." Guterres thinks Hamas are the good guys Guterres MUST resign, he is a disgrace to the UN
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  8165. John Lyndon is pro-Palestine That's why he described Biden as Israel's best friend Actually he meant TRUMP is the best friend Israel ever had
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  8166. China USA war :- It will have to be conducted according to strict rules. a) China cannot fire ballistic missiles at the US for fear they are nuclear. b) But China will fire missiles at US ships and planes. c) The US will only target missile sites on China's mainland, NOT infrastructure. d) If China attacks Taiwan infrastructure, then Taiwan will fire US missiles at China's infrastructure, and there are a lot of juicy targets. e) US folk will be carrying on as normal watching it on TV, but Chinese folk will be under blackout and blockade : it will seem unfair. But them's the rules.
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  8167.  @tanmaykulkarni1545  , thanks for your reply. I'm being totally serious. I admit it wanted to run with the British theme because I've just made a video on "The Industrial revolution why Britain ?" Which meant I failed to mention India's rich heritage in Mathematics and science. But those intellectual achievements didn't impact society. Unlike England : during the Civil War Levellers et al. were demanding justice and rights for all, and saying religion is wrong, that "all comes from Nature" ; demanding the law be conducted in English not Latin, demanding that medicine be prescribed in English not Latin and demanding education in English. All Universities taught in Latin up until the 18th century.
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  8168. Removed comment : ""Nonsense... Brits ruined India. Crushed its soul. Many of the problems which exist till today are due to post-colonial identity crisis." True, there are a few post-colonial problems : they are miniscule compared to the colossal, neolithic nightmare of Hinduism. The caste system and Brahmin religiosity petrified India in the stone-age. India is only now emerging into an enlightened 21st Century, thanks largely to the British.
    1
  8169. Africa has no moral compass African leaders are shameless It's the story of Africa Independence should've been delayed until institutions & democracy could be firmly established Africa will still be like this at the end of the century
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  8170. The VP's son working for a crooked oligarch is one big stink.
    1
  8171. Crude Kremlin propaganda works every time on Russia people. It's like hypnotizing chickens.
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  8172. 0:55 Doesn't he look old (Imran Khan) ? All that chaos has certainly taken its toll. Poor guy.
    1
  8173. Post AUKUS Macron sided with China He accused Australia of stoking "nuclear conflict" Macron is a vindictive schoolgirl
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  8174. India's dilemma is epitomised by INS Vikrant An aircraft carrier that was out-of-date the moment it was launched. What is the answer ? Dump Russia, and join the civilised world ; integrate with the West.
    1
  8175. Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a clear non-starter" Hamas is delusional
    1
  8176. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foor in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    1
  8177. Gil Mihaely is the best analyst by far Often he's the only one worth listening to
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  8178.  @zaidtaha9777  ,"doesn't suggest it is a fair one." that is quite true but it had international backing which suggests it was a fair one. By contrast the Arab initiative didn't have international backing which suggests it was partisan. And while we're considering international opinion , it's worth pointing out that nobody trusted Yaser Arafat : the Jordanians hated him , so did the Egyptians and Syrians ; the whole Arab world had been stabbed in the back or double crossed by Arafat at some stage. President Clinton said, "He can't be trusted". And Arafat ruled the Palestinians for 40 corrupt years. What chance do the Palestinians have with leaders like that ?
    1
  8179. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  8180.  @asamaniyusif6606  , take a look at Lebanon : Hezbollah have 10K armed militia. The citizens protesting against corruption have been threatened by Hezbollah thugs to accept the status quo. Hezbollah fascist assassins are the cause of most of Lebanon's troubles. Obama gave the Ayatollah $1.7 billion in cash ! Cash to fund Hezbollah terrorism.
    1
  8181.  @simorq6685  , regardless of where one lives Hezbollah :- a) do NOT believe in democracy b) believe in violence, terrorism and assassination. (remember the Tehran student protests in 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating the students with clubs ? That was Hezbollah) c) are a fascist Islamist group.
    1
  8182. China is a country which harvests the human organs from prisoners. Why is there an endless supply of organs , where do they come from ? To think you can make a civilized deal with China is nonsense. The entire West is engaged in economic war with China. China steal technologies and make cyber attacks : they inveigle their way into countries' infrastructure planting cyber-bugs to activate later. It is time the world woke up to the threat from China. (Except for the axis of evil countries : Russia, Iran, N Korea etc)
    1
  8183. But even with the most advanced AI fake news you are only ever 2 clicks away from discovering it is a fake. You only have to research it on a reliable web-site.
    1
  8184. An Kaz, imagine some goon announces a cure for cancer, what would you do , believe him ? No. You'd go to Google and check : there are 1000s of reliable sites which give a consensus of rational opinion. It's like climate change the overall scientific consensus says it is happening and man-made.
    1
  8185. An Kaz, that is a fair point on Science. But in fairness my example was of a charlatan claiming a cure for cancer. But let's look at your example : The Steele Dossier That is not fake news. It is uncertain and maybe ambiguous. A good historical example of fake news would be the Protocols of the Elders of Zion : which was a fake and was intended to smear and besmirch. Imagine the perfect fake news is forged :- a) those involved deny it b) there are no witnesses to support it c) it has no authentic provenance Even the best fake news just doesn't hold water.
    1
  8186. Macron said there was no evidence and described the UK position as "fantasy politics". The French collaborated with the nazis in N Africa (fighting the US and britain) They collaborated with the Japanese in Indochina. The only time France got tough was sinking the Rainbow WArrior in Auckland killing a green peace activist. Don't expect support from France.
    1
  8187. Has anyone noticed how Trump treats MBS ? With absolute contempt. So, whereas the US may be supporting Saudi as a financial and strategic ally, even the US would quietly like to see the Saudi get a stuffing from the Persians.
    1
  8188. This isn't news. Everyone knew the Taliban were savages - we learnt that in the 1990s.
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  8189. Wow McCabe kept notes. I wonder if he kept notes when his wife took $700,000 from a Hillary donor. I wonder if he was taking notes then. And when he sat on a tranche of emails for a month before disclosing them I wonder if he kept notes.
    1
  8190. Merkel's EU Commissioner said "Spain are planning a civil war". The use of inflammatory terms like 'civil war' and 'planning' was a devastating broadside at Madrid. Rajoy is like Mr Punch : his solution to all problems is violence. But the warning from Merkel will cool his choler and should lead to more civilised behaviour.
    1
  8191. UN report reveals some countries staff having been raping women and threatening to sack them if they complain. Guess which countries ? Clue :- It's not Norway It's the Shithole countries. Of course the Liberal Left are culpably blind to all this, you should read Nick Cohen's "What's left ?" , it might open your eyes to the delusion you live under.
    1
  8192. Hurrah ! China has called Russia's invasion "A war", they have also called for Maximum restraint" That just leaves India supporting Putin. Modi must feel very lonely : even Xi has now turned against Russia. Shame on India.
    1
  8193. Everyone hates corrupt military. Some folk support political corruption eg :- S Africa the ANC people always celebrate their corrupt leaders. Palestine : Arafat stole $3billion and they still worship him Russia : nationalists believe Putin (as deputy mayor) wasn't in on the theft of $98 million. It's a long list but there are no military on there....I tell a lie, the idiots in Zimbabwe support ZANU pf which has a cabinet full of corrupt military coup leaders.
    1
  8194. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) To monitor and publicly reveal any Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons on Russian soil if detected c) to use NATO troops to assist with the consequences and join the war. d) to hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it.
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  8195. Hamas is a terrorist organisation. Pure and simple. Everyone should work together to defeat them : don't let violence succeed.
    1
  8196. Tip : when you are given the cue to start talking, don't wipe something out of your eye. Remain glued to the camera - start your report at a canter, increase to a gallop, then slow down to hammer home 3 key points.
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  8197. Historical Record :- Monday 10th May 6pm was the deadline set by Hamas. When Israel failed to obey the Hamas ultimatum, Hamas launched rockets at Israeli civilians at 6:01pm. That was the start. The ceasefire came on Friday 21st May at 2am
    1
  8198. Hazem, interesting observation, nice to hear from someone with direct experience. I'm probably wrong. It probably is Egypt who killed him. The West turn a blind eye to el-Sisi crimes because he is tackling Islamists.
    1
  8199. Russia wants to starve the Syrians and force an end to sanctions on Syria's Assad regime.
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  8200. The entire Western World is supporting Ukraine's fight for freedom. ( A Great shame Germany sabotaged the delivery of weapons :- by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania from donating a 155mm howitzer)
    1
  8201. Putin can shrug his shoulders because it's some poor underfed conscript who is going to be on the receiving end.
    1
  8202. Putin's psychology :- Putin hasn't liquidised any of his own assets : he could personally provide 2 Wagner divisions. Why would Putin go nuclear when he hasn't even put his hand in his pocket ? The invasion required 1.5 million, Putin used 150k The whole enterprise is being conducted on the cheap. Schools are crowd-funding drones for the army. Medvedev could sell a palace and fund a division - the Kremlin aren't personally impoverishing themselves at all. Why would they go nuclear ? Putin gambled on a cheap invasion, and followed it up with a cheap bluff.
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  8203.  @vksasdgaming9472  Medvedev could have started a Bayraktar drone factory 2 years ago and produced thousands of drones - simply by selling a couple of palaces. The Kremlin are venal thieves. They have attempted a cheapskate invasion followed by a cheap nuclear bluff.
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  8204.  @joec9197  Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
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  8205.  @PetraKann  "5 tyrants" who were elected by the people. What about China ? Well the CCP deputy can assault and molest a young tennis star and if she complains she is placed under virtual house arrest. CCP = gang of corrupt thugs exploiting the people and the country.
    1
  8206.  @PetraKann  "a handful of pre selected puppets." Well in ~1860 Young Ottoman Namik Kemal disagreed. He admired the "Power of public opinion against authority" in the British. George III and Shalbourne (PM) wanted to trade Gibraltar to end the revolutionary Wars (1775-83) but had to abandon it because public opinion rejected the idea. Even if China imagine the CCP to be benevolent dictators, there is still no justice for the ruling elite. In the Soviet Union, Beria was a practising serial rapist, and was allowed to continue. The same applies to the CCP in China : punishing a party member would undermine the system. Democracy is about more than voting : it is about justice, openness and accountability. Most people (even in China) would choose democracy. NOBODY likes to see a powerful party member getting away with assaulting a young sports woman.
    1
  8207.  @PetraKann  Your argument proves my point : you are free to make it in the West, Western Civilization allows freedom of speech. In China, a young woman accusing a party official of sexual assault is silenced and placed under virtual house arrest. You have freedom (in the West), and she has no freedom (in China). It is very difficult for you to start from those facts and prove China is morally superior to the West.
    1
  8208.  @Fienly0109  One could say the modern world begins in 1660 with the restoration of Charles II and the founding of the Royal Society (Isaac Newton Robert Boyle etc). Also, the relegation of religion. Shortly afterwards (1688) the British kick out Catholic James II (Charles' brother) and invite William of Orange and his wife Mary (James II's daughter)........that's a form of democracy : Parliament ejects an authoritarian Catholic king. Britain (from 1707) then expands from a peripheral player to a world empire : after the 7yrs war Treaty of Paris (1763). Britain delivers to the world parliamentary democracy, and Western Civilization has never looked back. Everywhere else you look in the world you will just see tyranny : the Ottoman Caliphate, the autocratic Tsar, the Indian Moguls, and the Chinese empire.
    1
  8209. I think peace is here :- state-controlled Russian news agency RIA has reported. Leonid Slutsky added the delegations could soon reach draft agreements. Mr Slutsky said: "According to my personal expectations, this progress may grow in the coming days into a joint position of both delegations, into documents for signing."
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  8210. Macron "Countries should not gang up against China" Macron "We must not humiliate Russia" Macron "France will be neutral if Russia uses nuclear weapons" Spot a pattern of appeasement ? Jens Stoltenberg "France has revealed its hand" ( He means France has stabbed NATO in the back)
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  8211. Kurdistan : there are 45 million Kurds why don't they have a state ? Because in 1919 when they attended Versailles they were too tribal Kurds have never had a state Just like Palestinians - they have NEVER been a state and are too tribal They can't even hold an election
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  8212. If Erdogan loses he can always re-run the election like he did with the mayoral election in Istanbul.
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  8213.  @livefreeordie7598  , I'm saying China have put strict capital controls in place to STOP money leaving the country. So much money was flooding out of China the CCP had to step in and stop it. Why were wealthy businessmen moving money to the West ? Because China is so fragile , in the West you have security.
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  8214.  @NangongReng1973  , the reason the dollar is the world's currency is because the US is strong and stable. China is unstable : that's why they have capital controls to stop wealth leaving the country. Wealthy businessmen want their money in the West where it is safe, China have stopped them taking money out of the country.
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  8215. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug.
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  8216. Who will win ? Good question :- a) Russia want a continuation of the Donbas war, with drunken militia being supported by drunken Russian regular troops. That is a war Russia will win. b) Ukraine wants a high tech war : it has 300 Rapiers from the USA and 250 drones from Turkey. The Kremlin went crazy over a single drone strike, "Russia Warns Turkey After Ukraine Drone Strike". This is a war Russia win, but they take 15-30k dead. c) Turkey would like to see Russia weakened in the Black Sea. If Exocets are sold to Ukraine, Russia's fleet could go down faster than it did in 1905 against Japan.
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  8217. Liars ! Al Jazeera and Hamas lies ! "Exchange all the prisoners" is wrong The UN said, "Unconditional release of ALL hostages" Of course Al Jazeera simply broadcast lies
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  8218. I wonder how Jimmy would feel if they threw him out of a window ? Like the Russians do to journalists that investigate corruption. Or have critics imprisoned and tortured to death. Or assassinated. I'm I losing my fricking mind hearing Jimmy support Russia ? This is an example of wrong thinking : it happens when you hate the US so much you'll befirend anyone.
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  8219. Red Dog, any war China engage in will start and end with BLOCKADE. a) China exports are 51% of its GDP b) China has to import food c) China has to import oil & gas A blockade crashes China's economy which leads to the fall of the CCP.
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  8220. Wow success for Iran : its inflation is 50% and its economy is shrinking by GDP -6% per year. That's working out well. If Iran continue this run of success they will have 100% inflation and the economy in the $hithouse. Things are looking great......the people are tired of the Ayatollah winning all the time.
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  8221. I'm looking forward to part 2 "Proof Iran is in Syria supporting Hezbollah". Do you folks remember the student protests in Tehran in 1999 ? Remember girls being pulled by the hair and beaten with clubs ? That was Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guard : those are the people you are supporting. Remember Ayatollah Khomeini landing in Tehran (1979) and being asked what he'd do with the democrats and saying, "I'll kick their teeth in " ? That's who you are supporting.
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  8222. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
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  8223.  @dp134  It would've been easier for you to point to a mistake ? I've explained why Yugoslavia was never a consensual, united country.
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  8224. SHOW THE VIDEO Of course Al jazeera will not show girls covered in blood
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  8225. The number of people slaughtered in Tienanmen Square was over 10,000. This figure was first obtained by the US ambassador from his source in the Chinese government ; it has now been confirmed by documents released from British archives : Sir Alan Donald sent a classified memo saying people were shot ,bayoneted and run over , the bodies were burnt and sluiced down the drains.
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  8226. Chronology :- a) The silly British MP tweets it was terrorism b) then deletes that tweet after receiving brickbats. c) then, the silly Mary tweets 'One shouldn't lynch but investigate' d) I've never heard of that MP lady, but surmise she is an attention seeking twerp.
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  8227. Wrong Biden didn't visit Israel "to allow 20 trucks in" Biden, Blinken, & Jake Sullivan were ALL there as well as 2 aircraft carriers, to prevent Israel nuking Iran If Hezbollah fire hundreds of rockets at Tel-Aviv Israel will nuke Iran That's why Biden was there To stop it !
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  8228. 1:04 just look at the spaced out mush of the Russian general. He looks as though he's been on a two-week bender, and is trying to figure out what year it is.
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  8229. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  8230. Where is France ? They are 17th Macron wants "brain dead" NATO to fail
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  8231. Pakistani Taliban, with the backing of Pakistani military intelligence. The problem needs solving 'root' and branch. If you kill Taliban in Afghanistan you only destroy a branch : the root is Pakistan.
    1
  8232. Don't worry - between agreement and implementation there will be 1001 reasons to reject the deal Why ? Because 68% of Palestinians support Hamas And 10% of Palestinians are psychopathic terrorists
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  8233. Good riddance. One would have thought that a culture where officers use nicknames like "The rapist" would have required her resignation a long time ago.
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  8234. There isn't an Islamofascist group Corbyn doesn't support.
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  8235. Posturing. Russia are already climbing down. Tass reported they had extracted concessions which Biden denied, then one Russian said, "The US should meet us halfway". Bingo ! They are looking for a way to withdraw and save face.
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  8236. India deserves to be sanctioned. India has given Russia a nod & wink of "abstention" at the UN.
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  8237.  @PM-io5ei  Oh, those are very sobering facts.
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  8238. Karl let me introduce you to Michael, he's a £uckwit just like you.
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  8239. Karl, remember Watergate ? Recall how stupid the perpetrators were and how everything ends up on the news. Well people who believe in omnipotent intelligence agencies that manipulate us are fantasist. WMD was manipulation and we all KNOW about it. Look at the history : do you imagine...... It was Livenenko put Polonium in his own tea. The Ukraine opposition leader poisoned himself. And MH17 shot itself down with a Russian BUK missile. Russian journalists throw themselves out of windows. Anti-corruption campaigners arrest themselves and torture themselves to death in prison. Leaders of Russian opposition parties assassinate themselves out side the Kremlin ?
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  8240. Bull$hit merchants.
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  8241. The Russians are raised on propaganda. The whole nation suffers from paranoid delusions that the West want to invade them. Crude Kremlin propaganda works every time : it's like hypnotizing chickens.
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  8242.  @tonynemcich1756  Hi Tony, we are having a really mild winter, New Years Day was the warmest on record. I wish Russia would turn the gas off, I've been saying for years Europe should get its gas from elsewhere. Nordstream 2 is as bad as the Ribbentrop Pact. I've nothing against hard-working Russians, but the Kremlin are brutal thugs. You will know that with the Gulags and all. One Kremlin minister had his plane delayed in Poland and threatened to come back in a nuclear bomber : the Kremlin are simply disgusting drunken thugs. No wonder Queen Victoria described Russia as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists" Happy New Year.
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  8243.  @tonynemcich1756  Huge gas fields in the Mediterranean need developing. A pipeline from Crete to Europe. Liquified Gas is shipped from the Gulf and US. There are many options. Nord Stream 2 (The Ribbentrop Pact) is finished. Europe's new strategy must be to isolate Russia.
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  8244. But Macron also has to defend his record. Quite simply, the Kremlin Hussy has to beat Macron to the punch. She doesn't need to defend anything - she can simply lean in to the microphone and say, "Wrong" ( à la Donald Trump)
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  8245. Good video : very informative. Thought provoking.
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  8246. Modi still supporting Russia. Shame on India. Mass graves - one corpse had both arms broken and a noose around his neck. India has no moral compass.
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  8247. A Catholic priest. Are they supposed to know better, or are they as superstitious as the plebs ?
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  8248. Alexander Herzen : "Almost all Russian literature is an unremitting indictment of Russian reality" In the C19th Russian writers described the injustice and cruelty of Russia ; the misery and horror In the C20th Russian writers lived through the Terror
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  8249. 1:20 Iranian culture loves a good weep. If you visit art galleries or people's homes you will find countless paintings celebrating lachrymony. Tragedy is the Shia birthright : for them everything hinges on the 12th Imam. He arrives after Armageddon. It's one of the reasons Iran wants nuclear weapons : for Iranians nuclear Armageddon is when their ship comes in.
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  8250. I agree. And Francois hosts it with a touch of comedy. Very enjoyable.
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  8251. Shinzo Abe's grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, served as prime minister in the 1950s and was a cabinet member during the war who was accused – but never indicted – of war crimes. Abe refused to apologise for the 20,000 women forced into brothels to serve the Japanese army.
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  8252. Because Hamas are "Muslim Brotherhood" (MB) MB are hated by Egypt, Jordan, Saudi etc Muslim nations (governments, not people) want to see Hamas destroyed That's the truth
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  8253. UN supports Hamas - Guterres "The massacre didn't happen in a vacuum" UNRWA supplied terrorists to kill Jews UN is not neutral. It is pro-Hamas
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  8254. Russian history :- Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  8255. Kurdistan : there are 45 million Kurds why don't they have a state ? Because in 1919 when they attended Versailles they were too tribal Kurds have never had a state Just like Palestinians - they have NEVER been a state and are too tribal They can't even hold an election
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  8256. Generals are only interested in power & cash
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  8257. Notice the difference UK and China ? When it started in China we were welcoming folks flying from there. Now everyone slams the door. Maybe we should've been less cavalier ?
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  8258. Wow I'm looking forward to the lectures !
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  8259. Secret deal 13 Oct NATO Brussels discuss nuclear response 13 Oct Macron "neutrality" (stabs NATO in the back) 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington Nuclear response (Putin's bluff called) 21 Oct Shoigu calls NATO (Lloyd Austin) 23 Oct Shoigu calls Lloyd Austin (again !) 24 Oct Gerasimov calls NATO 29 Oct Black Sea Fleet attack 30 Oct Russia pull out of grain deal 3 Nov Russia rejoin grain deal (?) 5 Nov Jake Sullivan Kyiv 7 Nov Jake Sullivan Moscow 9 Nov Kherson retreat 9 Nov Mark Milley urges negotiations (?) remember the confusion and mixed messages : Peskov "We'll get back to you" 14 Nov Bill Burns CIA Ankara 14 Nov General Zaluzhny phones Mark Milley - we want all Ukraine liberated 15 Nov 10 point peace plan Bali 15 Nov missile strikes begin, Moscow says Ukraine "legally and factually" refusing to talk Interlude 29 Nov Macron in Washington 2 Dec Scholz phones Putin : Moscow end talks demanding recognition of all annexed regions Peskov "What did Biden say ? He said Russia must withdraw all troops before talks"
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  8260. @Raj Durai , well said. Very percipient of you. Under the Dali Lama's theocracy Tibetan peasants supported the monasteries. They didn't give voluntarily : if they didn't pay their full taxes a dozen burly monks would visit the farmer and proceed to beat and humiliate him. There was no education or health-care, just the fascist theocracy of the Temple.
    1
  8261.  @hydra_ger  , well because it is true. This is the Headline from Business insider :- "China and Russia blocked the UN from condemning Myanmar's military coup" It is no secret. The Axis of Evil always oppose democracy.
    1
  8262. I hope this is not a backdoor to a European Defence Force. France dislikes NATO and has always striven to create an organisation in opposition to NATO.
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  8263. Mrs Thatcher had her bottom squeezed in the House of Commons when she was PM. It is the power relationship that makes it abuse. In the case of Mrs Romney she is Trumps peer and laughed it off. It is the audacity of it that made her laugh. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2013/apr/09/margaret-thatcher-the-best-15-anecdotes
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  8264. She is terrible. This is the most annoying video ever.
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  8265. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  8266. Professor Pakman : the phrase you are looking for is "culpable ignorance" vis-a-vis Pence and Conway. Look, if a big mouthed schmuck like Popadopoulis knew what was going on with Russia everyone did. But maybe not pence because he doesn't get rat-@rsed in wine bars.
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  8267. I hope Iran gets nuked.
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  8268. skilled, that's great news : we can all sleep soundly. There's lots of solid evidence to support Islam's pacifism : Isis, Al-Qaeda, the 7&8th Century wars of Islamic conquest, the invasion of Europe : Spain 711, Austria repeatedly by Ottomans, The Armenian genocide, persecution of Coptic Christians, persecution of any non-Muslims and the Qoarn's injunction to slaughter all Jews on judgement day. We can all be sure Iran will be responsible with nukes.
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  8269. This psychology was used by the KGB against the Russian people. The KGB asked school children to inform on their parents. One boy said his father listened to a foreign radio, the kid's Dad then did 10yrs in a Gulag. That is why Russia is a dystopia today. The proof : Russians elected a KGB man as president.
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  8270.  @deoxyribose258  , the prisoners were denied by Chinese officials but now they admit it on state media. Just watch state media : they have changed their position and now admit there are "rehabilitation" camps. You are a totalitarian troll who is trolling the wrong party line LOL. Get yourself up to speed with the correct propaganda.
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  8271.  @bigbrotherseverywhere9095  , "ridiculous aspersions" ? What are you denying : the CCP admit they used to harvest human organs but say they've stopped. There was a slaughter at Tienanmen and a round figure would be 10k killed. (probably high but that's my prerogative.....you can say 4k if you like). And there are 1 million imprisoned in Xinjiang the CCP now admit it.
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  8272. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  8273. Ooooh, look at the EU windbags daring to cross China. Whatever next.
    1
  8274. "France disinclined to take a hard line towards Beijing" Even before AUKUS, Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang-up against China". France will never confront China, they will remain neutral.
    1
  8275. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm Moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
    1
  8276. Macron looked strong in Saudi - gazing into the eyes of MBS, whilst sitting with his legs crossed, flirting for a contract. Macron was the picture of strength.
    1
  8277.  @指鹿为马-s1h  , the US put "sanctions" on Iran and Russia. A blockade is very different : it is where you physically prevent ships entering or leaving. China would collapse very quickly. And a blockade of China could easily be accomplished just using submarines ; no need for surface vessels. In fact it could be accomplished using drones and cruise missiles.
    1
  8278.  @指鹿为马-s1h  , what a silly question. Why would any nation do anything so extreme. I'm talking about a war-time scenario. I'm saying if China attacks ships in the South China sea and things escalate then the US have the ultimate sanction : a blockade. It would only be used if China start a war. But it is very easy to implement , no aircraft carriers needed, just submarines.
    1
  8279.  @指鹿为马-s1h  , I just said, without the need for aircraft carriers ! I said a blockade can be accomplished using just submarines !
    1
  8280.  @richardkong4387  , funny you should mention that scenario. Have you ever considered who would help to rebuild each country in the event of nuclear exchange ? Let me tell you :- a) China , nobody would help. All China's neighbours hate and fear China. Russia would seize whole chunks. Regions would declare independence (Tibet , Xinjiang etc) India would take a chunk etc etc. China would simply vanish. b) USA ; trillions in aid would flood in from the EU, Canada , Australia, New Zealand, etc. Every civilized nation would contribute to rebuilding its infrastructure and within half a century it would be back. What does that say for China ? That it is universally hated.
    1
  8281. LOL As if folks digest all that before deciding That smorgasbord just leaves voters MORE confused
    1
  8282. Ataturk had to do something similar in Turkey (1927) A small group of fanatical Islamists had been on a pilgrimage. When they returned they began preaching against Ataturk's reforms (they wanted the Caliphate back - the last Caliph had been expelled in 1924) A police sergeant and constable arrived to disperse the crowd , at which stage one of the pilgrims pulled out a revolver and killed them both. The pilgrims then asked for a saw, decapitated the police and began chanting with the heads on poles. A huge crowd now gathered and the military were called. When the officers instructed the soldiers to open fire the soldiers refused to shoot holy-men, so an officer grabbed their machine gun and killed the pilgrims. There were court cases afterwards with imprisonments and executions for the ring-leaders.
    1
  8283.  @MIKEDIAMONDZ  , Thanks. The lesson from history is : Ataturk realized the danger of radical preaching - incendiary preaching, it can lead to mass fatalities. It is much better to prevent the preaching than deal with the consequences. I'm going to make a video on Ataturk in June.
    1
  8284.  @MrZlocktar  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    1
  8285. What a lot of WOKE
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  8286.  @jimmystone  , remember the Tehran student protests (1999) ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah the Ayatollah's henchmen. Hezbollah received an additional $800 million after the Obama deal , to perpetrate terror across the middle-east.
    1
  8287.  @rezayawari9775  ," sick in your thought" that's rich. When Ayatollah Khomeini is hanging six at a time off fork-lift truck pallets you call me sick. Look at Khomeini's eyes : are you telling me you don't see a psychopath. The Islamic revolution was founded by a psycho who killed thousands. Given a fair ballot the Iranians would vote the Ayatollah out in a flash.
    1
  8288.  @rezayawari9775  ," sick in your thought" that's rich. When Ayatollah Khomeini is hanging six at a time off fork-lift truck pallets you call me sick. Look at Khomeini's eyes : are you telling me you don't see a psychopath. The Islamic revolution was founded by a psycho who killed thousands. Given a fair ballot the Iranians would vote the Ayatollah out in a flash.
    1
  8289.  fafar gol  "who is fanning the flame and raising the escalation in the region ?" That would be Iran trying to develop nuclear weapons to "Wipe Israel off the map". Just Google those words you will find pages of references to every Ayatollah or IRGC commander. The entire establishment of Iran are intent on wiping Israel off the map........and you want them to have nuclear weapons ? Shame on you !
    1
  8290.  fafar gol  "who is fanning the flame and raising the escalation in the region ?" That would be Iran trying to develop nuclear weapons to "Wipe Israel off the map". Just Google those words you will find pages of references to every Ayatollah or IRGC commander. The entire establishment of Iran are intent on wiping Israel off the map........and you want them to have nuclear weapons ? Shame on you !
    1
  8291.  fafar gol  , oh gosh, let me explain. Israel is a democracy and almost 70% secular. Iran is a tyranny and 100% rabid fanatical Islam. The Ayatollah believes that Armageddon will herald the arrival of the 12th Imam. The Iranians actually welcome Armageddon : it fulfils their prophecy. NO. Iran can never have nuclear weapons.
    1
  8292. This war is the reckoning with Russia, and has been coming for 200yrs. Ever since Alexander I formed the Holy Alliance to crush liberal freedom and representative democracy in Europe (1815). "In 1848 Liberals across Europe hated Russia" Lewis Namier.
    1
  8293. 8yrs as President and he never investigated the Petrobras scandal ? Everyone knew Brazil was corrupt (and had been for decades) why not have a task-force on corruption ? He wasn't released because the evidence was incorrect, it was procedure : he was released on a technicality. He is corrupt, the evidence convicted him, and he's lucky to be a free man.
    1
  8294. Gary, we all thought Canada was a wimp country. But I think we have to box clever : Saudi is the key to dismantling Islam. MBS has the NEOM project a $500billion new city which will have Western Laws. MBS is also arresting Imams. MBS is an autocrat who could neuter Islam. I think we have to support him.
    1
  8295. Putin is riding a tiger. There are many factions and power-groups (all of them gangsters) in the Kremlin, the recent assassinations in the UK exemplify the factionalism in Russia. The agents in the Skirpal attack were humiliated on Russian TV and it's very hard to imagine Putin ordered it. The Kerch Strait attack ? Who knows : it could've been orchestrated by the FSB without Putin or with him. The whole Russian predicament is a disaster :- a) Russia is a pariah state b) It is in demographic and cultural decline c) Russia has never known democracy and has no history of holding authority to account or placing any restrictions on absolute power. After enduring 30 million killed by Stalin the Russian people elect a KGB man !
    1
  8296. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm Moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
    1
  8297. " Nothing is going to happen without consultation " LOL in your dreams.
    1
  8298. ?
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  8299. I've only got one thing to say, "3D printing". Within the next few decades you'll be able to reproduce indistinguishable copies. So for the time being they are safer in Britain. Then once they are copied you can hand them over (the copies).
    1
  8300. Una, Solomon & Coptic, I'm not denying they belong to Nigeria I'm just saying that for Civilizations sake they are safer 'for the moment' in Britain. Look what happened to the Acropolis : 200yrs ago it was almost intact then the Greeks used it as a fortress in their war of independence against the Ottomans. The Turks shelled it , hit a gunpowder-magazine and blew the place to smithereens. Luckily Britain had preserved the Elgin marbles for Civilization.
    1
  8301. Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
    1
  8302.  @timhendson2550  The FSB is Russian intelligence. It could be the :_ a) GUSP b) SVR c) FSO d) GU There are many intelligence agencies. BUt the car bomb looks very much like a Russian inside job....a message to Putin.
    1
  8303. Well done France, for Giving South Africa 2 mins of attention. (Now tell them to focus on their own country - which is utterly corrupt, has 490 political assassination, ie anyone who opposes the ANC in the townships is killed, an economy n skid-row, a fascist anti-foreigner mob culture, and whose opinion on world affairs is sought by NOBODY)
    1
  8304.  @roderickmuller8111  I just heard Norstream2 has a leak spreading over 1sq Km. That sound catastrophic
    1
  8305. CIA Pete. Remember when Pete was told to declare victory in Iowa to scupper Bernie ? Then wouldn't give interviews even though he'd "won". He is a total phoney and venal crook.
    1
  8306. Farage parrots Putin Putin threatened war - Farage repeated it Now Farage claims "Foresight" (effing traitor)
    1
  8307. Kremlin elite hoard their wealth and let schools crowd-fund the military Russia needed 1.5 million and used 150k A cheap invasion followed by a cheap bluff Britain and the US finalised nuclear drills and signed-off on a joint nuclear response : "Beyond belief" France declared neutrality - simply confirming their perfidious nature, by stabbing NATO in the back.
    1
  8308. UN sued for complicity in massacre UNRWA staff participated in the massacre on 7 Oct The UN paid their workers to kill Jews Then Guterres defended Hamas UN to be sued !
    1
  8309. China is playing to public opinion. They know Canada can't comply with the request but they have to appear to be taking action.
    1
  8310. It sounds as though they are fleeing $hithole countries. But we are not allowed to say that. We have to say the countries they are fleeing are equal to the US.
    1
  8311. France24 is pro-Hamas The lady gives a list of problems - Palestinians being killed, humanitarian aid etc But never mentions hostages France24 never mentions hostages, it's all Hamas talking points
    1
  8312. The history of the Magyars is a history of oppression. Every political decision they have made (certainly since 1867, dual monarchy) has been aimed at preserving Magyar dominance. The Magyars stink, I'll give you an example :- a) 1914 Tisza gave the green light for war with Serbia then in 1919 at Versailles the Magyars tried to claim they were victims of Austrian domination. Exactly the opposite was the case : the Magyars dominated the Austrain parliament as the biggest voting block. (The Austrians being a fissiparous bunch)
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  8313. Egypt will treat babies They are transferred to Egypt
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  8314. And what was the goal ? Certainly the Hamas organisers aren't on any casualty list. In Northern Ireland paramilitary groups always got kids to sacrifice themselves while they swan around like feudal lords : it's always the young that suffer. Yaser Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. Hamas are establishing a dictatorship just the same in Gaza.
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  8315. The Palestinian Authority are totally corrupt. Fatah are corrupt, Yaser Arafat looted $3billion from the people. Hamas abolished elections (once they had been elected) they are fascists. Remember the Iranian students protesting for liberty ? It was Hamas who were beating them with clubs. President Abbas was elected for four years in 2005 : he's still there, what happened to elections and democracy ?
    1
  8316. I'm simply admitting my good analysis..... NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  8317. When someone suggests a way of shifting fanatical jihadis from a town, full of civilians who aren't allowed to leave, then casualties can be avoided. But until then all that can be done is to try and target the source of fire and hope nobody is injured in the collateral damage.
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  8318. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
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  8319. Spain 1934 Asturia miners strike The Spanish army engaged in "an orgy of rape, looting and massacre" 34,000 Spanish citizens killed by their own army Spain has a disgusting fascist history
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  8320. Iran is an Islamofascist disgrace.
    1
  8321. Why the vitriol on here ? What is the worst he's done : launder money (who does that hurt) pervert the course of justice (that is serious : Flynn & Manafort have charges to answer) colluding with Russia (that's quite serious and very unconstitutional ) lying (no more than Hillary). So is that it ? Fair enough some are serious......but what about Hillary ?
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  8322. I'll answer this : nobody. Well actually the whole country is responsible , no individual is. A civilized country takes centuries to build : the people demand rights and limit the power of the ruler, they form independent institutions and guilds, they publish pamphlets and keep the population informed and they are engaged with & part of the state. In South America they were colonized by an absolute monarchy (Spain) with no parliamentary history. This segued to dictatorship and military rule. When given a chance to vote they choose people who have as little regard for democracy as they do themselves.
    1
  8323. Africa is full of examples. Russia is another good example : when the people were given the chance to vote they elect a KGB man who was part of the organisation who under Stalin killed millions of Russians in the Gulags. Russia has no history of democracy and the vast majority have little regard for it.
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  8324. Correction : the organisation WHICH under Stalin ....... (not who)
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  8325. Moscow will target Von der Leyden and claim it was the Ukrainian army. Putin WANTS NATO to become involved. He has lost this war and needs to escalate. Putin can abide being beaten by NATO : he can sell that to the Russian people as part of a 'persecution complex'. But Putin CANNOT sell a defeat by Ukraine to the Russian people. So Moscow MUST escalate.
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  8326. Modi still supporting Russia. Shame on India. Mass graves - one corpse had both arms broken and a noose around his neck. India has no moral compass.
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  8327. France is good at this - playing mediator Sometimes it looks like collaboration (Sometimes it is collaboration) But sometimes it pays off
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  8328. Colonialism : a defence. When General Gordon defeated the Mahdi in Sudan, his first dispatch home included plans to build a college at Khartoum. Lord Salisbury (PM) agreed, "it would advance civilization". What is destructive about that ? India was a jumble of warring states - only 50% was ever governed by Britain. When the East India Co was dissolved (1874), they boasted they had handed the British Government, "The finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen" What is destructive about that. All India's rulers were educated in Britain. The Indian Congress Party was started by Freemasons. Freemasonry was invented in Scotland (~1770) and arrived in India with the military. It was a benevolent brotherhood, and the Indians were keen members. Many British Masons favoured Indian independence. What is destructive about that ?
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  8329. Biden : "An immediate ceasefire so hostages can be released" This has been edited Biden's position is always "Hostages released for a ceasefire" Otherwise the hostages NEVER get released
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  8330. Coins are from British Palestine Minted in Britain Al Jazeera propaganda always makes it look like there was an ancient Palestine Also, Al Jazeera never mentions 1948 Arab Israeli war (Israel fighting for its existence) 1967 Six Day War (Israel attacked from all sides) 1973 Yom Kippur war ( Israel ambushed and surrounded)
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  8331. LOL The Kremlin went crazy over Turkish drones :- "Russia warns Turkey over drones" Russia is so backwards, Putin went into a tremble at the thought of guided drones. With a GDP less than Italy, Russia are playing the paper tiger.
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  8332. BBC are propagandists for Hamas and the Kremlin BBC is a 5th column
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  8333. Good news. Many years ago a journalist in a bright fluorescent bib was deliberately murdered by an Israeli sniper. The bad news is - have the Palestinians negotiated an amnesty for themselves ? The PLO/Fatah/Hamas rule with an iron fist. Will their crimes be investigated ?
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  8334. Well done to this trio - Macron, Schulz and Draghi - the quiet voice of support. They are like Christian bishops addressing themselves to Genghis Khan. Like Pope Leo I meeting Attila the Hun outside besieged Rome (452). The train scene was like Brief Encounter - the diplomatic trio, infused with brio, feted and fated to failure disgrace : but persevering in the belief of Peace with Putin.
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  8335. This is jackass assessment, it totally contradicts every other intelligence source. Sky News are asking us to believe that every other news source is propaganda except them. Sky News is propaganda : they want to discredit Biden, and will run a narrative of failure to do it. Ukraine has said they intend to push Russia right out by the end of the year. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia" But Sky News push a narrative of failure : I wonder why ?
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  8336. 4 reasons Putin will not go nuclear or use a dirty bomb a) Lose Security Council seat b) retaliation by NATO c) it will not prevent defeat d) Russia's elite are not going all in on this war : they haven't sacrificed any personal wealth. Their aim to stay in power and rich.
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  8337. China train their forces ? Remember the Olympic ceremony - synchronous automatons, that is the Chinese army. Drilled into rigid obedience. They are hopeless (worse than Russian conscripts).
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  8338. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
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  8339. There's a video of this : the Chechens are covered in dust and blood, they have clearly been bombed. They are mouthing their slogan. One of them smiles - his gums are covered in blood. It's tragic and comic at the same time. The survivors brains must be damaged - but maybe in a good way.
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  8340. Imposing fines is a great idea : it would become a tourist attraction ! You'd have someone like Inspector Blakey from On The Buses going round given visitors tickets and a piece of his mind. I could see tourist numbers going up.
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  8341. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
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  8342. Dementia - pure and simple.
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  8343. Hallelujah
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  8344. Telling it like it is. Well said.
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  8345. Very well written and presented piece of music journalism.
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  8346. DW wrong again 3:13 Xi will NOT be pressuring Putin to withdraw That is EXACTLY why Xi is going Xi would NOT visit Moscow unless there was a deal on the table DW hasn't a clue
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  8347. Why has the Arab Spring failed ? Why have the Palestinians failed ? For the very same reason. Over centuries, all nations develop a culture or 'personality'. Superficially when a tourist travels around, all folk are similar, but under stress their culture comes to the surface. For centuries Caliphate countries believed the sultan was "Our Lord on Earth". The Arab Spring nations tried to plaster democracy over that concept.
    1
  8348.  @eq1159  Palestine :- That's why the Arab Spring failed. For centuries Caliphate countries believed the Sultan was "Our Lord on Earth" Substitute the Sultan for some other despot, and nothing has changed. Palestinians looked to Arafat (who stole $3 billion), or they look to the Mufti of Jerusalem (after Britain installed one in 1922). Or they look to Hamas and Hezbollah. They have no grasp of democracy. In 1922 the Jews elected an Administrative Council to shadow the British : the Jews already had a state in embryo. The Illiterate Palestinians didn't know what a nation or state was. All caliphate lower classes were illiterate after the Ulema banned printing in 1515. That is why Caliphate countries are so backwards.
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  8349.  @eq1159  Correct : there isn't any democracy in any Caliphate country. That is my point : the Arab Spring failed because of the legacy of the Caliphate (Ottoman).
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  8350. The defining feature of the referendum was the disproportionate Police violence. I wonder why euronews forgot to include that :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=15s Spain came out from beneath the veneer of democracy and showed its true fascist self.
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  8351. Putin is constructing himself an off-ramp He will tie SMART talks to a general security guarantee then pull out of Ukraine
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  8352. Resign ! The Speaker must go
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  8353. 16:28 no plebiscite for Germans Unlike the British in Syria/Turkey : all the disputed regions were allowed to vote. Understandably they rejected Turkish rule.
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  8354. St Francis saved the citizens from a wolf, by agreeing to give it regular meals, "Give me your paw", said St Francis. Macron needs to go to the Kremlin and ask Putin to stop terrorizing his neighbours, by agreeing generous gas-payments. "Give me your paw", Macron will say, as they sign the deal.
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  8355. Palestine failed in the 1920s. As the Ottoman Empire collapsed (sultan fled in 1922, caliph fled in 1924) There was nothing to fill the vacuum. Palestinian intellectuals (the only ones who were literate) looked after themselves and preached Islam to the illiterate masses. It was a trahison de clercs. Only in 1960 did Yasser Arafat and the PLO play the role of Ataturk (and the young Turks) in Turkey.
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  8356. Blame Hamas - murder & rape on Oct 7th Israel has to destroy Hamas
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  8357. Is NATO prepared for the Russian collapse ? Yes. The American army in Vietnam almost collapsed - indiscipline, fragging (killing officers), "almost mutiny." There is a real risk. Which is why Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia"
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  8358. Putin v Biden President Biden has revealed his cards during a 2hr press conference : "A small invasion would incur small sanctions". That was a jackass gaff. Putin is keeping everyone guessing. Never allow Biden to give a 2hr unscripted press conference.
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  8359. Shoigu looks like a condemned man : he knows Russia's military has been decimated. ("Russia has dwindling stockpiles of modern weapons" MOD) Putin looks like a guy dying of Pancreatic cancer. What a hole the Russians have jumped in.
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  8360. Putin has very few cards to play - Russia is losing. France and Germany are supposed to twist Zelensky's arm into trading territory for peace.
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  8361.  @pauldean8638  Russia was defeated at Kyiv Russia was defeated at Kharkiv Russia lost 5 ships taking Snake Island, lost countless troops and helicopters before being forced to flee. Russia's Black Sea fleet has fled from Sevastopol and is hiding in Novorossiya. Ukraine has reclaimed territory the size of Denmark.
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  8362.  @pauldean8638  Turgenev's Grandma lost her temper and struck a serf-boy. He fell to the ground wounded, which so enraged her, she jumped on top of him with a cushion and suffocated him. A simple domestic murder. That was Russia in 1850 and that is Russia in Bucha - murderers by nature.
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  8363.  @pauldean8638  Serf emancipation was 1861. That is Tsarist Russia. Every nation develops a culture over centuries : Russia's culture is oppression, brutality and ignorance. The Serfs were 337% of the Russian population : they were described as "baptised property". Owners could whip them and torture them, but not murder them 'officially', in practice murders were extremely rarely prosecuted. Serf girls were open to every type of abuse by Russian males, and there is nobody more depraved than a Russian male.
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  8364. @Mne Ne Vse Ravno In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are filled with childish fiction.
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  8365. Land ownership Palestine :- Under the Ottomans all land was owned by the Sultan. When he became a "Sick man" the Europeans encouraged the Tanzimat Reforms. Alongside human rights (which were never implemented) there was a commercial aspect which encouraged land ownership. As one can imagine it was administered with maximum corruption : the Arab local governor and his family would register village communal land in their own name (or family). Also, Palestinians refused to register to avoid taxes and military service. However, Jewish groups, though forbidden to own land, purchased it through shell companies. After the 1948 war Jordan occupied the West Bank. They then allocated land to refugees. That is how the Palestinian families came to be living on Jewish land.
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  8366. Big surprise in the midterms ? I thought a new poll was out : instead it's a comedy. Of course there is no surprise the Republicans are stuffed.
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  8367. Nobody seems to realise the back-stop is a straw-man created by the EU to keep total control of Brexit. If needs be the EU will just drop it(the back-stop). Or they could drag it on for a Brexit delay and 2nd referendum. The EU are in total control and have stitched the UK up like a kipper.
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  8368. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Timing is obvious Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia Jens Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair"
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  8369. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1890) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness was in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
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  8370. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
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  8371.  @Dennug  1905 the Russian fleet bombarded fishing trawlers in the North Sea they were so scared. When they sailed to Japan they were sunk the very afternoon they encountered the enemy.
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  8372. Russia will be back - win or lose Even if Russia wins Crimea, they have been humiliated and will return for total victory Even if Russia wins Donbas & Crimea they will be back for Kyiv Russia has been humbled & MUST fight again - a convincing victory for all the world to see Europeans are like children, they don't understand Russia France is laughable - Macron is a big girl's blouse Thank God for the USA
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  8373.  @tomsnake3086  Tom, this has nothing to do with nukes. Putin is doing a land-grab. Russia wants the Donbas linked to Crimea, and they want the whole Black Sea coast, Odessa, to link up with the separatist zone in Moldova. Don't believe Kremlin propaganda. Tis war has nothing to do with Ukraine joining NATO : Ukraine CANNOT join whilst ever there is a border issue - eg Crimea, or Donbas. So Ukraine couldn't join NATO whilst ever Russia is in Crimea (which is for the next 100yrs). This is a land grab, everyone knows that. It is Putin's territorial expansion : he wrote an essay about it last August.
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  8374.  @smek22071975  " I still find it weird that the UK is not part of Europe. " Well said. But this is not about being anti-Europe : one has to know British history. In 1815 the British refused to join Tsar Alexander I's Holy Alliance : Castlereagh called it "Mysticism and nonsense". Britain refused to allow an invasion of Spain after the 1820 Trienio Liberal Revolution (France eventually invaded 1823 and reinstated the corrupt king - Ferdinand VII) In 1830 Palmerston welcomed the collapse of the Bourbon monarchy. In 1832 Britain fought for and supported Greek independence. In 1864 500,000 British workers turned out to greet Garibaldi in London. The British love Europeans. However, Britain always preferred to be unaligned. In the 1890s Wilhelm II was desperately trying to get Britain to join the Triple Alliance (Germany Austria Italy), even though the German press were denouncing the British (prelude to Boer war). One British minister said, "They want to kick us in the street and kiss us in a cupboard".
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  8375. The evidence ! a) You have seen the video - hostages being taken by Hamas into Gaza hospitals b) Hamas command post beneath UNRWA office, with power cables going through the floor c) Al Jazeera reporter Muhammad Wishah photo in Hamas garb with weapons
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  8376. The Russian army behaves like fascist scum. Russia invaded Ukraine in an unprovoked assault, just like the Nazis invading Poland and Czechoslovakia. Russian soldiers are allowed to loot and rape - there will be no prosecutions. After being forced to retreat, Russians take revenge on civilians like cowardly scum.
    1
  8377. "That McCabe cannot be believed or trusted" Well that was the FBI's own report that said that. So why would the Whitehouse think differently.
    1
  8378. "Only leads to one conclusion ......." That Hamas use hospitals to fire rockets, and operate terrorist cells Schools & Hospitals are the main centres for Hamas terrorists Hamas consider them "Safe Zones"
    1
  8379. AUKUS will finish China with a blockade. The US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines for that purpose, Australia will add another 9, and Britain a further 11. (France may add a dozen, but one can never count on France) China knows this, which is why the land route to Central Asian food and oil is essential.
    1
  8380. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales One almost hopes Russia doesn't switch the gas back on. But one must look to unity, and the economic security of the Allies.
    1
  8381. British newspapers : the strongest condemnation. Marvellous. The British have always defended the oppressed : In 1864 half a million turned out in London to welcome garibaldi. Well done Britain : the birthplace of parliamentary democracy, and a guardian of Civilization. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  8382. Terrible analysis. This isn't fit for kindergarten. No mention of Iranian activities in Syria and destabilizing Lebanon. No mention of Iran's missile program or destabilizing Iraq.
    1
  8383. India's foreign policy stinks. The Ukraine invasion by Russian butchers has created a new world. India has sided with the Axis of Evil : they have chosen the losing side. AUKUS doesn't need India. The QUAD is a pressure group - it is not an alliance. The US spends $755 billion on defence. Bismarck said, "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English", that is the basis for AUKUS. India must employ a moral compass, use its head, look to the future, and get on the winning side.
    1
  8384. 2:00 The Kremlin attempt to elicit sympathy for Russia (LOL) Ursula von der Leyen called Russia's unprovoked war "odious" Russia will get rejection from the civilized world, not sympathy.
    1
  8385. Anti-ship missiles are key. Destroy Russia's Black Sea fleet and Putin falls.
    1
  8386. AUKUS are prepared to confront China. A member of that robust outfit is hardly going to balk at confronting France.
    1
  8387. LOL China would be slapped with secondary sanctions. NO shipping company will touch Russian oil, and no ports will handle it. A Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    1
  8388.  @genocidasc  , good question. I suppose Vietnam was ideological. Iraq and Afghanistan were a poorly thought out response to 9/11. The wars in Philippines (1899-1902) Cuba and Mexico were colonial. Korea was ideological. Whenever you justifiably criticise the US you should always consider what life would be like under, say, Russia as the world's super-power or China or Japan. Quite honestly you couldn't find more freedom & democracy in any country. (Which doesn't excuse all the crimes committed by the US but the crimes would be on a different magnitude by Russia, China or Japan ).
    1
  8389.  @josegerrits3927  , because you would NEVER have a Tienanmen Square massacre in the US, because you can demonstrate outside the Whitehouse, because US journalists don't get thrown out of a window by Kremlin thugs.
    1
  8390.  @josegerrits3927  , I agree 100%. But it bears no comparison to what the Soviets did (killing 30 million of their own citizens) or what Mao did (killing 60 million of his own people). Or what japan did under its Emperor (Japan is only democratic because the USA made it so). The point is that US crimes , by comparison, are negligible. I'm not excusing any crime, I agree with you , even on cases I've not heard of, but I'm asking you to look at the US in perspective ; by comparison to the Axis of Evil countries.
    1
  8391.  Mariyo G  "Iran say we don't want war" Not much ! Google 'wipe Israel off the map'. Various Iranians say it every Friday after Mosque. It must have been said 1000s of times. Every rabid fanatic in Iran says it. .....and you say they don't want war.
    1
  8392. Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
    1
  8393. The 12 point plan is NOT Xi's "Peace Proposition" Xi did NOT present it on 24 Feb Xi's "Peace" involves :- a) immediate ceasefire b) no more arms to Ukraine c) demilitarised zone The key to Xi's "Peace" is ambiguity Russia will watch Ukraine withdraw west of Dnipro and say they've won NATO will announce "No more arms" : Russia think they've won The demilitarised zone is established Then, as Putin negotiates SMART with UK USA and France Russia will withdraw all its troops Putin will demand an end to sanctions - another victory for Russia (Notice nobody has noticed Russian troops withdrawn from Donbas & Crimea) That will be a good-will gesture Gupta is analysing the 12 Point plan which is a platitudinous Red Herring
    1
  8394. I usually give Dershowitz a kick in the comments but I actually think he's right on the algorithm. You have to have it assessed by experts. None of us have seen it (or would understand it if we did). Any machine-learning University department could make an unbiased assessment.
    1
  8395. UNRWA worker jokes and laughs about capturing a Jewish sex slave He is a Palestinian UNRWA worker teaching in an elementary school It is quite sickening https://youtu.be/Ly8bGudP7uk
    1
  8396. Why is S America full of $hithole countries and yet N America is civilized ? Well it has to do with history. N America was colonized by people who believed in liberty, law and representation. S America was colonized by an absolute monarchy (Spain/ Castile ) ; in S America absolute, authoritarian monarchy segued into military dictatorship.
    1
  8397. I should add the religious element : Catholicism is authoritarian, absolutest and dictatorial, whereas Protestantism (N America) is more communal/congregational and individual.
    1
  8398. em Fez, I agree the modern day Catholic Church stands alongside the people but historically the Church sided with monarchs and imbued the congregation with a sense of duty and obedience to authority. Which was very different in N America. I'm an ex-communist and very sympathetic with the people's plight. I'm simply trying to explain a geopolitical dilemma.
    1
  8399.  @adiyahhhh1435  , you are missing the big picture : look at Argentina, Brazil, Chile etc etc all have been run by right-wing dictatorships, and they are still all basket-cases. Why is that ? Why is the whole of Spanish America a failure ? You have to look at the origin of the system : the Catholic Church which ran 50% of state infrastructure (education, postage service, medicine etc) and the Spanish nobility. The Hidalgo thought work was demeaning (like the Saudis). Spanish nobles emigrated to the Americas in order NOT to work : they wanted land and villagers to do the production. Look at Spanish history, then look at Spanish America, can you see the similarity ? Travellers to Spain in the C19th said it was like visiting a medieval country.
    1
  8400. I've just posted a comment , apropos US sanctions, that we need to take action to avoid us all living under the jackboot of the murderous, corrupt CCP thugs.
    1
  8401. The civilized world is praying for Ukraine's Counter Offensive. Russia's invasion is the defining event of the 21st Century. This is history in the making - the world waits with bated breath.
    1
  8402.  @alnurproductions  , True. I'm stating the anthropologists position : that over human evolution 10,000 religions have been invented to bind the tribes together in common belief. Some invented religions were very successful : Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism. But none of them are factually true : they are all invented. But that doesn't mean any of them
    1
  8403.  @zahiyazahid9176  Harold Bloom in "The book of J" (J is the designation used for the author of the Pentateuch) said, "J wasn't writing the bible, the bible didn't exist until 600yrs later". That really struck me. The original authors didn't realise they were inventing the bible, they were just telling a story - a myth.
    1
  8404.  @SuperCedric35  , The Ayatollah rules Iran under Velayat-e faqih : it means the people are orphans for the Ayatollah to care for. That is why Khomeini felt comfortable sending child soldiers to jump on land mines and become martyrs. It is so shocking, the things a religious death cult can drive folks to.
    1
  8405.  @rodlevi5925  , but why incite war when Iran's economy is up to its chin in quicksand ?
    1
  8406. Remember when Germany's warship Bayern asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai ? China said, "Get lost" I wonder whether that embarrassing incident has had any repercussions. Germany usually simply swallow insults, but they are being pressured into showing some self-respect.
    1
  8407. There was NO plot The "coup" is a Kremlin operation Special forces flew from Moscow to Rostov to ensue a peaceful occupation by Wagner Use your loaf ! It is impossible for Wagner to take Rostov without a shot been fired Unless the Kremlin has ordered the military back to barracks
    1
  8408. Remember Black September ? The Palestinians found themselves in Jordan with thousands of heavily armed troops and decided to take over the country. People on here think butter wouldn't melt in their mouths.
    1
  8409. MSK, LOL touché. It isn't really fallacious though is it. The PLO found themselves heavily armed in someone else's country and decided they'd have it for themselves. A country which had offered them sanctuary : there's gratitude for you. A country in which they violated the law with impunity (well you can if you are heavily armed and answerable to nobody). Speaking of being answerable : who are Hamas answerable to ? Certainly not the people. Anyone who protests against Hamas is beaten or killed. Who are Fatah answerable to ? Themselves : they divide the Gulf oil money between themselves then swan around in luxury SUVs wearing leather jackets and sun-glasses. The real tragedy of the Palestinians has been leadership.
    1
  8410. Hamas is Israel's guarantee that Palestinians NEVER get their own state Israel's biggest fear is a democratic Palestine
    1
  8411. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm Moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
    1
  8412.  @rocketsunny2423  yes I am. My apologies. What I should've said is this :- The rockets Hamas fire are the most ineffective garbage on the market : they look like fireworks. The real impact of the rockets is to put world opinion firmly behind Israel.
    1
  8413.  evon erfin  Why do you think the Palestinian cause has been a 70yr failure ? Do you think stone-throwing and rockets are effective ? Why were Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King effective, and yet Yasser Arafat hated ? Have you ever applied yourself to that question.
    1
  8414.  evon erfin  Interesting reply. I'm a British historian. "Leaders are just the face of revolution people are soul", that's what Tolstoy said (but not in those words). World opinion is the key to any conflict. Even during the Falklands war world opinion was in the balance. It was only because the Argentinians were drunken despots that the US backed Britain. Winning world opinion can depend on small things. The Palestinian cause was good in the 1970s : hijackers were admired - like Robin Hood heroes. Then the world moved on : the Ayatollah explained what a Fatwa was, Arafat taught us about Intifada, then psychopaths taught us about Jihad. By this stage the World was revolted. But the penny never dropped in Palestine : they continued in the old ways. After Camp David (2000) Bill Clinton said, "Arafat can't be trusted", and the old stereotype of the Arab leader as unprincipled, untrustworthy and corrupt was confirmed. Arafat ruled for 35yrs and stole $3 billion; and now Mahmoud Abbas, who is like Arafat's Grandma, quietly cancels democracy and lazily lines his pockets. The people can do what they like, they will achieve nothing without leadership. Point to any revolution that had no leaders.
    1
  8415. "Point to any revolution that had no leaders." I can give you one actually :- July Revolution 1830 The demonstrations had ended and everyone was going home. For some reason Charles X nerve went, and he fled for England. Everyone was amazed : there was a mad scramble to fill the vacuum.
    1
  8416.  evon erfin  , I was firmly on the side of Palestine, then I came to realise you have to champion Democracy above everything. If a nation is anti-democratic you have to condemn it. No excuses. Anti-democracy is always accompanied by corruption and injustice. Until Palestine embraces democracy I support the country that is prepared to charge its Presidents and Prime Ministers with corruption : the country that has an independent judiciary and free press.
    1
  8417. Erdogan's economics make no sense. Even the Yanks - who are totally self-sufficient in food, energy, manufacture etc, even they run a trade deficit with China ! Turkey certainly is no self-sufficient, there's no way Turkey can grow its economy in isolation relying on home produce. Anyway, it's nice to watch.
    1
  8418.  @Liboch  I agree. There is a natural antipathy from the indigenous Solomons towards the ethnic Chinese. The Yanks will empower the natives. After the next election, the current PM will be luck to stay out of jail.
    1
  8419. South Africa's case began with a huge LIE "The only way to get aid to Palestinians is for Israel to stop fighting" Wrong : Hamas could stop fighting and release all hostages South Africa are pro-Hamas liars !
    1
  8420. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    1
  8421. Oh the theocratic dictatorship of the Ayatollah is worried ? "We will survive" says the totalitarian stooge. Well my money is on the US.
    1
  8422. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  8423. I'll post a link because Yanks are famous for knowing nothing about history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide I hope Cenk never mentions the Armenian genocide back in Turkey : they'd put him in prison. That's Turkey today (no different).
    1
  8424. The white T-shirt is a huge improvement. That must have been a woman's touch, and it works.
    1
  8425. I've just watched episode 4 of "Game Set & Match" It turns out his (Ian Holm's) wife is a KGB Colonel. Oh no, are we supposed to swallow that plot twist. Any berk that comes up with plots like that, should pack it in.
    1
  8426.  @kdhavle  , thanks for your reply and suggestion. I'm a big fan of Len Deighton (Blitzkrieg, I recommend to everyone), but how can this be a good story when the plot is so contrived. It is simply impossible that Samson's wife can be KGB, then return to Russia and segue nicely into a position as colonel of Intelligence. It just doesn't/couldn't happen.
    1
  8427.  @stoneponywolf1  , no amount of prequel or sequel can atone for a foolish plot that makes Samson's wife a KGB colonel. It is ridiculous beyond words. Other than that I actually thought it was good, and thoroughly enjoyed the first episodes. Episode 4's plot twist simply stretched my credulity to breaking point.
    1
  8428.  @fergusmcfierce  Some fair points. But consider Tinker Tailor - the TV series was better than the book. Albeit the dialogue additions were made by Le Carre, who was getting a second shot. I liked Bernard Samson, that character is a success, but his KGB colonel wife could only get worse if she rode a motorcycle dressed in black leathers. Any good editor would've said, "Cut the wife character out, it's not working". How many successful marital duos/dualists are there ? Historically none, and in fiction none. There are some soppy American TV detectives who tried it, but it never works. I don't know what made Len Deighton think he'd pulled it off.
    1
  8429.  @fergusmcfierce  "The more recent film (Tinker Tailor)" I never watched it. I knew it would be dreadful : no Tufty Thessinger, no Roddy Martindale, no Warren Clarke as Alwyn, no Beryl Reid as Connie Sachs, no dialogue - like Peter Guillam asking what sort of mole Ricki Tarr would be when "we know everything about him, down to his attack of swine fever, from which he's only partially recovered." Cue Percy : "Never mind what sort. Poisoning wells, muddying pools that's what sort : pulling the rug". I might give Bernard Samson a try one day - in a few years when I retire.
    1
  8430. Russian TV portrays Putin as a defender of Orthodox Christianity. Putin, who describes Ukrainians as scum, and encourages the barbaric outrages in Bucha. In Russia, that qualifies one as religious.
    1
  8431. Patriarch Kirill is the ungodly, Rolex-watch-wearing Russian patriarch. Glasnost files 1991 exposed him as a KGB agent, informing on clerics and parishioners.
    1
  8432. Macron = Charles X The last Bourbon forced through a decree which bestially ripped up the Charter July 1830 - sen to the publishers Sunday evening, before the week was out Charles X had fled the country
    1
  8433. Whew......he rubbed his thigh and crotch. I thought it was going to be something outrageous like, " He showed me his bum ".
    1
  8434. I wonder why this pusillanimous Aussie is praising N Korea. Perhaps the Ambassador has had a gift too many from his time in office.
    1
  8435. Galeotti is wrong Putin wants an END - not any of Mark's options Trump wants an END - hence he will remove all sanctions That's the clue Russia is pulling back to 2014 borders in 18 months
    1
  8436. Zainul, the tragedy is Turkey's it doesn't affect me at all (except in so far as I hate to see democracy defeated).
    1
  8437. Blogger, Ataturk introduced education for girls, liberal values , independent institutions and finally democracy. It's called progress. What you desire is a retarded caliphate, girls forced to marry old men and denied education, all independent institutions forced into a bigoted Islamic straight jacket. No wonder the West objects.
    1
  8438. Blogger, the other difference between Ataturk and Erdogan is that Ataturk insisted young girls receive an education whereas Erdogan wants to pardon men who rape young girls if they agree to marry them.
    1
  8439. Yeysk in Russia LOL How brilliant For a moment I thought innocent people might have died.
    1
  8440. Good riddance. 40yrs a dictator , the same as Yasser Arafat. Mugabe was a founding member of the African Union that discreditable fraternity of corrupt despots.
    1
  8441.  @vikmanphotography7984  Correct. A group of youths held up a video store : they stole £200 and are all looking at a minimum of 8yrs for armed robbery. That was pre-meditated. In the poaching case, one has adrenalin pumping, fear, anxiety, and a few seconds to decide.
    1
  8442.  @Феюшкаиз  , if you don't know much about history or politics then a basic guide is this :- a) the leaders picture appears all over the place it is probably a dictatorship. b) if the leader is wearing a uniform, it is probably a military dictatorship. Obviously Putin's FSB/KGB/Cheka were in plain-clothes, so the uniform is more difficult to spot.
    1
  8443. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries.
    1
  8444. Early February ! What's the rush ? The Ayatollah's economy must be on its knees.
    1
  8445. 4:20 "This is a question of leadership" For that read - Schulz is a schmuck.
    1
  8446. The true situation in Catalonia is hidden behind a curtain and every time Rajoy tries to impose his authority he slowly draws back the curtain to see how bad things are. If Rajoy orders fresh elections it will be ignored. If Rajoy tries to take control of Mossos it will be ignored. Rajoy cannot physically act with force and is balancing on a tightrope. The world is laughing at him and his lynch-mob supporters are cheering him on to do a somersault.
    1
  8447. South Africa's case began with a huge LIE "The only way to get aid to Palestinians is for Israel to stop fighting" Wrong : Hamas could stop fighting and release all hostages South Africa are pro-Hamas liars !
    1
  8448. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    1
  8449. Fortunately the US sanctions don't affect food medicine or anything pertaining to the people of Syria, they are cleverly crafted to target the evil doers : Hezbollah, Assad and his torturers. etc
    1
  8450. What a cheerful analyst.
    1
  8451. Putin is constructing himself an off-ramp He will suspend SMART treaty Then tie the SMART treaty to "General security concerns" Which he will say was the reason he went into Ukraine When the security is reestablished he will pull out of Donbas and Crimea
    1
  8452. The US haven't gone anywhere. You folks are making the big mistake of taking Trump seriously. 1:30 he mentions the Al-Tayib massacre of a battalion of Russian mercenaries, that wasn't the Russians it was an independent operation. The US commanders phoned the Russian commanders to get clarification and the Russians said it was nothing to do with them so the US opened fire.
    1
  8453. Well said. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  8454.  @pjm760  France was a founder member of the European Defence Community (1950) : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  8455. Funding ? The EU has said it will assume the US burden if Trump pulls out So will Trump stab NATO in the back ? That's the question
    1
  8456. Israel wants to arm a "Palestinian police force" to guard the distribution of aid Hamas said they'd kill them as collaborators Hamas wants starvation and chaos Hamas is stopping aid
    1
  8457. Statistically there will always be some crooked people (maybe 0.1%) There will always be Russian sympathisers in Ukraine's military (maybe 0.1%) Maybe it's the same 0.1% (although that would be highly unlikely) The bottom line is that NATO doesn't really care : this is about defeating Russia.
    1
  8458. David, very true about trade not stopping : during the 80yr war of Dutch independence 1568-1646 they were actually reciprocal most favoured trading nations : Merino wool and salt going to the Netherlands and all sorts coming back. Also true about Chinese resilience. Napoleon, that's a fair point about the West suffering too but maybe a lot of that can be sourced elsewhere. The point is this : Caspian is saying they unify to avoid being invaded but that would be disastrous to whomever invades. The US would shut the Malacca straights for sure.
    1
  8459. Arvin, US exports are 28% of its GDP ; the US is very stable and resilient. China has astronomical debt, needs food imports and its GDP crashes without exports. Daniel, very wise observations but the one belt project is simply a road and railway : they are more easily shutdown than the Malacca Strts. The cultural groups are a big problem, they'd secede at the drop of a hat. Ask yourself this ( about any nation) if they'd come through a nuclear exchange who would help rebuild them ? For the US it would be EU,Canada,Australia,India,S America etc For China it would be : zero. All China's neighbours would take chunks of territory ,other regions would secede secede. It tells you a lot about a nation.
    1
  8460. Theodore, name one country that would invest $1 trillion to rebuild China after a war ? (Nobody) For the US , the EU, Canada, Australia,India etc would immediately invest $10 trillion to rebuild the US. Th IMF and World bank would pull out all the stops. China is a powerful pariah, but it's on its own.
    1
  8461. goodvibe, the hypothetical situations is post-war. We're talking $trillions with no hope of return for decades. I'm saying the world would rebuild the US. Sure there'd be piecemeal private investment & humanitarian aid for China but it would never be rebuilt to anything like it is now. (And for that reason China know not to provoke war under any circumstances )
    1
  8462. St Francis saved the citizens from a wolf, by agreeing to give it regular meals, "Give me your paw", said St Francis. Macron needs to go to the Kremlin and ask Putin to stop terrorizing his neighbours, by agreeing generous gas-payments. "Give me your paw", Macron will say, as they sign the deal.
    1
  8463. Lukashenko is supported by Russia. Axis of Evil = Russia, China, North Korea, Iran etc
    1
  8464. Palestine MUST hold elections The Palestinian Authority are corrupt thugs They do NOT represent Palestinians
    1
  8465.  @jabotniskyabraham4766  I'm afraid you are living in a fantasy world : you thin the middle east was cultured before the West arrived ? In the 1890s France and Britain were spending £100,000 each per year on cruisers to stop the East African slave trade. Europe had to threaten to Sultan to stop him slaughtering Armenians and Bulgars. The Sultanate was the scourge of civilisation. Europe civilised the middle east. Saddam & his psychopathic sons committed crimes that cannot be described - they were savages. The West attempted to introduce democracy (it was thwarted by Iran's fascists) Iran - the IRGC shoot children on the streets and rape women that they arrest. The middle east is a disgrace, I'm amazed you think it simply needs "leaving alone".
    1
  8466.  @saffyak6561  Good point. I actually agree with Shlomo Sand, that there was no exodus; the Palestinians are the original Jewish tribes that converted to Islam. And the Jews in Israel are mostly Europeans. But Israel is still the only Democracy in the Middle East : all the Caliphate countries are anti-democratic and many are theocratic fascists. In Ukraine the West is supporting democracy against Russian tyranny. In the Middle East the West must support democracy. (If Palestinians choose democracy they would get more support, but they have chosen Hamas & Fatah) Hamas & Fatah are the antithesis of democracy.
    1
  8467. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  8468. One Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf-girls (Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow), he was exiled to Siberia. Girls were advertised as "having a pretty face and attractive figure". The Russian nobles were no better than ISIS with Yazidi girls. The KGB, in an internal memo, referred to themselves as "the new nobility". It gives us a significant insight into their mentality. Stalin's intelligence chief, 'Beria', was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he ordered them to. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. An interlocutor on Youtube replied to one comment and mentioned general Suvurov as a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1890) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor. His only use was to motivate the Russian peasants into a brutal bayonet charge. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim.
    1
  8469. Post AUKUS Macron sided with China He accused Australia of stoking "nuclear conflict" Macron is a vindictive schoolgirl
    1
  8470. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    1
  8471. The medal looks like typical Russian junk.
    1
  8472.  @leopoldpoppenberger8692  I like to see those countries which invade their neighbours, slaughter civilians, commit atrocities, bomb hospitals and theatres, and allow torture and rape to go unpunished and uninvestigated, I like to see those countries punished.
    1
  8473. LOL "Europe and the Global South" Of course that includes Russia, because Putin leads the Global South Europe is full of jackass ideas
    1
  8474. UK GDP $2.7 trillion India GDP $2.6 trillion
    1
  8475. Correct. The plot stinks, and the dialogue is shameful. Remember "Ride the High Country", when they sit for supper with their religious host and Joel McCray says, " (Proverbs 22:1) “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold.” The farmer's attractive daughter astonishes the younger cowboy, who is amazed she is living on a farm. Randolph Scott remarks, "Gold is where you find it"
    1
  8476. Interesting and wrong.
    1
  8477.  @icyfootball5754  2:40 "The only way to prevent future attacks is for Iran to respond in force" Total nonsense. Iran knows that proxy war is the future. Also, they are advancing non-stop towards their nuclear goal (regardless of sanctions). What Iran needs are sanctions lifting - then continue , incrementally towards nuclear arms, whilst supporting Shia forces in Iraq and Lebanon. Iran is looking long term, and there is an inevitability about its nuclear breakout. Which will probably occur when the world is busy with other things like economic collapse or a huge pandemic.
    1
  8478. Guterres : "Hamas massacre did not happen in a VACUUM Hamas rapes and murder were provoked." Guterres thinks Hamas are the good guys Guterres MUST resign, he is a disgrace to the UN
    1
  8479. 3:40 Cassandra from Up Pompeii.
    1
  8480. LOL those keys are a symbol of Hamas failure Hamas destroyed Gaza - it is the worst failure in history Hamas admit - "We never expected this" LOL Hand those keys to Hamas and demand compensation LOL
    1
  8481. The end-game will be blockade of the Malacca straits by the US. It will collapse China's economy and cause the collapse of the CCP.
    1
  8482. 20 shell companies set up by Biden That took in $30 million whilst he was VP That smells like corruption
    1
  8483. How lovely to see democracy in action. What a great example for the Middle East. An Arab party in the government. Negotiation, compromise and accommodation - the hallmarks of a vibrant democracy.
    1
  8484. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  8485. LOL ERdogan has 240+ journalists in prison. He has intimidated and imprisoned the opposition and turned Turkey into a one-party dictatorship. And he speaks of international law. Egypt are there and they torture and kill Europeans (Italian student) This bunch is an international disgrace.
    1
  8486. Shame on India : Modi supports butchery in Ukraine.
    1
  8487. China's army pledge loyalty to the CCP. The CCP are corrupt oligarchs whose main aim is to remain in power. Any expansionist policy will be a diversion from social or economic problems. The CCP do not represent China they are above the law and entirely in it for themselves.
    1
  8488. 0:30 Javad Zarif , "Based on experience.....never produced security ". The best way to be secure is to execute 7000 Iranians in one year which is what Ayatollah Khomeini did. They used a forklift truck to hang 6 at a time. Nice.
    1
  8489. "What's Putin's next invasion ?" Whatever it is, it will have India's support. Modi will give Moscow a nod & wink.
    1
  8490. Yeah, it's getting worse. I think I speak for us all when I say we've had about as much Brody as we can take. What I mean is : it's not getting any better the longer we listen. It's getting worse.
    1
  8491. 1853-56 Crimean War 1856 Treaty of Paris - Russia has to remove warships from the Black Sea Russia then spent 14 years begging Europe to allow its ships to return 1866 Prussia defeats Austria 1870 Prussia defeats France In exchange for Russian neutrality Prussia back Russia's case for returning to the Black Sea 1871 Treaty of London - Russia returns its ships
    1
  8492. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  8493. Aleena, very wise words : I accept all your points. My dispute is with Cenk's 99.999%. He said anyone who doesn't accept that is crazy. But based on what evidence ? Let us all agree on this :- a) life started very quickly on Earth when it was inhospitable. (therefore it should be abundant wherever there is water ) b) when technological life evolves it exponentially quickly becomes super-technological. And within 0.5 million yrs has replicating probes buzzing throughout the galaxy sending galactic signals through the Universe. So where are the signals ? Are we the first to (soon) go super-technological ? Aleena's point about hydrogen means it's an obvious frequency to transmit on.......radio waves penetrate gas clouds so that's an obvious medium to use. All technological aliens would agree on the medium and frequency and there's still nothing. Conclusion :- we might be the first but we're probably alone.
    1
  8494. Aleena, ' we are ripe for picking' LOL You may be right about everything you've said. But as a super-technology we could still send out replicating probes without including our location (we just don't put a return address on). They won't even be that expensive : you only have to build the first one and it reproduces exponentially. In 300yrs it could be done commercially by say Coca Cola or a Chinese company. The point is we are not seeing anything. Another part of the EM spectrum :- Once you are super-techno energy is just about free so you would broadcast all over the spectrum in massive amounts on a galactic scale. Still we look out at the silence. Maybe they are there like you say but I have my doubts.
    1
  8495. German cash is as good as weapons. France and Germany are playing 'good cop', and macron especially is performing the role admirably. Naturally affable, he presents himself as a good listener, keeps eye contact and convinces the petty tyrant that he is devoted to his cause. It is how Macron seduced MBS (Saudi) into a $40 billion nuclear-power deal.
    1
  8496. The Germans are behaving like the Kremlin's 5th column in the West.
    1
  8497. !:18 " They killed some trees....which was quite painful, given that we are growing all these trees" Actually, the Pakistan military and intelligence community are a law unto themselves. Imran Khan doesn't know what they're doing. Also, look at Bangladesh (1971) when Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000 women and girls. (Google it)
    1
  8498. The FSB has experience planting bombs in Russia....(The apartment bombings) Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  8499. This is interesting, but after WW2 Greece experience the "Greek Miracle". It grew at 7% a year for a decade and was the envy of Europe. This resulted in hubris for the Greeks who thought they could have their cake and eat it. They borrowed wildly expecting to pay off the loans with future growth. When the financial crisis arrived Greece hit the canvas. With nobody to blame but THEMSELVES.
    1
  8500.  @nickdimopoulos4052  , I agree, it was heavy borrowing. I just found this :- "That the Greek economy regressed in the 1980s is obvious. ... Real per capita GDP growth was 0.23% a year in the 1980s, versus 7.9% in the 1960s and 4.64% in the 1970s. In 1980, the average Greek had a standard of living that was 7% below their European peers; by 1989, the gap was 24% below." Greece had two great decades : the 1960s and 1970s. Under Philip II, some arbitristas (economists), said that American silver had been a curse : because Spain had been bankrupt 4 times, had high inflation, was constantly devaluing its currency and had no manufacture, and little agriculture (always relying on wheat from Sicily). Marino sheep (introduced by the Moors) was the preferred farming choice, and was also easily taxable. I've gone of track. The Greek growth could've been a curse.
    1
  8501.  @llkk290  Epstein wrote his will 3 days before he committed suicide. You've been reading too much Dan Brown. Reading conspiracy nonsense turns your brain to mush. Read some good history.
    1
  8502.  @amuseyourself4192  , What nonsense ; they can hire the best lawyers I'll grant you that. But in the West everyone is accountable. Not lie the CCP in China who can commit murder. Or the Russian Kremlin gangsters who do commit murder.
    1
  8503. The Bible doesn't say anything about stem cell research but they oppose that on religious grounds. Jesus didn't mention stem cells or abortion the last time I looked. And in any case most of the Bible has to be interpreted allegorically now that it's been shown to be bullshit. So how can you know anything for sure when it becomes your interpretation of an allegory invented in the Bronze Age.
    1
  8504. The Ayatollah is such a liar Remember the plane they shot down ? A pack of lies followed by a confession. The Ayatollah is supposed to be a holy man, but is actually the biggest thug and liar on the world stage.
    1
  8505. Obviously ! The Hamas deal stank Hamas wanted Israel to retreat and allow terrorists back into Gaza city Biden said, Hamas demands are over the top"
    1
  8506. Look at the Russian Police - straight out with the clubs. Russian police are fascist thugs beating protestors that want democracy. Shame on those corrupt gangsters in the Kremlin. (But what did you expect from KGB man like Putin).
    1
  8507. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians : the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  8508. I also hope for a general boycott. (Don't expect anything from the EU windbags)
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  8509. Putin's psychology :- Putin hasn't liquidised any of his own assets : he could personally provide 2 Wagner divisions. Why would Putin go nuclear when he hasn't even put his hand in his pocket ? The invasion required 1.5 million, Putin used 150k The whole enterprise is being conducted on the cheap. Schools are crowd-funding drones for the army. Medvedev could sell a palace and fund a division - the Kremlin aren't personally impoverishing themselves at all. Why would they go nuclear ? Putin gambled on a cheap invasion, and followed it up with a cheap bluff.
    1
  8510. Wow - that really is demolished. That has been peppered for some time. Silence has been ordered in Ukraine - the final big push. When Kherson falls so does Putin. Russian TV 5 times in 90 seconds said, we must support our President because he can stabilise things he is our symbol beyond him is a cliff he knows he to turn things round Putin cannot survive another major failure.
    1
  8511. Britain weren't the only empire to export parliamentarian governance. The Aragonese empire (Sicily, Naples etc) installed Cortes , institutions and Liberties that mirrored those enjoyed by towns in Aragon. All countries tend to reproduce themselves. So Russian influence produces a corrupt ,oligarchical pseudo democratic one-party state.
    1
  8512. 125 yr old ? According to legend. He is probably about 79.
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  8513.  @andethidialbubabibub3261  , is that why US companies relocated factories in China - so they could use machines ? It was for the cheap labour. Sure machines also replace jobs, but most jobs still have to be done manually, and Biden facilitated US companies handing jobs to China. (Oh and his son Hunter secured a $0.5 billion loan from China, for a company he's involved with)
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  8514. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with Macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often joke about rape.
    1
  8515. They are both Hamas Hamas demands - return to Northern Gaza These men are trying to return - without the release of hostages They are clearly Hamas - it is Hamas policy Well done Israel When Hamas release ALL hostages folks can return to their homes
    1
  8516. Interesting but baloney. That guy is a bull$hit merchant. History :- 1815 Congress of Vienna (after Waterloo Napoleonic wars end) There is essentially a 100yrs of peace . You have minor wars and the 1848 revolutions but nothing on the scale of the 30yrs war (1618-48) which diminished Europe's population by up to 25% in affected areas. 1915 World war 1 1939 World War 2 Already you struggle to find this pattern he talks about. He mentions these two examples :- 1588 Spanish Armada 1688 Glorious revolution. The first was a skirmish at sea ( mythologised by the British : the truth is the British and Dutch outnumbered and outgunned the Spanish) it had no effect on the population. 1688 An oligarchy in Parliament invited William of Orange to be king because James II was Catholic. The population didn't bat an eye.
    1
  8517.  @TheDrAstrov  Watch "Smart projectiles 155" they are NATO artillery that detect vehicles and smash them. It is like something from War of the Worlds. The Russians are being fed into a meat-grinder. NATO are sending 10k MLRS and Himars rockets. There is no need for Ukrainians to charge into Kherson : they can simply destroy Russia's army from a distance.
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  8518.  @josephkush1032  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  8519.  @TheDrAstrov  Okay let's try one at a time.... a) Crimean war : Russia invaded and occupied the mouth of the Danube, This was intolerable for Europe. At the Paris Peace treaty, everyone said, "Russia will never accept the neutralisation of the Black Sea" Guess what ? Once Russia had been defeated on the battlefield, that is exactly what they accepted.
    1
  8520.  @TheDrAstrov  The British cavalry weren't aristocrats, they were gentlemen. You didn't have any of those in Russia.
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  8521.  @debjanidutta5505  Galwan does not constitute 'invading a sovereign nation and slaughtering its civilians'. Galwan is a clash between two peasant militaries. I use the expression 'peasant' in a technical sense. In a previous comment I distinguished between an Israeli type military - technical, professional, and well-equipped ; and contrasted it with Russia - lumpen, ignorant, poorly fed and poorly trained. India falls into the 'Russia' category, as does China : they all have lumpen peasant armies. The Ukraine crisis is THE defining event of the 21st century, and will leave the world a different place. India is in great danger of emerging as a contemptible nation.
    1
  8522.  @roess08  Nobody watching the humiliation of the Russian Army could say "LOL"
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  8523.  @blackwhite6391  Afghanistan is an unsolvable problem. It is a Sisyphean task. That is why the Allies left. The Taliban didn't win : it is the country which is simply too backwards, too corrupt and too Islamic to become a modern democratic state. The Allies finally packed it in.
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  8524. Why do Russians humiliate their captives ? Because Russia is the bottom of the heap of humanity. If they can attain any ascendency it is a triumph for them. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  8525. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  8526.  @ppmppm7010  Interesting observations. Ironically I think Britain likes France more than they like us. Edward VII was a francophile. But then many French fled to England - Guizot 1848, Napoleon III 1870, Louis Philippe 1830, Voltaire 1736.
    1
  8527.  @memkiii  Thanks for your reply. Macron went on French TV and broke ranks with NATO by saying, "France will not respond to a Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine" Jens Stoltenberg said, "France has shown its hand. Why would France do that ? Why is France such a poor team player. Remember the invasion in February, what was Macron's response ? Macron started promoting his "European Defence Force" idea. The EDF iss a rival to NATO. Why would Macron start promoting that idea during the Ukraine crisis ? Because France has always disliked NATO, it would prefer to play a leading role in the EDF. France drives every NATO member to despair !
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  8528.  @memkiii  Joseph Borrell (EU defence) just said, "Russia will be annihilated in Ukraine if it uses nuclear weapons" Why couldn't Macron say that ? If an EU windbag can let Putin have both barrels why can't France - a nuclear power with a permanent seat on the Security Council ? Can you see why Macron has been more than a disappointment ? He has virtually stabbed NATO in the back.
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  8529. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova. Shame on India
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  8530. Who is Modi ? a) the chap who turned a blind eye to the Gujarat massacres. b) the chap who used Pegasus spyware to monitor opposition politicians. c) the guy who ignored the massacre of Ukrainian civilians to support Russia.
    1
  8531. You never mention Rex Tilison. He was the first to point out "Trump is a £ucking moron". The rest of the folk at the table, the cabinet, just nodded in agreement.
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  8532.  @peabase  AS a student I was accosted in Greece by a chap becoming hysterical at us standing in the shade of his weighing station. There wasn't a vehicle for miles, yet he was literally jumping up and down. The Mediterranean temperament is a shock.
    1
  8533.  @peabase  LOL You have quite accurately assessed me from the most minimal of information. However, I believe I've more than compensated for my lack of hands-on experience, by long library hours. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  8534.  @peabase  LOL I'm glad you mentioned the Norman Conquest - that was the making of Britain. The Anglo-Saxons were quite barbaric. Elizabeth I in 1588 said England had never been conquered. A brave courtier replied, "Save for the Normans Ma'am". To which that noble queen (the most intelligent of any monarch we've had) rejoined : "But they couldn't have conquered us without them being us". What a deep observation : the Normans had become the core of Englishness. Let me give you an example :- Beowulf is a brutal barbaric epic (~600); all the adjectives of power and force are applied to monster and hero. Robin Hood (first recorded 1370) has French words like "Noble, Courteous, Chivalrous, Honourable etc" We owe most of what is civilized to the French. How did that happen ? It's the 12th century renaissance, and Louis the fat (VI).
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  8535. Putin will be gone by Christmas. The Russians will slowly realise they cannot live with the humiliation of this defeat. Russians have no culture. Tsarist imperialism, with 37% serf-slaves, is an episode they want to forget. Soviet Stalinism was a nightmare they reject. The only event they can credit is "The Great Patriotic war" against Hitler with the "Invincible Red Army" That is now traduced. The leader who follows Putin will have to engage in another war, to erase this humiliation.
    1
  8536. Marvellous : you are a credit to humanity.
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  8537.  @ВячеславЕГОРОВ-ч3й  NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
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  8538.  @ВячеславЕГОРОВ-ч3й  Crimean War (1853-56) started when Russia seized the mouth of the Danube. The Kremlin said it would never agree to neutralise the Black Sea. What happened ? The Treaty of Paris 1856, Russia agrees to neutralise the Black Sea. Once Russia is defeated, you'll be surprised what it will agree to.
    1
  8539.  @ВячеславЕГОРОВ-ч3й  Your comments are deranged.
    1
  8540. A lot of folk blaming the UN and foreign interests. Nobody ever blames the corrupt African elite - the AU. Take a look at the ANC, they were supposed to be beacon under Mandella, in actually fact they are a bunch of crooks who have assassinated 450 opposition candidates in the townships. (search politcial killing SA).
    1
  8541. Two S-300 systems destroyed. I think by Himars. Last night it was a hotel command centre .... "Ukrainian Armed Forces kill 100 Russian soldiers in a hotel in Krasnyi Luch" One knows the Russians were special forces, because conscripts have to sleep under a hedge.
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  8542. @Uncle Sam 🇺🇲 In 1917 the revolution (of the people) was hijacked by totalitarian Bolshevism. For the first months there were many newspapers and conferences. Then slowly the Bolsheviks clamped down and turned Russia into a prison camp. It is the Russian people who have never been safe. Under Tsardom the Russian were slaves for centuries : even after Emancipation (1861) they were still slaves. ATannenbergrg (1914) tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles - they were slaughtered. The Russian people have always been victims of the Kremlin. Stalin killed up to 50 million. Up to 10 million died in the Holodomor genocide in Ukraine. Outsiders just look on at the Russian horror show.
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  8543.  @julianpetkov8320  Ataturk was the Ottoman military attache to Bulgaria. The Bulgarians were going crazy over opera at the time. He fell in love with a Bulgarian young lady, whose father said he would rather lose his head than have his daughter marry a Turk. So the relationship ended. So the Bulgars enjoyed opera - which is more than Putin. Putin quotes punk rock lyrics in his phone calls with Macron. Putin is a thug.
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  8544.  @julianpetkov8320  Bolyarin is the root of the Russian Boyar. Aristocrat comes from the Greek word aristokratia. But one can refer to French or British aristocracy without any reference to Greeks. Likewise, one need not include Bulgaria in any discussion of Russian Boyars. I'm wondering why you introduced Bulgaria ? My point is that Russia has no noble blood.....just barbarian bloodlines, as evinced by Lavrov, Putin, Gerasimov and Shoigu.
    1
  8545.  @TheBiggreenpig  "European aristocrats were barbarians to the Roman Empire." Correct. But one might as well say, "We were all cavemen once". The point being that some "tribes" made progress, they became Enlightened. For England it happened around 1154 When Eleanor of Aquitaine (Henry II, queen) and her troubadours introduced concepts of "Honour, Chivalry and Courtesy". Russia never experienced the Enlightenment : 37% of the population were slave-serfs till 1861. And after that they were cannon fodder and useless peasants.
    1
  8546.  @TheBiggreenpig  Correct again - European aristocrats are "living fossils". That was due to further progress. After WW1 Europe experienced the fall of Empires. In the 1920s British men and women were finally all given the vote. The Labour Party rose to prominence as people demanded better social justice. Russia experienced a Revolution (1917), then a savage civil war. Followed by a savage dictatorship, purges, murders executions, Beria was a serial rapist and the KGB facilitated him : Stalin was a psychopath. And the dystopia that is Russia continued on its path to perdition.
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  8547. Trudeau is an a-hole.
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  8548. South Africa's provisional measure were ALL kicked out South Africa's scarf wearing clowns fell flat on their faces The ICJ demanded ALL Hamas hostages be released immediately and unconditionally
    1
  8549.  @godilaamir5857  South Africa's provisional measure were ALL kicked out South Africa's scarf wearing clowns fell flat on their faces The ICJ demanded ALL Hamas hostages be released immediately and unconditionally
    1
  8550. The protests 'in the streets of Iran are the result of theocratic fascism. (That would've been a braver headline)
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  8551. Wow look at the panel - 3 women. No chance for them in the Palestinian world of crooked old men.
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  8552.  @kingmuizz708  , I watched a Palestinian activist canvassing in a shop. He was seeking support for a coalition with Netanyahu. I thought - why haven't Hamas or Fatah killed him. Then I realised he was in Israel. You are allowed freedom of speech. Not in Gaza or the West Bank : if you mention corruption they beat you, and if you pursue it they kill you. There is no freedom under Palestinian despotism. Read Yasser Arafat's story : he knew how to kill opponents, he ruled for 35yrs as a tyrant.
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  8553.  @kingmuizz708  Oh, I missed that, I only flicked through the video to see the panel of women interviewees. All the violence everyone condemns. It is barbaric. I'm talking politics, and saying it would be refreshing to get rid of corrupt old men.
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  8554. 100% bluff. Why hasn't Russia knocked out Ukraine's power-grid ? Because it fears a humanitarian crisis would force NATO intervention. Russia fears NATO. The nuclear threat is pure bluff.
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  8555. Bloomberg always miss the big picture :- N Korean denucleariseation is a non-starter and a military strike is quite possible. This will cripple SE Asia economically and boost the US.
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  8556. On 13 Oct Macron waved the white flag to Russia "If Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region France will be neutral" Why ? 13 Oct NATO Brussels : discuss nuclear response Macron panicked with fear 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington signs joint nuclear response Why did France surrender ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" French greatness began in C18th with Louis XIV France led the world : militarily, Enlightenment, architecture, literature; French was spoken from Madrid to Moscow France had the shock of 1789, but accompanied by military greatness, republican leadership and world changing ideas. In spite of defeat it confirmed France's conviction that it led the world. 200yrs of humiliation and failure has left France bereft of principles and courage.
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  8557.  @pavanragal3457  "morals are upheld as long as the self interests are not compromised." What nonsense. In the 1890s Britain was spending £100,000 a year for six cruisers to patrol the East Coast of Africa and prevent the Arab slave trade. Why ? Because public opinion demanded it. India needs to re-engage its moral compass, and start acting in a way that will make future generations proud of their history.
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  8558.  @ishanshrivastav8223  Russia has just launched a full scale invasion of its neighbour - and India remains silent out of self-interest. If you are proud of that then good luck. But future Indian generations will look back with horror and contempt for Modi's timidity.
    1
  8559.  @badbad-cat  Future generations of Indians (with a functioning moral compass) won't be a blasé as you. They will be ashamed of Modi's timidity and pusillanimity.
    1
  8560.  @badbad-cat " Did you ask India to condemn the aggressive NATO expansion?" What a silly argument - when Russia are launching a full scale invasion. When you develop a moral compass, you will look back with remorse on India's neutrality.
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  8561.  @pavanragal3457  "Theatrics" (I'm shaking my head with incredulity). When General Gordon secured Khartoum, one of his first suggestions was to build a college. Lord Salisbury (PM) agreed it would help to further the progress of civilization. [Read about the atrocities inflicted by the Mad Mahdi - he was worse than the Taliban]. "Some practical options" India could simply condemn the invasion. Stop sitting on the fence prevaricating, simply denounce Russia for its unprovoked aggression. Young people in India will look back on the Modi generation as having besmirched India's reputation for standing up for democracy.
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  8562. Young Hindu males harassing Muslim girls. I didn't notice that bravado at Galwan : the Chinese gave the Indians a pasting. India needs more lessons from the Chinese military to knock the sectarian violence out of them. Who would've thought China would be the power to teach tolerance.
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  8563. "This is an indication that America is dying and is losing the grip of the world" LOL this is thanks to Trump. The USA is enormous and the dollar accounts for 88% of the worlds financial transactions compared to %5 for China's Renminbi
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  8564. Hard to imagine Ayatollah Khomeini was hanging Iranians 5 at a time off fork-lift trucks. Read "The executioners deserve medals". Iran have certainly come a long way, they are still murderous fanatics but now with technology. Let's hope they never get the bomb !
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  8565. Evolution is to blame. a) the young man is thinking clearly : he is in flight mode. b) the police woman is in a panic - acting irrationally, focusing on correctly deploying her taser. Aiming it whilst shouting a warning. In the confusion and pandemonium of flight and arrest neither of the participants is employing their frontal cortex of rational assessment. Don't blame God blame Darwin.
    1
  8566. "Go to the moon by yourself", were the harsh words delivered by Ursula von der Leyden. "And don't come back", said a belligerent Boris Johnson from the sidelines.
    1
  8567. Rouhani accuses brave Israeli ‘mercenaries’ of killing top Iran scientist. Yes they were brave, and have made the world a safer place. The EU hate the Ayatollah. The US hates the Ayatollah. The Persian people hate the Ayatollah. If it wasn't for police snipers (on rooftops) shooting protestors the Ayatollah would've been replaced by now.
    1
  8568.  @lunchwagondavis9983  , Bravery = Iranian police snipers on rooftops shooting unarmed protestors. The Ayatollah's brutal regime knows about bravery. Read "The executioners deserve medals". Ayatollah Khomeini's thugs invented a way to execute 6 at a time - off forklift truck pallets.
    1
  8569. Well done DW for showing this : it shows how Germany has betrayed its promises. Scholz is parroting Biden - "We will defend every inch of Nato territory" Easy to say, when the Yanks have already said it. Scholz is a schmuck. I'm sorry to have to tell you that.
    1
  8570.  @NeutralDice  , it's called "The Middle East", everyone wants influence there. France just challenged a Turkish ship (Libya) whose escort turned their guns on the French. That's how important it is. France will always look after itself. That's why macron never called for the Lebanese government to step down !
    1
  8571.  @NeutralDice  "Macron went there calling for reforms," the hell he did. He has called for caution. French President warns Lebanon must not “slide into chaos”. It is not about oil (Libya is, that's why France are challenging Turkish ships. That's why France are backing a warlord against the UN), it is about strengthening your hand in the Middle East.
    1
  8572. When macron calls for "deep reform" he means 'keep the same government but pull your socks up'. The people want regime change. Macron wants to maintain French influence. France will look after its own interests. The Lebanese must fight for justice (a new political system) without France.
    1
  8573. Labour UK send Hamas £100 million Through UNRWA in "non lethal" aid UNRWA promise to suspend staff who engage in terrorism
    1
  8574. I acknowledge Trump is o person of interest in Mueller's inquiry. But if the same scrutiny had been applied to the Clinton Foundation can you say to me the Clintons wouldn't be targets in the inquiry ?
    1
  8575.  @joemensah9557  , okay , I've just edited it : so it says "Quite a good interview".
    1
  8576.  @Lucas_Jeffrey  , well said. Also, could you imagine Martin Luther King telling supporters to fill their pockets with stones ? Why not have a peaceful civil rights march. Why is every Palestinian demonstration violent ?
    1
  8577.  BLACKANGEL  , what an ignorant response. Are you saying the Hamas deadline didn't exist ? Or are you saying Hamas didn't fire rockets ?
    1
  8578. One chap removed his comment : "XXX replied: "Israel will suffer what it has started, its not life they are not suffering the consequence of this war .Corse they are.They don't want media in the middkeast to spread the truth that's why they bo..." Well there may be some truth in that - Al_jazeera certainly never reported the 6pm deadline by Hamas. Al-Jazeera never report Hamas firing the first rockets at 6:01pm Al-Jazeera are certainly biased if not bedfellows of Hamas.
    1
  8579. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  8580. A leaked European Union report revealed (in October 2013) that the Palestinian Authority squandered nearly $2.7 billion in European aid between 2008 and 2012. That is the failure of Palestine. The trahison de clercs started in the 1920s, when literate Palestinians failed to fill the vacuum left by the collapse of the Ottoman Caliphate.
    1
  8581. Macron was speaking to Putin on the phone : the Russian president then expressed the situation by referencing a joke about raping Sleeping Beauty. It rhymes in Russian. Putin was comparing Ukraine to Sleeping Beauty, explaining how he was metaphorically about to "rape" her. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' Macron was horrified. The tape transcript was leaked. The Whitehouse were asked what they thought of Putin's joke. Which they tactfully side-stepped. Putin is a KGB thug. The KGB headquarters is the Lubyanka. It is a torture camp where victims were interrogated before being sent to the Gulags. The KGB used many techniques to break-down prisoners : humour was one of them.
    1
  8582. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief, was a serial rapist. The KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Putin is KGB The Lubyanka is the KGB HQ : every room the scene of torture and sexual assault. It is the pride of Russia and the definition of dystopia.
    1
  8583. The QUAD has a weak-link : India. That is why AUKUS was created. AUKUS is a fighting alliance, whose members will be there when the action starts. India fears China and fears offending Russia. Nobody fully relies on India.
    1
  8584.  @verdaderoamor980  The main problem to peace is this :- The Palestinians don't know what they want. Starting in 1920 as the Ottomans collapsed (the sultan fled in a British ambulance 1922, the Caliph jumped on a train to Switzerland) The Palestinians wanted to be southern Syria under king Faisal. Then they wanted to be part of Pan Arab state with the capital at Cairo. Not until 1988 did the Palestinians declare themselves an independent state. The position today :- a) Fatah want a 2 state solution with 1967 borders. b) Hamas want1948 borders c) Israel have 400,000 settlers living in the West bank and a 2 state solution is de facto off the cards.
    1
  8585.  @معلومةمفيدة-ط2غ  Okay, if you think that is a winning strategy, then continue. The Palestinians have been failing for 70yrs (for various reasons), and couldn't defeat Israel when combines with Egypt, Jordan and Syria. But if you think Hamas can do it alone, good luck.
    1
  8586.  @verdaderoamor980  That is a very honest position. But it plays right into Likud's hands : they want Palestinians to deny Israel's right to a homeland. There is a Fatah member in jail (he was a candidate in the postponed election), and he said, "We have to remember we both have to live together as neighbours". I couldn't believe my ears. This was a guy in prison for violent attacks on Israel, talking about living together as neighbours. It is very rare to see far-sightedness in fanatics.
    1
  8587. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    1
  8588. Why can South Korea deal with corruption while African & S American $hithole countries are incapable ? Why is South Korea a successful economy with enviable education standards while the aforementioned $hithole countries stagnate ? The answer : it is down to the people. If the people have no standards and accept unaccountable authority then they remain uncivilized. Look at the ANC or ZANU-pf , look at Brazil or Argentina or Venezuela.
    1
  8589. This g is a Liberal Lefty
    1
  8590. Russia's invasion is abhorrent. India's response is despicable.
    1
  8591. Europe 24 Feb 2022 : Germany sent "tin-hats" to Ukraine and blocked RAF weapons flights Macron used his first speech - NOT for weapons to Ukraine but for his vanity project "We need a European Defence Force" Admiral Lord West "Macron wants an EDF for all the wrong reasons" Macron's EDF will oppose "brain dead" NATO It will be comfortable with China "The EU must not gang up on China with the USA" France having nukes and a security council seat will lead the EDF Macron's dream
    1
  8592. Russians use humour to pick up morale..... Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  8593. Great news - all those weapons. More good news - Sweden & Finland joining NATO Notice no criticism of Russian atrocities ? That is because this channel is a Kremlin mouthpiece.
    1
  8594. Oh joy ! This is amazing : Russia has been slowly advancing here for months It is the only Russian progress - now liberated Incredible news
    1
  8595. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  8596. China doesn't attack France One wonders why Macron "The EU should not gang up on France with the USA" Macron : "Australia is provoking a nuclear confrontation with China" France seems to have picked sides (Or maybe Vichy France has)
    1
  8597. Iran would be a fascist theocracy. Iran is a fascist theocracy, with or without sanctions.
    1
  8598. I told France24 this days ago This is common knowledge The chatroom origin was doing the rounds ages ago Why is France24 so far behind the curve ?
    1
  8599. Well done. We have an MP Jeremy Corbyn in Britain who openly supports Russia. I hope he never visits Ukraine, because he would be arrested for sure. Also, Noam Chomsky supports Russian atrocities, as does Yanis Varoufakis.
    1
  8600.  Mary A  , we both support Greece, but I have a sense of realism : Turkey would crush Greece. Everyone knows that. Now France is a different ball-game. If they launch just 2 Rafale fighters armed with Scalp missiles, Turkey could be losing ships, and Erdogan knows this : he's wary of France.
    1
  8601. Guterres : "This is an evil war" The Kremlin thugs have unleashed the barbaric Russian army, destroyed cities, tortured civilians, raped women, murdered and mutilated thousands. The Orthodox Patriarch, Rolex-watch-wearing Kiril has called it a holy war, and he is the most ungodly man in Russia : a KGB informer exposed by Glasnost files in 1990, who informed on his fellow clerics and parishioners. Russia is a dystopia : rotten to the core.
    1
  8602. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often jke about rape.
    1
  8603. WRONG Have you read how Egypt tortures Muslim brotherhood ? Egypt wants Hamas crushed This is a pantomime the US suggested
    1
  8604. RAC , thanks for that info. Consider this :- support for independence was 20% when Rajoy & the PP came to power and it is now 49% (or more) You must agree Rajoy and the PP are very largely the cause that ?
    1
  8605. Russian jets - easily shot down by Stingers Russian tanks - easily destroyed by British NLAWs Modi has purchased Russian junk. Shame on Russia.
    1
  8606. Credit where it's due : Trump gives more time to journalists than any other has.
    1
  8607.  @RainerMichelle  "17 Jun 2022 — France will deliver "six additional Caesar" long-range self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine " France keeps announcing the same package : they have sent 1/10th of what Poland have supplied. France is a disgrace. At some stage Putin will genuinely threaten to escalate (nuclear), and Macron has already frightened himself into submission. Macron is a terrible statesman. Part of a long tradition. The full Guizot (1830–48) quote :- "In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes".
    1
  8608. Urban, I'm quite sure Charles was a secularist. I think he looked upon all that mumbo jumbo was a good deal of rational dismay.
    1
  8609. Lies ! S Africa say, The only way to provide aid is for Israel to stop the fighting" Wrong Hamas could surrender. They started the crisis by massacring civilians Hamas could release all hostages S Africa support Hamas, that is why they LIE That is why they never mention women and children hostages, or the mass murder and rapes by Hamas This whole case is built on LIES
    1
  8610. Corbyn & Ukraine :- Who could doubt Corbyn would've supported the Kremlin, by advocating a peace-policy to deny Ukraine weapons. Everyone knows Corbyn is a foolish traitor.
    1
  8611. Putin's lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it was a war of Imperial expansion)
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  8612. 'In Spain, no-one is above the law' Except the Spanish police thugs who beat old ladies trying to vote, kicked young girls on the floor, and left blood stained civilians victims across Catalonia. Not criminals - just folks trying to vote.
    1
  8613. I could talk for 90mins on Spain. Visitors would say "There isn't a gold or silver coin to be found in the country". What they meant was - not in circulation. Nobody used good coins because the copper currency was devalued so often. So everyone hoarded good money. Unlike England , where the Spanish ambassador said, "Nobody keeps their money in a chest " they had investment mania ( London ,Royal-regulated,stock exchange 1669, Bank of England 1694) Spain had no bank. They borrowed from Italian then German, then amazingly Dutch banks (even though they were at war with the Dutch for 80yrs -1558 - 1648 they traded with them for the whole period). Hypothesis :- let's imagine Spain won the 80yrs war with the Dutch , there was still France, and it was France who finally finished off Spain at Rocroix (1643) when they annihilated the Tercios. The Spanish ambassador to England said, " The Dutch have achieved in 12yrs what it took Spain and Portugal 120yrs to accomplish". He returned to Spain in 1618 and saw the poverty and population decline and despaired at Spain ever gaining mastery at sea.
    1
  8614.  @eytanos  , no these are the ones :- "Spain Rise & Fall" "30yrs war Spain's swan song" "J' Accuse" and also my latest video "Fall of Rome, Dark Ages, Rise of Europe" also includes a vignette of Spain.
    1
  8615.  @thegeneralist7527  , Thanks for saying so.
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  8616.  @frenkihunter7523  It would be a brave comrade who would bet on Russia. Kherson is certainly going to fall, and the shockwave in Russia will be enormous. The Kherson bridge (Anontovsky) road and rail have been wrecked. There is a dam bridge 30 miles away, and vehicles must run that gauntlet. Supply is impossible. Russia are throwing pontoon bridges over the Dnieper : this is sheer desperation.
    1
  8617.  @frenkihunter7523  NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  8618.  Superbabykid  LOL The strength of democracy is competition. When a leader fails or disappoints he/she is replaced. The people select the replacement. Russia only change leader after a catastrophic failing :- a) Imperial Tsardom was a total failure b) Soviet Union was a failure c) Putinism is a catastrophe. Wait until Kherson fails, then see how well Putin does.
    1
  8619.  @frenkihunter7523  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  8620.  @frenkihunter7523  Russian Orcs are the ones butchering civilians in Bucha - torturing, raping, murdering. Russian Orcs shot down MH17 killing 300 civilians. Russian Orcs are the fascist invaders. "Retreat or be annihilated" is the message to Orcs in Kherson. Doomsday is coming soon.
    1
  8621. 14 Palestinian policemen beat Nizar Banat to death : they have all been released.
    1
  8622. Frank Ledwidge paints a grim picture - but an honest one
    1
  8623. A new booster is better than cash in the bank.
    1
  8624. Spying and criticising Hamas (or Fatah) are the same thing : they both get you killed. Try attending a Fatah meeting and ask about corruption they'll beat you to a pulp or kill you. Try criticising Hamas and asking for a democratic election in Gaza : they'll kill you. Arafat stayed in power for 40yrs . He employed 2 techniques :- a) bribery, Arafat stole $3 billion and could bribe his rivals b) murder, Arafat would have critics killed.
    1
  8625. Wrong - the US has only limited influence If Biden doesn't support Israel he cannot be re-elected, it's that simple Netanyahu calls the shots Biden can apply pressure but not commands
    1
  8626. Iran has just fired 12 missiles into Kurdish Erbil. India fires a missile at Pak. Biden : "I guess I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines"
    1
  8627. 14 Palestinian policemen beat Nizar Banat to death : they have all been released.
    1
  8628. @Robert I agree. The first settlers in America decreed that every settlement of 50 people should have a school teacher. Compare that with the illiteracy of Russia, or the Ottoman Caliphate. No wonder the Ottoman and Russian Empires were barbaric failures.
    1
  8629. Putin's "Rape Joke" about Ukraine :- President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. "Tough it out, beautiful" about Ukraine's alleged reluctance to comply " 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' They must be fulfilled. It won't work otherwise." Putin said of the comments :- ‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it’ The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ".
    1
  8630. Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
    1
  8631. South African youth unemployed ? They should join the ANC gravy-train There they will get plenty of money for little work
    1
  8632. Thank God for the USA Speaking of God, the Pope made a perceptive observation when he described Russia as "Infantile". Putin is like an ill-disciplined sadistic child. Boris said,"The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts", God bless the USA
    1
  8633. Guterres is pro-Hamas He defended murder, rape and abduction immediately after 7th Oct massacre
    1
  8634. Are the EU cowards ? It's as simple as that Will the EU blanch and with a trembling heart betray Ukraine ?
    1
  8635. History will repeat itself in this conflict. In 1895 the Spanish had a global army of 250,000, the USA had only 1/10th of that, and yet they totally defeated Spain. In retaliation, the Spanish military committed endless atrocities - mostly against their own people. Russia will do the same after this humiliation.
    1
  8636. I'm not drawing a military comparison, I'm making a moral comparison : the Russians will behave more and more barbarically as the humiliation mounts. Spain never recovered their esteem or morality. Franco was the payback for humiliation which was 50yrs old.
    1
  8637.  @kingofdragonsgameplay1369  Russia is an Asiatic Autocracy (like China) Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile mongol" Ruled by Genghis Khan's descendants for 250yrs, Russia has the values and attributes of Genghis Khan's mongols.
    1
  8638. What about a statue to the police snipers who shot protestors ?
    1
  8639. LOL The Caliphate collapsed in 1922, and North Africa and the Middle East have been like a blind fish in the sea ever since.
    1
  8640. Ordinary folk always suffer. The fanatics cause trouble and working people suffer. At least it's not Bangladesh (where Pakistan's military killed 3 million and raped 250,000 women and girls. )
    1
  8641. 3:50 " Rwanda would face a real risk of ill-treatment as a result of “refoulement” For those who miss heard (like me) “refoulement” (being returned) to their country of origin.
    1
  8642.  @sailoranandgardener  "everyone is admiral" LOL
    1
  8643. This is why QAnon. The only way to attack the establishment is to choose a playing field on which the establishment are clueless (powerless).
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  8644. Germany froze in February and blocked RAF weapons flights They blocked Estonia from sending howitzers They blocked weapon sales to Ukraine The US and NATO had to pressure them into doing the right thing. Why ? Historically Germany has never done the right thing : Blood & Iron was Germany's motto Only after WW2 did Germany adopt civilised values. Germany is a novice - it needs encouraging to do the right thing.
    1
  8645. Marcus, you are quite right , however ,Chomsky fails to mention the 30 million Russians killed by their own government or the fact that the same KGB that had killed them were the ones suggesting a Greater European Defence Force. Chomsky fails to mention that Russia is an anti-democratic gangster state run by former KGB and that they export oppression corruption and state violence. Chomsky could have mentioned the journalists killed in Russia or that there is no freedom of speech only State Broadcasting. Other than that Chomsky was most perceptive.
    1
  8646. Germany was given the choice between no gas and dishonour. Berlin chose dishonour, and it will have no gas anyway ( I stole that line from Twitter) Even NATO allies are laughing at Germany. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
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  8647.  @ornachia2489  I didn't know that, no. Are you sure you are correct ? This is the version I understand :- The last night of Ramadan coincided with a far-right Jerusalem Day celebration. So, a group of youths decided to defend the mosque (just in case). While they were there, they threw stones down at Jews praying at the wall. The police arrived and also had stones thrown at them. The youths entered the mosque to shelter and the police followed them. This version was corroborated by the Imam, who told the youths "The Mosque is a place of prayer". I've seen him saying it. I'll find the video for you. Why would the Imam berate the youths if the police attacked first ?
    1
  8648.  @ornachia2489  But the Imam berated the Palestinian youths (not the police). The Imam said, "The mosque is a place for prayer". He said that because the youths had rushed in to escape from the police. The police were chasing them because they had been hurling stones. The Imam is the best witness : he was there and he is speaking the truth.
    1
  8649.  @ornachia2489  The evictions :- In the Ottoman Empire, all land was owned by the Sultan. As Ottoman debts grew, the Sultan gave way to Tanzimat reforms (~ 1839) ; which included land-ownership. Because the Ulema had banned printing in 1515, most Palestinians were illiterate. So, when land was registered they had no idea what was happening. Consequently, whole villages were registered in the governor's name or his family. The Jews weren't allowed to own land, but could establish Homeland companies and purchase land that way. The mayor of Jerusalem sold huge swathes of land to Jews. (Land he very likely didn't own, but had registered in his name). This is how Jews bought the land in al-Jarrah. The Palestinian families were settled in the homes by the Jordanians, as refugees, after the 1948 war. That is the history behind the evictions (to the best of my knowledge).
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  8650.  @ornachia2489  Israel have 400,000 living in settlements in the West bank : the 2 state solution is dead. The opportunity for a 2 state solution was presented to Arafat.....he blew it. Many people think Arafat was a failure, he wasn't. He prioritized staying in power, and ruled as a dictator for 35yrs. He failed the Palestinian people, but wasn't a failure. Arafat was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month : that was in the 9170s when you could retire on a million. Arafat was a success - for himself, not Palestine.
    1
  8651.  @zemlyadensam3773  Well said. I heard Imran Khan (Pakistan) talk about human rights in Kashmir. Wow, I thought , "That's rich, coming from a country the committed genocide against Bangladesh (1971)".
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  8652.  @samuelnatal8014  The officer ? The journalist was 6" taller and 3 stone heavier : the officer was being thrown around like a rag-doll.
    1
  8653. The Palestinians are failures Compare Estonia - occupied by Hitler then Stalin - tens of thousands murdered, raped and exiled But Estonia is now a world leader in the cyber world Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion Gulf oil money The PLO were enriching themselves whilst children crawled around with wooden rifles at school Palestinians are permanent corrupt failures : they are autocratic and superstitious and have only themselves to blame
    1
  8654. Cyril Rhamaphosa : "Opportunistic criminals" Gosh, that is a bit harsh on the ANC. He's taking self-criticism too far.
    1
  8655. In Britain there are many Liberals (Jeremy Corbyn and the Archbishop of Canterbury) that want to stop military support for Ukraine. One smells the odour of appeasement on them. They should think on Britain's proud history. In 1864 half a million turned out to greet Garibaldi when he visited London. In 1824 Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence against the Ottomans. The appeasers cowardly considerations would undermine all that, and give strength and support to the Kremlin. Putin relies upon vacillating liberals to swallow his threats and sow discord and fatalistic dejection. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's threats on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" Spoken like a man : by a member of the Intelligence Committee. We must all show resolve. And recall the spirit of 1895 :- when Abdul Hamid II ordered the slaughter of Armenians and British marines went ashore to stop the massacre. They didn't turn round and say, "But there are thousands of Ottomans and only a few of us", they had the courage and conviction of doing the right thing.
    1
  8656. I predicted this months ago. China & Russia want the US out of Korea. They have told Kim to insist on it. They will then break sanctions to "encourage Kim's phased disarmament. It's a stitch-up that will end with N Korea being nuked.
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  8657. China Security This canal has no impact on China. China's weakness is that it is not self sufficient. It needs food ,oil and gas imports and exports are 51% of GDP. A blockade finishes China. A pipeline through Myanmar and a canal through Thailand don't make any difference. They are sorted by the US within 24hrs of blockade. Blockade is the winning card in any conflict with China and pipelines and canals will not alter that.
    1
  8658. Football stadiums :- They are not for sport, the Taliban use them for public executions, torture, and stoning women to death. The Taliban are beyond barbaric, they are inhuman.
    1
  8659. Abiy Ahmed joked about the use of sexual violence in war :- In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding the sexual violence in the Tigray War. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause]. Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war”
    1
  8660. It has nothing to do with hatred of Israel or Sunni/Shia or youth unemployment or the legacy of colonialism. It goes right back to 1453 when the Turks captured Constantinople. The Muslims controlled trade with the east and Christendom was haemorrhaging money. (It is estimated Europe spent 65000kg of silver on spices before the voyages of discovery Columbus 1493 and Vasco da Gama 1498) Voyages of discovery ushered in the Enlightenment (1500-1800) which led to the Industrial revolution(1750)
    1
  8661. I should add that in 847 the Caliph Al-Mutawakkil decreed a literal interpretation of the Koran which ended the Islamic Enlightenment.
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  8662. The definition of a fascist theocracy..... Khomeini argued, it was natural that they should rule as guardians of Iran until the return of the 12th divinely ordained Shia imam (Imam al-Mahdi).
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  8663. @Chawa Kumwenda Russia has been humiliated, that is a fact. Spain was humiliated after the Spanish American war (1898). Spain responded with military brutality, towards their own people and their colonies. I'm saying Russia will do the same.
    1
  8664.  @kostaverle3551  The Civil war was mass mobilisation. I'm talking about the professional career army. The Yanks had only 1/10th of the Spanish. That is why Spain's collapse was so catastrophic.
    1
  8665. The US will never allow N Korea to develop multiple warhead ballistic missiles. It is impossible to invade N Korea without them retaliating and killing 100ks of S Koreans. Therefore Trump will make a pre-emptive nuclear strike and flatten N Korea. Kim knows this. That is why he is meeting with Moon and encouraging dialogue. The Meeting with Trump will happen at some stage. Because the alternative is a pre-emptive strike on N Korea.
    1
  8666.  Syed Ahmed  , I'm not sure that's true. Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated as he attempted a peace settlement. 250,000 Jews protested against the slaughter of Palestinians in the Shabra and Shatila camp (Lebanon). There are huge numbers of Jews that feel no animosity towards Palestinians. Compare Northern Ireland and ask yourself who is it that rises to power ? Is it the humane moderates ? No ; fanatics always take centre stage. Look at the 80yrs war (against Catholic Spain for Dutch independence) Calvinists only made up 10% of the population , but they were the fanatical driving force that finally won Independence. In Palestine, it is a contest between far-right Israelis and fanatical Islamists. The majority of Palestinians and Israelis would settle for democratic prosperity.   That is where Palestine's failure lies : they have never had a visionary prepared to sideline the Islamist fanatics and move to peace. Palestinian leadership has been appalling for 70yrs.
    1
  8667.  @Linda43  , Oh I am so sorry....allow me to leave your cosy coterie of ill-informed half-wits so you can continue jabbering your nonsense. I do apologise. But while I'm here....of curse you are right :- a) Israel has to have defensible borders b) the Palestinians have to have a democratic government or face sanctions. That is the peace plan : the Palestinians move towards prosperity, enlightened- education and democracy.
    1
  8668. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    1
  8669. Valls apothegm - "One can't have too many irons in the fire"
    1
  8670. "A good education, and bribes may finally end" One assumes bribes have to be paid to get your kids into college, or to get a fair exam result.
    1
  8671. Balkan Independence began with the Serbian Free Corps - who fought for Austria (Astro-Turk war 1788-1791). Black George (Karadorde) was a sergeant in the Free corps, and led the First Serb Uprising in 1804 - 1813. The Russians backed the Serbs (Orthodox Christians) . Napoleon's threat to Europe inspired the sultan Mahmud II to wage an opportunistic war against Russia to retake land lost in previous wars (revanchist war) (1806 - 12). This was won by Russia, who gained Bessarabia, but had to conclude a quick treaty in 1812 (to face napoleon). From the 1812 Treaty of Bucharest the Serbs gained, not independence - which their sterling campaigns prefigured, but, disappointingly, partial autonomy. Napoleon invaded Russia a month after the Treaty of Bucharest was signed (1812).
    1
  8672. We do NOT need to stop Putin using nukes. We only need to delay him. Russia will collapse before Christmas, and if Putin goes nuclear it will collapse sooner. Putin's only hope is for the wobbly nations (France, Germany, Italy) to intercede on his behalf and give him Crimea.
    1
  8673. Dr. Fauci is a very convincing liar.
    1
  8674. AUKUS goal is blockade of China No need for weapons : it is simply to enforce blockade China has been dealt a terrible hand : it has no il and can't feed itself The CCP will collapse within 12 months of blockade (Oh, and belt & road won't help)
    1
  8675. No thanks to France, who has supplied 1/40th of the weapons Britain sent. And 1/20th of the weapons Poland sent. The philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre enjoyed attending Nazi soirees, then after the war claimed he was gathering intelligence. Macron's phone calls fall into the same bracket.
    1
  8676.  @samstephens3351  Thank you. Very sporting of you, and much appreciated. LOL
    1
  8677.  @Bomer-Bomer  Putin : Does Ukraine have any weakness ? Shoigu : Yes : they are running out of jokes. Gerasimov : It's true Herr Putin, they are reconditioning old jokes.
    1
  8678.  @Bomer-Bomer  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    1
  8679.  @WHEREVER-I-ROAM  Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief, was a serial rapist. The KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Putin is KGB The Lubyanka is the KGB HQ : every room the scene of torture and sexual assault. It is the pride of Russia and the definition of dystopia.
    1
  8680.  @Bomer-Bomer  Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief, was a serial rapist. The KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Putin is KGB The Lubyanka is the KGB HQ : every room the scene of torture and sexual assault. It is the pride of Russia and the definition of dystopia.
    1
  8681.  @djonfonsteen6331  I'm watching the Ukraine advance in Kherson : it is awesome. They have flags flying on their vehicles and are advancing like the 7th cavalry. Intercepted Russian comms saying "We are in full retreat and have nowhere to run"
    1
  8682.  @simonpedge  If someone gave you a definition it would only by convention. It would simply be what that person thought or what a group of sociologists had decided. Historians may apply a totally different criteria. I would call 15k a town. But in sparsely populated Tibet ~1900 that could pass for a city. Hope that helps.
    1
  8683. LOL "defeat" The Lunatic Left support Moscow and Islamism They live in a dream world
    1
  8684. Boris' Fr Ted Moment. Sitting on the edge of his bed, head in hands, he has concocted an improbable pack of half-truths. With an apologetic countenance, he is now launching them at the public.
    1
  8685.  @GeraldM_inNC  "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    1
  8686. WRONG Have you read how Egypt tortures Muslim brotherhood ? Egypt wants Hamas crushed This is a pantomime the US suggested
    1
  8687. I hope someone puts the brakes on Mueller's investigation : it could be all over before the interval.
    1
  8688. William, you are dead right. The polls show the Republicans are 12 points behind for the mid-terms and will lose the House. It looks like those hypocrites are getting kicked out. Don't worry Kavanaugh will never be confirmed : he's too unstable. Did you see his tearful appeal to God and accusations of a political plot. He sounds like a guy suffering from paranoia.
    1
  8689. Russia asked "Why can't N Korea help Russia if the West helps Ukraine ?" S Korea's ambassador replied "Because it is against international law to help an illegal invasion" Al Jazeera is pro-Russia they will never report that !
    1
  8690. Wrong Israel fired warning shots - the gunshot wounds are to their legs The deaths were caused by a stampede & trucks running over people
    1
  8691. Soixant huitards
    1
  8692.  @2k4ever-v9v  I agree : all pronunciation is simply what folk decide it is. The Great Vowel Shift : Around the 15thC the vowels a e i o u became hard A E I O U. So "I name my boat Pete" (hard vowels) would have been pronounced "ey nam mah bought Pate", in the 15thC with soft vowels. The difference meant Chaucer (Canterbury Tales) couldn't be enjoyed and dropped out of fashion, until rediscovered in the 18thC
    1
  8693. Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles. They were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine.
    1
  8694. Every statesman I listen to, simply confirms what a jackass the UK have in Boris Johnson.
    1
  8695.  @rorirory121  , you are a young man. Some of us remember the old days. The farming conditions in Zimbabwe are excellent.
    1
  8696. Peter the Great (d.1725) and Putin. Both bequeathed a succession problem : Peter tortured his son to death (1718) Putin assassinated and imprisoned the opposition. God bless Ukraine ! For defending us all from Russian barbarism.
    1
  8697. Nonsense Palestine only declared statehood in 1988 Why ? Because the Jerusalem Mufti looked to Damascus as the capital of Palestine Then they looked to Cairo (The Arab League Nasser) 1922 When the Ottoman empire collapsed Jerusalem was a dirty dump, with goats in the streets and a pop of 70k Palestinians never regarded Jerusalem as a capital They never regarded themselves as a nation
    1
  8698.  @ndifrekeotu9086  Thank you. Your reply has made my day. Russia ‘fully committed’ to avoiding nuclear war, claims Kremlin spokesperson. Russia has withdrawn their threat.... So Biden serves it straight back to them ! Biden : "Risk of nuclear Armageddon highest in 60yrs" LOL, I'm enjoying ths.
    1
  8699.  @joecool9739  Thank you for replying. Your comment is like a delicious sand castle I'm about to trample. Democracy has existed since time immemorial. Even pirate ships elected their captain. Norse tribes, Anglo-Saxons, the Polish Sejm (aristocrats C9th) , they all had forms of tribal voting. Britain is the true home of democracy, because of Common Law. Magna Carta (1215) was a protest against absolute power. In 1605 James I attempted to impose despotic measure, Edward Coke (Lord Chancellor) said it was against Common Law : James I raised his fist and Coke dropped to his knees. But the king had been rebuked, and didn't dare impose his despotic orders. In 1688 the Glorious Revolution : Parliament asked William III and his English wife Mary to become monarchs as James II fled. The following year (1689) the joint monarchs had to sign the Bill of Rights - and Democracy was firmly established. A model for the world.
    1
  8700. ​ @joecool9739  Western democracy begins with the Witan a tribal council. Tribal councils are found in all tribes and are prehistoric : even the American Indians had them. Greece was the foundation for law-based democracy. In 1603 Edward Coke cautioned James I against breaking "Common Law" Common Law was the tribal law established over centuries (eg the Witan) British parliamentary democracy is a combination of ancient Common Law and Greek law-based citizenship.
    1
  8701. Britain stood alone against Napoleon Britain stood alone against Hitler Why on earth can't Britain lead an EU charge against Russia ?
    1
  8702. Samir, nobody respects your infantile trash talk. If Palestinians want some respect they might start with becoming democratic. Yaser Arafat ruled like a corrupt tyrant killing any Palestinian who criticised him and amassing a $3billion fortune in looted cash. Fatah are totally corrupt ( try going to a meeting and ask about corruption, you will be dragged out and beaten) Hamas are fascists who want a Caliphate.
    1
  8703. Palestinians have been losers for 75 years (It is always someone else's fault) Yasser Arafat ruled as a despot for 35 yrs and stole $3 billion (That was Israel's fault) Palestine hasn't held an election for 20 yrs (That's the fault of the International community)
    1
  8704.  @lumberjackagies5158  Lord Owen is on the Intelligence Committee, when he says "A massive, massive superiority" he is speaking from knowledge. With all due respect, you are talking nonsense.
    1
  8705. Western propaganda ? What do you mean ? The West has a competitive parliamentary system competitive economic model, competitive academic institutions. Where is the propaganda ? Western arms are simply better - SMArt 155mm artillery rounds and Excalibur 155mm artillery What has Russia got - duds What has India got - Russian cast-offs
    1
  8706. Pakistan was invited to be the whipping boy. It can't be pleasant, and Imran Khan was probably relieved not to have to attend.
    1
  8707.  @kentershackle1329  That is wise strategy. Colin Powell believed one should attack with overwhelming superiority to reduce casualties and ensure an immediate success. Don't give the Russians an opportunity to claim any type of victory, even with a fighting retreat. The Russians must be isolated (they are), then attacked with huge numbers.
    1
  8708. Russia : a despotic dystopia, terrifying its civilized neighbours.
    1
  8709. The definition of polished (A NATO presentation)
    1
  8710. LOL "They used CCTV cameras to pass information to the Ukrainians" Why didn't the Russians simply shoot the CCTV cameras then. The Allies are processing info 24/7, and passing the Ukrainians top quality useable intelligence, using satellites, Nimrods, and communication intercepts. That has been happening from day one. The Pentagon announced that from the start.
    1
  8711. Paradise Lost : it's Miltonesque.
    1
  8712. The United States leading the free world (again).
    1
  8713. One Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf-girls 'Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow', he was exiled to Siberia. Girls were advertised as "having a pretty face and attractive figure". The Russian nobles were no better than ISIS with Yazidi girls. The KGB, in an internal memo, referred to themselves as "the new nobility" It gives us a significant insight into their mentality. Stalin's intelligence chief, 'Beria', was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he ordered them to. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine.
    1
  8714. 1:11 watch Biden, he can't enunciate the words "going to", he just slurs his speech. That's because Biden has dementia.
    1
  8715. All aid agencies in Gaza nee to approval of Hamas Also, they need the approval of Israel Now, Hamas may be suspicious that aid agencies are pro-Israel spies (But they needn't worry - all aid agencies are pro-Hamas)
    1
  8716. @Lalleland Okay, I don't really have time but I'll give yo a very brief history lesson :- In 1815 Congress of Vienna, the Holy Alliance agreed to support monarchies against revolution. Tsar Alexander I was a religious nut who believed monarchs were appointed by God. In 1820 Russia mobilized to suppress revolution in Spain, In 1830 Russia acted again against France In 1848 Russia mobilized again : "Every liberal in Europe hated Russia" lewis Namier. Russia in invaded Hungary in 1954 Russia invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 The USSR was simply a continuation of Autocratic Tsarist Russia. Conclusion :- Russia has always been a threat to Europe. Which is why Queen Victoria described Russia as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  8717. @Lalleland But those were simply wars. The Crimean war 1853 was just part of the great game. I'm talking about Russian Ideology. Russia is an Autocracy opposed to Democracy. That is why Russia has invaded Europe so many times : to suppress democracy. Russia is a threat to Western Democracy. But Western democracy is no threat to Russia - except in as far as it undermines Russian despotic ideology.
    1
  8718. Slavery :- Arab culture has never seen anything wrong with slavery. Only where Western influence is strong was it abolished. There are still parts of the Arab world engaging in the slave-trade. Arab culture sees nothing wrong with slavery. Slavery was abolished in China centuries ago and in Western countries centuries ago but in Arab countries only when they were forced to abolish it by the West.
    1
  8719. Why does France promote capitulation ? Why did Macron declare French neutrality on TV ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  8720.  @ДенисП-э3с  Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  8721.  @SIX598  I agree. Fortunately Britain is training 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers every 4 months. They will emerge as highly trained professionals. Ready to deploy, using the latest NATO technology.
    1
  8722. Neom : don't visit the embassy. You will be greeted by a chap holding a bone saw. The city maybe new, but the Saudi will never change.
    1
  8723. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  8724. 1:40 "They'll end up with a compromise" Yes they will, because the populists can't back down and if the European Commission drag it on Italy's borrowing costs skyrocket putting an unbearable strain on Italy's zombie banks.
    1
  8725. She is WOKE - it is a religious stupidity Graham Greene : "Innocence is a form of insanity" Lunatic Liberals believe in the goodness of human nature like a religion They think everyone is like them : they have a naive stupidity
    1
  8726. TYT would like Obama back......he'd do nothing and everyone knows he'd do nothing that's why China didn't bother with sanctions. Trump is unpredictable and China are now really applying sanctions.
    1
  8727. Assassins ? and what about the corrupt Maltese establishment. You should take up her campign and start posting indictments at the corrupt politicians who are behind the killing.
    1
  8728. The US and UK don't want it over. They want Iran to continue behaving like a rogue gangster state. Look at the coverage : the UN and EU are demanding Iran obey maritime law. This is much better than talking about a mechanism to bypass sanctions. Iran has crashed and folks are talking about a captured tanker : perfect.
    1
  8729. India is in for a shock. The US means business, it has :- a) Humbled Russia b) faced down Putin's nuclear threat c) demolished NordStream 1 and 2 e) and is remaking the 21st century. Saudi is not the only country in the cross-hairs.....India is too.
    1
  8730.  @jtf2dan  LOL It is instructive to consider the aftermath of a nuclear exchange :- Who would help Russia recover ? Who would help China ? Both countries are hated by their neighbours : they would both be dismantled. By contrast the USA would get trillions from Europe, Canada, Australia, India, the Gulf, S America, and even Africa.
    1
  8731. Let me explain the USA's massive, massive superiority. Russia has thousands of decommissioned missiles - the warheads are stored separately and the rockets need fuelling. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No nation has ever had the instant firepower of the US.
    1
  8732. Macron has been accused of being too close to Putin. What are the charges ? a) Misprision (concealment of information about Putin's intentions from the Allies) b) Passing information to Putin (about the Allies) c) having a foot in both camps. What is macron's defence :- "Here I stand, I can do no other" (Diet of Worms 1521)
    1
  8733. That journalist's cognomen should be "Scoop"
    1
  8734. Hamas strategy - it is simply a continuation of 75 years of utter failure
    1
  8735. Then where are the Russian planes ?
    1
  8736. These lunatics are proud to stand alongside "The Houthi terrorists"
    1
  8737.  @marcushelius306  , good point. But there is one MASSIVE difference between the US and China : in the US you can investigate and then speak out, approach a Congressman and start investigating. In China you can do nothing , the slightest voice of protest you will be in jail for 20yrs or worse.
    1
  8738.  @marcushelius306  , LOL Did you see the last Russian election ? Putin had a shill running against him : she was the former nanny of his mistress (or something). All dictatorships have to allow the population to let of steam : so they have faux protestors who complain about everything......EXCEPT the dictatorship by the CCP. And definitely not about CCP corruption. And absolutely NEVER about the CCP being above the law : that there is no independent judiciary and no oversight of the legislature or executive.
    1
  8739. Remember when Trump asked the Saudi to up oil production to compensate for sanctions on Iran ? What happened ? Trump handed out waivers so Iran could sell oil and Saudi were left with egg on their face (and a plummeting oil price) LOL.
    1
  8740. There's nothing in it for Trump except a mountain of flak back home. And if anything flares up in the middle east (doesn't it always) he gets the blame. And it could be years later...........Trump gets the blame because he "Cut & run".
    1
  8741. Does Israel pose a nuclear threat to the world? No, Iran does
    1
  8742. Abbas is on the scrap heap - he can go with or without a pension He is finally pressurising Hamas so he can keep his mansion & loot
    1
  8743. a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
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  8744. The media censor the worst incidents (they have to do, they are morally unshowable) God bless the USA Some folks, like Jeremy Corbyn, Noam Chomsky and Yanis Varifoukis would simply speak for Russia (and peace), and let them have what they desire.
    1
  8745. Krauthammer has pulled his horns in on this. Previously he said it had to be a nuclear response , that's the only way to prevent N Korea retaliating with WMDs. He is being diplomatic talking about conventional weapons, he knows it has to be nuclear.
    1
  8746. Romans called Judea "Palestine" after the 2nd Jewish uprising : they did it to punish the Jews There never has been a Palestinian state 1948 Arab Israeli war : Jordan occupied/annexed the West bank Nobody said anything 1967 Israel removed Jordan and took the West Bank
    1
  8747. Every nation creates its own culture or personality. Russia has an obnoxious, toxic personality. Read Svetlana Alexiovich, she records Russians in their own words and won a Nobel Prize for it. Even Russians who oppose Putin support the invasion of Ukraine, they wink at war crimes and atrocities, knowing they've experienced worse in the Gulags.
    1
  8748. Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
    1
  8749. Very good analysis. My area of expertise is early modern history. "Spain Rise & Fall" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad8Gg73AnUs&t=3s "30yrs war Spain's swan song" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3wy7XbYkvA&t=1s J'Accuse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gvj30H9OyI
    1
  8750. Le Penn is as bad as Victor Orban : they are both in bed with Putin. Europe needs a strong France, with a strong leader. Macron said,"Pas de recul" (no backsliding) On sanctions and action against Russia.
    1
  8751. Macron & Putin share a common goal : they both want to weaken NATO. Macron said, "NATO is brain-dead". He used the invasion as an opportunity to promote his vanity project - The European Defence force. Who are they defending Europe from ? Russia, China or ISIS ? None of those. Macron will lead The European Defence Force against NATO domination. He doesn't want the US dictating to Europe. France will lead the way - with Macron as the commander in chief.
    1
  8752. Can NATO rely on France ? How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  8753. Jim Cramer is a very hard act to follow.
    1
  8754.  @ТрезвыйПрохожий  Well said. The entire Free World is praying for Ukraine. (And I'm certain the next trench of armaments is on its way, hopefully to include 29 Migs)
    1
  8755.  @crad5476  Thanks for asking. It tells us Russia is accustomed to failure. Eg Snake Island : Russia simply retreated. Then they dropped Phosphorous bombs, claimed to have burnt the Ukrainian flag and celebrated a victory. Of course, the flag burning was all lies, and Snake island is a total failure for Russia. It has cost them 5 ships (including their flagship) and hundreds of lives, helicopters etc). Russia retreat, but find a way to celebrate. This is just what the West want : Ukraine to win "incrementally"
    1
  8756. Magnificent bravery. Quite incredible fortitude. The world salutes you. The full might of the barbaric Russian army - using cluster bombs, vacuum bombs, and every type of inhumane device, is being resisted by Ukrainian patriots. This ranks alongside the great heroic deeds.
    1
  8757. 1919 Versailles president Wilson "right to self determination" Some nations did NOT get it Why ? Because they weren't ready - they were not a people with a government Who - the Kurds for example Palestinians would NOT have got a state - they were also not a people with a government They're still NOT
    1
  8758. Hamas are surrounded in Khan Younis Guterres is pro-Hamas and wants to throw them a lifeline Guterres "Contextualises" rape mutilation and torture
    1
  8759. "500 dead at hospital" lies ! "The Anglican diocese that manages the hospital reported 200 people killed" Al Ahli hospital was a Hamas rocket that misfired Al Jazeera please stop propaganda and lies
    1
  8760. Bernard Weatharill (speaker) told one member, whose jacket had been pulled as he stood to speak, "May I suggest the honourable member be a bit more robust"
    1
  8761. St Francis saved the citizens from a wolf, by agreeing to give it regular meals, "Give me your paw", said St Francis. Macron needs to go to the Kremlin and ask Putin to stop terrorizing his neighbours, by agreeing generous gas-payments. "Give me your paw", Macron will say, as they sign the deal.
    1
  8762. Pope Francis described the Russian invasion as "Infantile" This is very perceptive : - a) Solzhenitsyn, even after torture and 10yrs in the Gulags, still believed in Mother Russia and would've supported Putin's war. b) The Kremlin's childish narrative of Ukrainians inflicting bombing and slaughter upon themselves. c) The Russian persecution complex and childish belief in Imperial Russia. d) The deluded belief that Russia champions civilization - when the opposite is true. Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  8763. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  8764.  @ForSaKeN0TeARS  Putin's "Rape Joke" about Ukraine :- President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " Putin commented on the Minsk agreement, "Tough it out, beautiful" he said about Ukraine's alleged reluctance to comply. ‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it’
    1
  8765. A one-hour warning. If Al Jazeera had an ounce of sense they would've removed all valuable equipment days ago. They must've known that building was a potential target.
    1
  8766. The Western powers did the same with the Ottomans : they lent money but were granted salt, tea and tobacco monopolies to pay the interest. Many wars were fought to force the Turks to pay their debts. Good luck to Pak......but how will they swindle their way out of this one ?
    1
  8767. Norman Finkelstein is a jackass The US supports Israel with conventional weapons to prevent Israel from nuking Iran Without US support the chances of Israel feeling existentially threatened rises 10,000% The chances of Tehran being nuked also increase dramatically
    1
  8768. Hard to imagine Ayatollah Khomeini was hanging Iranians 6 at a time off fork-lift trucks. Read "The executioners deserve medals". Iran have certainly come a long way, they are still murderous fanatics but now with technology. Let's hope they never get the bomb !
    1
  8769.  Persian Empire  , I've read history books on Iran, on the Shah, the Ayatollah, a biography of Mohammed Mossadegh. I'm very well informed. "Iran has never sought to build a nuclear weapon ". That is just talking gibberish. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year : more than the Shah executed in his lifetime. Read prisoners' testimony : under the Shah they talk about boredom and tedious days, under the Ayatollah they speak of torture, death and fear.
    1
  8770.  Persian Empire  , Yorkshire.
    1
  8771.  Persian Empire  , you seem like an interestingchap, but one who is totally deluded. Ask yourself 2 questions :- a) who is more likely to be well-informed : me , who doesn't get info from the media but reads academic history books, or you who is educated in a Madrasa and brain-washed to the hilt ? b) When the yatollah landed in tehran he was asked what he'd do with the Democrats, "I'll kick their teeth in" he replied. Where are all the Trade-unionists and socialists ? There was a huge Communist party in Iran , where are they ? Where are the secular democrats and feminists ? There were many women's groups and students who joined socialists and democrats to overthrow the Shah, what happened to them all, where are they ? They ended up in the Ayatollah's death camps.
    1
  8772.  Persian Empire  , if it wasn't for Western media you'd still believe the Ayatollah's lies about the plane shot down in Tehran.
    1
  8773.  Persian Empire  LOL : the revolutionary Guard shot the plane down, you deluded dope : they massacred all the folk on board. Then the Ayatollah lied through his teeth until he was exposed by Western media. Then he tried to shift the blame. There isn't a single book in Iran which criticises the Ayatollah : it is illegal to publish such a book. How on earth can you be well-informed ? Living in a fanatical Islamist dictatorship.
    1
  8774. LOL, I'm an atheist.......I hate the Pope. Christianity has a terrible historical record. (So does Islam). I've no idea what it's like to be totally brainwashed. I can go to the library and read books on any subject, with every type of opinion, with arguments for and against. You, on the other hand are frightened to even question the dictatorship you live under. Even when the Ayatollah admits he lied you shut your ears.
    1
  8775. Modi still supporting Russia. Shame on India. Mass graves - one corpse had both arms broken and a noose around his neck. India has no moral compass.
    1
  8776. " Asymmetric" is that the word the report uses because it's nonsense. It applies to two unevenly matched opponents using different strategies. It doesn't surprise me that the Yanks are misusing terminology. Why not call it subterfuge-chicanery.
    1
  8777. The Saudi King has big plans for the future. He wants to move away from oil dependence and said," young Saudis and the promotion of moderate Islam were the key to his modernising “dream” for his country. For "moderate Islam" read no Islam. He can see that Islam has held back the whole Muslim world for centuries.
    1
  8778. Rajoy has a dream : a night-time Police assault on Catalonia and in the morning he stand victorious in Madrid. The reality is Rajoy is a clown. The reality of a Police assault will be an international spectacle of Spanish violence that Spain's minister of propaganda will describe as "Fake news". Spain's options Overwhelming force is much less likely to result in casualties. A full military invasion with Police support armoured vehicles etc discourages any resistance. A small assault or arrest squads would encourage resistance and could lead to shooting. The long term result of military invasion are devastating for Spain. Negotiation is the obvious way out but Madrid's authoritarian mentality won't allow it.
    1
  8779. Very well written : a masterclass in journalism
    1
  8780. LOL this guy is a bull$hit merchant. The problem with selecting your own data is that you selected your own data. History :- 1815 Congress of Vienna (after Waterloo Napoleonic wars end) There is essentially a 100yrs of peace . You have minor wars and the 1848 revolutions but nothing on the scale of the 30yrs war (1618-48) which diminished Europe's population by up to 25% in affected areas. 1915 World war 1 1939 World War 2 Already you struggle to find this pattern he talks about. He mentions these two examples :- 1588 Spanish Armada 1688 Glorious revolution. The first was a skirmish at sea ( mythologised by the British : the truth is the British and Dutch outnumbered and outgunned the Spanish) it had no effect on the population. 1688 An oligarchy in Parliament invited William of Orange to be king because James II was Catholic. The population didn't bat an eye. This guy's self selecting historical examples are hogwash. I doubt he's ever read a history book.
    1
  8781. Cris, your facetiousness does you no credit (you half-witted moron) What about someone who has been raped. You bigoted Christian mental case.
    1
  8782. The US military were active for 20yrs. It was 2 decades of research development and training. Russia's drunken thugs invaded Ukraine, then shot down a passenger plane (MH17). Military have to remain active. There is nothing like deployment experience.
    1
  8783. Nobody is going anywhere.
    1
  8784. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
    1
  8785. War timeline 24 Feb Invasion 2 Apr Kyiv Retreat 30 Jun Snake Island 15 Sep Kharkiv Counter Offensive 21-23 Oct Peace Deal - 9 Nov Kherson retreat 15 Nov Zaluzhny phones Milley ends the Deal 15 Nov Bali 10 point plan 15 Nov Missiles at civil targets 20 Jan Tanks : $2.85 billion largest drawdown Analysis : Invasion, retreat, escalation (15 Nov- 20 Jan) We're in the escalation phase Russia hopes to terrorise/destabilise Ukraine The West to defeat Russia on the battlefield Putin's play : 1988 Ayatollah's "Temporary withdrawal"
    1
  8786. LO fricking L The Ayatollah talking about bullying. Remember Ayatollah Khomeini ? When he landed in Tehran and was asked what he do with the democrats. Recall him saying , "I'll kick their teeth in " . Remember how he killed 7000 Iranians in his first year, more than the Shah had killed in his whole life. And those theocratic dictators have the hypocritical nerve to talk about bullying.
    1
  8787. India is reeling, from China's attack in Galwan.
    1
  8788. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, and quietly become a $hithole country.
    1
  8789. When did Russia become a Police State :- After the French Revolution (1789) Russia was a putative Police State under Tsar Alexander (1801-25) After the 1825 Decembrist coup, Nicholas I really clamped down. After the 1848 European Revolutions Russia became a true dystopia. The Intelligentsia (a Russian word) fled. After the 1881 assassination of Alexander II Russia became a horror show. The 1917 Revolution was liberal, but quickly hijacked by totalitarian Bolsheviks Lenin & Trotsky : their totalitarianism was handed to Stalin who killed 50 million in his genocides and Gulags. The USSR collapsed (1991) and the KGB took power. Fin.
    1
  8790. Only 50 books a year ? Trump reads tremendously more than that.
    1
  8791. India is forced by Geography to desire a Russian VICTORY. It needs a strong Russia to oppose China. Western democracies must realise this, and temporarily say to India, "Goodbye and good luck"
    1
  8792.  @feliksovarondenisovich7706  , I'm simply trying to bring an historical perspective.
    1
  8793. Celebratory gunfire = intimidatory gunfire.
    1
  8794.  @northboy7996  1922 collapse of Ottoman empire 1924 end of Caliphate (by Ataturk) Britian appoints a Grand Mufti to lead Palestinians 1948 Arab Israeli war : Mufti looks to Damascus as capital of Palestine 1967 the PLO look to Cairo as the capital os Arab Leeague Only in 1988 do the Palestinians declare themselves a state The phrase "Palestine" comes from Rome 135 after the 2nd Jewish rebellion, Rome changes Judea to "Palestine" to anger the Jews
    1
  8795. Macron has been accused of being too close to Putin. What are the charges ? a) Misprision (concealment of information about Putin's intentions from the Allies) b) Passing information to Putin (about the Allies) c) having a foot in both camps. What is macron's defence :- "Here I stand, I can do no other" (Diet of Worms 1521)
    1
  8796. He blames Israel But there is a UN approved deal that HAMAS rejects Why doesn't France 24 point that out ? Why blame Israel when Hamas rejects the UN deal ?
    1
  8797. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
    1
  8798.  @vitalygolubchik1535  When general Gordon conquered Sudan (1885), in his first dispatch home, he suggested building a college at Khartoum. The Prime Minister Lord Salisbury agreed, saying "It will help to spread civilization". Read about the atrocities committed by the Mad Mahdi - he was worse than the Taliban. How many colleges did Russia build in conquered territories (hint : zero).
    1
  8799.  @vitalygolubchik1535  " genocide in North America , India , Australia , New Zealand?" In the (1775 - 83) American Revolutionary wars, Britain realised it could not fight a long war. So it was suggested they advance on three fronts - from Canada, Boston and a coastal invasion. The plan was counting on "a massive uprising of Red Indians". You talk about genocide, and yet Downing Street believed there were hundreds of thousands of Indians ready to fight with Britain. This seems amazing to us today, but it belies your claim that they intentionally committed genocide. Queen Victoria became Empress of India in (1867). The Indian tax system was shocking (it is what was inherited from the past). Tax farmers would buy their office, then extract as much as possible from the peasants. That is how they had always lived. There was a limit to changes Britain was capable of instituting. Many mistakes were made - but Britain was working with a corrupt, decrepit system which had been in place for centuries. But I'm not condoning British negligence in India, Britain does have to answer for itself. I would only say, that the worst famine occurred during WW2, and the British were fighting for their survival.
    1
  8800. This video just states the obvious.
    1
  8801. WRONG Israel did NOT say "If Hamas is unfaithful" Israel clearly stated they intend to destroy Hamas Hamas is finished even Biden said that ! France24 is ridiculously pro-Palestine
    1
  8802. La Force européenne de défense (EDF) de Macron est maintenant morte dans l'eau. Après la déclaration télévisée du 13 octobre sur la "neutralité nucléaire", qui rejoindrait EDF alors que la France a déclaré que sa dissuasion n'était que pour elle-même ?
    1
  8803. Where is the leadership in Europe ? "We must not humiliate Russia", said Macron. And Schulz has sabotaged Ukraine - closing airspace, refusing 3rd party transfers and blocking sales. The EU is like a damsel in distress.
    1
  8804.  @samhull8382  Russia is a gangster state : it relies on intimidation, and fears strength. The correct response is not French cowardice, but British resolve.... Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  8805.  @samhull8382  Think rationally : would Putin launch a suicidal nuclear attack when he hasn't even mobilised ? Did you see the sailors on "Navy Day" ? All dressed in white. Putin would mobilise ALL Russian troops to go fight in Ukraine. All the Moscow Police, who walk around intimidating civilians, all the FSB who enforce gangsterism. Putin said, "In a way we haven't even started the war". Exactly. Russia has a long way to go before they reach for the nuclear button. Don't keep trying to frighten yourself, show some backbone, and don't be intimidated by gangsters.
    1
  8806. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  8807.  @g4joe  Consider just 2 facts :- a) Russia has retreated from Snake Island b) Russia has retreated its fleet from Sevastopol back to Russia. No rational person could imagine Russia would do that if it were winning. Thirdly, Medvedev just made the hysterical announcement, "If Ukraine attack Crimea it will be Judgement Day". That means Russia thinks the Ukraine counter-offensive could liberate Crimea.
    1
  8808.  @edwardmaina6412  The analysis is spot-on. In what way do you think it incorrect ? NATO strategy is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  8809.  @wahyuindrasto  Russia "threatens" but will never use nuclear weapons. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  8810.  @guser7137  Russia retreated from Snake Island , having lost 5 ships taking it, including Moskva the flagship. Russia has now retreated from Sevastopol : they have taken their fleet out of range of Himars, back to Novostcho in Russia.
    1
  8811.  @guser7137  You are living in a dream world. Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". Everyone knows Russia is being slaughtered.
    1
  8812.  @cpyne4542  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  8813.  @cpyne4542  Ukraine is tremendously thankful to the USA. On July 4th the military played the Star Spangled Banner to commemorate Independence Day.
    1
  8814.  @nesirosern8596  NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'. No rational person can look at those facts and say, "Russia is winning". Whereas, Ukrainians can easily see that they are gradually getting the better of Russia.
    1
  8815.  @nesirosern8596  You are trying to convince yourself : you know Russia is retreating. NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  8816.  @nesirosern8596  At first Putin was going hysterical, so NATO supplies were limited. Now, Poland has sent 236 Tanks, the US are training Ukrainians to fly F-15 and F-16 fighters. Himars are crippling Russia. The war will be over this year.
    1
  8817.  @nesirosern8596  Russia doesn't have any "upgraded weapons", it has used everything it has. Russia is now using T-62 tanks, old Soviet junk. "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD
    1
  8818.  @nesirosern8596  You need therapy. Russia has retreated from Snake Island. That is an unassailable fact. Look at the video : every building is rubble, every vehicle and helicopter wrecked. Countless dead. And yet you cling to the childish propaganda that it was a "goodwill gesture" In the West, folk are laughing at the Russians. Especially at Putin, "We haven't really started yet". LOL Russia has had its ass kicked.
    1
  8819. The UN speaks for Hamas (everyone knows that) Guterres defended Hamas murders and rapists - even before Israel entered Gaza UNRWA pays for terrorists - they employ them UNRWA teaches extremism in schools
    1
  8820. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    1
  8821.  @Memovox  Gernal Gordon defeated the Mahdi in 1885, and in his first dispatch included plans to build a college at Khartoum. Lord Salisbury (PM) agreed,"It will help spread civilisation". The Mahdi was worse than the Taliban. (I suppose you believe the culture of torture, slavery and stoning women to death is morally equivalent to Western civilization ?)
    1
  8822.  @Memovox  For Britain size doesn't matter. Britain's contribution to world history :- a) The agricultural revolution. From 1500 to 1800 British agricultural production rose 200%. For France it was 100% and for Poland 35%. b) The scientific revolution (Royal Society 1660) Francis Bacon before that. c) Parliamentary democracy d) The industrial revolution. Look around you, Western Civilization is everywhere and it can almost all be traced back to britain (and France and Italy and maybe germany)
    1
  8823.  @Memovox  Like the Jesuits :- FALL OF THE JESUITS Portugal started in 1759 property confiscated and expelled. France 1764 dissolved and members expelled Paraguay Jesuit mission state......reduced by force of prayer to total obedience. West Indies Jesuits prosperous trading company until 7trs war bankrupted them Clement XIII gave them refuge but died in 1769 Austria 1773 expels Clement XIV By the brief Dominus ac Redemptor (21 July 1773) Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society of Jesus, as a fait accompli. Spain 1767 expelled from Spain and the Empire property confiscated Parma and Naples 1767 Charles III denounced the Society as opposed to public interest.
    1
  8824.  @Memovox  Bismarck :"The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English". That is Britain's lasting legacy - the United States.
    1
  8825.  @Memovox  LOL you've cracked me up with your cynicism. You'd have gone down a storm in Russia, with the nihilists.
    1
  8826.  @Lost-mb1gj  , Mexico is Spanish America. Two factors distinguish North America from Spanish America :- a) "Representative assemblies" b) "That trade offered better prospects of wealth than office." I've made a video on the topic. Spanish America was dominated by the Leviathans of Church and state-monarchism. Most wealth resided in Church and State. Ordinary folk looked to the Picaro (the trickster who combatted injustice and oppression by dodging work and obtaining a meal and cash).
    1
  8827.  @autumnsword8450  Yes, Max should join the Biden team.
    1
  8828. Logically, if Putin were to go nuclear he would do it before Kherson falls. To give him the best hand to play in negotiations. The next few weeks are the most dangerous.
    1
  8829. Wait until, Russia get Iranian drones : it'll be like Fred Karno's circus.
    1
  8830. Do you mean the Kremlin ?
    1
  8831. Yes. Russia is a gangster state.
    1
  8832.  @saintjavelin2126  Well said. Boris said, "The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts". Thank God for the USA. I'm afraid the EU is a dead loss. Britain does what it can, but everyone one is dwarfed by the Yanks.
    1
  8833. This is nonsense. Iran notified Iraq they were firing missiles. Iraq notified the US military. There never were going to be casualties because neither Iran nor the US wanted escalation. This was a face saver.
    1
  8834. Hamas is employed by the WHO, UNRWA etc Israel has to identify Hamas terrorists who have infiltrated these organisations Well done Israel
    1
  8835. Stupid clown. He wants the Iranian foreign minister to be laughing his head off after the negotiations (like he was with Obama's deal) My God, the Iranians saw Obama and Biden coming.....they demanded a jumbo jet loaded with cash. The USA had to trawl the planet for enough hard currency. The Ayatollah had Obama jumping through hoops.
    1
  8836. She looks worn out.
    1
  8837. 5:49 "Serious consideration India have being giving" That's just what they DIDN'T do. I said they should do nothing : they can only lose by ramping up a conflict with Pakistan. India responded in an ill-considered way because of the elections. India has to take terror attacks like Mumbai and Kashmir on the chin. More people die on the road each day. India should continue economic growth , education , social and political development and leave Pakistan to fester in Islamofascism.
    1
  8838.  @ExperiencingBliss  , of course you are right .....but where has it got India ? It is just like I said : there is nothing to be gained. Just take it on the chin and keep growing. India can talk to Imran Khan but he's no control over the renegade military.
    1
  8839. Russia can't detect Himars - which travel at Mach 2.5 and resent to small a profile They certainly can't shoot them down S300 - S400 are great for shooting down passenger planes (MH17) But Russia cannot defend against Himars
    1
  8840. An Islamist ? The establishment always counter with "Non-denial denials"
    1
  8841.  @0__0123 " Nizar Banat's death highlights brutality of Palestinian Authority" 14 Palestinian police dragged him from his home and beat him to death Palestinians need Democracy and the rule of Law Hamas replaced the PA in Gaza 2006 because they were the only thugs who could fight back The only political parties in Palestine are the thugs with guns There is no discussion, no free press and no democracy How can any democratic state negotiate with violent thugs ?
    1
  8842. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah the Ayatollah's henchmen. Hezbollah spread terror and murder across the middle-east ; they received an additional $800,000,000 from Iran after the Obama deal.
    1
  8843. What about MH17, shot down by drunken Russian thugs ? All those lives lost, and nobody seems to care about justice.
    1
  8844. Because Labour is "ideologically" pro-immigration
    1
  8845. Perhaps Youtube shouldn't be an unaccountable monopoly operating an authoritarian policy.
    1
  8846. China's corrupt CCP are looking on with dismay, at the sight of democracy in action.
    1
  8847. Israel must step up its military action in Lebanon
    1
  8848. "The Revolutionary Guard Corps were to bust with internal conflict". That means they were slaughtering Iranian civilians to impose totalitarian Islamist rule. The Revolutionary Guard consider raping female protestors to be a perk of the job :- @t @t @t
    1
  8849. Well done Germany. I watched Schulz confront his pacifist, peacenik party. A shame Germany sabotaged Ukraine in the beginning :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  8850. 1948 Arab/Israeli war : Jordan occupied the West Bank and annexed it Handing passports to west bank Palestinians 1967 Israel reclaimed the West bank. Jordan then cancelled passports
    1
  8851. Constitutional democracy in action : marvellous.
    1
  8852. In February Germany thought Russia would easily win so they hedged their bets by ..... 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Now Germany can see Ukraine is winning, so they are trying to rewrite history to show they supported Ukraine from the start.
    1
  8853.  @ryanangel2361  Mobilization is a disaster for Russia - it will break the army. The British army didn't want it in WW1, and they had a fully professional officer corps and logistics supply. The Russian army will collapse under the load, unless China supplies ration packs and equipment. Medvedev : "They want to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen Ben Hodges : "A Hemingway character said he went bankrupt in to ways - slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation will collapse".
    1
  8854.  @nvelsen1975  General Ben Hodges : "Russia's defeat is now inevitable" Mykhailo Podolyak (adviser to Zelensky) " It is a mathematical certainty that Ukraine will win in 3 - 6 months" Putin knows he has lost. That information will take 6 weeks to dawn on the army. At which stage Putin falls and the Russian Federation may collapse.
    1
  8855.  @nvelsen1975  Correct. Ben Hodges never gave a timeline. But Russia cannot win - even Olaf Scholz has told Putin that. There is a contradiction : Russian folk want the war to end, and they want to win.. A very wise Ukrainian realised this in February and said, "The war will have to end on the battlefield, and Putin will very liely fall, and maybe the Federation will break up" Wise words.
    1
  8856. Trump has tamed Iran. I've never heard a hard-liner so conciliatory. It was all about co-operation and mending bridges. Trump has certainly tamed them. (Of course the Iranians are still murdering pro0democracy activists in Iraq : 600 so far) (And still have Hezbollah in the finance ministry in Lebanon, which is bankrupt)
    1
  8857.  @persianking9138  ,The Revolutionary Guard regularly rape female protestors, they consider it a perk of their job. @t @t @t @t This is the true face of Iran. Iran is a totalitarian Islamofascist state. There is no independent judiciary, no independent police force, if you are arrested they can do what they want with you.
    1
  8858. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  8859. LOL - it is Caliphate countries which are failed states 2011 Arab Spring (another failure) The Muslim world fails at every turn
    1
  8860. China : Putin didn't tell "the truth" about his invasion plans Putin has been "irresponsible" to use nuclear threats. That was at the G20, after the rapprochement by Biden and Xi
    1
  8861. This is good : They are diverting the people's attention from the disaster that is Iran's economy. But how long can you fool folk ?
    1
  8862. China have slower growth than expected , so they have reversed the controls they'd placed on coal (ie it's back to building a coal-fired power station every week). Russia are rubbing their hands a) they thrive on chaos b) they think it would make Siberia more accessible to extract minerals ,gas and oil. USA , they are very reluctant to hobble themselves and would prefer to take a back-seat. The EU will do more than others, laudably, but lamentably too little.
    1
  8863.  @danpettinger1353  And not know anything about Pentecost ?
    1
  8864. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    1
  8865. "Abducted children" Russia abducted children - Putin has been charged by the ICJ
    1
  8866.  @jahservantgad9042  All Russians (including those who oppose Putin, and want democracy), they all want a powerful Russia. All Russians would like to see Russia victorious. Don't be fooled into thinking this is Putin's war. Look at Solzhenitsyn : he spent 10yrs being tortured in the Gulags, then came out to be Putin's guru. Even the victims of the Kremlin still support mother Russia.
    1
  8867.  @3o3tigger  And Snake Island ? The Russians left because "The holiday was over". Russia lost the battle of Kyiv, they lost at Kharkiv, and they will lose the Donbas, and Crimea. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  8868.  @3o3tigger  APARTEMNT BOMBINGS Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  8869. If Pakman wants "to be consistent" shouldn't he criticise rapist Bill Clinton ?
    1
  8870. Pope Francis is Argentinian, has anyone asked his opinion ? He supported the Falklands war and defended a Columbian child abusing bishop, I wonder where he stands on abortion.
    1
  8871. ALX, hope you're well. I recall a great moment of drama from my school days. (This anecdote is apropos the Church condemning women who have abortions). Anyway, the teacher had given the kids invitations for parents to attend a school mass. One lad rips his letter up and is immediately challenged by the teacher. "My mum's divorced she's not allowed to go to Communion", says the lad. All the class was silently digesting this Church sanctioned bigotry as the teacher mumbled something like, "Well at least wait until you're outside the classroom to tear it up."
    1
  8872. Lara, I was probably exaggerating I confess. What the Pope did was call Britain "Usurpers" for coming to the defence of its citizens. The Pope was siding with the drunken military dictatorship which had been torturing Argentinians for decades.
    1
  8873. Where did Modi go wrong ? Three big miscalculations :- a) Modi was supping with cut-throats - Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan. b) Modi thought Russian weapons would protect India from China. Wrong. China will crush India regardless of its weapons. India's only hop will be international pressure, and it will get NOTHING. c) Modi is an ingenue : he can't rub shoulders with psychopaths. Stalin Killed 30 million, Mao killed 60 million, Pakistan committed one of the worst genocides in Bangladesh, and North Korea is a horror. "You're not one of them, Modi"
    1
  8874. What rubbish. I'm no wiser after watching that. I'm digressing but did you notice the Somali physique : tall and slim. Giving him maximum surface are per unit volume to dissipate heat. I've rescued this boring program with that observation.
    1
  8875.  @appletree6741  Putin : Does Ukraine have any weakness ? Shoigu : Yes : they are running out of jokes. Gerasimov : It's true Herr Putin, they are reconditioning old jokes.
    1
  8876. They are laughing in their hats at Putin. Putin is a huge loser. They are all laughing.
    1
  8877. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  8878. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  8879. 13 Oct Macron capitulated and stabbed NATO in the back Jen Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" That means France has done it gain (with the white flag)
    1
  8880. Hamas stockpile food Young healthy males are stealing aid The young men - Hamas supporters all look healthy
    1
  8881. Well done Trump The EU think the best of everybody (like Dr Pangloss) Take the Afghan that beheaded his Dutch girlfriend, sentenced to 12 yrs serves 7, is then released to attack someone else. Take Iran, a fascist theocracy whose police snipers shoot protesters, the EU believes they will change : meanwhile the Ayatollah builds nuclear weapons. The EU are purblind.
    1
  8882. I admire the EU's faith in human nature ; unfortunately it is extremely naive. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year, where do you think the Socialist Party went ? Iran had a huge Communist Party, where did they vanish ? They all went into the Ayatollah's terror death camps. Where they used fork-lift trucks to hang them 6 at a time. Read "The executioners deserve medals".
    1
  8883. Trump doesn't want to see this This is giving his Jan 6 coup a bad name Bolsonaro's supporters are reminded everyone just how serious Trump's coup was
    1
  8884. Youmna al Sayed : she's a very good reporter.
    1
  8885. She is a very good journalist and cab speak without a script better than President Biden. She is also better than Mahmoud Abbas. And much better than Hamas savages. Why don't the Palestinians elect her president ?
    1
  8886. "Germany shares Western concerns" Nobody cares what Germany thinks. They are windbags. They sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
    1
  8887. Macron has "the vision thing". Sober reflection is required, but also guarded enthusiasm. The EU must get away from unanimous voting : it led to the erasure of Poland. The Sejm was sabotaged for a century, because Russia Prussia and Austria only had to bribe one corrupt Polish noble. (Sejm = aristocratic Polish parliament)
    1
  8888. What does that bon mot mean ? It means she didn't back Bernie. She only thinks of herself , hence Hillary lite.
    1
  8889. Good campaign advert ? The schmaltze made me feel ill.
    1
  8890.  @russianman340  Russia has done a good job running from Kyiv and running from Kharkiv, they must be ready for a good long rest in Donbas. : They will get it, Donbas will be their permanent resting place.
    1
  8891. Wion has a point.
    1
  8892. LOL it will certainly take divine intervention..... Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  8893. Moscow regards France as a "neutral" country, how does that happen ? Because France is only half engaged with NATO and keeps close contact with the enemy. Vichy France is not an aberration, it is French culture :- a) Macron : "Countries should not gang up on China" b) Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" c) Macron asks Iran to be a peacemaker in Ukraine France instinctively places a foot in the enemy camp : they don't try to hide it, they are shameless.
    1
  8894. Judge the NON violence for yourself.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo8bEK1z1kA Thousands of youths backed by Hamas attempt an invasion of Israel. Burning tyres and firing catapults. It is hardly Gandi's non-violent civil resistance.
    1
  8895. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
    1
  8896.  @williamdavis9562  Russia is the country with a long history of defeat... Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  8897. Russia were forced from Snake Island and humiliated. Macron warned Ukraine not to humiliate Russia. Russia responded by slaughtering civilians. Macron might try thinking about the victims - they're humiliated too.
    1
  8898. He's gotta lotta pride.
    1
  8899. This gut is a jackass. The Iran nuclear deal (Obama deal) was a disaster. Every Ayatollah or military leader as declared Iran's intention to "wipe Israel off the map" and as the major target Israel have said the Obama deal is a disaster. Obama was given a Nobel and had to justify it, this bearded jackass was given a well-paid job and has to justify it. Iran became cash rich after the Obama deal and spent Billions developing ICBMs (missiles to deliver nukes ) and on terror groups across the region. Hezbollah received $800 million : remember them ? At the 1999 Tehran student protests Hezbollah were the thugs beating the students with clubs. People who support the Obama deal have usually got a financial finger in the pie (like this jackass).
    1
  8900. toolbalkain, can I give a synopsis of your post ? Basically, the Saudi is an effete , work-shy, indolent fellow , whose main area of expertise is whoring around Europe.
    1
  8901. The life and means, well said. When Iranian students protested for greater democracy and an end to Theocracy and corruption, it was Hezbollah who beat them with clubs. Hezbollah are fascists. Hezbollah do NOT believe in democracy : they believe in a Caliphate (a Theocratic dictatorship) Hezbollah are untrustworthy, ruthless fascists.
    1
  8902. edu, Isn't it marvellous : it's like a Frederick Forsythe novel. The helicopter that 'crashed' was apparently shot down because the occupants were escaping.
    1
  8903. Chris, I never noticed. So many misinformed morons. Incidentally, I notice your well observed comment hasn't got any upvotes.......there's no justice.
    1
  8904. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  8905. Curious ? There are NATO exercises going on right now.... But France goes to the US alone ? France hates the Anglo-Saxons, so maybe this is a breakthrough
    1
  8906. Israel is a civilized democracy (the sort of place where the police interview the president 7 times over a gift of cigars). Russia is a gangster state where the elite steal $billions from Gazprom. Chomsky equates the two because he has been purblind with prejudice against the US and Israel for decades.
    1
  8907. GF, your wish not entirely implausible. Trump and his family are in quite some trouble. But remember who put him there : the DNC with their choice of "The most unpopular candidate in the history of US elections". With one exception (Trump) and he had the advantage of being unknown, not establishment. And the country, which didn't trust or like Hillary gave him a shot. GF, you should blame yourself for being a brainwashed Hillary supporter.
    1
  8908. GF, a) switch off the caps lock or I'll stop educating you. b) Trump has been laundering Russian money. Eric Trump told a golf buddy, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". That's the scandal. It's not that Russia forced citizens to vote Trump. c) The DNC were bankrupt and Hillary had raised $1.3 billion , that's why they rigged the primary for her. You have a lot of reading to do. You sound very young and naive.
    1
  8909. 0:55 Is that a blower ? That fire-bobby is creating a "backdraft" Is it blowing CO2 or what ?
    1
  8910. Pakistan is hand in hand with Global designated terrorist Hafeez Saeed who was responsible for 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which killed around 200 innocent people
    1
  8911.  @somesome0101  I've given your reply a thumbs up - very thought provoking. The EU are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants. I think we must distinguish Russians from the Kremlin : - a) Russians are welcome to join the EU and NATO b) The Kremlin are KGB gangsters, and despotic thugs. In the West they would be arrested for racketeering and various other crimes. They are simply thugs. c) When Putin was deputy mayor of St Petersburg $98 million went missing. The police investigated but couldn't find the money or any clues. Of course Putin didn't get it all - everyone got a slice, including the police. d) The Kremlin threaten nuclear war at the drop of a hat. They did it when they invaded Georgia 2004, when they invaded Crimea 2014. One Kremlin minister had his plane delayed in Poland and said he would return in a nuclear bomber. They are simply disgusting thugs.
    1
  8912. EU doesn't need to do anything Simply let Ukraine strike Russia's energy grid - Russia will collapse Russia joked about making Ukrainians freeze But the west stopped Ukraine retaliating (so as not to provoke Putin)
    1
  8913. LOL "defeat" The Lunatic Left support Moscow and Islamism They live in a dream world
    1
  8914. Education ? UNRWA employed Sinwar as a head teacher Educated in terrorism Well done UN, they are better off with zero education
    1
  8915.  @asjasjd  , I'm just saying that culture is something which takes generations to develop. Let me give you two examples:- a) An Oxford professor gave these statistics, that in France 78% of people have participated in a demonstration and in Britain only 15%. That is an example of difference in culture. The answer to this being :- as the Young Ottoman Nedam Kemal said in (1860) "In Britain there is the indomitable power of public opinion". b) The Shah of Iran's ambassador to the UN (brother of Iran's longest serving PM). Was filming the "Remembrance of Ali" parade. He said he had to hand the camera to his colleague and join in : to become "An ourself amongst others". That is an example of culture. In Latin America one has a culture which is different from that in North America. That is what I was addressing.
    1
  8916.  @asjasjd  , you may point to the Jesuits and say "They did some good work". Actually they didn't : the Indian population was in complete subservience, the Jesuits even decided what meals they should eat and when. It was like a colony of drones dominated by the Church. Every Catholic country in Europe expelled the Jesuits. The Austrian education minister (who had been educated by Jesuits) declaring "Before they damage any more future generations". The Jesuits ran much of the Civil Service. Educated young people directed their energy and resources towards gaining secure employment with the Church & State. In Spain nobles fought desperately to get their family employment in the Court (the centre of all wealth). The Spanish aristocracy acquired wealth through systematic state-plunder. Gonzales Cellerigo told Philip II "there are no people of the middling sort". There were the extremely rich tax-exempt nobles, and the triple-taxed peasants. (Tax to the crown, tax to the landlord, and of course Tithes to the Church : a recipe for success if ever I heard one)
    1
  8917.  Migsy P  , Another example would be Poland. Why is Poland 93% catholic ? One must return to the Reformation, or more precisely the Counter-Reformation. Jesuits turned pluralist Poland into a bigoted hegemony. Poland is partitioned 3 times (1772, 1793, 1795) by Orthodox Russia and Lutheran Prussia. One can't just look at the previous century, to understand a nation/culture one has to go back many centuries.
    1
  8918. @L G , AS I mentioned in a previous reply, US imperialism only began in the 20th Century and Latin America was a failure long before that. Look at the Independence movements : all of them opposed by the Catholic Church - which throughout history has sided with monarchism and authoritarianism, to safeguard itself.
    1
  8919. Toon, that's how I feel and I'm pro-Europe. Juncker is an old soak, a ruddy-faced old sot.
    1
  8920. Boris (on Russia) : "A cynical, barbaric government" Queen Victoria (on Russia) : "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  8921. 0:40 for anyone who wants to hear "Beizshing". To be honest it sounded like Beijing to me but then I preferred Peking so am a poor judge.
    1
  8922. "Germany shares Western concerns" Nobody cares what Germany thinks. They are windbags. They sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
    1
  8923. "Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi swore in Adel Mohamed al-Khayat, a former leader of Gamaa Islamiya and now a member of its political arm, as the new governor of Luxor governorate" The guy who killed tourists id now the governor of Luxor. You couldn't make it up. Morsi not only lacked charisma, he wasn't just a fanatical half-wit, he was also had an ego, bloated with hubris and purblind to its inevitable demise.
    1
  8924.  @tucodjebril996  Mohamed Morsi thought that Western Civilization had such a high regard for democracy, they would defend him from a coup : they didn't. They simply watched and remained silent. He was the product of the Muslim Brotherhood, which rewards obedience. He was used to being obeyed, and had no faculty for compromise. Erdoğan is cut from the same cloth : Authoritarian and dictatorial. The West also remained silent for Erdoğan's coup, which unfortunately failed. The anti-democratic fascism of the Muslim Brotherhood will always be rejected by Western Civilization.
    1
  8925. Then China would be blockaded, isolated, and economically crippled.
    1
  8926.  obicapa  , also education :- young children crawl around with wooden rifles and are brain-washed with propaganda. I've seen teenagers wearing 'Yaser Arafat' T-shirts. They have no idea that Arafat was a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion.
    1
  8927. Erdogan has imprisoned more journalists than any other nation. He has imprisoned and threatened opposition politicians and made democracy a sham (like it is under Putin in Russia).
    1
  8928. prallund, hi you half-witted Kremlin troll. Micha S Daniel cruz More Kremlin trolls......they've no shame. Good news :- Russia is going down the sewer :- a) Demographically it is in decline b) economically it had $480 billion 4yrs ago , it now has $17 billion which it has just added to the state welfare fund , so essentially there's no longer a sovereign wealth fund. c) future revenue depends upon today's investment : oil & gas production 10yrs down the line depend upon developing new fields. There is no investment now so future revenue is in permanent decline. Things can only get worse for Russia : there is no silver lining.
    1
  8929. prallund, you are obviously not a troll , that's quite a fair point. There are quite a few Western commentators agree with you : Peter Hitchens for one. The thing is , the Kremlin gangsters are so repulsive. It is so easy to hate them.
    1
  8930. Michael, you mean the FSB were caught planting a bag of rice : which was such a convincing bomb it had the bomb disposal team working on it for 90 minutes until it was diffused.
    1
  8931.  @ms9771  You are totally wrong. In 1922 (Ottoman collapse) it was the Zionists who elected an Administrative Council. It was the Palestinians who didn't know what being a nation meant.The Caliphate had left them ignorant, illiterate, exploited by corruption, and looking to the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem for answers.
    1
  8932.  @ms9771  Good reply, I enjoyed that. The Ottoman Empire was a colony, the British slightly less so. Britain had two interests :- a) Suez built in 1869 b) Oil in Iran discovered 1908 Britain had a mandate to garrison Palestine simply to keep order - it was costing money to be there. Palestinians had their communities, which were focused on family clans. They looked to Damascus as their capital. Jersulaem was tiny, just a small town.
    1
  8933. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
    1
  8934. One Palestinian said, "This is the greatest nation on Earth". Why doesn't anyone fact check Palestinians ? Palestine has never been a nation : it was Roman, Byzantine, Umayyid, Abassid and Ottoman. And if it was a nation it wouldn't be the greatest : it would be a corrupt authoritarian pseudo democracy one-party state.
    1
  8935. Good comment. I wish I'd said that.
    1
  8936. "We are already destroyed", say the Palestinians. How much responsibility lies with their leadership ? Let's analyse it. Yasser Arafat ruled as a corrupt dictator for 40yrs how did he do a) democracy 0/10 b) strategy , intifada, stone throwing, bombs, hijacking 2/10 c) UN, USA, EU, Aran neighbours negotiations "He can't be trusted" all the Arab countries hated him. But he stuck to his undeliverable demands 2/10 Palestinians continue to be failed Abbas scores just as badly. The leadership is clueless. Oh I forgot, Abbas has built himself a $1.8 million mansion : corruption 9/10 d) Arafat stole $3 billion, sent $1million a month to his wife in Paris 10/10
    1
  8937. Imagine if Palestine had had a Nelson Mandela or Gandhi. Instead you get 70yrs of corrupt despotism ; but it's never their fault. It is Israel or the US or EU or UN. Never once do they question their own leadership. Historians said of Yasser Arafat "He never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity". And here we are 70yrs later with no progress : Islamofascist Hamas in Gaza and anti-democratic, corrupt Abbas in the West Bank. Well done Palestinians.
    1
  8938. Pity the Afghan people. They will be governed by Taliban savages.
    1
  8939.  @Chahlie  The terrible truth : The Russian people know their army is responsible for atrocities, and they don't care.
    1
  8940.  @africanpage7794  , Thank Jove I'm not living in "your" country. It is very revealing of the Yanks ignorance that they always assume everyone is American - there is a world out there you know, way beyond the bible-belt.
    1
  8941. If you are so omniscient how come the only thing you got correct is the date of the Monroe Doctrine (1823) ?
    1
  8942. Biden : "Russia will be a pariah on the world stage. Any nation countenancing Russian aggression will be tainted by association" He is talking about India. Modi has countenanced Russian aggression by not condemning it outright. India is tainted by association.
    1
  8943. Hillary's campaign slogan was "It's her turn" I wonder if that applies to standing in the dock ?
    1
  8944. Carnot
    1
  8945. Even Hillary's election team knew she wasn't liked : that's why her adverts never featured her voice or face. She makes people sick with her corruption and lies.
    1
  8946. Pre-election polls showed 68% of Americans didn't trust her But still the DNC rig the primaries for her. Why ? Because she'd raised $1.3billion and the DNC were skint. With the Clintons always follow the cash : they do.
    1
  8947. In Bangladesh Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000 women and girls :- " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
    1
  8948. So many people misunderstand Trump. They liken him to Nixon : Nixon hated cameras, he hated people and large events. There's no comparison. Trump also thrives in chaos : he keeps China and N Korea guessing ; and he keeps the media and House of Representatives guessing. They think this weakens Trump : it doesn't he thrives on it.
    1
  8949. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  8950.  @mrcactuar8515  Thanks for your reply. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
    1
  8951.  @frankfrisco2667  , wrong. Iran is everyone's problem : in case you haven't noticed they are desperately trying to acquire nuclear weapons. Also, in case you don't know it, the rabid Ayatollah and his theocratic lunatics believe in the 12th Imam. It's an apocalyptic prophesy which means just what it says : "an apocalypse brings the 12th Imam". So here you have irrational, religious fanatics believing in an apocalyptic salvation and you say leave them to it ?
    1
  8952.  @humanonearth1  , your comment has chimed a chord in me. I've just completed a video championing education and I'm going to shamelessly plug it (with your permission). It's called "Spanish-America failure North America success why ?" Features historical analysis of Spain, a comparison of Venice and the Papal states and decries the Inquisition for banning the importation of books and preventing students studying abroad - both of which kept Spain 2 centuries behind Enlightened Europe and both of which were transferred to the Americas. It's only 4mins and terrifically erudite.
    1
  8953. Lisa, your thoughts are the most incoherent , baseless nonsense I've ever read on Youtube. It is just moronic. You think they a protesting to get US welfare checks ? You total halfwitted moron. An utter imbecile.
    1
  8954. Jac, you total fuckwit imbecile. Yanks are famous for knowing nothing and having a low IQ You certainly conform to the type.
    1
  8955. The horrors the Taliban are inflicting now the yanks have left, leave one wondering whether more of them shouldn't have been killed "whilst drinking tea".
    1
  8956. Good mission & well filmed.
    1
  8957. Guterres : "Hamas massacre did not happen in a VACUUM Hamas rapes and murder were provoked." Guterres thinks Hamas are the good guys Guterres MUST resign, he is a disgrace to the UN
    1
  8958. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  8959. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Shirley described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  8960. Secret deal 13 Oct NATO Brussels discuss nuclear response 13 Oct Macron "neutrality" (stabs NATO in the back) 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington Nuclear response (Putin's bluff called) 21 Oct Shoigu calls NATO (Lloyd Austin) 23 Oct Shoigu calls Lloyd Austin (again !) 24 Oct Gerasimov calls NATO 29 Oct Black Sea Fleet attack 30 Oct Russia pull out of grain deal 3 Nov Russia rejoin grain deal (?) 5 Nov Jake Sullivan Kyiv 7 Nov Jake Sullivan Moscow 9 Nov Kherson retreat 9 Nov Mark Milley urges negotiations (?) remember the confusion and mixed messages : Peskov "We'll get back to you"
    1
  8961. An Islamist ? The establishment always counter with "Non-denial denials"
    1
  8962. Lord Owen : "The Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability ; they know what would happen to their families" When asked whether the threat was real.
    1
  8963. How would India have voted ? India is now firmly in the camp of the Axis of evil. Modi has made a mega mistake.
    1
  8964. If fatty is betting on a rebound in the New Year he can forget it. He's more likely to be tightening his belt and watching his blood pressure.
    1
  8965.  @wilbur948ie  You are rejoicing at Russia's attack on civilians - terrorism, I'm talking about military conflict. The Russian army is in full retreat. The Kremlin can only attack civilians and make them freeze. On the battlefield Russia is finished.
    1
  8966.  @amirtawfik7495  You are rejoicing at Russia's attack on civilians - terrorism, I'm talking about military conflict. The Russian army is in full retreat. The Kremlin can only attack civilians and make them freeze. On the battlefield Russia is finished.
    1
  8967. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
    1
  8968. Allow me to narrate this excellent footage. "Crackpot Revolutionary Guard commander Khomeini Al-Bejabers has threatened to seize a British tanker in retaliation. Speaking to a brainwashed assembly he invoked e spirit of stupidity and vowed an end to all things Western : with the exception of nuclear warheads ,upon which topic he said, when pressed, "We'll have one in a jiffy ".
    1
  8969. "Understanding the Palestinian conflict" I bet the book begins with 1948. (It will be rubbish) The problem begins 500yrs before. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed in the 1920s Palestine was 90% illiterate : whose fault was that ? In 1920 the Jews held an election for a General Assembly shadow administration, whilst the British installed a Mufti in Jerusalem to lead the Arabs. It wasn't until the 1960s that western educated Palestinians (PLO & Yasser Arafat) Presented the idea of a Palestinian state. The illiteracy was the result of the Ulema banning printing in 1515. In Europe there were 200,000,000 books published in the 16th century. The Middle East was at a huge disadvantage. The Frankfurt Book Fair attracted merchants from thousands of miles around. The whole of Europe was reading.
    1
  8970.  @manojqaengineer  , don't worry : this pull-out will never happen. Trump announced this 8 months ago and had to eat his words. The US will still be in N-East Syria next year and the year after. Mark my words.
    1
  8971.  @metea.890  , the EU and UN and USA are just letting turkey blow off steam in the Mediterranean. Turkey have warships protecting a drilling ship and nobody is going to start a conflict. But sanctions will be applied and Turkey will withdraw. Under international law they have no right to drill.
    1
  8972. Okay I've researched this for you all :- look at a map : there is no road on the Turkish side of the border. So they are being allowed to patrol the road on the Syrian side. That's it. The US are NOT withdrawing. Turkey are allowed to patrol the road along the border. The US will be in N.East Syria for the next decade at least : they (and the Kurds) are sitting on all the oil. This move is just to allow Erdogan to blow off steam : it is meaningless strategically.
    1
  8973.  @4Evren  , I don't know the details but there are international laws about how you decide who can drill where. Argentina dispute the oil drilling near the Falklands Islands but because that is British territory they are allowed to drill. Northern Cyprus is not Turkish territory : it belongs to Cyprus. There is a Latin expression that explains it : de facto and de jure. N.Cyprus is de facto Turkish but not de jure (by law). The Golan Heights are de facto Israeli but not de jure. (By fact of occupation but not by law).
    1
  8974.  @4Evren  , nobody is going to war over oil & gas. Turkey will have sanctions applied that leave them bankrupt.
    1
  8975. Axis of evil. Turkey will be kicked out of NATO. That's why the US have taken East Syria with the Kurds. Turkey will not take Manjib : the US gave a signal with the Al-Tabiyeh attack on a battalion of Russian mercenaries, which was a massacre (200 dead, 200 wounded).
    1
  8976. ​ @papuchomamucha7621  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  8977.  @MTLmunchies  , During the 1970s oil boom the Gulf states threw money at the Palestinians : Arafat stole $3 billion and all the others must have had the same. Was anything invested in education or infrastructure ?
    1
  8978. Chumps......Deplorables........ill-informed morons........half-wits Conspiracy whack-jobs........it can only be the folk who think 'Art of the Deal' is a worthwhile read.
    1
  8979. 8:20 "This small-town girl" That is the funniest thing I've seen on YouTube.
    1
  8980. David it could have been worse : Hillary might have won. How would you be feeling to know someone who has been corrupt for 25yrs (ever since that first cattle trading $100k in Arkansas) I
    1
  8981. Will South Africa call for the hostages to be released ? (Of course not : South Africa supports terrorism)
    1
  8982. Modi still supporting Russia. Shame on India. Mass graves - one corpse had both arms broken and a noose around his neck. India has no moral compass.
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  8983. Pakistan is a failure - no democracy, no justice
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  8984. Ever since Tsar Alexander (at the Congress of Vienna 1815) Russia has been forcing backwards autocracy on Europeans. Europe would truly prosper if Russia would £uck off.
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  8985. Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" AUKUS is a fighting alliance. Any group which includes France (and India) will never actually get stuck in. Both nations have a history of disappointing performance.
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  8986.  @GeneralZadrot  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  8987. We mustn't forget that Al Jazeera are owned by Qatar, who fund Hamas to the tune of $20 million per month. So they are hardly innocent players.
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  8988.  @owaismohammedejazahmed6710  , I agree : I was supporting the Palestinians before you were born. What happened ? Well, back in the 1970s nobody had heard of Fatwa, Jihad, or Sharia. It took the Ayatollah, Al-Qaeda and 9/11 to open folks eyes. Then they took a close look at Hamas and were dismayed. The 35yr corrupt dictatorship of Arafat didn't help. The anti-democratic corruption of Fatah wasn't appealing. Western Civilization feels a natural empathy with Israel. In many ways the Palestinians are the product of a 600yr Caliphate. A Caliphate that banned printing in 1515, condemning the people to 90% illiteracy. A caliphate that taught young folk that the Sultan is "Our Lord on Earth". Which is why the British installed a Mufti in Jerusalem (1920) to give the Palestinians a leader.
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  8989.  @ashk6762  Russian brutal aggression goes back centuries ....... Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  8990.  @joselugo4536  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
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  8991.  @joselugo4536  You are missing the point : Russia will receive 100x whatever it delivers. The US alone spends $800 billion on defence. Russia has a GDP smaller than Italy. You are living in a dream if you think Russia would come out on top in a nuclear exchange.
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  8992.  @joselugo4536  Watch "Smart projectiles 155" they are NATO artillery that detect vehicles and smash them. It is like something from War of the Worlds. The Russians are being fed into a meat-grinder. NATO are sending 10k MLRS and Himars rockets. There is no need for Ukrainians to charge into Kherson : they can simply destroy Russia's army from a distance.
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  8993.  @lokihammerfall7781  , How will "patience pay off" ? The Yanks can be patient : the Dems don't want to appear weak before the mid-terms. Yes, that is how long it will take. The mid-term elections will be imminent, the Dems want to appear strong, so they are in no rush. Meanwhile, the Iranians have acknowledged the sanctions are crippling the economy. (despite your ill-informed comment).
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  8994.  @partonaderi5083  , "simple as that" If only life were simple. Unfortunately the Ayatollah is a mad man who believes in the 12th Imam. The 12th Imam arrives when time has gone full circle - Armageddon. So the insanity of the Ayatollah is to be very much feared. By contrast 65% of Israelis are secular. Israel is a rational civilised western state. I'm surprised you never noticed Iran's behaviour before "Azizollah Rajabzadeh, the former commander of Tehran police, is named in the video (by the cameraman) as the person behind the campus attack. The riot police behaved so brutally that even some of the Basij tried to stop them, as the video shows. Students were harassed verbally and physically when forced to lie on the ground. Some were bleeding profusely but the police continued to attack them. This was the point when five students were killed by being beaten with electric batons on their heads."
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  8995. U.S. in the title is actually "us" : the word "us".
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  8996. Why don't Hamas and Fatah form a unity government ? It would be a beacon to world democracy.
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  8997. Macron did well : he knows how to "ride a slap". One moves away in the direction of slap and "rides it". I suspect Macron has been slapped before.
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  8998. "Let's come together and get it done. And let's get Brexit done by October the 31st" Two 'dones' in that short sentence -D. What a lousy ending to a lousy speech. I'm pro-Brexit but this clown can't make a speech to save his life. Tony Blair always finished on a triple-whammy.
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  8999. a) Who can protect parliament better than the supreme court ? Nobody , itself I suppose , but the Supreme Court can certainly chivvy in. b) Who protects the people from the people who lie to get elected ? Your own good judgement surely. c) Who protects us from parliament and it's failure to deliver on a promise to deliver what we voted for ? Ah, but what if you voted to have your cake and eat it ?
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  9000.  @lunafringe10  , I notice you didn't cast any doubt on the electoral process : so the MPs are all elected representatives. Where's your beef ?
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  9001. Let's hope China are not harvesting his organs.
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  9002. This MBS guy has a reputation for being the Sweeney Todd of the Middle East. Who is he going into partnership with Jack the Ripper ?
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  9003.  @iamaformerhistorystudent  , I have an interest in geopolitics and watch France 24, DW, The Print (India) etc I write comments just to keep in practice. And obviously I add an historical context if it is warranted.
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  9004. ​ @TheTaufiqkadri  Good reply :_ a) In 1895 (Venezuelan crisis) the British cabinet speculated on war with the USA. One minister said, "We might expect a massive uprising of Red Indians". Even at that stage nobody knew just how few Indians there were. b) Bengal was a famine. Like the Irish famine (which lasted 3 years) the British felt overawed by the scale. c) France was humiliated in 1840, and again in 1870. French African atrocities were, like the Spanish Atrocities * after 1899 (Spanish/American war) the result of humiliation. * see Asturian miners : "In the armed action taken against the uprising, some 1,500 miners were killed, with another 30,000 to 40,000 taken prisoner and thousands more became unemployed. The repression of the uprising carried out by the colonial troops included looting, rape and summary executions." German atrocities can also be ascribed to humiliation. Communism : those deliberate crimes were the product of totalitarian, inhuman ideology.
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  9005.  @crazythoughts8597  In 1940 the Civilized world held its breath - hoping for the reelection of Roosevelt. There was huge relief when the news came. I think you fail to see the terror of Nazism, Stalinism and Maoism. Maybe you simply want to exculpate India ? Russian TV does the same. One chap said, "We were occupied in 1991" He then blamed the West for all Russia's crimes and gangsterism. Russian TV also calls the Gulags "Reeducation centres" The Russians are very brainwashed and I think some Indians are too.
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  9006.  @krishnaats7141  President Xi never mentions numbers in his speeches because he is very poor at math. I think you have confused millions and thousands.
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  9007.  @shubhamjatav6637  The USA is NOT the oldest democracy. Britain developed the Parliamentary system and gifted it to the world. The USA is the product of Protestant northern Europe. South/central America is the product of Catholic, authoritarian southern Europe. That is why they developed differently.
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  9008. Well done Ukraine : heroic defenders of the nation. Biden is sending tanks and heavy howitzers. Stay strong.
    1
  9009. Ted Heath - imposed arms embargo on both parties October 1973 Oil embargo : October 1973 – March 1974 I would guess Heath was trying to head off the oil embargo
    1
  9010.  @The-Heart-Will-Testify  I fully agree with you. The solution to that is to publicize it for the world to see. That is how Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement triumphed. The wrong thing to do is...... The first rockets were fired on Monday 10th May at 6:01 pm by Hamas. After Israel had ignored the 6pm Hamas deadline to remove all forces from Al-Aqsa. If you think rockets are a good strategy, then you are clueless.
    1
  9011. Corruption, unaccountable security forces, no independent judiciary, nepotism, graft and cronyism : it's the usual middle-east cauldron.
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  9012. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    1
  9013. Nizar Banat : killed by 14 Palestinian police (beaten to death) Suspects released. NO justice in corrupt Palestine.
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  9014.  Said Nasereddin  Well said, and I respect your belief. But what if you are a secularist, and believe all religions are invented, who judges us then ? Nobody, Yasser Arafat got away with it scot-free.
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  9015.  Said Nasereddin  I've given your comment a thumbs up.
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  9016.  @FutureofGoodnessKindness  , Very wise words (except for the nonsense about God. Everyone knows religions are invented). Surprisingly, I heard the Fatah candidate for the cancelled elections (the one who is in prison) say, "We have to live as neighbours when this is over ". I was very surprised at his far-sightedness. Of course you are correct about culture being the big divider. I have always maintained that culture takes at least 500yrs to establish. For the Palestinians the key cultural events are :- a) Islam ~650 b) the Ottomans ~1200 c) the Ulema banning printing (1515) condemning ordinary folk to 90% illiteracy. d) the collapse of the Ottomans : the last Sultan fled in a British ambulance with 2 trunks of jewels (1922). The last Caliph was handed £2k and put on a train to Switzerland (1924) e) The year after the Jews elect a General assembly (1920), the British install a Mufti in Jerusalem. So as Israel establish a proto-state the Palestinians listen to a Mufti. f) Israel declare themselves a state the day after the British mandate ends ; the Palestinians have to shake off the Caliphate (Mufti and Pan Arabism) before they can declare themselves a state (1988)
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  9017. This lady is 100% FSB Ukraine intelligence warned everyone a long time ago. When she 'fled' to the west the first thing she did was call for "An end to sanctions". Saying it hurt the Russian people and didn't affect the regime.
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  9018.  @warrencr86  Thank you for asking. Let me explain how it works. When the USSR collapsed the East German Stasi had informers all over society including TV. THis is how it might work : as a student the TV lady took part in a demo and caused minor damage. She was interviewed and gave some trivial information to avoid a small sentence. She then gets a job at TV and is informed that the FSB fixed it for her - she gives some more trivial information. Do you get the picture ? She is not on a salary. She is not "working" for the FSB as an agent. She is lie all Stasi informers simply in their grasp. She gets financial rewards - promotion and maybe cash. She is also threatened with losing her job or being exposed. It is always carrot and stick. The Ukrainian Intelligence spotted her immediately.
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  9019.  @Talinthis  Thank you for asking. Let me explain how it works. When the USSR collapsed the East German Stasi had informers all over society including TV. THis is how it might work : as a student the TV lady took part in a demo and caused minor damage. She was interviewed and gave some trivial information to avoid a small sentence. She then gets a job at TV and is informed that the FSB fixed it for her - she gives some more trivial information. Do you get the picture ? She is not on a salary. She is not "working" for the FSB as an agent. She is lie all Stasi informers simply in their grasp. She gets financial rewards - promotion and maybe cash. She is also threatened with losing her job or being exposed. It is always carrot and stick. The Ukrainian Intelligence spotted her immediately.
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  9020.  @Talinthis  Thanks, a good question. The TV lady is the focus of Russian protest in Western media : the FSB decide what she says, they are controlling the narrative. TV lady - doesn't like war, she likes peace. She wants sanctions lifted because they hurt ordinary Russians. She doesn't call Putin an incompetent thief, she quite likes him, but wants peace not war. This is the sort of bland message the Kremlin can cope with. It takes the Western focus away from real protests - that Putin is an utterly corrupt incompetent KGB killer. Hillary Clinton - "Russia can only destroy, they can't develop their own country" Imagine the TV lady saying that ? Never. Because that would be unacceptable criticism. The FSB wants to control bland criticism.
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  9021.  @rogerphelps9939  The incongruities in the story of Marina O. are mind-boggling: A veteran propagandist straight out of central casting suddenly grows a conscience and blows up her comfortable life by speaking out against a regime she spent two decades propping up. The fact she was able to burst onto the set of Vremya, Russia’s showcase evening news program, and made it to air without being dragged off by guards or dumped by a censor. The decision by authorities to give her only an administrative punishment relating to an anti-war video she posted on social media, rather than pursue criminal charges for the TV protest itself. Her lenient fine of 30,000 rubles (at that time, around $280), rather than the threatened 15-year prison sentence. The fact she was subsequently freed and free to speak with Western media. And then, a month later, she had a new job as a contributing writer at Germany’s Die Welt newspaper (which is owned by POLITICO’s parent company, Axel Springer); Die Welt editors offered me an interview with her on the condition that I not disclose her whereabouts, certain facts about her family situation or her plans for the future. I am allowed to say that when we spoke, she was not in Russia. What I wanted to know about her was the same question everyone who’d seen her protest seemed to be asking: Is Ovsyannikova a dissident — or a Kremlin stooge? “She paid a paltry $250 fine as punishment and was able to leave Russian territory unhindered. The Russian regime has already convicted several people of up to 10 years in prison for similar anti-war actions.” Ovsyannikova told me she understands the skeptics and wants to set the record straight. “I am ready to do a polygraph, to answer any question,” she told me. “The Kremlin is pretty smart. They’ve thought it through, and they have a very good strategy: They are trying in every possible way to devalue my action, to humiliate me, to denigrate me, to cover me with dirt.” She’s also told other news organizations, that she has no plans to emigrate to the West. Contrast :- Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist who survived poison administered via a cup of tea before being shot dead in October 2006 in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building.
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  9022. Good Islam arrived as conquerors Now they are meeting resistance
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  9023. Al-Jazeera may have been challenged because Putin has unleashed Chechen savages against civilians. Anyone that looks like a Chechen may be suspect.
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  9024. Iran democracy : given that the Ayatollah controls :- a) the media b) education c) the police d) the judiciary e) IRGC snipers (to shoot protestors) It would be a poor bloke who couldn't brainwash half the people.
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  9025. Trump Jr, after the 2008 financial crisis,whilst playing golf, told a friend "We don't use banks, we get all the money we need from Russia". That's the same Trump Jr who tried to establish an encrypted back channel communication with the Kremlin. The same one who met with Russian intelligence agents in Trump Tower.
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  9026. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "the great barbarians, the retarders of all liberty and civilisation that exists." She was a very wise and prescient lady.
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  9027. Why ? 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" (capitulated) So Germany has no shield - Macron is the weak link
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  9028. Hamas are the Muslim brotherhood. Egypt has just removed the brotherhood, Jordan and the Gulf states dislike Hamas. The EU and US have branded Hamas a terrorist organization. Hamas are losers. Why keep mentioning "God Almighty" : he sounds like a fanatical Islamist.
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  9029. There is a time and place to go on about God : in the mosque or church. But one doesn't go on about God whist addressing the world media. (Unless one is a crank).
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  9030. The last election results were : 47 % independence 39% pro-spain 14% uncommitted. (After the Police violence expect independence to poll 55-60%) Rajoy thinks that flying military helicopters over Barcelona will intimidate them into voting for him. It is just the opposite. Remember Hillary Clinton ? Her team discovered that the less she appeared the more popular her adverts were. The same applies to Rajoy : he's revolting. Puigdemont is hardly charismatic with his pudding-basin hairstyle but ,come the election, that will be transformed into a Beatles mop-top and he will be mobbed like Ringo Starr. The EU think Rajoy is a total dunce and blame him for the chaos. Junker said ,“For some time now I asked the Spanish prime minister to take initiatives so that Catalonia wouldn’t run amok,” he said. “A lot of things were not done.” Rajoy's moronic brain and ugly mush will set the seal on Catalan independence.
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  9031. I wonder whether hosting the World Cup & Olympics , spending $million$ then calling in the Military to deal with poverty stricken neighbourhoods, I wonder whether they have any regrets ? Lula has been offered his own prison cell : it has a cash machine for him to take instant bribes. He can watch CCTV from his Condo and pretend he's still enjoying the loot he stole from the Brazilian people.
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  9032. Offer an amnesty to the nurses to inform on the corrupt politician.
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  9033. Those injured were shot in the legs. They are "wounded" Those who were killed died in a stampede Hamas are spreading lies as usual and Western media repeats Hamas propaganda
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  9034. The last election results were : 47 % independence 39% pro-spain 14% uncommitted. (After the Police violence expect independence to poll 55-60%) Rajoy thinks that flying military helicopters over Barcelona will intimidate them into voting for him. It is just the opposite. Remember Hillary Clinton ? Her team discovered that the less she appeared the more popular her adverts were. The same applies to Rajoy : he's revolting. Puigdemont is hardly charismatic with his pudding-basin hairstyle but ,come the election, that will be transformed into a Beatles mop-top and he will be mobbed like Ringo Starr. The EU think Rajoy is a total dunce and blame him for the chaos. Junker said ,“For some time now I asked the Spanish prime minister to take initiatives so that Catalonia wouldn’t run amok,” he said. “A lot of things were not done.” Rajoy's moronic brain and ugly mush will set the seal on Catalan independence.
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  9035. Rojoy es como un hombre en arenas movedizas: cada vez que hace un movimiento se hunde más profundo. El mundo está mirando. El apoyo a la independencia en Cataluña está creciendo. El tiempo está del lado de Cataluña.
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  9036. The Spanish constitution does NOT ban referenda. It is legal to hold a referendum. It is illegal to secede. The Catalans have NOT seceded. The violence used by Spanish Police was illegal. They beat, kicked, dragged girls by the hair, sexually assaulted girls, threw old ladies down steps and stomped on people. Those are crimes but Spain will not investigate because the judges are former members of Franco's administration. If you believe in justice and the law are you calling for the Spanish Police to be investigated and face charges ?
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  9037. Compare 1917 and 1979 Both revolutions were hijacked : one by Totalitarian Bolshevism, the other by Fascist Theocracy. The Bolsheviks slaughtered their opponents, and Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians. The most ruthlessly violent rise to the top : Lenin & Trotsky, and the Ayatollah
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  9038. In 2017 China manufactured its first ball-point pen. Yes up until then it couldn't manufacture the tip : some super-power. This old-kid (the professor) is confused by large numbers , they don't tell the story. Why are China stealing and copying every design they can lay their hands on ? Because they cannot develop and design their own.
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  9039. Кукишь Rerbitd, my friend, Russia want a Mediterranean port (Tartus) plus geopolitical influence in the region. China want a return on their investment, which again means influence. Both China and Russia export totalitarian corruption. If that's what you want in Syria then you've gone to the right investors.
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  9040. Those boys are being bombed to Hades It's hard to watch (without cheering)
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  9041. In February many nations froze : Macron, Scholz, Biden Yes Biden said, "I don't want WW3" and "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Biden had to be taught to be tough. By whom ? Mark Milley and Lloyd Austin (History books will back me up on this) Germany blocked RAF weapons flights, blocked Estonia sending Howitzers and blocked direct sales. NATO had to force Germany to do the right thing. (Read Jens Stoltenberg's memoirs, when they come out) Macron "We must not humiliate Russia" wanted appeasement. The muscle nations : Ukraine, Poland, Baltic states, Britain, and once Biden was calmed down, the USA
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  9042. OMG has he got a live or dead baby in his arms ? THis is quite shocking Hamas are NOT civilised but they think they know how to push the buttons of the civilised world (They don't know - they have simply convinced the world that Hamas needs destroying)
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  9043. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy , indolent, ignorant, over indulged, bigoted, discriminatory, cruel and cowardly. If you think they've no sense of humour watch their military in action. They will never understand the West. Saudi doesn't know what humanitarian values are : they think expelling Canadians is getting them recognition, it is but the wrong sort. Everyone is recognising them as a $hithole country.
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  9044. Oh, well done France 24. A very balanced appraisal. Macron answered the "not humiliate Russia" question by jabbing his finger at Zelensky, and then bringing up WW1 whilst pointing to Schulz. I think Macron had momentarily lost it.
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  9045. History : after Ataturk's successful war of Independence (1919 -23) There was a dispute over Mosul (Syria), the Turks wanted it. So the democratic British asked the Arabs and Kurds in Mosul to decide and (unsurprisingly) they rejected the Turks. Just another example of British fair-play.
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  9046. The entire Western World is supporting Ukraine's fight for freedom. ( A Great shame Germany sabotaged the delivery of weapons :- by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania from donating a 155mm howitzer)
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  9047. The Lunatic Left has taken power in Brazil There is an unholy alliance between Left wing Loonies and Islamists Let's hope the good guys win And pray for Israel
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  9048. Eg the west gives $1 billion for a poor country to reduce emissions That money has to be spent in the west on wind-farms or solar panels etc So it also creates jobs in the west (Hopefully some day the poor country pays the money back)
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  9049. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair" Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Timing is obvious :- Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back Jens Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
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  9050. Does anyone remember "The Sound of Music" ? When the young putative Nazi, post-boy holds a gun on Captain Von Trapp, who says, "You're not one of them Rolf" Someone needs to say that to Modi. India is supping with a bunch of cut-throats : Russia, China, North Korea, Pakistan. They are all psychopathic nations. "You're not one of them, India"
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  9051. Russia is an Asiatic Autocracy (like China) Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile mongol" Ruled by Genghis Khan's descendants for 250yrs, Russia has the values and attributes of Genghis Khan's mongols.
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  9052.  @vredacted3125  Very interesting.
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  9053. Jimmy should read a book on the Taliban. Before advocating letting them loose on the Afghan population. Myopic would describe Jimmy's foreign policy. Purblind would describe Jimmy's understanding of the Middle East.
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  9054. Religion of Peace. Pakistan was established as a beacon for Islam.
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  9055. Ries, which bit is untrue ? a) Arafat ruled for 40yrs TRUE b) Arafat stole $3 billion Probably an exaggeration, let's call it $ 1900 million , to be safe. c) Fatah drive round in luxury SUVs TRUE d) Hamas are thugs ........go to a Hamas meeting and politely disagree with them, after they've kicked the $hit out of you tell me they're not thugs. e) Fatah are anti-democratic......well where are the elections to prove otherwise ? When's the next election (don't hold your breath)
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  9056. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
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  9057. @Mazes S A , well perhaps his conditions of early release were to stay off the web ? Maybe he uses the web for fraud or grooming ? Imagine he'd lured pensioners to his website and fleeced them of their savings, you'd be saying "Why do they allow it !"
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  9058. The Orcs are wandering around as though they own the place. They should be hiding in their squalor. This artillery blitz had indignation written all over it : not until every Orc is off Ukrainian land will equanimity return to the good people of Ukraine.
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  9059. Good analysis.
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  9060. NEOM will be Fakir-free. There will be mosques but not serious ones : they will be social ones, like Churches in the West. Any Fakir that turns up to do some serious preaching will find himself in the slammer. This is a Western style city with Western laws : the days of medieval Islam are over. The future is NEOM and there's no place for backwards thinking Fakirs.
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  9061. Lion, Fakir is a derogatory name for Imam. A fakir, or faqir (/fəˈkɪər/; Arabic: فقیر‎ (noun of faqr)), derived from faqr (Arabic: فقر‎, "poverty") is a person who is self-sufficient and only possesses the spiritual need for God. I use it because it sounds like £u(ker.
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  9062. In 1948 if you asked a Palestinian what he was fighting for what would he say ? He would say, "I'm fighting against the Jews" But if you explained the Jews were fighting for a state and repeated the question what would he say ? He would say he was fighting for the Mufti of Jerusalem. The Ottoman Sultan/Caliph had been replaced by the Mufti of Jerusalem.
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  9063. Trump ratings up to 52% approval. The economy up. Employment at record levels. N Korea tamed. China struggling to get out of a Trump half-nelson. Mr president stop : you are giving the U.S. too much success, we can't cope with it.
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  9064. UN sued for complicity in massacre UNRWA staff participated in the massacre on 7 Oct The UN paid their workers to kill Jews Then Guterres defended Hamas UN to be sued !
    1
  9065. Great report Glorious news !
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  9066. Justfor, thanks for asking. Humans evolved say half a million years ago ; they developed language about 200,000yrs ago and anthropologists reckon there have been over 10k religions invented. The function of religion is to bind the tribe together and provide a social framework. Each religion reflects the period in which it was invented ; so the Old Testament reflects Bronze Age values (sacrifice your son etc) The New Testament represents Socratic values (do unto others etc) ; the Quran represents Medieval Values (stoning women to death etc ). Humanism developed from the European Enlightenment. IT introduced Human Rights which other religions quickly adopted and pretended were their own. Most religious people today are Humanists they simply refuse to recognise it. Their own religion whether Christian ,Muslim, Hindu etc has been so altered by the Enlightenment values it is indistinguishable from secular Humanism with a sprinkling of superstitious nonsense.
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  9067. Justfor, what you have said is not a rational argument. The Enlightenment showed the power of science and rational thought. You're not thinking rationally : you are simply saying "My religion is true and all others are invented". But there is lots of evidence to suggest yours is invented , for instance :- whenever Muhammed went up the mountain to "speak to God" God always rubber stamped what Muhammed had already been saying. Also, Muhammed believed a dust vortex had a demon inside a Jin. Even the most retarded modern Muslim knows it is an atmospheric vortex. There are endless examples......the Muslim faith like every other religion is pure nonsense.
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  9068. "Putin backtracks", Great news ! The West should face him down more often.
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  9069. 15:00 Beneficiaries "Russian intelligence" But the documents show all Russian plans are leaked This is a stink bomb for Russia It collapses the morale of their troops Russian TV "They know about our plans where we will attack" It is dreadful for Russian morale
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  9070. "National Socialists were not a party in any political sense, but a movement : they were action without thought, the union of all those who had lost their bearings, and asked only a change of circumstances no matter what." AJP Taylor "At the heart of the National Socialists were the Free Corps, the wild mercenaries of the postwar years, whose patriotism had taken the form of shooting German workers".
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  9071. "Victory for Hamas" - an Arab plan, UN resolution backed by the USA LOL what a lot of nonsense Notice Marwan never mentions Israel Israel calls the shots - Biden has to back Israel or he loses the election !
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  9072.  @WildAmbo  Palestinians don't own anything 1922 The Sultanate collapsed The Sultan owned all Ottoman lands, he was "Our Lord on earth" Britain was given the mandate - they appointed a Grand Mufti 1948 Arab Israeli war - the Mufti looked to Damascus as the Palestinian capital 1967 Six Day war - the PLO looked to Cairo Arab League Nasser Only in 1988 did Palestinians declare a state
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  9073. LOL French cowardice "Tread carefully" 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep France waved the white flag France is 17th on the list of aid donors
    1
  9074. LOL I told India to do nothing. Now look where their stupidity has got them. Oh I told you so. The humiliation for India........it's unbelievable. The winners ? That will be the terror group that started it all : mission accomplished. They will be highly regarded by their peers : they've shaken up the sub-continent. India should just ignore the terror attack : more people die on the road each day. Concentrate on the economy, education, social & political development and leave Pakistan to fester in Islamofascism.
    1
  9075. India should build up their intelligence network, employ drones, cultivate informers......but what you don't do is to launch a jackass raid just to make an impression before the elections. What humiliation for India.
    1
  9076. Picture the scene : an Indian schoolboy in 2050, reads a history book and finds his nation was in bed with the Axis of Evil. Tears roll down his cheeks, tears of shame. Is that what India wants ?
    1
  9077.  @mandabimaitra6886  A British schoolboy, having been told he must be ashamed of the British Empire, reads that General Gordon's first dispatch home, having conquered Sudan, included plans to build a college at Khartoum. To which Lord Salisbury concurred, "It would advance civilization". The schoolboy keeps the information to himself, too afraid to appear to be an "Imperialist racist".
    1
  9078. They are excluded from a list but not stateless. India said they will not be stateless. Pakistan made 3 million stateless in Bangladesh (they were killed) then raped 250,000 women and girls which essentially made them stateless. (That was the point : to make them unable to marry and have a family )
    1
  9079. AUKUS isn't going to be hoodwinked by a corrupt bunch of islanders. Well done USA. God bless the USA. In times of trouble, thank God for the USA.
    1
  9080. Egypt has placed it in quarantine. It might be infected. Turkish authorities claimed that the Indian wheat consignment was infected with Rubella disease Egypt barred the entry of a ship carrying 55,000 tonnes of Indian wheat that was originally intended for Turkey. Egyptian plant quarantine chief Ahmed El Attar said on Saturday.
    1
  9081. Building democracy takes 500yrs. You can't take folk who have only known Islam and despotism for 600yrs (Ottoman caliphate) and simply graft on democracy. Take Ataturk (Turkey 1923) : he was an atheist, but his mother believed the Sultan was "Our Lord on Earth". Most folk were illiterate and had only known indoctrination from the Koran. India is lucky : it had Britain as a model and a guide.
    1
  9082. "Le respect n' y existe plus" A lot of statesmen are suffering from this at the moment. Scholz is there, Macron too : Boris is saying, "Count me in"
    1
  9083. Putin is a KGB corrupt gangster.
    1
  9084. @Khairil Yusof , LOL god bless ya. Putin's father was retired KGB ; the family lived in a very poor apartment but his father had a phone : that's so he could inform on all his friends and neighbours , once you're in the KGB you never leave. Anyway Putin always wanted to join the KGB and did : he's been in it his whole life. When Putin was deputy mayor of St Petersburg $93 million went missing. Putin didn't get it all, only his fair share : that's how it works in Russia. I could go on and on but you get the idea.
    1
  9085. Mark, I smell the odour of appeasement on you. Britain has a proud history In 1864 half a million turned out to greet garibaldi when he visited London. In 1824 Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence against the Ottomans. Your cowardly considerations would undermine all that, and give strength and support to the Kremlin. Putin relies upon vacillating liberals to swallow his threats and sow discord and fatalistic dejection. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's threats on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" Spoken like a man, by a member of the Intelligence Committee. Show some resolve Mark, and stop mouthing defeatism.
    1
  9086.  @markhughes7927  You would do well to remember Bismarck's prophetic observation : "The most important fact of modern history is that North America speaks English". Very wise words. Western Civilisation would be lost without the Yanks. Don't hold your breath waiting for Europe to defend itself.
    1
  9087.  @markhughes7927  Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists" In 1815 Tsar Alexander I (a religious nut with calloused knees from prayer) organised the Holy Alliance. Castlereagh described it as mysticism and nonsense. It was the Russian ambassador speaking informally in London, who first used the term "Sick man of Europe" for the Ottomans. So there have been convivial relations. But Britain and Russia have never been "close" : not diplomatically, economically or culturally. Queen Victoria summed up Britain's attitude to Russia.
    1
  9088.  @markhughes7927  "Russia is a place to be respected not least for the religious stability" Religious stability ? Religion was tortured out of existence. Kiril is a KGB informer : that was exposed during Glasnost (1990) Britain has religious stability and values. The Russian nobles would advertise serf girls as having "A pretty face and attractive figure", they were no better than ISIS selling Yazidi girls. One noble wrote a book (Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow) exposing the abuse of girls and was exiled to Siberia. The Orthodox Church opposed emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Russia was and is a dystopia.
    1
  9089.  @r1learner178  You've really got it in for the English. Are there no redeeming qualities ? The Bill of Rights 1689 The Reform Act 1832 Lord Byron dying to secure independence for the Greeks (1824) 500,000 turning out in London (1864) to greet Garibaldi (the only wholly admirable figure in modern history (AJP Taylor) Namik Kemal the Young Ottoman (1860s) said he admired the British for "Their indomitable power of public opinion against authority" Isn't any of that praiseworthy ?
    1
  9090. The US has 11 carrier strike fleets and 19 nuclear submarines. It spends $775 billion on defence per year. The USA is a colossus militarily : it could defeat Russia and China without even mobilising all its forces. When one adds 9 nuclear submarines from Australia, and 11 from Britain, then AUKUS becomes the only power in the East.
    1
  9091.  @penguins1075  I've never heard such nonsense. Russia is so obviously weak, and so obviously losing in Ukraine, I find it hard to imagine how you are maintaining your delusions.
    1
  9092.  @buffgarfield3231  " the moment either of them is losing badly they will use nukes" Lord Owen was asked on Radio 4 about Putin's nuclear threat he said, "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  9093.  @nemesisferrari8537  Putin has been KGB / FSB his whole life. You are very naive.
    1
  9094.  @nemesisferrari8537  It was the local FSB that issued photos of the bombers. It was the local FSB that arrested the suspects. Only later were the suspects revealed to be Moscow FSB. You are naive and brainwashed.
    1
  9095.  @nemesisferrari8537  You are agreeing with me ! We both agree the FSB brought Putin to power in 1999 FCN FSB GRU all = KGB They are the same people. KGB = NKVD = Gulags they are all the same. Stalin's Russia is simply a more severe form of Putin's Russia.
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  9096. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  9097.  @Buterbroding  Thank you for asking. Let me explain how it works. When the USSR collapsed the East German Stasi had informers all over society including TV. THis is how it might work : as a student the TV lady took part in a demo and caused minor damage. She was interviewed and gave some trivial information to avoid a small sentence. She then gets a job at TV and is informed that the FSB fixed it for her - she gives some more trivial information. Do you get the picture ? She is not on a salary. She is not "working" for the FSB as an agent. She is lie all Stasi informers simply in their grasp. She gets financial rewards - promotion and maybe cash. She is also threatened with losing her job or being exposed. It is always carrot and stick. The Ukrainian Intelligence spotted her immediately.
    1
  9098. Amnesty International has declared Russian rocket attacks on civilians a "War Crime" Russian soldiers know the Kremlin will always support their criminality, and never admit to anything.
    1
  9099. Macron vetoed external sourcing to supply 1,000,000 shells France provided 1/3rd Czechia overturned the French veto and supplied the shells to Ukraine On the SAME day Macron made his "Troops to Ukraine" declaration He is a bullshitter - it is a publicity stunt Macron denuded Ukraine of artillery ! He plays this game to change the narrative (Do some research !)
    1
  9100.  @asiankingsman3038  A Kremlin website put up a page of Congratulations on day 3 of the invasion. It said (I'm paraphrasing) "Well done Putin, you have solved a problem that would've been left for future generations" Then after a few hours it was taken down. Clearly the Kremlin had expected it to be all over in 3 days.
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  9101. Even though the Police shot dead 34 unarmed strikers the miners still vote overwhelmingly for the corrupt ANC. Worse still, if anyone campaigns against the ANC, if they stand against the incumbent ANC politician in an election, then that person is likely to be beaten to death : the POlice call it "political killing". The rest of the world knows it as ANC dictatorship in an ANC one-party-state South Africa.
    1
  9102. "Both sides' unwillingness to come to a deal" ? Israel agreed to the Paris proposal It was Hamas that added delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blikebn : "Hamas demands are clear non-starters"
    1
  9103. But realistically, those tanks will never see action. Be honest. Yet there is a war going on right now against Russia. What is the point of doing manouvres when real soldiers could use these tanks to destroy Russians ?
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  9104. China is hated by all its neighbours. Even internal provinces hate China.
    1
  9105. Russia's army couldn't incorporate 100k - it has been logistically smashed. In February Putin couldn't feed 150k, and begged Cina for ration packs. POWs said they had no warm clothes, and 3 tents instead of 15 for the battalion. The Russian army is broken. Putin is "mobilizing" to appease the right wingers, amd to try to force NATO into twisting Zelinsky's arm to negotiate. Russia is tripping air defences from its borders to use the missiles, and buying shells from N Korea : the army is caput. It can't accommodate a million soldiers !
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  9106. Well if you are going to crush it why did the Spanish government say “It’s not a question of applying it in its entirety or of taking over every government function or department. Clearly the Catalan government would lose many of its powers, though not all. It’s a case of using a scalpel, not an axe.” Why "use a scalpel" ? I'll tell you why : because they know if they try to take control of Mossos they will find they can't. If Rajoy tries to order the Catalan civil service he will be ignored. Rajoy is a paper tiger. Why did Rajoy suggest Puigdemont call fresh elections ? Because Rajoy is powerless to do it ! If Rajoy tried to call fresh elections who would organise it ? The 750 mayors under charges of sedition ? Get wise : Catalonia has already slipped through Rajoy's fingers.
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  9107. Nobody is going to die because Rajoy isn't sending any Police in. Madrid said “It’s not a question of applying it in its entirety or of taking over every government function or department. Clearly the Catalan government would lose many of its powers, though not all. It’s a case of using a scalpel, not an axe.” The reason they are using a scalpel is because they have no power. Mossos will ignore orders to cede power to Madrid. Catalonia civil service will ignore madrid. Rajoy is a paper tiger.
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  9108. Richard, you are living in the middle ages or at best the early 20th Century. Nobody "takes up arms". Ask yourself this : why did Madrid say,"We will use a scalpel not an axe " ? Because they don't have an axe ! Rajoy is a paper tiger. Madrid tried to take control of Mossos on Oct 1st and it failed. Mossos will not cede control to Rajoy now : that's why Rajoy will not even ask them. Spain's itelligence service is monitoring all emails and texts and they will have reported a desire amongst Mossos to defend civilians if the Civil Guard engage in another riot of violence. That's why Rajoy will not use the Civil Guard. Watch and see who is right.
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  9109. You must be in your cups. You are talking like a man who has had too much wine. There is no evidence anything will happen before November and why November ? Is it your birthday or something.
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  9110. r mac you sound like a chap who is in his cups as well. You should get in touch with Richard Lopez and you could both be lachrymose together.
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  9111. Cicero, the key point Lazarus made is "triggered by Madrid". It is important that the catastrophe is seen to be caused by Rajoy.
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  9112. The ICC treats Hamas exactly the same as a recognised government The ICC do not recognise Hamas as a terror organisation Liberals in Europe will destroy western civilisation Trump defends civilisation
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  9113. Lord Owen :" Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No other nation on Earth can do that. That is why the US has a massive, massive superiority.
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  9114. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
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  9115. In the UK we have a Muslim politician Keith Vaz (Cabinet Minister) who, after the Charlie Hebdo slaughter, said the UK should introduce a blasphemy law and that his constituents "love Allah more than their own lives and the lives of their families ". I'm not sure whether that was supposed to be a veiled threat but it sounded frightening. The UK is a secular country and Islam want it to go back to medieval blasphemy laws. Islam is a totalitarian religion which states that "Apostates should be killed". One should always side with secularism and rational thinking. If you find yourself siding with totalitarian fascism, even if it is a minority group, you should think twice.
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  9116. Captain Bone-Spurs. He struggles to drink a glass of water with one hand. What a schmuck. Still, I'll vote for him over Biden.
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  9117. Pakistan are experts on genocide. ( 1971) Bangladesh they killed 3,000,000 and raped 250,000 women and girls. Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months.
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  9118. Netanyahu will "pay lip service to a 2-state solution" That's all Saudi wants
    1
  9119. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy , indolent, ignorant, over indulged, bigoted, discriminatory, cruel and cowardly. If you think they've no sense of humour watch their military in action. They will never understand the West. Saudi doesn't know what humanitarian values are : they think expelling Canadians is getting them recognition, it is but the wrong sort. Everyone is recognising them as a $hithole country.
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  9120.  @adityanawani8134  , not Americans ......just one American, the one that happens to be President.
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  9121. Look at the line of vehicles. One of those US gunships would have a field day. You know the ones.....they have rapid fire 30mm cannon along the fuselage.
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  9122. 10,000 instructors LOL that's a division. 21st century wars will be short. International pressure, sanctions and public opinion (casualties), will demand a quick resolution/ceasefire. Therefore, Ukraine should blitz the Russians when they invade. Don't hold back missiles or drones, because the war will end with a ceasefire in 2 weeks and Russia will keep what they occupy. Ukraine should blitz the Russians mercilessly. The 10k instructors will all want to fire drones and missiles : Russia won't have enough body bags to ship their soldiers home.
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  9123. Hurray ! democracy in action. Who says the middle-east is full of anti-democratic despots. All those people who criticise the middle east for being medieval , backwards, unenlightened, indolent, ignorant and uncivilized should just watch this video. See how power is simply handed from lazy, bone-idle, despotic father to lazy, bone-idle , despotic son.
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  9124.  zar tess  , I'm not a troll : just somebody who was duped into supporting the ANC in South Africa. They then went on to ruin the country. Assassinating anyone who stood against them in the townships (485 murdered so far). It made me value democracy above all else. Hezbollah are anti-democratic : they want a totalitarian theocracy like Iran. Remember the Tehran student protest 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That was Hezbollah.
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  9125.  @batuach100  quite right Bob. Also, Yaser Arafat, who ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion, should've invested that money in tech-colleges and education. Enabling young people to start Tech-businesses instead of throwing stones. Even kindergarten age are taught to crawl around with wooden rifles : that policy has gotten them far over the last 70yrs I must say.
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  9126.  @maximeprometheas  , well said. A very informative comment. Hezbollah are violent thugs. They are anti-democratic fascists, who will beat or kill anyone who opposes their tyranny.
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  9127. LOL this guy has written nonsense. "The US is no longer the world policeman" Biden has just told China if he invades Taiwan the US will retaliate. That looks like a policeman to me. This guy is a typical Frenchman - hoping France can play a bigger role. Stephen Kotkin : "France thinks it is a diplomatic superpower"
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  9128.  @fernfreeman1729  Biden has just threatened China vis-a-vis Taiwan. How does that add up to "lessened Western domination". The French have always disliked NATO. They have always had a chip on their shoulder. The answer lies in history..... In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  9129. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
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  9130.  @akselmani  Factually :- a) They blocked the RAF flight when it was going with weapons AND On the return leg when it was empty ! Try and explain that The Germans were determined, very determined, to see Ukraine defeated.
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  9131. "EU believe it is important for their security and so must invest". LOL listen to the arrogance. Iran is the danger ! It's them the EU want security from ! And he sits there like God Almighty telling people to "invest" to defend themselves from him and his rabid-lunatic fanatics.
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  9132. Several sources including Ukraine officials claim cruiser MOSKVA capsized and sank after developing a heavy portside list. Rejoice !!!
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  9133.  @surajs5913  Time magazine, dated 2 August 1971, stated "The Hindus, who account for three-fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Muslim military hatred." A shameful episode, that is still not recognised by Pakistan. However, two-wrongs don't make a right. Russia has invaded a neighbour and is committing barbaric atrocities. Good news ! Russia is getting the $hit kicked out of it. The only problem comes when Russia fails completely.......once again folk are asking "Where's the off-ramp ?"
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  9134. 1922 Ottoman collapse :- The Palestinians were shell-shocked Britain appointed them a Grad Mufti who looked to Damascus for leadership Palestinians had no notion of land ownership or statehood In the Caliphate the Sultan owned all land, he was "Our Lord on earth" C19th the West introduced land ownership (Tanzimat) so the Ottomans could pay their debts Palestinians were swindled by corrupt governors who bought most land for a pittance and sold it to Jews Palestinians had no notion of statehood they only knew the Caliphate 1988 Palestine declares itself a state That's how long it took for the penny to drop
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  9135. LOL "defeat" The Lunatic Left support Moscow and Islamism They live in a dream world
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  9136. Good observation.
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  9137. Ukrainian village being shelled by Russian artillery stationed in the nuclear facility. Will the IAEA verify that ?
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  9138. It is good to be wrong, if by being wrong you tarnish the enemy. Russia looks like an aggressive bully. Putin has tarnished the image of Russia for generations : he has certainly motivated more neighbours to join NATO. Putin's appeal "You have been ignoring us", sounds quite pathetic : he looks like a clown.
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  9139. The US will blockade the Malacca Straits, China will suffer economic collapse leading to the collapse of the CCP.
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  9140. "Why do I feel like I'm betraying America" Tucker mused "I love my country" he told himself Gosh, when one has to convince one's self one is not a traitor
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  9141. Shoigu looks like a man dangling over a precipice. He's already had a massive heart-attack. Putin is dressing up failure as success, and the West are laughing in their hats.
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  9142. Good observation about navigable rivers : transport is very important in economic development. I made the same observation in my video on the " Rise and Fall of Spain" : it only has one navigable river Guadalquivir , from Cadiz to Seville. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad8Gg73AnUs&t=61s
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  9143. I agree, John Kerry fell into a diplomatic trap. It always takes 2 parties to commit treason : Kerry divulged the intelligence to the Iranians, who then leaked it to the media. The Yanks are being outflanked by the Iranian chess masters.
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  9144.  @bullcrap4243  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  9145.  @donhue4546  The total allocated from the US is $46 billion. And the draw-down so far ~$15 billion. The biggest difference is professionalism : Russians are antiquated and slovenly. Ukraine are NATO trained, 21st century troops.
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  9146.  @donhue4546  Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
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  9147. I hope Russian BUK missiles aren't used to bring down passenger planes. Remember MH17, and all the lives lost. The Russian thugs who launched it are all hiding in the Kremlin.
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  9148.  @wokeaf1337  One would have to ask the Germans. But I think they don't want to provide the Kremlin with anything that looks like a provocation. When Russia starts loading up supply dumps to invade, the West will have 14 days notice at least. At that stage Germany might give the green light, who knows.
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  9149. Those soldiers are incredible : as hard as nails. Professionalism - they look as though they've fought in every war since Thermopylae.
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  9150. "India is shaky" said Biden. Fear of China, and fear of offending Russia, force Modi to be "shaky" India is the weak-link in the QUAD Buying cheap oil from Russia, is Modi's smart move. Everything else he does stinks.
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  9151. Ha ha ha Trump has got it wrong again. But he will never correct himself. LOL he is the most useless, incompetent, ignorant, ill-informed president of all times.
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  9152. I used to live on Long Island.
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  9153. Ben Wallace or Liz Truss. Let's not have a Macron type capitulator.
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  9154. Hillary again. She was a national security liability.
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  9155. How can you ignore Russia ? When they hand BUK missiles to drunken separatists to shoot down MH17 killing all the civilians, you have to keep dialogue open. Even if you think the Axis of Evil state is poisonous.
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  9156.  M1CHAEL C0RL3ON3  , LOL you are well brain-washed. I suppose there is no corruption in the Kremlin. I suppose opposition politicians aren't poisoned. I suppose Litvinenko put polonium-210 in his own tea ? Russia is a corrupt gangster state, that throws journalists from windows, has opposition politicians shot outside the Kremlin, imprisoned and barred from standing in elections.
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  9157.  @lanhuong-xo7ec  , oh dear oh dear. You think the whole international community is conspiring against Russia ? You think the mobile phone footage showing the missile being transported from Russia is a hoax ? You think all the international agencies and investigators have been bribed. Go get your brain examined : you're the worst case of brain-washing on Youtube.
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  9158. There is only one issue to consider - Russian COLLAPSE That is why Xi is in Moscow Russia has already lost Putin knew he'd lost on 5 March 2022 (see Naftali Bennett) Xi's off ramp is a demilitarised Donbas & Crimea : Putin is pulling out of both That is why Putin made a visit (cf de Gaulle in Algeria 1958)
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  9159. Gosh, China are amassing tanks. What does it remind one of ? Yes, that unbelievably disastrous Russian invasion. China has a 3 million man peasant army, with a lot of old junk and one or two copies from the West.
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  9160. Let's have a dance.
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  9161. Palestinians always support the enemies of the West/Democracy They support Iran, Russia, Saddam Hussein, Assad and every brutal dictatorship
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  9162. India's Congress Party was founded by Freemasons. Freemasonry was imported by the British army, and very popular amongst India's intelligentsia. 3:20 "The bodies lined up on the ground" Modi must be squirming in his seat : Putin is his best friend, his most loyal ally. Maybe India will protest - against Ursula, not against Putin. Dead bodies don't faze India, atrocities by Russia don't disturb Indian sensibilities, they will complain about Ursula's manners. "Don't bully India" is their childish refrain.
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  9163. 2:40 "They stood aside as Serb forces separated the men ". The Dutch have to bear that shame - indelible shame. It must be awful to be Dutch : branded with cowardice.
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  9164. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
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  9165. I'll tell you what's a disgrace : Trump Jr trying to set up a back channel with the Kremlin using the Russian FSB to encode communications. Then Eric Trump telling a golf buddy, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". Are you morons able to put 2 + 2 together ?
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  9166. When he says dis-ensemble he means dissemble. It means to hide or conceal or disguise. There's no such word as dis-ensemble , there's disassemble (to take apart).
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  9167. Very inspirational.
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  9168. Sa'd gave his verdict that "the men should be killed, the property divided, and the women and children taken as captives". Muhammad approved of the ruling, calling it similar to God's judgment, after which nearly all male members of the tribe who had reached puberty were beheaded.
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  9169. Fliyo, Bro don't you recognise the Quran Koran when you see it. Actually it's not the Koran it's the Hadith. I'm just pointing out what a violent, sadistic, genocidal religion Islam is.
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  9170. Yes , you are right......this is Hillary's legacy. Why oh why did the DNC push a candidate that 68% of Americans thought was a liar and a crook ? OH the private server, oh the 6$600,000 speeches. OH the Steele dossier - commissioned by Hillary to have foreign governments investigate a political rival......illegally. OH Hillary. Oh the Clinton Foundation : that magnet for Gulf Oil money.
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  9171. 7:13 "Military concessions in return" That's China and Russia talking : they both want US bases out of S Korea and will use Rocket-man as a tool to achieve those ends.
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  9172. Hamas steals aid - they are parasites upon the people
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  9173. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
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  9174.  @louisemann3306  Estimates of the death toll vary from several hundred to several thousand, with thousands more wounded. Any way you look at it, it was butchery on a massive scale.
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  9175. Hezbollah : violence is their sine qua non, assassination is their métier, terrorism is their raison d'être, and fascism their forte.
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  9176. They are going back just in time to be looted by rebels or looted by the Ethiopian military, who are committing war-crimes in an orgy of rape & looting
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  9177. As you sow, so shall you reap. Wise words.
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  9178. The US should slap sanctions on companies building the gas pipe-line.
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  9179.  @RFT4711  , how economically myopic you are. Russia have annexed Crimea , invaded Ukraine , are conducting low scale warfare against the Baltic states and threatening Eastern Europe. Whilst you're busy checking your investment portfolio. Thank God for the US and NATO. Germany will sell Europe down the river for their own self interest.
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  9180. How much did that cost ? There are people in prison for not paying their license fee and you have journos swanning around editing a piece of tosh I could have done better on Lightworks for nothing.
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  9181. Rajoy has no intention of carrying through article 155. It is an empty gesture to placate his hard-line supporters. Isn't that dangerous ? Not really : it requires 7 steps to implement. Step 2 requires a response from Puigdemont and nobody knows what happens if he doesn't respond.Nobody has studied 155 and it has never been used. There are no precedents. Here is the clincher : when Rajoy made the first press statement there was no deadline for Puigdemont to reply , they had to add one after being quizzed by the press. LOL it proves my point about the empty gesture. They weren't interested in a deadline just the act of initiating 155. Rajoy : every inch that is not fool is rogue.
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  9182.  @1justme  Not only on the way there, but also coming home empty ! Even when the RAF planes had no weapons on board they still had to fly around Germany !
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  9183. LOL Iran is keeping us laughing Iran has fired their shot and must now wait for the reply LOL
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  9184.  @VishalLandge  "Humans created nations" Humans also invented religion. Anthropologists reckon 10,000 religions have been invented over the course of human evolution.
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  9185. Well done Iran. The Ayatollah hoodwinked Obama (remember Safira laughing his head off at the signing ceremony), now they are calling the shots again. The Ayatollah and his fascist thugs Hezbollah must be laughing in their hats (turbans).
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  9186. China's vision of the future : a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
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  9187. Axis of Evil : Russia, China, North Korea, Iran etc etc All anti-democratic, anti-human rights All totally corrupt thugs. The future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
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  9188. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate" them.
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  9189.  @theoutpost3608  " One of Pakistan's most popular media outlets, Dawn, was originally founded by Jinnah and identifies as secular..." "On the night of March 7, 2011, Justice (retd) Javid Iqbal was interviewed on a TV channel on the nature of the Pakistani state. He held that Pakistan, as envisaged by Jinnah, was to be a secular state. " Just Googled Jinnah-secular and these are the first two hits.
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  9190.  @Proxymated  Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. What will the history books say :- That when war started France and Germany froze - like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Germany forced British planes to fly around its airspace. Macron cried, "We must not humiliate Russia" It is France & Germany that were humiliated.
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  9191.  @JessicaIsabelah  This might interest you :- Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  9192.  @JessicaIsabelah  This is how Khomeini misused Islam to create a fascist theocracy (1979) :- "In a book entitled Islamic Governance, published in 1970, Khomeini outlined his plans for the creation of an Islamic state in Iran, reconceptualising the doctrine of velayat-e faqih to justify clerical guardianship of the state. The ayatollah claimed that God had made Islam for it to be implemented as shown by the creation of divine law (sharia). Given that no one knew Islam better than the clergy, Khomeini argued, it was natural that they should rule as guardians of the state until the return of the 12th divinely ordained Shia imam (Imam al-Mahdi or the Hidden Imam), who Shias believe was withdrawn into occultation by God in AD 874."
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  9193. Hans, I know you are familiar with history ; so you also know that relations between states in the present reflects historical hostility or amity. In the case of Germany and Spain there was a powerful bond : the creation of modern Spain depended on it (1940 - 75) The German influence was formidable & formative . That is reflected in modern relations : notice that Belgium didn't arrest him, nor did Denmark but Germany did. I'm simply informing young people of the shared bond between Germany & Spain.
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  9194. When Islam conquered India and built mosques they didn't allow ANY protests Islam didn't convert people - it conquered them Those who were vanquished are now resisting
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  9195. Clearly, the EU is a tired notion, in need of rejuvenating. Macron has vitality, he has the "vision thing". I'm watching closely. Britain still hasn't recovered from de Gaulle saying "Non" (1967). The British PM (Harold Macmillan) was in tears. Causing de Gaulle to quote a Edith Piaf sone "Don't cry my Lord"
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  9196.  @erfanrahmati964  , Have you ever read a history book ? Instead of listening to whack-job conspiracies, why not try reading an academic history book. A book that has to stand up to scrutiny by the community. You live in a whack-job world, where nothing is real and everything a conspiracy.
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  9197. @celtic barbarian , ....and Biden isn't ? I've never seen any privileged millionaire more in the pocket of corporate America than Biden. At least corporate America didn't engineer Trump's election, they wanted Jeb Bush. They funed Jeb Bush....and he lost bigly. Trump is muppet not a puppet. When Trump blamed George W Bush for 9/11 in the debates and the audience booed you knew he was no puppet.
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  9198. "The bigwigs all have their own battalions" Very interesting.
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  9199. Russia v the Civilised World. (Even China and India refuse to recognise Russian annexation of Crimea) Even those Axis of Evil countries.
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  9200. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
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  9201. Macron's puppet (Ali Bongo) is still in power.
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  9202. Russian aims : massive manpower, blood & guts style warfare Like Tannenberg 1914 : tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles 92k were taken prisoner, 30k killed, total Russian humiliation Russian response - keep mobilising, until 1917 revolution.
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  9203.  @UserUser-pq8bu  France signed a multi-billion dollar submarine contract : it offered Australia diesel subs and nothing else. The US and Britain and offering nuclear subs (+ AI and stealth technology), and a fighting alliance. Which would you choose ?
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  9204.  @UserUser-pq8bu  I sympathise with France, and believe the issue was badly handled........ But so many things have changed :- a) China's military build up, the largest in history. b) China's aggressive rhetoric and territorial expansion. c) Macron saying "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" d) China's punitive trade sanctions on Australia. e) the EU's friendly posturing to China. f) France's history of looking after itself. ( Leaving Australia in the lurch when push comes to shove with China). Quite simply, Australia needed fighting allies.
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  9205.  @UserUser-pq8bu  Liberals (lie yourself) think of China as just another country, much like Europe : it isn't. Ask yourself this - in the event of a nuclear exchange with the USA, who would help rebuild China ? Nobody. All its neighbours would annex land, Tibet and Xinjiang would declare independence. The China of the CCP would be finished never to rise again. By contrast, trillions of dollars would pour in to rebuild the USA (the beacon and guardian of Western Civilization). And I'm no lover of the Yanks.
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  9206. The number of people slaughtered in Tienanmen Square was over 10,000. This figure was first obtained by the US ambassador from his source in the Chinese government ; it has now been confirmed by documents released from British archives : Sir Alan Donald sent a classified memo saying people were shot ,bayoneted and run over , the bodies were burnt and sluiced down the drains.
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  9207.  @yaz2928  , good point. Consider the slaughter that took place after WW1 when Turks drove Greeks out of Smyrna 0.75 million killed. Consider the Ottoman Armenian genocide 1.5 million killed. Now I'm not defending Palestinians being driven from their homes but in context it hardly registers. And yet where are the campaigns for reparations for the Armenians or Greeks ? Take the Bohemian rebellion 1618 : the nobility lost without a fight and were all dispossessed of their estates. Consider the Zulu and Bantu : they moved into South Africa and took the land and cattle from those already settled there. It is part of human existence. What I would draw your attention to is the 40yr corrupt dictatorship of Yasser Arafat who stole $3 billion from the Palestinians : why not use that to buy property in Jerusalem as the Jewish lobby is doing ?
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  9208.  @yaz2928  , well seen as you mention the 1947 UN partition plane : that was REJECTED by the Palestinians. Who , together with Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq wanted to drive the Israelis into the sea. And while we are at it, nobody recognised the right to a a Palestinian state. Egypt claimed possession as did Jordan and Syria. Not until the 1970s (after being defeated in 3 wars) did the Arab states reluctantly, and for political reasons, recognise the Palestinian right to independence. But to answer your question : the settlements are an example of de facto eclipsing de jure . I hate to go back to Arafat , but his 40yr dictatorship was the worst thing that ever happened to the Palestinians. A wise historian observed that "Arafat never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity".
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  9209.  @muntasifsusmit  , the Stern gang hanged five British soldiers , then bombed the King David Hotel which housed British Military Command. Killing 96. Why would they do that if "The British established Israel" ?
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  9210.  @amnoumn847  , in the Knesset the Arab party is the 3rd largest. There aren't ANY democratic parliaments in Arab countries....let alone ones with a large Jewish (or Christian) party. Look what happened in Egypt when the Muslim Brotherhood came to power (democratically) : Christians were being thrown from roof-tops and pogroms being incited by fanatics. That's why the West turned a blind-eye to the military coup and turned a tin-ear to all the Brotherhood activists arrested and tortured.
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  9211. Excellent detailed analysis.
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  9212. Macron : "Australia has entered a nuclear confrontation with China" Macron : "Countries should not gang-up on China" Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Why does perfidious France side with authoritarian despotic regimes ? Because France hates NATO, and what it sees as Anglo Saxon hegemony Macron : "India, Japan, Brazil and Germany should join the UNSC" Another move that liberates France from the Anglo-Saxons France is a terrible, capitulating ally.
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  9213. Putin wants negotiations He wants to trade Kherson and keep the rest. Kherson is Putin's negotiating card, he will try to keep it at all costs whilst threatening catastrophe to dissuade western support and pressurise Zelensky into negotiations.
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  9214. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
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  9215. That is simply not true. Article 155 gives Rajoy powers. He hasn't imposed direct rule. The BBC don't understand ! Rajoy can act with discretion simply directing his ire at Puigdemont. Rajoy will not take control of Mossos for fear they ignore him : like they did when he tried it on OCT 1st. I'm amazed at the BBC's lavk of understanding. The quality of BBC journalism has plummeted.
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  9216. 0:33 the pick-up-truck rocket-launcher just about sums up the middle east. They are great at destroying but never build.
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  9217. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
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  9218.  @berdaz  , that's a fair point but you would be saying the same about Portugal today if their rebellion had failed : both Portugal & Catalonia rebelled in 1640. Catalonia were sold out by France but Portugal succeeded. The was never any good will towards Spain from any region they occupied. The Netherlands remember "The Spanish Fury" the Duke of Alba and other atrocities. The Italians hated Spanish occupation. And in America you can see Spain's legacy to this day : 19 countries which slip naturally into dictatorship and are still struggling to accommodate themselves to the modern world. All education in Spanish-America was in the hands of the Church which opposed any independent intellectual movements. Even the most radical thinker (Spanish-America's Tom Paine) Juan Alberdi said, "Let us be Catholic as our fathers were, as is proper to our culture". That is as radical as it got : Jesuit educated Alberdi couldn't see out from his "voluntary servitude" (Nicholas Bernaud 1557).
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  9219.  @berdaz  , Black legend is well known and easily spotted : that Philip II killed his son Don Carlos is probably untrue , that he had Floris Montmorency strangled (he had been sent to appeal to the King during the Dutch Rebellion) is very likely true. You are prepared to dismiss everything as 'Black legend' , all the slaughter of the Duke of Alba, the Spanish Fury in Antwerp etc. Look at plane fact : Spanish-Americas failure, the Inquisition banning books , stopping students studying abroad and isolating Spain in a medieval world while Europe enjoyed the Enlightenment. It was pre-Enlightenment Spanish culture that laid the foundations for Spanish-America. Which is why all 19 countries were failures.
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  9220.  @berdaz  , that is a fair point : the colonies of France and especially Germany were a disgrace. And you are right about the Inquisition : they never joined in the 'Witch Craze' for example : they thought it superstitious nonsense. But they didn't help Spain, they certainly kept it catholic, but at the expense of intellectual development. And France under the absolutism of Louis XIV was arguably as bad as Spain. That Catalonia has never been an independent country is true. But you could have said that to Germany and Italy in 1871. You could say the same to the Kurds. Generally speaking a distinct language marks a national identity.
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  9221.  @esthermas4703  That is true. But it was Theresa May (Prime Minister) who said, "We are seen as the nasty party"
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  9222. "New-killer" not "Nuclear"
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  9223. But the USA had its first election in 1788 India had its first election in ..... 1945 It isn't unreasonable for the Yanks to politely speak with representatives of groups who are outside the government.
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  9224. The Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1922 The Jews elected an Administrative Council (to shadow the British governors) The Palestinians had the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (appointed by the British) The Mufti looked to Damascus as the Palestinian capital : the Palestinian farmers had no notion of what a state was : for centuries they had been told "The Sultan is our Lord on Earth" There was no such thing as land ownership (until Europe forced the Tanzimat reforms) all land was owned by the Sultan. Palestinian woes, and the failure of the Arab Spring, are the legacy of the Caliphate.
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  9225. "Pat did a good job filling in". Yes he did , better than most folk could. But it did highlight just how polished your performance is.
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  9226. "Ruling by decree" Why does that not surprise me.
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  9227. 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington nuclear response 21,23 Oct Shoigu talks Lloyd Austin 2 weeks later : "The US is privately encouraging Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate" Russia wants it ended Prigozhin is Putin's plenipotentiary "Zelensky is a strong nice guy" Putin happy to retire
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  9228. Everyone
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  9229. Germany put all their eggs in the Russian basket. Now German companies are now doing the same with China.
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  9230. God bless Maduro. (I hope he goes on a diet for his health : he's getting very fat as the country starves).
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  9231. Correct - Oct 7th has radicalised a generation in Israel 85% of Israelis now believe there can be no peace with the Palestinians Sinwar's Hamas massacre will have repercussions for decades to come
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  9232. Good Islam arrived as conquerors Now they are meeting resistance
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  9233.  @ГалинаЮсин-в2п  Putin's psychology :- Putin hasn't liquidised any of his own assets : he could personally provide 2 Wagner divisions. Why would Putin go nuclear when he hasn't even put his hand in his pocket ? The invasion required 1.5 million, Putin used 150k The whole enterprise is being conducted on the cheap. Schools are crowd-funding drones for the army. Medvedev could sell a palace and fund a division - the Kremlin aren't personally impoverishing themselves at all. Why would they go nuclear ? Putin gambled on a cheap invasion, and followed it up with a cheap bluff.
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  9234. Holy Shamoli, that was great. I hope they are delivered in bulk....... "Boeing will supply Ukraine with cheap ($40k) precision bombs fitted onto abundantly available rockets They arrive February/March"
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  9235. "War fatigue" : No, never There are 50 countries providing military assistance The idea that a 3rd rate failure like Russia could defeat the International world order is unthinkable Russia must lose, everyone knows that (Obviously some liberals will talk nonsense, but everyone that counts knows the score)
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  9236.  @splurgeverse521  No western politician has ever stood at a Soviet mausoleum. Western leaders meet Putin because they have to. Everyone knows Stalin killed 30 million - with internecine genocide (Holodomor), the Gulags and forced relocation. One should always remember the past, only naive folk reject it.
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  9237.  @Monatio79  Winston Churchill :- a) imprisoned suffragettes and authorised force-feeding, which often broke their jaws. b) Instigated Gallipoli, then lost interest (read Alan Broke), leading to the deaths of thousands of soldiers. c) the Americans never trusted him and thought he was a drunk, because he stayed in bed until lunchtime drinking champagne. The British are under no illusions about their leaders, present or historical. Read some Japanese schoolbooks on WW2 history, then you will see why propaganda is dangerous.
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  9238.  @Monatio79  I agree. But in a complicated world, the best thing to do is to side with the victims. So, even though Shinzo Abe might have been a hard-working politician, one should never forget how the 20,000 Korean women suffered.
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  9239.  @splurgeverse521  This is how Putin came to power : his FSB planted bombs to scare voters into demanding security..... APARTEMNT BOMBINGS Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
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  9240.  @MikkelMane  When I made my comment it wasn't murder. But I still stand by it....though the heavens fall.
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  9241. "The international community has let you down for 70yrs", says Libya. Well that's wrong. None of the Arab states recognised a Palestinian state for decades. Palestine was claimed by Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Only after they'd lost 3 wars did the Arab states recognise Palestine. Don't expect a Libyan politician to know anything about history.
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  9242. Great news ! Let's hope he suffers a lot before he pegs it.
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  9243. billy , quite right. Trump has gone all-in : if Kim tries to be clever and play games the consequences will be unimaginable.
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  9244. Daniel, you are quite right : this a nightmare for China they hate to see N Korea's future decided by US, S Korea and Japan. Unfortunately they will have to put up with it ........Trump 'isn't playing games'.
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  9245. David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
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  9246. Matt, I agree but will play devil's advocate. The SWAT did say are you drunk and the guy said no. Also, the SWAT wanted him away from the apartment because he thought another gunman was inside. But the instructions to keep his hands raised and crawl are contradictory.
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  9247. Ninja, I sympathise but when they walked out of the apartment they were not terrified they were breezy or nonchalant. It was as if they could hardly be bothered. I'm not blaming the victim just trying to look at the facts.
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  9248.  @sparkydude6089  , what nonsense. No state has "a right " to nuclear weapons. There is no such thing. A state's acquisition of nuclear weapons is 'de facto' not 'de jure'. The world has unanimously decided it doesn't want the rabid Ayatollahs to be able to fulfil their promise to "wipe Israel off the map".
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  9249. Stone throwing is no replacement for democracy. In 1920 the Jews elected an Assembly to shadow the British administration : They were already establishing a democratic state. So when the British pulled out in 1947 : the Jews declared the state of Israel. 100yrs later, the Palestinians still have no democracy - a corrupt Fatah, and a fascist Hamas.
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  9250.  @redacted7060  The Caliphate was by definition apartheid : non Muslims paid tax, and were treated differently. The Quran is quite clear that non Muslims should be treated differently. I'm amazed you didn't know that. Islam has apartheid written into its scriptures.
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  9251.  @jimcarlson6157  In the early 1900s the Kaiser (Wilhelm II) was trying hard to get Britain to join the Triple Alliance (Germany Austria, Italy). At the same time, German press were kicking Britain for its treatment of the Boers. One British minister said, "They want to kick us in the street and kiss us in a cupboard". Germany also wanted to come to an arrangement with Britain in WW2. But Britain stood alone, when Germany looked victorious. Of course, Stalin had no scruples about making a deal to carve up Poland. (A repeat of previous carve-ups in 1772, 1793 and 1795) Russia then faced an onslaught, just as Britain had done in 1942. Britain had to defend itself and its principles. Russia simply fought for survival - a victim of treachery amongst thieves.
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  9252. Putin is a foul-mouthed KGB thug : the Russian people must be so ashamed. When they compare the dear old, dignified Queen, head of the Commonwealth. That noble lady has had sleepless nights viewing Russian atrocities. Putin's savage war has impacted every sentient civilized person, maybe with the exception of Modi.
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  9253. LOL as if the Kremlin could operate a legitimate business. A state owned company would last less than 6 months. Kremlin thieves only know how to steal. Their speciality is the Lubyanka torture camp and Gulags, the Russians can't run a business.
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  9254. "Bonsoir mon capitaine ". I just thought I'd say that in case anyone was missing him.
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  9255.  @julianmaye1  Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries. Russia actually need therapy.
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  9256.  @winterfell2650  Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts" God bless the USA. Macron wants to talk, and listen to Putin's jokes about "raping" Ukraine. Germany refuses to send weapons - only medical supplies and tin-hats. Europeans are wind bags, they like to set up committees to talk. The EU are essentially pacifist, they rely on the US (and Britain) to defend them. Loo at a graph of who supplied weapons - 75% USA, 10% Britain, then a collection of wimp nations. I'm afraid your tough EU rhetoric has never been matched by actions.
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  9257.  @giansala7409  The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the defining event of the 21st century. It is a battle between Asiatic Autocracy (Russia/China) and Western Civilization. Ukraine is fighting to defend Western Civilization. If Putin goes nuclear then a chasm will divide civilized countries from Asiatic Autocracies. It will not be a world war, but a polarisation.
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  9258.  @luke571  Interesting insight. Regarding culture, I agree, Germany has changed in many ways. But no nation escapes its culture. For 3 centuries (1525 - 1815) Prussia was obsessed with survival. Only Tilsit (1807) saved it from Napoleon, courtesy of Tsar Alexander I. Like all European nations, the middle class strove for democracy. (With the exception of Britain which already had it, and Russia that didn't want it). That democracy never came to Germany. The Germans chose success - nationalist and economic. That cannot be erased from your culture. Today, Germany's eye is focused on its strength - economic success. That is a form of nationalism. One doesn't need tanks and bombers to be nationalist, one can exert economic prowess. That is why Germany prioritise their economy and sabotage Ukraine :- a) by vetoing Estonia sending howitzers to b) by refusing airspace to arms flights c) by refusing to sell or donate weapons
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  9259.  @luke571  Good points again. Kiev and Novgorod were the historical trade centres for Baltic trade to Constantinople. That is the historical heart of Russia. After the Khanate (Mongols rule to 1487) the modern Russian mentality began with Peter the Great (d.1725) He forced the Boyars to shave and taxed their Merlin cloaks : forcing modernisation. With that came insecurity : the Russians recognised their hopeless backwardness. That is why all Tsars(?) married german princesses. It is why the Kremlin spoke French. They recognised the medieval peasant mind of their own kind. Catherine the Great was German, and attempted to enlighten Russia. Diderot was asked/paid to visit : the journey killed him. It was no use. Even today the Russians have experienced no Enlightenment. The Orthodox Church has had no reformation. Look at Solzhenitsyn : after all his suffering, he came to love his oppressor, and died supporting Imperialist mother Russia (he would've supported Putin's war)
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  9260. Regrets ? Bannon will only regret it if Mueller has no case. If Trump & Co fall like ten-pins then Bannon looks good.
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  9261. One Palestinian said, "This is the greatest nation on Earth". Why doesn't anyone fact check Palestinians ? Palestine has never been a nation : it was Roman, Byzantine, Umayyid, Abassid and Ottoman. And if it was a nation it wouldn't be the greatest : it would be a corrupt authoritarian pseudo democracy one-party state.
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  9262. You missed out Turkey Turkey is going to govern Gaza - Hamas are going into exile like the PLO in 1970 (Black September)
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  9263. Hamas are liars Emily Hands was with her mother 38 hours before her release Hamas claim they can't locate the mother Never trust Hamas liars
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  9264.  @ckthegreat100  That is a good point. But many young people are woefully ill-informed. They have no idea who Hamas are (they may mistake them for Hezbollah), they don't know the difference between Fatah and the Palestinian Authority, they have never heard of Pan-Arabism, they don't know what the Muslim Brotherhood is. I could keep going, but you get my point. The young people protesting are having a social media event (like me-too).
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  9265. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
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  9266. Turkish authorities claimed that the Indian wheat consignment was infected with Rubella disease Egypt barred the entry of a ship carrying 55,000 tonnes of Indian wheat that was originally intended for Turkey. Egyptian plant quarantine chief Ahmed El Attar said on Saturday.
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  9267. Lukashenko on MSNBC : Putin will NOT use nuclear weapons and Belarus will NOT join the war.
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  9268.  Jack W  Nobody is denying Israeli provocation. But also, no nation could tolerate a terror group firing missiles. Imagine the UK was evicting Argentinians, and they were firing rockets at the Falklands. Well the UK police would also deter demonstrations that might inflame Argentinian feelings.
    1
  9269.  @shaphyshaphy  Even the Imam in the Al-Aqsa mosque told the youths that the mosque was for prayer. (I saw the clip) What did he mean ? Well the youths had been throwing stones and ran into the mosque to avoid the police. That is why the Imam made his statement.
    1
  9270.  Said Nasereddin  , You are taking the long view and Palestinians have a great advantage : demographics. Their birth-rate is much higher. A similar situation occurred in N Ireland - the Catholics had the demographic advantage. It rules out certain solutions for Protestants and Jews : neither of whom want to become a minority in their own land.
    1
  9271.  Jack W  Very enjoyable and learned observations. But they fail to accommodate the cultural context :- a) Israel's historical claim to a home, persecution by Islam, and inferior status. b) the 600yr discrimination against non-Muslim Rayas (flocks) I often wince when ignorant folk talk about Apartheid, not knowing about the 600yr history of the Caliphate. c) the 3 wars and Israel's being surrounded by enemies. With the Palestinians being prepared to side with anyone against the Jews. d) that pre-1948 the riots and battles were instigated by Palestinians (who objected to immigration) e) that the Palestinians fought with the Turks in WW1, and were defeated by the British. The Turks lost huge swathes of territory - which is not uncommon after a war. f) IMPORTANT that the Palestinians initially wanted to become souther Syria. The French defeated Faisal and scuppered that plan. There was no talk of their own state. Next they wanted to be part of Pan Arabia with the capital at Cairo, and only in 1988 (after 3 wars) was statehood floated.
    1
  9272.  @shaphyshaphy  , Well I have to agree : very little progress would be made without a cataclysmic response from somewhere. But you are a fool to think 70yrs of Palestinian failure is the fault of Israel. In 1948, it was the fault of the Mufti of Jerusalem (installed by the British). In 1967, it was the fault of the Pan Arab League. In 1973, it was misfortune. Post '73 it was Arafat's 35yr dictatorship. Post Arafat it was the corruption of Fatah, the Islamofascism of Hamas, and the inability of Palestinians to appeal for world support (by for example electing a charismatic female leader, and appearing democratic, honest and progressive).
    1
  9273. arsam, you may have a point there ; but just imagine there was another country which was the world's only superpower : say China or Russia or an Islamic country. By Jove we'd soon know what fascism was like. I think we should all be grateful that a democratic country with civilized values is the only superpower.
    1
  9274. Kingsmen, everything you say is right but at least you have the opportunity to stand outside the Whitehouse, point your finger and accuse the US before the world's press. You can't do that in the fascist countries you support. Erdogan's thugs would beat you to pulp. Iran's republican guard would have you tortured. China would harvest your organs. Russia, would arrest and torture you in prison. etc etc
    1
  9275. Joshua, as usual you are quite right. What countries need are independent institutions : judiciary, trade organisations, media , Education etc All of which takes time.....maybe generations. The rule of law, accountability, transparency, these are the foundations for stable society. I was just putting the boot into the Ayatollahs who I passionately hate.
    1
  9276. John Kirby - straight talking voice of reason Well said
    1
  9277. 1:04 Magnificent : he blows any dust out of the barrel. What a cool-headed pro.
    1
  9278. Shame on Wion, and shame on India. Wion calls the war "Op" for operation. Disgusting.
    1
  9279. He will outlive Putin. Putin has water-retention, under his chin : he looks shocking. And Putin is limping - throwing one leg. He probably has cancer, as well as some degenerate disease like senility.
    1
  9280. 4:12 "Russia and China military co-operation" Don't forget Russia wanted to drop a nuke on China (1969) It was the US that prevented it. China should be thanking the US
    1
  9281.  @balung  I agree : the EU (France Germany) are certainly moving slowly. That is why I'm "pleased" Russia is advancing. This has shocked the EU - Poland has sent 200 tanks, and 'tank buster' planes ; the Yanks are sending long range rocket systems. Russia's imperceptible success is enabling Ukraine to build up an impressive Counter-Offensive.
    1
  9282. @Turkey oceanographic ships & Russian nuclear mines The BBC delete anything controversial - if in doubt delete it, is their motto.
    1
  9283. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  9284. Horse trading The "blank votes" are folks who want bribes France better get the cheque book out
    1
  9285. What is a proxy ? Well the best example would be Hezbollah who are a proxy of Iran. What does a proxy do ? Well anything the host tells them to do : remember the Tehran student protests, remember the guys beating them with clubs, that was Hezbollah. Hezbollah are fanatical thugs who obey orders from fanatics in Tehran.
    1
  9286. "What does it actually do ?" It blocks the signal NOT the devices Imagine the signal is blue light, Russia shines a powerful blue light to swamp the signal you receive (I think that's correct)
    1
  9287. The invasion has gone wrong. Moscow has now expanded the war to Moldova - it is a fantasy, but you might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.
    1
  9288. I agree but let's consider what he's achieved :- He's set this racket up off his own bat. Not like those CNN millionaires who just follow an editorial line and brown nose round the management. Look at millionaire Rachel Maddow she never has to get on a soap box for contributors. What Pakman has achieved deserves some recognition. If he wants to expand and add a new producer good luck to him.
    1
  9289. look for a good, a bot couldn't craft a comment like mine LOL It takes years of reading and study to be able to compose a polished piece of prose like that. Machine/bot indeed !
    1
  9290.  Deep Subject  , LOL neither is it "human like". It's just "contraption like". It's a contraption road sweepers might use to pick up rubbish.
    1
  9291.  @rhodium1096  , 50yrs ago I had a toy car that followed a cut-out card to go right & left. That was half a century ago and you're telling me Fedor can do the same ! Well blow me down with a feather.
    1
  9292. Sri Lankan corrupt Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe : he's the face of corruption.
    1
  9293. Pope Francis : the face of hypocrisy and child abuse cover-up.
    1
  9294. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval : conscripts are brutalized, ill-equipped and underfed.
    1
  9295.  @BlackEpyon  Biden is NOT a statesman : he is a dotty old Grandpa talking to the children. RIP Biden's mind, it departed many years ago. The lights are on in his head, but nobody is home. His mind is no more expansive than the room he occupies, his answers are simply for the folks in the room. Biden's mind is bounded in a nutshell, and he counts himself a king of minimal space.
    1
  9296. The day a rabid Ayatollah gets his totalitarian fascist hands on a nuclear weapon will be a sad day for world peace.
    1
  9297. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
    1
  9298. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah. China uses Triad thugs. The Ayatollah uses Hezbollah thugs.
    1
  9299. Reaman, ditto, I wish Corbyn wouldn't support every Islamofascist group going. When people listen to Corbyn they're generally impressed by how genuine he is.
    1
  9300.  @markf5220  , I was actually thinking of Islamofascist anti-democratic thugs like Hamas, Hezbollah, Fatah and the Palestinian Authority. But since you mention the IRA them as well. The IRA are appalling anti-democratic, corrupt, criminal thugs. Don't make jokes about them in a pub because they'll drag you outside and knife you to death (providing there is a whole mob of the cowardky thugs and you are on your own). Anyone that can lend support to a bunch of totalitarian knee-capping thugs needs their head examining.
    1
  9301. The King of Jordan detests Hamas, his statements are to calm Palestinian hotheads Jordan wants Hamas destroyed Egypt wants Hamas destroyed
    1
  9302. "Biden believes Hamas demands are over the top" He's not wrong - this deal looks a lot like Hamas victory Netanyahu's government will surely collapse
    1
  9303. It never rains but it pours. Poor old Pak.
    1
  9304. Elections : Mahmoud Abbas must be kicking himself. This is a great excuse to cancel democracy. If only he hadn't jumped the gun.
    1
  9305. I support an AUKUS blockade of China.
    1
  9306. All those EU liberals that want to get friendly with China, and invite them to build 5G networks in Europe, and nuclear power stations in the UK, think again. China is a malevolent totalitarian power, with ambitions of global status.
    1
  9307. India is supporting Moscow with a nod & wink. Shame on India.
    1
  9308. Dark Ages, you have to be joking. Putin cannot lose the election : the young lady running against him is paid by the Kremlin. She is just there to convince idiots it is a fair election.
    1
  9309. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  9310. Ursula von der Leyden has risen to replace Merkel as Europe's leader. She is very impressive. India must wish they had some leadership. Modi fears China and fears offending Russia : Biden said Modi looks "shaky".
    1
  9311. Israel wants to arm a "Palestinian Police Force" to guard aid Hamas said the will kill them - an "iron fist" will deal with collaborators So Hamas are preventing aid deliver !
    1
  9312. An Idea :- a) Why not ask Hillary to announce her candidacy ?
    1
  9313. Erdoğan is a curmudgeonly opportunist looking for a cherry.
    1
  9314. " ....billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay" Hillary style. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/262570-spending-under-scrutiny
    1
  9315. Imran Khan is an expert on genocide : Bangladesh (1971)
    1
  9316.  @polo3235e  , I can't remember what his comment was now. But it must have been something quite atrocious. I enjoy debate and never resort to insults. So he must have said something outrageous.
    1
  9317. This is bullshit : the Quran specifically states there is no need to fast if you are old, young, ill or at war or participating in Jihad
    1
  9318. Oh the humiliation for India. I told them the do nothing : the winners are the terror group that started it all. It's like dropping a bomb on Polio , there's nothing to be gained. By all means appeal for international condemnation and economic isolation of Pakistan. By all means persuade the US to stop funding Pakistan's military. Use diplomacy against Pakistan, gather a consensus by all means. But don't go dropping bombs that damage 3 houses and injure one person. Modi hasn't the brains he was born with. This is what happens when there's an election brewing : people act dumb.
    1
  9319. “Innocence is a kind of insanity”
    1
  9320. That's EU liberals
    1
  9321. Slip your feet into Putin's slippers and look at his cards He only needs Odessa to make a Royal Flush....unlikely but one is hypnotised by the possibility. Kherson is his best card He would trade Kherson to keep the rest, then come back for Odessa in later years If he is to create catastrophe it will be before losing Kherson
    1
  9322. Erdoğan is simply guaranteeing Turkey is never accepted into the EU.
    1
  9323. astro, you are a very naive young man. China's growth is fuelled by astronomical debt. They are a totalitarian state and think they can manipulate the economy but financial gravity can only be defied for so long.
    1
  9324. I'm not being racist : during the Gulf war 20% of RAF pilots refused to fly. It was covered up so as not to reveal any weakness and pilots were moved to other duties.
    1
  9325. Lima. I'm inclined to agree with you. The Pakistani is very warlike : every war with India was started by Pakistan. I know the British army was very impressed with Punjabi regiments (although they were also Sikh, another warlike group).
    1
  9326. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
    1
  9327. Germany's contribution won't arrive until July. Well done Germany : sabotaging Ukraine at every opportunity.
    1
  9328. The entire Western World is supporting Ukraine's fight for freedom. ( A Great shame Germany sabotaged the delivery of weapons :- by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania from donating a 155mm howitzer)
    1
  9329. General Ben Hodges : "Russia's defeat is now inevitable" Mykhailo Podolyak (adviser to Zelensky) " It is a mathematical certainty that Ukraine will win in 3 - 6 months" Putin knows he has lost. That information will take 6 weeks to dawn on the army. At which stage Putin falls and the Russian Federation may collapse.
    1
  9330. Oh no, Netanyahu's government wants "final victory, as it is called" How terrible. He wants to defeat Hamas butchers Western liberals must oppose that at all costs
    1
  9331. Pause at 2:03 and look at that grimace after she says the word "deal". God I wish Freud & Jung were still alive.
    1
  9332. US missiles, US intelligence, and Ukrainian professionalism : the civilized world applauds Ukraine.
    1
  9333. Shame on Ireland Ireland sent condolences to the Nazis when Hitler died Ireland is mostly on the wrong side of history
    1
  9334. Macron is trying to divide NATO Macron is responsible for Russia's dominance - he promised Ukraine 1m shells, delivered only 1/3rd and vetoed outsourcing of 155 shells Czechia over-ruled him and got the shells from outside the EU On the SAME day Macron spoke about troops to Ukraine Macron KNOWS Putin wants a nuclear confrontation (Cuba) and he knows NATO policy is not to give him one (ie no troops to Ukraine), so Macron stirs the pot to make himself look capable and make NATO look weak Do NOT trust Macron
    1
  9335. Who, in their right mind would rely on Russia ? Why hasn't the EU constructed a pipeline to the middle east where we have friends.
    1
  9336. Wow the 4 components (malignant narcissism) all apply brilliantly to Hillary :- a) Paranoia : constantly lying to the media and investigators. b) Sadism ,"We came we saw he died", hysterical laughter. c) sociopathy : even assaulting her own staff. d) narcissism : "It's her turn", "I'm with her" and $75million spent on the glass-ceiling video.
    1
  9337. Russia has launched a barbaric, savage assault on its neighbour. God bless Ukraine. The USA has launched a $40 billion package, and Zelensky intends to equip 1 million fighting soldiers with the latest hi-tech weapons. God speed !
    1
  9338. Zelensky warned folk not to expect victory after victory. Get things in perspective : Russia is a leviathan. The entire might of Russia is concentrated on small villages and towns. It would be extraordinary if they couldn't make gains. The big picture :- A France 24 journalist said "Everyone I spoke to in Ukraine was convinced of victory". While Russian TV had a colonel who more or less said, "Russia must realise it is about to lose"
    1
  9339.  @sujithkvarghese5616  Analysis of open-source satellite imagery by the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensics Laboratory,[18] San Francisco-based Planet Labs,[19] European Space Imaging,[20] and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute,[21] has concluded that India did not hit any targets of significance on the Jaba hilltop site in the vicinity of Balakot
    1
  9340. "How does a shy retiring lady know about Long Dong Silver ?" Republican senator bullying Anita Hill. They have no shame.
    1
  9341. Palestinian support = student nutcases and the Axis of Evil
    1
  9342. He's wrong about Belarus Lukashenko will never become involved in this losing war He has resisted a strong Russia for 23yrs, he's not going to fold to a weak Russia
    1
  9343. South Africa's case built on LIES Eg "500 trucks a day before the war" Actually only 72 trucks of food There are currently 110 trucks a day going in with food & medical aid South Africa deliberately present lies Eg "The only way to allow aid in is for Israel to stop fighting" Wrong Hamas could release all hostages and stop fighting S Africa never criticise Hamas, they are pro-Hamas
    1
  9344.  @user-zz5zv3oj4y  What nonsense. Nobody, since the Enlightenment, believes in life after death. It is a comfortable superstition. And don't quote folk who've returned from near-death experience : those folks had oxygen depleted brains, and their testimony would be thrown out of any court of law.
    1
  9345. South Africa's provisional measure were ALL kicked out South Africa's scarf wearing clowns fell flat on their faces The ICJ demanded ALL Hamas hostages be released immediately and unconditionally
    1
  9346.  Konstantinos Palaiologos  , LOL you're not wrong. The DNC never learn. They chose crooked Hillary in 2016 and now want us to elect crooked Biden in 2020.
    1
  9347. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
    1
  9348.  @Kidssketchworld  Ukraine has retaken all the land around Kyiv, and most around Kharkiv. They have retaken Snake Island. Russia must get used to retreating "incrementally". Nobody wants the Kremlin to become hysterical : that is why NATO suggested baby steps for Russia's defeat. Russia will only gradually realise they have been crushed.
    1
  9349.  @florinmoldovanu  You are a rational thinking human : why not look at Russia - "There has never been any law in Russia" Solzhenitsyn. Then look at China's dystopia, and the utter failure of South America. Then do some thinking, and decide which type of society is best for humans.
    1
  9350. Who's the other guy ? He has a fine bass-baritone voice, but hardly got to say anything.
    1
  9351. Corbyn & Ukraine :- Who could doubt Corbyn would've supported the Kremlin, by advocating a peace-policy to deny Ukraine weapons. Everyone knows Corbyn is a foolish traitor.
    1
  9352. Nobody ever mentions Trump's idea to invite Russia to help the US defend themselves against cyber attacks. WTF.
    1
  9353. "Iranian woman dies after falling into coma following assault from ‘morality police’ over hijab" India's new ally in the SCO (Axis of Evil)
    1
  9354. Fatah & Hamas are forming a unity government. They are united in corruption and a desire to keep power and deny democracy to Palestinians. Any journalist investigating corruption is beaten or killed. That is why there are no other parties : no pluralism : no democracy. Hamas actually hate democracy and want a Caliphate.
    1
  9355. Obviously they are working. Putin's first demands were :- a) recognition of Crimea b) end 2014 sanctions This war was supposed to end sanctions (2014) because they were so onerous. Trump hotel meeting with Russia : ostensibly about adoption of orphans - "Within minutes they raised the subject of the 2014 sanctions"
    1
  9356. Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
    1
  9357. All the profitable companies are filched by the Revolutionary Guard, who have a finger in every pie. The Ayatollah regime is utterly corrupt.
    1
  9358. If India rises from its knees, it will find it can actually walk upright like a proud nation and condemn Russia. Stop acting like a Russian serf.
    1
  9359. Palestinians have rejected a 2 state solution twice (1948 and 2000) Camp David : President Clinton said, "Arafat can't be trusted" After 75 years of failure Palestinians have yet to make a correct decision
    1
  9360.  @startrain1  LOL Disadvantageous to Palestinians Of course, the Palestinians are MUCH better off today, they were right to reject the Camp David 2-state solution Also, Palestinians are much better off after their 7 Oct massacre Things are gong so well for them,, they just keep winning
    1
  9361. "Major failure of this government" Marwan He means Hamas
    1
  9362. Fear, Confidence and Civilisation. Russia is fearful of invasion, sanctions, and "being cancelled" by LGBT and modernization. By contrast, the Western civilisation is confident - it mocks itself. When the war started, Australians declared "Toxic masculinity comes to the rescue". The west sees its faults and allows criticism and humour. Putin jokes, in a phone call with Macron, about "raping" Ukraine. Russia has no humour and no tolerance : it is a civilisation of fear. Confidence indicates a thriving culture and fear signifies a culture which knows it is doomed.
    1
  9363. The Ayatollah is an old fanatic, ruling through his thugs in the IRGC. The IRGC were the ones posing as police snipers and killing protestors.
    1
  9364. Macron - I am expecting him to tell Ukraine NOT to retake Crimea. It wouldn't surprise me to see Macron recognise the Russian annexation. Such is the perfidy and fear of the French "Not to humiliate Russia"
    1
  9365.  Alenas Kvasninas  You are correct, well spotted, I had specified the 'Old Imperialist alliance'. But that was directed at India. Russian state TV reports "If humanitarian conditions become too bad, we could lose our closest allies China and India". Also, South Africa have decided to stay cosy with Russia. And I went to London to march to free Nelson Mandela. (I wish I hadn't bothered)
    1
  9366. Who was he ? Good question : he was a wealthy Saudi who belonged to a faction that had had their noses pushed out of the trough. He was happy to see democrats executed in Saudi or anyone who challenged authority imprisoned and tortured ; he was happy to see women oppressed and to spread Wahhabi-ism across the globe. Also, he would have done the same to MBS given half the chance.
    1
  9367. Mohammad, I'm not a bot : that is a well reasoned piece of geopolitical observation. Khashoggi was part of the Saudi system that imprisoned women who protested for their rights ; he was part of the regime that executed democrats and would have approved of his own killing if it had been done to someone else. He was a Saudi insider who got his nose pushed out.
    1
  9368. This is an uplifting video : "The Industrial Revolution why Britain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PsZmnVqqQ England benefitted greatly from the Dutch Connection ( see my Charles I, Charles II and William III trilogy)
    1
  9369. France was a founder member of the European Defence Community (1950) : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  9370. The defunct and the desperate
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  9371. NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  9372.  @nasseemmuttur778  Good point. But consider your examples :- a) Iraq. Saddam and his psychopathic sons committed atrocities which are unmentionable on a forum. Sickening perverted cruelty. b) Afghanistan. The Taliban didn't play sports, but used football stadiums to torture, execute and stone women to death. You talk about those countries as if they were the equivalent of civilized nations. Have you no moral compass ? One cannot compare democratic Ukraine, with those savage, barbarous nations !
    1
  9373. Mike, you daft clot, you wouldn't think Putin was so great if you were a journalist being defenestrated for investigating political corruption.
    1
  9374. Ruwan, I like it when Trump Jr, after the 2008 financial crisis,whilst playing golf, told a friend "We don't use banks, we get all the money we need from Russia". And I like it when the same Trump Jr tried to establish an encrypted back channel communication with the Kremlin. The same one who met with Russian intelligence agents in Trump Tower.
    1
  9375. Ruwan, you are quite right : the investigation into Hillary should be reopened. (And while they're at it they should charge Bill with rape). But I've never seen a US President debase themselves before. This was a first.
    1
  9376. Lambrecht was a huge mistake by Scholz
    1
  9377.  @stefanm5636  Russian schoolbooks are lies. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  9378.  @niji0199  Tomorrow (15 June) 42 nations meet in Brussels (Defence Contact Group) to discuss the next tranche of weapons for Ukraine. How many nations are helping Russia ? Russia is using anti-ship missiles for land strikes - it is running out of everything. The GDP of all the nations supporting Ukraine is 100 x Russia's GDP. Let's see how Russia is fairing in a year's time.
    1
  9379. There is only one strategy : Blockade. It is easily accomplished using submarines. You blockade the Malacca Straits and China's economy collapses. Best to keep aircraft carriers 1000km away. The war can be won without firing a shot.
    1
  9380. Who would wish to be governed by savages ?
    1
  9381. Speed is what counts Not missile speed, but the speed of elimination The West can destroy Russia before Russia even gets started Putin "Russia has a limited capacity for a retaliatory strike"
    1
  9382. Latin American failure is rooted in Spanish history. During the reign of the last Habsburg Charles II (1661-1700) the Cortes (parliament) met once in 39yrs. I've made a video about it if you're interested :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACa4p9jhVPc&t=1s
    1
  9383. Let me explain the USA's massive, massive superiority. Russia has thousands of decommissioned missiles - the warheads are stored separately and the rockets need fuelling. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No nation has ever had the instant firepower of the US.
    1
  9384. If Israel had obeyed the Hamas deadline this would never have happened. When the Hamas deadline was ignored, they fired the first rockets at 6:01pm Monday 10th May.
    1
  9385. LOL French cowardice "Tread carefully" 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep France waved the white flag France is 17th on the list of aid donors
    1
  9386. UN Liars ! "500 - 600 trucks per day" Most of that was consumer goods Food was only 100 trucks, Israel now allows 120 trucks An increase of 20% UN liars support Hamas
    1
  9387. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  9388. Those images are FAKE The Moskva sank at 2am. It was night-time.
    1
  9389.  @rankcrush4374  "what did the pregnant mothers say?" One of them pretended to be mad, so they wouldn't rape her.
    1
  9390.  @AlexDuWaldt  Putin referenced an obscene song lyric to demonstrate what he wanted. "Whether you like it or don't like it, bear with it, my beauty," Putin said. That is the mentality of the Kremlin. They are mobsters and thugs. Putin has threatened to nationalise foreign owned businesses. LOL the Kremlin can't run a business, they can only thieve from business, threaten and extort.
    1
  9391. Pakistan killed 3 million in the Bangladesh war and raped 250,000 women and girls. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1971_Bangladesh_genocide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_Bangladesh_Liberation_War " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
    1
  9392. Farage parrots Putin Putin threatened war - Farage repeated it Now Farage claims "Foresight" (effing traitor)
    1
  9393.  @mistergeopolitics4456  do some research before posting propaganda. "Amnesty International has released details of the deaths of 304 men, women and children killed by Iran's security forces during last November's ruthless crackdown, six months after the protests. The organization found that more than 220 of the recorded deaths took place over just two days on 16 and 17 November."
    1
  9394. I hope we never stop seeing Orcs getting bombed at breakfast-time.
    1
  9395. Hope India doesn't humiliate itself.
    1
  9396. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  9397. India GDP = 2.6 trillion Russia GDP = 1.4 trillion Why is India on its knees to Russia, afraid to condemn the invasion ? India needs to grow a pair, and start behaving like a mature nation.
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  9398.  @coajdka  Folk are flooding to America. Every millionaire in China and Russia tries to buy their way in to America (with property and hopefully a passport).
    1
  9399. Baffling ? No. There were 500 live rounds recovered from the Set, and 3 firearms. Tis is a slipshod, corner-cutting enterprise f ever there was one. The "Chief armourer" is a young start-struck lass. She thought Nicolas Cage was really great fun - "Because he was always goofing around". The chief armourer should be an old-timer, who recognizes Hollywood stars for what they are - half-witted, immature, self-centred, impractical, incapable of following instructions, and highly irresponsible.
    1
  9400. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  9401. The Revolutionary Guard regularly rape female protestors, they consider it a perk of their job. @t @t @t @t This is the true face of Iran. Iran is a totalitarian Islamofascist state. There is no independent judiciary, no independent police force, if you are arrested they can do what they want with you.
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  9402. "Digital gold" But it has zero intrinsic value : bank assets are government secured They are based on the future earnings of a nation Hence the US can safely borrow maybe $40 to 50 trillion Crypto has zero security : it is like Dutch tulip mania writ large NOT digital gold
    1
  9403. 1:30 "If the dollar goes down those companies which export will do well" Wow, we'd have never worked that one out.
    1
  9404. 9:00 "Would regional nations take over Gaza" Nonsense : it has to be the PA Think about the credibility the PA would lose - if Gaza thrives under a coalition, if folks prefer a coalition - it would be the end of the PA The PA has to take over Imagine asking for a 2 state solution but you're afraid to govern Gaza The PA's credibility (which is almost zero now) would be totally zilch
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  9405. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  9406.  @dustintacohands1107  , thanks for asking. Assad will be patient, stay close to the Russians and wait for opportunities.
    1
  9407.  @ARCSTREAMS  , correction : I meant Mabij. Does anyone remember when Erdogan said he was going to take Manbij ? I said it would never happen and was right ! Thanks for correcting that typo.
    1
  9408.  @shakushaku2646  , good question ; the SDF administer what they've got (which is everything west of the Euphrates). Assad has Russia and Iran supporting him, the situation vis-a-vis US/Iran is volatile and opportunities will arise. Russia have secured themselves a naval base (Tartus) so they will be with Assad for keeps. Assad's main problem is money for reconstruction : Russia need to invest in themselves, so do Iran ; those oilfields the Yanks are sitting on would make all the difference.
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  9409. 10:20 "They are talking to Putin to judge his mental health" Good point. Also, it is harder for the Kremlin to become hysterical (nukes) when EU leaders are proffering negotiation. It is good to have two irons in the fire. Remember France has provided 18 howitzers, and they are deadly.
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  9410. Huawei are required by Chinese law to assist in spying.
    1
  9411. Japan are on the side of the Good Guys. India is trying to keep a disgraceful foot in both camps.
    1
  9412.  @mamtakhatri1093  It takes courage to defy Russia. Biden said Modi "Looks shaky". But to his credit, Modi found the courage from somewhere. Well done India.
    1
  9413. @Anthony Martin LOL But joking aside : Russia lobbied hard, warning countries that an abstention would be "an unfriendly gesture". I'm being honest now (not patronising), it did take some guts to go against Russia, and it put daylight between India and China. The leader of the Ulster Unionists would sit in parliament on the same benches as the Conservatives. One new MP said, "I didn't know you were on our side". Ian Paisley replied, "Don't confuse sitting on your side, with being on your side". I feel as though Modi might say something like that about the UN vote.
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  9414. George W Bush :- I don't believe it. He read 14 biographies on Lincoln. That is just ridiculous. He read 186 books in 4yrs. And yet thinks he has to explain "Playing your cards close to your chest", to people because it is a Texas saying. I don't believe that reading.....unless they were all books on the Alamo. You can't read that much and be as daft as he was.
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  9415. Russian soldiers are shooting Ukrainians who surrender :- "These ... reports suggest that atrocities are not the result of rogue units or individuals; they rather reveal a deeply disturbing pattern of systematic abuse across all areas where Russia's forces are engaged."
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  9416. The US used 63 Tomahawks to destroy a Syrian military aerodrome. The Tomahawk is 50% more explosive than a Rus. cruise missile Putin would need 6000 missiles to have a credible impact on one Ukrainian city. Rus. fired 83 and half were shot down You do the math
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  9417. " I can't remember when", Biden used that phrase about six times. Good God Joe, if you can't remember just waffle like Trump. Don't keep letting everyone know you've lost the plot.
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  9418. Well done Steve Forbes - for making a bold prediction It will not be Michelle NOT Harris It will be Gretchen Whitmer, or Andy Bashear or Josh Shapiro They MUST distance themselves from Biden - migration, Afghan etc
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  9419. The Chechen thug has sent his teenage sons, who have returned with 3 captives. These are being paraded and laughed at in a medieval manner. God knows what else they will do to them. The west needs to step up support. And macron needs to grow a pair - stop declaring neutrality don't say "We must not humiliate Russia" : that is playing Putin's game. Putin relies on pusillanimous Macron's cowardice.
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  9420. Amongst all the issues : sovereignty , immigration , independence etc there is also a strong desire to "stick it to politicians." Trump is an example, Brexit another, the Italian 5 star movement ; and in this case a second referendum would carry that portion of votes. Whereas in the original referendum one "stuck it to the politicians" by voting leave , in the second referendum one would "stick it to the politicians" by voting remain.
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  9421. Very biased BBC (again) Virtually no clips of Hamas horrors All focus is on Palestine as victims
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  9422. 2:30 "Start of a new revolution" No we are not. The Revolutions of QM and Relativity were real revolutions. This is BBC hyperbole. Scientists are fine-tuning existing theories.
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  9423. 55:00 classic mistake by Dennett He wants us to use intelligent 'tissues' (units) but not to construct multiple tissues that resemble or surpass human intelligence. And says (al la index librorum prohibitorum ) we shouldn't talk about it. That's fine but it won't stop China or Russia or North Korea doing it. It's like holding back the tide. Obviously full blown self replicating AI will arrive. I once heard the great Jeff Hawkins ridicule the threat from AI. The interviewer said, "So self-programming, self-replicating AI is no danger". And Hawkins replied ,"Well if you allow it to program itself and replicate it is but why would you do that ".
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  9424. 29:00 the naiveté of Morsi and the Brotherhood. If your neck is on the line and you negotiate with the military, immediately afterwards hold a press conference saying you have agreed. Morsi was a politically naive tyrant.
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  9425. Live fire ! The army firing live rounds on their own people ? Yes this is quite common in the Middle East : in Iran, after a demonstration, the army would burst into hospitals and finish off the wounded. That occurred under the Shah, but under the Ayatollah you have police snipers killing protestors. Ironically they only thing stopping a bloodbath when Khomeini took power was NATO. General Huyser (NATO) flew to Tehran to warn the Shah's military against a coup.
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  9426. 1) ignore the 'expert' he has huge investments in China 2) why would global investors be interested in China when wealthy Chinese are getting their money out as quick as possible (capital flight). 3) Don't believe China is too powerful to fail. In 1918 the USA was 75% of global production but when the stock market crashed it didn't emerge from recession until after WW2 (Roosevelt's new deal didn't work)
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  9427. Mahmoud Abbas : don't critisise him, or he'll send 14 policemen round to beat you to death. The burst into the victim's home at night and simply started beating him to death. The lesson taught : don't criticise, or mention corruption.
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  9428. Hamas started it at 6:01pm Monday 10th May. What did they think Israel would do in response to Hamas rockets ?
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  9429. Things could be worse. Remember Bangladesh : "Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
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  9430.  @gdiwolverinemale2745  Let us agree that Russia emerged from Mongol domination of Genghis Khans' hordes with Ivan the Great ~1480. Russia was then very backwards. Peter the Great began the modernization ~1700 Russia missed out on the Enlightenment. Catherine the Great invited Diderot ~1773 which effectively killed him. At which time the Kremlin spoke French. Catherine was German, and all Tsars married German wives. This was a recognition of the backwardness of the Russian people. 37% of Russians were serfs until 1861. The oppression continued with Stalinism, the Gulags, the KGB and the Lubyanka torture camp. Russia is a disgusting despotic, barbaric blemish on the world. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". By contrast, Britain gifted the world parliamentary democracy, the scientific revolution (1660 Royal Society), and the Industrial Revolution. Russia attempts to ape the West with its Duma - but everyone knows they are simply gangster thugs, robbing from the state to buy yachts and villas in the West.
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  9431. China has NO Arctic border Their presence is purely opportunistic - they will seize or bully to get a toehold
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  9432. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  9433. Turgenev's Grandma lost her temper and struck a serf-boy. He fell to the ground wounded, which so enraged her, she jumped on top of him with a cushion and suffocated him. A simple domestic murder. That was Russia in 1850 and that is Russia in Bucha - murderers by nature.
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  9434. Also, China downgrade visit to Russia Wang Yi (FM) sent his deputy That puts Xi's visit in doubt
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  9435. Spain approves delivery to Ukraine of 40 Leopard 2A4 tanks and Aspide missile systems They look good - the Spanish 2A4. Aspide missile systems : that looks like the M270 only with just 3 rockets. It might use the same chassis.
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  9436.  @ginestraginestra9624  Well said. When Putin falls Germany will want to immediately resume full trade. However, Russia's total humiliation will require Russia to try again - to expunge the memory.
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  9437. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
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  9438. It must be demoralizing for the Russians : to get their ears boxed whether they hide, flee or fight.
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  9439. kripto, what does it matter, exactly. Have you read about all the ballot stuffing and rigging. The whole election was a fix. Do a quick search , there was ballot stuffing everywhere and unbelievable results : even in the opposition candidates home towns Erdogan won a landslide. Simply incredible ie not believable.
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  9440. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate" them.
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  9441. Don't be dispirited about a Russian advance. In 1775 Bunker Hill : the rebels fell back, but had inflicted casualties on the British that were unsustainable. Shame on Russia's oldest ally (India)
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  9442. Russian exceptionalism : a) 1485 Ivan III after Byzantine marriage begins "Gathering the Lands" for 3rd Rome b) USSR taught children that Russia had a role for mankind - that when all nations joined a fraternity of socialism there would be utopia and no more wars Russians think they are destined to lead humanity to paradise USSR rhetoric has sugued back to Orthodox chirstianity 1957 and 61 Sputnik & Gagarin - Russian wept, they though it was an epiphany for mankind Russians are sick and brainwashed
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  9443. This is a new low. Imagine siding with a sadistic dictator against your own President. However much you hate him. You are either very ignorant about N Korea's crimes or you have lost all moral values.
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  9444. Rik, fair point, but as much as I hate Hillary , if she was getting tough with an inhumane criminal like Kim Jong Un I would just keep my mouth shut. I certainly wouldn't start siding with the murderous dictator !
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  9445. Syed, touché ; I accept you've won that round. I'd only done 5mins of research on Google so I was essentially unarmed. Let us agree on this : a free press distinguishes a Liberal country from a despotic one. Russia : journalists thrown from windows , imprisoned and murdered. China : absolutely no freedom. Iran : no freedom Pakistan : no freedom India : free press (I think ?) Turkey : No freedom , 100s of journalists in prison Saudi : no freedom See a common theme ? The axis of evil :- Russia , China and Muslim countries all suppress freedom of thought and expression. I think we can agree on that. Therefore we should all support the United States and Europe and other Liberal Western Democracies in the fight against Despotism, bigotry, brutality, fascism and injustice. Syed , I'm sure you will agree with that.
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  9446. Syed, bravo and very well spoken. I agree the Egypt coup (Muslim Brotherhood ) was Western backed. But remember Mohammed Morsi record on human rights :- "Two weeks before the June 30 mass anti-Morsi protests, President Morsi appointed as governor of Luxor a member of a hard-line Islamist group that had massacred 58 tourists there in 1997." " Incitement against religious minorities continued during Morsi’s rule and was never punished. High-ranking Islamist leaders, sometimes in Morsi’s presence, incited hatred against non-Muslim minorities and even against non-Islamist Muslims." https://freedomhouse.org/article/timeline-human-rights-violations-egypt-fall-mubarak
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  9447. Syed, (see below for comment you couldn't see) You are right about the success of the Caliphate. However that success brought about its demise. It was to gain access to the (Muslim monopolised )spice trade that Vasco de Gama rounded the Cape of Africa to India.(1498) It was religiously inspired and his ships had the crusader cross on their sails. You suggest the Caliphate crossing the Atlantic........ But there was no need : they had access to India which is what drove the West across the Atlantic. So the West wanted what the Caliphate had : access to India. You are right about tolerance of Jews as well. Christians have treated Jews much worse than Muslims. The 6 Day war :- Egypt were a disgrace. They told Jordan they had destroyed Israel air-power ; so Jordan sent its tanks in and they were slaughtered. I think this is the missing comment ? vinm300 Syed, bravo and very well spoken. I agree the Egypt coup (Muslim Brotherhood ) was Western backed. But remember Mohammed Morsi record on human rights :- "Two weeks before the June 30 mass anti-Morsi protests, President Morsi appointed as governor of Luxor a member of a hard-line Islamist group that had massacred 58 tourists there in 1997." " Incitement against religious minorities continued during Morsi’s rule and was never punished. High-ranking Islamist leaders, sometimes in Morsi’s presence, incited hatred against non-Muslim minorities and even against non-Islamist Muslims." https://freedomhouse.org/article/timeline-human-rights-violations-egypt-fall-mubarak
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  9448. Syed, I do enjoy reading your posts. China : another consideration ; the intellectual stagnation of Confucianism. The intellectual elite (Civil/Court Service) having to memorize and regurgitate thousands of pages of text. India : likewise with religion. The intellectual elite were in religious torpor. "West spent almost all their GDP" :- The sophistication of banking helped because countries also acquired a National Debt (which meant they spent almost twice their GDP) "Muslims started viewing science as the absolute truth" : interesting. I saw a youtube Muslim seminar where the Fakir was saying evolution is a 'theory' and asked his young critic to point to a medical text-book that stated it as a fact. (The young man was trying not to laugh , which was brave of him). Six Day war : the was much respect between both armies in the Sinai with Egyptian troops helping injured Israelis and vice-versa. The Egyptian errors were all at the very top. Morsi should have consolidated his position. a) allow the economy to function , invite investment, clamp down on corruption. b) defend Coptic Christians c) ignore hard line extremists in the Muslim Brotherhood. He should have secured power. He had a comfortable democratic majority and could have been in power for years. He should have allowed himself to be lampooned on TV instead of arresting comedians for insulting him. He was his own worst enemy and the West were glad to see the back of him. American loot helped ; particularly silver from S America.
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  9449. Syed, allow me to paraphrase your question. "How does religion inhibit progress (if it didn't in the past) ? " Because religion is conservative by nature it flourishes in stasis. The period when China and India fall behind( 17th century) was a period of change. China's Confucianism and India's religious torpor are static : that's why they held them back. Families spent years trying to get sons to pass the Confucian exam in China. India's highest intellectual caste was the Brahmin .Even today in Saudi reciting the Quran is what scholars aspire to. So much brain power wasted. The attitude of a State can hold back or encourage progress. That happened in France : the aristocracy considered trade beneath them and when aristocrats were appointed to control colonies they showed disdain for commerce. By contrast the British & Dutch colonies were run by merchants. That's why France had so little colonial success. Ironically it was fighting the US war of Independence (1775) that put France in so much debt Louis XVI had to call the 3 estates to raise taxes : which resulted in the Revolution (1789) Marwa Elshakry : that's a good observation, that rejection of Darwin (by conservatives) was a rejection of colonialism. " I am against the view that one should participate in a secular democracy ............That’s like going to the casino and thinking you can win enough money to buy the casino." LOL Well said and quite right : once people feel an entitlement to freedom and independence they aren't going to hand power over to some despotic Fakirs. Those final paragraphs were very edifying. Very thought provoking : it reminded me of that Houthi missile launched at Riyadh ; I remember wishing it had been a successful strike. It's surprising how quickly you can lose your humanity : on the computer screen it just seems like a game. To return to the initial question :- Look how Christianity struggles to cope with stem cell research or genetic engineering. Religion hates change. Look at the Papal States , they were the most oppressive in Europe...... "One night in 1859 in the pope's kingdom his police raided a Jewish home. In accordance with one of the “sacred canons” and at the pope's behest, they kidnapped the family's six-year-old." The Pope allowed no telegraph, railway or schools ; he wanted people kept in medieval ignorance. Look at Tibet under the Buddhists : no democracy, no schools or hospitals just a good beating if you didn't pay taxes to the Buddhist Temple. The Dalai Lama wanted the people kept in medieval ignorance. All religions would like people kept in medieval ignorance. All religions are fascist and want to keep people indoctrinated . The Enlightenment only happened when Christianity had lost its grip on power. Diderot (1765 encyclopedia) :- The Jesuits had Louis XV permission to destroy all Diderot's manuscripts but the Chief of Police hid them in his office. (Even the Police sided against religious ignorance). The Pope would have stamped out the Enlightenment if he'd had the power
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  9450.  @karanvarma5789  There is truth in what you say ; the difference is that the US just knocked off 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines because it realised aircraft carriers are incredibly vulnerable to missile attack. What other country could knock-off 19 nuclear subs ? Certainly not Russia - which couldn't even borrow one from Russia. 65% of India's defence budget is spent on personnel - wages, pensions and health care. India is running a huge welfare scheme. India NEEDS submarines, not 1.5 million soldiers.
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  9451. Trump is a lying son-of-a-bitch.
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  9452. After 75 years of failure - Palestinians think unity might be a good idea LOL Try democracy !
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  9453. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  9454. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
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  9455. Trump or the EU, that is the question. Whether to pander to Trump or look to the economic future. Hasn't Trump already described Serbia and Kosovo as Shithole countries ?
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  9456. Let me explain the USA's massive, massive superiority. Russia has thousands of decommissioned missiles - the warheads are stored separately and the rockets need fuelling. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No nation has ever had the instant firepower of the US.
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  9457. Magnificent. What an impact ! Don't hold your breath waiting for Germany to send anything. God bless the USA (and Britain - a minor benediction)
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  9458. I wonder who Petrobras are sponsoring.
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  9459. History : this has never NOT happened. In Africa the Bantu spread south took other tribes cattle ,killed them, took the women and the land. Then they point the finger at Europeans. All nations on all all continents have been doing the same since time immemorial.
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  9460. Great video This news is pure joy God bless Ukraine That Vanguard that pushed forward - rejoice !
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  9461. Al Jazeera supports "The Axis of Evil"
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  9462. I'll give you an example :- An Afghan invited to Europe decapitated his Dutch girlfriend and was given 12yrs. Released after 7yrs he came to England with a machete and started attacking folks here.
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  9463. Why is Parliamentary Democracy the model for the Civilized world ? Because the essence of civilized governance is compromise (AJP Taylor) In the Glorious Revolution of 1688, a petty tyrant James II was replaced by a selected duo William II and Mary I, who signed The Bill of Rights (1689) The landed Aristocrats then compromised to govern with the Merchant class. (Tories and Whigs). That governing coalition then compromised with the working class PM John Peel Reform Act 1832 One could also mention Elizabeth I Religious Settlement (1559), when she "refused to make windows into men's souls" and forbade parliament from discussing religion. Causing the Venetian ambassador to report "In England they are neither Catholic nor Protestant". Anglicanism was always the middle path of 'Don't ask'.
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  9464.  @josh-brawlstars2870  Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  9465.  @josh-brawlstars2870  Worry is difficult to dissimulate. Did you see Shoigu's face ? Putin was congratulating him, and telling him to hand out medals. Shoigu looked like a condemned man. Putin is talking about the possibility of Russian "defeat" (that's huge). The faces of his audience are sombre and bewildered. Snake Island : it cost 5 ships, hundreds of lives, helicopters etc and was then simply evacuated. I think that was when Putin dashed back to the Kremlin in a convoy at midnight. The retreat hast started - enjoy.
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  9466. At the Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles : they were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine.
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  9467. Not the West Bank Not Jordan It is just the Hamas Palestinians of Gaza that are going Hamas are on their own
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  9468. LOL "Protestors may go into the forest" The first written account of Robin Hood was 1371. But the folk tale obviously predates that. Whether it actually dates back to king John (d.1216) I suppose it's possible.
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  9469. Africa are not fir to bring a case at the ICJ Africa is continent of corrupt despots - the ANC are corrupt & assassinate any opposition in the townships The ANC wear football scarves in court, this is a grandstanding pantomime
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  9470. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
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  9471. "Foreign intervention" is Hamas policy That is why Hamas benefits from high civilian casualties Hamas wants intervention by the international community - it is their only hope
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  9472. Nothing has changed : Lukashenko asked for cash (which is normal) He said, "There is a crisis" and he didn't mean the war, he meant his economy, he wants more cash from the Kremlin. This visit is simply to take attention from the fact Putin has cancelled everything else. All Putin's TV events are cancelled, so the Russian people get this instead. Nothing has changed. Belarus is NOT joining the war. There will be no 2nd attempt on Kyiv.
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  9473. Yemen is the theatre in which Saudi and Iran have decided to fight a proxy war. The West cannot afford to upset Saudi so turn a blind eye but nobody is enjoying it.
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  9474. Elections : Mahmoud Abbas must be kicking himself. This is a great excuse to cancel democracy. If only he hadn't jumped the gun.
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  9475. "Turning point in history" ? Then why did Germany block weapons to Ukraine if n February ? a) RAF flight blocked b) Estonia howitzer transfer blocked c) direct sales blocked
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  9476.  @issamkholoud2009  Correct You are referring to 1919 Versailles "The right of self determination" Wilson's 14 points Many nations missed out - eg Kurds Because they were tribal & divided Palestinians were divided into clans (and still are) The Kurds had a much better case, and attended Versailles The Palestinian peasants didn't know what a nation state was
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  9477.  @yasashisenpai294  The "passport" will have been issued by the British One imagines they also issued coins, postage stamps etc All the trapping of modern statehood were imported Same in Africa Africa had no nations, only tribes
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  9478.  @ruqiasalah5744  1922 Ottoman collapse :- The Palestinians were shell-shocked Britain appointed them a Grad Mufti who looked to Damascus for leadership Palestinians had no notion of land ownership or statehood In the Caliphate the Sultan owned all land, he was "Our Lord on earth" C19th the West introduced land ownership (Tanzimat) so the Ottomans could pay their debts Palestinians were swindled by corrupt governors who bought most land for a pittance and sold it to Jews Palestinians had no notion of statehood they only knew the Caliphate 1988 Palestine declares itself a state That's how long it took for the penny to drop
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  9479.  @Adriane.Valeria  1922 Ottoman collapse :- The Palestinians were shell-shocked Britain appointed them a Grad Mufti who looked to Damascus for leadership Palestinians had no notion of land ownership or statehood In the Caliphate the Sultan owned all land, he was "Our Lord on earth" C19th the West introduced land ownership (Tanzimat) so the Ottomans could pay their debts Palestinians were swindled by corrupt governors who bought most land for a pittance and sold it to Jews Palestinians had no notion of statehood they only knew the Caliphate 1988 Palestine declares itself a state That's how long it took for the penny to drop
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  9480.  @fauziahb8108  Correct But Jews were always "A people" They were called "The people of the book" thousands of years ago Palestinians have never been "A people" In 1948 they were many clans The clans didn't want to help their neighbours, who they felt antagonistic towards Palestinians have never been a nation or a state
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  9481. China :- a) The military Island bases are to project power. b) they can NOT be defended in a war c) the islands enable Chinese ships to bully fishing trawlers and shine lasers at Australian planes. d) In a war, AUKUS would simply mop-up the islands piecemeal.
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  9482. Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
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  9483. The climate nuts also side with Hamas The Climate campaigners are fanatics and they make common cause with Islamic fanatics I hope the EU elects more normal pro-democracy politicians The lunatic liberals have had their day
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  9484. China vowed to maintain an “objective and fair” stance on Ukraine After Putin Xi video call (30 Dec 2022) "Objective and fair" is not a declaration of intent to send weapons in 2023 LOL Putin is simply diverting attention from all his cancellations : a) Ice hockey b) marathon TV Q&A c) speech to the Duma All Putin's meetings with Lukashenko serve the same purpose They are without substance, simply a show.
    1
  9485. There are a few people who have risen to this war. (I'm listing the Yanks first, because without them it's all over) Mark Milley Lloyd Austin Tony Blinken Boris Johnson Ursula von der Leyden The Poles, Slovenes, Czechs, Finlanders, Estonians etc
    1
  9486. Wrong ! The US stopped Israel from nuking Iran That's why Blnken spoke with Netanyahu for 7hrs and why Biden had to arrive the next day Also, the US stopped Israel from destroying Lebanon
    1
  9487. Putin should never laugh - he looks like a goof-ball.
    1
  9488. God bless corrupt leaders. Sorry that should be , 'Praise be to Allah to bless corruption'. South Sudan is corrupt Christian North Sudan is corrupt Muslim.
    1
  9489.  @Actor_bad24IK  , well said.
    1
  9490.  @humpbacksquarepants5580 , I mention corrupt South Sudan because I always criticise corrupt African countries. The African Union is a syndicate of corrupt leaders. All African leaders should have the soubriquet 'The corrupt' added to their name.
    1
  9491. What a country. You had to choose between the corrupt liar Hillary or the corrupt liar Trump. Now the left are supporting fascist Iran while the right tackle N Korea and Iran. The left support anyone to undermine Trump : national interest goes out the window.
    1
  9492. Path, okay, you win. I just don't like dictatorships. I don't like seeing students beaten in Tehran. I don't like Iranian Guard raping female student protestors https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/14/protesters-raped-iran-jail I think the Ayatollahs are hated and if pressure is applied the regime will collapse.
    1
  9493. Satria, I agree with your first point but not the comparison with Iraq. Iran is already a pseudo democracy under a theocratic dictatorship , what I'm hoping is that further sanctions (ie tear up the deal) will lead to the collapse of the dictatorship and leave you with a pseudo democracy which quickly transitions to full democracy.
    1
  9494. South Africa's provisional measure were ALL kicked out South Africa's scarf wearing clowns fell flat on their faces The ICJ demanded ALL Hamas hostages be released immediately and unconditionally
    1
  9495. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  9496. Macron supports China : (Nov 2021) "Australia is starting a nuclear escalation with China" also macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang up against China" France is a backstabbing 5th column Just as Germany "Wanted a quick win for Russia in Ukraine" (Boris) NATO can't trust Germany or France Thank God for the Anglo-Saxons - defenders of Western democracy.
    1
  9497. Matt, nice one ! have you got any more "Probables" they are fascinating. How do you think them up ? It must take a real schmuck to think these up.
    1
  9498. Didn't expect there to be a Greek involved in corruption That comes as quite a shock
    1
  9499. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  9500. Evident the Spanish Police said 300,00 But liars in Madrid are spreading propaganda like in Franco days.
    1
  9501. Casrv, it turns out you're right : Madrid was the last to fall (1939) Seeing Spanish Police clubbing civilians trying to vote naturally draws comparisons with Franco. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=8s Historically I except I was incorrect but in the context of Madrid's repression and violence I'm sure you will excuse my error. Here is another historical comparison I thought of :- Prussia - Poland Spain - Catalonia Similarities a) Prussia and Spain granted autonomy to their separatist regions ; then suspended it when independence was called for. b) Prussia and Spain tried to eradicate the separatist region's language (Polish, Catalan) by teaching only the language of occupation in schools (German, Spanish) Differences a) Prussia did NOT imprison Polish leaders on charges of sedition b) Prussia did NOT make it illegal for families to use Polish names. (Spain DID imprison Catalan leaders and made it illegal for families to use Catalan names) Conclusion :- Spain are more authoritarian and repressive than Prussia in the 19th century P.S. It took 100yrs and a World War for Poland to regain independence (1918)
    1
  9502. Juan, I agree. Nobody wants to think there are pro-union Catalans afraid to speak out. That is why a free and fair referendum would be a good solution.
    1
  9503. LOL when China fight corruption it's always the political enemies that cop for it. Cronies then move into their shoes and take over the graft. China is built on corruption. Corruption and human organ harvesting.
    1
  9504.  @dodopson3211  " The rouble fell more than 30 per cent last month as oil prices more than halved, but Russia’s foreign exchange interventions, which kick in automatically when the price of global benchmark Brent crude oil falls below $42 a barrel, managed to keep the currency from hitting a record low. " When renewable energy takes off over the coming decades Russia will be on its knees.
    1
  9505.  @dodopson3211  , I don't know why I'm attacking Russia, my only complaint is with the Moscow Mafia. The Kremlin Gangsters are fulfilling Queen Victoria's assessment of Russia ," ......great barbarians, the retarders of all liberty and civilisation that exists."
    1
  9506. Nice hypocrisy We all witnessed Hamas rapes Hamas boasted about their rapes - they filmed themselves
    1
  9507. Hezbollah ! Why do they always get a mention when there's trouble ? Because they are fascist thugs and murderers. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing them from windows ? Welcome to Hezbollah.
    1
  9508. Chinese Communist Party.........the no.1 problem. .......the no.1 liars
    1
  9509. I agree Hong Kong is much more serious than trade. An expert said, the CCP chiefs have sleepless nights thinking about all the people it rules over with no mandate. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  9510. 1919 Versailles : Lloyd George was poor on geography - he though Mecca was in Syria But he was hot on bible studies : he suggested Israel's borders should run from "Ham to Beersheba". Civil servants had to trawl the archives to find ancient maps.
    1
  9511. Biden : "Don't question me about my son working for a corrupt oligarch, look at Trump". That rallies Trump supporters. Hillary STILL rallies Trump supporters (such was her poisonous legacy). So the answer is 'No'. There isn't much that will make us abandon Trump.
    1
  9512.  @antea9055  , consider an abstract case of a hypothetical country which is split about 50/50. Wouldn't the wise thing be to find a compromise ? And yet Theresa May and about 6 other people have made the decision, without consultation, for the entire country. Why not try to find consensus 2yrs ago ? Why should the 50% that voted stay be forced into WTO rules hard-brexit just because half-a-dozen Tories cobbled together a $hit deal ?
    1
  9513. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  9514. Killer, you are quite right. I have sympathy for families forced from their homes. I wish they could return. My mission is to point out Fatah corruption and Araft corruption and that Hamas are fascists who hate democracy. When Iranian students protested it was Hamas who beat them with clubs. What sort of government would Palestine have ? Let me tell you : not much different to Assad in Syria : authoritarian corrupt and oppressive, crushing any critics with violence and intimidation.
    1
  9515. Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
    1
  9516. Nice wise, the 'problem' actually started when Muslim Arabs began a military campaign of spreading Islam at the point of a sword. The Islamic conquests of the 6th & 7th Centuries have been the source of all the trouble in the middle east.
    1
  9517.  @limedickandrew6016  Yes but the technology cn ve exported (once it has been thoroughly tested on Hamas rockets) It will bring in $2-3 $billion in arms sales over the next decade.
    1
  9518. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  9519. UN resolution calls for the UNCONDITIONAL release of all hostages Hamas has said "No" Hamas refuses to comply with the UN Al Jazeera never tell you that !
    1
  9520. NATO is on a victory lap. Putin has indelible egg on his face : he is like the lion from Wizard of Oz.
    1
  9521. Dr Yasir presents pure propaganda in his lecture "1914" Watch at 15mins "In the 1880s ,for reasons we won't go into, Britain said we want nothing to do with you ; so the Ottomans turned to Germany". The reasons were : the Bulgarian atrocities and the Greek massacres. There had been such uproar in the British parliament it was threatening to bring down the government. Of course they are simply "reasons we won't go into". That lecture is pure propaganda. It paints the Muslims are innocent victims of the West. He keeps talking about colonial powers and paints the Ottoman world as a unified 'Ulema'. Not mentioning that all the European countries had been colonised by the Ottomans ! This guy is an ill-informed joke.
    1
  9522.  @21972012145525  , Thanks for your reply. It is an interesting lecture and I will watch it all. Especially about the 'Sharif family ' When I said "All", I meant - 'All the countries in Europe belonging to the Ottomans were colonized'. As opposed to, say, North Africa, where countries that were already Muslim were then added to the Ottoman Caliphate. https://www.britannica.com/event/Bulgarian-Horrors "Gladstone, then in opposition, was moved by reports of the atrocities to campaign vigorously against the foreign policy of Benjamin Disraeli." Gladstone was the leader of the Liberal Party (in opposition) and Disraeli led the Conservative party which was in office.
    1
  9523.  @21972012145525  , In Dr Yasir's lecture on Jinns he says "Many professional people and scholars have seen spirits". But he never mentions any names or dates. Let me give a good example :- The Angels of Mons In WW1 angles were seen over the battle-field at Mons in France. They were seen by officers (solicitors, doctors, lawyers etc) and ordinary soldiers. The only trouble was - they didn't exist. They were invented by a journalist who wrote an article about them for his paper. As a human interest story. It was read by thousands of people , some of whom claimed to have been there and seen them. That is the essence of religious belief : it is wishful thinking. Traumatised people from WW1 wanted to believe they had had a spiritual experience, even though the event was just a newspaper story. They had been at Mons and created a false memory. So much for reliable professional people. Not Dr Yasir never backs anything up with facts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_of_Mons
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  9524.  @21972012145525  , Britain with a constitutional monarchy and democratic parliament was not 'similar to' Ottoman colonisation of Southern Europe. In WW2 India provided :- "1945 was the largest all-volunteer force in history, rising to over 2.5 million men. " When did the Ottoman receive any volunteers ? If Britain was the Evil colonial power why volunteer ? Why did Indian (and Pakistanis prior to partition 1947) clamour to be educated in secular Britain ? South America was a failure because those fanatically Catholic countries were crippled "by the twin fanaticisms of rank and faith" (Henry Kamen) Whereas North America had congregations (non-conformist) and elected town councils, S. America was governed by the authoritarian Church and Nobility. Jinns :- I mention that to demonstrate the East-West divide. My argument is that they are a fiction and I provide evidence 'The Angels of Mons' ; Dr Yasir says Jinns are real "Lots of people see them" but provides no names, dates, or evidence. In the West we like to read and research, in the East they just sit there and swallow everything Dr Yasir says.
    1
  9525.  @21972012145525  , If you want to evaluate evidence for Jinns, it is essential you understand something about how the brain works. Watch Jeff Hawkins lecture :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZM9JREjnp4&t=2131s Let me give one example ; a) more information travels from the brain to the eyes than from the eyes to the brain. The brain constructs a hypothesis of the visual field and only alters it when info from the eyes contradicts it. So when someone 'sees' a Jinn, their brain has constructed a hypothesis of the environment and interpreted something as a Jinn. If you have been inculcated in superstition your whole life you will be predisposed to construct hypotheses in the brain which include Jinns. That doesn't mean a Jinn is actually there. It just means the brain has included a JInn in its hypothesis of the visual field.
    1
  9526. 40:00 Passfield White Paper (1930) This is the entire white paper :- https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-passfield-white-paper I challenge you to find that quote. It doesn't exist. It is very poor, incorrect English. No government minister would write like that. It is infantile propaganda.
    1
  9527.  @21972012145525  , very interesting. Every soldier in the British army was paid, the same in the Ottoman army. "People wanted to be educated in secular education", I don't think that's true. Ataturk ended the Caliphate and introduced secular education (and a new alphabet, calendar and clock), but beneath the surface the people wanted to return to medieval Islam. He discovered this when he created a second party (also headed by him) to hold the one party state to account. The second party organised a rally and thousands turned up chanting for the caliphate and return of the Fez, ie not secular education - that had to be forced on them.
    1
  9528.  @21972012145525  Ataturk abolished the Caliphate ; one would've thought his motives and assessments were extremely pertinent. In 1865 the Young Ottomans, Namik Kemal, wanted to replace the Caliphate with British parliamentary democracy & education, admiring the "indomitable power of public opinion in Britain". In India the Congress party was founded by British Freemasons, and the founding Indian members were all masons. Let me give you an example of how backwards the caliphate was :- A group of Muslim holy-men went on a pilgrimage - fasting and praying, then returned and began to campaign for the return of Islam in Turkey. A huge crowd gathered and finally the Police arrived. The inspector told his men to load their rifles with blanks, then they fired at the holy-men and crowd. "Look we are saints bullets don't hurt us", said the holy-men. So the inspector walked over to confront them ; the pilgrims pulled out a gun and shot him. Then requested someone bring a saw. They decapitated the inspector and started parading his head on a pole. The army were called and the soldiers refused to fire on the holy-men. Then an officer (young Turk?) took a machine gun and sprayed them with bullets. There were about 100 arrests, some were hanged and others imprisoned. This is why Ataturk said, "I fear the people". Because the Caliphate had made them medieval barbarians.
    1
  9529.  @soheil527  When the East India Co, was ended in 1874, they boasted that they had "Handed the british government the finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen". Everywhere the British empire touched benefited by education, administration and democratic ideals. Nelson Mandela - British education Jacob Zuma - African education. One was a great statesman, the other a violent, corrupt African thug.
    1
  9530. The word schmuck comes to mind.
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  9531. Russia have always crushed democracy. 1848 Russian troops invaded Austria to crush the democratic forces. 1956 Russia crushed the Hungarian democratic uprising. 1956 Russia crushed Poland's democracy. 1968 Russia invades Czechoslovakia. Give one example of Russia supporting democracy ?
    1
  9532. Wow this guy could be employed by Putin. He's taking the KGB line to the masses. Don't fool yourself : Russia doesn't have a friend in China (it doesn't have any friends) China is playing its own game and will drop Russia like a hot potato.
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  9533. Why would anyone support Hezbollah : a fascist, totalitarian, anti-democratic party ? Remember students in Tehran protesting against the fascist Ayatollah ? Do you know who it was beating them with clubs ? Hezbollah. Then you look at Palestine : they support Arafat , a corrupt dictator, who rules for 40yrs and steals $3 billion. I'll never understand the Muslim mind.
    1
  9534. "Killed Palestinian informers", you know who falls into that bracket ? Anyone that opposes Fatah. That's how Arafat ruled for 40yrs , killing anyone who criticises him. That's how corrupt Fatah stay in power. Democracy and human rights don't exist for West Bank Palestinians. At least Palestinians in Israel get to vote and the government is held accountable : look at Netanyahu having to account for the cigars he received. None of that in Palestine.......the corruption and murder go unchecked.
    1
  9535. Modi & Putin : a fool and a butcher
    1
  9536. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
    1
  9537. The files released by Assange may have enabled despotic regimes to identify activists and arrest them. Assange was warned about this - but released the files anyway. Read the Guardian article by Nick Cohen : "The treachery of Julian Assange"
    1
  9538. "The law enforcement officers informed the employees of the State Emergency Service about the dangerous find. During the subsequent inspection of the area, the rescuers discovered 20 artillery shells of 152 mm caliber, which were connected to a radio remote control. Explosive items have been removed and will be destroyed. There is no threat to the safety of the movement of citizens in the area where the ammunition was found. Further verification measures are ongoing."
    1
  9539. Never trust Hezbollah - they never complied with 1701 the first time
    1
  9540. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  9541. Modi has found his moral compass. It takes courage to defy Russia, and Biden has found the courage from somewhere. Biden said Modi "Looks shaky", but Modi has come good. Well done India.
    1
  9542. "two wrongs don't make a right" I fail to see how that applies to Modi's cowardice ?
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  9543. "Why should we in India bother ?" Why bother, when one can point to a fascist and say, "He's worse than me" Why doesn't India start killing civilians in Kashmir ? They can always say, "But Russia killed more than us" Why don't India's politicians start stealing money from the state ? They could always say "Pak are worse than us"
    1
  9544. pazira, you are quite right about those investments but they are made by individuals. There is no sovereign wealth fund. That's why MBS imprisoned those royals to extract money. That's why they are contemplating an Aramco floatation. Individuals have invested billion$ but that isn't Saudi (the state) money. Those individuals can go live in New York when things turn sour. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund = $ zero That is why Saudi have started to issue government bonds to raise money. ie to borrow money (which is what a bond is).
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  9545.  @thesecretcrusade5570  Russia is the invading nation, butchering civilians. The Russian negotiating tactic is to humiliate your opponents and try to elicit an emotional response. The Russians are contemptible.
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  9546.  @ebrahimjaffer2020  I don't think one can compare Saddam and his psycho sons, with their history of vile abuse, to a civilized democratic Ukraine. Your moral compass must be faulty. The tortures committed by Saddam against his own people, cannot be mentioned in public, they are beyond belief.
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  9547.  @thesecretcrusade5570  I'm glad you are having a good laugh, whilst civilians are slaughtered. (I assume you are Russian).
    1
  9548.  @ebrahimjaffer2020  What total nonsense. a) Saddam was going to replace the petrodollar. Iraq was invaded because of 9/11. Saddam was a sadistic wimp : he didn't have the ability to do anything to threaten the US. You are being delusional. b) " You bombed indiscriminately" The US pioneered smart bombs. Modern warfare is casualty averse. Any army that inflicts wanton casualties has lost (look at Russia in Ukraine). The whole idea is to avoid deaths : to achieve success with the minimum damage.
    1
  9549.  @ebrahimjaffer2020  I agree with you there... "Just last week Saudi Arabia said that they will not be using the dollar and instead use the Chinese currency." I don't know what is going on. We must wait and see how things develop.
    1
  9550. LOL Kaliningrad is already bristling with nukes. One can't go for a hike in Kaliningrad without tripping over a nuke. Russia invaded Swedish airspace 2 weeks ago with nuclear armed bombers. This is old hat. We've heard it and experienced it. Russia's neighbours are sick of the Kremlin turds.
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  9551. The Aussie is an embarrassment to Al Jazeera They want the Aussie to be subtle, not crackpot anti-Semitic
    1
  9552. Pat : one minute he has a quilted jacket zipped up as though he's in the Arctic and now he's in Bermuda shirt-sleeves. What's with the heating in that place ?
    1
  9553. 1948 Arab/Israeli war : Jordan occupied the West Bank and annexed it Handing passports to west bank Palestinians 1967 Israel reclaimed the West bank. Jordan then cancelled passports
    1
  9554. LOL The USA has just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Why ? Because the US knows aircraft carriers are too vulnerable to missile attack. LOL : India has just jumped on the bandwagon with their rust-bucket, just as aircraft carriers become obsolete. Typical of old man Modi.
    1
  9555. You dumb clot : obviously they are collateral damage from the Kremlin's assassination attempt on the Skirpals.
    1
  9556. Joe Biden has some explaining to do as well........... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ-YjGmpO4Q
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  9557. Forget gas, and gestures, Russia has to be defeated by force :- a) get those 29 Mig jets transferred from Poland. b) get those s-300 missile defence systems transferred from Slovenia. c) switch on the Patriot missile defence systems in Poland. d) anti-ship missiles must destroy Russia's Black Sea fleet (an easy task) Bring back general Wes Clarke, and let's start kicking some ass.
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  9558.  @TheDrAstrov  An incredible statement by Medvedev, implies Russia faces collapse :- " The destruction of the world's biggest country by area could lead to an unstable leadership in Moscow with a maximum number of nuclear weapons aimed at targets in the US and Europe" Dmitry Medvedev, deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council Medvedev is saying, the humiliation of Russia's military will collapse the Russian Federation, and fearful chaos will ensue.
    1
  9559.  @TheDrAstrov  Russia has been defeated : the question is whether it will collapse into chaos or can a stable administration be found. Shoigu has been "ill" for 12 days. Some FSB have been arrested. Some generals have been dismissed. Russia is collapsing, but it needs to find some buoyancy before it sinks.
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  9560. India complains of being "Bullied" as civilians are slaughtered in Ukraine. India is the victim of "bullying", whilst children are being used as human shields, women are suffering abuse by Russian soldiers, but they aren't the victims. It is India that is the victim ......."Of bullying" India sounds pathetic, it is an utter despicable disgrace.
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  9561. Modi miscalculated, he traded India's soul for Russian military junk. Russian jets - easily shot down by Stingers Russian tanks - easily destroyed by British NWALs Shame on India, it picked the wrong side, and Modi wakes up in bed with the Axis of Evil
    1
  9562.  @RandomGuy-hz4wu  , The Taliban and Ayatollah are religious fanatics, just like Evangelicals in the US. Would you want an Evangelical with his finger on the button ? Have you ever listened to religious fanatics ? They are rabid lunatics , and you'd be happy for them to be nuclear armed ?
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  9563. Don't throw the baby out with the dishwater In the US who is pro-NATO ? The Pentagon, the people, Senate, Congress and all the media from Fox to MSNBC So you want to dump NATO because of cranks in the White House ?
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  9564. "Morsi said his actions were to defend democracy" So the Islamic fanatic consolidates all power to himself LOL Morsi had to destroy democracy in order to save "The Revolution". Axis of Evil = Morsi, Ayatollah Khomeini, ISIS, Hezbollah, Islamofascism
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  9565. Hamas savages must be condemned
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  9566. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
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  9567. JOHN, a quick Google gave us this A humanitarian is someone who actively engages in promoting human welfare and social reforms, and who has no prejudice with human suffering on grounds of a) gender, b) sexual orientation, c) religious or d) national divisions. Let's analyze that a) gender........Islam is very discriminatory b) sexual orientation........Islam is pathologically discriminatory c) religious..........Islam is extremely prejudiced : not only killing apostates and practitioners of other religions but historically (eg Ottoman) when other religious groups were tolerated they had to pay punitive tax. d) national.......I'll give you that one. Islam doesn't advocate nation-states. And is non discriminatory (providing the 'other' is a Muslim , otherwise they are discriminated against)
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  9568. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Timing is obvious Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia Jens Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair"
    1
  9569. Delay : air defence missiles is a red herring Turkey is negotiating the removal of Hamas (cf Black September) Turkey will become peace-keepers and essentially run Gaza Israel was negotiating that anyway, but not with Turkey, with Arab states as part of the Normalisation process.
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  9570. 100% bluff. Why hasn't Russia knocked out Ukraine's power-grid ? Because it fears a humanitarian crisis would force NATO intervention. Russia fears NATO. The nuclear threat is pure bluff.
    1
  9571. MBS vales Aramco at $2 trillion. But isn't he the damned liar who said he knew nothing about Kashoggi ? Isn't MBS the half-witted inhuman coward slaughtering children in Yemen ? Aren't the Saudis ignorant, indolent, bone-idle, bigoted, cowardly & cruel ? Well in that case, why would anyone touch them with a barge-pole ?
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  9572. Very good.......3:30 .......thinking on his feet he came up with "An embarrassment that cannot be measured ".
    1
  9573. Trump & Vance want to make "VENALITY a VIRTUE"
    1
  9574. Gender equality :- Eastern Europe will always be a century behind the West, it is to be expected. But at least they are moving in the right direction.
    1
  9575. Western democracy v Asiatic Autocracy (China & Russia) The ruffians are leading members of "The Axis of Evil" : North Korea, Iran, China, Russia : the despots.
    1
  9576. Golan Heights is the key to understanding this dilemma Does anyone think the Golan Hts should be returned to despotic Syria ? No Why ? It is annexed after all ? Because Israel needs it for security Israel also needs the Jordan heights - Israel can never trust its neighbours They may be civilised today - and fanatical jihadist tomorrow
    1
  9577. 12 Point plan condemned for not being specific That is because that was NOT Xi's Peace Plan Xi did NOT present his plan on the 24th Feb (Something went wrong) So a deputy presented a bland 12 points How many times do I have to tell you !
    1
  9578.  @deditsuwabuki1359  Interesting. I'd forgotten that. I think it was Noam Chomsky that drew the attention of Western media to what was happening.
    1
  9579. "Not in a position to verify any of it" ? There is an online index showing photo evidence of each destroyed Russian tank. The index showed 550 tanks destroyed, when Ukraine claimed 800. Obviously every tank doesn't have a photo, so Ukraine's figures were very credible. Russia offer no evidence : just shameless lies. (Typical of the BBC to give full credit to the Kremlin)
    1
  9580. Labour Party News :- They are planning to kick out Jeremy Corbyn and his cronies who object to NATO.
    1
  9581. Poland History :- 1919 Versailles : everyone hated the Poles. They wanted to resurrect Poland but the Polish were "like wicked Landlords looking to oppress smaller nations" President Wilson said, "They opened a map to show me the territory they were claiming : it was a big chunk of the earth" Lewis Namier "They are a gang of chauvinists" Lord Balfour "The verdict of history was that Poland shouldn't exist, and one can see why" Any nation that is 93% Catholic has clearly driven out other faiths. Jesuits would lead violent atttacks against protestant colleges. All violence came from the Jesuits That is why the Jesuits were expelled from every civilised country :- FALL OF THE JESUITS Portugal 1759 property confiscated and expelled France 1764 dissolved and members expelled Spain 1767 expelled from Spain and the Empire property confiscated Parma & Naples 1767 denounced the Jesuits as opposed to public interest. Austria 1773 expelled Pope Clement XIV 1773 suppressed the Jesuits (Dominus ac Redemptor ) Poland is still suffering the effects of the Jesuits. Poland is a disgrace to the EU
    1
  9582. Any comment mentioning the Armenians is removed. Also, any comment mentioning the atrocities which occurred in other nations seeking independence from the Ottomans is removed. Nice to see freedom of speech being respected by Al-Jazeera
    1
  9583. Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  9584. Sleaze.
    1
  9585. There's no harm in knowing why the Biden's received $3.5 million. I'd sure like to know.
    1
  9586.  @christophermacintyre5890  Very interesting. A good plot for Frederick Forsyth.
    1
  9587. How boring
    1
  9588. 0:20 Chernobyl : wrong (again) The diesel generators didn't "just avoid disaster" There was a disaster. The Russians were attempting an inertial shutdown, - it went disastrously wrong.
    1
  9589.  @mulaguuapo  In 1905 Russia sent a fleet halfway round the world - the moment it encountered the Japanese it was sunk. In 1917 at Tannenburg tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles - they were slaughtered by German artillery. In 1856 (Treaty of Paris) Everyone said, "Russia will never accept neutralisation of the Black Sea". Guess what, that's exactly what happened : Russia had to remove its fleet. Once Russia has been defeated on the battlefield, you will be surprised what they accept.
    1
  9590. When a pick-up meets a tank.
    1
  9591. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, and quietly become a $hithole country.
    1
  9592. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    1
  9593. Reasons US did it :- a) to send a message to Moscow the US isn't messing around b) Russia will be revanchist for generations, and Germany will resume buying gas the minute Putin resigns - funding revanchist Russia. c) Nordstream was a bad idea from the start and needed destroying. d) It sends a message to Europe the US isn't messing around - with Russia threatening to go nuclear the last thing the US needs is a wobbly EU re-engaging with the Kremlin.
    1
  9594.  @ricb.7067  , thanks, I pride myself on full knowledge of Iran : from the overthrow of Mossadegh (on whom I've read a biography) to the overthrow of the Shah and the seizure of power by the Ayatollah : who then exterminated all groups not aligned with his religious fanaticism. Ric, you would not want to have been a socialist in the Ayatollah's torture camps. Also, I'm acquainted with the Ayatollah's eschatology : that Armegeddon will herald the arrival of the 12th Imam (something the Ayatollah and Revolutionary Guard long for). So you see it is you who are ill-informed, it's you who has swallowed Obama's short-termism and swallowed the lies from the Ayatollah : who claims the use of nukes is religiously-illegal and that Iran could never use them. Not much.
    1
  9595. Any pipeline from Russia would be an easy and immediate target for AUKUS. China would need to protect the pipeline with surface-to-air missile batteries along its full length. More importantly, China and Russia can't trust each other : they are two cut-throat nations.
    1
  9596. In February many nations froze : Macron, Scholz, Biden Yes, Biden said, "I don't want WW3" and "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Biden had to be taught to be tough. By whom ? Mark Milley and Lloyd Austin (History books will back me up) Germany blocked :- a) RAF weapons flights b) Estonia sending Howitzers c) direct sales NATO had to force Germany to do the right thing (Read Jens Stoltenberg's memoirs, when they come out) Macron "We must not humiliate Russia" wanted appeasement Sholz feared for German industry The muscle nations : Ukraine, Poland, Baltic states, Britain, and once Biden was calmed down, the USA Macron & Scholz dilemma : they could never persuade muscle nations to join them in appeasement, so they reluctantly joined the fight Trading 'land for peace' was dropped
    1
  9597. I saw one family waving both flags......(Japanese family I should add). It was the daughter who has the Saltire and it's possible she supports Scotland : a lot of young people like the pipes , drums and dagger down the sock.
    1
  9598. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  9599. LOL spot the Qatari : big and fat with soft hands and wet lips. Spot the Turk : a professional soldier (and I hate Erdogan but I recognise a soldier when I see one)
    1
  9600. Blockade the Malacca Straits.
    1
  9601. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "nuclear neutrality" If Russia used nukes "in the region" One would be a mug to rely on France
    1
  9602. Russian crusier Moskva has rolled over and sunk. India has a Russian rust-bucket called INS Vikrant. It too will be sunk by China on the first day of any conflict. Modi has allied India to medieval barbarians.
    1
  9603. One more push and Putin will topple. The retreat from Lyman built up the pressure, Kerch bridge was the pressure valve going off. Russia has literally run out of steam - it doesn't have the missiles to fire. It is adapting S300 for ground attacks.
    1
  9604. Thank God for the USA : manifest in the person of Wes Clark. France and Italy are suggesting Ukraine capitulates. Germany is sabotaging Ukraine :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  9605. What a magnificent venue - Westminster Hall. A great opportunity to show solidarity against Russia. (It is what the Queen would've wanted). The Kremlin will be feeling excluded : they will be watching, and admiring the deportment of the states-persons paying their final respects.
    1
  9606.  @daydays12  Thanks for that reassurance. Macron's immediate response in February was :- a) Opportunism - he resurrected the European Defence Force (a total waste of time, designed to oppose NATO) b) Warned "We must not humiliate Russia" c) warned of WW3 d) refused to send military aid, then reluctantly sent 1/20th of what Poland has sent. France has behaved like France. Macron does this all the time : with Iran he looks after French business contracts. With China he says, "Countries should not gang up against China" France just looks after itself, it is not a team player.
    1
  9607.  @daydays12  Thanks for that info, it is reassuring and we should all be pulling together. Germany has taken a lot of stick - and has now sent a dozen Panzer 2000 (Italy sent 5) Criticism does prompt nations to do more. France has sent a dozen Caesar howitzers : but still only 1/20th of what Poland has sent. Stephen Kotkin said, "France likes to think it is a diplomatic superpower". That is the real reason for Macron's phone calls to Putin.
    1
  9608.  @daydays12  Politico : "Residual illusions of French grandeur lie at the heart of Macron’s efforts to walk an elusive middle ground between the West and Russia. " Or as I pointed out :"General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem. "
    1
  9609. How the mighty fall. Good job they stopped him running for office, because the Africans have no discernment and happily re-elect dictators.
    1
  9610. Fortunately the US sanctions don't affect food medicine or anything pertaining to the people of Syria, they are cleverly crafted to target the evil doers : Hezbollah, Assad and his torturers. etc
    1
  9611. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Timing is obvious Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
    1
  9612. "There will be one French inspector for the IAEA : because France has maintained contact with Moscow" LOL don't we know it. Macron "The West must not humiliate Russia" No condemnation of the Bucha atrocities - just French appeasement. No wonder Liz Truss is not sure which side France is on.
    1
  9613. What about Germany ? Germany always thinks about itself : that's why it sabotaged weapons to Ukraine. Germany, with its I'm-alright-Jack attitude, I hope Germany will be fine. (Those back-stabbing saboteurs).
    1
  9614. LOL the Africans have no shame. They are an utter disgrace. The irony is that ANC supporters will still cheer Jacob Zuma : they don't mind that he's a thief. Same with ZANU supporters , they loved Mugabe and he robbed them blind.
    1
  9615. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  9616. Erdogan has bitten off more than he can chew : in Syria, in Libya, In the Med, his economy has crashed and now Coronavirus. That schmuck's chickens will be coming home to roost.
    1
  9617. Floods in the North and drought in the South. With 220 million people, wouldn't Pak be able to build a system to store and divert water ? Why is Pak a dysfunctional failure ?
    1
  9618. ISIS - who would've thought it (We all suspected the FSB : like the 1999 Apartment bombings The FSB were caught planting the bombs. Which were defused by the army then declared to be bags of rice by the Kremlin)
    1
  9619.  @danialrajabpour380  , If I were a MEK troll then I would know what MEK means and I have no intention of Googling it ! I'm a historian who has read books on Iran (which is more than most folks on here). Including a surprisingly entertaining biography of Mohammed Mosadegh.
    1
  9620. Of course there will be a deal. Sir Ivan Rogers (top civil service negotiator) said this is a good deal for the EU. It will go to the 11th hour but the EU are very pleased with themselves. They have to deter others so are making the UK sweat.
    1
  9621.  @teevee6966  , there's some justification for your position. A Maritime Security guy on Al-Jazeera said, "Our members have been reporting this harassment for a few years". So Revolutionary Guard boats did harass the British tanker but, as Tehran said, weren't trying to seize it. What Tehran should have said is , "We've been engaging in low-level-lunacy for a while now , and this incident was just more of the same".
    1
  9622. Hamas tried to hand over 3 dead bodies instead of hostages Hamas are evil beyond words, they cannot be trusted and they are unprincipled liars
    1
  9623.  @cariad4297  Good questions. a) Germany became a nation in 1871. Bismarck guided it from success to success. Then German industrialists boomed with their industrial revolution. More success. With each military victory (1866 against Austria, 1870 against France). Germany then looked for "a place in the Sun" (colonies), and confronted France twice over Morocco (Alegcair 1906, and Agadir 1911) Britain backed France and Germany had to back down, humiliated. The Germans were determined not to back down at any future confrontation, and plunged the world into WW1. b) France :- It takes centuries for a nation to acquire a personality or culture. Stephen Koktin says,"They like to fantasize they are a diplomatic superpower". Lord Salisbury, after the Fashoda incident (1898) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  9624.  @jonelbondyingnuezca742  Good question : the answer is - someone who is interested in history. I've condensed an awful lot of history for you : it is actually bite size.
    1
  9625. 13:18 "Remember Lord Tennyson's 'The Brook' ?" "For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever." Only SG treats us all to a cultural interlude.
    1
  9626. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  9627. "War in Ukraine and security of Europe" LOL, Italy has never figured in either of those. Italy could have a Rip Van Winkle siesta and nobody would miss them. Let's face it, they've hardly covered themselves in glory militarily.
    1
  9628. Not true ! Ukraine would allow Ukrainians to cross back to Ukraine It is RUSSIA that would stop them That is the opposite situation to Golan This guy is a propagandist !
    1
  9629. This is instinctive. What else can you do when you enter too fast, but brake. And obviously with the front. And more obviously NOT too hard. I've been doing that since I started as a kid. This guy has just given it a fancy name.
    1
  9630. Why doesn't "Open Arms" vessel dock in Spain ?
    1
  9631.  @hermanspaerman3490  , I meant because it's a Spanish vessel ; why not return home , back to Spain ? Or the nearest port ....Tunisia or Algeria. It just seems a bit rich for a Spanish ship to be conveying migrants to Italy.
    1
  9632. Lukashenko is a very good side-kick. Putin feels very comfortable with that big oaf around. The Kremlin hates Lukashenko, for doing the 'Eurasian shuffle' - constantly stabbing Russia in the back to curry favour with Europe. Everyone hates Lukashenko, but the old thug his hanging on in there.
    1
  9633. The definition of a fascist theocracy..... Khomeini argued, it was natural that they should rule as guardians of Iran until the return of the 12th divinely ordained Shia imam (Imam al-Mahdi).
    1
  9634. Allow me to simplify it :- Pakistan is a basket case that spends a huge % of GDP on the military. India is an economic success. Pakistan thrives on conflict , chaos and violence. India thrives on commercial expansion and trade. Pakistan's government lives in fear of the military who are an imperium in imperio. India is a corrupt democracy with genocidal Hindi nationalists it can barely control. Take your pick.
    1
  9635.  @Ayraps  , thanks for saying that : it evidences my 2nd point :- Pakistan thrives on conflict,chaos and violence. You are a great example of the Pakistan mind-set.
    1
  9636.  @Ayraps  , I listened to a Pakistani retire Air-Chief Marshall say Pakistan should cut military spending and get rid of its nuclear weapons. I remember this line " India wouldn't take Pakistan if we gave it to them : 98 million impoverished poorly educated people : they don't want it." All the millions wasted on the military could be spent providing electricity. The wealthy don't pay their electric bills and never suffer power-cuts ; a factory employing 15 people only gets 3 days electricity a week. That's Pakistan.
    1
  9637.  @Ayraps  , do you think Imran Khan supports the Blasphemy Laws ? He doesn't , but has to say he does or the Islamofascist fanatics will kill him. How did Pakistan become a basket-case ? Jinnah, educated in Britain wanted a secular democracy but politicians curried favour with radical Imams who told their illiterate supporters who to vote for. Once the Islamofascist Pandora's Box had been opened there was no getting the genie back in the bottle.
    1
  9638.  @Ayraps  , thanks for saying that : you are proving my thesis. Throughout history you will find that opposition to government is what leads to accountability and parliamentary democracy. The London crowds (mobile-vulgaris or mobs) were renown for being against the current government. Eg :- " they were pro-Stuart in 1660, Whig in 1679-81, anti-Stuart by 1688, Tory by 1710, anti-Hanovarian if not unambiguously pro-Stuart after 1714, and pro-Wilkes by the 1760s. " " The London crowd is therefore seen as traditionally acting in opposition to whichever government was in power. " That's how you become a civilised country. Not by your purblind cry of devotion 'Pakistan zindabad'. You should instead be protesting like the London crowds. Hold authority to account and demand better.
    1
  9639. Compare Putin and Napoleon III (1870) "By 1867 French hegemony was at an end." "France felt intolerably humiliated." "The Empire was an infatuation." "War was made into a blend of the circus, the tournament and the quest" Putin during Covid lockdown channeled a quixotic ideal. France collapsed in 1870 and Russia may collapse this year.
    1
  9640. I'm off to Specsavers : I couldn't see a damned thing. Then after 6 views I did see something right at the end, it appeared to be spinning as it fell to earth.
    1
  9641. SHOW THE VIDEO Of course Al jazeera will not show girls covered in blood
    1
  9642. South Africa - a hopelessly corrupt, dysfunctional quasi-state
    1
  9643. God bless Maduro. (I hope he goes on a diet for his health : he's getting very fat as the country starves).
    1
  9644. Shame on IRAN for funding terrorism and massacre
    1
  9645. This will be a great store of information for historians
    1
  9646. ISIL's Imam issued a proclamation for guidance : You can't rape the mother & daughter. You must either rape the daughter and not the mother Or rape the mother & not the daughter. But not both. Who says Islam isn't the religion of Peace ?
    1
  9647. If you want another example research Pakistan Army in Bangladesh. They raped 250,000 women on an industrial scale. Talk about savages.
    1
  9648. The Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1922 The Jews elected an Administrative Council (to shadow the British governors) The Palestinians had the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (appointed by the British) The Mufti looked to Damascus as the Palestinian capital : the Palestinian farmers had no notion of what a state was : for centuries they had been told "The Sultan is our Lord on Earth" There was no such thing as land ownership (until Europe forced the Tanzimat reforms) all land was owned by the Sultan. Palestinian woes, and the failure of the Arab Spring, are the legacy of the Caliphate.
    1
  9649. "Beginning of the end" For whom ? For Putin - No For the Special Military Operation - Yes
    1
  9650. UN is pro-Hamas UNRWA contributed terrorists Guterres defended Hamas
    1
  9651. Global warming : India will be uninhabitable (Let's hope Russia comes to the rescue, because the West will tell India to get stuffed !)
    1
  9652. The Dali Lama is a theocrat. There was no democracy, freedom or education in Tibet. It defended its medieval backwardness by burying its head in the sand.
    1
  9653. "Huawei are willing to sign no-spy agreements". LOL.......that's not worth the paper it's written on. Ask them to sign a few thousand then use them for toilet roll. No spy agreement , ha ha ha I know they have contempt for western democracy and civilized values, human rights and freedom but they really are taking the piss.
    1
  9654. Come back in 10yrs Sudan will still be a wreck (like all Africa). At the ballot box the people will vote the army back in or a dictator. In the Congo the leaders walk straight out of jail for mass rape & murder and get voted back into office. Look at el-Sisi in Egypt. Africa is a total wreck : look at the ANC committing 800 political assassinations in the townships : they'll never hand over power. Look at ZANU-pf they will be in power indefinitely. Get used to it , Colonialism has segued into corrupt, incompetent despotism.
    1
  9655.  @0x777  Good point. In fairness to the Kremlin : this was planned as a 3 day operation and probably looked very good on paper.
    1
  9656. In the US if someone displays emotions the audience goes wild. At award ceremonies if someone opens up and starts becoming emotional it is considered the greatest thing. Beto is an empty headed noob and has used the ' F ' word loads of times. But the US audience loves a display of emotions so now wants him to be President. Never mind good ideas let's vote for a noob.
    1
  9657. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated militarily" God bless the USA (and I'm a Limey)
    1
  9658. Diderot's Encyclopédie How was it saved from the Jesuits who wanted to destroy it ? It was the 'Paris Police Chief' a member of the Royal Court who was tipped off and hid the manuscript in his office. Paris was a centre for the Enlightenment : it was full of atheists. The salons in Paris were meeting places for philosophical discussion , the hosts & hostesses being recognised atheists. Many atheist philosophers (David Hume etc) travelled to Paris.
    1
  9659. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  9660. Apres moi le deluge Good message (LOL)
    1
  9661. Mobilization is a disaster for Russia - it will break the army. The British army didn't want it in WW1, and they had a fully professional officer corps and logistics supply. The Russian army will collapse under the load, unless China supplies ration packs and equipment. Medvedev : "They want to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen Ben Hodges : "A Hemingway character said he went bankrupt in to ways - slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation will collapse".
    1
  9662. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  9663. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  9664. Rejoice at this news ! Russians are in full retreat and blowing up bridges to stop the Ukraine Offensive on Kherson. "The Russians have punched through in 3 places", Prof Michael Clarke.
    1
  9665. Lebanon's politicians "nothing but corrupted thieves". Gosh, I wouldn't want to be a bigoted sectarian corrupt a-hole when folk are saying that about you. Hopefully with Macron's help the political class will ride out the storm and get back to corrupt business as usual.
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  9666. 2:30 "He met top Saudi generals" LOL The Saudi don't have a real general. The stone-age Houthis gave them a drubbing.
    1
  9667. whether he used them wasn't the question. Whether he was responsible or not the air strikes make it much less likely that he will use them. (You have to agree with that) Also, "Is Assad capable of using Chemical/biological weapons on his own people ?" You would also have to agree the answer is yes.
    1
  9668. I wouldn't be in their shoes : Russian tanks are getting hammered.
    1
  9669. The Iraqi parliament has 328 seats and Iran control 170. So the vote to incorporate Iranian militia into the Iraqi military was passed with 170 votes in favour. The vote to expel the US was 170 to 0 (only the Iranian block turned up)
    1
  9670.  L A  , I'm correct. Do some research : the vote to expel the US was 170 approve 0 disapprove. It was just the Iranian block that voted.
    1
  9671. Hezbollah are the stumbling block. They control the finance ministry. (On behalf of Iran)
    1
  9672. "The slap of the century" is what the Palestinian Authority have done to the people....no elections, a corrupt administration. 40yrs dictatorship by Arafat who stole $3 billion. NO free elections. Palestinians who criticise corruption are beaten or killed as "informers". The Palestinian Authority are a disgrace to democracy.
    1
  9673. China may starve. Ukraine exports millions of tons of grain to China. (Fingers crossed)
    1
  9674. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug, The Moscow mafia have no human morality.
    1
  9675. Very disappointing.....to hear an ex-president speaking of "evil". Statesmen don't talk like that. You know why it is ? I made a video on the subject : the leviathans of Spanish society , the nobility and Church, were transferred to America ; the Church ran transport, education, banking etc ; the Inquisition unleashed terror, banned any independent intellectual movements. All Universities were Church controlled. In Spain the Church was fantastically wealthy : in 1697 Tarazona it owned 50% of all property and every large building. The parasitical Leviathans created Spanish-America : that's why Lula speaks of evil. You would never hear a secular democracy speak of evil. Argentina's independence was opposed and denounced by the Pope. Later when it tried to become a secular democracy it was again denounced and overthrown by a Catholic sanctioned military coup : Juan Peron (strongman dictator) was embraced by the people and his wife (Evita) deified.
    1
  9676. Alma, you are a propagandist for the Kremlin. The Russians have been making nuclear threats for months.
    1
  9677. The German President asked to visit Kyiv, and was told "No", why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  9678. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
    1
  9679. There is a ton of hypocrisy in this story. Just imagine it was data mining for Clinton. The libtards would say, "It's good that you can appeal to the Hillary in people and encourage them to vote".
    1
  9680. Libtards would say, "Some people aren't that interested in politics and what Hillary mining does is encourage them to vote in a subliminal way".
    1
  9681. India should be ashamed for sitting on the fence. Shame on India. (Maybe India will be suspended from the Commonwealth, I hope so).
    1
  9682.  @StayActive98  The Commonwealth is an institute promoting democracy, freedom and justice. India would benefit greatly from staying within this organization.
    1
  9683.  @rps2349  "And what exactly should India do?" Condemn Russia. It's not rocket science.
    1
  9684. "Turbine excuse simply not true" What about German excuses for not delivering weapons to Ukraine ? Spain has donated 40 Leopard tanks, and Germany refuses to sanction the deal. Berlin gives many excuses - they are all "Not true" Germany closed its airspace to British weapon deliveries : Berlin said it wasn't given enough notice.....all simply "farcical excuses". "Farcical" and "Not true" : Germany is getting a dose of its own medicine.
    1
  9685. "President" ? You mean despot Palestine hasn't had an election for 20 years Abbas is a despot, Hamas are fascist thugs Palestinians have NO elected representatives
    1
  9686. Palestinian support = student nutcases and the Axis of Evil
    1
  9687. No thanks to France "We must not humiliate Russia" France has sent 1/40th of the weapons Britain provided.
    1
  9688.  @petermaunsell4575  Correct. France was a founder member of the European Defence Community (1950) : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  9689.  @petermaunsell4575  France and Germany will have to explain their back-stabbing performance. People will ask why they were half-hearted, rug-pulling, capitulating collaborators. Macron will have to explain his opportunistic phone calls. Leadership of Europe has passed to the USA and Britain.
    1
  9690. Also Caspian has the facts wrong : India did NOT shoot down a Pakistan plane ,  it shot down a drone days later. India could have shot down the planes that retaliated to India's strike but( likely) didn't want escalation. Pakistan did shoot down India's planes (likely) because they thought their own planes were about to be shot.
    1
  9691.  @Paws.of.Justice  :- NEW DELHI: Pakistani fighter pilots flying their F-16 combat aircraft had fired four to five American AMRAAMs (AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile) from a distance of 40-50 km at the Indian aircraft including the Su-30 and the MiG-21 Bison. Is that what you mean ? It doesn't contradict what I said : that India wanted to ' chase off ' the Pakistani planes rather than fire a missile at them.  It's a great advert for US weaponry though. LOL
    1
  9692. Remarkably, Israel don't have teachers decapitated by Jihadists. They no longer have suicide bombers every other week, or terror stabbing events. Clearing Palestinians before an idiotic march is actually to keep the peace.
    1
  9693. "Politics is no science ; it is an art , and anyone without the knack for it should leave it alone " Who said that ? It could have been Trump. It was actually Bismarck.
    1
  9694. The West MUST play to its strengths : blockade China is doomed by blockade by AUKUS If the West is unable to do that because it would shoot itself in the foot Then we've thrown away our trump card
    1
  9695. Where do the Taliban get their supplies ? Where does all the ammunition come from ? (Pakistan - the state sponsor of terrorism)
    1
  9696. That theocratic fascist thug has sure got an honest face. His unflappable demeanour and considered replies would convince most folk. Of course, you'd think differently if you saw him stoning a woman to death.
    1
  9697. Putin has only a few cards to play :- a) cutting off gas to Europe b) threatening a nuclear catastrophe c) sewing unrest in the West, to force them to abandon Ukraine. Russia has lost. They retreated from Snake Island - having lost 5 ships and countless men taking it. They have retreated all ships and planes from Crimea. They are in full retreat and desperate. Putin will be gone before Christmas.
    1
  9698. LOL the lawyers are going down like flies.
    1
  9699. Why ? 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" (capitulated) So Germany has no shield - Macron is the weak link
    1
  9700. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
    1
  9701. "Very unlikely for Putin to see a challenge to his authority" June 2023 Wagner coup ......what was that ? It was much more then Prigo It was Prigo + a Kremlin faction It's "Bulldogs fighting under a blanket" (Churchill) nobody knows who
    1
  9702. "Germany shares Western concerns" Nobody cares what Germany thinks. They are windbags. They sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
    1
  9703.  @therock3058  , I understand you :- a) 1% control most of the wealth : true b) Had there been a government of the people we wouldn't have had Iraq : false. Iraq was a response to 9/11 , albeit misguided and wrong-headed. Had there been no 9/11 there'd have been no Iraq. Democracy had little to do with it. Bush was democratically elected. Most people wanted some retaliation for 9/11 (it's human nature). c) Who stands firm for the benefit of the need ? Well not Saddam Hussein or the Ayatollah or Taliban. I think you'll find Western Democracy fills that role. All exposes of wrong doing come from Western journalists. Never from the Middle-east or China or Russia.
    1
  9704. Remember the president of Chile apologizing to the International Community because a girl had been arrested and raped by police. That speaks volumes. Not the offence (that sort of brutality is routine in Latin America) but the apology. Why not apologize to the people of Chile ? Why did he look up to the West and want to regain their approbation ? The answer lies in 500yrs of history.
    1
  9705. India's foreign policy stinks. The Ukraine invasion by Russian butchers has created a new world. India has sided with the Axis of Evil : they have chosen the losing side. AUKUS doesn't need India. The QUAD is a pressure group - it is not an alliance. The US spends $755 billion on defence. Bismarck said, "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English", that is the basis for AUKUS. India must employ a moral compass, use its head, look to the future, and get on the winning side.
    1
  9706. I'll say this for Trump he's a fighter. Remember Bernie letting Hillary off the hook when she challenged him to point out any area where she lacked integrity....and Bernie shrugged. Or "I don't want to talk about your damned emails". Hells bells, you've got to have some fight in you. Who wants a shoulder-shrugging President. Trump, for all that he's despicable, is a fighter.
    1
  9707. "Violent" I wonder who whispered into the producer's ear ? We all know Qatar own Al-Jazeera, and fund Hamas ; one wonders whether an ear has been whispered into. (The same video was released 2hrs ago without "violent" in the title)
    1
  9708. This lady is 100% FSB Ukraine intelligence warned everyone a long time ago. When she 'fled' to the west the first thing she did was call for "An end to sanctions". Saying it hurt the Russian people and didn't affect the regime.
    1
  9709. In February Germany thought Russia would easily win so they hedged their bets by ..... 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Now Germany can see Ukraine is winning, so they are trying to rewrite history to show they supported Ukraine from the start.
    1
  9710. "India has always tried to maintain a balance" India hasn't the courage to do the right thing.
    1
  9711.  @_Since-1994  "The past" ? Do you mean when Stalin was eliminating 30 million civilians in his terror and genocide campaign ? The Holodomor genocide killed 4 million in Ukraine. The Gulags imprisoned 3 million over the decades. Are you referring to the Stalinist terror ? When India, once again, couldn't bring itself to condemn atrocities.
    1
  9712.  @_Since-1994  If you are happy to support tyranny, mass murder, war crimes, torture and rape, then go ahead. The world will judge India for its actions. Russia's slaughter in Ukraine is the defining event of the 21st century. India will be remembered as a facilitator.
    1
  9713.  @_Since-1994  Russia retreated from Snake Island (in humiliation), then launched a cruise missile at a residential apartment block killing women and children. India supports Russian war crimes by remaining silent. End of story.
    1
  9714. Ha ha ha India is now on a sticky wicket. Having backed Russia, the West will now enjoy watching India squirm.
    1
  9715. Not the far right 78% of Israelis agree - Gaza should be remade Hamas and the Palestinians must be given homes elsewhere That has 78% support
    1
  9716. Remember the Turkey shoot in Iraq, when Saddam forces retreated ? This reminds me of that devastation. When a backwards army meets a modern army.
    1
  9717. Russia is a dystopia : the citizens are raised on a diet of propaganda from cradle to grave.
    1
  9718. Vindicator, your complacency is a discredit to you. N Korea are a very clear threat. I don't think you understand the nature of multiple warhead nuclear ballistic missiles. They are very difficult to shoot down. N Korea has to be dealt with and I strongly suspect the Trump administration will do that.
    1
  9719. Matthew, one would have thought Bill Clinton's visit to Buckingham Palace might have inspired a point-of-order : if only to enquire whether anyone had been raped. Perhaps you're right : tweeting does require greater condemnation......or perhaps you have double standards and would prefer to remain comfortably deluded about the Clinton's crimes.
    1
  9720. Macron vetoed external sourcing to supply 1,000,000 shells France provided 1/3rd Czechia overturned the French veto and supplied the shells to Ukraine On the SAME day Macron made his "Troops to Ukraine" declaration He is a bullshitter - it is a publicity stunt Macron denuded Ukraine of artillery ! He plays this game to change the narrative (Do some research !)
    1
  9721. The Western Alliance is based on trust and confidence - that is already shattered If Europe betrays Ukraine then western civilisation may has well concede
    1
  9722. The Speaker must resign !
    1
  9723. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    1
  9724. There is nothing more disgusting than a general lecturing citizens on transition to democratic rule. Nobel prize winner VS Naipaul observed many years ago that African armies' primary duty is to suppress their own people.
    1
  9725. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries. Russia actually need therapy.
    1
  9726. Me too ! Congratulations to both of us.
    1
  9727. Several sources including Ukraine officials claim cruiser MOSKVA capsized and sank after developing heavy portside list. Rejoice !!!
    1
  9728. France24 is pro-Hamas The lady gives a list of problems - Palestinians being killed, humanitarian aid etc But never mentions hostages France24 never mentions hostages, it's all Hamas talking points
    1
  9729. John Kirby is a class act
    1
  9730. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    1
  9731. 2 facts : a) Hamas cannot win in Gaza b) The war ends when Hamas leaves Gaza (& releases all hostages) All nations should persuade Hamas to leave It is simple
    1
  9732. Palestinian failure began in the 1920s When the Ottoman Empire collapsed (sultan fled in 1922, Caliph fled in 1924) The Palestinians had no intellectuals. There was no forum for ideas. Leadership was provided by the Mufti of Jerusalem - who was installed by the British ! It wasn't until 1960 that Yasser Arafat played the role of Ataturk and established the idea of a secular Palestinian state. By then it was too late. Palestine failed in the 1920s
    1
  9733. Bet you any money, Lavrov does NOT meet Modi.
    1
  9734. Send the Orcs to hell.
    1
  9735. This war is over : Russia has been humiliated. This shelling is simply Putin's revenge. Ironically, Russia will have to pay reparations for all the damage.
    1
  9736. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    1
  9737.  @GeneralWinter9  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  9738.  @hossein4044  LOL what unhistorical nonsense. You have clearly read some history : for example Khomeini landed at Tehran airport and was asked by journalists what he would do with the MPs in the Shah's parliament (democrats), he said - "I will kick them in the teeth" So you do know some history, but you have chosen propaganda. A shame, because you are clearly quite smart.
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  9739. I'm confident Biden will announce the S-300 missile system for Ukraine, this week at Brussels. Boris has spoken to Zelensky and enquired the immediate military requirements, he will then demand them at the G7. Well done EU, US NATO and all the civilized nations. (Shame on those nations too fearful to take a moral stand : The Bible says, Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold.” )
    1
  9740.  @ashfifidontcare4064  I agree. But one could say the same about the Kurds, and it won't make much difference. "Kurdistan" (imagine it existed) is divided betwixt Iran Iraq and Turkey, none of whom want to relinquish a scrap. The same can be said of Balochistan (Pakistan) etc The time for establishing nations was the 19th Century. Greece fought the Ottomans several times to finally become a nation 1832 ?(all these dates are from memory ?) Germany unified in 1871 Italy also in 1871 Bulgaria, Moldova, ? The Ottoman Sultan fled in 1922 :- Syria's borders were established by Britain on a humanitarian basis (referendum) : Turkey claimed some towns so Britian held a poll and asked the citizens. Egypt (Governed by Albanian Janissaries) fought the Sultan who was propped up by Europeans. My point is : Palestinians were very late to the game. They declared statehood in 1988 (that should've been done in 1922 )
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  9741.  @BobbyDazzler888  What a thing to say. That Russia, having been defeated by Ukraine in a conventional war, would resort to using its nuclear weapons, having signed a treaty to guarantee Ukrainian territorial integrity (1994 Budapest memorandum,) Even the Russians have some standards. That would humiliate Russia for all time.
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  9742. Obama gave Iran the money to fund terror (He gave them it in cash !) Terrorists prefer cash
    1
  9743.  @drunkbee880  LOL If you don't mind me saying, that is a dumbed down version of the original. Maybe it is used in the United States. I can't think of another example. Maybe "Never a meal, but that it's a feast" Something like that. These aren't very good...."He never has a drink, but that it's a dozen" The expression is saying "It never rains, but that it is a torrential downpour". Your example has no poetic or literary merit.
    1
  9744.  @drunkbee880  The expression is an idiom, not an oxymoron. The England manager used to say, "Do I not like that", that was his idiosyncratic way of expressing himself : folk liked it. If you have a "garden gate" chat with someone, you are not literally at a gate. Try Google, you will find lots of references to the expression "It never rains, but it pours", it probably dates back centuries. It is a quirky idiomatic expression. Your expression "When it rains, it pours", is a kindergarten version of the original.
    1
  9745. Having witness the Russian aggression and atrocities in Bucha, one wonders why macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia"
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  9746.  @justdogood7413  Well said. I don't know enough about Libya, but the problem of corruption and self-interest is endemic across the Middle East. One can't help thinking it is the legacy of history. Ottoman history, the Caliphate, Islamic values of obedience to authority, education and illiteracy (no cheap printed books, after the Ulema banned printing in 1515).
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  9747. It stinks This deal will collapse the Netanyahu government It will be total victory for Hamas Total defeat for Israel This deal stinks
    1
  9748. Hamas, founded in 1987, is the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt hates Hamas. Israel saved the King of Jordan in 1971 as the PLO/Fatah tried to oust the Royal family. Jordan also hates Hamas. Fatah hates Hamas. Why do the Palestinians support Hamas ? Answer : Education. The caliphate banned printing in 1515, and when the Ottomans collapsed in the 1920s Palestine was 95% illiterate. It wasn't until the western educated PLO (Arafat) in the 1960s that the idea of nationalism took hold. This is shockingly late in the day. Compare America : in 1640 the settlers decreed every 50 man colony had to have a teacher, so children could read and write. In 1775 America was overwhelmingly literate. Almost everyone knew what a constitution was.
    1
  9749. ​ @milutinsmiljkovic6199  This war is Europe's reckoning with Russia, and has been coming for 200yrs. Ever since Alexander I formed the Holy Alliance to crush liberal freedom and representative democracy in Europe (1815). "In 1848 Liberals across Europe hated Russia" Lewis Namier.
    1
  9750. @Neisan 'ōkurī The strategic significance ? That only exists in the minds of psychotic Russians. Europe would be happy for Russia to vanish, it has no desire to 'conquer' Russia. The Russians have a paranoid fear of invasion that is purely illusory. It is the product of their inadequacy and insecurity. Europe's message to Russia is simply "£uck off".
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  9751. 8 Oct Guterres defends Hamas Now Guterres urges funding for UNRWA terrorist The UN is 100% pro-Hamas It is a disgrace to fund UNRWA when they participated in the massacre
    1
  9752. 5 reasons Putin will not go nuclear or use a dirty bomb a) Lose Security Council seat b) Lose support from China & India c) NATO retaliation d) it will not prevent defeat e) Russia's elite have not sacrificed any personal wealth: their aim is to stay wealthy and stay in power
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  9753. Gutteres never mentions releasing hostages Guterres is 100% pro-Palestine The UN supports Hamas terrorism
    1
  9754. That isn't how the British taught the police to behave. The British tried to civilize India.
    1
  9755. Trump has humiliated Europe Trump goaded and taunted Canada How do European folk sleep at night ? Trump is belittling Europe at high speed
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  9756. Putin's nuclear threat featuring Marine Le Pen :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmthcGDaLxM
    1
  9757. The Taliban is the militant arm of Pakistani Intelligence Agency
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  9758. "I don't know how long we're going to take it"
    1
  9759. Putin has been overthrown - he now speaks at the behest of his advisors. The advisors' disputes caused the 16 hr delay deciding what he should say. A similar thing happened Kaiser Wilhelm II (1908) he gave a disastrous interview to the Daily Telegraph and was effectively removed from power
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  9760. Sailor, I agree. But the Palestinian was being disingenuous when he said he was just there to help people get away from the fence. He was clearly leading the demonstration.
    1
  9761. What a panel of losers
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  9762. felix, the whole world thinks NK should denuclearise. Pompeo has said NK will have multi-warhead missiles in months. The only option is a rapid nuclear strike. Conventional weapons give NK opportunity to strike Seoul.
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  9763. Putin's posturing is for domestic consumption. Russia would face a bloodbath. They may win, but it would be a sorry sight. The Kremlin only fears one thing : bereaved mothers. Russian thugs can't beat them into silence, and they would be a nucleus for protests which would remove Putin and his corrupt cronies. Russia won't invade, they are too greedy for domestic power and Gazprom cash.
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  9764. Ben Wallace or Liz Truss. Let's not have a Macron type capitulator. (Opportunism by Kier Starmer : I don't even know where he stands on the war)
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  9765. Russia were given a good hiding by Turkey. Bl@@dy Turkey How do they hope to stand up to the U.S ?
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  9766. They're a good double act.
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  9767. Hezbollah should take the first step, and relinquish their stranglehold on Lebanon. They occupy the finance ministry and refuse to move. The IMF and World Bank will not finance Lebanon whilst corrupt terrorists remain in the finance ministry. Iran must pull Hezbollah out of Lebanon BEFORE the US consider rejoining the nuclear deal.
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  9768.  @ALLAHISENOUGHFORPALASTINE  , That's a good question. I've just finished Harold Bloom's "The book of J" J is the designation used to identify the author(ess, Bloom thinks it was a woman, from the Court of Solomon) who wrote the books of Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers and Leviticus : the Pentateuch. I suppose the answer is : Israel invented themselves about 4000yrs ago
    1
  9769.  @iltifaat-yousuf  , well you would have to ask where any nation's land comes from. Where did the Ottoman Sultan get his land ? There was a tiny Beylik belonging to Osman (~1300) and he expanded it into the Empire. Israel would say they invented themselves about 4000yrs ago with the Pentateuch myths.
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  9770.  @AnshuMI2021  , I think you will find the Civilized world is opposed to French teachers being decapitated, schoolgirls being shot in the head, and women being stoned to death. The civilized world is revolted by Hamas and Hezbollah. Their ideology is horrific.
    1
  9771.  @ALLAHISENOUGHFORPALASTINE  , good question. USA - North American Indians Australia - Aborigines New Zealand - Maoris
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  9772. Physical/mental Biden scores 23% Trump scores 46% in polls That makes Trump twice the man Biden is (according to US voters) That should have Dems worried
    1
  9773. 0.13 Look at Pakman's concerned face. Look at him wringing his hands with solicitude. This is why we watch his performances : this one is melodrama.
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  9774. Also, I speak like Trump if I've returned from a cycle in cold wind. Your frozen jaw muscles and tongue make it difficult to speak. I wonder if Trump had cycled there ?
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  9775. The Iraqi parliament has 328 seats and Iran control 170. So the vote to incorporate Iranian militia into the Iraqi military was passed with 170 votes in favour. The vote to expel the US was 170 to 0 (only the Iranian block turned up)
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  9776. "Free people cannot be defeated by rockets and cannons" The Russians have never said that, not even in WW2. Russians have never considered themselves free : they were serfs till 1861, then subjects of the state. Karl Jaspers said the definition of being European was "loving freedom". That is why Ukrainians are European and Russians are Asiatic Autocrats.
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  9777. Hamas stockpile food Young healthy males are stealing aid The young men - Hamas supporters all look healthy
    1
  9778. Correct : the 2 state solution is finished One expert said, "Hamas has set back the Palestinian cause 75 years"
    1
  9779. But nobody will pay a canal toll ! When the Bosporus is free.
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  9780.  Fatih Yavuz  , the Treaty of Lausanne was replaced after 13yrs with Montreux Convention, which has no expiry date. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_the_Regime_of_the_Straits
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  9781. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  9782.  @ggbetclub5314  Yes. Rejoice : NATO strategy is a complete success. Incremental victory for Ukraine :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
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  9783. LOL "Every effort" Pakistan supply the Taliban. Pakistan shelter the Taliban. Pakistan fund the Taliban.
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  9784. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" ie France surrendered Good luck with France as an ally (Europe will always need the Yanks)
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  9785. What is the difference between Russia and the West ? Russia has no middle class liberals : no chattering class. Russian Populism was the name given to the Inteligensia movement (1850-1881) In the spring of 1876 the Radicals took "liberation and freedom" to the peasants, who immediately reported them to the police. The Russian middle class were hated from above and below. Stalin then exterminated them. In the West the middle-class were the source of all wealth and progress.
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  9786. Correct Biden is also wobbly on Ukraine Feb 2022 Biden "I don't want WW3" and "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Col Trenin "Moscow expected Germany to sit on the fence" In Feb Germany blocked RAF flights , Estonia howitzers and direct sales Germany DID sit on the fence The coalition owes a lot to Stoltenberg, von der Leyen, Austin, Milley, Blinken etc But Scholz & Biden are a dead loss.
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  9787. how about blockading the Malacca Straits and collapsing their economy.
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  9788. WRONG ! "Pause" the US used the word "Pause" Of course pro-Hamas France has changed it Well done France - they are pro-China, pro-Russia, and pro-Hamas
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  9789. So why fire Comey ? Bannon said it was the most stupid move in political history. If Trump had kept his head the whole thing would have been over in a few months.
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  9790. Za za, they're still leaking. That's the nature of things on Capitol Hill you can never plug leaks. So again the question is why fire Comey ? All it did was get Jeff Session to recuse himself and Rod Rosenstein to appoint a special counsel.
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  9791. China's "National Bureau of Statistics" ......commonly called Propaganda.
    1
  9792.  @susivarga7303  Link ? Look to history :- a) Macron : "Countries shouldn't gang-up on China" b) Germany - Nordstream 2 c) Germany sending warship 'Bayern' to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai ; only for China to say, "Get lost". The EU way is to grovel and compromise. The EU windbags always look for the soft exit strategy.
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  9793. I didn't see the Yanks offering to jump in.
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  9794. Macron : "The EU shouldn't gang up on China with the US"
    1
  9795. At 1:35 listen to Jimmy the effing dope "They're going to somehow invade us or run our elections". It's morons like Jimmy Dore who will be the death of Western Democracy.
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  9796.  @romm2885  I'm not making a comparison, I'm simply saying entrenched views can change, and giving an example. Look at Turkey : maybe one day historians will be able to write about the Armenian Genocide without being thrown in prison ?
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  9797. Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles. They were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine.
    1
  9798. The Oxford lady is very well-informed, and up-to-date.
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  9799.  @eddenoy321  I agree. It is often the case that someone who appears tight-laced and censorious, will jump at the opportunity, like Angela Ripon on Morecambe & Wise, to shell their rectitude and step out high-kicking in a leotard.
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  9800. .....and I've made a video on the Scottish Reformation (1540-1660) if anyone would care to cast a critical eye over it :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1UjuBtBPjY
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  9801.  @thombabu3914  I agree, India was always marvellous :- a) When trouble erupted in China (Boxer rebellion 1900) it was Indian troops that saved the day. b) Unrest began in India when there were too many well-educated young people, with too few jobs. It is often the case that rebellion follows a period of progress Compare Russia : Emancipation 1861, and "When reactionary Alexander III died in 1894 and the throne passed to his eldest son Nicholas II, the cities of European Russia were undergoing significant growth and change, stimulated by industrialisation." It is growth, education and progress that often trigger rebellion.
    1
  9802.  @sanglapdasgupta3724  I agree :- "The 1943 Bengal famine, which is estimated to have caused over three million deaths, resulted not from a drought as is widely thought but from the British government's policy failures, say IIT Gandhinagar scientists who have analysed 150 years of drought data." Britain was fighting the Nazis and Japanese at the time, but it is a terrible episode in our history.
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  9803.  @sanglapdasgupta3724  Of course, I acknowledge all the failings you point out. But you are missing the big picture (by allowing your jaundiced sentiment to unsight you). Namik Kemal, a Young Ottoman 1860, admired British parliamentary democracy and "the indomitable power of public opinion against authority". That power of public opinion has been inherited by yourself. The founding members of India's Congress party were almost all Freemasons :- "Rajaji was a leading lawyer in Salem from the early 1900s and like many other professionals of the time, he became a Freemason. In due course, he was to become the Master of Lodge Salem No. 3400 which had been established under the English Constitution. " British institutions were the making of India. I am not being chauvinist. I acknowledge that it was the French who gave the Anglo-Saxons civility : "Honour, Chivalry, Courtesy," all come from France.
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  9804.  @sanglapdasgupta3724  , One might as well say the French Revolution (1789) was about terror. Then list a catalogue of atrocities. It gets you nowhere. That would be fruitless analysis : it would create a vindictive temper in the thinker, but provide them with no insight. I'm acknowledging the wrongs, but then trying to point out the institutions and values. The East India Company was incredibly diligent at stamping out corruption, because it seeds incompetence. When Wellesley (Wellington) was in India, he was scrupulous in accounting for all supplies. Bankrupt Empires are failures - look at Spain, the Ottomans, etc India's Mughal tax farming was disastrous - "The Mughals implemented the zamindar tax collection." When the British arrived, every treaty they signed included a clause to return runaway Kashmiri slave-girls. The British were horrified. Britain's parliament allocated £100,000 a year to sail six cruisers off the East Africa coast to stop Arab slave trading. Britain did engage in the slave trade : But I'm proud to say, "They were the last in and first out".
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  9805.  @GwynBleys  Ireland is a great example of British fair play. Parliament was divided (Unionists & Home Rule for Ireland). Gladstone (liberal) favoured Home Rule. The campaign went on for decades and eventually succeeded. Show me an example where the Ottomans campaigned for Home Rule in Greece or Armenia. Or where the Spanish campaigned for Home Rule in their colonies. Spain had a torture prison for trade unionists in the 20th century. They boasted about the tortures they inflicted, it makes grim reading (Paul Preston : A people Betrayed, the Spanish Holocaust). Only when Europeans complained was the prison closed down. Every accusation thrown against the British has been voiced in Parliament : that is the marvellous legacy of Britain, the ability to voice dissent, and campaign for justice. Show me another example ?
    1
  9806.  @sanglapdasgupta3724  Genocide of the American Indians. Let me tell you a story :- In 1891-92 there was a dispute between Britain and the USA which looked as though t may escalate. Contingency plans were made : the British would pre-empt war by invading on 3 fronts, Boston, New York, and strike south from Canada. And they could only hope for "A massive rising of Red Indians". So even at that late date, the British cabinet were unaware how few Indians remained. How much more ill-informed were the British public ? It is probably the case that 98% of US citizens were also unaware how few Indians remained.
    1
  9807. "Israel decided to raid the mosque" WRONG Palestinian stone-throwers took shelter in the mosque, after pelting worshippers at the Western Wall.
    1
  9808. Putin explained to Macron how he intends to "rape" Ukraine. 'Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it,' Putin said, using an expression that rhymes in Russian.
    1
  9809. Israeli hostages were seen in Gaza hospitals - being concealed by medical staff Hamas uses hospitals and schools for its terrorist operations
    1
  9810. Okay, I got it wrong. Russia have said they are pulling out. I would advise the YPG to do the same. Long view : Turkey will have to withdraw. Syria will be a federal democracy (the West will not stand Assad dictatorship) , Afrin is majority Kurd so will vote a Kurdish administration and the Kurds are back in control.
    1
  9811. Turk, I agree. I think everyone wants to see a federal Syrian democracy. My guess is that YPG pull out of Afrin and regroup east of the Euphrates where the US are. Latest News : Patriot missiles are being sent to Syria. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skSIgt2dcdY
    1
  9812. Very knowledgeable analysis
    1
  9813. Dominic Cummings. The total lack of respect for the political elite. Lack of respect for the establishment. Manifested in defiance of authority.
    1
  9814.  @ПупПопов  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  9815. LOL Yes indeed, it is sad.
    1
  9816. Russians taking children from Ukraine is a war crime
    1
  9817. Of course Pakman could fake being President better than Trump. Pakman is in Obama's league when it comes to stringing coherent sentences together. G.W. Bush struggled for intelligibility and so did Reagan to some degree.
    1
  9818. Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA Hamas has also infiltrated Schools and hospitals Hostages were immediately secreted in hospitals when Hamas abducted them
    1
  9819. Russian bull$hit propaganda. Kremlin lies.
    1
  9820. Why have Germany and France switched sides ? When Russia invaded they both decided on appeasement - Germany sabotaged weapons deliver from Britain and Estonia, Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". They both considered Crimea to be de facto Russian territory. Why have they now sided with Ukraine ? Because by offering a carrot to Moscow France & Germany were prolonging the war.
    1
  9821. Never trust Hezbollah - period
    1
  9822.  @thegreatone921  , I'm saying the opposite ! Iraq was only invented in 1921 , why would a radical cleric be nationalist ? Why would any religious mad-man put the nation before his religion ? Think about it. He's not nationalist he's a self-promoting ,power-grabbing religious bigot.
    1
  9823.  @mohammedhassanakbari6722  , well said. How nice it is to see someone telling it like it is.
    1
  9824.  @nilcha4117  Immediately after the war there was a poll on the BBC "Who is the best football player ever ?" The British voted for Maradona. ( I wonder if Bobby Charlton would've gotten any votes in Argentina ?)
    1
  9825. Overruling LOL It's the other way around :- 14 Nov Zaluzhnyi phoned Mark Milley and cancelled Zelensky's Kherson deal (Read the history books)
    1
  9826. "Explain Taiwan", said one chap, then removed the comment. That is a great question, and appears to be the exception to the rule. The Kuomintang ruled Taiwan as a single-party state for forty years, until democratic reforms in the 1980s, which led to the first-ever direct presidential election in 1996. During the post-war period, Taiwan experienced rapid industrialization and economic growth, known as the "Taiwan Miracle". I would place Taiwan with Spain and Portugal as recent democracies.
    1
  9827. Montenegrin, why don't you stop being an apologist for a totalitarian anti-democratic dictator.
    1
  9828. Iran, Hezbollah and Russia lose And Marwan weeps
    1
  9829. Wrong. NATO has played a blinder, they now control the narrative. Putin has indelible egg on his face. NATO appears organized, civilized and strong. And Russia looks like a paper tiger - naval military exercises off the Irish coast, is just clowning around.
    1
  9830. Alton, ". The questions that are raised by USA are rather childish, at the very least" LOL I laugh my head off when half-wits attempt geopolitics. Iran is an Islamofascist state, it's leaders believe in Armageddon & the coming of the 12th Imam , to which end they have promised to wipe Israel off the map and are pursuing nuclear weapons to achieve that goal. So the US aim to achieve the neutralising of the fanatical Ayatollahs and a return to civilised secular government.
    1
  9831. 1:10 "I don't think we should overestimate or underestimate". Gosh, steady Joe, don't be too decisive.
    1
  9832. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed :- In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding the sexual violence in the Tigray War. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause]. Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war”.
    1
  9833. Well done Ukraine. I hope you are supplied with anti-ship missiles, to relive Mariupol. Also, I hope you are supplied with Mig 29s. Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts" Britain is sending 6000 NLAWs
    1
  9834. Ukraine announces gains on the battlefield (they are inexorable) 5 villages in Kherson. Russian TV 5 times stresses Putin will stabilize things When Svetove & Kkremina fall Putin will fall. Russia will collapse before Christmas.
    1
  9835. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    1
  9836. Russia is rattled. Well done USA and Britain.
    1
  9837. " Exculpatory evidence is evidence favourable to the defendant in a criminal trial that exonerates or tends to exonerate. " Eric Trump told a golf buddy, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". Exculpate yourself out of that.
    1
  9838. Sinai is the answer Trump will filtrate Palestinians into Sinai Trump said he was at the end of his tether with Hamas
    1
  9839.  @tm5123  That is because there are so many naive people who believe this FSB lady is a hero. Russian TV is broadcast with a built in delay. The protest she did is IMPOSSIBLE. Ukrainian intelligence keep telling folk, but the mainstream media prefers the narrative that she is genuine opposition.
    1
  9840. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
    1
  9841. 3:30 "We have the Pnuchin comments ". Come again ?
    1
  9842.  @NANA-rc8lo  , the United States has transparency and accountability. The politicians can be impeached. Not in Iran : the Revolutionary guard are like a state-within-a-state (imperium in imperio) ; they have access to the economy and filch billion$.
    1
  9843.  @a46475  , LOL am I ? I was probably impressed by her tenacity, I'm actually not a huge fan.
    1
  9844.  @NANA-rc8lo  , You are quite right about the overthrow of Mossadegh (by the UK CIA and BP) He was a principled democrat who would turn in his grave at the sight of the anti-democratic Ayatollah. When Khomeini landed in Tehran 1979 he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and said, "I'll kick their teeth in " He executed 7000 in his first year. Read : "The executioners deserve medals"
    1
  9845. Erdogan and his corrupt son (Bilal) are laughing at the Turkish peasants selling their dollars. Bilal is part of a cartel that made $779 million dollars money laundering in Italy. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bilal-erdogan-italy-investigates-turkish-presidents-son-over-money-laundering-allegedly-connected-to-a6879871.html
    1
  9846. Lavrov : "Relay on our allies who would stay with us" They are India and China (The Axis of Evil)
    1
  9847.  @anixes  Well China have 1 million in prisons in Xinjiang province. Russia are committing atrocities in Ukraine. I think we can agree they are Evil countries ? And India is considered to be part of the club.
    1
  9848. US venality has become a virtue
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  9849. "Steel yourself son". It will be the general who has sold the military supplies to buy his yacht in Cyprus.
    1
  9850. They will NOT declare Independence. Rajoy has gifted them a million extra pro-independence votes for the elections next Spring. Also, any economic downturn in Catalonia (certain with civil disobedience) will be blamed on Madrid. Every weekend there will be protests in Barcelona demanding an end to occupation. For Puigdemont it is win win. Dunce-Rajoy has made nothing but bad moves and this is the worst.
    1
  9851.  @shooter7a  Hi, you have gotten yourself very confused. " each of these systems carries ten Switchblade drones, " Just do some Google research. You are 100% wrong The larger 600 series come individually. But the small 300 backpack kit has 10 drones per launcher.
    1
  9852.  @F_Tim1961  I agree, production needs to be ramped up. Do you remember the CEOs of various companies meeting with the Pentagon ? Apparently the discussion was about increasing production (one assumes of all sorts - drones, javelins, etc)
    1
  9853.  @F_Tim1961  Interesting. But I'd suggest :- a) Switchblades will be a great success because of Russian chaos. Against an organised force I agree they are too easily shot down. b) Large production and full price ? Take Canadian howitzers, what are they for - who is Canada going to shell. Most NATO arms are simply doing nothing and will be decommissioned after having done nothing their whole lives. c) This is the defining event of the 21st century : if countries don't pull their finger out now then God help 'em. Because history will never forgive them (eg Germany sabotaging the war effort - by denying airspace, denying 3rd party transfer, and refusing to supply direct)
    1
  9854.  @F_Tim1961  "how these arms transfers are being funded in the UK case is not clear." The EU has established a 2 billion euro fund for Ukraine. I'm assuming some money is coming from that pot. The US are considering using oligarch funds to pay for US aid (it would be like a mugging victim using your garden furniture to defend himself, and you then suing the mugger for the damage) I'm stating the obvious but this is the first (after nagorno karabakh) 21st century war. Intelligence is everything, and NATO have teams working 24/7 Russia is being annihilated in the Intel war. We have two Nimrods permanently airborne. There is an underground (subterranean) NATO unit permanently monitoring the Black sea, staffed by Romanians & NATO. You're not telling me they weren't involved in the Moskva strike? And what a coincidence - Ukraine launch their Neptunes just as Britain supplies Harpoons ? (That strike was 100% NATO) I'm only pasting this in case you have a historical interest :- Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
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  9855. @The Judge , you've got to look at the big picture. The Palestinians have had 70yrs of failure : 40yrs corrupt dictatorship by Arafat, replaced by corrupt old men (Abbas). Why not try democracy ? Why don't the Palestinians elect a female leader, someone young and charismatic ? Why must it always be corrupt old men from Fatah. Oh, and fanatical fascists like Hamas.
    1
  9856. @The Judge , historians assessment of Yasser Arafat was "He never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity". Arafat's prime goal was to keep himself in power. Everything else was secondary. The money he stole wasn't because he was an avaricious pleasure-seeker, it was simply to stay in power through bribes : power was Arafat's goal and the result was 40yrs of utter failure.
    1
  9857.  John Torpey  , Yasser Arafat was certainly hated by his neighbours - Eugpt, Jordan, Syria all hated Arafat : he stabbed everyone in the back including the palestinian people for whom he achieved nothing : on a scale of 1 to 10 you would have to give Arafat minus -3. His 40yr dictatorship left them much worse off than the UN 2-state solution they were offered in 1947.
    1
  9858. NOT the Palestinian flag It is the flag of the Hejaz Hashemite kingdom 1922 Palestine didn't exist in 1922 1948 Egypt, Syria & Jordan claimed Palestine belonged to them Only after losing 3 wars did Palestine declare statehood 1988 The PLO appropriated the flag ~1964
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  9859. Sir Henry Elliot ambassador to Istanbul said, "We have been upholding what we know to have been a semi-civilized nation". That was after the Armenian massacres 1894-97
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  9860. American assistance to India totalled $10‐billion from 1950 to 1971, the largest amount of aid given to any country. The aid included 50 million, tons of emergency food, largely sent in the 1960s to avert famine. .....and India support Russia. Shame on India.
    1
  9861. 100% bluff. Why hasn't Russia knocked out Ukraine's power-grid ? Because it fears a humanitarian crisis would force NATO intervention. Russia fears NATO. The nuclear threat is pure bluff.
    1
  9862. The questions drag on - almost as if they are being thought up on the spot. In the 21st century folks want quick content. I stopped watching at 3:33
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  9863.  @lesleymariewade6405  Thanks. But I already know a) Putin is distancing himself from a "military necessity" b) Prigozhin is Putin's pick as his replacement. He has no institutional power, all Prigozhin's power comes through Putin. The Pentagon stated this weeks ago through the ISW Even the Duma congratulate Prigozhin for a successful mobilisation. Newsweek : "Pirgozhin is a rival to Putin" Totally wrong He is Putin's must trusted ally.
    1
  9864.  @keithmorgan3295  This is the analysis I wanted conforming :- But I already know a) Putin is distancing himself from a "military necessity" (That is the purpose of the High-Command charade) b) Prigozhin is Putin's pick as his replacement. He has no institutional power, all Prigozhin's power comes through Putin. The Pentagon stated this weeks ago through the ISW Even the Duma congratulate Prigozhin for a successful mobilisation. Newsweek : "Pirgozhin is a rival to Putin" Totally wrong He is Putin's must trusted ally.
    1
  9865.  @keithmorgan3295  Putin's Kremlin team are : Prigozhin, Kadyrov and Surokivin None of them have institutional power : they all get their power through Putin. Institutional power = FSB, Duma, Army etc The more chaotic and divided things become, the safer Putin is as the man who holds all the threads.
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  9866.  @lesleymariewade6405  Also Putin hasn't left Kherson The military announced it to get the bad news out of the way. Russian troops will defend it until after Christmas - this will be presented as a failure for Ukraine, unable to take Kherson from "Russian partisans" Kherson is Putin's best card in any negotiations, he would like to control it until next Easter.
    1
  9867.  @keithmorgan3295  Also Putin hasn't left Kherson The military announced it to get the bad news out of the way. Russian troops will defend it until after Christmas - this will be presented as a failure for Ukraine, unable to take Kherson from "Russian partisans" Kherson is Putin's best card in any negotiations, he would like to control it until next Easter.
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  9868. "Putin needs shooting" said senator Lindsey Graham. Most people agree.
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  9869. China need electric power : they've just built internment camps for a million people in Xinjiang. Also, when they are harvesting human organs you need to be able to see which prisoner you are operating on.
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  9870. I'll give you a brief history. But first, let me ask you a question :- When did Putin turn against the West ? Oh no, he wasn't anti-west in 2000 ; do some research and look what he was saying. So when did he turn his face against the West ? 2004. And what happened in 2004 ? The Orange movement in the Ukraine : Putin could see the writing on the wall for himself and Russia, so he played the nationalist card, and that's where we are today.
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  9871. Morbid, I agree. Syria Girl is a Kremlin troll. The Kremlin Mafia pay people to spread propaganda against the West. He is definitely paid by the thugs in Moscow.
    1
  9872. Conspiracy, your college-boy comment is an example of sophistry. South American dictatorships are also Republics, I used "Democracy" because that is the criterion people acknowledge as distinguishing oppression from freedom. The US and Israel are free societies where people can voice opposing views and be protected by the law. Russia, Iran, Turkey, Syria etc put people in prison if they voice opposition.
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  9873. I hope switch-blade drones arrive in time : they will land right on their tin hats.
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  9874. Hamas hides in hospitals and schools
    1
  9875. Try holding an election ! The Palestinian Authority does NOT represent the people They NEVER hold elections
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  9876.  @mohammedjelani3213  So should Kurdistan The Kurds attended Versailles 1919 and the powers said, "No" Do you know why ? Because the Kurds were tribal (like the Palestinians) They had no history of being a state and no state structure (just like Palestinians) That's why there is NO Kurdistan and there will be NO Palestine state
    1
  9877. Why has the lady presenter got that look of insouciance on her face ? Almost a smile at one stage. What's that all about ?
    1
  9878. A shame Germany sabotaged Ukraine in the beginning :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  9879. This dates right back to Spanish Naples. Corruption became the state. Absolutely everyone paid protection. As soon as a carriage driver dropped off his fare, there would be an urchin collecting a percentage. It was like a tax. Rival parties would have one another arrested and thrown into jail without trial. It all depended upon how much one could pay. The entire state was crooked. 1767 Ferdinand IV ".....he was largely responsible for reducing the internal administration of the country to an abominable system of espionage, corruption and cruelty. " "In 1532 the king of Spain, Charles V appointed as viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo. Don Pedro, wise administrator, dedicated his Government to the renewal of the kingdom. He faced the problem the judicial organization which suffered yet feudal order dating from the Middle Ages. He reorganized the Court of Vicaria and issued new laws to combat widespread corruption among judges, lawyers and professional texts who earned with false testimonies." The Spanish state had to survive on 10% of revenue collected :- " the corruption and venality of Spanish administration have been peculiarly all-pervading and continuous. From the time of the youthful Charles V. and his worthless horde of Flemish favorites, this has been a corroding cancer, sapping the vitality of Spanish resources. It was in vain that the most onerous and disabling imposts were laid on wealth and industry; the results were always insufficient, and the national finances were always in disorder, crippling all efforts at aggression or defense. Already in 1551 the cortes of Castile gave a deplorable account of the corruption in every branch of official life, the destruction of industry, and the misery of the people under their crushing burdens. In 1656, when Philip IV., under a complication of misfortunes, was struggling to avert bankruptcy, Cardinal Moscoso, the Archbishop of Toledo, bluntly told him that not more than ten per cent of the revenues collected reached the royal treasury."
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  9880.  @Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo  It is a 'mine' on a tripod : triggered by an optical sensor. The Special Forces would see the target coming, activate the 'mine', then the optical sensor would trigger. A shaped charge would then be belted out at the speed of sound - punching through the armour and wrecking the vehicle and its contents.
    1
  9881. This is great news : the West is dictating the agenda - prisoner release. Russia should be dictating - the end to Western arms, or Russia will go nuclear. But the Kremlin was laughed at for "becoming hysterical". Russia will be forced from Kherson, just as they were forced from Snake Island. The Russian army is being murdered in Ukraine by Western arms, and the Kremlin can say nothing. It is quite extraordinary. General Keane (retired U.S.) said on Fox News, "The US is providing exquisite intelligence to Ukraine on a real-time basis. There isn't a Russian unit moves in Ukraine that the US doesn't know about"
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  9882. Okay, my apologies. It appears I'm woefully misinformed. Did they just walk out ? I haven't watched it.
    1
  9883. Diplomacy IS VERY important. To delay an hysterical response from Putin until Russia collapses. Russia needs to be offered some carrots whilst its army is demolished. Then Russia will simply fold (like the 1991 USSR collapse)
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  9884. No future for the Muslim Brotherhood (Hamas) Remember Egypt : the Morsi Brotherhood victory in 2013 ? Morsi then appointed as governor of Luxor the head of the group that committed the Luxor massacre (1997). Morsi was then surprised western powers didn't defend him against the al-Sisi coup. There is no support for the brotherhood in the West. Hamas are doomed, and Palestinians will sink with them.
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  9885. Every-time Bannon flattens them they dust themselves off and change the subject.
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  9886. MIlton quote (by Bannon ) : "To reign is worth ambition though in Hell: Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heaven." Vis-a-vis Nikki Haley .
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  9887.  @julia_1945_v  I'm no expert but Ukrainians say the Minsk agreement was a gift for the Kremlin - Russia got everything it wanted. The only thing Kyiv could do was to keep delaying the implementation. Putin hoped that Western intervention would force Kyiv to accept the Minsk agreement. For Russia everything has gone disastrously wrong _ far from getting the Minsk agreement, they look as though they will lose everything. Kyiv at taking Crimea back !
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  9888. Any comment mentioning the Armenians is removed. Also, any comment mentioning the atrocities which occurred in other nations seeking independence from the Ottomans is removed. Nice to see freedom of speech being respected by Al-Jazeera.
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  9889. Days away ? The Lebanese will stand the drop of York. Don't expect any change there.
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  9890. Moscow regards France as a "neutral" country, how does that happen ? Vichy France is not an aberration, it is French culture :- a) Macron : "Countries should not gang up on China" b) Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" c) Macron asks Iran to be a peacemaker in Ukraine France instinctively places a foot in the enemy camp : they don't try to hide it, they are shameless.
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  9891. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  9892. Trump warned Germany, and they laughed at him.
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  9893. Europe has humiliated itself The European Defence Force (Macron's vanity project) is more dead than it ever was Thank God for the USA
    1
  9894.  @Joshua-me1wi  Good point. But the first lie was to mask is invasion. The second lie (to use nukes) was to intimidate arms suppliers to Ukraine. Putin attending the G20 is the one rare true statement from the Kremlin.
    1
  9895. 'lasting consequences' Obviously ! This is a battle for Civilization. If the Free World back away from Putin's threats, then China will do the same. Liberal Democracy is a house of cards. Autocracy is far more powerful and stable.
    1
  9896.  @learningchannel1667  You are talking post World War 2. Many countries were introduced to democracy after WW2, but it wasn't actually part of their culture. That is my point. Japan had a democracy, imposed by general Macarthur (including women in parliament, which is totally alien to the Japanese Shogunate). The Middle East culture is the Caliphate/ Sultanate. The Middle East state model is authoritarianism and obedience. Islam preaches obedience to authority - not representative assemblies. Middle East culture does not contain Representative assemblies. That is my point.
    1
  9897. UNRWA = Hamas They never criticise Hamas, even when Hamas commandeer the aid trucks Guterres defends Hamas, contextualising rape and murder
    1
  9898.  @27boof  LOL The Palestinians don't even have an elected government Who represents Palestine ? Not Fatah (despots) Not Hamas (terrorist despots) Palestine MUST hold an election - then we will talk two states LOL
    1
  9899. I don't get it.
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  9900. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    1
  9901.  @asfiraihan2073  , it would take me ages to find it. If you are desperate search for a thumbnail of a fat Indian (18st) wearing a dark grey suit. The incident comes halfway through when the corrupt politician decides to fight back. He fires questions at Mehdi, trying to reveal his ignorance, but Mehdi rapidly answers his impertinence then continues the grilling.
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  9902. 57k folk decide the national security of the US ? I don't think so
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  9903. Who's buying ? The "corridor" ends in the rear end of Turkey (it's hardly Las Vegas) So who's buying ? All that road & rail investment to connect to Turkey's tail end ?
    1
  9904. The attritional infantry war (Israel v Iran) in Syria is unlikely but..... assuming Israel lose and fall back and Iran push right into the West Bank, Israel would NOT go nuclear (ever). They would bunker down in the cities and wait for the 7th cavalry. Oh yes, the Yanks are only ever a bugle call away.
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  9905. What a disgrace
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  9906. When the East India Co was ended in 1874, they boasted that they had handed the British government "The finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen". That was Britain's contribution to India. 45% of India was outside British control. What did they contribute to the newly independent India in 1947 ? Well, superstition and backwardness, an exploitative caste system, injustice and corruption.
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  9907. The gang members simply need to be condemned to death. Make gang membership a capital crime.
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  9908. Golan Heights : Marwan wants the Butcher Assad to be given the high ground to attack Israel Al Jazeera simply wants Israel exterminated The Golan Heights will never go back to Syria - it would be suicide for Israel
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  9909. US said they'll deliver 2 million ration packs a day Hamas fighters will take 500 each To stock up in case Israel start a full blockade US will be supplying Hamas with ration packs It's incredible !
    1
  9910.  @jonsenlimba3013  Israel wants to arm a "Palestinian police force" to guard the distribution of aid Hamas said they'd kill them as collaborators Hamas wants starvation and chaos Hamas is stopping aid
    1
  9911. Brennan, or perhaps "War criminal imbibes poison which lethally diffuses through his gut before stomach-pump rescue can be performed." ?
    1
  9912.  @Re-DStro  Lord Owen sits on the Intelligence Committee, I think he knows the relative strengths of the Russian and US nuclear arsenals.... "The Americans have a massive, massive superiority". You must be one of those folk who think Russia lost 5 ships, hundreds of men, vehicles and helicopters, taking Snake Island, then handed it back as 'a good will gesture' LOL Get real !
    1
  9913.  @N555M  Have you ever heard about the great Russian army ? It has just been humiliated in Ukraine.... a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'. What makes you think that Russia would be any better with nukes ? The Kremlin acknowledges that 60% of the arsenal is "decommissioned". Russia has a GDP less than Italy, how do you suppose it can possibly be stronger than NATO ?
    1
  9914. South Africa's provisional measure were ALL kicked out South Africa's scarf wearing clowns fell flat on their faces The ICJ demanded ALL Hamas hostages be released immediately and unconditionally
    1
  9915. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  9916. "Empty": but it used to contain hostages Hamas used the hospital to imprison hostages Why does Al Jazeera never mention that ? Ban Al Jazeera propaganda
    1
  9917. Patriarch Kirill is the ungodly, Rolex-watch-wearing Russian patriarch. Glasnost files 1991 exposed him as a KGB agent, informing on clerics and parishioners.
    1
  9918. Who can you trust when 2 liars give evidence ? I'm reminded of Loretta Lynch (attorney general) and Bill Clinton meeting on a plane, dismissing all staff and security and then talking in secret about "golf and grand-children". Who can you believe ?
    1
  9919. Keith Vaz said after the Charlie Hebro slaughter, "MY constituents love Allah more than their own lives". He was advocating blasphemy laws in Britain to stop anyone speaking ill of the prophet. He was in effect excusing the murderers. They're not British values.
    1
  9920. 63% of young males in Bradford supported ISIL
    1
  9921. There are two ways to acquire nuclear weapons :- a) go straight for it : the direct route b) take an indirect route : the Obama way Trump has decided to stop both ways !
    1
  9922. 2:24 Terrible analysis If that is true, why did Russia not shell Kherson when Zelensky visited ? Zelensky was only 3km from the Russian front ? Missiles started on 15 Nov, when Ukraine "factually and legally refused to negotiate" What curious words. Why did Russia use such terminology ? What's the point in telling you Nobody listens.
    1
  9923. A message for Erdogan : don't count your chickens. This operation will never happen. The Pentagon had no knowledge of it, Trump is already back-tracking, Lindsey Graham has excoriated it, the Senate are unnerved by it and Nikki Halley has called it a betrayal. If you think Trump will side with Turkey against all those you are very mistaken. Turkey will never enter Syria.
    1
  9924. Where's the African Union ? LOL I'm joking : that fraternity of corrupt despots always sides with the corrupt authoritarian dictator.
    1
  9925. And Iran will use nuclear weapons once it acquires them. Armageddon brings the 12th Imam and paradise for believers (the Ayatollah)
    1
  9926. Guterres openly supports Hamas
    1
  9927. Hergbert, my apologies again : I still haven't addressed your contention. "Why a back channel ?" Well you are quite right other politicians have done it. Nixon, prior to his being elected POTUS sent Kissinger out to scupper the Vietnam/Paris peace talks. What he did was illegal. It is actually illegal to set up a back channel before you become POTUS. And what the Trumps were doing was MUCH worse : they wanted the FSB to set it up so it couldn't be monitored by US intelligence . That is treason.
    1
  9928. France denies showing readiness for Ukraine dialogue in Russia talks (Of course France is stabbing NATO in the back again : trying to negotiate behind everyone's back)
    1
  9929. LOL...MORE ANC Only with another hand in the till LOL Corrupt Africa Despotic Africa African failure
    1
  9930.  @keyboarddancers7751  Good point A soap opera on Iranian TV had folk dashing home after Friday prayers. It drove the Imams crazy. A demonstration that cultures can change. However, in times of stress atavism kicks in. 13 Oct Macron declares nuclear neutrality on TV France felt stress because of Russia's nuclear talk and reverted to capitulation. In stressful situations one's culture always shines through.
    1
  9931.  @xtradi  Moscow points its nukes at the West, and the West responds by pointing its nukes at Russia. That is the point of NATO : to defend European civilisation from the Russian hordes. 13 Oct Macron declared nuclear neutrality, in the event of Russia using a nuke "in the region" That was France capitulating (again)
    1
  9932. A few historical facts (I'll stand correcting if anyone knows better) a) the Sultan never intended a siege of Vienna it was decided by whoever led the army (I forget his name) b) the Poles had to wear identification to distinguish themselves from the Turks , they had such similar dress. c) Pestilence had depleted the Turks, disease was rampant in their camp. d) They were betrayed (as shown) by their allied cavalry who didn't fancy meeting the legendary winged hussars.
    1
  9933. Oh I forgot another one... e) Jan Sobieski was so fat he had to be helped on and off his horse f) there's something I can't recall about the attack itself, something like Sobieski told them to wait but they charged anyway. Perhaps some expert remembers.
    1
  9934. Public opinion is fickle : Eg, Islamists in Nigeria have just kidnapped schoolgirls to rape There will always be terrorist outrages and they will quickly take "Public opinion" away from Israel and against Islamism
    1
  9935. "Prince Eugene was fighting a brutal and relentless enemy that wanted to conquer and enslave all of Europe. " LOL The Habsburgs were 3rd rate and the Ottomans were worse. Louis XIV had a real army (100k well-equipped, uniformed and well led) The shift in power came after the Spanish were crushed at Rocroix 1643 by the French Duke of Conde. Louis XIV became king the same year (1643 - 1715) : he started a war of aggression against the whole of Europe, and never fought a battle on French soil. A Grand Alliance of English, Dutch, Habsburgs and German principalities. Those armies would have crushed the Ottomans, but were too busy fighting for gains. Louis XIV actually supported the Turks to deflect the Habsburgs from the Grand Alliance. The Ottomans were a minor power when Eugene defeated them, then went on to become the sick man of Europe. Propped up to stop Russia gaining access to the Med.
    1
  9936. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated militarily".
    1
  9937.  @Rasmajnoon  "a westerner who suffers from Stockholm syndrome" Interesting point. Fear, Confidence and Civilisation. Russia is fearful of invasion, sanctions, and "being cancelled" by LGBT and modernization. By contrast, the Western civilisation is confident - it mocks itself. When the war started, Australians declared "Toxic masculinity comes to the rescue". The west sees its faults and allows criticism and humour. Putin jokes, in a phone call with Macron, about "raping" Ukraine. Russia has no humour and no tolerance : it is a civilisation of fear. Confidence indicates a thriving culture and fear signifies a culture which knows it is doomed.
    1
  9938. Germany (the Kremlin's 5th column) is finally pretending to do something.
    1
  9939. LOL. isn't he a big dope.
    1
  9940. Spain deported 94 Taiwanese involved in telephone fraud.
    1
  9941. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  9942. Germany is the Kremlin's 5th column in the West. Russia are bullying, boorish and unbearable, all the traits Germans possessed in the early 20th century. When Berlin ministers visit the Kremlin, they see their former selves.
    1
  9943. Why not show Bangladesh (1971) Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000
    1
  9944. The US military are okay, it's the politicians (Obama) that are weak, weak, weak.
    1
  9945. Mark Hamill sent 500 drones (is he star-wars ?) Anyway, they will be dropping bombs on the Orcs as we speak.
    1
  9946.  @ARCSTREAMS  , you know less than nothing. You are an idiot who simply wants events to conform to your prejudices. Try doing some research before voicing an opinion.
    1
  9947.  @GIJoe23  , well if you know the history of the Ayatollah's dictatorship you must be pretty appalled at the inhumanity.
    1
  9948.  @ms9771  , interesting statistics. I saw some surprising statistics :- In Israel on 35% are Jewish believers. Of the rest 30% are non-believers and 35% just attend social occasions (Bar-mitzvah etc). My guess is that if those statistics could be mirrored in Palestine you would have peace in the middle east. It is Islamic totalitarian/extremism that keeps rational secular people from interacting in a civilized way.
    1
  9949. Ironically, the EU aren't included because they are ... grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants We all know the story about China telling the German warship "Get lost" and we know Macron said countries shouldn't gang-up on China. The EU are endemically weak. They always will be.
    1
  9950. The Kremlin are so obvious : they want to divide Ukraine and find a pretext for invasion. The EU are also predictable : predictably pusillanimous. They will never be more than windbags.
    1
  9951. LOL "defeat" The Lunatic Left support Moscow and Islamism They live in a dream world
    1
  9952. Shame on Wion, and shame on India. Wion calls the war "Op" for operation. Disgusting. I hope India gets sanctions.
    1
  9953. Corruption comes into focus when you start cutting pensions. The politicians should be careful. Everyone hates corrupt incompetent politicians......and in Iraq there's no other type.
    1
  9954.  @scratchy996  Fusion : the British lab has had some encouraging success.
    1
  9955. Hamas demands were delusional Biden "Hamas demands were over the top" Even UNRWA can't supply enough ammo for Hamas to survive
    1
  9956. Israel is a civilized democracy (the sort of place where the police interview the president 7 times over a gift of cigars). Russia is a gangster state where the elite steal $billions from Gazprom. Chomsky equates the two because he has been purblind with prejudice against the US and Israel for decades.
    1
  9957. Thomas, the 'apartheid state' can be debated ; what can't be debated is what I just said : Israel is a democracy which investigates cigar corruption. Russia is a gangster state. It's that simple. And while we're on the topic of dictators and corrupt gangsters : what happened to the $3billion that Yaser Arafat stole from the Palestinians ? Was that ever investigated by Palestinian police ? Of course not because they were in on it ; the whole of Palestine is corrupt up to the eyeballs.
    1
  9958.  @masterofalltrades_  , remember the student protests in Tehran (1989) ? remember the thugs dragging student-girls by the hair and beating them with clubs ? They were the Revolutionary Guard in Civilian clothes. (helped by Hezbollah, another bunch of thugs).
    1
  9959. Booby trap bombs :- Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  9960. Sir Henry Elliot ambassador to Istanbul said, "We have been upholding what we know to have been a semi-civilized nation". That was after the Armenian massacres 1894-97
    1
  9961. What about macron's European Army : that was hardly win-win. It never even got off the ground. Now Macron , like some de Gaulle manqué , is lording it over the yellow vests and selling the EU down the river with China.
    1
  9962. Govind is quite right : it keeps the pot of hatred boiling. fali, if Arafat was a Mossad agent why are adolescent Palestinians today going around with his face on their T-shirts ? You are correct about Fatah, they are hand-in-glove with Israel. Why don't the Palestinians demand fair elections ?
    1
  9963. All these topics are now a footnote to the horrors in Ukraine. Well done Modi - he has reduced India to a supporting actor in the first genocide of the 21st century. It is hard to imagine greater shame for a democracy.
    1
  9964. 0:10 all those young people have been brainwashed. They are taught in school that Arafat was a hero. Even though he stole $3 billion and ruled as a dictator for 40yrs. a) an education free from propaganda b) freedom to criticise corruption in Fatah and Hamas c) freedom to stand for election without being beaten up by Fatah and Hamas Those freedoms could be granted tomorrow.
    1
  9965. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians : the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  9966. Poor India When Xi phones Zelensky India will be seen as the only country firmly rooted in the Axis of Evil
    1
  9967. ICC is a great job to have : they only work 2hrs a day, 3 days a week and claim expenses for everything. That's why trials usually last 18 months.
    1
  9968. Why is it always the good 'uns ? Let's all hope for an outcome that will make 2022 a great year.
    1
  9969. STOP calling it "crash" It is a hard landing LOL
    1
  9970. Good way for Iran to win friends. Everyone wants to see those Religious crackpots possessing nukes.
    1
  9971. "A project for years to come" and "Part of France's destiny" and Macron is committed to it. But he's a here-today-gone-tomorrow politician. If the French people had their way he'd be gone by the end of the week.
    1
  9972. US said they'll deliver 2 million ration packs a day Hamas fighters will take 500 each To stock up in case Israel start a full blockade US will be supplying Hamas with ration packs It's incredible !
    1
  9973. Shame on India : supporting a tyrant. A nuclear catastrophe is in the making, and Modi gives Moscow a nod & wink.
    1
  9974. Much better to look at the UK : an idiotic referendum followed up by 3rd rate politicians and an unholy mess , with the biggest liars and dopes rising to the surface. Producing the the historically unique spectacle of an irresponsible Conservative twit facing an ignorant Labour half-wit.
    1
  9975. Imagine if Turkey were in the EU : when it was their turn for presidency they'd try to change the rules so they'r be president for life.
    1
  9976. Z&N, I had to research NPC#. You could have explained it to me. It means a robot or some paid troll ; perhaps a Russian troll (" Are you listening Russia" - oh I forgot that was Trump)
    1
  9977. I'm sick of pacifist New Zealand. They have an even more parochial view of the world than India. The horrors of a Russian invasion are in the thoughts of all civilized nations, whilst New Zealand remain neutral and lament a boating accident.
    1
  9978. "Don't announce what NATO is doing", Trump said that years ago. After Obama announced the exact time the attack on Mosul would begin. Western Civilization seems to believe the public (and enemy) has a right to ALL information. God help us. Bring back general Wes Clarke, and let's start kicking some @ss.
    1
  9979. 2:20 "The US base was devastated" No, not a single casualty. The Iranian missile attack was telegraphed. The last thing Iran wants is escalation, so they informed Iraq, who informed the US. Everyone was prepared for the token attack, and everyone was happy.
    1
  9980. The genocide camps will be working over-time to produce more.
    1
  9981. $$$ It's the Clinton factor $$$ That's why the DNC rigged the Primary against Bernie, Clinton had the cash. The Dems will struggle in 2020 unless they shake off the corruption. Oh, and that they're a bunch of liars who only come out with the truth when they have a book to sell (Donna Brazil) and take the 5th for all investigations.
    1
  9982. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  9983. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Scholz - sabotaging weapon supplies to Ukraine. Germany closed its air-space to flights of weapons from the UK. Germany refused to allow Estonia and Spain to send weapons. Germany behaves like the Kremlin's 5th column. (It almost makes one hope Russia cuts off the gas)
    1
  9984. Putin has very few cards to play - Russia is losing. France and Germany are supposed to twist Zelensky's arm into trading territory for peace.
    1
  9985. LOL I'm in the North of England and see no queues. 90% indeed. There is some queuing, and I would guess 15% of pumps may be empty. But 90% would only occur after nuclear Armageddon.
    1
  9986. No mention of the laughter which greeted Lavrov's answer ? The whole world media reported it - but not India Poor India, totally brainwashed Modi has done 2 things :- a) asserted India's independence (good) b) failed to make a judgement on the most outrageous injustice of the 21st century The history book will traduce India
    1
  9987. India complains of being "Bullied" as civilians are slaughtered in Ukraine. India is the victim of "bullying", whilst children are being used as human shields, women are suffering abuse by Russian soldiers, but they aren't the victims. It is India that is the victim ......."Of bullying" India sounds pathetic, it is an utter despicable disgrace.
    1
  9988. Regardless of the nationality of the victims, even if Russia were killing Pakistani women and children, it would still be deplorable. The very fact India tries to justify it, exposes India's solipsistic amorality : that is what makes the rest of the world despise India. "India the victim of bullies. India the vindictive". It makes the civilized world want to puke.
    1
  9989.  @marinamohamed2989  , I applaud Malaysia for their Covid-19 response. My objection is to outrageous corruption and human-rights violations.
    1
  9990.  @aussieraver7182  Okay I've researched that :- " It was officially halted in 1973. The program engaged in many illegal activities, including the use of U.S. and Canadian citizens as its unwitting test subjects, which led to controversy regarding its legitimacy". I'm not defending it. But what I do remind young liberals is that Stalin killed 30 million Russian citizens with his Gulags and 5yr programs. Mao Tse Tung killed 60 million with his Great Leap Forawrd, death camps and Cultural Revolution, so in the context of those Cold War barbarities US crimes seem quite petty. (Unless you were a victim : in which case the US independent judiciary and freedom of information, coupled to a free-press, would enable some judicial redress).
    1
  9991.  @aussieraver7182  , allow me to give you a nudge in the right direction, vis-a-vis conspiracy theories. The establishment are much dumber than you think. Look at the Pentagon trying to pass off friendly-fire as an heroic death : they are found out and left with egg on their face. Look at Kissinger trying to stall peace talks in Vietnam - it is all revealed and he looks like a war criminal. In fact nothing has ever been concealed for even a decade.....so many conspiracists know, and they are such incompetent a-holes, that it all eventually comes out. The bullet from JFK's brain didn't go missing because of conspiracy - it was incompetence. Give me one example of an establishment conspiracy that has lasted more than 20yrs. There aren't any.
    1
  9992.  @aussieraver7182  , the Old Testament was invented in the Bronze Age and reflects the Bronze-Age values of patriarchy, vengeance, warfare, punishment etc. The New Testament was invented after the classical period and includes classical concepts such as "Do unto others as you would have them do to you" (Confucius - 300 BC) Islam was invented in medieval times and reflects medieval values and knowledge. None of these books contain even one sentence that doesn't look as though it came from the time in which it was invented.
    1
  9993. Hamas must stop hiding behind children Hamas hides in "residential buildings" - that's why they are bombed
    1
  9994. Lear's fool would say :- "He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf" It is written into the Palestinian constitution that the PLO are the representatives of the people. (For PLO read Fatah or the Palestinian Authority : they are all the same and immoveable)
    1
  9995. Munich Putsch ... In November 1923
    1
  9996. Oct 7th massacre - and still the repercussions continue
    1
  9997. If Pakman wants "to be consistent" shouldn't he criticise rapist Bill Clinton ?
    1
  9998. He will be arrested by the Mexican Police : they are hand-in-glove with the drug Cartels.
    1
  9999.  @Caleta280  Assange released everything - exposing the US AND endangering activists in despotic regimes. It would've taken a team of journalists to remove material endangering activists - but Assange wanted all the glory. He can reflect on that in prison.
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  10000. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  10001. All around the world, folk going about their normal business, are suddenly exclaiming, "B@stards". That is because they have remembered the Russian invasion. Those words will become synonymous : so whenever anyone uses the word 'Russian' in a conversation, someone might mutter, "B@stards".
    1
  10002. BBC crap. They are a terrible news source.
    1
  10003.  @adamcool9318  Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  10004. Good analysis. Chip is saying Russia's chance of taking Odessa may be 0.5% But Putin reasons that if a series of catastrophe's causes Western support to collapse and Ukraine morale to collapse, then it would be nice for Russia to be in a position to capitalise by seizing Odessa. It's clutching at straws - but welcome to Putin's world.
    1
  10005. A single year explains the Palestinian conflict : 1920 a) The Jews elected a General Assembly shadow administration b) The British installed a Mufti in Jerusalem as the Ottoman Empire collapsed. The sultan fled in 1922, the Caliph fled in 1924. The Caliphate was over, and Palestine faced a vacuum which the Mufti was supposed to fill. The real problem was Palestine's 90% illiteracy. This was the result of the Ulema banning printing in 1515. There were 200,000,000 books published in 16th century Europe, Frankfurt's Book Fair was huge. Merchants travelled thousands of miles to attend. All Europe was reading. Diderot's Encyclopedia (1750) sales records, show most copies went to the centres of progress : where dynamic ideas and trade flourished. By comparison the Middle East was stagnating.
    1
  10006. I know what you are going to say, "Russia was 90% illiterate, but their peasants had a strong sense of national identity. Why not Palestine ?" Because The Russian Church preached Mother-Russia. Whereas in Palestine the Imams preached the Caliphate. The Palestinian peasant had never encountered the idea of nationalism.
    1
  10007. Hamas, founded in 1987, is the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt hates Hamas (it is fighting the Brotherhood) Israel saved the King of Jordan in 1971 as the PLO/Fatah tried to oust the Royal family. Jordan also hates Hamas. Fatah hates Hamas. Why do the Palestinians support Hamas ? Answer : Education. The caliphate banned printing in 1515, and when the Ottomans collapsed in the 1920s Palestine was 95% illiterate. It wasn't until the western educated PLO (Arafat) in the 1960s that the idea of nationalism took hold. This is shockingly late in the day. Compare America : in 1640 the settlers decreed every 50 man colony had to have a teacher, so children could read and write. In 1775 America was overwhelmingly literate. Almost everyone knew what a constitution was.
    1
  10008. Putin's 'ceasefire' was a ploy There can be no trust in Russia's declarations and commitments Putin is a KGB man and adheres to that criminal ethos of deception
    1
  10009. India refuse to condemn the invasion. UAE refuse to condemn the invasion. But Guatamala has withdrawn its ambassador from Moscow. Some nations sit on the fence : they half support Western Civilization, but keep a foot in the camp of the Axis of Evil.
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  10010. The Iranian Revolution Guard monopolise all profitable areas of the economy. Iran is a gangster state. Also also a fascist theocracy.
    1
  10011. Vincent, what are you doing on here ? A bloke who speaks sense. Very unusual : you're a rare find.
    1
  10012. Amar, you seem to have history back to front. The Jews were persecuted in Europe from the time of the Crusades. The Catholic church instigated pogroms against them, monarchs expelled them and confiscated their property, townsfolk would riot and steal Jewish children to baptise - then when ordered by authority to hand them back they would say the children had vanished. The Jews have had a terrible time throughout history. Personally I hate all religions but I know my history which is more than can be said for Amar Zakaria.
    1
  10013. Well said. The Kremlin remind me of 20th century Germans : bullying, boorish and unbearable..... Portugal applied to Britain for a loan. When Wilhelm II heard about it he demanded compensation. Lord Salisbury said it had nothing to do with Germany. So, the Kaiser instructed his ambassador in Lisbon to make threats and Portugal withdrew the loan application. The Germans were bullying, boorish and unbearable. When present day German ministers visit the Kremlin they see their former selves.
    1
  10014. How will India vote ? Modi has picked the losing side, will he now try to jump ship ? He is certainly unprincipled enough to do it.
    1
  10015. The key alliance is Saudi & Egypt. The rest can do what they want. When you combine the technical hardware of Saudi with the infantry manpower of Egypt nobody else comes close. Turkish base is a joke : Saudi & Egypt call the shots and both have good relations with Israel.
    1
  10016. Zack, LOL "Saudis don't fight ", that's why I said, "Technical hardware of Saudi". The Saudi army can't beat Houthi armed with museum rifles, I agree. Egypt & Saudi are hand in glove and both have good relations with Israel.......that's game over for any other alliance in the region.
    1
  10017. CNN showed a protrestor being arrested by 4 police : two hold him, one beats him over the head and the other grabs his genitals. Also, in Egypt the police sexually assault protestors. Can anyone explain this ?
    1
  10018. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  10019. Why ? 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" (capitulated) So Germany has no shield - Macron is the weak link
    1
  10020.  Nobody  The Ottoman sultanate collapsed in 1922, the last Caliph fled in 1924. The Sultan filled 2 trunks with jewels and fled to the Riviera, the caliph was given £2000 and sent to live in Switzerland. The gift to the Middle East was 90% illiteracy. Which resulted from the Ulema banning printing in 1515. It was the biggest single factor in the Middle East falling behind Europe.
    1
  10021.  Win Everything  "Islam does not deny boys or girls education.. It is a lie" So why shoot a schoolgirl in the head ? Also, why did Ataturk rebel against Islamic education ? He attended an Islamic school and thought it was backwards. Ataturk then modernised Turkey to make it a western secular democracy. The Turks do not want a return to the Caliphate.
    1
  10022.  @qumbe  "Scenes from Sayed ul-Shuhada High School in Kabul, Afghanistan, where as many as 85 people including many schoolgirls were killed in an attack this weekend, should break anyone’s heart. " Just Google "Taliban schoolgirls" and you will find a plethora of awful stories.
    1
  10023.  @kayf_ahmad  What nosense. You know it is nonsense, but would simply like to believe it. The Americans said Ataturk's features were Circassian. Ataturk's mother was a very religious and believed the Sultan was "Our Lord on Earth". Ataturk's father had a modern Western outlook and sent Mustafa to a secular school (after Mustafa had refused to sit cross-legged for the ignorant Imam).
    1
  10024.  @qumbe  The Koran can be read in many ways. The important thing is what the Taliban believe :- Education. The Taliban claimed to recognize their Islamic duty to offer education to both boys and girls, yet a decree was passed that banned girls above the age of 8 from receiving education. The Taliban shoot schoolgirls, that should be enough to make any civilized person oppose them.
    1
  10025.  Copper Sulphate  Israel are supported by Western democracies, because they are defending themselves against Hamas rocket attacks. Read about Nazir Banat : arrested and murdered by Fatah. (I haven't noticed Israeli police doing that) More Palestinians have moved into Israeli occupied land because they have more protection and rights. The Palestinian Authority are just corrupt gangsters. Young people who protest against the PA will be beaten arrested, tortured, and murdered. (The PA are just like Saddam Hussein or Gaddafi).
    1
  10026.  @qumbe  "Mate are you still trying to find evidence to back your claim? " No. Because I'm wrong. The Koran doesn't object to girls being educated. But the Taliban do. The Taliban murderous thugs shoot schoolgirls and bomb schools. Anyone who supports Taliban thugs is an uncivilized savage.
    1
  10027.  Copper Sulphate  Just below the Al-Aqsa mosque is the Temple Wall (Western wall). That wall was built 3000yrs ago by Jews. It does give them some (claim) connection with the land. Although I agree, the Palestinians have a more recent claim.
    1
  10028.  Heyreddin Barbarossa  I don't agree with all feminist ideology, or politically correct ideology, but I know that shooting schoolgirls makes the Taliban murderous savages. If you support the Taliban you are an uncivilized savage.
    1
  10029.  @ShahzadiVoice  "educate yourself by reading the Holly Quran" I wish I had time. I haven't even read the bible. The key thing to know is that all religious books reflect the era in which they were invented. Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented over the course of human evolution. Each religion contains no more information than was available at the time of its invention. All religions contain the superstitions of the period in which they were invented. People laugh at possession by demons and Jinns, but in the old times that was considered as truthful as science.
    1
  10030.  @ShahzadiVoice  Dr Zakir Naik is a total moron. He was asked about evolution, do you know what the moronic reply was ? He said, "Evolution is a 'theory' it is called Darwin's'theory'. It is not a fact. When I see it written in medical text books as a fact, then I will believe it" The young students in the audience were laughing at him. (Look for the clip on Youtube.) He isn't an educated doctor, he is a doctor of Islam. People laugh at him.
    1
  10031.  @ShahzadiVoice  Dr Zakir isn't a doctor. There isn't a University in the world that would give that guy a degree. That clown is a complete moron. Folk go to his shows to laugh at him : look at the audience - they are there to goad him.
    1
  10032. The Pope is infallible. He shouldn't have to apologise.
    1
  10033. The world sees signs of jackboot totalitarianism in China.
    1
  10034. I'm not sure about the throwing of milk-shakes. It's violence masked as humour, a bit like Jew baiting.
    1
  10035. Farage parrots Putin Putin threatened war - Farage repeated it Now Farage claims "Foresight" (effing traitor)
    1
  10036.    , you have got to be joking. Russia is hated and feared by ALL its neighbours. Russia has NO friends ; only nations that fear it. Imagine there was a nuclear exchange and both Russia and the USA are in ruins. The EU, Australia, Canada, India, Japan,S Korea, Saudi Arabia, Israel etc etc would spend trillions rebuilding it. Now you go and think who would pay to rebuild Russia ? Who would donate two cents ? Finland would take back Kerillia, Georgia would take a chunk so would China and Ukraine, and all Russia's neighbours would help themselves and say "Good riddance to Russia".
    1
  10037. Tears must be rolling down the cheeks of Russian editors, as they present destroyed Russian units as Russian success.
    1
  10038.  @matthewyabsley  "Overwhelm Taiwan" And how does China respond to the immediate blockade that will be imposed upon them ? China requires constant imports of food and fuel, how does it cope with blockade ? (Also, China can't 'overwhelm' Taiwan : they have 110 miles to cross by sea, and if they attempted a parachute drop it would be like shooting fish in a barrel).
    1
  10039. 1815 compare Waterloo : 3 days after the battle there were still bodies groaning wanting water or food. Not trapped under rubble, simply mortally wounded. How the world changes
    1
  10040. LOL I haven't watched this rubbish. The title and photo are enough to go on. The future of warfare is :- a) Economic b) Information /cyber c) Microbots /biological d) casualty averse e) consensus aware It is certainly not medieval. Future warfare will look nothing like even 20th C warfare.
    1
  10041. They should organise a memorial concert : so we can dance on his grave.
    1
  10042. US torture : it was a big pay-day for the liars. A liar could condemn a patsy, collect a reward, then condemn another, and turn it into a career. Most folk had something to hide - they prayed 5 times a day, which is unusual in Western eyes for a start.
    1
  10043.  @orangadil9100  Abstain = a nod & wink of support
    1
  10044.  @kohtime  Correct. Modi has made a jackass move. It reminds me of Enver Pasha (Ottomans) siding with Germany in WW1. India has picked the losing side.
    1
  10045. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    1
  10046. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  10047. "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated on the battlefield" The consensus opinion.
    1
  10048. @America First , no I'm a unique type of Trump supporter : one that doesn't fall for bull$hit from EITHER side. Hillary perverted the course of justice way more than Trump. I support a border fence and tariffs against . But Trump is also an enormous liar. The Russians clearly have a connection with him and if you think he meant to say "wouldn't" you are a self deluded, half-witted ,brain-washed puddle-merchant.
    1
  10049. @America First , fair enough : you're saying Trump lied when he said "I meant to say wouldn't" but that that's not treason. Well I probably agree. Although it's the tip of the iceberg : we've no idea what was said during the 2hr meeting with Putin. I strongly suspect Trump, Kushner and the whole rotten racquet.
    1
  10050. December Election :- Will Catalans vote for a pro-union quisling ? After Spain kicked ,beat and humiliated them ; then chased their government into exile ? Who'd vote for a pro-Spain back-stabbing, fifth-columnist , turncoat quisling ? They will vote for Bonny Prince Carles and his government in exile. The brave separatists forced to flee by the democracy crushing Spanish.
    1
  10051. Like Jeremy Corbyn the Archbishop s a Pacifist : he would like to see all wars end. Naively, he wants fewer weapons sending to Ukraine. He admires Orthodox Patriarch Kiril (the KGB agent who was exposed in 1990 as an informer who betrayed parishioners and fellow clergy). Kiril's Rolex watch doesn't fool Archbishop Welby - who can see the man of God behind the corrupt facade. In short, Welby is a jackass : a High Church Anglican half-wit. Even the Pope has done more - delivering an Easter sermon in support of Ukraine ministers who were in the front pew as guests of honour. Welby should go jump in the Thames.
    1
  10052. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
    1
  10053. What a nice Palestinian Mayor. The people of Palestine have been cursed with terrible corrupt leaders. Araft stole $3 billion : he was sending his wife in Paris $1 million a month in the 1970s. I hope this Mayor stands for election in the upcoming elections (2021), he would make a fine President.
    1
  10054. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  10055. Russia is a dystopia It has never had an articulate middle class ..... Leonardo (1500) Shakespeare (1600) Newton (1700) Robert Stephenson & Co (1829) Free to think, speak, and create a dynamic society Solzhenitsyn :"There has never been any law in Russia"
    1
  10056.  @unseenvideos9447  The US alone spends $775 billion on defence. What could India contribute to AUKUS ? The aircraft carrier "INS Vikrant" : China would use it for target practice and sink it within 24hrs. The US have 11 carriers and will NOT use any close to China : they are too vulnerable. That is why everyone is building nuclear subs. Everyone except India.
    1
  10057.  @jyotirmysharma8505  "Of India's two nuclear-powered submarines, one is on lease from Russia, is only for training Indian sailors and is not permitted to carry nuclear missiles or be deployed on operational roles" So Moscow has told Modi not to damage it. No wonder Modi has to mind his Ps and Qs
    1
  10058.  @dhanushgowda4061  The problems with India's "Nuclear" submarine :- INS Arihant has its limitations. First, its nuclear reactor has a short refuelling cycle and therefore a limited endurance capacity. Second, the INS Arihant is currently meant to be armed with 12 indigenously developed K-15 SLBMs (submarine launched ballistic missiles), which has a range of just 750 km. This missile range is ineffective against a much bigger and vaster country like China, which, in contrast, has SLBMs with a range of 8,000 km that can target any part of India from long distances.
    1
  10059.  @dhanushgowda4061  I agree. I wish India were hand-in-glove with the West, and part of AUKUS. It pains me to see India flirting with the Axis of Evil.
    1
  10060. In the evening two angels arrived in Sodom. Lot was sitting in the courtyard of Sodom's gate..........
    1
  10061.  @CHMichael  That is total nonsense. Another German said "Our constitution forbids weapons flights" It is amazing how quickly Germans dispense with the facts and logic. 1) Germany froze : it is no unusual, many nations freeze in panic 2) NATO had to reassure Germany had encourage them to do the right thing
    1
  10062.  @williamjackson5942  The RAF plane had to fly around German airspace going with weapons and returning empty. You are confused because the statement "Germany did NOT close its airspace" is also true. Germany didn't declare its airspace closed de jure, it simply closed it "de facto". Germany said, "You must give us 2 months notice" (or something similar)
    1
  10063.  @williamjackson5942  How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  10064.  @khanjeerox4580  The Shah was overthrown in 1979 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : they were hanged 6 at a time from forklift trucks. Read The executioners deserve medals.
    1
  10065. 'nuclear threshold' 13 Oct Macron on TV declared nuclear neutrality Jens Stoltenberg said, "France has shown its hand" He meant to say, "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  10066. Nonsense I can't believe how little these folks know. Deal 1 was scuppered by general Zaluzhnyi when he phoned mark Milley 14 Nov 15 Nov the 10 point peace plan provoked missile strikes Deal 1 = Russia leave Donbas and Crimea gets the Elon Musk option 2 Dec Macron Washington : Deal 2 a full Russia withdrawal. Scholz would not be Phoning Putin for 1 hour is a deal were not on the table. It has to be a better deal than Deal 1 So can only be the full withdrawal of Russia in exchange for "Full security guarantees for Russia" (Macron)
    1
  10067. Graham is praising Trump.......but gently twisting his ear to do the right thing.
    1
  10068. Rejoice ! Al Jazeera is taking hit after hit (They are pro-terrorism)
    1
  10069. ISIS - who would've thought it (We all suspected the FSB : like the 1999 Apartment bombings The FSB were caught planting the bombs. Which were defused by the army then declared to be bags of rice by the Kremlin)
    1
  10070.  @ayu1978  In the past week Pakistan's trade with Afghanistan rose 50%. Pakistan will be running Kabul airport (in spite of the Turks trying to get their feet under the table). That is why the CEO is there : he will probably be the director of Kabul airport (or an associate director).
    1
  10071. LOL 3:00 look at Jimmy's micro gestures. Look at the subtlety of the expressions. The drama teacher has said "I want you to convey the penny-dropping".
    1
  10072. 1978 when the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he would do with secular activists, trade unionists and feminists who had overthrown the Shah : he said, "I will kick their teeth in ". That is how Iran became an Islamofascist state.
    1
  10073. Marwan never calls for hostages to be released He never calls on Hamas to go into exile All these moves would end the war Marwan doesn't want the killing to stop - he wants Hamas victory !
    1
  10074. The Taliban support Russia. (The Axis of Evil stick together)
    1
  10075. France & Germany froze in February. They thought Russia would easily win. Then they froze because it might damage Europe. They are finally coming round to NATO's view - it must be won by Ukraine on the battlefield.
    1
  10076. More effective ? The AU already are effective : they have more corrupt $hithole countries than any other continent. Let's talk about incompetence, financial-mismanagement, nepotism and corruption the AU top the league. South Africa lead the world in political assassinations , they never mentioned that. @t
    1
  10077. This guy is an appeaser
    1
  10078.  @jamesjames1956  You are correct : high GDP doesn't mean social equality or justice. But geopolitically, the US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines with which to blockade China should they invade Taiwan. That is impressive economic clout in anyone's book.
    1
  10079.  @jamesjames1956  GDP built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines for the USA PPP couldn't build one aircraft carrier for Russia. Point ?
    1
  10080. Palestinians side with "The Axis of Evil" Saddam and his psychopathic sons were another favourite of the Palestinians
    1
  10081. Guterres : He looked at the crimes of Hamas - murder, mutilation, rape, torture and abduction, and the UN chief decided it wasn't that bad if you "contextualised " it Guterres is an effing disgrace
    1
  10082. Guterres is pro-Hamas Guterres wants Hamas to survive
    1
  10083. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    1
  10084. Public opinion is fickle : Eg, Islamists in Nigeria have just kidnapped schoolgirls to rape There will always be terrorist outrages and they will quickly take "Public opinion" away from Israel and against Islamism
    1
  10085. @Global Power Shift from West to East, don't be misled by debt. Demand is what counts not debt. Eg Greece want to borrow but there is no demand for Greek bonds (ie they have to pay 10% interest), the USA want to borrow and pay 2% : because there is demand for US bonds. Demand is what counts NOT debt.
    1
  10086. France are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.
    1
  10087. Painful images. Shame on India - buying cheap Russian oil, and profiting from the misery of others. One day India will get its comeuppance.
    1
  10088. Al Jazeera = Hamas
    1
  10089. The WOKE argument These people hide in safe-rooms, avoid debate by de-platforming and then stand with red hands in silence WOKE is anti-intellectual, the ideology of morons
    1
  10090. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  10091.  @AshGreen359  Wrong : Russia cannot do it once. If you bothered to study instead of inventing doomsday scenarios. Most of Russia's missiles are decommissioned - the warheads are stored separate to the rocket. Also, the rockets need fueling. What the US possess (alongside overwhelming firepower) is the ability to launch in 20mins. You are fooling yourself about Russian power. Just as folk were fooled about the strength of the Russian army.
    1
  10092. Russia is hated by all its neighbours. Well done Putin.
    1
  10093. One comment says ""even Israel have nuclear weapon so what's the problem with Iran " Israel is a totally different country, it has :- a) democracy b) accountability c) a transparent judiciary and the rule of law.
    1
  10094. Jeremy Corbyn would be trying to sabotage them. Noam Chomsky and Yanis Varafoulis would also sabotage NATO (if they could). With Western Civilization facing its biggest threat in the 21st Century, one wonders how they justify their support for Russian barbarism ?
    1
  10095. I like the intro - very laid back
    1
  10096. Scandalous.
    1
  10097.  @sinabagherisarvestani8924  Interesting. But the Ayatollah is a liar. Remember the passenger plane Iran shot down : then denied it for a week ?
    1
  10098. The US is in a military league of its own. Russia is a 3rd division power. India gains nothing from allying with Russia. Russian equipment is junk. India should make deals with Israel and the US. It needs fighters which can launch missiles from 160km (F-35). It needs precision bombs and drones. India spends 68% of its defence budget on wages : it has far too many soldiers. India's aircraft carrier will be sunk within 24hrs in any war with China. America has 11 carriers, and won't use any in a war with China. That is why the US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Warfare is changing, and India have picked a losing partnership (Russia).
    1
  10099. matthew, interesting. But ,historically, the same was said of the Washington Post over Watergate : why are they the only ones running the story.
    1
  10100. Who would believe a totalitarian despotic regime ? Who am I talking about..........pick one. Joke. CHina are the ones harvesting human organs, imprisoning 1 million in Xinjiang province and slaughtering 10,000 at Tienanmen Square.
    1
  10101. ​ @97henrik041  How marvellous that she should hail from Kyiv. What a lovely connection with the fight for liberty, freedom and independence.
    1
  10102. More lies ! "500 trucks daily" was the number normally delivered Most of that was consumer goods - food and essentials were 120 per day Al Jazeera always lies
    1
  10103. LOL, those missiles cost $100,000,000 : they are designed to deliver a nuclear warhead to New York in an unstoppably short time. They are a total waste of money in Ukraine. Putin must be desperate to throw away the family silver.
    1
  10104. This is a good 3D relief map to look at in conjunction with the regions displayed from 2- 5 mins https://external-preview.redd.it/jod87TzH6P2fkgdhUoDkRkNH6ieC4zWpujxWLPFMC-8.jpg?auto=webp&s=d9c94959624e43ee3beb6a8b7cb6d49bda533a0a
    1
  10105. Wow the 4 components (malignant narcissism) all apply brilliantly to Hillary :- a) Paranoia : constantly lying to the media and investigators. b) Sadism ,"We came we saw he died", hysterical laughter. c) sociopathy : even assaulting her own staff. d) narcissism : "It's her turn", "I'm with her" and $75million spent on the glass-ceiling video.
    1
  10106. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  10107. 411 comments and every one missing the point ! Allow me to add some depth to this analysis :- "The West" is shorthand for Western Civilization. So hopefully it is winning the soft-power battle for world hegemony. Unless you want the Chinese jackboot, the Russian corrupt mafia-state or some moronic theocratic medieval tyranny (that's a euphemism for the Religion we aren't allowed to mention).
    1
  10108. Just as well she isn't. The mentality of the USA : imagine getting a Beverley Hills celebrity to run for president. The Hollywood morons know £uck-all. They are cocooned in vainglory. Most rational people want to puke when they hear a Beverley-Hills celebrity pontificate on politics.
    1
  10109. Modi has election fever : he's acting like a jackass. India has been humiliated. I told India to do nothing , just continue to develop economically, socially, politically and in education. Leave violence to the Pak and Islamofascism. The US have been bombing the Taliban for decades and have got nowhere. India are making jackass moves.
    1
  10110. 20 shell companies set up by Biden That took in $30 million whilst he was VP That smells like corruption
    1
  10111. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  10112. "Killed Palestinian informers", you know who falls into that bracket ? Anyone that opposes Fatah. That's how Arafat ruled for 40yrs , killing anyone who criticises him. That's how corrupt Fatah stay in power. Democracy and human rights don't exist for West Bank Palestinians. At least Palestinians in Israel get to vote and the government is held accountable : look at Netanyahu having to account for the cigars he received. None of that in Palestine.......the corruption and murder go unchecked.
    1
  10113. I did get a reply to this but it's been removed. It said, "May Allah curse you in this life and the next". Allah never so much as buttered a parsnip. All the beheadings and brutality committed in his name is done by demented people. Allah is an invention ; like God or Yaweh. Since humans evolved anthropologists estimate there have been 10,000 religions invented.
    1
  10114. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy, indolent, ignorant, arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel. Oh and it takes 15 of them to kill an unarmed journalist and chop his body up to fit in diplomatic bags.
    1
  10115. When they rebuild Ukraine, every building will have a bomb shelter. Because Russia is coming back for round 2, for sure.
    1
  10116. 1/3 of Panzer 2000s out of action needing spare parts which are unavailable. The French Caesar is more reliable. And the French Excalibur 155 is magic.
    1
  10117. LOL : obviously the EU play right up to the whistle. They always have done. There will be a deal, but they will take it to the deadline.
    1
  10118. "I was under a lot of pressure at the time." He's under quite a lot of pressure now, and is scrupulously rational. Maybe he was rational before, but just making a lot of money with the 'Sandy Hook Fake' story.
    1
  10119. The Aussie is an embarrassment to Al Jazeera They want the Aussie to be subtle, not crackpot anti-Semitic
    1
  10120.  @nevertoolate6653  Chomsky and Finkelstein are crackpots They support Saddam and Putin for God's sake I've read Shlomo Sand "Invention of the Jewish people" and agree with him. The battle is between Western Democracy (Israel , Ukraine etc) and Asiatic autocracy (Palestine, Putin, China, and all the Caliphate country despots) I've often advised Palestinians to hold an election - and elect an intelligent young woman to capture international attention But NO : Arafat and Abbas, a pair of thugs have ruled like despots, and are heroes. Palestinians are responsible for their own 75 year failure
    1
  10121.  @zagorcuk1966  LOL it is common knowledge that the Caliphate massacred folk for centuries - it is part of Caliphate culture to massacre Bulgarian atrocities Armenian massacres (1895) Armenian genocide (1915) 1917 Arab uprising - women and children routinely massacred by Caliphate Turks Islamic Pakistan raped 250,000 women and girls in Bangladesh It is part of Islamic culture, that's how they fight
    1
  10122. WW3 ? Russia is on its knees fighting Ukraine NATO hasn't used any of its top ten weapons (F-35, Tomahawk cruise, ATACMS etc) Russia has no allies how is that a World War ? Putin is defeated Ukraine only has howitzers and Himars and Russia has been humiliated
    1
  10123. " Bonsoir mon capitaine "
    1
  10124. A precision demolition. When you think the RAF in WW2 considered anything within 0.5 miles to be a hit.
    1
  10125.  @christianevanherck6023  , well spotted. (I only watched 2mins)
    1
  10126. OMG this clown is a "West Point" graduate - the Russian elite.
    1
  10127. "Israel refuses to negotiate" Palestinians refused a UN 2-state solution in 1948 They refused again at Camp David in 2000 The Palestine always have delusional demands (Which they drop 20 years later when it's too late)
    1
  10128. 2:01 listen to the Al-Jazeera propaganda "Whether leaders are sincere in the desire for a diplomatic resolution" The implication being that they want conflict ? That statement only makes sense as a nod to Tehran that "we're doing are bit". (ie it is a sop to Iran to say we are on your side).
    1
  10129. LOL underestimates the EU in what way ? Trump has imposed sanctions on Iran, The EU looked at mechanisms to bypass the sanctions and maintain the deal : it couldn't find a mechanism. Iran's economy is a wreck and it still clutches at EU help which is non-existent. Now how does Trump underestimate the EU ?
    1
  10130. Starlight, gosh, you have arrived at the correct conclusion without studying centuries of history, well done.
    1
  10131. Great strategy : Iran are sure to win friends by developing nukes.
    1
  10132.  Masha Scream  , There's truth in what you say but it hardly justifies fanatical religious crackpots getting nuclear weapons. When those same crackpots are calling for the extermination of Israel. And when those same crackpots are eagerly anticipating Armageddon and the coming of the 12th Imam !
    1
  10133. "It is not the first time Russia has made nuclear threats", said the expert. LOL One Russian minister had his plane delayed in Poland and said, "Next time I'll come back on a nuclear armed bomber" The Kremlin is full of disgusting thugs : this is how they speak.
    1
  10134. 2:04 look at those faces (the corrupt military) it's enough to make anyone puke.
    1
  10135. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
    1
  10136. Well done UK, NATO, USA and EU, a marvellous display of unity, strength and resolve. (I dread to think what Jeremy Corbyn would have done.)
    1
  10137. Hamas are using hostages for propaganda videos Hamas uses psychological & physical torture Hamas branded two boys using a motorcycle exhaust I never saw Al Jazeera make a video on that !
    1
  10138. Hamas support = Youth culture + one or two odd-bods + transgender + LGBTQ It's not going to get you far
    1
  10139. The Saudi liar. Of course he ordered it. What's in it for the officials. The Saudi is indolent, ignorant, bigoted, bone-idle, cowardly and cruel.
    1
  10140. Good presentation by John King. Interesting analysis.
    1
  10141. I've always said the Saudi is "cowardly and cruel". Look how they all run back to Riyadh : even the US ambassador runs for cover. If you lined all the Saudis up you wouldn't find a pair of balls between them. The Saudi has never been recognised for their industry or courage.
    1
  10142. You have to go back to medieval times to find bankers risking their own capital. No banker, for the last 250yrs has risked their own money. The Bank of Amsterdam was created in 1609 and the Bank of England followed the same model in 1694 After which banks were huge and the capital belonged to investors.
    1
  10143. 0:45 LOL what is it about Muslim military they all look the same : whether it's Egypt, UAE, Saudi or Algeria : you have fat-bellies, soft-hands, wet-lips and corrupt-pockets. There isn't a soldier amongst them. LOL
    1
  10144.  @lisaayers1975  God bless the USA
    1
  10145. LOL when China fight corruption it's always the political enemies that cop for it. Cronies then move into their shoes and take over the graft. China is built on corruption. Corruption and human organ harvesting.
    1
  10146. You will never topple Hezbollah : they are pathological murderers. Innocent lives mean nothing to Hezbollah fanatics : they are doing the work of Allah. Good luck confronting those Iranian backed thugs........they will kill you as soon as speak to you. All the Lebanese assassinations are the work of Hezbollah. Why did the Ayatollah ask Obama for $18 billion in cash ? To pay terrorists. Hezbollah are cash rich (thanks to Obama).
    1
  10147. Russia and India, what is the relationship ? Remember when Modi visited Putin : an antique Russian sword was taken from a cabinet and handed to Modi to inspect. Modi started removing the sword from the scabbard, so Putin snatched it off him and placed it back in the cabinet. Modi probably said, "Thank you Sahib" That is India's position, whether it's Moscow Washington or London, they are always kowtowing to someone.
    1
  10148. Well said. India needs to decide what is morally right, then act. Don't keep looking to see what other countries will think.
    1
  10149. !:50 " Can corrupt generals rely on the loyalty of the ordinary soldier ". I've said this all along : the military are holding an ace while ever the troops stay in the barracks. When the troops are out on the streets in the chaos of an insurgency they may decide to shoot their officers.
    1
  10150. Congress are idiots. What do you think N Korea would do while this is being passed. They would launch everything. You idiots ! The whole idea of premptive strike is that it comes out of the blue.
    1
  10151.  @sohazekri  Egypt banned Palestinian immigration in 1952 Egypt does NOT want Palestinians in Egypt Egypt doesnNOT want the Muslim Brotherhood (Hamas)
    1
  10152.  @Bluebaggins  Yes, that's right - that's why Egypt banned Palestinian immigration in 1952 ! Egypt does NOT want Palestinians. It's that simple !
    1
  10153.  @basj6352  Ask yourself :- a) why hasn't Russia wiped out Ukraine's power-grid ? Because a humanitarian disaster (hospitals with no power) would bring NATO in for sure. b) Why was the Victory Day speech so anaemic, and why does Putin shrug at Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Because Putin fears escalation. c) Sanctions : they don't need majority support, they only need to be backed by the US and EU. "Chinese shipments of laptops, phones and other technology to Russia plummeted in March" Nations will look to protect themselves. Russia is alone, and losing fast.
    1
  10154.  @Ютубводоканал  Russia's GDP is less than Brazil. In the BRIC countries Russia is second to last : it only just beats South Africa. The BRIC forum is a dead loss - India were embarrassed to be there. India and South Africa have been invited to attend the G7 : they will enjoy being amongst civilized people.
    1
  10155.  @Ютубводоканал  " What G7 countries can give India ?" In a word Sea-power. Sea-power determines who controls world trade, and that is the West. Russia is a blockaded continental power. One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet".
    1
  10156.  @Ютубводоканал  Russia is doomed. If one removes oil & gas, the Russian GDP is equal to an African country. Russia simply cannot continue. It has been removed from the world of technology, from International commerce, from international travel. It can only atrophy, and the sooner the better.
    1
  10157.  @Ютубводоканал  Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  10158. Mrs Romney didn't mind. She is Trumps peer there is no power relationship here. She just laughed it off.
    1
  10159. Chase, I'm enjoying your rhetorical triumphs :master fushi & miro mato were KO'd. However could I remind you about DNC etiquette : whilst acknowledging Bill is a rapist it is considered politic not to mention it. And when Bill appears at an event give him a great cheer. Like Gore Vidal said , we do live in the Untied States of Amnesia.
    1
  10160. World Cup , Olympics : money well spent ?
    1
  10161. Thank Allah that Kashmir is not like Bangladesh :- " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. She states she was tortured and was five months pregnant when she returned to her home. "
    1
  10162. Why ? Because the EU windbags would virtually roll over for any tyrant that challenges them. Macron : "The EU shouldn't gang up on China with the US" Germany : send a warship to China, avoiding all contentious sea-lanes, it asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai and was told "Get lost". The EU windbags : no wonder Australia chose AUKUS
    1
  10163.  @AFGuidesHD  13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region That is appeasement It is disgusting cowardice ! Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" LOL more like France has struck its colours
    1
  10164. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  10165. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    1
  10166. I'm a Trump supporter & I certainly don't hit the 'dislike' button when you mention the 'Dossier' : it's one of your best routines, I enjoy it. In fact since Trump had gotten into that unfortunate exchange with the Mayor in Puerto Rico I'm starting to think he might be a bit of an @sshole.
    1
  10167. Look at Putin's legs : he always does an under-the-table jig when he gets nervous. He's got St Vitus dance.
    1
  10168. You can take the boy out of the ghetto But you can't take the ghetto out of the boy
    1
  10169. Facts :- a) Everyone thought Hezbollah had 100k rockets to flatten Israel - wrong b) everyone though Iran could harm Israel - wrong c) NOW everyone thinks the "Arab street" will revolt at Trump's plan - wrong again
    1
  10170. Obviously they are working. Putin's first demands were :- a) recognition of Crimea b) end 2014 sanctions This war was supposed to end sanctions (2014) because they were so onerous. Trump hotel meeting with Russia : ostensibly about adoption of orphans - "Within minutes they raised the subject of the 2014 sanctions"
    1
  10171. Even if you've never heard of him you can be sure he was corrupt. Just Google it : he has a rap-sheet as long as your arm.
    1
  10172.  @vvtv2318  Reparations how ? Europe has frozen $300 billion of Russian assets. Russia should be asking how they will get them back. Also, the US Congress is proposing a bill to use Oligarchs frozen assets as reparations for Ukraine.
    1
  10173. Good God, let the guy answer ! For crying out loud.
    1
  10174.  @user-pi4su6je8p  "Negotiations have stalled, with the dual Shia movements of Hezbollah and Amal insisting that the Finance Minister post be given to a person from their community." What is B.S. about that ?
    1
  10175.  @When.games.matter1h9  , Well in that case we should let Hezbollah destroy Lebanon's economy. Good suggestion Einstein.
    1
  10176.  @truth5319  Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  10177. LOL Donna Brazil : she only tells the truth when she has a book to sell. (Cf all the crooked dealings with Hillary she covered up : until she'd written a book about it).
    1
  10178. One guest "Doesn't want to venture an opinion". Well why is he on ? Just to make up a panel. Baldy and the woman are worth listening to.
    1
  10179. "Palestinians deprived of everything" Yes, they have been deprived of democracy by Hamas and Fatah who both rule with a despotic rod of intolerance Yes, they have been deprived of a voice - nobody can speak out against Hamas or Fatah Poor Palestinians, when will they be free to choose ?
    1
  10180. LOL this the the dope's channel.
    1
  10181.  @John_Doe448  I'm suggesting that opinion can change quickly. Germany refuse to arm Ukraine, they refuse to sanction Nord Stream 2 if Russia invades, and they refuse to remove Russia from the "swift banking system" if it invades. All that can change quickly, when Russia start bombing.....The Guernica Factor.
    1
  10182. China : it will NEVER invade. The response by the US will be blockade - which would cripple China and collapse the CCP. Of course the EU windbags will respond with words (never action). That is why the yanks built 19 Virginia class nuclear subs.
    1
  10183. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    1
  10184. This is a reason for optimism (historically) : "The Industrial Revolution why Britain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PsZmnVqqQ&t=1s
    1
  10185. The Ayatollah's brutal regime was born in a blood-bath of innocent Iranians : Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year. Read "The executioners deserve medals". They invented an industrial method of killing prisoners : hanging them six at a time off fork-lift truck pallets. Nice. That is how religious people behave if you give them unlimited power.
    1
  10186. The Chechen thug has sent his teenage sons, who have returned with 3 captives. These are being paraded and laughed at in a medieval manner. God knows what else they will do to them. The west needs to step up support. And macron needs to grow a pair - stop declaring neutrality don't say "We must not humiliate Russia" : that is playing Putin's game. Putin relies on pusillanimous Macron's cowardice.
    1
  10187. Hamas have delivered for the Gazan people (Delivered a nightmare)
    1
  10188.  @arianshaholli7770  , funny you should mention "Evil people" :- Read the testimony of prisoners under the Shah ; they describe boredom and tedium. Now read prisoners testimony under the Ayatollah ; they describe terror, torture and death. The Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year. When he landed in Tehran 1979 he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied , "I'll kick their teeth in ".
    1
  10189.  @shadeym9520  , I just watched Iranian being interviewed in a market and I quote : "We need food for our children not nuclear programs". It sounds as though the Ayatollah and his crackpot IRGC are pursuing nukes without popular support. No wonder they fear democracy.
    1
  10190.  @arianshaholli7770  , where is the trickery in historical fact ? Are you saying Ayatollah Khomeini didn't execute 7000 in his first year ? Are you saying he didn't reply "I'll kick their teeth in " when asked what he'd do with democrats ? Where do you think the Socialists and Trade-Unionists and secular Democrats and Feminists went ? Why do you think there's no established opposition in Iran ? Because Khomeini tortured and killed them. Read the journals of prisoners under the Shah and they describe boredom and tedium. Now read accounts from the Ayatollah's prisons , they describe terror torture and death. Arian, you are the one with a mind filled with fanatical religious propaganda.
    1
  10191. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  10192. The West MUST play to its strengths : blockade China is doomed by blockade by AUKUS If the West is unable to do that because it would shoot itself in the foot Then we've thrown away our trump card
    1
  10193. The Ayatollah's fascist Guards (IRGC) shot down an Iranian passenger plane, the people should be protesting about that. Plus, all the lies the Ayatollah told the Iranian people, they should protest against that too.
    1
  10194. Al-Tayhib was a massive strike by the US. It sent a message to Iran, Syria,Russia, Hezbollah etc That east of the Euphrates is out of bounds. 218 sounds about right for Russian fatalities with a further 2-300 injured. That is the figure most people are using.
    1
  10195. Ukraine may not win, but Russia will take 1000 casualties a month. Then Putin must face the bereaved mothers campaigning outside the Kremlin.
    1
  10196.  @EmperorFist323  You describe Russia very well. Putin also assassinates opposition politicians. This is how Putin came to power.... APARTMENT BOMBINGS Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  10197. @Alan Torres They are veterans of the US forces, and they are representing the United States admirably.
    1
  10198. @Alan Torres Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  10199. @Alan Torres Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  10200. LOL The West doesn't need to do anything China will destroy its own rise. Exponential debt has to implode at some stage.(financial gravity) Don't believe China are too powerful to fail : in 1920 the US had 75% of global trade but when the market collapsed (Wall St) it didn't emerge from recession until after WW2.
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  10201. Now you can start using the word 'collusion'. Previously you've been throwing it at anything to do with Russia. Collusion is where a) both parties are active b) the activity is hidden or disguised.
    1
  10202. Hamas has certainly doomed Gaza If Hamas releases the hostages then the war ends Shame on Hamas
    1
  10203. Why does France promote capitulation ? Why did Macron declare French neutrality on TV ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  10204. The British said they were 99% sure it was Iran that attacked the tankers. Any other position is just irrationality (conspiracy morons) or cowardice (UAE).
    1
  10205.  @parrmik  , "to what end ?" Wise Iran knows it is sinking fast (inflation 50% and GDP -6% ), its only hope is a short messy conflict which causes a global oil crisis and ends with sanctions being lifted. In its desperation it has repeatedly said,"We will close the Straits". Tell me what is Iran supposed to do ? Iran is up to its chin in quicksand - and you ask 'to what end' - to try and save itself from economic oblivion !
    1
  10206.  @parrmik  , you are saying the lunatic attacks can't be Iran and yet Iran said they would close the Straits , they said they'd attack tankers or lay mines. You are saying they wouldn't do it because they'd become a failed state : they already are ( in embryo ): sanctions have lopped 40% off their income.
    1
  10207.  @parrmik  , Mossad couldn't assassinate a Palestinian in a hotel without having their agents caught on CCTV ,the US are worse and the Saudis a joke. Of course it was Iran : the IRGC are chomping at the bit. Very wisely Iran are maintaining deniability (like Russia in Crimea/Ukraine). Iran don't want full blown war with the US but promises of "Doing our utmost" won't save Iran's economy and stoking up tension focuses attention. Iran need this sorting quickly : 50% inflation could end the theocracy. They are desperate, hence the desperate tanker attacks.
    1
  10208. Holy Moses.
    1
  10209. Barbaric Russian Orcs are endangering Europe simply by being present at nuclear plants
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  10210. Tariq Ali said, "Pakistan needed 60yrs to establish democracy". Of course, he was wrong, he should've said two centuries. The same applies in Africa : colonialism should've ended with a transitional period, until democratic institutions were established. The sudden transfer of power and national wealth has resulted in a century of chaos. (well it will be a century after 30 more years of corruption incompetence and violence).
    1
  10211. Khomeini used twisted Islam to seize state power : Velayat-e faqih gives clerics guardianship over vulnerable folk (widows, disabled, orphans) Khomeini used it to justify theocratic fascism. Khomeini executed 7000 citizens in his first year, read "The executioners deserve medals"
    1
  10212. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  10213. Very brave. The Taliban are more likely to open football stadiums on a weekend. They hold torture sessions there for the public : Stone women to death, and stage public executions for entertainment. The Taliban are medieval dogs.
    1
  10214. The Paris deal was acceptable to Israel It is Hamas that is adding delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a non-starter" It is NOT Israel, you should be asking the question of Hamas
    1
  10215. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
    1
  10216. How must Russians feel, when they see the dignified, dear old Queen of England, then listen to the foul-mouthed rantings of their KGB thug President ? They must feel so ashamed.
    1
  10217. Al Jazeera employs Hamas fighters :- IDF revealed a trove of images and documents it said prove that another Al Jazeera reporter, Mohamed Washah, was a commander in Hamas's military wing
    1
  10218. 0:29 Is that a dumb Orc standing in the road watching the fire ? I wish he'd been in the building. The Grim Reaper will be following that schmuck back to his midden.
    1
  10219. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  10220.  @scratchy996  Wrong. You are trying to rewrite history, you are attempting to exculpate Germany. German airspace was closed de facto if not de jure. Germany though Russia might quickly win and didn't want to offend the Kremlin : that's why Germany froze. It was sickening and despicable.
    1
  10221.  @scratchy996  Do you doubt that RAF planes flew around Germany ? Do you doubt that FACT ? Of course NATO unity demands both nations show solidarity, and issue a joint statement - worded to exculpate Germany. But historians (like us) we know the truth - Germany froze.
    1
  10222. The Pope described Russia's invasion as infantile. There is a childishness in the kremlin which hopes for a split in the West. It reminds one of the Nazis celebrating Roosevelt's death (April 1945), and thinking it would deliver the Nazis from destruction. Neither the Nazis nor the Russians could conceive of the total loathing directed at them.
    1
  10223. Also, Erdogan is a corrupt dictator who has imprisoned more journalists than any other current dictatorship. A proud achievement to be number one for silencing dissent and imprisoning the opposition. Erdogan is worse than Putin.
    1
  10224. Osman, the sources are all over. I don't think anyone doubts the truth of Turkey jailing huge numbers of journalists. Of course the excuse is "They are terrorists". The new-style dictators (Erdogan,Putin,Mugabe etc) they fix elections, imprison and intimidate and are ALWAYS corrupt. I don't think any of this is contested by rational people. You may support ERdogan's nationalist policies but you can't be so deluded to think he hasn't imprisoned opposition politicians and journalists.
    1
  10225. Long Range, I condemn your profanity but you are right that 'Dutch' is shockingly ill-informed. Mustafa Ataturk did depose the last Caliph and start a secular nation. But Erdogan wants to pardon child rapists if they marry the school-girl they raped. That isn't very secular. That bears all the hallmarks of Islam.
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  10226.  @managementreply5151  Von der Leyen was born in 1958 in Ixelles, Brussels
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  10227. General Ben Hodges (retired NATO commander) "hemingway's character says he went bankrupt in two ways slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation could collapse." The West should be prepared. Medvedev :"They are trying to disintegrate Russia for a 2nd time" Russia and America are in agreement.
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  10228. Persia has been there for 5000 years. The Ayatollah's fanatical fascist theocracy is actually very young. And uniquely hated.
    1
  10229. Wheat for labour sounds like a medieval winner.....well done.
    1
  10230. Impeachment is a "nothing burger". Most people smell a rat when Hillary gets $600,000 for a speech and when Biden's hapless son gets $50k a month for advising a corrupt oligarch.
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  10231. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  10232. Remember the Tehran student protests in 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah : the Ayatollah's henchmen.
    1
  10233. The Afghanistan Taliban are 100% backed by Pakistan. Despotism, terrorism, anti-humanitarianism, violence, corruption, incompetence, ignorance and Islamofascism : all supported by Pakistan.
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  10234. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
    1
  10235. The Kremlin elite hoard their wealth and let schools crowd-fund the military Russia needed 1.5 million men to take Ukraine and used 150,000 A cheap invasion followed by a cheap bluff Britain and the US finalised nuclear drills and signed-off on a joint nuclear response : "Beyond belief"
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  10236. a) the corruption is not $3 billion, that's the cost of the whole rail project b) what do you expect : it's Africa. c) the African Union would approve and are only sorry they weren't in the pot. d) it is funded by China : 'nuff said. China is the very definition of 'No transparency & rampant corruption'.
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  10237. Cheeky !
    1
  10238. EU doesn't need to do anything Simply let Ukraine strike Russia's energy grid - Russia will collapse Russia joked about making Ukrainians freeze But the west stopped Ukraine retaliating (so as not to provoke Putin)
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  10239. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
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  10240. "Always been lived in" Oh that is an accurate legal term. Of course he means "Lived in since 1947" when the Jordanians handed the homes to refugees. Why not be accurate ? He does himself no favours.
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  10241. Putin's nuclear threat : " Not in Ukraine" The threat is a bluff - to weaken western support and force negotiations The west = muscle nations + wobbly nations There is far too much muscle for Putin's threat to be effective. (France has declared neutrality, Germany - blocked arms to Ukraine in February - and now daren't call for peace )
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  10242. The East India Co. was ended in 1874. They boasted that they had handed the British government, "The finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen". The East India Co. went to extraordinary lengths to stamp out corruption- not for moral reasons, but because it leads to incompetence, inefficiency, it spreads like cancer, and it affects profits.
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  10243. 18 Nov 2022 — Australia has entered 'nuclear confrontation' with China, says Emmanuel Macron Macron is vindictive (post AUKUS) France is the worst ally the west could have
    1
  10244. Afghanistan : imagine painting your garden shed for 20yrs, and every time the paint just flakes off. After 20yrs wouldn't one simply give up ? Okay, don't mistake Afghanistan for Russia in Ukraine, and China in Taiwan.
    1
  10245. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate" them.
    1
  10246.  @I_am_Phil_Lee  Russia is a backwards country, it is an Asiatic Autocracy trying to pass itself off as Enlightened European. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  10247. "If Trump isn't re-elected ?" what does that mean A 3rd term ?
    1
  10248. (Hamas may find themselves guilty of terrorism or war-crimes.) Or both.
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  10249.  @suigeneris3909  In the 1930s an internal KGB memo stated : "We are the new aristocracy" A very astute observation. All the crimes of the Tsarist aristocracy were now being committed by the KGB. Beria was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Putin has fulfilled the observation - a KGB officer is now Tsar.
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  10250. 1:45 "The Shah of Iran was a brutal dictator". When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran (1978) he was asked what he'd do with democrats (oh yes the Shah had a parliament) the Ayatollah said, "I'll kick their teeth in". The Ayatollah killed 7000 Iranians in the first year more than the Shah had killed in his whole life.
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  10251. Lula supports Moscow & Hamas Brazil supports Russian aggression and Hamas massacre Shame on Brazil
    1
  10252.  Haran Sivasambu  , China have a vision for the future : it is to spread totalitarian corruption through the middle east and Africa. Those despots would love the 24hr surveillance society China can provide them. The West is in real danger from the Axis of Evil countries. Without the US Western Democracy looks very weak.
    1
  10253. Putin waits until the war is lost, then asks China for drones. Why doesn't India ask China for drones, instead of relying on Russian junk ? Putin is a jackass, and he has a clown for a friend in Modi. Russia has made a drone, it was dismantled and found to contain 100% European parts. Russia can't even cobble together a drone, and yet India is totally reliant upon Russian technology. Wake up India, you have made a monumental mistake.
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  10254. "Feat of diplomacy" Prisoner swap was to be Biden's speech at the DNC Now, Biden needs a "Feat of diplomacy" with Iran Get on the phone - tell the Ayatollah you are offering "A feat of diplomacy"
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  10255. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" ie France surrendered Good luck with France as an ally (Europe will always need the Yanks)
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  10256. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
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  10257. Hungary needs to be sanctioned and fined by the EU until the Magyars squeal.
    1
  10258. China has stopped harvesting human organs from Falun Gong prisoners. The UN and WHO said China is still harvesting human organs. Investigative journalists phoned hospitals to arrange a transplant, guess what ? No waiting list. The hospital just gets organs whenever they are needed, from the local prison.
    1
  10259. How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  10260. Jay, you sound like a modern liberal half-wit.
    1
  10261. Britain was more solidly behind Uraine (February) than the Yanks Biden "I don''t want WW3" and "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Mark Milley and Lloyd Austin had to teach Biden to be tough Britain would sooner face Armageddon than wave a white flag to Russia Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Timing is obvious Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
    1
  10262. Liberals believe democracy is the "default" state of humanity. Folk will naturally arrive at democracy if left alone. Wrong. Freedom and democracy are like a house of cards - easily collapsed. Authoritarianism and despotism are the default position.
    1
  10263. Modern China is desperate to be a 'Western' civilization : Karl Mark 1848 originated communism which China slavishly followed until they saw the advantages of Western capitalism. The dress ,music, media etc of China are all copied from the West. There is hardly anything original in China ; but all credit to them for catching up.
    1
  10264. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    1
  10265. DW are incredibly confused about strategy. Snake Island is symbolic, nothing more.
    1
  10266. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
    1
  10267.  @whitehorses1473  Correct. But Putin has dealt himself a bad hand, and is playing it the only way he knows how.
    1
  10268. Hope the Middle East despots are watching ! This is democracy in action. Parliamentary democracy was invented in Britain. Could you imagine Qatar ,UAE , Saudi Arabia ,Kuwait , Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Iraq , Iran, Yemen, Sudan and the endless list of crackpot dictators engaging in anything so uplifting as transparent government ?
    1
  10269. Gen. Keane, "The US is supplying Ukraine with exquisite intelligence : there isn't a Russian unit moves that we don't know about". Must be useful, when conducting a counter-offensive. Zelensky said, "We have air superiority" (HARM missiles taking out radar) It adds up to victory
    1
  10270. Who can you trust when 2 liars give evidence ? I'm reminded of Loretta Lynch (attorney general) and Bill Clinton meeting on a plane, dismissing all staff and security and then talking in secret about "golf and grand-children". Who can you believe ?
    1
  10271. Well done Taliban. It's nice to see the savages still going strong in the 21st Century.
    1
  10272.  @jcmc9378  , perhaps you should consider your own privileged position : sitting comfortably in the West, enjoying freedom and prosperity - but then condemning others (Afghans) to theocratic fascism. And why ? Because you have a juvenile hatred of the US, you have listened to too much Jeremy Corbyn and think you are progressive. Progress for women in Afghanistan would look a lot like freedom. Think about that before you condemn others to Islamic servitude while you enjoy Western freedom.
    1
  10273. I suppose it is another $hit-hole country. Corruption is the norm, it is what is expected.
    1
  10274. Fox News viewers find it funny that a dictator humiliates the press. They don't know he is a dictator because they are ill-informed dolts. They find it funny because they are half-wits.
    1
  10275. The EU hate Erdogan. The USA hate Erdogan. Erdogan has 240+ journalists in prison. Human Rights organisations hate him. If you support him you should be ashamed.
    1
  10276. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries.
    1
  10277. Has he explained why he allowed COVID to spread around the world ? The WHO knew there was an outbreak in China, but let it spread Have they finished investigating how that happened ?
    1
  10278. The Ukraine invasion by Russian butchers has created a new world. India has sided with the Axis of Evil : they have chosen the losing side. AUKUS doesn't need India. The QUAD is a pressure group - it is not an alliance. The US spends $755 billion on defence. Bismarck said, "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English", that is the basis for AUKUS. India must employ a moral compass, use its head, look to the future, and get on the winning side.
    1
  10279. Why does France have their finger in the pie ? I think it goes back to 1876 when Europe forced a constitution on the Sultan. But it could date back to the Tanzimat reforms of 1840. Why France ? I think that is easy to answer : - It is because they are not Russia.
    1
  10280. Europe was united in their determination to keep Russia out of the Mediterranean. Russia demanded from the Sultan that it be given paternal suzerainty over Christian sites. Europe nipped that in the bud.
    1
  10281. The true situation in Catalonia is hidden behind a curtain and every time Rajoy tries to impose his authority he slowly draws back the curtain to see how bad things are. If Rajoy orders fresh elections it will be ignored. If Rajoy tries to take control of Mossos it will be ignored. Rajoy cannot physically act with force and is balancing on a tightrope. The world is laughing at him and his lynch-mob supporters are cheering him on to do a somersault. Solution An all-party committee is formed from the Spanish Assembly to negotiate with an all-party committee from Catalonia. They agree the 2006 Statute of Autonomy and constitutional reform. And hey-presto the problem is solved.
    1
  10282. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    1
  10283. The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
    1
  10284.  @andrealorinser3504  LOL, the Yanks can't produce historical comments like me.... Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  10285. "Well China owns Africa now, better start learning Mandarin." Better start getting used to Totalitarian rule ..... Oh, I forgot this is Africa, they already have that.
    1
  10286. The Gaza police ? Notice how nobody ever mentions them They don't exist - it's simply Hamas thugs So when you see aid truck being ransacked, the reason there're no police is that they don't exist
    1
  10287. Shia militia = Hezbollah Hezbollah are running the Finance Ministry in Lebanon and refuse to move. Iran is the ruination of the Middle East, and the power behind Hezbollah.
    1
  10288. Russians are Romantic : in the philosophical sense of being anti-rational. It began in the 1825 when Tsar Nicholas I sent students to Germany (Paris he thought too radical). German Metaphysics were transported to Russia - the half-baked ideas of Fichte, Hegel and Schelling. The Intelligentsia were a tiny group, surrounded by benighted ignorance and an oppressive aristocracy. Hegelian nonsense taught them that the world had a flow (Essence) and to perceive it one had to be part of it. Russian thinkers believed in a great leap forward : it came in 1917. Anti-rationalism was rampant in the USSR (cf Lysenkoism). Gangsterism replaced Communism, but the spirit of Romanticism continued. The unfathomable nonsense of Putin is its latest manifestation.
    1
  10289. No smooth transition is not possible. Those detestable corrupt generals will never relinquish power.
    1
  10290. Russian milblogger 100m from a damaged Leopard & Bradleys But he daren't approach to salvage equipment He knows it is under 24/7 surveillance and he'll get an anti-personnel shell.
    1
  10291.  @radoslavtomov9121  China is enlarging its military at an unprecedented rate. That is why South East Asia is gearing up for a conflict. It is very hard to see how China could win. The immediate response of the Est will be a devastating blockade, and it's game over. China has no response to blockade. China's ace card is its missile arsenal (2000 anti-ship missiles). But the Allies will use submarines to blockade China. China could attempt an invasion of Taiwan. The response would be to devastate China's infrastructure (power stations, rail networks, telecommunications). Any way one looks at it, China is in for a hiding.
    1
  10292. In Britain there are many Liberals (Jeremy Corbyn and the Archbishop of Canterbury) that want to stop military support for Ukraine. One smells the odour of appeasement on them. They should think on Britain's proud history. In 1864 half a million turned out to greet Garibaldi when he visited London. In 1824 Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence against the Ottomans. The appeasers cowardly considerations would undermine all that, and give strength and support to the Kremlin. Putin relies upon vacillating liberals to swallow his threats and sow discord and fatalistic dejection. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's threats on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" Spoken like a man : by a member of the Intelligence Committee. We must all show resolve. And recall the spirit of 1895 :- when Abdul Hamid II ordered the slaughter of Armenians and British marines went ashore to stop the massacre. They didn't turn round and say, "But there are thousands of Ottomans and only a few of us", they had the courage and conviction of doing the right thing.
    1
  10293. "We knew.....we knew we had to win" A Russian partisan in WW2 "We have to win" A Ukrainian, fighting the Russian fascist invaders.
    1
  10294. Russia is hated by all its neighbours. Well done Putin.
    1
  10295. Great report by Shirvan. In the spirit of geopolitics may I take issue at 7.50 (Saudi the attritional-war ally LOL) The only attrition the Saudi will accept is a fall in oil prices. Saudi infantry ? War of attrition ? The Saudi cannot beat Houthis who are armed with museum rifles. Saudi cannot even provide cash : that's why they are floating Aramco and issuing sovereign bonds . (They could provide no more cash than the U.S.) Everyone knows Saudi are a paper tiger and would be a liability on the battlefield. Remember WW1 when the Germans said of the Austrian Habsburgs "We are tethered to a corpse". That would be Saudi.
    1
  10296.  @RohitKumar-vf7zy  Vietnam correct a defeat. The US were in Afghanistan for 20yrs and spent $3 trillion. Name one other nation that could show that determination ? Finally they gave it up as a bad job.
    1
  10297.  @lawrencekling8598  The first war with Chechnya Russia lost. Putin mounted a final war. He instructed the FSB to bomb the Russian people and blamed it on Chechnya. The FSB has a history of bombings in Moscow..... Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  10298. LOL Russia and Iran = two Axis of Evil countries.
    1
  10299. The truth is no civilized country would want Hamas or Hezbollah as a neighbour. I'm pro-Palestine, but Hamas & Hezbollah are teacher-decapitating barbarians.
    1
  10300. The Germans know how the Kremlin mind works : bullying, boorish and unbearable, it is just how the Germans were last century. Portugal asked Britain for a loan, and when the Kaiser found out he demanded compensation. Lord Salisbury told the Germans it had nothing to do with them. So the Kaiser instructed his ambassador in Lisbon to threaten the Portuguese, who withdrew the loan request. The Germans know Kremlin play book : bullying, boorish and unbearable (they see themselves)
    1
  10301. 5 reasons Putin will not go nuclear or use a dirty bomb : a) Lose Security Council seat b) Lose support from China & India c) NATO retaliation d) it will not prevent defeat e) Russia's elite have not sacrificed any personal wealth their aim is to stay wealthy and stay in power
    1
  10302. Watch this video of Mossos chief returning from Court in Madrid :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Nx9g7fBo8 Does that look like a Police force that will cede power to the Civil Guard that brutalised voters on Oct 1st ? The BBC have no idea because they do no research. Rajoy will not even attempt to take control of Mossos , he will be walking on eggshells. Rajoy actually wants to talk but his lynch-mob supporters demand he plays the authoritarian hard-man.
    1
  10303.  Davvy Jannes  , now you've gone into speculation : I despise Trump. When he said he'd withdraw from Syria I immediately said, "It'll never happen". The question is the Ayatollah's vicious dictatorship : which side are you on ? I'm against theocracy.
    1
  10304.  @teharadvc5807  , hold on, I thought I was the one using rational analysis. Khomeini did say, "I'll kick their teeth in", about democrats, he did imprison and execute trade-unionists, socialists, secularists, feminists. I haven't heard any rational arguments to support the Ayatollah's vicious dictatorship and your puerile comments reflect your own thinking, which is anything but rational.
    1
  10305.  @howhigh0521  ,I'm not sure who you're asking but I'll reply anyway : you supporters of the Ayatollah are on the fringe of reality. What counts are what Statesmen (and women) think and Western Europe is 99% convinced this is Iran. Now it could be the Revolutionary Guard acting independently , which they do do , or it could be the Iranian state ; either way you irrational fools are barking up the wrong tree.
    1
  10306.  @russelklassen9174  , so are you suggesting this video is a plot ? You think that all Western intelligence agencies are analysing it and being fooled or are they in on it ? Is the whole Western world in on this plot that you've discovered ? Perhaps the video is genuine and perhaps the Revolutionary Guard (who are fanatics) are acting independently (as they often do) or maybe Iran is so desperate it is prepared to try anything. After all Iran DID threaten to close the Straits of Hormuz.
    1
  10307. @Timothy 2:2:3 , I don't support the Shah, I supported Mohammed Mossadegh the democrat. And while we're giving history lessons : it wasn't the Ayatollah who overthrew the Shah (he was in Paris). It was ordinary folk : trade-unionists and democrats, socialists and feminists......all the people the Ayatollah imprisoned,tortured and executed. Read testimonies from prisoners under the Shah : they talk about tedium and boredom. Now read about the Ayatollah's prisons : they describe terror torture and death. You don't even realise who you are supporting.
    1
  10308.  @guuglebuugle9079  , to save anyone looking that up , Hasbara is an Israeli disinformation organisation (or a putative one, I can't establish whether it's real or a crackpot notion). However, Iran have just announced their intention to build a nuclear bomb (to redouble enrichment activity), so all the crackpots on here saying Iran would never damage a tanker (even though they warned they'd close the Hormuz Straits) can digest the news that Iran are going full steam ahead to build a nuclear weapon.
    1
  10309. US proposal called for a condemnation of Hamas "rapes" Muslim countries would never agree to that
    1
  10310. 2:40 "They stood aside as Serb forces separated the men ". The Dutch have to bear that shame - indelible shame. It must be awful to be Dutch : branded with cowardice.
    1
  10311. Oez, LOL I agree : the USA'ians are generally ill-informed, half-witted, historically illiterate, TV-watching , stagnant-brained retards. I'm glad I'm from the UK. As for Turkey , here is a nice contrast :- Ataturk made it a legal requirement for all girls to be educated. Erdogan wants men who rape girls to be released from prison if they marry the victim.
    1
  10312. Oez, I haven't watched this video once : I just dived straight into the comments and left. "Erdoğan is not a dictator and even he wants, he cannot." Maybe you have missed the latest news but Erdogan has changed the constitution : he can now dismiss judges (no independent judiciary). Erdogan has already imprisoned 280 journalists (no independent media). Erdogan's son is a millionaire from government kick-backs and corruption. There is no government accountability, no oversight committees, all power in one man who makes no secret of his Islamofascist ideology.
    1
  10313. Well done Trump A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  10314. Geez that president was one monumental corrupt jackass.
    1
  10315. Imran Khan supported Taliban atrocities
    1
  10316. 1:30 "Street beggars using minors" Civilization began about 10k years ago. Using minors as beggars began about 10k years ago. This corrupt Iraqi cop is simply laying a smoke screen for his department's corruption. The big crime is how much the government is stealing from the people.
    1
  10317. Desperate Orcs
    1
  10318. Zelensky looks more at ease meeting Boris. That is because Ursula von der Leyden deports herself like a countess. She is a courteous countess, but Boris's bumbling bonhomie is simply indomitable. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  10319. @Reg Eric , are you talking about the Pope ? For centuries the Papacy has supported autocracy against democratic/constitutional progress. Whenever a monarch was forced to make concessions and swear an oath the Pope with give the monarch absolution to break his oath (eg Magna Carta). The list is endless. The Pope led the way in combatting democratic development : the Papal States were the most backwards in Europe The Pope refused the railway and telegraph, had political prisoners by the hundred, censorship and medieval education. Very similar to the Taliban today.
    1
  10320. Russia doesn't have the troops or equipment. They have had to raid Belarus for all its artillery and missiles. Russia is finished.
    1
  10321.  @superedits5746  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  10322. Ethiopian Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed : Nobel Prize winner :- In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding the sexual violence in the Tigray War. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[130] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war”
    1
  10323. All African leaders become dictators, crooks and louses.
    1
  10324. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, then quietly become a $hithole country.
    1
  10325.  @gaborgredely1848  Hungary :- 1848 Revolution Kosuth proclaims a republic (okayed by Emperor Ferdinand I) 1849 Russia Invades Hungary with Austria and crushes Hungarian liberty. Poland Partitioned by Russia, Aust, and Prussia in 1772, 1793,1795. European liberals correctly directed all the blame at Russia. The other nations simply occupied some of Poland to keep the Russians away. 1956 Russia invades Hungary again 1968 Russia invades Czechoslovakia. Which is why Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  10326.  @tayikolla6205  The Tsar's title was "Autocrat of all the Russias". All the Russias, means Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia etc......all the lands it had conquered. One of the Russias was Ukraine, and that one finally gained its independence along with Belarus, the Baltic States, and the central Asian states. Russia imposed its despotism on many lands.
    1
  10327. Gosh, who would believe Iran - the Ayatollah denied shooting down a passenger plane for a week, until mobile phone video proved it was the Iranian Guard who fired missiles. Russia has repeatedly lied about its intentions to invade Ukraine. Russia lied about the BUK missile that shot down MH17 The Kremlin are shameless liars. The Ayatollah is a shameless liar.
    1
  10328. Ben Wedeman ,"It will make things a lot worse". Worse than it is already , you schmuck. It's already as bad as it can be and chemical weapons have hardly changed things; they are probably marginally worse than barrel-bombs. Oh he is a dope. He's just saying what the media want to hear to make an interesting show. None of the idiots know anything about history or geopolitics.
    1
  10329. Jenin established by UNRWA That tells you a lot
    1
  10330. Scoop ! Congratulations.
    1
  10331.  Syed Ahmed  , the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) feel as secure as a house of cards. They represent nobody but their own corrupt self-interest.
    1
  10332. Jeremy Corbyn asked for the FSB to investigate their own assassination in the UK. "Russia must be given a sample of the nerve agent which poisoned a former double agent so they can "categorically" say whether it is belongs to them" Corbyn demands GCHQ evidence be shared with the Kremlin. He is a national security risk. Corbyn supporters are essentially rebranded Marxists. When the USSR collapsed (1991) socialism was left adrift : Corbyn galvanised that and provided a focal point. I'm a Labour supporter, but it was a national duty to rid Labour of a traitor like Corbyn. Corbyn supports Saddam & his sons, Gaddafi, the Ayatollah, the PLO, the IRA and every despot opposed to the USA
    1
  10333. I've never encountered a historian who had a nice word for the Popes. Garibaldi ("The only wholly admirable figure in modern history" , AJP Taylor) fought to return Rome to Italy. The perfidious French sent troops to support the tyranny of the Pope. And the clergy encouraged the death penalty for democratic revolutionaries. The Papacy stinks.
    1
  10334. Good report Al-Jazeera.....very clear and comprehensible. Unlike your Yemen reports which are as clear as mud.
    1
  10335.  @kingwata1  I agree My point is that Palestinians are clueless. They worshipped Yasser Arafat who robbed them of $3 billion They now support Hamas who are Islamic fascist terrorists Palestinians know exactly how to lose. They should embrace democracy and see what happens - they just might find some western support.
    1
  10336.  @sebastianwrites  Palestinians have NEVER had that right For 600yrs under Ottoman rule they didn't have it. They never had it before that That is why in 1922 when the Caliphate collapsed, they never asked for it.
    1
  10337. LOL this guy has written nonsense. "The US is no longer the world policeman" Biden has just told China if he invades Taiwan the US will retaliate. That looks like a policeman to me. This guy is a typical Frenchman - hoping France can play a bigger role. Stephen Kotkin : "France thinks it is a diplomatic superpower"
    1
  10338. Oh, I didn't know it was sunk in a bog. But certainly it should be left to weather and age.
    1
  10339. I half hope China does invade New Zealand one day.
    1
  10340. The Pope described the Kremlin as "infantile" Kremlin lies are artless and posses no plausibility. These clips may be true, but one can place no credence on Kremlin data.
    1
  10341. Well done Pak, for detecting the missile early and realising it was a jackass Hindu nationalist that had tried to start a war.
    1
  10342. Russia will pay reparations, it has already been decided. The amount is likely to be around $1 trillion
    1
  10343.  @СергейМорозов-к6и  Good question. I think the frozen Russian assets will be handed to the Ukrainian government. Their job would be to distribute it to property owners and victims of death and violence. If each death is awarded $250,000, then maybe $100,000 for each home. Russia may decide to pay (part) by providing free gas for say 10yrs.
    1
  10344. No S Africa are simply grandstanding - that's why they turn up wearing football scarves
    1
  10345. Whether it's Iran,Pakistan,India,Syria etc etc Whenever there is fuel free and people gather it is ALWAYS smoking that ignites the explosion. Someone always smokes.
    1
  10346. "Temporarily" in Qatar Qatar does NOT want Palestinians 1952 Egypt banned all immigration by Palestinians Sep 1970 PLO kicked out of Jordan 1982 PLO kicked out of Lebanon Nobody wants Palestinians
    1
  10347. Antonio, what on earth are you talking about. There isn't anything controversial in this report. These are just facts. (You dope)
    1
  10348. This is a nice story :- The favourite Ebrahim Raisi was the architect of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. " Mahmoud Royaee, another political prisoner interrogated by Raisi during the execution of up to 30,000 opposition activists in a 1988 purge, said Raisi once handed down a death sentence to an inmate who was in the midst of an epileptic fit."
    1
  10349. 100% famine : young males look very healthy It is only the old and young starving Young Palestinian males are fighting fit
    1
  10350.  @IronChin100  Famine is what Hamas wants Hamas wants international pressure on Israel
    1
  10351. The Saudi never does a days work. The Saudi CANNOT fight : they pay someone else to fight. The Saudi CANNOT walk down the street of any Muslim city without being beaten : everyone hates the Saudi. The Saudi area of expertise is whoring around Europe
    1
  10352. There is no "equivalence" Israel is a democratic state, Hezbollah are murderous thugs - they're terrorists Iran backed Hezbollah has ruined Lebanon, and turned it into a failed state US, France & Israel all agree Hezbollah must leave
    1
  10353.  @deficrypto1234  Hamas are the ones killing negotiations Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a clear non starter" Abbas PLO : "Hamas should negotiate or be held responsible" Qatar : "A ceasefire should not be a precondition for hostage release" I'm amazed at your comment You are spectacularly ill-informed
    1
  10354. Russia is a backwards country, it is an Asiatic Autocracy trying to pass itself off as Enlightened European. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  10355. Well done Trump.
    1
  10356.  @laughorcry5218  , the state can either be run for :- a) the benefit of the many (democracy) b) the benefit of the few : China's CCP, Russia's Kremlin Mafia, Iran's Revolutionary Guard & Ayatollah, etc etc In a democracy the people can protest against their governments policy a) the US folk stopping the Vietnam War or stopping the McCarthy witch-hunts. In a corrupt dictatorship opposition are killed, imprisoned, thrown from windows, poisoned etc etc It's pretty easy to see which type of governance you have ; you don't need a University degree.
    1
  10357.  @AwRighttttt  It is Putin who makes civilized folk cringe .... Putin forced Tony Blair (British PM) to sit through 3hrs of Stravinsky. But Putin doesn't listen to Stravinsky or Prokofiev, he listens to punk rock. In a phone call with Macron he used Punk lyrics to describe how he intended to metaphorically "rape" Ukraine : 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' Macron was horrified. Putin is an ill-educated, uncultured, insecure thug, trying to pass himself off as a statesman.
    1
  10358. 20 shell companies set up by Biden That took in $30 million whilst he was VP That smells like corruption
    1
  10359. 1:40 wrong The US also believed there would be no resistance. Do some research.
    1
  10360.  @HooDatDonDar  The only other time I've come across the word (other than Prague 1618) is in a novel by Nabokov 'Pnin'.
    1
  10361. Stoltenberg has been a rock
    1
  10362. Article 155 administrators will need to be extraordinary people. Each Morning a police escort through protesters, every evening plastic bullets fired to clear an exit. The administrators will need to be committed fascists : probably Civil Guard armed Colonels. Picture the scene :- an armed fascist colonel taking control of TV3 and forcing them to broadcast propaganda. That is why the EU (PACE) committee said article 155 is the "worst option". It can't work without traducing Dunce-Rajoy's good name.
    1
  10363. STOP calling it "crash" It is a hard landing LOL
    1
  10364. I don't even know what "Cards against humanity " is but judging from the sample behind him it looks as though it is for foul-mouthed morons. Still, the land stunt might serve a purpose ; if only to galvanise humourless dolts.
    1
  10365. "Regional conflict" ? It is the critical event of the 21st Century : everyone knew that from Day 1. This decides the future of the Century. A Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    1
  10366.  @BleedingSnow  Thanks for that interesting reply. Certainly there was a rapprochement from Russia after 1991 (USSR collapse). Russia had segued from stagnating totalitarianism into KGB gangsterism. One can hardly blame the West for not wanting a viper in the nest. Was it a missed opportunity ? Maybe. But we are where we are, and Russia is being beaten on an anvil, the longer this goes on the more of a wreck Russia becomes.
    1
  10367. Flat tyres ? What about the stalled convoy.....stuck in mud, flat battery, no fuel, no food, no enthusiasm, no clue, no dry clothes, no plan.
    1
  10368. Lebanon is getting punished for Hamas & Iran Why did they bother getting involved LOL
    1
  10369. LOL synopsis : If Iran planned it we shouldn't strike because that's what they want If Iran didn't plan it, don't strike, it's rogue terrorists Either way Don't strike Iran He's got OBAMA written all over him
    1
  10370. Axis of Evil : China, North Korea , Russia, Iran etc etc All dictatorships, all anti-human-rights, all anti-democratic. What is it about corrupt dictatorships that they hate and fear their own people ?
    1
  10371.  @melodicnostalgic3823  , No ! Except the USA, Canada , Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Germany, France , Spain , Italy , Portugal, Luxembourg etc etc etc Axis of Evil countries are the anti-democratic dictators. Have a go. Try and spot some dictators. It's quite easy.
    1
  10372.  @tonychong1148  , did you just make that up ? Parliamentary democracy is one of the finest European achievements. Where would the world be with democracy and law ?
    1
  10373. It's not Israel - it's the entire West that wants Hamas totally destroyed Jordan & Egypt want Hamas destroyed Hamas = Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt has just purged the MB Nobody wants Hamas Wait ! The UN supports Hamas, so does the Global South So, Hamas will never surrender and the war will go on for years
    1
  10374. Well done India But Surely the INS Vikrant has taught you a lesson ? By the time India gets its own product manufactured it is out-of-date ! India is tethered to a loser : Russia It needs modern "Himars" type western weapons SMArt 155mm and Excalibur 155mm
    1
  10375. You mean - about bloody time ! Gaza is a war zone, all civilians must leave
    1
  10376. Very entertaining , very watchable and I rarely stick with anything for 5 mins.
    1
  10377. Chinese Communist Party CCP = No. 1 Liars
    1
  10378.  @bobbygabriel9574  Bobby, everyone accepts the evidence Al Jazeera do NOT deny their reporter was/is a member of Hamas (Muhammad Wishah) UNRWA are connected to Hamas - nobody (except noobs) denies it. Hospitals were used to conceal hostage, nobody denies it - there's video ! Open your eyes
    1
  10379. Do you know who ruined Poland ? The Jesuits. Under Sigismund Augusta (1548-72) it was a tolerant country but with the Council of Trent (counter reformation) the Jesuits moved in and turned Poland into the bigotted, intolerant semi-fascist state it is today.
    1
  10380. A few points :- a) Real capitalism was back in the 19th C. What you have now is a  neutered capitalism. b) There is negativity about capitalism and zero recognition for its accomplishments. c) No other system has been shown not to produce totalitarianism. d) Wolff has a secure comfortable life and enjoys all the perks of stable capitalism while bemoaning its imperfection. I can think of a few billion people who would swap places with him. e) Capitalism is largely innate/natural ; contrived utopia generally end in mass deaths.
    1
  10381. Music to the Ayatollah's ears. Hezbollah have created the conditions for religious fanaticism to thrive. Well funded (thanks to Obama's $50 billion in cash handed to Iran) and well armed, Hezbollah are ready to fight. It is what Hezbollah do best, alongside assassinations.
    1
  10382. Legacy, are you saying I got the quote wrong ? There were dozens of journalists in Tehran when the Ayatollah flew in from his exile in Paris (away from the fighting) . They asked him what he would do with the Shah's democratically elected parliament (albeit under the Shah's overarching rule) and Khomeini replied "I'll kick their teeth in".
    1
  10383. Che Guevara, let me tell you about Che Guevara : he was a sadistic moron who enjoyed shooting defenceless men in the head.Even his supporters admit "He had his faults".
    1
  10384. goll880, I didn't praise the Shah. I said Khomeini killed more in his first year than the Shah in his whole life. Most rational historians think the Shah was narcissistic(self loving), hedonistic (pleasure loving) and contemptible (deserving of contempt).
    1
  10385. Stalemate ? No Putin keeps threatening nuclear war : that is a guy who is losing Russian TV said, "We have two options : either we lose in Ukraine or it is WW3" Even the Russians recognise they have lost. Russia will be driven out of Donbas and Crimea. UN peacekeepers will come in.
    1
  10386. Hezbollah refused to move from the finance ministry - which is why the IMF and World Bank refused loans. The money Hezbollah stole from Lebanon is unimaginable, they wrecked the economy.
    1
  10387. 1:25 LOL if he was my neighbour I'd buy him some loppers.
    1
  10388.  @mrhand3350  The dead man had criticised Palestinian corruption. 14 police entered his home at night. They always come at night. Stalin's NKVD took them at night for the Gulags. Gaddafi's secret police came at night : mass graves were full of victims wearing pyjamas. The Palestinian police then beat him to death - they have all got off Scott free.
    1
  10389.  @toasted_donut2308  There is nothing else for young Palestinians to do - but throw stones. Over 40yrs Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion of Gulf oil money. That should've been invested in colleges : young Palestinians could've been cyber entrepreneurs. $3 billion would've laid a marvellous foundation for a Palestinian state. Instead it was stolen (The story of Palestine and all caliphate countries)
    1
  10390.  @mrhand3350  The point is Palestinians are a disgrace to the International Community. The UN look at terrorism, corruption and Palestinian police killing and beating, and they are ashamed. Nobody wants to associate themselves with terrorism and corruption. Where is the Palestinian Nelson Mandela ?
    1
  10391.  @mrhand3350  I agree. Despots are all the same. That is why, in any moral dilemma one should always choose democracy. In 1775-83 (American independence,) many MPs supported the Americans Many MPs supported Home Rule for Ireland (1922) (it split the Liberals) Many MPs supported India Independence. (1947) One must support freedom of speech and democracy, from that good things follow. Never support despotism. Hamas are despots Fatah are despots Hezbollah are despots
    1
  10392.  @mehdibehashti5030  , hi are you a totalitarian troll ?
    1
  10393. "Nobody at the controls" - that's my guess If the steering was jammed they'd have hit reverse, or dropped anchor and at least sounded the horn to warn folk on the bridge There was nobody at the controls most likely
    1
  10394. Bernard Weatharill (speaker) told one member, whose jacket had been pulled as he stood to speak, "May I suggest the honourable member be a bit more robust"
    1
  10395. Ben Wallace or Liz Truss. Let's not have a Macron type capitulator.
    1
  10396. Hey you BBC morons China's death toll is still accelerating : there were over 3k urns outside just one crematorium.
    1
  10397.  @dakini365  , Chinese social media. Folk have posted pictures of thousands of urns.
    1
  10398. UNRWA are pro-Hamas
    1
  10399. Macron "France will not respond to a nuclear attack on Ukraine" Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  10400. Mobilization is a disaster for Russia - it will break the army. The British army didn't want it in WW1, and they had a fully professional officer corps and logistics supply. The Russian army will collapse under the load, unless China supplies ration packs and equipment. Medvedev : "They want to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen Ben Hodges : "A Hemingway character said he went bankrupt in to ways - slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation will collapse".
    1
  10401. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair" Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Jens Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" Timing is obvious :- Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
    1
  10402.  @Aussie-Mocha  Thanks for your well-informed reply. Can we deal with modern history - from a few weeks ago ? 13 Oct NATO defence chiefs discuss Russia's nuclear threat and the same evening Macron declares “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” French MP Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair" Jens Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" Clearly NATO had no idea Macron planned to stab them in the back. Can you explain why Macron dashed onto French TV and hurriedly stabbed NATO in the back ? Bearing in mind NATO's collective defence policy
    1
  10403. Correct. Before colonialism and Christianity, a chief would have a dozen wives and a harem of maybe 100. When the women reached their 20s he would sell them and get younger ones.
    1
  10404.  @mengreat6982  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  10405. Allow me to explain :- There is a conflict taking place between Liberal Democracy and the dark forces of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran (otherwise known as The Axis of Evil).
    1
  10406.  @fbyi2940  , Russia score 20/100 on the Freedom-House index, by comparison Pakistan score 37. Russia support despots and autocracy and oppose democracy : they are major players in the Axis of Evil.
    1
  10407. 4:09 It was the Austrian defenders that demolished the buildings outside the walls to give them a clear line of fire. NOT the Turks. I might make a video on this myself or probably on the Habsburgs
    1
  10408. He looks like Josef Goebbels.
    1
  10409. Zuma : listened to his slow speach , he's a total dunce. How does a moron become President ? Corruption. He was corrupt from day one and the ANC knew it. They only got rid of him when he became a liability. Corruption is a spectrum : everyone in the ANC is low-level corrupt (doing favours turning a blind eye) many are medium corrupt and many are hugely corrupt.
    1
  10410. Wrong. President Biden said "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Blinken has been dashed out for damage limitations. Poor old Biden, his mind is for the knackers yard.
    1
  10411. The vandalism should be paid for by Hamas and Fatah. Fatah are only interested in corruption. having to pay for damages would hurt them. Hamas are fascists, their predilection is for violent terrorism.
    1
  10412. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "Nuclear neutrality" Europe cannot rely on France France will capitulate and collaborate every time (Vichy is just below the surface)
    1
  10413.  @trident6547  Well said I agree 100% - without brave resistance from French fighters Dunkirk would've been a total disaster
    1
  10414. Iran wont bend fold or break........they'll just go bankrupt.
    1
  10415.  @davidfrederick4530  , Iran's inflation is 50% and its GDP fell by -6% . I hope you are not relying on Allah to turn the economy around because Allah never buttered a parsnip.
    1
  10416. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  10417. Labour claim they were responding to threats of terrorism That encourages terrorists to try something more Labour's message - "Terrorism works" Shame on Labour The Speaker must resign
    1
  10418. Keep wishing
    1
  10419. Those missiles need need arming with biological weaponry.
    1
  10420. LOL Every nation in history has attempted to divide its enemies The US does it in Russia, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt (Muslim brotherhood, the west sat back and watched a coup to get rid of them) Imagine Israel sitting back to watch a coup get rid of Abbas Every nation does it for God's sake This guy is college kid debating
    1
  10421.  @samlebon9884  Why was the Caliphate a failure ? Well Europe wasn't entirely a success : only Northern Europe. Hungary with its serfs and vicious nobility was also a failure. Austria - whose empress Maria Theresa refused to have a science academy because it would 'encourage heresy', was also a failure. The Sultan was proclaimed to be "Our Lord on Earth", and obedience to authority was inculcated into the illiterate people. Printing was banned by the Ulema in 1515 leaving 90% of folk illiterate. (This is why Palestinians floundered after the Caliphate collapsed in 1922. Whereas the Jews had held an election and had a shadow administration immediately up and running). In short, the 2 main features which condemned the Caliphate were :- a) the authoritarianism of Islam and the Sultanate. b) education (illiteracy) and backwardness. Also, endemic corruption.
    1
  10422. Russia is rattled. Well done USA and Britain.
    1
  10423. When Erdoğan talks, Russia listens. Last time they didn't listen, he downed 2 of their planes.
    1
  10424.  @dimastashyi1793  Correct : nobody has any idea how many Turkish troops died, because those ideas are in your head. Only you know the answer, because you imagined the fantasy.
    1
  10425. Well done Britain The Labour Party stands with Israel
    1
  10426. Modi keeps washing his hands. He can't get the stench of blood off them. Meeting with the Russians leaves everyone washing their hands. Butchery, bombing and massacre - the stench of Russia. India has my sympathy.
    1
  10427. Kim wants to play the game of _ end sanctions and I'll denuclearise bit by bit. Trump won't wear it. It will end in tears for N Korea. There has never been a US administration more ready to do a pre-emptive nuclear strike.
    1
  10428. krnpowr, that may be true but have you any idea of the fire-power the Yanks have in the Pacific ? Just half the missiles on one SSBN submarine would leave N Korea unrecognisable. It would all be over in 90mins.
    1
  10429. kmpowr, let's be realistic : nobody is going to launch an attack against the US (certainly not Russia or China). Whereas the US may very well take out N Korea because it is developing multi-warhead ICBMs . The US have repeatedly said that is a red line.
    1
  10430. 0:45 "............and also one of the remaining members of the axis of evil". Isn't it a laugh : everywhere you look it's the same dictatorships sticking together. The same anti-democratic forces co-operating to suppress their populations and deny them human rights.
    1
  10431. The Israel-Palestine question is like a chess match : one game a year for a century, and Israel are winning 70 - 0 What can the Palestinians do differently ? Well, everything :- a) The Arab Spring had world support. Everyone wanted to see an end to corrupt despotism. It bypassed Palestine. b) In the 1970s terrorism and plane hijacking was seen as a legitimate strategy for the small-guy ; a bit like Robin Hood. That ended long ago : the West now knows what a Fatwa is, knows what Jihad is, and it feels revulsion. What should Palestinians do ? a) stop throwing stones and launching missiles. Focus on families being evicted and look for sympathy. Violence is a losing strategy. b) Embrace the Arab Spring - secular education and democracy. Hezbollah and Hamas are the bedfellows that will see you lose all 100 chess games. The Western world hates those crack-pots.
    1
  10432. In a phone call with Macron, Putin joked about "raping" Ukraine. So cluster bombs come as no surprise.
    1
  10433. LOL ERdogan has 240+ journalists in prison. He has intimidated and imprisoned the opposition and turned Turkey into a one-party dictatorship. And he speaks of international law. Egypt are there and they torture and kill Europeans (Italian student) This bunch is an international disgrace.
    1
  10434. Why don't France prevent this, by supplying Exocets ?
    1
  10435. Socialists have no shame. Beating people bloody is justified by "the Revolution". It reminds one of religious barbarity back in medieval times.
    1
  10436. Iran + Venezuela = axis of evil
    1
  10437. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  10438. 100% bluff. Why hasn't Russia knocked out Ukraine's power-grid ? Because it fears a humanitarian crisis would force NATO intervention. Russia fears NATO. The nuclear threat is pure bluff.
    1
  10439. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No other nation on Earth has that power.
    1
  10440.  @Kan09138  Us ambassador to the UN said, "The ceasefire will begin when Hamas releases the first hostage" Go watch her speech She can't make it clearer - it is up to Hamas to release the first hostage (unconditionally) Of course they won't - they want to trade hostages for terrorists
    1
  10441. Good luck. Bringing democracy to North Africa is an uphill struggle. Not only did the Caliphate collapse (1922) leaving 90% illiteracy ; but it left the people without a clue about democracy or statehood.
    1
  10442. "You're not going to need an exit strategy ; I don't need exit strategies "
    1
  10443. Why is it that Bangladesh and Pakistan are both $hithole countries ? What is the connection ?
    1
  10444. 24 Feb 2023 China : Wang Yi "Peace Proposition" This will be the same as Deal 1 (9 Nov) Except a demilitarised Crimea will be under the Aegis of Ukraine instead of Russia Everything else will be the same - UN peace-keepers, referendum after 7yrs
    1
  10445. China should withdraw from Tibet before they are allowed in the United Nations. China won't be happy until a Chinese jackboot is stamping on every democratic face.
    1
  10446.  @ramisgreenful  Best regards to you my friend, I hope you are not too badly impacted by global warming. Vis-à-vis terrorism, I would also add that murdering someone inside a Saudi embassy, and cutting up the body with a bone-saw, is an act of state-terrorism that anyone with an once of civilization should denounce.
    1
  10447. 2 points :- a) "There are no winners" isn't actually true. The casualties will be almost entirely N Korean. b) The economic impact would cripple SE Asia and probably boost the U.S. dollar. Also, saying we have submarines doesn't do credit to the awesome firepower. Just 1/2 the missiles from one SSBM would leave N Korea unimaginable.
    1
  10448. UN supports Hamas : Guterres "Massacre didn't happen in a vacuum" UNRWA supports Hamas UN teachers openly teach Islamist extremism UN is a failure
    1
  10449. Watch the video of the 2015 signing ceremony : one player is laughing his head off, Zafira the Iranian FM. That is because he has hoodwinked Obama into supplying $18 billion in cash for funding to Hezbollah. The disintegration of Syria and Lebanon is largely the result of Obama's folly.
    1
  10450. Breitbart News ! You can take that story to the bank. It's as sound as legal tender.
    1
  10451. The true situation in Catalonia is hidden behind a curtain and every time Rajoy tries to impose his authority he slowly draws back the curtain to see how bad things are. If Rajoy orders fresh elections it will be ignored. If Rajoy tries to take control of Mossos it will be ignored. Rajoy cannot physically act with force and is balancing on a tightrope. The world is laughing at him and his lynch-mob supporters are cheering him on to do a somersault. Solution An all-party committee is formed from the Spanish Assembly to negotiate with an all-party committee from Catalonia. They agree the 2006 Statute of Autonomy and constitutional reform. And hey-presto the problem is solved.
    1
  10452. Genjuanpa, touché . It was very diplomatic of you to use "concurring" : I have hope for Spain. Remember Aesop's fable about the Sun and Wind trying to remove a man's hat ; the Sun winning by persuasion (heat). A rapprochement could work wonders. We could have a friendly bet : I'll have separatists winning 51%
    1
  10453. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  10454. 15 people blinded by police bullets. That's the EU. Remember Spanish thugs beating old women and assaulting young girls in Catalonia ? That's the EU.
    1
  10455. Hezbollah are fascists. Remember the student protests in Tehran ? It was Hezbollah who were beating them with clubs. Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascists.
    1
  10456. Joshua, it's not personal : I just don't like fascists and I don't like anti-democratic thugs. 1953 : the British/American Coup against Mosadegh was wrong everyone acknowledges that. But far fewer people were killed than died under the Khomeini terror. Political prisoners said the Shah's prisons were tedious monotony but the Ayatollah had torture camps. Khomeini was a savage. Khomeini killed far more than the Shah. The Iranian Guard regularly rape female student protestors :- https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/14/protesters-raped-iran-jail
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  10457. Joshua, you were doing very well with that polemic until you claimed the bankers installed Khomeini...... picture the scene : A capitalist cabal sitting round a table and saying, "Hey, let's install a religious butcher in Iran ". I can understand why France would allow the Ayatollah to go back after the Shah's fall : because they wanted big $ contracts for French companies (France has close ties since colonial times). Tolstoy argued against the 'Great Man ' theory of history (that people like napoleon and Churchill decide everyone's fate) and Tolstoy was right. It is people who determine history not individuals. Joshua you are even worse : you believe there's a hidden group pulling the strings. You're a fantasist.
    1
  10458. Joshua, my apologies : I've been away (off-line ) since Friday last. You make some very erudite observations. To your bullet points (with which I concur ) a) Stability & rule of law b) Secular society c) Gradual change You could have added ..... d) Independent institutions Such as professional bodies :- BMA (medicine), Finance, Business (eg CBI) , Journalism etc It is good institutions that hold governments to account. I have to take issue with "the experience of history has shown that, religions are in the hearts of the people " I think history shows that when a nation progresses from superstition and becomes educated , then religion becomes a social gathering. Look at the West : it's all jumble sales and garden parties.
    1
  10459. Joshua, let's begin with Blackstone Intelligence : they are a bunch of ill-informed fantasists. "There is a mountain of evidence that the Israeli Mossad played an integral role in the September 11th attacks." Just think about that for a minute. It means all the states that shared intelligence on the perpetrators were in on the conspiracy : the UK , France, Germany etc are all covering up for Mossad. It is nonsense on stilts. However, your fear for Iran is justified. Bolton will bring the worst out in Trump. The US will not invade : it's a logistical nightmare. Economic sanctions are likely though. I read Mohammed Mossadegh's biography : a very principled man. I support that type of Iranian , a democrat who believes in law & independent institutions. I'll always support Iranians like Mossadegh. Also, I think you may be correct about the Ayatollah theocracy not giving up power without a fight : if Iranians want freedom from theocratic dictatorship they will probably have to take to the streets : a general strike would probably work , especially after a few months of economic sanctions. (I hope I'm not sounding like a John Bolton manqué )
    1
  10460. LOL "Blessed be the meek for they shall be Iranian" This is the weakest response Iran could think of LOL
    1
  10461.  @pablopicaro7649  Thank you. Revanche = revenge So one might say, "The US invasion of Iraq was motivated by revanchist elements in the Pentagon". In response to 9/11 Even though Iraq had no connection.
    1
  10462.  @hongquancand2248  Interesting reply. Ottomans :- Even when they besieged Vienna (1683) the Ottomans were 3rd rate. Military strength went up a gear with Louis XIV, who fought a grand alliance (Eng, Prussia, Austria, Dutch, Sardinia, etc) and never once fought on French soil. Russia didn't defeat the Ottomans : just like the Habsburgs, the Ottomans were propped up to keep Russia out of Constantinople. The very fact that Russia never gained Constantinople, is an indication of how little clout Russia had. Napoleon abdicated had his failed Russian venture, and the 4 powers (Britain, Austria Prussia and Russia) destructed Europe at the Congress of Vienna. Russia was a major player : Tsar Alexander I insisted that Prussia remain a kingdom at Tilsit (1807) : when Napoleon and the Tsar divided Europe. But Russia was only a party to the Vienna Congress - it didn't dictate anything. Germany WW2 The Russians played a major role, but it was Britain that stood alone in 1941. Russia never stood alone.
    1
  10463. Wonders never cease : Indian government officials and police being held accountable ? I thought corruption , incompetence and uncivilised backwardness were endemic in India.
    1
  10464. ...chased viewers. 1/2 million views and it was only posted 1day ago.
    1
  10465. 1:44 "Cowardly attack" LOL Coming from a Saudi that's a bit rich. The Saudi is indolent, ignorant, bone-idle, backwards, unenlightened cowardly and cruel. That's not offensive it is just stating what everyone knows.
    1
  10466. Shame on Ireland Ireland sent condolences to the Nazis when Hitler died Ireland is mostly on the wrong side of history
    1
  10467. Why is it happening ? In a word - Hezbollah : those antidemocratic, fascist thugs, who assassinate at the Ayatollah's command ; who occupy the finance ministry in Lebanon and have reduced the country to a bankrupt state. Hezbollah's sin qua non is violence, Hezbollah's métier is assassination Hezbollah's raison d'être is a fascist theocratic state.
    1
  10468. This is an uplifting video : "The Industrial Revolution why Britain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PsZmnVqqQ England benefited greatly from the Dutch Connection ( see my Charles I, Charles,II and William III trilogy)
    1
  10469. Macron, Schulz and Draghi - a big disappointment to the Allies. They are the usual suspects when the topic is capitulation.
    1
  10470. LOL this guy is a dunderhead - MBS and the Arabs pressure Trump into a 2 state solution Is this guy nuts ? Trump is shipping the Palestinians out of Gaza This guy should save it for the Common Room
    1
  10471. How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  10472. But Mao got all his Marxist ideas from the West. Mao slavishly followed Western ideology which resulted in the deaths of millions of Chinese.
    1
  10473. Just one question : why didn't Brennan leak the Russia connection to the media before the election ?
    1
  10474. Representing the US at the Olympics in philandering would be JFK who bedded a woman at the Whitehouse. Ted Kennedy would win the Culpable Homicide event :- he drove his mistress into a river then saved himself, didn't call help for her, lied his arse off and became the senior senator for the DNC.
    1
  10475. That should read : a woman a week
    1
  10476. Nancy will be a great speaker-of-the-house. She is 100% Hillary to the core and is very good at raising money. Deocrat politicians like her because she provides them with campaign finance (you know, the old crooked DNC way). The Democrats need to get another 100% Hillary candidate for 2020 then they can make a right crooked balls of it again.
    1
  10477. Macron "France will not respond to a nuclear attack on Ukraine" Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  10478. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with the Mongols of Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (8161) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  10479. Payback for Russia will come in sanctions down the line. Russia is always committing offences (poisonings, assassinations, imprisoning the inocent etc); the West will pay back Putin for this aggression later on.
    1
  10480. That's another fine mess India have gotten themselves in to. I said do nothing. You can't defeat a terrorist group by dropping a few (well missed) bombs. What has India gained ? Nothing. They retaliated because of the election and now look : they are up $hit creek without a paddle. I told India "Do nothing". Just keep developing the economy, education, social and political culture and let Pakistan fester in Islamofascism. Instead India strike back and have 2 planes shot down : the winners are the terrorists. Well done Modi you $hit for brains moron.
    1
  10481. Glen :- I've come across his type before : they hate the US and concoct any argument to defend the most appalling dictators in order to rubbish the US. They say US force doesn't work when hundreds of thousands owe their lives to US no-fly-zones and US threats of action. Glen is full of $hit.
    1
  10482. Shub & Faux, it is difficult to explain where Glen has gone wrong if you believe the chemical attack was a CIA black-op and if you think the CIA shot down MH17 and assassinated Boris Nemtsov etc But if you accept Russia are a gangster country capable of anything and Assad is a murderous dictator capable of killing his own people then I'll explain. Medi Hasan asks Glen ," If western intervention killed tens of thousands in Iraq and Libya then has Syria shown that non-interventions costs the lives of 500,000 ? ". Of course Glen simply doesn't answer : why would he , he's full of $hit.
    1
  10483. "The United States of Amnesia" Gore Vidal
    1
  10484. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  10485. Turkey sold drones to Ukraine and the Kremlin went ballistic. Why ? If Russia is all powerful does it fear drones. Because drones were amazingly successful for Azerbaijan, and they would enable Ukraine to oust the separatists from Donbas. This would force Russia to intervene, and the last thing Putin wants is to actually invade Ukraine.
    1
  10486. Those are Hezbollah fighters, they all should be arrested.
    1
  10487.  @ABanRocks  , Remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah. (If that's what you call freedom it's a strange definition) Most people call Hezbollah murderous fascist thugs.
    1
  10488. Russia & China are blocking all UN condemnation. The Axis of Evil supporting dictatorship, violence, persecution and corruption.
    1
  10489. Biden is buying time - no more After a week, how can the US say No ? Biden wants "targeted incursions" - this will produce 3x as many casualties for the IDF Netanyahu's team cannot return from Washington carrying a "No" Biden would lose in Nov & Netanyahu would look incredibly weak This is a delay and no more
    1
  10490. If Russia wins then western civilisation falls
    1
  10491. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
    1
  10492. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
    1
  10493.  @lerymisandari4015  Thank you for that reply. How wonderful that you talk about Ukraine getting Donbas and Crimea back : only a few weeks ago that would've been unthinkable, ; now, everyone is talking like that - especially Russian TV. It is quite marvellous how the tables have been turned on Imperialist Russia. In a phone call with Macron, Putin joked about "raping" Ukraine, I think he is not laughing now. NATO will stay a million miles from the war. They are supplying intelligence, weapons, analysis, and are blocking Russian communications, but they will never get directly involved in the conflict. Russia will never use nuclear weapons. Lord Owen said on Radio 4, "The Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families".
    1
  10494.  @lerymisandari4015  Putin wrote an essay last August (2021), in which he said "Ukraine is part of Russia". The invasion was 'Imperialist', because Putin wants to end Ukraine's independence. He stated it clearly in his essay. NATO would never invade Russia, because Russia would be justified in a nuclear response - you know that. You know that Russia is the aggressor, and you know the intention had nothing to do with NATO or Nazis, or 'genocide' in Donbas, it is simple Imperialism. The good news : Russia is getting slaughtered, and Putin's nuclear threats don't bother anyone. He can blow them out of his arse. This Russian aggression is the defining event of the C21st. Ukrainians will hate Russia for generations. Russia will never recover, even when the war is over, the sanctions will remain indefinitely. Russia is a pathological threat to all humanity, and will be isolated like a virus.
    1
  10495.  @lerymisandari4015  Before the invasion started I said, "Russia has insufficient troops : they need a million" Look on Telegram : Wagner mercenaries are saying Russia needs another 800k. So I got that right. Imagine this scenario : a nuclear exchange between Russia and the USA. Imagine they are both equally damaged. Who would come to the assistance of each ? a) Russia :- nobody would help. China would take a chunk of Siberia, Japan would take the islands, regions would declare independence. Nobody would help Russia, not even Belarus. b) USA : it would get trillions $$$, from Europe, Canada, Australia, Latin America, Japan, S. Korea etc Every nation would rebuild America, and nobody would help Russia. Russia would simply have its gas and oil fields confiscated. Everyone hates Russia. Get that into your head.
    1
  10496.  @lerymisandari4015  Russia is an Asiatic Autocracy (like China) Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile mongol" Ruled by Genghis Khan's descendants for 250yrs, Russia has the values and attributes of Genghis Khan's mongols.
    1
  10497.  @lerymisandari4015  I am revealing the aggressive, barbaric character of Putin and the Russians. Peace is not possible with Russia : they must be defeated militarily. Putin invited Tony Blair (British PM) to a 3hr Stravinsky concert in Moscow : a display of culture. But Putin doesn't listen to Stravinsky or Prokofiev, he listens to punk rock. Putin is an ill-educated peasant, who joined the KGB and became a successful thug. He isn't a statesman. Nicholas II was, as was Lenin : Stalin was a thug, and the rest were peasants. Gorbachev and his wife had salads and fruit juice, whilst the rest of the Politburo ate Caviar with Champagne. Russia, for the last century, has been mostly governed by thugs. Putin's humour gives the game away.
    1
  10498. LOL this is total nonsense. There is no future for humans in Space. By contrast AI is tailor made for space-travel : much cheaper, far more efficient, capable of journeys lasting centuries.
    1
  10499.  @danieljakobi3266  , the key requirement is reproduction. If AI is reproducing and developing then by the time it reaches the next galaxy (in 50k yrs) it may have self awareness that makes humans look like ill-informed, emotionally sabotaged, incapable half-wits.
    1
  10500. The EU is like a damsel in distress : always waiting for someone to come to the rescue. Always afraid of angering Russia. Always no backbone.
    1
  10501. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
    1
  10502. When Erdogan closes the oil taps what will his son do for cash ? Is anyone suggesting Erdogan's son works for a living. If they close the oil tap there will still be secret black market oil to enrich Erdogan's son : like the oil he smuggled in from ISIS.
    1
  10503. Shame on India. The rupee has hit an all-time low against the dollar. Modi has placed India in the camp of Russia China and Pakistan. That is the losing side. Modi is a jackass who believes Russia is a super-power. This is the 21st century, Russia has a GDP smaller than Italy. Modi needs to wake up and place India with the winning side. The US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines to blockade China, Australia will add another 9, together with Britain, that will collapse the China's CCP in less than a year.
    1
  10504. The Tsars didn't foster heirs :- a) Fyodor I the last of the Rurik dynasty 1613 - time of troubles - Michael I of the House of Romanov. b) Peter I the Great left chaos. c)
    1
  10505. Money laundering ! I've been saying that for months. Jimmy is right on the nose once again.
    1
  10506. "Satellite images show emptied Russian military base near Finnish border" Russia is emptying all its stores everywhere. "Russia has dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD
    1
  10507. The Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1922 The Jews elected an Administrative Council (to shadow the British governors) The Palestinians had the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (appointed by the British) The Mufti looked to Damascus as the Palestinian capital : the Palestinian farmers had no notion of what a state was : for centuries they had been told "The Sultan is our Lord on Earth" There was no such thing as land ownership (until Europe forced the Tanzimat reforms) all land was owned by the Sultan. Palestinian woes, and the failure of the Arab Spring, are the legacy of the Caliphate.
    1
  10508. It is actually the wrong thing to do. French historian Emanuel Le Roy Ladurie commented on French submission to central authority under Francis I (1515 - 1547) and said " a higher level of submission to central government ; this was in fact more freely accorded than was ultimately good for either king or subjects." Compare this to London crowds that opposed the government whether it was Whig or Tory. I've made a video on the failure of Spanish-America if anyone is interested.
    1
  10509. I hope he is committed to AUKUS Modern liberals & socialists seem to denigrate NATO and AUKUS
    1
  10510. Mobilization is a disaster for Russia - it will break the army. The British army didn't want it in WW1, and they had a fully professional officer corps and logistics supply. The Russian army will collapse under the load, unless China supplies ration packs and equipment. Medvedev : "They want to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen Ben Hodges : "A Hemingway character said he went bankrupt in to ways - slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation will collapse".
    1
  10511. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy , indolent, ignorant, over indulged, bigoted, discriminatory, cruel and cowardly. If you think they've no sense of humour watch their military in action. They will never understand the West. Saudi doesn't know what humanitarian values are : they think expelling Canadians is getting them recognition, it is but the wrong sort. Everyone is recognising them as a $hithole country.
    1
  10512. Ben, you are talking about beating your wife the way the Quran suggests :- Quran (38:44) - "And take in your hand a green branch and beat her with it, and do not break your oath..." Because in a civilized Western country you will be arrested and prosecuted. In Saudi it is okay because they have no human rights.
    1
  10513. Quiz question : who are the most famous Guzmans ? answer below . . . The Count-Duke Olivares and Duke of Medina Sidonia
    1
  10514. Qatar like most Arab states has expelled Palestinians (Palestinians supported Saddam's invasion, so Qatar expelled 300k) Jordan expels Palestinians 1970 Black Misremember Lebanon expels them Egypt doesn't want them Palestinians are quite dangerous (they always attempt coups)
    1
  10515. Could you imagine a similar investigation of the Palestinian Fatah ? Yaser Arafat looted $3billion from the people.
    1
  10516.  @nihleigleca6702  , I'm sorry but this reply will be a long one. You want to know why there is no democracy in the middle east. It is because of history. The Islamic world has no history of independent institutions or independent thought. Compare the English Civil War (1640s) thousands of pamphlets were published and read by the public exploring every type of governance and religion : from communist 'Diggers' to Socialist 'Levellers' there were Catholics, Atheists, Protestant episcopalians, Calvinists, Puritans. And folk took an interest : they were engaged. Now Compare any Islamic country at random.....the Ottomans :- the first thing you notice is the public are totally disengaged , they have no stake in the governance of the state, it belongs to someone else. They don't explore new ideas they stagnate. they don't read books , only the Quoran. They obey the religious authority and the civil authority : it's a recipe for vacuous conformity. Under the system corruption and authoritarianism become all powerful. It will take another 100yrs and a Reformation in Islam for the middle east to adopt democracy.
    1
  10517. Allah never buttered a parsnip.
    1
  10518. Prior to the twentieth century, Arab society in Palestine was predominantly illiterate, with most social and political activities conducted through oral communication. There were no printing presses, no book or periodical production, and no written signs in public places. The reason for illiteracy ? The Ulema banned printing in 1515
    1
  10519.  Nikhil Dhasmana  , I agree. When I said wildlife was so-so I meant it was not changing much but not great. The big decline (species loss) is from the wonderful diversity in developing countries. The problem is that developing countries want to develop and part of the cost is destroying bio-diversity.
    1
  10520. Harris says "No population transfer", but that's not a manifesto pledge it's a platitude to the liberals Everyone knows "transfer" is the only solution
    1
  10521. Well said, I made a video on this topic if you'd care to watch it :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACa4p9jhVPc&t=1s
    1
  10522. I'd WhatSap the message "Brazil is an irredeemable $hithole country" and dare them to call that fake news.
    1
  10523. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  10524. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial" NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  10525. Global warming and world recession could easily create a crisis which bring Hamas II to power in Jordan In 20 years Israel could be surrounded by Iranian fascists and Iran could be a nuclear power The USA (Obama) has facilitated this with wrong-headed policies
    1
  10526. Ukraine should leave some areas devastated : it will become a tourist hotspot. I think Ukraine will flourish after this war : and Russia will sink. There is a great tourist opportunity here. Good luck Ukraine.
    1
  10527. India is forced by Geography to desire a Russian VICTORY. It needs a strong Russia to oppose China. Western democracies must realise this, and temporarily say to India, "Goodbye and good luck" as India drifts into the orbit of the Axis of Evil.
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  10528. SHOW THE VIDEO Of course Al jazeera will not show girls covered in blood
    1
  10529. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
    1
  10530. When trying to decide who to side with....... Remember Iran is an Islamofascist dictatorship. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/14/protesters-raped-iran-jail https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html Female protestors are raped. Students are beaten and killed. Iran supports Hezbollah who are fascist thugs. Iran supports many anti-democratic groups and is a destabilising force undermining democracy in the middle east.
    1
  10531.  @amoyatochhawng4431  "This is not India's war " 141 nations at the UN condemned Russia. It wasn't their war either.......but they had the moral backbone to do the right thing.
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  10532.  @generalsociety9607  141 nations condemned Russia. 35 nations abstained :- including China India and Pakistan : that makes them bedfellows. (Metaphorically speaking they are in bed together).
    1
  10533.  @isekaimultiverse1237  There is only one power in Asia : AUKUS. India needs to get on the right side. China is fundamentally weak : it is so easy to blockade. That is why the US built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. That is why Australia are getting 12. China cannot feed itself and has no oil. A blockade will collapse the CCP in six months. India needs to wake up and get on the winning side.
    1
  10534.  @asingha94  Wrong. "Most countries took neutral decision" so as to stay friendly with Russia. Putin has Modi dangling. He has no respect for Modi (remember how Putin snatched the ceremonial sword from him). India needs to wake up and get themselves on the winning side.
    1
  10535. St Francis saved the citizens from a wolf, by agreeing to give it regular meals, "Give me your paw", said St Francis. Macron needs to go to the Kremlin and ask Putin to stop terrorizing his neighbours, by agreeing generous gas-payments. "Give me your paw", Macron will say, as they sign the deal.
    1
  10536. Zelensky has asked for 500 anti-tank, and 500 anti-aircraft missiles per day. That is an incredible ask. However, Boris said, "The Americans are supplying extraordinary amounts ". No nation can withstand an industrial onslaught by the Yanks.
    1
  10537. Qatar has sided with the Axis of Evil Let's see who wins
    1
  10538.  @jakkuwolfinsomnia8058  Very well said.
    1
  10539. Excellent report, very uplifting.....to see demonstrations condemning Modi. But also to see the Indian PM (largest democracy in the world) visiting the US. How far we've come from 1971, when Pakistan could kill 3 million and rape 250,000 women and girls and nobody even knows about it.
    1
  10540. @Song Videos What about this :- Hinduism is neither monotheistic religion nor polytheistic religion. We believe that sacred truth which we called Brahman or Soul is AVYAKT means that can not be known and described completely. Brahman is not a personality, it is a self enlightened state, the existence or the self of everything. All divinities are that’s divinities and that is formless and in different forms. Everything is that.
    1
  10541. India complains of being "Bullied" as civilians are slaughtered in Ukraine. India is the victim of "bullying", whilst children are being used as human shields, women are suffering abuse by Russian soldiers, but they aren't the victims. It is India that is the victim ......."Of bullying" India sounds pathetic, it is an utter despicable disgrace.
    1
  10542. Peace & prosperity mean nothing to Russia. Russia celebrates death & destruction on Victory Day. Russia didn't liberate Europe in 1945, it imprisoned Eastern Europe, and introduced the Gulags and Stalin's terror.
    1
  10543. US Congress have passed a motion advising the President NOT to pull troops out of Syria. Whoever sits on the oil-fields controls Syria's reconstruction. Russia can have their naval base in Tartus the US have all the cards.
    1
  10544.  @laracroft7555  Russia is a backwards country, it is an Asiatic Autocracy trying to pass itself off as Enlightened European. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  10545.  @HistoryShell1786  Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  10546. Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion it's well documented. That was over his 40yr dictatorship. So it's only 3/4 x $100,000,000 per year (is that right ?)
    1
  10547.  @sallyalsaleh6337  , LOL Arafat was sending $1 million per month to his wife in Paris ! That's one-hell of an allowance. That was back in the 1970s when $1 million could really go far. It would be like getting $10 million per month to spend. Anyone that doesn't acknowledge Arafat's corruption is totally brainwashed. Israel have issued 7 charges against Netanyahu (and he's not the first) : that shows they have separation of powers and a transparent accountable system.
    1
  10548.  @timothykwong8224  , it probably won't. A war would be the end of the Ayatollah's dictatorship and he knows it.
    1
  10549.  Ron Burgundy  , you are totally wrong. Trump : "War is for losers", and apropos Iran's sanctions he just said, "Everything is going nicely : Iran's economy has crashed. they're bringing their soldiers home, they can't afford to pay them".
    1
  10550.  @saba6502  The RAF flight was blocked going and returning. Estonia was blocked from transferring howitzers : Germany said, "No". And the German government blocked direct sales, which German companies wanted to make. Let me explain why Germany froze. In 1848 German liberals were defeated : they wanted a constitutional government and representation and didn't get it. What they got was a Faustian deal : if they stay out of politics the leaders (Bismarck and Kaiser) will deliver prosperity and success. Success = Schleswig Holstein (1864) Austria (1866) France (1870) Economic = decades of industrialisation with government subsidy and tariffs. Social = Unions and welfare But never were the liberals allowed to govern. Briefly a republic was forced on them after WW1, but quickly overturned. The Faustian pact is now ingrained in German culture : that is why Germany froze. It had nothing to do with fringe minorities. Germany is also following its own energy policy for the same reason - it is part of German culture to preserve economic success at all costs.
    1
  10551. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  10552. Honest truth : this was unsolvable BEFORE Oct 7th It is now 10 x worse Hamas will not step down, Israel will never accept Hamas in Gaza Palestinians demand to be able to vote for whomever they chose (Hamas) Blinken is trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat (That hat is full of terrorists)
    1
  10553. Who can you trust when 2 liars give evidence ? I'm reminded of Lorreta Lynch (attorney general) and Bill Clinton meeting on a plane, dismissing all staff and security and then talking in secret about "golf and grand-children". Who can you believe ?
    1
  10554. Grimner, hells bells you nailed it ! One progressive defending Jordan had been sleuthing online and like some sort of deluded Perry Mason thought Jordan was the victim of progressive-correctness-gone-wrong. Actually I don't know who the bloke is.....thankfully I've never seen him. I only watch Cenk for his theatrics. When you finished with "do a far, far better" I thought you were going to go the whole hog and lay some Tale of Two Cities on us. I was a bit disappointed.
    1
  10555. 5:25 "If Putin looks no longer a winner" A J P Taylor made a similar observation about the Prussians : "They traded a liberal constitution for military success". (I'm paraphrasing)
    1
  10556. Physical/mental Biden scores 23% Trump scores 46% in polls That makes Trump twice the man Biden is (according to US voters) That should have Dems worried
    1
  10557. Hezbollah is an anti-democratic Islam-o-fascist bunch of thugs. Of course they will use human shields. The western liberals should be against Hezbollah not supporting them (like Jeremy Corbyn UK Labour party).
    1
  10558. 1840s Corn Laws :- William Wordsworth sided with the Gentry (keep tariffs) Robert Browning & Thomas Carlyle wanted cheap grain (Tariff repeal) It divided families, not just the literary establishment
    1
  10559. @zero signal , LOL. Ironically I've just read Hugh Trevor-Roper making the same argument in "Princes & Artists". My point is : that the English aristocracy were interested in trade and agriculture, that's why production rose 200% (1500-1800) and why Napoleon called us a "nation of shopkeepers", and why the Spanish ambassador said, "In England nobody keeps their money in a chest". It was invested in stocks, even after the South-Sea bubble, or the Bank of England.
    1
  10560.  @leoprg5330  , good question. The Jews played a bureaucratic role for the nobility, it may be a reason for anti-Semitism, but that was stoked much later during the Counter-Reformation by the Jesuits. Prior to the arrival of the Jesuits Poland was remarkably tolerant : town Councils would include Lutherans, Catholics and Jews. Many times when the Papal envoy complained he was sent packing by the king. The Jesuits knew education was key : they specialised in educating the noble youth to produce the desired intolerance.
    1
  10561.  @LancesArmorStriking  , to be honest, I've only read one book on the history of Poland. You seem to be better informed than me : I'm totally in the dark about Lithuanian/Polish relations. The author of the book I read was scathing about the Jesuits and condemned the fractious, self-interested Polish nobility.
    1
  10562. @Alex , correct me if I'm wrong, but the King is STILL elected by the Polish nobles. Just as Henry III (France) was king of Poland 1573-75, elected by a bribed nobility. When Charles V became emperor he used 800,000 florins from the Fugger family to bribe the electors. Poland aren't unique. James I (Eng) was taking a pension from Spain.
    1
  10563.  @damianb8322  , I've only read one book on the history of Poland : it was by Adam Zamoyski. His ancestors were Polish nobles, he's written a dozen books on Poland I recommend you read one.
    1
  10564.  @janrudnicki6111  ," In his 1970 publication The Sarmatians (in the series "Ancient Peoples and Places") Tadeusz Sulimirski (1898–1983), an Anglo-Polish historian, archaeologist, and researcher on the ancient Sarmatians, discusses the abundant evidence of the ancient Sarmatian presence in Eastern Europe" So there may be some rationale behind the myth but the Polish nobles still regarded themselves as an elite who were domineering the slavs who worked the fields. The nobles didn't regard themselves as Slavs and treated the Polish serfs appallingly. They invested nothing in agriculture which is why Polish agri-production increased 25% between 1500-1800 while Britain agri-prod. increased 200% All my info is from Adam Zamoyski (I've only read the one book).
    1
  10565. Very well presented, with humour. Paris Direct provides us with a laid back, postprandial review of geopolitics. (And Francois is a hard act to follow).
    1
  10566. I like it. The Palestinians biggest tragedy has been its leadership : 40yrs dictatorship by Araft (who stole $3billion) , corrupt Fatah, anti-democratic Hamas. It is a great idea to bypass them all and present a fait accompli to the Palestinian people. Most Palestinians would settle for equal opportunities (education, jobs etc) with an independent judiciary and democratic representation. None of these things have ever been offered by corrupt Fatah.
    1
  10567. Theft, pure and simple.
    1
  10568.  @holodeckdetmold4824  Svetlana Alexiovich records Russians in their own words and won a Nobel Prize for it. One chap was tortured for 10 months in the most disgusting ways. He was finally released - only to become a torturer himself. He was in the NKVD killing dissidents and deserters during the war. Sometimes taking a barge into the river to drown them, or shooting them in the head. He said his finger ached, and the dog wouldn't come to him at home - he smelled of death. Solzhenitsyn tells the story of two cattle trucks full of Gulag prisoners : the Germans were advancing, so the NKVD used valuable kerosene to burn all the prisoners alive. Gulag prisoners had their children taken from them and placed in an orphanage - where they were starved and mistreated. Russia is a dystopia. The mass graves and atrocities in Ukraine have disgusted the west. Even casual young Russians film themselves ransacking Ukrainian homes and laughing. Russians are brainwashed, they have no humanity - they are just like Orcs.
    1
  10569. Nice hypocrisy We all witnessed Hamas rapes Hamas boasted about their rapes - they filmed themselves
    1
  10570. Putin has been overthrown - he now speaks at the behest of his advisors. The advisors' disputes caused the 16 hr delay deciding what he should say. A similar thing happened Kaiser Wilhelm II (1908) he gave a disastrous interview to the Daily Telegraph and was effectively removed from power
    1
  10571. "A new strategy" ? Wrong, they are sticking to the old successful strategy. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  10572.  @siberiantigeruv3291  Incremental victory for Ukraine is NATO strategy. See for yourself.... NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  10573. Shah , is quite right the majority of people are humanist with human values. During the 30yrs war(1618-48) when Christians were slaughtering each other, Frederick II said, "There is a deeper law than God's law which obliges people to tolerate and help each other". (Humanism) Islam & Christianity & Judaism have done nothing but harm. Left alone folk would have got along very well together.
    1
  10574. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  10575. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    1
  10576. 1:00 " We will have to respond" Interesting. Israel and the US just held a joint exercise, which is speculated to have been a dummy run for a strike on Iran.
    1
  10577. MSNBC Biden : "The US will ALWAYS support Israel militarily" That's because it is essential But Biden DOES want to bypass Netanyahu Biden "I'd like to talk directly to the Knesset" Biden can NOT force Netanyahu's hand Bibi is calling the shots, and will always have the US at his back militarily
    1
  10578. German Russia pact. Where have we heard that before ?
    1
  10579.  @buxtehude123  That was because The British had been reassured :- Chamberlain told his ministers that he was "satisfied Herr Hitler would not go back on his word" and was not using the crisis as an excuse to "crush Czechoslovakia or dominate Europe." That was good enough for Britain.
    1
  10580. Climate Change or Erdoğan ? (One of them is an inevitable evil )
    1
  10581. what, these are accepted facts by international observers Stockholm Centre etc :- "The 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey refers to a criminal investigation that involves several key people in the Turkish government. All of the 52 people detained on 17 December were connected in various ways with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)." "List of arrested journalists in Turkey: A new updated and searchable list of jailed journalists is compiled by Stockholm Center for Freedom which stated that 214 journalists were jailed, 22 convicted, 4 detained and 103 wanted as of May 12, 2017."
    1
  10582.  @buttert5091  Ukrainian Army Kills 100 Russian Soldiers at Hotel in Krasnyy That was last night. The night before Ukraine destroyed two S-300 sytems outside Kherson. Every night Russia is being "smashed in the face". It is called attrition, and anyone who can do basic math knows Russia is taking a hiding and cannot recover. Don't think a million man Russian army is the solution - because Russia doesn't have the equipment to supply the troops it's already got !
    1
  10583.  @donalain69  " because that would mean NATO will station Nuclear weapons only 500km away from Moscow." That has already happened with Finland. You have been brainwashed. This war isn't about NATO, it is Russian Imperialism. Putin wrote an essay in August, saying Ukraine didn't exist, it was always part of Russia. Stop falling for puerile propaganda, Putin and the Russian people are simply expanding Mother Russia. They are getting "smashed in the face" by Himars every night. 100 Russian special forces killed in a hotel in Krasnyi Luch last night (great news)
    1
  10584.  @man_3782  I am trying to teach you some history.... Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  10585. Another example of Russia running out of equipment... "Russian forces shell Kharkiv and Chuhuiv overnight using S-300 missiles " They are using missiles designed for aircraft. Those missiles only have a small warhead, but Russia is desperate.
    1
  10586.  @man_3782  Why is Russia using S-300 rockets for a ground attack ? Because "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD
    1
  10587.  @donalain69  In 1905 the Russian fleet was entirely sunk by the Japanese. It led to the 1905 revolution. In 1917 an impoverished Russian army was slaughtered by the Germans : it led to the 1917 revolution. If you do some reading, you will find all the facts are correct.
    1
  10588.  @donalain69  Good question. In 1905 Trotsky was in prison, and he applied his mind to a dilemma. (You will see the relevance of this story when I've finished). The dilemma was - How does a post revolution backwards, Socialist Russia survive whilst surrounded by enemies. His genius solution was "Permanent revolution". Now, Russia TV this week declared, "There will be no end to sanctions, we must build our own self-sufficiency because we will never end this war" History repeating itself. Putin is sending the message "Permanent war", an echo of Trotsky's permanent revolution. Ex hypothesi : Russia never learns.
    1
  10589.  @donalain69  Once again you are myopically looking at the wrong things, Russia has been a despotic, barbaric nation for centuries..... Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  10590.  @donalain69  Over centuries, all nations develop a culture or 'personality'. Caliphate countries, for centuries, believed the Sultan was "Our Lord on Earth". That is why the Arab Spring failed - they have no democracy in their marrow. Superficially all folks are similar - that's what you noticed. But under stressful conditions their culture will come to the surface. Russians are very different to Europeans. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she records Russians in their own words and won a Nobel Prize for it. Solzhenitsyn is the archetypal Russian. He spent 10yrs being tortured in the Gulags, came out loving Mother Russia and became Putin's guru. In 1848 Germans were convinced Bohemians would be glad to be citizens of Germany : their Jaws dropped at Palacky's declaration of Slav nationalism. Russians is similar : they cannot believe Ukrainians wouldn't want to be Russian. It's much more complicated than I have painted. Russians actually recognise their inferiority. They watch Russian TV knowing it to be pornographic nationalism, they know it's bad for them and don't want foreigners to catch them watching it. Russians are schizophrenic and paranoid. They have an Islamic devotion to their leader (tsar or Putin or 'little papa'). They have no democracy in their marrow. They know their soldiers are the most brutal rapists, but flatly deny it, denials supported by their TV. Like a Caliphate country, Russia knows it is backwards, inferior and brutal, but believes it has a destiny (like the Islamic 12th Imam) the Imperial Russian supremacy. Treaties :- a) Russia made a treaty with Napoleon to carve up Europe in 1807 Tilsit, then bleated when he invaded them. b) Russia made a treaty with Hitler to carve up Europe 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop, then bleated when he invaded them.
    1
  10591.  @donalain69  One doesn't need to visit a slave-plantation to oppose slavery. Do some reading (Svetlana Alexiovich, the Gulag Archipelago, Darkness at Noon) Then watch some Russian TV - it is presented by sick, mental folk. There is a video showing a Ukrainian POW - the Russians mutilate his genitals then crush his skull. The Kremlin calls Ukrainians "scum" and encourages brutality. In a phone call with Macron, Putin joked about "raping Ukraine". Do some research before you make any further comments.
    1
  10592.  @donalain69  In the West individuals are allowed to write memoirs : there are many accounts of WW2 which all form a narrative. In Russia there is state propaganda (and there were Gulags), even today folks are hesitant to speak. Read Svetlana Alexiovich, it will open your brainwashed eyes.
    1
  10593.  @donalain69  Nobel Prizes ? You are a conspiracy theorist. Read some history or science and fill your mind with useful data. Top academics head to the US for the money. Harvard has a budget bigger than all the UK universities combined. Historians Simon Schama, and Niall Ferguson are both there, as is Martin Amis - teaching literature. Academics head to the US because the rewards are so good.
    1
  10594.  RupRup  There has been corruption in Israel - it is prosecuted vigorously. Even Presidents and prime Ministers find themselves in court. That never happens in Middle East countries because the judiciary and police are part of the corrupt administration.
    1
  10595. Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
    1
  10596. At the Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles : they were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine.
    1
  10597. Well done France, Macron and the EU This is the image of democratic civilization which shames the Russians.
    1
  10598. I disagree :- Modern warfare is about economics and world opinion. When the fighting starts it is about alliances and sanctions, blockade and denying travel/movement etc. A conventional war is highly unlikely.
    1
  10599. Nonsense ! Russia sticks POWs on a coach, or in a cattle truck They never charter a plane, not even for their own elite troops Kremlin LIES
    1
  10600. Oh dear, you are such a dummy. This is being reported in a bigger way in Iran ! They say there were 4 tankers on fire. So why would Iran join in a false flag operation against them ! For £ucks sake.
    1
  10601. Oh dear, you are such a dummy. This is being reported in a bigger way in Iran ! They say there were 4 tankers on fire. So why would Iran join in a false flag operation against them ! For £ucks sake.
    1
  10602. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  10603. Palestinian economic struggles : have they found the $3 billion that Arafat stole ? Why not trace the money that crook took and use it for investment.
    1
  10604. Doctors knew where hostages were Doctors treated hostages Hospitals were complicit in concealing hostages (video evidence) There is EVERY reason to interrogate doctors
    1
  10605. Not on India. India gave Moscow a nod & wink of approval : so no sanctions for India. Shame on India.
    1
  10606. 13 Oct Macron waved the white flag to Russia on TV "nuclear neutrality" It was unnecessary : Putin already knew France would capitulate Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" = Macron has stabbed NATO in the back Putin has had Macron's measure from day 1
    1
  10607. Celctic, you are right. Also, I think Litvinenko put plutonium in his own tea. And the Ukraine opposition leader he poisoned himself. And those journalists threw themselves out of the window. And the anti-corruption campaigner tortured himself in prison and died. And the passenger plane MH17 shot itself with a Russian BUK missile just to besmirch drunken Russian paramilitary thugs in the Ukraine.
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  10608. Biden : "Hamas demands were over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands were clearly non-starters" Hamas are delusional
    1
  10609. Khomeini introduced theocratic fascism to Iran. In his first year he executed 7000 Iranians.
    1
  10610. Currency loses 90% No problem for Hezbollah, they are funded by Iran. Iran were given $50 billion in cash by Obama. Cash is what terror groups like Hezbollah thrive on.
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  10611. Hamas friends & family stealing aid and selling it Hamas are crooks Nepotism & cronyism - it's the old story of Palestinins, same on the West Bank They are all crooks
    1
  10612. Try holding an election ! The Palestinian Authority does NOT represent the people They NEVER hold elections
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  10613. Putin's lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it was a war of Imperial expansion)
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  10614. "Homogeneous nature of Irish society" ? In 1155 the Papal mandate Laudibilliter granted Henry II jurisdiction over Ireland. I'll continue if asked, but I'm aware the comment will likely be deleted.
    1
  10615. 2:40 Why don't Palestinians protest like that : a peaceful Civil Rights march is very impressive. It is civilized. Why always throw stones like a mob ?
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  10616. Well done to the brave heroes who carried out this mission. A mission to save the Middle East from the Ayatollah's plan for Armageddon. The Ayatollah believes in the 12th Imam, who will arrive with the advent of Armageddon. That will herald paradise on Earth for the Ayatollah and his whack-job followers. (Of course non-believers will all be exterminated)
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  10617. The Lebanese people want rid of Hezbollah. Those fascist thugs run the Finance Ministry and have robbed the country blind. But they refuse to give up the office, and threaten to unleash 10k armed fascist militia. The biggest obstacle to democracy : anti-democratic Hezbollah.
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  10618. Trump "I prefer the word tariff" Tariff= Sanctions It is just that trump prefers the word
    1
  10619. Oh dear - Africa wants to side with Russia Because it thinks "Things will be better"
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  10620. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    1
  10621. Hamas lost. Palestinians need to ditch those losers. Not because they are Islamist fanatics hated by the civilized world, but because they are losers. After 70yrs of failure Palestinians need to back a winner before the kitty runs dry.
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  10622. Very interesting. Did she actually use the word Shenanigans ? Has that segued into Indian.
    1
  10623. Wow that must have been a great fist fight : one old man against 15 Saudi hit-men. Who did he think he was Mr Miyagi (karate kid) ? Also, he was unarmed and one of them had brought a bone-saw.
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  10624. Humming bird, you picked a bad example . The bone saw was actually declared as the Saudi went through customs. You would be better off saying the audio is a lie : they haven't released it yet.
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  10625. China, a peace-broker ? Even the Arabs can't broker peace Hamas refuse to go into exile - therefore the war will go on indefinitely
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  10626. Very wrong. You are forgetting morality - doing the right thing. You must be from a half-baked nation. Civilised countries always respond to barbaric aggression by supporting the liberty of the invaded nation.
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  10627.  @lisadsouza5061  Many of the culprits were prosecuted : though too few and with insufficient sentences. It was public protest that brought the Vietnam war to an end. (No protest allowed in Russia or Iran. Axis of Evil countries)
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  10628.  @JBEMultimediamadrid  In Libya Gaddafi's mass graves revealed hundreds of victims wearing pyjamas : the police had arrested them at night (as they did under Stalin) then tortured and killed them
    1
  10629.  @owinoarthur7089  Well said. One should always remain rational, I was just extolling that virtue with a colleague :- German metaphysics (Hegel & Marx) led to the most revolting idealistic justification. Bolshevism and its atrocities and the Third Reich and its savagery. Britain was rational (Hobbes, Locke & Hume). founded on The Royal Society 1660 ; Britain trusted in reality - the slow progress of experiment and verification in science. And slow progress in politics. Never extreme, never idealistic, always rational. And never emotional (except when facing down Nazis or Russia)
    1
  10630.  @soreeyez  That is the most ambiguous comment I've seen for a long time. Having seen mass graves uncovered in every territory occupied by the Orcs, one would've thought the moral case was clear.
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  10631.  @soreeyez  Your ambiguity gets even cloudier. One has the impression you have a phobia for specificity.
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  10632. 0:10 look at Zafira's smug grin. Obama loaded $1.3 billion in cash for the Ayatollah to fund terror groups in the region.
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  10633.  @MrZZooh  , thanks for that well informed reply. You are very wrong about the $150 billion.....it actually belongs to the Persian people, not the fanatical regime that rules the country. Also, who ever heard of delivering that amount in cash ! Obviously the murderous terror groups supported by the Ayatollah don't have bank accounts, so Obama facilitated their funding by handing over green-backs.
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  10634. Total pulled out and China stepped in. Well maybe. I think China are also conscious of the consequences of breaking sanctions. "ZTE went into a tailspin, saying last week that it had shut down major operations." That was a big telecoms company the US almost bankrupted.
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  10635. The chain of explosions - they are bags of FSB rice. The FSB plants bags of rice to keep the local police on their toes. Apartment Bombings (1999) just before Putin was elected. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
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  10636. Joshua, hi nice to see speak with you again. Let me summarise Miko Peled's position (I have seen him before) The 3 myths :- 1) the 1948 war of Liberation 2) the existential threat in 1967 (six day war) 3) Israel is a democracy 1) I agree, Israel made it more of a 'war' in 1948 so they could expel Palestinians. There was design in Israel's aggression. But look at what the UN offered , why turn that down ? https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/UN_Palestine_Partition_Versions_1947.jpg 2) I agree again, the threat probably wasn't existential. But there was a bit of a threat so why not take the opportunity to gain lasting security ? 3) I disagree. Israel IS a democracy and the 3rd largest party in the Knesset is Muslim/Arab. Joshua, this is what you will say :- 1)" Why should they accept a UN plan and give up any land ?" Vinm " Because they had NO LAND before". Nobody recognised a Palestinian state. Egypt,Jordan and Syria claimed it and the Ottomans governed it for centuries. There has never been a Palestinian state.
    1
  10637. Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
    1
  10638.  @blephaous244  I'm simply trying to encourage India to join the International Community. If you think it is funny, that India is held in contempt by the Civilized World, then I'm sorry for you. Everyone should try to encourage India to behave with a moral conscience.
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  10639. Macron : "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" (2018) Macron : "Australia is causing a nuclear confrontation with China" Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region Stloltenberg : "France has shown its hand" Macron is like a vindictive schoolgirl Remember the press conference in Kyiv when he threw Zelensky under the bus - saying "You asked me to phone Putin" and jabbing his finger at Zelensky That was an unforgivable indiscretion Then he jabbed a finger at Scholz and referenced Germany in WW2 Macron is a vindictive schoolgirl
    1
  10640. Post AUKUS Macron sided with China He accused Australia of stoking "nuclear conflict" Macron is a vindictive schoolgirl
    1
  10641. 18 Nov 2022 — Australia has entered 'nuclear confrontation' with China, says Emmanuel Macron. Macron is vindictive and a poor ally for the west
    1
  10642.  @The_Stef  Brave ? Why did Macron declare "nuclear neutrality" on 13 Oct 2022 if Russia uses nukes in the region Stoltenberg was shocked, he said, "France has shown its hand" ie France has capitulated again
    1
  10643.  @smftrsddvjiou6443  Well said Some lunatics think Macron is the 'military man'
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  10644. Jeff Hawkins is tops. I make a point of watching him every year, to catch up on new developments.
    1
  10645. LOL Russian junk is getting a pasting in Ukraine (what a shop window) Maybe Russia will find a buyer in Africa or India (they have joke armies).
    1
  10646. Good news ! Erdogan has won in Istanbul ( after suspending counting with 1% of mainly opposition votes to count, he won by 3000 votes out of a city population of 18 million......if you can believe that )
    1
  10647.  Ausgang  , It's my fault : I was aiming for sarcasm but missed by a mile. I actually hate Erdogan : he's an anti-democratic, authoritarian Islamofascist.
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  10648. This is quite diabolical. I've never seen anything like it. He resigns and hides for a week ? US State Dept. say he is being held but won't say where. Now he appears for the 1st time since he resigns and says his family are also being held .......but that he might return to Lebanon as PM. I don't usually swear but WTF !
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  10649. Can a peace deal be reached? No Russia only understands force. The Black Sea fleet should be destroyed using anti-ship missiles. Ukraine has Neptune missiles, these should be supplemented with NATO old stock, then sink the entire Russian fleet.
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  10650. The Ukraine invasion by Russian butchers has created a new world. India has sided with the Axis of Evil : they have chosen the losing side. AUKUS doesn't need India. The QUAD is a pressure group - it is not an alliance. The US spends $755 billion on defence. Bismarck said, "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English", that is the basis for AUKUS. India must employ a moral compass, use its head, look to the future, and get on the winning side.
    1
  10651.  @vitaminprotein9669 " whole world is visiting India at once" That is for 2 reasons :- a) Russia wants India to support its butchery in Ukraine b) The Civilized world finds India's response to be despicable. It wants India to discover its moral compass, to condemn the slaughter of civilians, and to speak up for civilized values.
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  10652.  @Rohan-wc9ms  "what can India do our pm already said to stop war to Russia " Good point. I like India. The EU, NATO and US all look to India with the spirit of democratic fraternity. We all just hoped for a slightly more robust condemnation of Russia.
    1
  10653. Wow, the Russians were dynamite when they invaded Georgia (2008) and super impressive when they stormed Crimea (2014). Little countries, putting up no resistance. Russia should stick to using BUK missiles to shoot down passenger planes (MH17)
    1
  10654. The US will sell you down the river every time. With Lockerbie the US made a deal for their citizens to get compensation and the other victims were left hanging. Never trust the Yanks.
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  10655. Haiti is a simple story : it's about power & corruption Those who don't have power provoke violence Then if they get into power they impose tyrannical rule and start robbing Why ? All nations have a culture, which is developed over centuries Haitian culture is violence and theft
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  10656. Turkey may be in for a shock when they encounter US weapons taking out their tanks. Also anti-aircraft missiles. Also, Turkey are the aggressors and that looks bad in world opinion. All Turkey's neighbours hate Turkey because of its history of brutality and oppression towards them. The EU hate Erdogan and Eastern Europe hate Turkey. I would back the US and Kurds.
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  10657.  @Капитошка-э4м  This war is "The Reckoning", and has been coming for over 200yrs. Ever since 1815, when Tsar Alexander I formed the Holy Alliance to suppress liberal freedom, and representative democracy in Europe.
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  10658.  @POK1111111111  The text was correspondence to Richard Cobden. AJP Taylor doesn't say who it was from - maybe a fellow MP or a constituent. It is certainly NOT propaganda. This is the age of letter writing. One would write propaganda in a pamphlet or newspaper : one wouldn't send a letter to an MP.
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  10659.  @POK1111111111  You seem to forget that 37% of Russians were serfs until 1861. And after that they joined the exploited peasants. Russia has never changed. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
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  10660.  @POK1111111111  Serfs : read "Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow" It describes the abuse of young girls, who were advertised as "having an attractive figure and pretty face". The advertisements were in Russian newspapers (do some research) Russian nobles were just like ISIS selling Yazidi girls.
    1
  10661.  @POK1111111111  If you want to understand the Russian mentality, read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it. Your head is full of propaganda. Don't read Russian schoolbook history. Slave trade : Britain was the last in (Utrecht 1713 Asciendo), and the first out (abolition 1807). Britain and France, then spent £100,000 per year (each) patrolling the Eat coast of Africa to stop the Arab slave trade. Britain 124 cruisers, France 100 cruisers. When General Gordon defeated the Mahdi (1895), his first dispatch included plans for a college at Khartoum. Lord Salisbury said, "It would help spread civilisation". Russia has only ever spread barbarism. Russia's neighbours fear Russia. Russian TV (go watch it) : "We will export grain to countries that support us". Russian shameless blackmail.
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  10662. Chronology 21 Sep 2022 Putin "This time I'm not bluffing" 13 Oct NATO defence summit Brussels 13 Oct evening Macron on TV : "Nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington : US + UK nuclear response to Russia 21 - 24 Oct Gerasimov & Shoigu call the West 4 times in 4 days Russia capitulated I'm amazed nobody else knows this
    1
  10663. French commenters (on France 24) are shamelessly calling for Ukraine to capitulate. France has no shame. Their own history is wince inducing, yet they openly call for other nations to follow their example. (Italy joins them, which must tell you something).
    1
  10664.  @zsarimaxim692  , but Libya, Syria ,Iraq etc don't have transparent democracy. They have a long history of despotism to overcome first. Civilized Democracy takes generations to achieve. China couldn't do it , not for 50yrs at least.
    1
  10665.  Crow29Darkness  , those titles "Great leap Forward" and "Cultural revolution" don't do justice to the slaughter and torture involved. When 60 million died in the "Great Leap Forward" they didn't voluntarily hand over their food. The CCP thugs brutally tortured village leaders. The repression was savage. Tienanmen Square was a picnic in comparison.
    1
  10666.  @zsarimaxim692  , The Axis of Evil = China, North Korea, Russia, Iran etc All anti-democratic, anti-human rights and corrupt. Africa will go the same way and the middle east : despots love Russia and China , corrupt totalitarianism is their preferred option.
    1
  10667.  @otoboochuko236  , "let everyone practice what favours them" Well having their organs harvested doesn't favour Falun Gong. 1,000,000 imprisoned in Xinjiang doesn't favour the detainees. And the victims slaughtered at Tienanmen weren't done any favours.
    1
  10668. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  10669. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
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  10670. 3 sides have to get together and decide who is going to be pushed under the bus. It could be the MBS bodyguard who actually committed the murder or the consulate who witnessed it or the autopsy expert with the bone saw, but someone has to carry the can.
    1
  10671.  @noorahmed5649  Good question Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim brotherhood What's that ? It started in Egypt As the Ottoman empire collapsed (the sick man of Europe), Muslims felt extremely humiliated They sought refuge in 'political Islam' An authoritarian (fascist) organisation that believes "Islam is the solution" Ataturk was the opposite : he believed Islam was the problem - he abolished Islamic courts (Sharia) the Islamic council (Ulema) and Islamic schools. He created Turkey as a western style constitutional democracy Turkey is not perfect, but it's ten times better than any other caliphate despotic country
    1
  10672. Joe Biden : "Thank you" it saves him having to make excuses to keep sanctions on Iran. Even the pusillanimous EU want the Ayatollah to fall. Everyone is sick of the fascist theocratic fanatics in Iran.
    1
  10673.  @andybord4421 , " Money.....that belongs to the Persian people", is what you meant to say. The Persian never elected the fascist Ayatollah, on that we can all agree.
    1
  10674. The Iraqi parliament has 328 seats and Iran control 170. So the vote to incorporate Iranian militia into the Iraqi military was passed with 170 votes in favour. The vote to expel the US was 170 to 0 (only the Iranian block turned up)
    1
  10675. Irony is quality Russia has always gone big on. Stalin is the "Father of the nation" : having extirpated a 1/5th of the people. Patriarch Kiril is the ungodly, Rolex-watch-wearing pontiff : Glasnost files exposed him as a KGB agent, informing on his cleric and parishioners. The Moscow Police were christened "The werewolves within" during the 1990s that was after their rampage of rape and murder on the population they were supposed to protect. Irony is part of Russian culture.
    1
  10676. Russia , the gangster state run by ex-KGB thugs, what did you expect. Drunken separatists + KGB gangsters = war crimes
    1
  10677. D-Day landings LOL Russia has retreated from Snake Island, and withdrawn its fleet from Sevastopol. Russia is in full retreat, it couldn't stage an amphibious assault on Leggoland.
    1
  10678. Russian.... Maskirovka = deception
    1
  10679. Archbishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela were the protest leaders opposing Apartheid. Where is the equivalent in Palestine ? Yasser Arafat ? He was a despotic crook who stole $3 billion. Where is the Imam to play the role of Tutu ? Those are the questions Palestinians should ask, when they throw their lot in with fascist terrorists (Hamas).
    1
  10680.  @spartanconscience2693  Casualties were helped by Stalin. Even when the Russians were retreating, they had two cattle trucks full of prisoners destined for the Gulags. So they used 100 gallons of valuable Kerosene to burn the trucks with prisoners inside. Read "Gulag Archipelago" Solzhenitsyn "Stalin turned the Russian people into a jelly he could mould" Alexander Kejove. Stalin then killed 50 million civilians. Between 4-10 million in Holodomor
    1
  10681. Al-Shifa is a hornets nest of terrorism
    1
  10682. Ahhh, think about it. If one were hiring a bunch of thugs for a coup, one wouldn't expose oneself to them. One would use at least two 3rd parties. The top men would only ever verbally communicate with their executives. The executives would sound out operatives. The operatives would hire the mercenaries. It is very likely much more complicated than that.
    1
  10683. I hope the Turkish Lira crashes.
    1
  10684. China support shooting protestors : they wrote the handbook at Tienanmen Square.
    1
  10685.  @reremouse1157  , there are many types of brainwashing, e.g. :- a) Pakistan madrasa educate boys for Jihad. b) China's Xinjiang camps educate a million Muslims to reject their culture. Or, the type you have been subjected to c) denial of the full story through China's strict censorship and prejudiced schooling.
    1
  10686. A textbook example of post-colonial meltdown. Zimbabwe has displayed economic meltdown, South Africa displays social meltdown, Afghanistan military meltdown. It takes 500yrs to create a civilized country.
    1
  10687.  @shamzastocrat7698  You wouldn't say that if you were a Uyghur sitting in a Chinese concentration camp.
    1
  10688.  Aryan nation  , I'm all in favour of stopping murder. But are Hamas going to accomplish a settlement ? Or Fatah ? What was the big idea of Yasser Arafat : double cross everyone you deal with with lies and deception, steal $3 billion to buy your friends and pay-off your enemies. I know what a settlement looks like : a) Democracy in Israel AND Palestine is a must : you can't deal with corrupt despots. b) accountability & transparency, independent judiciary, secular government c) successful integrated economy. I don't think you get any of those with an Intifada.
    1
  10689. Harassment videos are MUCH more effective than Hamas rockets. What Palestine needs is "World Opinion" How do you think the ANC defeated Apartheid ? World Opinion, international boycotts, etc Hamas are a disaster for Palestine (and Fatah are only slightly better). I've been saying for years that Palestine needs a charismatic female leader (Like New Zealand).
    1
  10690.  @mohamedbahaa734  , How do you think Martin Luther King was heard, or Nelson Mandela ? Hamas are a PR disaster. Palestine's 75yrs of 'bad luck' is actually one PR disaster after another. When you finally realise nothing can be achieved without world opinion, then you will end the run of failure.
    1
  10691.  @dianalazaru  Well observed. The Hamas leader gave a press conference and mention God 11 times in 5 mins. Even the moronic Ayatollah knows better than that : he never mentions God to the world media. He saves that for his Iranian cranks.
    1
  10692.  @Галина-с6ф6к  After Napoleon Bonaparte wrested control of revolutionary France, he sought to reconstruct a French Empire. In May of 1802 he restored slavery and the slave trade in France and its colonies, spurring new waves of violence in the Caribbean.
    1
  10693.  @pierrefraisse8610  Thanks. May I add an aside on that thought. In the 1895 Venezuela crisis the British cabinet idly speculated what might happen if things came to war. One minister suggested a 3 pronged attack - from Canada, Boston, and a landing in New York. Another minister suggested there could be "a massive uprising of Red Indians". It is curious to note that folk were unaware just how few indians were left at that stage.
    1
  10694. An interesting statistic : the entire Turkish stock market is worth less than Netflix. Also, a commodity lacking in Turkey is goodwill : ie all Turkey's neighbours hate Turkey. The EU, NATO , the US, Russia etc Turkey is well isolated.
    1
  10695. Why have Germany and France switched sides ? When Russia invaded they both decided on appeasement - Germany sabotaged weapons deliver from Britain and Estonia, Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". They both considered Crimea to be de facto Russian territory. Why have they now sided with Ukraine ? Because by offering a carrot to Moscow France & Germany were prolonging the war.
    1
  10696. Hot air. China has witnessed the dismal performance of its ally (Russia) and the Politburo of the CCP wonders whether its own army is just as $hit.
    1
  10697. Turgenev's Grandma lost her temper and struck a serf-boy. He fell to the ground wounded, which so enraged her, she jumped on top of him with a cushion and suffocated him. A simple domestic murder. That was Russia in 1850 and that is Russia in Bucha - murderers by nature.
    1
  10698.  @tiburciomendez9670  Putin cannot afford to let Kherson fall - he will keep feeding the Russian inferno. I heard someone explain this, I think General Keane or a Pentagon source. All the advantages are on Ukraine's side, Russia is being slaughtered. It makes sense to slowly advance and let Russia feed in more and more resources for annihilation. It is much easier to destroy Russia in Kherson than in Donbas.
    1
  10699. France 24 naivete ! These are peace negotiations - following on from 21 and 23 Oct Shoigu phone calls. Putin's nuclear bluff was called on 19 Oct when Ben Wallace flew to Washington for discussions "beyond belief" Even Russian TV knows that !
    1
  10700. Israel's Plan :- To gradually push Palestinians south Egypt doesn't want them, nobody does So Israel will ferry them to the West Bank The UN will establish a giant refugee camp in the West Bank, with prefab buildings & tents Israel will then spend 2 years routing out tunnels and terrorist nests Gaza will never go back to being how it was
    1
  10701. Rotten to the core. I pity the people but it takes generations to establish a civilized government and S America has had a terrible start. It began with colonisation by Castile. Not Spain : Spain was an association of regions , for instance Aragon had Mediterranean trading colonies and each had its own parliament modelled on Aragon's. Castile ,by contrast, was authoritarian and absolutist. It was that absolutism that was transferred to S America . It segued into military dictatorship and is still present today in $hithole corrupt governments.
    1
  10702. This is sad : even the Taliban are becoming Enlightened. They were the last remaining medieval morons. We've lost a slice of living history.
    1
  10703. .....and MH17, what about all those deaths ? The Kremlin supplied the BUK missile, and drunken Russian thugs fired it.
    1
  10704.  @genghissmith4949  I can't find the clip : it's the press conference for the release of his documentary. "So what ?" you ask. Well it isn't a one-off. After he lost to Ted Cruz he runs on stage and shouts "I £ucking love you guys". So when you see that you think : that's presidential material. Trump will anihialate him. Beto did well against Ted Cruz because millions hate Ted Cruz and they had Beto to vote for. That's it. He got the Cruz haters : anyone can do that.
    1
  10705.  @genghissmith4949  , maybe he didn't care his daughter was listening. Like when he ran on stage and shouted ,"I £ucking love you guys". That will go down well with adult voters.
    1
  10706.  @levitd  , a great example of the F- word used in extremis between two adults. But have you ever been shopping and seen a father use the F-word in front of his daughter and felt disgust : that's what Beto did. He was talking about his documentary (about him, everything is about him.....going into the woods to find HIMself etc; the world revolves around Beto ) and asked why he allowed the cameras so much access said, "I thought what the £uck". The kids like it but not adult voters.
    1
  10707.  @levitd  , you are quite right but elections are won on trivial details : the JFK Nixon debate , JFK wore make-up and Nixon didn't. One of them looked shocking under studio lights and lost the election by a smidgen.
    1
  10708.  @ahmedhussain9095  , I agree that was a provocation. But the Israeli police would say "Palestinians threw stones at Jews praying below, then threw stones when the police arrived". I'm talking about the first strike in the "war". That was Hamas rockets fired at 6:01pm Monday 10th May.
    1
  10709.  @farrwest8034  When I say "conflict", I mean this episode. The mini-war of May 2021 It was started by Hamas at 6:01pm Monday 10th May
    1
  10710.  @ahmedhussain9095  You have a good point. But the 3rd largest party in the Knesset is Arab - that is democracy. Look at any Middle East country, and try to find one with a parliament, then try to find one with a Christian or non-Muslim party that is the 3rd largest. In 1948 many Palestinians were forced from their homes. The only excuse would be that the Palestinians refused Jewish immigration - which led to riots, battles and a war.
    1
  10711.  @VajrahahaShunyata  , I've been saying that all week. The conflict started at 6:01pm Monday 10th May when Hamas fired the first rockets. Hamas had given Israel a deadline to vacate the Al-Aqsa precincts. The Israeli police were there because :- The end of Ramadan coincided with a right-wing Jewish parade (Jerusalem Day?) So 200 Palestinians decided to defend the mosque from any right-wing invasion. Whilst they were there (with rocks in their pockets, for the right-wingers), they decided to sling a few at Jews praying below. The Police came. The Palestinians threw stones at the police then took shelter in the mosque. The police followed them in. This is just for historical reference.
    1
  10712.  @najmaalikhan  "Accompanied by his First Chamberlain, the bandmaster, his doctor, two confidential secretaries, a valet, a barber and two eunuchs, he supervised the packing of trunks with jewels and precious stones, including a small gold table. At 6am two British ambulances with Red Cross markings took them to General Sir Charles Harrington's house for a breakfast of eggs and bacon." General Sir Charles Harrington witnessed the flight of the Sultan and wrote a report about it. I read the book by Lord Kinross "The Ottoman centuries". 1920 Jews elect General Assembly. I think I found that on Wikipedia. 1920 British install a Mufti in Jerusalem. Wikipedia again. Why does Israel oppress Palestinians ? Good question. There are interviews with Israeli veterans from 1948, who say they were very uncomfortable expelling Palestinians. I think it came from a recognition by the Jews that they could easily be wiped out. Later on, after the 6 Day (1967) war and Yom Kippur (1973), the Jews believed they needed the Golan Heights and West Bank to be secure. I think the Jews believed that a two-state solution would simply be allowing a 5th column to assist any Arab army in a future war.
    1
  10713.  @stevendelucas6311  your comment will be removed shortly. Anyone who states facts about Hamas firing rockets after their deadline expired has the comment removed. Qatar fund Hamas & own Al-Jazeera. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize Al-Jazeera are hand-in-glove with Hamas.
    1
  10714. Underdog, the politicians may give free money but it's the PEOPLE that vote for them. Just as in Greece with corruption. Just as in Russia with a gangster state or Zimbabwe or S Africa. It is the people who are to blame. Tolstoy decried the Great Man theory of history : he believed it was the common mass of people who determined events in history . How right he was.
    1
  10715. Underdog, interesting that about the Unions. Venezual did rely on oil : Chavez nationalised every industry that was profitable, created many jobs which made the industries unprofitable and propped up by oil money. Then when oil prices fall the country has no tax revenue from elsewhere.
    1
  10716. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  10717. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  10718. Very insightful. Noam Chomsky said the same thing about institutionalised culture, how it becomes self-perpetuating without being directed or organised.
    1
  10719. How about someone interesting ? Why should the Republicans have all the fun. Let's pick someone who sends comical tweets someone good with nicknames who can make us laugh
    1
  10720. Tornado, are you only 24 ? You mean you don't remember Watergate or Vietnam or the oil crisis. Is that all ancient history ? Anyway, I'm digressing. I only mention the old names because I don't know who the new liars are.
    1
  10721. 1:00 What is the Rabbi doing ? Has he won a seat - surely not. Unless Israel wants to confront the Iranian Ayatollah with an old duffer of their own.
    1
  10722. "There's 100 years of history" 1922 caliphate collapses (Ottoman Empire) League of Nations grants Mandates to France & Britain Britain appoints a Grand Mufti of Jerusalem The Mufti looks to Damascus for leadership 1948 Israel independence Egypt attacks Israel and loses 1967 Six Day War : Israel extends its territory 1973 Yom Kippur war 1988 Palestine declares itself a state Why so long ? Because they looked to Damascus, then they sort leadership from Nasser Arab League and looked to Cairo, only after everything else had failed did they declare themselves independent and declare Jerusalem to be their capital
    1
  10723. Congratulations to Ukraine - liberated 1000sq miles. (No thanks to France & Germany. Macron will be consoling Putin by phone) Why does France dislike NATO ? de Gaulle "France cannot be France without greatness" : France must dominate any organisation. France was a founder member of the European Defence Community (1950) : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." When did the French superiority complex begin ? In the 18thC France dominated the civilized world :- a) Louis XIV dominated Europe militarily b) French fashion, literature and architecture. c) The lingua franca spoken from Moscow to London to Constantinople (where France dominated le Porte) d) ideas : Diderot, Voltaire. The Encyclopedia and enlightened ideas. (Of course England had the Royal Society 1660, and Francis Bacon- 1620 Novo Organum) France missed out on the New world, Francis being obsessed with Italy, and North America ended up speaking Anglo Saxon for which France has never forgiven anyone.
    1
  10724. Israel accepted the Paris deal, it was Hamas that added delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are non-starters" Why does France 24 insist it is Israel blocking a deal ?
    1
  10725.  @enlightingfear144  Lebanon ? Every independent analyst blames Hezbollah. Hezbollah control the finance ministry and refuse to move. Iran backed Hezbollah have been the ruination of Lebanon. I'm amazed you didn't know that.
    1
  10726.  @abdulazizalzut8963  Of the 130 remaining hostages it is believed 70 of them are already dead. That is why Hamas will NOT release a list of living hostages - because most of them are dead already
    1
  10727. @Alex , the Jesuits ruled through the young nobility they had educated. That is how the Counter-reformation was prosecuted in Poland. Prior to the arrival of Jesuits papal emissaries were told to leave by Polish rulers because they were sowing unrest (trying to turn religions against one-another). Ask yourself how did Poland become almost totally catholic ? Because just like fanatical Islamic countries they attacked and expelled other religions (thanks to the Jesuits).
    1
  10728. @Alex , I've only ever read one history book on Poland, it was by Adam Zamyski. However, that appears to be one more book than you've read. You seem to know nothing. Just glance at Wikipedia.... "Success of the counter-reformation in Poland can be attributed to the vigorous activities of the Jesuits". LOL you are living in a jingoistic dreamland.
    1
  10729. @Alex , you've a lot of reading to do.
    1
  10730. @Alex When you go back to school in September ask your teacher about the Jesuits.
    1
  10731. Why have Germany and France switched sides ? When Russia invaded they both decided on appeasement - Germany sabotaged weapons deliver from britain and Estonia, macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". They both considered Crimea to be de facto Russian territory. Why have they now sided with Ukraine ? Because by offering a carrot to Moscow France & Germany were prolonging the war.
    1
  10732. The Ayatollah believes in the 12th Imam, who arrives after Armageddon. Having a religious fruitcake with his finger on the nuclear button should frighten everyone. But Obama had to justify his Nobel Prize, so he handed the Ayatollah $18 billion in cash, in return for a deal. Security was sold down the river.
    1
  10733. China are not the ones who will be blamed for nothing. They've told Kim to demand US military be withdrawn from S Korea.
    1
  10734. Just like Africa, South America will always struggle with corruption and despotism
    1
  10735. The shame is on India for giving Moscow a nod & wink. Shame on India. (and they picked the losing side LOL)
    1
  10736. Well researched. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    1
  10737. Ha ha ha, I think Russia has had enough of war. LOL Russia will not fight another war for 50yrs It will take two generations to recover from this debacle. Russia has been utterly humiliated.
    1
  10738.  @m4tt0902  , I don't want to look wise after the fact, so I'll predict now that Rory Stewart will win.
    1
  10739.  @ukgraffitiwalker8846  , I think I am too (wrong that is)
    1
  10740.  @prockdkjones  , fair enough I was wrong. But have you seen who he is up against ? I don't mean Corbyn. I mean the Professionals : Rory Stewart, Hammond, Ruth Davison and millionaire donors. All those Tories with credibility, those who are likeable not rabid-fanatics. Boris won't last long.....mark my words.
    1
  10741.  MR PIMP  , I can't wait to come back to this thread when the pendulum swings in my favour. (Give it 12 months)
    1
  10742. Doesn't this just kick the can down the road ? One has to ask how the molecules formed in space, or on Mars, or in the Asteroid belt or wherever. Personally, I'd look to black smokers on the ocean floor.
    1
  10743. So it's Sleepy Joe and Phoney Kamala. Sounds good........for trump.
    1
  10744. As long as someone else does the fighting. The Saudi cannot fight. Saudis are fat, flabby , indolent, corrupt and soft.
    1
  10745. God bless NATO Also, God bless AUKUS : because if Nancy Pelosi kicks things off with China, it will be AUKUS that subdues the paper dragon.
    1
  10746. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  10747. Russian TV : "The WEst are trying to revenge Russian victories at Borodino (1812) and Stalingrad (1943) " France won at Borodino ! Then marched on Moscow. Unfortunately it was a Pyrrhic victory - Napoleon lost so many men they had to withdraw.
    1
  10748. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  10749.  @SpbNova  Yorkshire.
    1
  10750.  @SpbNova  Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  10751. 8 Oct Guterres defends Hamas Now Guterres urges funding for UNRWA terrorist The UN is 100% pro-Hamas It is a disgrace to fund UNRWA when they participated in the massacre
    1
  10752. No change will result. Just musical chairs, with France orchestrating. The people want a new system but Macron wants "deep reform" ie the existing political establishment must pull their socks up.
    1
  10753. Unlikely invasion....correct. Russia are building houses for the troops, they intend to keep the pressure up for months.
    1
  10754. NATO was a football team with nobody to play. Putin provided a tournament and NATO are now on their victory lap of honour. No wonder the Kremlin are trying to change the narrative. Putin is the last of the Asiatic Autocrats.
    1
  10755. A very brave man. When the Kremlin try to kill you, you know they are rattled.
    1
  10756. Arab nations will NOT call for Hamas hostages to be freed The ICJ demanded that But Arab nations support Hamas rape, murder and abduction Shame on Arab nations
    1
  10757. The Bedouin left Palestine virtually depopulated It's like the Mongols today - folks feel sorry for them But when the boot was on the other foot - Bedouin would enter a village steal the livestock and take female children It left Judea empty
    1
  10758. Occupying/settling in Gaza - might as well wait till Nov If Trump comes in then Gaza is up for grabs
    1
  10759. "Iranian woman dies after falling into coma following assault from ‘morality police’ over hijab" India's new ally in the SCO (Axis of Evil)
    1
  10760.  Ευαγγελος Αγγελος  Circassian. Do a Google search and compare images. Ataturk is clearly of Circassian descent.
    1
  10761. Shame on IRAN for funding terrorism and massacre
    1
  10762. Well said Netanyahu is a war leader !
    1
  10763.  @yassinejmix5115  There has NEVER been a Palestinian state In the Ottoman empire all land was owned by the Sultan who was "Our Lord on earth" 1922 Ottoman empire collapses 1924 Caliphate collapse Britain appointed a Grand Mufti to lead Palestinians 1948 Arab Israeli war : the Mufti looked to Damascus as the Palestinin capital 1967 Six Day war : the PLO looked to Cairo Arab League Nasser 1988 Palestinians declare a state Why did it take so long ? Because Palestinians have NEVER been a state
    1
  10764.  @yassinejmix5115  Well said The Ottoman empire collapse in 1922 (the Caliphate in 1924) Syria, Egypt and Jordan all claimed Palestine Zionists were already bent on establishing a state Palestinian were more clan based - rivalry with opposing clans ruined any nationalist movement
    1
  10765.  @duderespect6077  , thanks I'll add a third comment :- Consider this, when someone walks into the polling booth do they say to themselves , "Oh, nothing was proven in court : I'll vote for the corrupt candidate" Or do they smell rat and vote for someone else.
    1
  10766. Is India's neutrality on Ukraine backfiring? You bet. Liberals in the West are eagerly anticipating India's comeuppance.
    1
  10767. What happened to the tank ? It looks like it hit a sink-hole (or one hell of a mine)
    1
  10768. After capitalism ? AI There will be only one AI, not multiple version (US, China, Russia etc) Which will make market trading redundant : like everyone playing chess with the same super-computer. There is no longer any competition. Everyone is making the right move. That's the end of capitalism.
    1
  10769. The Russian will soon be getting those back Live, and dropping right on top of them
    1
  10770. Truce is more unlikely - the UN has encouraged Hamas to "take a tougher stance"
    1
  10771. Will Hunter Biden be going ? It is a good opportunity for him to profit from his pater's position.
    1
  10772. Guterres is the problem - he's hand-in-glove with Palestinian terrorists His first speech after 7 Oct was to exonerate Hamas Then we discover UNRWA is funding Jihadi schools Then UN hospitals are filmed hiding hostages (then denying it, and destroying evidence) The UN is a corrupt joke
    1
  10773. St Francis saved the citizens from a wolf, by agreeing to give it regular meals, "Give me your paw", said St Francis. Macron needs to go to the Kremlin and ask Putin to stop terrorizing his neighbours, by agreeing generous gas-payments. "Give me your paw", Macron will say, as they sign the deal.
    1
  10774. What does a losing strategy look like ? It looks like Hamas : a fascist terror group, hated by the civilized world, hell-bent on a violent solution. It looks like Fatah : a corrupt faux-democratic oligarchy, lording it over their fiefdom. It looks like Yasser Arafat : a despot who ruled for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. In short, ask the Palestinians about losing strategies, they are experts.
    1
  10775. Arab TV asked Hamas "Did you expect this response ?" Hamas : "Nobody expected this. The United States sent 2 aircraft carriers to start a world war against a MOVEMENT." Hamas is using the phrase coined by Western liberals - Hamas is a movement it can't be defeated Hamas is now using that in its defence Well done UN, Eu and France for defending Hamas
    1
  10776. Russian TV likened the Special Operation to de-worming a cat. "To the doctor it is an operation, but to the worms it is war"
    1
  10777.  alterdestiny  , "How are you guys supporting them ?" That is a fair question and would cause many armchair revolutionaries to blush. But I'll give two examples of how sofa-support can be effective :- a) social media, voicing opinion , criticising Police violence and encouraging the protestors. b) public opinion : simply doing nothing other than being a statistical increment in the 70% who oppose the establishment elite.
    1
  10778. Curious - monetary collapse, and BBC Steve Rosenberg reported Russian papers saying the USSR may return in 2025 Maybe there is a connection
    1
  10779.  @Cortesevasive  Asia is very ill-informed. They are biased, but mostly they are simply wrong or half-baked.
    1
  10780. Groucho, you are lucky to have the luxury to ignore injustices in shithole countries. Lucky you that you can put your feet up in a free democracy. You can polish your principles and pat yourself on the back. Meanwhile other people suffer. Jacob Zuma facing 726 corruption charges refuses to step down. And all you want to do is criticise Trump.
    1
  10781. Flame, so in Chechnya the Police fire air-rifles at any women not wearing headscarves. And you don't think that is a shithole country ? Al-Jazeera went to Iran to interview people about the protests and could find no one prepared to talk.....even those who marched in SUPPORT of the government : they are all too afraid. And you don't think that is a shithole country ?
    1
  10782. Flame, when you turn a blind eye to the injustice in the world and sit comfortably with your principles you are being a good friend to all those countries that oppress their people. Go and review your comment history and see how many times you've criticised dictators........I'll bet 90% of your comments are Libtard.
    1
  10783. Flame, did you post a comment anywhere criticising UN staff (from shithole countries) raping their employees ? Of course you didn't. Your attitude is the same as the WHO when they appointed Robert Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador.
    1
  10784. A Cambridge female professor refused to take male Indian students after a series of gang-rapes. She blamed the whole country for its culture. Of course you would call that discriminatory because you're a LIBTARD. Flame, your attitude perpetuates oppression. Sharia law requires 2 witnesses for rape and says a man can divorce by simply by saying it 3 times. You don't condemn Islam because you say that is discriminatory. Your LIBTARD mentality perpetuates other people's suffering. Other people pay for your principles.
    1
  10785. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  10786.  @Orlington17  The trenches won't be used to stop Russia, they are only there to monitor the demarcation line with Donbas. The real war is already being fought on simulators by technicians. When Russian tanks start rolling the US locate them and pass the info to Rapier teams, who launch them without being seen, hit the target then move on. If there are 10 teams hitting 4 targets a day, that is 40 tanks a day Russia lose. That soon demoralizes the tank crews : they don't feel so hot for day 2.
    1
  10787. Putin's psychology :- Putin hasn't liquidised any of his own assets : he could personally provide 2 Wagner divisions. Why would Putin go nuclear when he hasn't even put his hand in his pocket ? The invasion required 1.5 million, Putin used 150k The whole enterprise is being conducted on the cheap. Schools are crowd-funding drones for the army. Medvedev could sell a palace and fund a division - the Kremlin aren't personally impoverishing themselves at all. Why would they go nuclear ? Putin gambled on a cheap invasion, and followed it up with a cheap bluff.
    1
  10788. I fear N Korea are paying Trump for a Patsy. They will offer full denuclearistion and allow inspection is Trump removes the military base from S Korea. N Korea will be supported by China and Russia and Trump looks like the stumbling block to peace : he has egg on his face. Russia & China will then remove their sanctions because Kim has made the offer. Kim keeps his nukes and has sanctions removed.
    1
  10789. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  10790. DW assume Hamas will be gone Wrong Hamas will remain in the south as an impediment to a 2-state solution Hamas are like bubonic plague - they poison the Palestinian cause Why would Israel remove them completely (So the PA can make a fresh start ? Why reward the PA ?)
    1
  10791. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  10792. Those injured were shot in the legs. They are "wounded" Those who were killed died in a stampede Hamas are spreading lies as usual and Western media repeats Hamas propaganda
    1
  10793. Fear, Confidence and Civilisation. Russia is fearful of invasion, sanctions, and "being cancelled" by LGBT and modernization. By contrast, the Western civilisation is confident - it mocks itself. When the war started, Australians declared "Toxic masculinity comes to the rescue". The west sees its faults and allows criticism and humour. Putin jokes, in a phone call with Macron, about "raping" Ukraine. Russia has no humour and no tolerance : it is a civilisation of fear. Confidence indicates a thriving culture and fear signifies a culture which knows it is doomed.
    1
  10794.  @muhammadrizky3171  Yes, India do feel historically indebted to Russia. But India is making a big mistake : Russia is becoming a $hithole country. It's influence and technology are 3rd rate. The USA has 11 aircraft carrier strike groups, and 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. It spends $775 billion on defence. Russia is a backwards, bankrupt nothing. India has allied itself to a corpse.
    1
  10795.  @textech4056  LOL I never mentioned the meek. Also, my quote is from the western "Ride the High Country". Joel Mc Cray delivers the line as he sits for supper with his deeply religious host. As the host says grace, he asks God to forgive those sinners trading in gold. Randolph Scott says, "I thank you for putting in a good word on our behalf".
    1
  10796. Imagine how bad it will get when the ANC get voted out of power. The NC will destroy South Africa before they leave office. Zuma said, "The ANC will rule until the second coming of Jesus". (Who said the corrupt old thug doesn't have a sense of humour).
    1
  10797. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  10798. Well done Turkey. Well done Erdoğan (you old rogue) However, Russia never negotiates in good faith. Prepare for a second round of Russian aggression.
    1
  10799.  @drunkbee880  Look at the number of civilians killed - of course IRGC snipers are killing Iranian civilians. The Ayatollah is a fanatical theocratic fascist.
    1
  10800. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  10801. Israel's stance is as disgusting as India's.
    1
  10802. A lot of these ideas are featured in my video "Industrial Revolution Why Britain ?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdP0CdyJ1k&t=17s
    1
  10803. If you are too busy here's a summary :- a) Trade & competition b) Laws and governance c) Dynamism & Engagement d) Financial and commercial infrastructure e) Agricultural revolution
    1
  10804. These properties are known as "Canonical Conjugates".
    1
  10805. No mention of CCP under-reporting cases. The people know their government are the World no. 1 liar. That is why they are afraid. Never trust the CCP.
    1
  10806.  @AA-dh5gt  Well said, good analysis. The 30yrs war (1618-48) devastated Europe and was entirely caused by Jesuits and the Catholic Church. After that Europeans saw the Church as Uttley discredited and turned to the Enlightenment. This coincided with Ottoman defeat at Vienna (1683) and Zenta (1697) and the humiliating Treaty of Karlowitz (1699) where the Ottomans started to contract. Dumping religion was the best thing Europe ever did.
    1
  10807. The US don't need to do anything in Iran. Iran are up to their necks in quicksand and there's no light at the end of the tunnel. Inflation is 50% and the GDP down -6%.........it will only get worse. All the Yanks need do is watch. And the Revolutionary Guard are a gift to the US : their aggressive terrorism makes the civilized West roll their eyes in despair.
    1
  10808. Never thought I'd say this ,"Well done France". They've seen through the smoke & Mirrors : China is proposing a new global governance based on it's totalitarian, corrupt government and fuelled by exponentially rising debt. We should all tell them to go get £ucked.
    1
  10809.  @masoodjalal1152  , are you saying fanatical Mullahs have been good for Pakistan. Jinnah wanted Islam out of politics just as Ataturk did when he overthrew the medieval governance of Turkey.
    1
  10810. Has anyone put 2+2 together ? Remember when Trump Jr released all those emails implicating himself and everyone thought he was nuts . Well if he took the Russian lawyer up to see Trump then his actions make sense. He's saying, "You've got me on a minor charge let's end there". Also, recall Trump writing the press release on Air Force 1. This hardly involved Trump and was fairly minor....unless the Russian lawyer actually came up to speak to Trump and he's been lying for months.
    1
  10811. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  10812. US general Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  10813.  @j0nnybrd  Biden has just said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats". I don't think a nuclear exchange is at all likely. Thank God the Yanks have the guts to face down the Kremlin thugs. One Kremlin thug had his plane delayed in Poland and said, "Next time I'll come back on a nuclear bomber". That is how the Moscow Mafia talk : they are simply barbaric thugs.
    1
  10814. LOL Hezbollah refuse to relinquish the Finance Ministry, Lebanon is on its financial knees, and protestors are the terrorists. LOL - coming from Hezbollah - the butchers of the Middle East.
    1
  10815. Hamas has destroyed Gaza Oct 7th massacre set the Palestinians' on the road to doom
    1
  10816. Guterres is pro-Hamas and pro-Kremlin He is a Leftist Lunatic
    1
  10817. I like Frank Ledwidge, he tells it like it is.
    1
  10818. Lloyd Austin and Blinken have recognised Ukraine's victory. They are talking about "Supplying Ukraine with weapons to avoid and future invasions" Even the Kremlin know they have lost : they have called a ceasefire in Mariupol, and Putin has asked the UN to call for a ceasefire. Russia is desperate.
    1
  10819.  @suleymanhuracanevo6312  Russia has already retreated from land the size of Denmark. They lost 5 ships taking Snake Island : they have now withdrawn, not only from Snake Island but from Sevastopol, they have also removed fighter jets from Crimea : Russia is already in full retreat.
    1
  10820.  @OBCBTTB  Interesting but wrong. Your focus is too narrow - this problem is centuries old, it goes back to Ivan III (1480) when he finally liberated Russia from 250yrs of dominance by Genghis Khan's Golden Horde. Russia is an Asiatic Autocracy. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality : Russia's personality is psychotic, paranoid, with delusional grandeur coupled to feelings of inferiority : they are mentally unstable, and have been for centuries. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  10821. This is a pantomime. The UK isn't interested in its tanker. The agenda had been changed.....Iran is the gangster state. Previously Iran had been the victim of US bullying , unilateral withdrawal. Now, nobody is talking about an EU sanctions-bypass mechanism. Iran's economy has crashed , the tanker issue paints Iran as the rogue state it couldn't be better LOL
    1
  10822. Putin waits until the war is lost, then asks China for drones. Why doesn't India ask China for drones, instead of relying on Russian junk ? Putin is a jackass, and he has a clown for a friend in Modi. Russia has made a drone, it was dismantled and found to contain 100% European parts. Russia can't even cobble together a drone, and yet India is totally reliant upon Russian technology. Wake up India, you have made a monumental mistake.
    1
  10823. Iran will bring in Hezbollah. Like they did in 1999 and 2009. Hezbollah will beat and kill the protesters.
    1
  10824. "For the first time" ? Russia has been killing civilians for weeks.
    1
  10825.  @laithr7228  My point is that the Ayatollah Khomeini (long before nuclear weapons) said ,"We will wipe Israel off the map". It is Iran's dream ........ “This sinister regime must be wiped off the map and this is no longer … a dream [but] it is an achievable goal,” Major General Hossein Salami was quoted saying by the IRGC’s Sepah news site. The fascist theocracy of Iran have always dreamed of destroying Israel. This is why Iran must NEVER become a nuclear state.
    1
  10826.  @ariamaher4353  But Israel doesn't want to exterminate Iran. On the other hand, Iran are constantly saying "Wipe Israel off the map". Israel is interested in defence : that is why it threatens to strike Iran, before Iran develops nuclear weapons with which to eradicate Israel. The Palestinian case is a whole 'nother ball game'. Yaser Arafat was the corrupt crook who ruled for 40yrs as a despot and threw away the chance for peace. Arafat stole $3 billion : he was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month. Historians said, "Arafat never missed the opportunity to miss an opportunity"
    1
  10827.  @h.n1977  My comment was about the fascist Ayatollah acquiring nuclear weapons to "wipe Israel off the map". But I'm happy to address the Palestinian issue :- In 2000 at Camp David, Arafat turned down a 2-state solution. Arafat was the worst thing that ever happened to the Palestinians : he stole $3 billion and ruled as a despot for 40yrs. In the 1970s he was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month (that's where the Gulf oil money went). Arafat always put himself first, and would call an Intifada just to keep himself in power.
    1
  10828.  @yusufm4965  I think you are deliberately missing the point :- a) Israel's threat is to destroy the Ayatollah's nuclear capability, BECAUSE the fascist theocracy has always said it intends to "wipe Israel off the map" b) the Ayatollah's threat (right from 1978) is to "Wipe Israel off the map". The head of the IRGC said, "This is no longer a dream but a reality" Iran intends to exterminate Israel. Israel wants to defend itself.
    1
  10829.  @yusufm4965  "Iran hasn't done it yet" (exterminated Israel). That is a great comfort : the Israelis can relax, it has happened yet - oh joy, great news. Might as well let the fascist Ayatollah have some nuclear bombs.
    1
  10830.  @yusufm4965  I think you may be mistaken, or maybe you are being partial in your history. "Foreign Minister Golda Meir In her autobiography “My Life” devotes several chapters to “African and other friends." She swore never to visit South Africa until apartheid was abolished." "During a 1982 debate in the Knesset on the first Lebanon war, Menachem Begin extolled the Zionist enterprise, claiming that its goals included assisting the black people of Africa in their struggle." " Israel did not hesitate to support the sanctions that were imposed on South Africa in 1961, and it was one of the few states to recognize Biafra when it pulled away from Nigeria." The best evidence for the mutual respect between the two liberation movements can be found in Mandela’s own memoirs. He relates that during his struggles he studied Begin’s book “The Revolt," which described the liberation campaign of the [pre-state underground militia] Irgun (Etzel) against the British.
    1
  10831.  @lambert801  Nonsense. In 1978 Khomeini said the mission of the fascist Islamic Republic was to "Wipe Israel off the map" Everyone knows the Ayatollah and his fascist thugs are the aggressors.
    1
  10832.  @mohammad-alhussainawi2004  "support the country of Palestine " I agree, just as the West supported an end to Apartheid in South Africa. The West didn't vow to exterminate the Afrikaners (white Dutch settlers). That would have been genocidal. Only the Ayatollah, and his genocidal fascist thugs, threaten to exterminate another country.
    1
  10833. Ebrahim Raisi is the favourite. He was the architect of the 1988 purge, when thousands were killed and tortured. "Mahmoud Royaee, another political prisoner interrogated by Raisi during the execution of up to 30,000 opposition activists in a 1988 purge, said Raisi once handed down a death sentence to an inmate who was in the midst of an epileptic fit."
    1
  10834. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    1
  10835. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, then quietly become a $hithole country.
    1
  10836. Putin's "Rape Joke" about Ukraine :- President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. "Tough it out, beautiful" about Ukraine's alleged reluctance to comply " 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' They must be fulfilled. It won't work otherwise." Putin said of the comments :- ‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it’ The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ".
    1
  10837. In February Germany thought Russia would be victorious so hedged its bets in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany was then forced to supply some weapons, always with great reluctance. Never at its own initiative. Never a team player.
    1
  10838. Hamas, founded in 1987, is the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt hates Hamas. Israel saved the King of Jordan in 1971 as the PLO/Fatah tried to oust the Royal family. Jordan also hates Hamas. Fatah hates Hamas. Why do the Palestinians support Hamas ? Answer : Education. The caliphate banned printing in 1515, and when the Ottomans collapsed in the 1920s Palestine was 95% illiterate. It wasn't until the western educated PLO (Arafat) in the 1960s that the idea of nationalism took hold. This is shockingly late in the day. Compare America : in 1640 the settlers decreed every 50 man colony had to have a teacher, so children could read and write. In 1775 America was overwhelmingly literate. Almost everyone knew what a constitution was.
    1
  10839. Erdoğan is a curmudgeonly old rascal.
    1
  10840. In February Germany thought Russia would easily win so they hedged their bets by ..... 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Now Germany can see Ukraine is winning, so they are trying to rewrite history to show they supported Ukraine from the start.
    1
  10841. This tanker is irrelevant. Iran's economy is crashing : inflation 50% and GDP down -6% Iran are sinking fast and this tanker seizure is an act of desperation.
    1
  10842. This tanker is irrelevant. Iran's economy is crashing : inflation 50% and GDP down -6% Iran are sinking fast and this tanker seizure is an act of desperation.
    1
  10843.  @skippy5712  , you seem to forget that Iran have been saying "We will wipe Israel off the map" for years and are now developing nuclear weapons to do it. That's why sanctions have been imposed. The UN don't want Iran to go nuclear. The EU don't want Iran to go nuclear. China and Russia don't want it. Nobody wants a nuclear Iran but Iran thinks it can blackmail the whole world with threats of violence.
    1
  10844.  Ross Allen  , and who will replace the US dollar ? The Russian ruble ? LOL The China renminbi ? built on sand
    1
  10845.  Ross Allen  , you're living in a medieval world. You're like an alchemist. Gold's value is just what the market determines it to be. Let's put it this way : image a nuclear holocaust and a guy turns up with a million men to rebuild your city and another guy has a pile of gold. Get the picture ? Gold is worthless, unless you have a stable society with idiots prepared to horde it. The US dollar is based on the million-men. The US back their currency with the production capability of all the folks in the US. That is worth infinitely more than gold. So stop reading Dan Brown conspiracies , get out of the middle ages and wake up to reality.
    1
  10846. The US proposed a ceasefire which also criticized Hamas "rapes" The Muslim countries refused to vote for it
    1
  10847. Russia and China are Asiatic Autocracies. Karl Marx described Russians as "The immobile Mongol". China and Russia are dystopias. Stalin killed 30 million in an internecine genocide, and Mao killed 60 million in a savage Great Leap forward. "You're not one of them, India".
    1
  10848. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  10849. Magnificent.
    1
  10850. Trump left Iran with only one move to make. They made it .......and it stinks ! Iran are now a pariah-state.
    1
  10851. dragon, very good, bravo. Of course what the West had was dynamism and vitality , innovation and a desire for progress. China, being ossified in the Mandarin/Confucian system simply stagnated. Only when Western battle-ships arrived did they realise how far behind they were.
    1
  10852. dragon, nice reply, I enjoyed it. Why didn't the industrial revolution occur in China ? a) resistance to change b) arbitrary absolute power : if a mandarin coveted a rich merchants property he simply confiscated it. There was no incentive to trade and become wealthy. The incentive was to get close to power. The civil service was everything not private enterprise. c) abundant cheap labour : no incentive to develop labour saving techniques. Why did the Industrial Revolution happen in Britain. a) The Civil War 1640 saw the removal of arbitrary power. The Star Chamber was abolished and in the following 3 years in London 900, 2000 and 4000 pamphlets were published. People were reading and challenging authority and the established system. b) The bank of England and stock exchange. The Spanish ambassador said "Nobody in England keeps their money in a chest" everyone invested in stock and banks , who then invested in projects to make money. The South Sea bubble of 1711 didn't deter people. Everyone believed fabulous prophets were possible. c) Institutions. Workers Guilds would posses impressive libraries and organise lectures for their members. Working people saw education for themselves and their children as the route to a better life.
    1
  10853. Liberals like Jeremy Corbyn and Tariq Ali blame all this on Colonialism. They believe that liberal democratic values sprout organically, even though there isn't a shred of supporting evidence. Why would the Enlightenment simply occur organically ? In the 600yr Ottoman history of the Middle East there isn't a shred of evidence for the Humanist Enlightenment. What the Congo needs is 50yrs of UN Mandate governance : to establish institutions with accountability & transparency, a free media, secular education.
    1
  10854. Russia = The Axis of Evil
    1
  10855. Palestinian Authority said, "Al Jazeera stirs up trouble, they are biased and pro-Iran"
    1
  10856. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  10857. One shouldn't worry about the owner making a huge profit a) the money stays in Europe (almost certainly - he's an EU business man) b) he pays taxes Just get them bought and sent to Ukraine !
    1
  10858.  @toonmag50  Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    1
  10859.  @toonmag50  I applaud France for its energy independence. I wish Britain had built nuclear stations. PM Theresa May invited the Chinese to build them ! My goodness, talk about out of the frying pan.
    1
  10860.  @toonmag50  Oh gosh, I thought that had been revoked.
    1
  10861. This is brilliant.... Glad to see they're not wasting all that oil revenue : they are investing in the future. Dubai will be a real industrial, technological power-house in 50yrs (NOT).
    1
  10862. Eric Trump said, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". Nuff said.
    1
  10863. To allow pseudo-democracy in Palestine (Fatah, Hamas) and failing to criticise total corruption is to display the " bigotry of low expectation" . You are saying, "What do you expect : they're all corrupt over there" You're saying, " They beat anyone who challenges their authority but that's what those people are like". Why not treat Palestinians like Westerners : why not demand they have free and fair elections and financial transparency ?
    1
  10864. Netanyahu will "pay lip service to a 2-state solution" That's all Saudi wants With respect, I think many people like yourself are simply deluded
    1
  10865. The files released by Assange may have enabled despotic regimes to identify activists and arrest them. Assange was warned about this - but released the files anyway. Read the Guardian article by Nick Cohen : "The treachery of Julian Assange"
    1
  10866.  Elisabetta  Very true. That is the legacy of the Caliphate. Another legacy is illiteracy. In 1515 the Ulema banned printing. Paris had 300 printing presses in 1650, Constantinople had one, run by the French in 1790 : 90% of folk were illiterate. The same applies to Pakistan : at its founding in 1947 70% were illiterate. Obedience to authority has always been a fundamental tenet of Islam. Even a corrupt, drunken-sot of a Sultan must be obeyed as "Our Lord on Earth".
    1
  10867. A professor from London College (UCL) said Zaporizhia is nothing like Chernobyl. The catastrophe would be very localised. I'm amazed most folks don't know the science. Even at Chernobyl life goes on just 30 miles away they're growing crops. This isn't world catastrophe : it is not an issue to declare war over.
    1
  10868. Don't trust Russia. Russia must be defeated on the battlefield : there can be no treaty with the Kremlin.
    1
  10869. "Is Hamas above the law ?" The UN refuses to condemn Hamas, so is Hamas above the law ? Western countries condemn Hamas murder, rape and abduction But Axis of Evil countries don''t condemn Hamas
    1
  10870. The last deal broke down because Hamas wanted to exchange "dead bodies" instead of live hostages So Israel wants to know that the hostages are alive Hamas are liars Israel is trying to establish the truth
    1
  10871. Israeli hostages were seen in Gaza hospitals - being concealed by medical staff Hamas uses hospitals and schools for its terrorist operations
    1
  10872. Hamas demands were outrageous - including religious sites in the West Bank Hamas' only hope is international pressure - they want more casualties
    1
  10873. Much better to have mob rule : let the biggest party stick their top palm-greaser in.
    1
  10874. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
    1
  10875. You dumb a-hole.
    1
  10876. 0:50 It looks like a right losers club.
    1
  10877. Putin's psychology :- Putin hasn't liquidised any of his own assets : he could personally provide 2 Wagner divisions. Why would Putin go nuclear when he hasn't even put his hand in his pocket ? The invasion required 1.5 million, Putin used 150k The whole enterprise is being conducted on the cheap. Schools are crowd-funding drones for the army. Medvedev could sell a palace and fund a division - the Kremlin aren't personally impoverishing themselves at all. Why would they go nuclear ? Putin gambled on a cheap invasion, and followed it up with a cheap bluff.
    1
  10878. Kadyrov and Prigozhin are Putin's men, they have no institutional power. Medvedev is Putin's man - he has institutional power, but he is an old soak, totally loyal and obedient. All 3 are speaking out to voice milbloggers concerns. The art of staying in power is to voice the concerns of the opposition with your own people. Similarly the TV presenter ladies who voiced opposition to Putin, were all under Putin's protection, and the minute they arrived in the west spoke out AGAINST sanctions.
    1
  10879.  @timmanning5357  I used to think the same. But Prigozhin is a parvenu, an outsider, a jail-bird ; he is useful to Putin and nothing without Putin. Wagner is totally dependent on Kremlin cash. All Prigozhin's finance comes straight from Putin. Bakhmut serves two functions :- a) keeps pressure on Kyiv (casualties mean nothing to Russia) b) Shows milbloggers that Russia still means business/ are still in the game. Putin is much safer than folk imagine. Everyone around Putin stands to lose everything if Putin falls.
    1
  10880. Turkey Iran Qatar are considered among the most successful Islamic countries". Not a single functioning democracy among them. What the Muslim world needs is the Enlightenment. It happened in Europe in the C17th. It's never too late to try it and it's free.
    1
  10881.  @leenunn6446  Lord Owen is a member of the Intelligence Committee, I think he is better informed than you are...." America has a massive, massive superiority".
    1
  10882. 2:30 "Hamas have responded to the attacks by firing rockets" LOL good propaganda. The whole world knows Hamas gave a deadline of 6pm Then at 6:01pm started firing rockets. Israel responded. Never trust Al-Jazeera propaganda.
    1
  10883. Well done Western Democracy. Shame on India.
    1
  10884. When one family runs a country that country is generally speaking a $hithole country.
    1
  10885.  @everready2903  Russia's strength is 100,000 infantry. But that is useless for modern warfare. Modern warfare is missiles, drones, guided artillery, intelligence identified targets. It requires technicians, not infantry. Why did the Kremlin go crazy over one drone strike ? "Russia Warns Ukraine Over Use of Turkish Drones in Conflict" Russia want Ukraine to march their infantry forward onto Russian tanks. The Kremlin is living in a bygone age.
    1
  10886.  @NJ-wb1cz  I think if you were Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland or Sweden, you might care. NATO will not get involved. But the US have already said they will share live intelligence, and have 10k (Kremlin estimate) technicians in Ukraine doing just that. Every type of guided missile and drone, artillery and smart bomb, has been targetted. If only a third of technicians hit a target each day, Russia will suffer 1k dead/ day. That is the aim of the West : to make Russia pay such a price it will not invade another neighbour.
    1
  10887.  @kr540ime3  "cut all exports of gas to EU. " It isn't that cold : it was the warmest New Year's Day on record. I was gardening in shorts. I'm not kidding, it was glorious. The long term economic damage to Russia will last decades. The Russian economy is shrinking, and it will shrink faster. Any talented Russians leave to be employed in the West.
    1
  10888.  @everready2903  The US are sharing direct intelligence with Ukraine. The Kremlin estimate 10k "technical advisors" are active in Ukraine. (They are there to target Russian hardware) It will be a short war : Russia aim to occupy the east, Ukraine aim to inflict a high price. Rapier missiles will hit tanks, APCs, artillery, truck and anything that moves. Drones will hit assembly points, depots, stores, canteens, fuel dumps, etc If only a third of the "technicians" hit one target a day that = 300+ Call it 3 casualties per target, that means Russia are taking 1000 casualties per day. In 1905 defeat by Japan caused revolution in St Petersburg. I think Putin may be in trouble with high casualties.
    1
  10889. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often jke about rape.
    1
  10890. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
    1
  10891. Very few politicians would sacrifice their own ambition for the greater good, and Macron certainly isn't one of 'em. He desperately wants re-election in France, and will trample over any allied agenda, program or mission to attain it.
    1
  10892. Don, listen to it again and you'll realise Glen has a deep seated hatred of the US and as a consequence is talking nonsense.
    1
  10893. Israel fired warning shots - the gunshot wounds are to their legs The deaths were caused by a stampede & trucks running over people Hamas friends & family are looting aid and selling it on the roadside
    1
  10894. At the Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles : they were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine.
    1
  10895. Have Palestinians located the $3billion that Yaser Arafat looted ? That could be used to improve the lives of ordinary Palestinians. Seems nobody is interested. Perhaps it has been divided out amongst his henchmen : those who are still in power and have a vested interest in letting sleeping dogs lie.
    1
  10896. Wouldn't it have been cheaper to lock the stable door ?
    1
  10897.  @West3535  ,Do you mean The Sick Man of Europe ?
    1
  10898. 0:17 Juxtaposing Prince Andrew with the Christian clergy is an attempt to smear him "by association".
    1
  10899. Famously a pensioner caller Jack Straw a liar (over Iraq) and was arrested under the prevention of terrorism act.
    1
  10900. NO Biden can never not aid Israel Why ? Because immediately after Oct 7th Israel intended to nuke Iran The US made promises to prevent this
    1
  10901.  @kilom7020  , even Rouhani said protestors should be allowed to protest without being shot. Rouhani is a moderate and has no authority over the Revolutionary Guard (the ones that shot down the passenger plane). The IRG (Iranian Revolutionary Guard) are fascist thugs. They enable the Ayatollah's theocracy to choke the life out of the Persian people.
    1
  10902.  @mrcooke8520  "The rest of the world" ? Do you mean The Axis of Evil : China, Russia, North Korea, Venezuela, etc all those corrupt, anti-democratic countries ,that violently clamp down on freedom of speech and imprison opposition members ?
    1
  10903. Interesting. It's nice to see there are mechanisms for corrective action to be taken. Allow me to digress..... After the failed revolutions in Europe (1848) Russia became even more oppressive. Putative serf reforms were abandoned, censorship increased, secret committees empowered and prison sentences imposed. Russian intellectuals said, "Russia has unique problems which demand unique solutions" All liberal values were abandoned : the Revolutionaries intended to play hardball. So Lenin established a totalitarian system, Trotsky recommended hanging the Kulaks, these institutions fell into Stalin's lap and the rest is history. My point being that institutions (the EC) act like a safety valve.
    1
  10904. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  10905.  @item6931  Australia has paid a penalty of $250,000. On a deal worth $90 billion that is small fry. The big picture is this :- China is vulnerable to blockade, hence the US have built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Australia will join them. For war with China, submarines are the game-changer. Also, China cannot invade Taiwan without crossing the 110 mile straits. That will be a turkey shoot for submarines.
    1
  10906. Silly old duffer : there's not an Islamofascist group he hasn't shared a stage with.
    1
  10907. Hamas demands were outrageous - including religious sites in the West Bank Hamas' only hope is international pressure - they want more casualties
    1
  10908.  @JohnAnderson-ss9vn  John, I smell the odour of appeasement on you. Britain has a proud history In 1864 half a million turned out to greet garibaldi when he visited London. In 1824 Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence against the Ottomans. Your cowardly considerations would undermine all that, and give strength and support to the Kremlin. Putin relies upon vacillating liberals to swallow his threats and sow discord and fatalistic dejection. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's threats on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" Spoken like a man, by a member of the Intelligence Committee. Show some resolve John, and stop mouthing defeatism.
    1
  10909. Is anyone thinking Hezbollah ?
    1
  10910. Poor old Turkey : it used to have an empire with half the world's oil. It's empire collapsed and it ended up as in a bone dry provincial pariah.
    1
  10911. Russia is a barbaric, medieval country. The Orthodox Church never had a Reformation, and Russia never experienced the Enlightenment. They are a benighted people. They live on state propaganda, and queue for seconds. Solzhenitsyn did 10yrs in the Gulags and came out believing in Mother Russia more fanatically than a Kremlin fascist. Conscripts are brutalized, the military lacks all humanity and law, they are like Genghis Khan's hordes. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile Mongol"
    1
  10912. Xi is laughing up his sleeve at Putin.
    1
  10913.  @thomashooper9148  , Cenk has his head up his @ss on this one.
    1
  10914. She makes Trump and Biden look like two old half-wits. She has more eloquence, intelligence and ability. Biden can't deliver a sentence without slurring his demented words. Trump couldn't construct a coherent sentence. George W Bush avoids speaking whenever possible : he will just stand there and let others make the speeches if he can. She is very impressive.
    1
  10915. 1:50 That's one helluva tank.
    1
  10916.  @biggiesmalls7939  The Americans favour the spelling cozy, while the British prefer cosy.
    1
  10917. 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington - nuclear response to Russia 21-24 Oct Russia capitulate Shoigu & Gerasimov phone their counterparts 4 times in 4 days
    1
  10918. Ukraine military force females to wear high-heels. Does the Ukraine navy force women into high-heels. Isn't that dangerous on a ship ? (Of course the perverted old officers would enjoy it).
    1
  10919. Trump Tower : the meeting between the Trump campaign and Russians, what was the subject ? Sanctions. The Russians were desperate for Trump to end sanctions.
    1
  10920.  @peterevans8194  Good observation. Unfortunately it doesn't wash. If Putin wants to de-escalate he can do so through Erdoğan or Macron, he doesn't need his hand holding. France and Germany are prepared to sabotage Ukraine in order to return to normal. Macron's appeal on behalf of Putin, echoes his appeal for "Nations not to gang up on China". Macron is simply advancing French interests. Honourable nations wince when they listen to Macron. France has form, their whole history exhibits this type of behaviour.
    1
  10921. @Michael Terrill Russian annexation "which no one knows the answer to. " Everyone does know the answer :- China does NOT recognise the annexation India does NOT recognise the annexation. And obviously the civilized world agrees. Russia is alone. Russia is an aggressive, dangerous nation opposed by the whole world. I think Everyone does agree : Russia must be defeated totally.
    1
  10922. Congratulations Turkey. I expected them to slaughter the inhabitants like they used to do in the old days (but of course the media were watching) A word of advice : don't go anywhere near Manbij. The US slaughtered a Russian battalion at Al-Tabiyeh and they will do the same to you.
    1
  10923.  @പരുന്ത്  How could a bot produce an historical a reference like that ? That comes from an essay by AJP Taylor on John Bright. Trolls and bots don't read essays like that.
    1
  10924.  @പരുന്ത്  You are correct, I'll edit my post.
    1
  10925. This is an uplifting video : "The Industrial Revolution why Britain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PsZmnVqqQ England benefitted greatly from the Dutch Connection ( see my Charles I, Charles II and William III trilogy)
    1
  10926.  @arendbos9648  What;s wrong with that ? It is very informative analysis. Better than you will get from the BBC, and certainly better than the tabloid Sun could produce. It is my analysis and pasted from my WordPad.
    1
  10927. We need a "Feat of diplomacy" by Biden
    1
  10928. A pound to a penny that guy is Hamas
    1
  10929. Thank God for the USA (France and the EU want a ceasefire, then they will send grants to Hamas to rebuild Gaza)
    1
  10930. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" ie France surrendered Good luck with France as an ally (Europe will always need the Yanks)
    1
  10931. @Ryan That is true enough. But, may I be pedantic ? The great achievements of England (Britain from 1707) stem from empowering the individual. Let me explain :- It was merchant adventurers that colonized the world : the Muscovite Company, Levant company, etc In 1588, 2/3 of the ships that defeated the Spanish Armada were privately owned. The real breakthrough occurs in 1688. The Glorious Revolution. Followed by the Bill of Rights (1689). After that England is turbo-charged. More private money went into roads (tolls) canals, ports etc in 15yrs, than had been invested in the previous 75yrs. That leads to the Industrial Revolution, which was facilitated by the agricultural revolution. The Royals were often a hindrance - eg the Hanoverians (George I, II, III) Victoria was well out of the loop by 1837, she made no decisions.
    1
  10932.  @christianahern5517  , Russia has always opposed democracy. The Tsar described himself as "autocrat of all the Russias". In the 1848 rebellions Russia invaded any country showing signs of democracy to reimpose monarchy. Russia invaded Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968) for the same reason. Belorussia is ruled by a tyrant and the Kremlin have diverted a plane to arrest one of his critics. I highlighted the history of Russia using a quote from Queen Victoria. Stalin killed 30 million Russians, and yet the Russian people asked for no inquiry, they simply elected a KGB man, Putin. The KGB sent Russians to the Gulags. Putin's daughter, her Godfather prosecuted a Russian poet and sent him to 10yrs in the Gulag. Putin supported the Gulags.
    1
  10933.  @speakthetruth795  The worst atrocity in India was the Amritsar massacre (1919), 379 killed. It was a disaster for Britain : many moderate Indians stopped supporting the British. Violence never works, Russia should learn that lesson. In WW2 India supplied Britain with the largest all-volunteer force in history, rising to over 2.5 million. Russia by contrast are hated by all their neighbours (especially in Europe).
    1
  10934. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  10935. 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington nuclear response 21,23 Oct Shoigu talks Lloyd Austin 2 weeks later : "The US is privately encouraging Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate" Russia wants it ended Prigozhin is Putin's plenipotentiary "Zelensky is a strong nice guy" Putin happy to retire
    1
  10936.  @TD_YT066  Correct. At first Putin was going hysterical, so supplies were limited. Now, Poland has sent 236 Tanks, the US are training Ukrainians to fly F-15 and F-16 fighters. Himars are crippling Russia. The war will be over this year.
    1
  10937.  @max420thc  There is no truth in what you say. Yes money will be made, but only to replace stock sent to Ukraine. In April the Pentagon met defence industry CEOs "To open new production lines". Russia was using 20k shells per day. Even the Yanks don't store enough to sustain that for 5 months. Ukraine has 10 anti-tank weapnos for every Russian tank in Ukraine, all those supplies need replacing in western arsenals : they need manufacturing.
    1
  10938. US said they'll deliver 2 million ration packs a day Hamas fighters will take 500 each To stock up in case Israel start a full blockade US will be supplying Hamas with ration packs It's incredible !
    1
  10939. Penn Jillette is in the vanguard of the fight against religious bigotry and ignorance.
    1
  10940. Well done Joe Biden. God bless the USA Afghanistan was a sideshow. The Yanks staid 20yrs and spent $5 trillion. Ukraine is the Main Event : the US will stay twice as long and spend twice as much.
    1
  10941. Very commendable. Very brave. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  10942.  Berg Djelderian  , you are a good totalitarian troll but I'm afraid rational opinion (world opinion) is against you. Everyone can see the jackboot of China : a) Tienanmen 10k slaughtered b) harvesting human organs c) 1 million in camps in Xinjiang
    1
  10943. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  10944. Good video Cost :- one must include a) Exports of Iron Dome ( maybe a few billion dollars) b) Strategic muscle (hard to value : it gives Israel a fearlessness against Iran or anyone, how does one price that ? Certainly billions) c) Fearlessness (again) against threats : israel is beyond intimidation (worth billions) (By contrast Iran is scared stiff)
    1
  10945. Lavrov is a very convincing liar Russia tried to take Ktiv Moscow don't believe Ukraine exists
    1
  10946. Abbas and Fatah just sent 14 policemen to beat to death one of their critics, in his own home. Abbas sits there in corrupt insouciance. Amazing.
    1
  10947. UN Guterres is 100% pro-Hamas After the Oct 7 massacre Guterres defended Hamas saying "It didn't happen in a vacuum" UNRWA teachers encourage jihad amongst young toddlers (video) The UN is a disgrace
    1
  10948. WRONG ! He died in a "hard landing" LOL
    1
  10949.  @ashishIMpro  The same Donbas people that shot down MH17 murdering hundreds of civilians. The drunken Donbas thugs used a BUK missile supplied by Russia. The is mobile phone footage of the missile being transported. The Donbas thugs are simply drunken barbarians.
    1
  10950.  @centurionoomae1543  The Donbas thugs wouldn't dare execute prisoners. The Russians, after the Bucha atrocities, are hyper sensitive to being branded barbarians. The Kremlin are desperate to be accepted by the civilized world.
    1
  10951.  @DamienYuen7718  APARTEMNT BOMBINGS Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  10952. NATO and Ukraine and the Ramstein Group will all keep fighting Trump can pull aid from the USA - that simply destroys the Western Alliance Trump has to live with that (which obviously he fears) That is why Trump's hands are tied by Zelensky Robert O'Brien declared Trump's Ukraine strategy :- a) Freeze the battle line, Russia keeps 20% of Ukraine This was simply to see whether Zelensky blinked At Mar-a-Largo Trump offered the deal of the century "You can have Donbas and all the wealth of rare earths and gas and heavy industry - you simply give up Crimea" Zelensky didn't blink So, Trump then had to present the ultimatum to Putin (not direct, Trump hasn't the guts) Putin knows Russia has to pull out for concessions :- a) No NATO b) a DMZ c) end to all sanctions on Russia d) Arms restrictions on Ukraine etc
    1
  10953. NATO and the EU can't decide whether Russia is a friend or enemy. That is the danger for Western Civilization. The Liberal mentality thinks it can befriend Islam and Kremlin gangsters, and make good citizens out of them.
    1
  10954. Terminal ineptitude. A path of almost comic indecision.
    1
  10955.  Kwabla Gbedemah  Russia abandoned an estimated $800 billion of equipment. The Russian army ran. They were fleeing. Even the Moscow Guards tank battalion fled.
    1
  10956.  @tobias..6688  The Counter-offensive is over : you cannot rewrite history - Russia was demolished. The amount of equipment abandoned is indescribable. Ukraine has scooped the jackpot.
    1
  10957.  @briant5685  Putin was chastised by Modi (the humiliation) Putin is broken and the Russian army is broken. Putin is begging for negotiations - but Ukraine knows it must keep fighting to liberate Crimea and Donbas.
    1
  10958.  @impervas5801  Read the news : Russian commanders are already leaving Crimea with their families. Russian administrators have already left - they are back in Russia. The Russian fleet has left Sevastopol, it is back in Novorossiya. You must get no news in India. In Europe we know what is happening - Russia has lost.
    1
  10959.  @andresdeks  LOL - the war is heading to a humiliating defeat for Russia. Maybe India doesn't get up-to-date news, but Russia just got their ass kicked. Crimea and Donbas will be liberated by Ukraine. An amazing victory. The counter-offensive will go down in history alongside the Six Day War (1967)
    1
  10960.  @roysmith3767  NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
    1
  10961.  @roysmith3767  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  10962.  @roysmith3767  If you do some research you will realise how mistaken you are. What counts is the ability to launch a totally devastating strike in 20 mins : only the USA has that ability.
    1
  10963. Try holding an election ! The Palestinian Authority does NOT represent the people They NEVER hold elections
    1
  10964.  @rogerpennel1798  Nice quote. Bismarck also said, "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English". That was very perceptive.
    1
  10965.  @larsrons7937  But the Brits WERE better. When General Gordon defeated the Mahdi (who was worse than the Taliban), his first dispatch home included plans to open a college in Khartoum. A suggestion Lord Salisbury applauded, saying "It will help spread civilization". Did the Russians ever open a college ?
    1
  10966.  @arty5876  The British Empire WAS better, that's my point. When the East India Company was wrapped up in 1874, they boasted they had handed the government, "The finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen". Also, 45% of India was NEVER governed by Britain, how did that fair ? The Indian Congress Party was founded by Freemasons. Freemasonry was invented in Scotland and accompanied the army to India - founding benevolent societies. The Indian governing class were keen members, and many British folk supported their efforts for Independence. Just as in Ireland : many British MPs supported Home Rule. In 1864 when Garibaldi visited London 500,000 turned out to greet him. More people than had supported any British event ever. The British have always supported civilized progress.
    1
  10967. Mobilization is a disaster for Russia - it will break the army. The British army didn't want it in WW1, and they had a fully professional officer corps and logistics supply. The Russian army will collapse under the load, unless China supplies ration packs and equipment. Medvedev : "They want to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen Ben Hodges : "A Hemingway character said he went bankrupt in to ways - slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation will collapse".
    1
  10968. Why does France promote capitulation ? Why did Macron declare French neutrality on TV ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  10969. We don't expect any support from France. The country that fought with the Nazis in N Africa against the British & Americans, the country which fought with the Japanese in Indochina. France has a terrible history for behaving with perfidy.
    1
  10970. Who told Russian troops to stand down so Wagner could take Rostov "without firing a shot" ? It can only come from the Kremlin
    1
  10971. Consider Africa :- what happened when the Zulu migrated south ? They took the cattle and women from the tribes they defeated. Consider India : what was the priority of the regional rulers ? The British fund that every treaty included a clause to return runaway slave girls. All the rulers were obsessed with their Kashmiri slave girls. The British governor and his wife would attend an official ceremony, only to find the local ruler had provided his slave-girl performers for entertainment. The British were horrified. There should actually be some thanks for Western Civilization, education, justice, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
    1
  10972. Bilawal, you are blowing it out of your @ss. What nonsense. I hope there are no half-wits on here taking you seriously.
    1
  10973. "Biden believes Hamas demands are over the top" He's not wrong - this deal looks a lot like Hamas victory Netanyahu's government will surely collapse
    1
  10974. The threats the Ayatollah makes against the USA are the same threats he makes against his ow people. That's why students in Tehran were beaten with clubs and female students raped by the Iranian Guard. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/14/protesters-raped-iran-jail https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html Iran is an Islamofascist dictatorship.
    1
  10975. No thanks to Germany - they closed their airspace to British weapon deliveries. Germany blocked Lithuania from transferring howitzers to Ukraine. Scholz had to have his arm twisted to untether himself from Russia.
    1
  10976.  Steve Arthur  Germans are trying to rewrite history (again) : they say, "We didn't close the airspace, there simply wasn't time to grant permission". LOL British planes had to do a massive detour because germany had "effectively" closed their airspace. Never rely on the Germans.
    1
  10977. "Trump is an f***ing liar" I've forgotten who said that ; it was someone who knew him really well.
    1
  10978. Qatar University : well he can't speak freely. Nor can the guy from Tehran. Only the Washington based Iranian can speak freely. What does that tell you ?
    1
  10979. I believe Jeff Sessions : he's got an honest face.
    1
  10980. " Who are you to decide ? ", ask Rouhani Who is Iran to have nukes ? A theocratic fascist dictatorship that calls for the extermination of Israel. "Pompeo is unfit as a former spy ", says Rouhani And Rouhani is unfit as a fascist dictator. Rouhani should investigator female protestors who have been raped https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2018/01/13/The-grim-repeat-of-torture-deaths-in-Iranian-prisons-after-protests.html https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/06/middleeast/iran-women-protest-hijab-online-asequals-intl/index.html
    1
  10981. Who would pay for the pipelines When they cud become subject to sanctions Even building them could become subject to sanctions A Russian lady in Finland said in February "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    1
  10982. Great video & good work. But think about it : Zimbabwe 10,000% inflation, ANC economic car-crash. Good luck to the African countries but your politicians are corrupt and incompetent in equal measure.
    1
  10983.  @nochance3914  India Pakistan Russia and North Korea, were all on the same team at the UN. Modi has made a jackass decision. Russia's invasion is like Pearl Harbour : it is the defining event of the 21st Century. India have picked the wrong side. When Modi finds himself a bedfellow of Pakistan, he must know he has made an error of judgement.
    1
  10984. Russian soldiers are shooting Ukrainians who surrender :- "These ... reports suggest that atrocities are not the result of rogue units or individuals; they rather reveal a deeply disturbing pattern of systematic abuse across all areas where Russia's forces are engaged."
    1
  10985. " Josep Rull i Andreu has Tweeted from his office", LOL He's campaigning for December already. Everyone knows independence was a strategy. Josep knows that : he's just Tweeted a photo to get his December campaign underway. Independence is a strategy NOT a realisable immediate objective. History will show it was declared in 2017 : that is a great milestone. December will bring another Independence parliament and negotiations for Full Autonomy. (that was the objective).
    1
  10986.  @Motofanable  " Any new EU force would be a complement, not a rival, to Nato ", said Macron. And pigs might fly.
    1
  10987. Iran's economy allocates $ billions to religious groups and most businesses are owned by the Republican Guard who enjoy the life of luxury. Iran is a totally corrupt state. An Islamofascist Theocracy. Iran want to spend 4Billions in Syria on reconstruction so they can station Republican Guard there. They spend money to spread their brand of Islamofascism.
    1
  10988. Modi has found his moral compass.
    1
  10989.  @CBS_official  The joke is on India - having one foot in the Axis of Evil camp.
    1
  10990. The submarine branchof the US navy looks very professional. A marked contrast to the surface fleet which is always crashing into merchant ships, usually in the early morning when they're all sleeping one off. Also the Navy captains seem to think their job is to make the crew laugh : that's why they goof around and video themselves in the shower like a jackass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvUmkI7kVDI
    1
  10991. Macron's re-election hopes. This is an example of what Harold McMillan termed "Events dear boy, events"
    1
  10992. LOL The Wagner coup was a Moscow coup Prigozhin can't take on the Russian state without Moscow backers Prigo can't take Russian army HQ "without a shot been fired" Wagner June 2023 was a Moscow coup Nobody seems to know exactly who - "Bulldogs fighting uner a blanket" said Chruchill
    1
  10993. Thank Allah that Kashmir is not like Bangladesh :- " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. She states she was tortured and was five months pregnant when she returned to her home. "
    1
  10994. Netherlands : why send armed peace-keepers if they're not going to use their guns ? Why send a bunch of cowards ? In 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon : they needed to cross a bridge being guarded by British Gurkhas. The Gurkha platoon confronted by a whole armoured division refused to move and the Israelis had to construct a pontoon bridge.
    1
  10995.  @kareldekale4987  , try telling that to the victims families. They were in a UN safe zone commanded by the Dutch. This is how a real army operates :- 1982: “Operation Peace of the Galilee" A contingent of U.N. Peacekeeping “Gurkhas” were assigned to guard a bridge spanning the Litani River. As the entire northern army of the IDF attacked in force, with three major thrusts along the U.N. Blue Line, the small outpost, manned by a token force Gurkha infantry was suddenly faced with an Israeli armored column of more than one hundred tanks and armored personnel carriers. The Israeli brigade commander, mindful of the delicate international situation but also determined to fulfill his orders for a quick penetration into Lebanon, demanded that the Gurkhas step aside and let the armor column proceed across the bridge. Three times, the brigade commander stepped forward to order the Gurkhas off the bridge, threatening to attack if they refused…and three times, the Gurkhas refused to abandon their post, subjecting themselves to certain death, rather than deny the fearless reputation of the Gurkha fighter. Finally, the Israeli commander moved his forces a mile downstream, where his engineers erected a pontoon bridge by which the armor column belatedly crossed the river.
    1
  10996.  @kareldekale4987  , what on Earth do you mean by "Jewish War" ? The disintegration of Yugoslavia was about ethnic conflict within a confederated state. It dated back centuries to the Ottoman Empire, then back to the World Wars, with Croats backing the Nazis. Then involved Serbs being Orthodox Christian as opposed to Roman or Muslim. It had zilch to do with Jews.
    1
  10997.  @kareldekale4987  , it will be an algorithm. Try removing any key/trigger words.
    1
  10998. This is a great story. The gun-shop guy wasn't taking any b.s.from Borat. Anyone who thinks Fox News is for mindless gun-toting morons should watch this item. I'd like to see a 1hr documentary on this. The gun-shop guy should have said, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice .....you can't fool me twice". Or just tell Borat to STFU. Well done Fox News : this report shows it's not just a channel for malignant-minded half-wits.
    1
  10999. Hamas are delusional Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are clear non-starters"
    1
  11000.  @sajidamien3227  Google isn't authentic, but dozens of newspapers telling the same story is almost certainly true. The Taliban are murderous thugs who shoot schoolgirls, every civilized person should oppose them.
    1
  11001.  @sajidamien3227  "Yes they (The Taliban) are Murderers, They have murdered Those who have sold their souls, for Dollar " Are you saying the schoolgirls were guilty ? Are you supporting the Taliban murderous thugs who target schools ?
    1
  11002.  @amitfahim6607  Well said. Muhammed had a medieval mind, he realised that himself when he disowned the "Satanic verses". Of course, they were written by him, but they contained so much medieval nonsense he decided to disown them (and pretend the Devil had written them).
    1
  11003.  @ajazm9  "are you saying that western democracies today are not corrupt?" No, I'm saying the best way to hold authority to account is to have a free press, and free democracy. At least you can vote corrupt leaders out of office every 4 years.
    1
  11004.  @ajazm9  " a democracy installed by America and its allies is a slave government. " You know that Gaddafi's thugs would always arrest people at night ? Mass graves were found with bodies wearing pyjamas. Would you have slept well under that regime ? Read about Nazir Binat - arrested by Palestinian police, tortured and murdered. Would you be happy under that tyranny ?
    1
  11005.  @imraandesai9553  , thanks for that interesting reply : you make a few points which I will address :_ a) flaws in the system of "God". Well one example is the human eye, which evolved with the optic nerve in front of the retina, which causes a huge blind spot that the brain has to accommodate. Anyone designing an eye would have the nerve running at the back, not front. b) "The wealth of the world entered their hearts". (The sultans of decline) Funny you should say that, because Ataturk blamed the luxuries of Constantinople for the decadence of the last 25 sultans. (The Ottoman Empire was built by the first 10 sultans). Ataturk, as well as being a talented mathematician, was a great student of history ; he moved his capital to Ankara (1923) c) "Westernism" The young Ottoman Ziya Gokalp (1860) listened to folk like you praising the Caliphate and said to them "today there is only one civilization, Western civilization" He was referring to the Enlightenment which produced the scientific revolution, industrial revolution, technological revolution, human rights, the red cross, equality, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, transparency and accountability. His comrade Namik Kemal wanted Turkey to adopt a system like Britain, with " the indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
    1
  11006.  @imraandesai9553  I'm not "delving" into issues of God, I'm presenting biological evidence that the human eye is imperfect. Absolutely nobody doubts that : it's a fact. I also mentioned Ataturk's observation on the decadence of Constantinople and the capital moving to Ankara (1923) : all facts. I then quoted the Young Ottomans from 1860s : all accurate quotes (facts) You are the one not quoting facts : you are the one delving into your superstitious beliefs in Jinns and dust devils (all disproved by science).
    1
  11007. "Palestinians deprived of everything" Yes, they have been deprived of democracy by Hamas and Fatah who both rule with a despotic rod of intolerance Yes, they have been deprived of a voice - nobody can speak out against Hamas or Fatah Poor Palestinians, when will they be free to choose ?
    1
  11008. Germany froze in February and blocked RAF weapons flights They blocked Estonia from sending howitzers They blocked weapon sales to Ukraine The US and NATO had to pressure them into doing the right thing. Why ? Historically Germany has never done the right thing : Blood & Iron was Germany's motto Only after WW2 did Germany adopt civilised values. Germany is a novice - it needs encouraging to do the right thing.
    1
  11009. Interesting, especially about martial law.
    1
  11010. Two points :- a) we don't know his ethnicity yet. b) if he is deranged....well look at the statistics how many deranged people plough a van into innocent citizens ? It could be islamism which has driven him mad or in his deranged state he is imitating what he has been seeing on the news. Either way the finger points to Merkle.
    1
  11011. France has supplied 1/10th of the weapons Poland sent. and 1/40th of the weapons Britain supplied. Why ? How far back do you want to go - the 1840 crisis when France was humiliated, or lets just focus on postwar history. France was a founder member of the European Defence Community : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  11012. China is going to be on the receiving end of a blockade if it doesn't watch out.
    1
  11013. South Africa's former health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, recommended honey and garlic as a cure for AIDS I'm afraid it doesn't inspire confidence in South Africa and the ANC The ANC are famous for incompetence and corruption, why would anyone credit them with research ability.
    1
  11014. UN report reveals some countries staff having been raping women and threatening to sack them if they complain. Guess which countries ? Clue :- It's not Norway It's the Shithole countries. Of course the Liberal Left are culpably blind to all this, you should read Nick Cohen's "What's left ?" , it might open your eyes to the delusion you live under.
    1
  11015. Osman, touché.
    1
  11016. A lot of logistics involved in that. That's heavy payloads, it all needs transporting. This is why striking Russian arms depots is excellent strategy. NOT reclaiming territory. First degrade Russia - hit fuel and arms depots.
    1
  11017. Please supply anti-ship missiles and destroy Russia's Black Sea fleet.
    1
  11018. Can anyone explain this video ? I couldn't make head nor tail of it.
    1
  11019. Destruct, thanks. But I didn't hear you mention Houthis and that is the only player I'm au fait with.
    1
  11020. Mr brainiac, thanks for that. I don't know the geography of the south but the Houthis appear to be very secure in the mountainous north.
    1
  11021. Resign ! The Speaker must go
    1
  11022. When did Russia become a Police State :- After the French Revolution (1789) Russia was a putative Police State under Tsar Alexander (1801-25) After the 1825 Decembrist coup, Nicholas I really clamped down. After the 1848 European Revolutions Russia became a true dystopia. The Intelligentsia (a Russian word) fled. After the 1881 assassination of Alexander II Russia became a horror show. The 1917 Revolution was liberal, but quickly hijacked by totalitarian Bolsheviks Lenin & Trotsky : their totalitarianism was handed to Stalin who killed 50 million in his genocides and Gulags. The USSR collapsed (1991) and the KGB took power. Fin.
    1
  11023. LOL this misses the whole point. Iran doesn't want war , neither does Trump. For Iran it would take them 100yrs to recover their infrastructure. The point is Iran's economy is a wreck. Trump doesn't need missiles or planes. "It's the economy stupid" is the slogan.
    1
  11024. Ukranin, Erdogan is a pariah in the international world.He has an option of sending floods of refugees to the EU (but they have paid him to give them shelter). Turkey is surrounded by countries that hate them. That speaks volumes. They will NEVER join the EU. Austria, Poland, Hungary etc would never agree.
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  11025. S42M, Look at this lot you named :- TURKEY, IRAN , Russia, Bosnia Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia. What a rogues gallery of losers. There is not a decent country amongst them. They are all corrupt, authoritarian and with no justice for the citizens. I'd be ashamed to be amongst them.
    1
  11026. S42M, You speak of infantry warriors : well certainly there are some battle hardened ones in the middle east ( the various militias ) and many of those countries have martial histories. But Iran would be blockaded by the USA and financially strangled. Turkey are in NATO. Russia wouldn't dare. Bangladesh & Pakistan couldn't afford it.
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  11027. The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
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  11028. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  11029. "The Revolutionary Guard Corps were to bust with internal conflict". That means they were slaughtering Iranian civilians to impose totalitarian Islamist rule. The Revolutionary Guard consider raping female protestors to be a perk of the job :- @t @t @t
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  11030. An Islamist ? The establishment always counter with "Non-denial denials"
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  11031. 50yrs ago, there wasn't a family in Russia that didn't know someone who had been in the Gulags. Russians are a hardy bunch, the Kremlin has been killing them for years. In 1914 at the battle of Tannenburg 100,000s of Russians advanced with no boots, and no weapons. The Russians should be used to it by now.
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  11032. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
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  11033. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  11034. NATO have taken control of the narrative : they appear organized, civilized and strong. Putin has indelible egg on his face.
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  11035. Iran wants a showdown........notice how they waited until Trump had gone. The Ayatollah may be in for a surprise - there are still 6 weeks to go.
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  11036. Khan, much of what you say may be true but the US doesn't have 280 journalists in prison.
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  11037. Khan, " mysteriously killed" ? Is there a UN report on that or is it just that you are a conspiracy whack job. Give us all a few examples of these mysterious deaths. You are in a deluded dream world.
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  11038. Russia can't build a civilisation : it can only destroy and conquer. Like Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol".
    1
  11039. Biden says "Hamas demands are over the top" No way will Netanyahu accept them Netanyahu's government would collapse
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  11040. The US proposed a ceasefire which also criticized Hamas "rapes" The Muslim countries refused to vote for it
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  11041. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  11042.  @resistancefighter9009  What was the topic, was it about French history. France was a founder member of the European Defence Community (1950) : it wanted to dominate it, and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
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  11043. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are childish fiction.
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  11044. Karl Marx described Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  11045. "Chicken" that's the game Hamas wants a crisis to produce International condemnation and force an end to the war Leaving Hamas in power Israel wants hostages released
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  11046.  @sylvanalarcon3361  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
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  11047. LOL : let Trump take some credit. Trump should take all the credit. But , anyway, don't get excited because the US will NEVER remove troops from S Korea. And that will be one of Kim's conditions and it is not going to happen. This is a stalling tactic by N Korea they've done it many times.
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  11048. Jonny, the very fact that Rocket-man is sending his sister to the Olympics and talking to Moon is because Trump has him totally rattled and the sanctions are killing him. Now let's talk about stalling : he is asking for talks (because he's rattled for the above reasons) but one of his conditions will be the removal of US troops. Which will never happen. Kim is hoping to freeze nuclear development and stop rocket testing in exchange for sanctions lifting and something to do with military exercises or number of troops stationed in S Korea. What he will NOT offer is denuclearisation. The US might accept a freeze but I doubt it , they'll keep tightening the screws. Good work by Trump.
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  11049. Jonny, that is a fair point. But the very fact that Kim is squirming (sending his sister to S Korea and engaging in talks) is because Trump has him cornered and Trump should be given credit for that. That Kim is stalling is just my hypothesis : Kim may actually be desperate. And if Kim allows UN inspection to freeze his nuclear program, then a deal might be possible......and it will be thanks to Trump. C'mon , it's the one thing he's managed to accomplish, give the guy a break.
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  11050. Travis, forget the 2006 sanctions they were a joke. The real sanctions were 2017 and they came after Trump said he'd nuke N Korea. That is stage 1) of my argument. 2) The threat was deemed credible (precisely because Trump is emotional ,egotistical and erratic) 3) Trump targeted Chinese banks and businesses violating the N Korea sanctions. (In poker terms he'd gone "all in" and was prepared for any consequences or retaliation from China ) Trump has made monumental errors on trade tariffs , TPP, NAFTA ,NATO but give him credit for rattling rocket-man.
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  11051. Travis, I think your prejudice against Trump has driven you to irrationality. The reason you want me to "qualify" and "elaborate" every point is because you simply can't bring yourself to credit Trump with anything. Even Pakman said,"If Trumpists want to claim credit let them". So that means you are supposed to 'let us' ! (take credit.....for Trump)
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  11052. Mark Rutte smiled and said he was confident Russia would NEVER invade Ukraine again He refused to spell out the security guarantee BUT there is one !
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  11053. Try telling "peace" to the victims of Russian massacres Try talking peace to all the torture victims in mass grave - found in every region occupied by Russia
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  11054.  @twidanibasenni3804  You are talking like an ill-informed liberal.
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  11055. John Bolton has no manners. In international relations it's a great benefit to be affable and polite. Bolton is ignorant and repellent. Manners maketh man.
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  11056. Macron (France President) said he needs to see evidence. He called it fantasy politics. No surprises that France are supporting the Kremlin. France collaborated with the Nazis in North Africa and fought against Britain and the US. France collaborated with the Nazis in Europe. France collaborated with the Japanese in Indochina. Every president post WW2 had been a collaborator. People have very low expectations for France. The only time France got tough was when the bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland killing a Green-Peace activist.
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  11057. I agree Al Jazeera has gone downhill. It used to pride itself on independent fact based news but has become much more propaganda orientated.
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  11058. Ernesto isn't a very Scottish name ?
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  11059. Annette, you make a fair point. Passions are high especially after the Spanish police violence. If there had been an open free referendum like in Scotland then everyone would have had their say. Remember the English reminding Scots about our shared past and saying ,"Better together".
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  11060. Peter the Great (d.1725) and Putin. Both bequeathed a succession problem : Peter tortured his son to death (1718) Putin assassinated and imprisoned the opposition. Also ,Lenin (d.1924) left a vacuum which Stalin filled with 30 million corpses : Holodomor genocide (1932/33) in Ukraine killed 4 million.
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  11061. LOL this guy has written nonsense. "The US is no longer the world policeman" Biden has just told China if he invades Taiwan the US will retaliate. That looks like a policeman to me. This guy is a typical Frenchman - hoping France can play a bigger role. Stephen Kotkin : "France thinks it is a diplomatic superpower"
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  11062. Great video. (I much preferred the Credence soundtrack, the 2nd song seemed incongruous)
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  11063. How professional. Having watched the Russians disgrace themselves in Ukraine - slaughtering civilians, abusing women, and using children on tanks as human shields, it makes one proud to see such professionalism. Congratulations to the officers who accompany the neophytes, they set the example for the next generation.
    1
  11064.  @romeodeborneo  Well, you've seen Putin's face - he is ashen. His thin legs and broken demeanour, not only has he got cancer and Parkinson's but he has a catastrophic failure on his hands. He must be sleeping well for sure.
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  11065. LOL you are inventing facts you cannot possibly know. That may be common in India, because you are out of the loop. In Europe we get accurate news and can easily detect that you are inventing nonsense.
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  11066.  Achu  India is the world's largest democracy - people expect better of India. That's the point. Everyone expects China and North Korea to back Russia - thay are Axis of Evil. But India ? India is supposed to have higher standards. That is why India is such a disappointment.
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  11067. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
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  11068. France has forensic experts to Bucha.....but no heavy weapons. France is as bad as Germany : hoping to retain a beneficial relationship with the Moscow Mafia. France & Germany : let's not bring up history.
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  11069. Contempt and revulsion are the emotions Pompeo is dissembling.
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  11070. "murderous and child-killing regime" it's a good tag line. I've always called Iran simply a fascist theocracy.
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  11071. Kamala Harris is Hillary Mk II On that same trip Harris stayed in D.C.’s upscale St. Regis hotel, billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay, a nightly rate of $858.69.
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  11072.  @thesummerland6165  , if the Super-delegates rig it (again) for Biden there will a huge number of working-class voting Trump.
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  11073. Putin will not go nuclear. The Kremlin elite have not sacrificed any of their wealth in this war. They will not sacrifice their lives. They aim to stay in power.
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  11074.  @champ7150  LOL, I don't get the reference, what are pudding cups ? Are they buns. My point is a serious one : Beto was asked about allowing a film crew to accompany him and said , "I thought what the £uck". His wife then gestured to him to mind his language and pointed to their daughter. A guy like that can't be president.
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  11075.  @jojoboko6990  , well said : that's a good point. But may I point something out to you : the reason Trump is there in the first place is because the DNC ran with Hillary who was the most loathed candidate they've ever had ! Why pick someone who has no policies, who goes into the woods for mystical experience, who is a failed pop star and uses the "F" word freely in front of his wife and daughter ?
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  11076. 5:00 "troops stationed on your soil" (apropos Palestine) But Palestine, after 1947, was claimed by Egypt, Jordan & Syria ? Not until 3 wars had been post did they finally recognise Palestine. Also, the PLO (Fatah) are written into the constitution as representing the people : ie there can be no other party : it is a canonical one-party state.
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  11077. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  11078. At least Rajoy didn't try to cling on by sending in fascist police to baton people over the head, pull girls by the hair and kick people to the ground.
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  11079. Fury, what do you know about history ? When Isabella (Castile) and Ferdinand (Aragon) combined their crowns (1469) the other regions recognised them but kept their own laws, currency, language and institutions. When Castile attempted to revoke Catalonia's laws it rebelled 1640 Only when France betrayed Catalonia was it force-ably unified with Castile etc Franco's fascists brutalised Catalonia making the language illegal and savagely repressing freedom of speech. When Franco died 1975 all the fascists stayed in power and just called themselves democrats. That's why there has never been investigations of crimes against humanity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Terror_(Spain)
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  11080. Only 54 survived : it was a Turkish ship that rescued them. This is Kremlin propaganda.
    1
  11081. Ukraine is flexible Russia struggles with mobile war Ukraine will see how it develops - but a stage comes where it is easier (and safer) to reinforce than retreat
    1
  11082. Eurovision - Israel wins the popular vote In UK Israel easily won hands down The ordinary people support ISRAEL not Hamas You Al Jazeera folk are living in a dream world
    1
  11083. Afghanistan was a sideshow, yet the US stayed 20yrs and spent $5 trillion Ukraine is the Main Event : the US will stay at least 20yrs and spend double what they did in Afghanistan.
    1
  11084.  @henrikl4244  Well said. And NATO must not submit to Russian nuclear blackmail.
    1
  11085. 1:00 that Rally, where do you get tickets ? They are all having a great laugh. Who says fanatical rabid Islam can't be fun.
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  11086. "The Democratic candidate regularly charges thousands of dollars in luxury travel and hotels to her campaign. Harris stayed in D.C.’s upscale St. Regis hotel, billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay, a nightly rate of $858.69. " She's another crooked Hillary
    1
  11087.  Arthur Anderson  , imagine Bernie raising money from working class supporters and spending $3,434.74 for a four-night stay. There are Kamala supporters on here saying "Trump spends more at mar-a-largo", imagine comparing your candidate with Trump ! As for being a Russian bot I doubt they could produce superbly insightful history videos like these : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdP0CdyJ1k
    1
  11088.  Ishmael Cato  , it sounds as though you are saying Kamala is Hillary lite. Of course you are quite right : billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay. And that's the tip of an iceberg.
    1
  11089.  @Joshdyisdifh  , martyr implies they died for a religious cause or they died for their religion. Who would even think of using that term except an Islamist. Imagine if a US official had been killed, imagine if the president called him a martyr , there would be an outcry.
    1
  11090. Merkel has spoken to Rajoy. She will have told him that any further violence by Spain will make it 'difficult' for the EU to continue support. When independence is declared Rajoy (having been castrated by Merkel) will issue an arrest warrant. Puigdemont will ignore it and there will follow an unholy mess , with strikes sit-ins and blockades. Rajoy will fall. The new Spanish Government will have to negotiate and a compromise will be reached. Rajoy is the Moron of Europe.
    1
  11091. Catalonia would settle for what was agreed by all sides in 2006 and then withdrawn when the PP asked the Court to withdraw it. Independence polls showed a rise up to 49% from what had previously been 25%. All this mess is the result of the People's Party. Rajoy aint no smarter than a turnip. Catalan socialists have asked the Court to make the parliament meeting illegal (Merkel's idea) .This is how Spain should have operated from the start : don't appear to be the villains, never use violence, get other Catalans to bring Court action. Rajoy is Europe's Moron.
    1
  11092.  @justachipn3039  Well said. Some ill-informed folk say "Russia has nuclear submarines". What they don't realise is that Russian subs simply don't pack the punch for a knockout blow. US subs DO pack the punch for a knockout blow.
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  11093.  @justachipn3039  When Trump became President, they informed him about the nuclear strike fleet : he was utterly shell-shocked at the firepower, and had to blab at his very next press-conference. (Informing the Chinese that there were 3 subs in the South China Sea as he spoke. I think that divulgence of classified material raised a few eyebrows)
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  11094. Killed in a HARD LANDING, how is that possible ?
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  11095. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
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  11096. Why ? 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" (capitulated) So Germany has no shield - Macron is the weak link
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  11097. LOL of course Qatar are for sale. They have sold themselves to Turkey. This whole business has nothing to do with Israel. Saudi are waging proxy war against Qatar and Qatar are looking for allies. Turkey opposes the Israeli deal and Qatar are showing solidarity. Qatar would U-turn in a flash if it suited them.
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  11098. It's happening
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  11099.  @JaNeeja86  Palestine has never been a "nation state" There is no word in Arabic for "nation state" In the Caliphate all land was owned by the Sultan who was 'our Lord on earth'. So when the Ottomans collapsed 1922, and the Caliphate ended 1924, the Palestinians were bereft Britain appointed a Grand Mufti, and he looked to Damascus 1948 Arab Israeli war - Palestine looked to Damascus 1967 Six Day war - Palestine looked to Cairo (Nasser Arab league) 1988 Palestine declared statehood It took that long because Palestinians have never been a state or even 'a people' They were a collection of rival tribes/clans Those clans still exist below the political surface
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  11100. Russia's unprovoked invasion is the defining moment of the 21st century. India are giving Moscow the nod & wink of approval, whilst keeping a foot in both camps. Shame on India. Future generations will have to atone for the disgrace of the present.
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  11101. Aslam, good observation : nobody has made that connection. I wish I'd thought of it. I wonder if it's true.
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  11102. "UN staff" = Hamas The UN employs Hamas (they have admitted it and sacked some) Stop funding UNRWA
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  11103. Putin's psychology :- Putin hasn't liquidised any of his own assets : he could personally provide 2 Wagner divisions. Why would Putin go nuclear when he hasn't even put his hand in his pocket ? The invasion required 1.5 million, Putin used 150k The whole enterprise is being conducted on the cheap. Schools are crowd-funding drones for the army. Medvedev could sell a palace and fund a division - the Kremlin aren't personally impoverishing themselves at all. Why would they go nuclear ? Putin gambled on a cheap invasion, and followed it up with a cheap bluff.
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  11104. Hungary has a fascist government. Their refusal to co-operate with the EU and NATO is payback for the fines imposed by the EU on Hungarian despotism.
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  11105. .....and Biden would've known what to do ?
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  11106. Relocation of Gazans :- a) Those who move first get to pick the best apartments (that'll see 80% go) b) Those remaining are radicalised Hamas - they can be forced into camps in Sinai
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  11107. Scholz : blocking the transfer of weapons, refusing airspace to British planes, coddling the Kremlin, walking on eggshells to protect the German economy. Shame on Scholz.
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  11108. Every guest has to begin their answer with "Wolf.............." No other show does this. Ask any question and the answer is "Wolf, ..............................." I wish Wolf would £uck off.
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  11109. Why is France incapable of dealing with Russia's invasion ? Guizot 1830 :"In France every storm becomes a deluge : opposition becomes insurrection, and insurrection revolution" That is why France is on its 5th Republic. That's the French character. Which is why they are unable to display equanimity towards Russian aggression. Macron must imagine the worst. The USA and Britain have been here before, they know how to deal with tyrants. Macron is a product of French history and culture.
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  11110. Al-Jazeera struck lucky with the teacher : she knew all about bad diet but could also be filmed consuming it.... ....which was a bonus.
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  11111. The Kremlin always looks for a "Patsy" That's how they solve crimes in 24 hrs Of course those prisoners don't appear on video footage - because it's not them
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  11112. Hamas are delusional Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are clear non-starters"
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  11113. Jeremy Hamas Bowen LOL
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  11114. They created a bullseye with themselves at the centre. Russians have zero survival instincts.
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  11115. When Ukraine uses one of their tanks, they cherish it. I think that gives Ukraine a strange local advantage. The Russians junk their tanks, they have so many. If you don't see a Ukraine tank in the video, don't be fooled - they're there.
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  11116. These missiles are a red-herring. Real wars are won on the battlefield, not by firing nuclear warheads, that nobody dare use. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  11117.  @amacca2085  NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  11118.  @paulvarn4712  Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  11119. Great news. Don't call them "appeasers" : the 4-point plan presented to the Kremlin, 'appeased' Russia with a long term lease of Crimea. That's right. It is actually total victory for Ukraine wrapped up as appeasement. Well done France, Germany and Italy.
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  11120. LOL, once he starts on cricket he hardly references his notes.
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  11121.    Which part made you laugh :- a) Ataturk was an atheist - true b) Caliphate countries have no history of democracy - true Kemal's parents (his mother) sent him to a religious school. He rebelled (maybe age7) refusing to sit on the floor and perform a medieval chant. He'd seen western children sitting behind desks. His father arranged for him to attend a military school. The rest is history......
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  11122. Great news ! The Islamofascist regime is on the brink of collapse and what do the EU and the lefty liberals want to do ? They want to throw the theocratic thugs a lifeline. Why ? Well basically because of French banks but also because the Left embrace theocratic fascism and call it multiculturalism. Read Nick Cohen's book "What's Left ?" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158007.What_s_Left_
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  11123. I remember hearing the "F" word for the first time : I was 7 and a pupil used it in the playground. Why would anyone want children to see extreme profanity driving around a town ?
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  11124. Emfederin, listen to your language. I always try to politely point out to people that what you write could be read by a young person. One chap had become incensed over some issue and was saying, "he can suck my &%$£". Well imagine people having to read that. Similarly, why should we all have to read that lady's profanity. And as far as freedom of speech goes : there is no such thing. You CANNOT incentivise a crime You CANNOT start a panic (shout fire) You CANNOT slander or perjure. etc, etc Also, her obscenity wouldn't be allowed in the UK.
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  11125. emfederin, touché ; however, there's a sanctimonious delight Yanks take in 'freedom of speech' and harping on about 'the constitution'. The fact is all freedom of expression is within limits and what is being debated are the limits. I prefer not to see profanity (which is fair enough) You then attack my position is if it violates something handed down from Moses.
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  11126. How marvellous. Illiteracy has been the curse of Pakistan. Fanatical religious crackpots thrive where illiteracy is high.
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  11127. 1:47 I've just realised what the foam rings are for : so it doesn't scratch the barrel, or got stuck on friction when dropped in the tube.
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  11128. LOL "Palestinian police", you mean Hamas Hamas rule in Gaza - they are ALL Hamas There is no independent police force :Hamas is not an accountable, representative government. Hamas are thugs, the police are Hamas thugs
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  11129.  fafar gol  , there is one final key element to the Iran question we haven't touched upon : the 12th Imam. The Ayatollah , who wants to develop nuclear weapons, also believes paradise will follow Armageddon . The fanatical Ayatollah believes the nuclear destruction of Israel will herald the appearance of the 12th Imam. Needless to say most people feel safer watching the US fleet keep Iran in check.
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  11130. In the 1970s Yasser Arafat was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month. Explain that.
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  11131. suleiman, I'm saying AFTER WW2, when the war was over British conscripts had to remian in the army to protect aristocrats property.
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  11132. Give 'em hell. This is payback for Bucha and all the atrocities the Orcs have committed. Russia expected the invasion to be a looting spree : well they can take some lead home.
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  11133. A good video covering a variety of topics in a well-informed way. Al-Jazeera let themselves down with their biased coverage of Hamas (Because Qatar payroll those terrorist fanatics) But they are back on track with first-class journalism.
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  11134.  Mebeardog II  Do you know what shocked me ? Remember the cancelled election ? Remember one of the Fatah candidates who was in prison ? Well, I heard him interviewed and he said, "You have t remember we both have to live as neighbours when this is over". It was one of the most far-sighted observations. That is how Palestinians must think : don't send kids to religious schools and teach them to hate Jews. Get a western type quality education and look for business opportunities. Think about making progress within an integrated Israel. Arafat was a disastrous corrupt dictator for 35yrs (and a loser). Fatah are losers : they are reviled by the civilized world. Ditch the losers and start making democratic, educated progress.
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  11135.  Middle East History Channel  Of course what you say is correct but you have missed the main point :- Palestinians can NEVER succeed without international pressure (like S.Africa's apartheid). Now, Hamas are rightly loathed by the international community. The civilized world (quite rightly) sides with Israel against those fanatical religious fascists. So, how do Hamas benefit the people ? They don't. Hamas are 100% losers, just like Arafat's 35yr corrupt dictatorship. You must look at the big picture. Palestinians must have a case that appeals to the civilized world for support. Fanatical Hamas terrorists frighten the wits out of the West.
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  11136.  Middle East History Channel  you are accusing everyone in that roll-call of 'The West'. You should've accused the Yanks primarily. The EU is about soft-power. It would certainly be advantageous to have them on board. Even if you support |Hamas, you must surely wince when you hear them carry on about religion. In the 21st century even the Pope never mentions God (go check a few speeches from this year. And yet the Hamas leader mentions God 7 times in 3 minutes. Most people think that indicates he is a crackpot.
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  11137.  @kungfew1396  David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
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  11138. Dionysos, you are probably right again. Also, Shlomo Sands and DNA has shown the present day Israelis are actually Caucasian. And the irony is that the dispossessed Palestinians are the original tribes who have converted to Islam. All that aside the Palestinians could do themselves a big favour by adopting democracy and ending corruption. Arafat 40yrs dictator , Fatah a one-party corrupt state. Compare that to Israel which is prosecuting its own president for accepting cigars.
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  11139. Ahmed, I like your logo. You are right about Stalin I believe he was Georgian. I hope they find the $3 billion Arafat stole from the Palestinians they could invest it in business and infrastructure.
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  11140. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
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  11141. "Recall ambassadors" Why should Arab nations allow Hamas to dictate their foreign policy ? Hamas - a bunch of thugs, dictating what the Arab world MUST do Why should a bunch of thugs, murderers and rapists call the shots ?
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  11142.  @aditisharma6951  "India's job" is to not make itself contemptible on the world stage. Modi is failing to do that.
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  11143.  @ghanvedsingh8946  I'm from Yorkshire, and my key concern is that India makes a massive blunder. The US is in a military league of its own. Russia is a 3rd division power. India gains nothing from allying with Russia. Russian equipment is junk. India should make deals with Israel and the US. It needs fighters which can launch missiles from 160km (F-35). It needs precision bombs and drones. India spends 68% of its defence budget on wages : it has far too many soldiers. India's aircraft carrier will be sunk within 24hrs in any war with China. America has 11 carriers, and won't use any in a war with China. That is why the US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Warfare is changing, and India have picked a losing partnership (Russia).
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  11144.  @ChuongNguyen-fq4cj  "India has no pull" It's worse than that. India is "shaky". It fears China and fears offending Russia. India's military procurement is dictated by Russia, who sells them junk. Putin treats modi with condescension (remember the sword episode). India is in danger of becoming contemptible.
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  11145.  @MrX-il2jt  "we speak to stop violence , that's the difference, my dear friend🙏 " And India buys cheap oil (profiting from the misery of others) And India doesn't condemn Russian aggression (so it can buy Russian military junk) Very high principles.
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  11146.  @MrX-il2jt  141 nations condemned Russia at the UN. India was NOT one of them. India is contemptible in the eyes of the Civilized World.
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  11147.  @MrX-il2jt  Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
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  11148.  @MrX-il2jt  Voting at the UN isn't a brave thing to do. India would simply join 141 nations to condemn Russia. It was actually "brave" of India to abstain. It was also extremely immoral. India with live with the consequences. P.S. India can't 'bite' anyone : even Pakistan would give India a hard time. Also, I hope I live to see India humbled on the battlefield with its highly prized Russian junk
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  11149.  @MrX-il2jt  Putin talks about nukes - because he is militarily weak. India is also militarily weak : which is why you automatically reach for the nuclear option. If India uses nukes, it will receive them in reply. Is that the great strategy of Modi ? India would do better by joining the International Community and condemning Russian aggression.
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  11150.  @MrX-il2jt  "simply cause china can't win war without nukes" Correct. But China doesn't want to invade India - nobody does. I once watched a retired Pakistan Air Chief Marshall say, "India wouldn't take Pakistan if we gave it to them" The same applies to India : nobody wants it. If conflict with India kicks off, China will sink India's flagship carrier with a single missile. The war will be over in a week. No invasion : simply China cannot project its power. Nobody wants India. It is about global influence - that's why the US has 11 carrier strike groups and 19 nuclear subs.
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  11151. France "is on the same page" as Iran They both want the US out of the middle east France wants to play mediator between Saudi and Iran and pick up big contracts from both Feb 2022 Russia invasion - Macron's first speech promoted the EDF EDF = Euro Def Force (a replacement for NATO) France wants to dominate European security, it wants US influence out France = Vichy France
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  11152. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  11153. It does make me mad. When you think Yaser Arafat stole $3billion and his family still have it and yet ordinary Palestinians are struggling without electricity.
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  11154.  @marctemura2017  Britain was doing well in WW2 until they sent two battleships (Renown & Repulse) to Singapore, and they were sunk by Japanese aircraft torpedoes. WW2 was the dawn of air-power at sea, Nagorno-Karabakh was the first drone war, in the first case the Royal Navy learnt a lesson, and in the second case the Armenian generals learnt a lesson. Why it should be the Prime Minister should carry the can beats me.
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  11155. The Iraqi parliament has 328 seats and Iran control 170. So the vote to incorporate Iranian militia into the Iraqi military was passed with 170 votes in favour. The vote to expel the US was 170 to 0 (only the Iranian block turned up)
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  11156. STOP Whatever you do Al Jazeera don't mention Hamas ! The whole intro is all Israel and America - not a word about Hamas The whole war is Israel and Ameica : who is responsible DON'T mention Hamas (well done, they didn't)
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  11157. Those injured were shot in the legs. They are "wounded" Those who were killed died in a stampede & run over by trucks Hamas are spreading lies as usual and Western media repeats Hamas propaganda
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  11158. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed Russians can't understand where Russophobia comes from because their history books are filled with childish fiction.
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  11159. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
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  11160. A good country if you need an organ transplant : they harvest human organs from prisoners and the Falun Gong.
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  11161. Al Jazeera employs Hamas fighters :- IDF revealed a trove of images and documents it said prove that another Al Jazeera reporter, Mohamed Washah, was a commander in Hamas's military wing
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  11162. US military aid to Israel is to prevent them having to use nukes Cutting military aid means the possibility of a nuclear strike on Iran skyrockets
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  11163. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
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  11164. Of course Trump is guilty. But I hope the libtards don't forget the DNC is totally corrupt and full of liars Donna Brazil, Wasserman-shultz, Hillary That the media are liars : CNN feeding questions to fix the primary.
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  11165. Biden : "I'm reluctant to respond to anything Putin says. I found it interesting that he was ready to bomb hospitals, nurseries, and churches on the 25th and New Year's Eve".
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  11166. Macron has "the vision thing". Interesting developments.
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  11167. Nonsense "Right now Russia is on its back" 9 Nov 2022 Mark Milley The only thing Putin has is bluff
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  11168. Watch this assessment of Russia (from 8mins) Much better that than this biased old kid. For instance recent polls show only 1/3 approve of Putin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fBPf84LOyc
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  11169. Lebanon and Venezuela haven't paid their subs LOL They're temporarily suspended And Venezuela has the 2nd largest oil reserves in the world By the time they get the oil flowing new green technology will mean nobody wants it. Good work Venezuela - they have certainly betrayed their people.
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  11170. Let me explain Russia's collapse :- If Xi offered to swap China's 300 nukes for Russia's 6000 Putin would bite his hand off. Why ? Because all Russia's assets are rusty old junk. That is the Russian army in Ukraine : rusty, dysfunctional junk.
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  11171. 1948 Arab/Israeli war : Jordan occupied the West Bank and annexed it Handing passports to west bank Palestinians 1967 Israel reclaimed the West bank. Jordan then cancelled passports
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  11172. "Israel refuses to negotiate" Palestinians refused a UN 2-state solution in 1948 They refused again at Camp David in 2000 The Palestine always have delusional demands (Which they drop 20 years later when it's too late)
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  11173. Zelensky looks more at ease meeting Boris. That is because Ursula von der Leyden deports herself like a countess. She is a courteous countess, but Boris's bumbling bonhomie is simply indomitable. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  11174.  Toby Leon  Have a read about Russian culture ..... Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  11175.  @tameenhaque2285  , but honestly you are not saying those countries are democratic ? Admittedly the West tried to bring democracy but it is fanatics (usually religious fanatics) who are causing the strife.
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  11176. "There be only two words to describe that shot - mutha £$%&%!"
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  11177.  @Liboch  LOL HMS Queen Elizabeth : officials suspect the rain cover was sucked into the stealth plane’s F-35B Lightning II engine. That carrier cost $8 billion, and is almost a total waste. It reminds me of the 'Renown and Repulse' battleships sent to Singapore in 1941 and immediately sunk by Japanese torpedo planes. I could weep.
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  11178.  @asimkant4700  Russia does offer value for money : the west buys their rocket engines. China said they want to reduce their 1.5 million army and make it more technical and professional. India is in the same boat : their army is essentially a welfare employment scheme : offering health care and pension. 50% of India's army should become a part-time National Guard, and the money saved should go into submarines. Containing China is all about blockade. Russia has shown that an actual invasion is hard : China will NEVER invade India, but it could easily strike and cripple India - power-supply, oil imports, transport hubs, infrastructure etc
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  11179.  @casteretpollux  Lord Owen was asked on Radio 4 about Putin's nuclear threats, he said, "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen t their families".
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  11180.  @blokin5039  The whole of Europe were cheering when Nordstream was demolished. A Polish MEP simply voiced the universal celebration.
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  11181. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. Prisoners of the Shah recorded in their memoirs the boredom of prison life. Prisoners of the Ayatollah reported horror, torture, screaming and death. The Ayatollah is the worst thing to ever happen to Iran.
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  11182. Guterres : "Hamas massacre did not happen in a VACUUM Hamas rapes and murder were provoked." Guterres thinks Hamas are the good guys Guterres MUST resign, he is a disgrace to the UN
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  11183.  @tadasblindavicius8889  " Bernard Shaw, Pablo Picasso, Theodorakis, Yves Montand,...........W.H. Auden, Bertolt Brecht, Jean Paul Sartre ....... " It's a tiresome list of Stalin supporting morons.
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  11184.  Dulce Wilcox  , I'm on your side : I want the US prosecuted for war crimes but what Assange did was to dump 2.5Gb of classified documents so that Dictators could identify activists in their country and kill or torture them. Why did Assange do that ? Because Assange was too lazy to filter the material. he couldn't be bothered reading it all.(I Gb is about 3400 books) Assange didn't want to share it with Amnesty International or other journalists because of his ego. So he dumped it all and claimed the attention for himself.
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  11185. I want the US prosecuted for war crimes but what Assange did was to dump 2.5Gb of classified documents so that Dictators could identify activists in their country and kill or torture them. Why did Assange do that ? Because Assange was too lazy to filter the material. he couldn't be bothered reading it all.(I Gb is about 3400 books) Assange didn't want to share it with Amnesty International or other journalists because of his ego. So he dumped it all and claimed the attention for himself.
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  11186. Assange released 2.5Gb of info : that's about 7000 books. He had no idea what was on it. Assange betrayed hundreds of activists who who working for democracy against dictatorships. Why ? Because he couldn't read it all and didn't want to share it. He could send it to Amnesty or other journalists but didn't want them stealing his limelight. Lazy, egotistical Assange wanted all the glory of dumping intelligence that endangered other people's lives. Obviously he exposed war-crimes : we all want that but you can't condemn other activists to arrest & torture at the same time. You have to filter it and protect the good guys. Assange has no friends....except for ill-informed Jimmy Dore types.
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  11187.  @oj5218  , read Nick Cohen's essay yourself : https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/sep/18/julian-assange-wikileaks-nick-cohen
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  11188.  @oj5218  ,David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
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  11189. 18:25 LOL look at that clown. Call that a soldier : he should be in Fred Carnot's circus.
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  11190. LOL . The Arabs have been gifted a bonanza of oil but it's difficult not to feel anything but contempt for them. They're bone idle, intellectually myopic, duplicitous and hypocritical ; with a medieval notion of civilization which has meant they benefit zilch from their financial good fortune. They must look to the West with envy.
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  11191. "The Clinton Foundation" is a slush fund. It buys property in Dubai. It spends 14% of its cash on actual charity (to remain tax exempt) A total criminal political bribery fund.
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  11192. Iran's economy is up to its chin in quicksand , why would the US try to start a war ? By contrast are sinking fast (inflation at 50% , its GDP down -6%) and they have every reason to try something desperate.
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  11193.  fafar gol  , oh what nonsense. I assume you hate the US ; well do you know what ? You can go stand outside the Whitehouse and shout it to your hearts content. You can encourage other people to see you view point. Isn't it wonderful : it's called Western Democracy.
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  11194.  @CH-wp5hp  , You are right to a point. But the monopolisation of trade by Venice didn't send a shock wave through Europe like the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
    1
  11195.  @roddeazevedo , "Expansion" doesn't include Ghana and Benin which are local (they are closer than Greece). Expansion started in 1488 when Bart Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope (Africa).
    1
  11196.  @roddeazevedo  , But you haven't corrected me, only insulted me. You won't find any historian claiming the Age of Expansion started with a trip to Ghana in 1415.
    1
  11197. The poisonous Russian army : radioactive savages.
    1
  11198.  @hmthisisit  , the Brits gave Greece its Independence (1821-32). What do you think Lord Byron was doing over there ? He loved Greece. Stalin killed 30 million Russians, Mao killed 60 million Chinese : they were terrible times and the West did support a dictatorship in Greece. But they also funded (Marshall plan) the Greek miracle - 7% growth for a decade. Growth which came to haunt Greece, who then thought they could borrow without limit.
    1
  11199.  @hmthisisit  , a well informed reply (I enjoyed it) but you paint a picture of the Ottomans running out of puff and handing the reins to countries seeking independence. There were the Bulgarian massacres, the Greek atrocities........it was a savage nightmare. The events were raised in Parliament (UK) not by exploiters but by humanist campaigners forcing action to be taken against the Turks (Navarino 1827). Of course vested interests worked the situation to their advantage but the impetus was for Greek independence. (I'm amazed at your ingratitude).
    1
  11200.  @hmthisisit  , very interesting, enjoyable and well written reply. I agree with you on Austerity. I agree with Yanis Varoufakis that we still haven't recovered from the 2008 crash. Also, there are a few things that unite all people : they hate corruption and incompetent political leadership. Greece aren't the only ones who've been cursed with that. I'm not au fait, actually, with modern Greek history, the C19th is a bit of a blank for me (post Ottoman). I can't think of any post-Ottoman country that has thrived. Like you say the main players were up and running in the C18th and there was really no catching up. Apropos Navarino : the finest ship at the battle was actually Greek. A steam battle ship built in Britain and paid for by Greek merchants. You know what Spanish analysts (arbitrista) said about Spain decline : that the American silver had been a curse :- Silver entered Spain caused high inflation then went out again (80yrs war, Italy etc) leaving behind an impoverished population trading with an ever devalued copper currency. In the same way Greece's Economic Miracle might have been a curse - it caused huge borrowing (debt eaten up by growth) people lived it up, governments borrowed more ; then when growth stopped reality hit home.
    1
  11201. This is interesting, but after WW2 Greece experience the "Greek Miracle". It grew at 7% a year for a decade and was the envy of Europe. This resulted in hubris for the Greeks who thought they could have their cake and eat it. They borrowed wildly expecting to pay off the loans with future growth. When the financial crisis arrived Greece hit the canvas. With nobody to blame but THEMSELVES.
    1
  11202. Cock-a-doodle-doo : nice intro.
    1
  11203. How is the Palestinian election coming on ? Fatah & Hamas have to decide how they will divide power. I've an idea : why doesn't Hamas stay in control of Gazza, and Fatah can keep the West Bank, then everyone is happy (except the poor Palestinian people).
    1
  11204. China could never hold an Island in the event of war with AUKUS. The Islands enable China to bully fishing vessels and shine lasers at planes. In war with China, AUKUS would mop-up the islands. There isn't any island (to my knowledge) which China could hold.
    1
  11205. How will India vote at the UN ? Will India abstain and disgrace itself ? Will India support Russia and go down in history as an infamous appeaser ? Or will India finally pluck up some courage, and find its moral compass ?
    1
  11206.  @prasannagogoi5511  Even Guatemala has withdrawn its ambassador from Moscow. Whilst India sits with a foot in both camps. India is in the grey zone : half in with the Axis of Evil and half with Western Civilization.
    1
  11207. Corrupt Portugal Corrupt EU Corrupt France (also it was full of Vichy collaborators but they've all died) Corrupt Spain Corrupt Greece Corrupt Italy Corrupt Bulgaria, Hungary & Poland. Corrupt Turkey Corrupt Ukraine , Russia & Belorussia Corrupt.....I've had enough.
    1
  11208. Speaker must resign Labour cooked up a deal with the Speaker to hijack the SNP
    1
  11209.  @slyderyder3491  Two facts :- a) Medvedev has just promised "Judgement Day" if Crimea is attacked. b) Russia has moved its fleet from Sevastopol back to Russia. First Snake Island now Russia has withdrawn its fleet from Crimea. Nobody can possibly imagine Russia is winning.
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  11210. 20 shell companies set up by Biden That took in $30 million whilst he was VP That smells like corruption
    1
  11211.  Sami Almuntasr  , The latest polls show Fatah on 32%, then two Fatah splinter candidates on 12% and 8%. Hamas on 30% Hamas have a chance only because Fatah have splintered. Hamas are the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states hate them. The EU and US brand them terrorists. Do you really think Hamas will turn the Palestinian 70yr losing streak into victory ?
    1
  11212.  @Scaliad  But the alternative is to watch Ukrainian citizens slaughtered by a Russian butcher.
    1
  11213. Leave the camouflage on ! Just scrub the insignia with a marker pen. They look 10 x better with camouflage.
    1
  11214. The lowest country is exactly what Iran is.
    1
  11215. Lukashenko would collapse without Russia. The Axis of Evil are supporting the last dictator in Europe. The Axis of Evil = Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, etc etc
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  11216. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
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  11217. Zilch - is what macron will achieve Xi's "Peace" is as dead as Old Marley
    1
  11218. Hostages were hidden in hospitals (video evidence) Hospital staff worked hand in glove with Hamas
    1
  11219. The Old Rogue (Erdogan) may just pull it out of the hat ?
    1
  11220. Macron's summary is like a dose of Parisian tear gas : it has got me wiping my eyes.
    1
  11221. He was killed in a boxing match with 15 Saudi hit-men.
    1
  11222. South Africa and the one-party-state corrupt ANC. The ANC will never hand over power. 450 political killings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_assassinations_in_post-apartheid_South_Africa
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  11223. "A moment of consequence and peril" nice phrase, well written. Consequence = India has joined the Axis of Evil Peril = India can say goodbye to friendly relations with Western Civilization.
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  11224.  @JkLina13  Extremist Wahabism arrived in Afghanistan around 1830s, which is when Armenian wine-merchants departed Kabul. Haj pilgrims brought the extremist philosophy back to Afghanistan after their journey to Mecca. Those are the roots of Taliban ideology.
    1
  11225.  @abhimanusingh66  I admit to a fairly hollow understanding of India. But I do believe Modi squirmed when Ursula mentioned the dead bodies. It would be inhuman for him not to squirm.
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  11226.  @harishkasaudhan6765  The dead bodies were the result of an atrocity by the Russian army : that is why Modi squirmed. He would be inhuman not to squirm. Modi's major ally has committed a foul atrocity - murder, torture and rape. Anyone with any human feeling would squirm.
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  11227.  @harishkasaudhan6765  China's economy is entirely dependent on imports and exports. Blockade China and the economy collapses. Having data on every citizen doesn't help when they are re-enacting the Boxer rebellion.
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  11228.  @harishkasaudhan6765  If ever you find yourself shedding a tear for Gaddafi or Saddam, spare a thought for their victims. Mass graves of folk wearing pyjamas - that was Gaddafi's hallmark : get them out of bed to kill them. Saddam's sons were psychopaths : the things they did cannot be mentioned on a public forum, they were depraved sadistic, savages. Human slavery has existed since time immemorial. Interestingly, maybe 30% of Anglo-Saxon England were slaves (in the 11th century). Dublin had the largest slave market in Western Europe : which is why the Pope issued Laudabiliter (1155) to Henry II to enable him to civilize Ireland. (And that Irish Christianity was Eastern European and didn't recognise Papal authority). The Normans ended slavery - and nobody really knows why. Britain won the Asiento - contract to transport slaves to America, from Spain (1713) after the Spanish Succession war. They abolished slavery in 1807 : Britain was the last in and first out. Every European Congress (post Napoleon 1815) included a demand by Britain for other nations to end slavery. Britain was the driving force : in the 1890s they spent £100,000 a year on six cruisers to patrol East Africa and stop the Arab slave trade. It was a passion for parliament. Compare Russia :- One Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf-girls Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow), he was exiled to Siberia. Girls were advertised as "having a pretty face and attractive figure". The Russian nobles were no better than ISIS with Yazidi girls. Emancipation (1861) hardly improved things. Stalin's intelligence chief Beria was a serial rapist. The KGB described themselves as "the new nobility", and behaved in a similarly depraved fashion towards Russian women.
    1
  11229.  @harishkasaudhan6765  I watched Gaddafi get his comeuppance : he died like a dog. He was quoting the Quran and begging for mercy. Just like the victims in his torture camps.
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  11230.  @harishkasaudhan6765  I think John Bolton, Donald Rumsfeld and George W Bush should get their comeuppance. They deliberately created chaos : "A light footprint" was Rumsfeld's term. In 1871 the Prussians defeated France and had to garrison the country. The French government collapsed after Napoleon III fled to Britain. Exactly the same as Iraq. I predicted it at the time. Nobody in the Whitehouse knows anything about history.
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  11231.  RKA RKA  Fair points. In the Venezuela Crisis 1895, Britain thought it might come to war : so they foolishly concocted an invasion plan with three prongs - from Boston, a naval landing at New York, and an invasion from Canada. Here is the surprise : the Cabinet expected the invasion would be accompanied by a massive rising of Red Indians. They didn't know the Indians were all but extinct. Now the British ambassador will have been as well-informed as the average American, so one can deduce that the average American didn't know either. In 1895 very few people were aware just how few Indians remained.
    1
  11232.  @jimjones3287  , the unproductive Castilian nobility were mirrored in Spanish-America by the huge-land-owning families , who lived in noble style , granted money to the Church to build cathedrals and took care of governing the country. So Castilian Royal-rule is transferred to Spanish-America ; it easily segues to military dictatorship. In north America wealth was in the hands of industrialists who didn't sit on it ....they actually borrowed more money based on what they had (leverage) and built railroads, steel mills etc etc There were two different attitudes to society and government. Just like southern Europe & Northern Europe . This is basically Hugh Trevor-Roper's observation.
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  11233.  @lana-fc2pd  , my apologies , I obviously worded my comment badly. The observation is basically Hugh Trevor-Roper's and was directed at southern Europe in contrast to the protestant north. Example : in the Catholic South bishops were idolised. In the Dutch republic there were no bishops just a hyper-dynamic merchant oligarchy sweeping up world trade from the Spanish. In England you had an Anglican episcopacy but the bishops wrote to the Archbishop "The people hate us". Society took 2 forms which are reflected in North-America and Spanish-America :- In North America (bishop-haters) authority is distrusted and people value assemblies ie congregational religion and parliaments (or Congress). In Spanish-America (bishop-idolisers) authority is respected : noble families own most of the land and govern the country. They endow the Church (symbiotic feudalism) with buildings and Cathedrals and the people accept the nobles and Church as their authority.
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  11234.  @dasbubba841  , thanks for those words of reasoned analysis. Consider land distribution :- In Spanish-America a few 'noble' families own 90% of the land and control the government. In North America pioneers worked farms , sold them for a profit then moved West to do the same again. Obviously the railroad buys land and industrialists buy up huge tracts but it is acquired with land title for a price. In Spanish-America the 'nobles ' acquired it (?) from the crown or the Governor after they'd thrown off Spanish shackles. (?) I don't actually know much history of S America my analysis is based on Europe : Spanish Flanders and the Dutch republic in the C17th.
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  11235.  @javierharth3647  , Look at C17th Flanders : why did wealthy Catholic merchants flee to Protestant Netherlands when Spain invaded ? Why do Catholics flee from Spanish Catholic to go to Protestant Holland ? Because the Spanish/Catholic society is parasitical and the Dutch one is Merchant/Oligarchy The Dutch have laws, a stock exchange and national banks. The Spanish have gone bankrupt 3 times and simply drain money from anyone who has any. The Dutch and English society is what you have in North America (parliament & Law & representation) The Spanish/Catholic divine rule is what you have in the South and Central America.
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  11236.  @javierharth3647  , Consider this : what is the biggest national event in your country ? The Super-bowl or FA cup final or whatever. Well in Spain it was the Madrid auto-da-fé It would last all day with the King & nobles, cardinals, Bishops. the full works. Sometimes they burnt folk sometimes paraded them. They kept the victims clueless to add to the drama : they'd no idea what they were charged with (that added to the fun). Now contrast England where KIng James was told by his Lord Chief Justice (Edward Coke) that he couldn't do what he intended because it was against Common Law. (codified by Henry Bracton 1235). Imagine the different societies in America : North America rooted in Common Law South America rooted in auto-da-fé , where the public look on at the spectacle of Royal/Church absolute authority ; which naturally segues into military dictatorship.
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  11237.  @dalecrocker3213  , I agree 100%. I hate Biden and Harris. But the fact remains : Trump mishandled Covid-19. The economy is in tatters, race relations are a disaster, international relation the same, and Trump mishandling is seen as the cause. This stunt won't save him.
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  11238.  @dalecrocker3213  , you're in denial and convincing nobody with those arguments. I'm a Trump supporter (was) but I'm not delusional like you.
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  11239.  @dalecrocker3213  , LOL We're on the same side, I would love to see Biden defeated but it won't happen. Trump was dismissive of and ignorant about coronavirus, which will be hi undoing. Tear-gassing peaceful protestors to pose with a bible was crass (even the military distanced themselves) Trump is just an a-hole and too many people know it.
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  11240. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
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  11241. Zuma always has a stupid smug smirk on his ugly face. Look at Zuma's supporters : ANC thugs. The corrupt ANC are paying Zuma's legal fees out of government funds.
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  11242. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
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  11243. All media are reporting this story INCORRECTLY The START treaty, expired after 10yrs Feb 2021 Trump wouldn't extend it Biden became president Jan 2021 and .... "Russians were practically begging Biden to extend it" Putin has suspended 'inspections' only "Russia have gone out of their way to assure the US they are in compliance with everything else" Putin is playing to the gallery - the western media, that has become hysterical
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  11244. The US will never allow N Korea to develop multiple warhead ballistic missiles. It is impossible to invade N Korea without them retaliating and killing 100ks of S Koreans. Therefore Trump will make a pre-emptive nuclear strike and flatten N Korea. Kim knows this. That is why he is meeting with Moon and encouraging dialogue. The Meeting with Trump will happen at some stage. Because the alternative is a pre-emptive strike on N Korea.
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  11245. Trump has Qatar in his sights
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  11246. Greek Railways were a reservoir of cronyism, nepotism and political corruption They are notoriously unprofessional Why the EU should pay for that beats me.
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  11247. Netanyahu promises "A different kind of war - to minimise civilian casualties" That means a 2nd exodus Palestinians must leave Gaza so Hamas can be crushed Hamas has doomed Gaza - it can never go back to how it was
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  11248. Russians are Romantic : in the philosophical sense of being anti-rational. It began in the 1825 when Tsar Nicholas I sent students to Germany (Paris he thought too radical). German Metaphysics were transported to Russia - the half-baked ideas of Fichte, Hegel and Schelling. The Intelligentsia were a tiny group, surrounded by benighted ignorance and an oppressive aristocracy. Hegelian nonsense taught them that the world had a flow (Essence) and to perceive it one had to be part of it. Russian thinkers believed in a great leap forward : it came in 1917. Anti-rationalism was rampant in the USSR (cf Lysenkoism). Gangsterism replaced Communism, but the spirit of Romanticism continued. The unfathomable nonsense of Putin is its latest manifestation.
    1
  11249.  @Иван56-ш3ъ  Russia is shamelessly encouraging its forces to do the unthinkable. That is how the Bucha massacre occurred - the Kremlin gave the green light.
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  11250. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
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  11251. Very uplifting. A humane gesture. The Saudi are refusing to reciprocate. Never trust a Saudi : they are liars, back-stabbers and deal-breakers. The Saudi is ignorant, indolent, bigoted, bone-idle, cowardly and cruel.
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  11252. "What will Modi do when Kashmir curfew is lifted?" Well he won't kill 3 million and rape 250,000 women and girls like Pakistan did in Bangladesh (1971) " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
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  11253. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  11254. At least Rajoy didn't try to cling on by sending in fascist police to baton people over the head, pull girls by the hair and kick people to the ground.
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  11255. Lukashenko + Putin = two Stalinist thugs.
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  11256. Shoigu looks like a man dangling over a precipice. He's already had a massive heart-attack. Putin is dressing up failure as success, and the West are laughing in their hats.
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  11257. You monumental jackass
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  11258. The border closure costs ordinary Palestinians their living and yet Fatah & Hamas drive around in luxury SUV and don't do a stroke of work. The best job for a Palestinian is to be a corrupt politician. The money from Saudi Arabia is supposed to be given to workers who are losing income but the corrupt politicians have other ideas.
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  11259. that's better, I recall 6yrs ago after Mugabe won another election they asked a woman why she voted for him , "Because he has the experience ", she said. Inflation was at 2000% at the time and the country was in ruins and still they loved him. It's not just Africa. Look at Russia : the people were asked if they wanted an investigation into the Gulags which killed millions of innocent Russians and they said no. Very often it's the people who are to blame : look at S Africa : all the mismanagement and corruption and yet the people dance in the streets for the ANC.
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  11260. Edson, I appreciate your point but what I'm saying is this : if most people hated Mugabe why was a coup necessary ? Mugabe rigged elections but was still getting nearly 50% support and those supporters now support his overthrow. And those supporters now support "The Crocodile" and his corrupt army generals. It stinks and at least half the country haven't a clue what they want.
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  11261. joseph, what about N Korea ? Is Bernie going to hand them the mike ? I'm a Bernie supporter but Xi & Rocket-man would walk all over him.
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  11262. Timeline : 12 Oct NATO defence ministers (discuss nuclear) 12 Oct Macron declares nuclear neutrality on TV 19 Oct Ben Wallace MoD in Washington (urgent) 21 Oct Shoigu phones Lloyd Austin 23 Oct Shoigu phones France, Turkey, Britain 23 Oct Shoigu phones Lloyd Austin 24 Oct Romanian minister resigns for suggesting Ukraine cede territory for peace 24 Oct Macron and Pope ""it's up to Ukraine to decide the moment and terms of peace to end the war." 24 Oct German and EU leaders call for Ukraine 'Marshall Plan' Shoigu waved the white flag to Lloyd Austin, and has offered a peace deal. Speculation : a) Shoigu revealed a shock to the US, he said, "It is all over for Russia, we need a deal this week. Hard-liners are planning a dirty bomb, we are contacting France, Britain and Turkey to tell them. (That is like a boxer appealing to the ref to stop the fight) The US don't want the fight stopped so.... b) The US told Ukraine to throw the reserves in and deliver a huge blow - regain 2km at Bakhmut c) the US phone Roumania, "Sack the minister who suggested Ukraine trade land for peace" He resigns Can you see how the pieces fit together : these are not coincidences.
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  11263. Former NATO commander general Wesley Clarke is incandescent at the cowardice of President Biden. If Biden even activated the radar for Patriot systems on the Polish border it would deter attacks. Russian jets would fear entering a hot radar zone. But Biden displays pusillanimity which is galling to General Wes Clarke.
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  11264.  @Iamthewarner557  "Where men can't live gods fare no better"
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  11265. "Last year her income from writing & lecturing = $1.2 million" Hillary made that from 2 speeches ......3hrs work. CNBC have their head up their ass.
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  11266. They are very brave. In the 1990s women were allowed into football stadiums only to be stoned to death. The Taliban are rotten savages.
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  11267. " Taking from the wealthiest and giving back to the poorest is the best model that creates economic growth in a striving and healthy society " It's what economists refer to as "the velocity of money" : it is taken from the wealthy and handed to folk who spend it........it ends up back with the wealthy and circulates again. In the C16th and C17th countries took on National Debt (bank of Amsterdam 1609 , Bank of England 1692 etc ) by contrast the Ottoman Sultan died and was found to have 98 chests of gold in his bedroom. That takes money out of society. The Spanish ambassador said, " In England nobody keeps their money in a chest". It was invested in stock or the bank of England. Even the South Sea Bubble crash didn't deter investors. It's one reason why Britain had the Industrial Revolution.
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  11268. "Why are we in this mess ?" Well in 2016 it was because the Clintons care only about themselves Now it's because Trump does the same
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  11269. No thanks to France "We must not humiliate Russia" France has sent 1/40th of the weapons Britain provided.
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  11270.  @ianc1097  "He would have then been suspended from duty and sacked" Exactly my point. The indecent exposure had just ruined him. By exposing himself he had shown that he'd lost all restraint, and now he has lost his livelihood and good character into the bargain. This is a person who is in free-fall. And yet the police do nothing, they are happy for him to stay on the force. Twelve days later he kidnaps and murders Sarah Everard.
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  11271.  @c.karnstein3299  , But this didn't go to Court : that's the point. The police dealt with it in a very dismissive way. 12 days later : kidnap and murder.
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  11272.  @ianc1097  , you sound like Henry Fonda.
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  11273.  @matsimmons6461  , interesting. Also, it was only 3 days before the murder. Some folk are saying "We don't know all the facts", but one person who does know the facts is the murderer. And to commit indecent exposure, and be spoken to by two officers, then 3 days later kidnap and murder, then try twice to knock yourself senseless in your cell, has all the hallmarks of an individual in catastrophic meltdown. The point being that the meltdown began at MacDonald's restaurant and his police colleagues treated it dismissively.
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  11274. LOL Corbyn. I knew that stooge wouldn't be far away from a foreign agent.
    1
  11275.  @gc2696  Corbyn was too dumb to be a spy. He was more valuable as a stooge. They must have been smiling in the Kremlin. The Islamists must have been thanking Allah for gifting them a jackass in the House of Commons.
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  11276. LOL Security Council : two permanent members are Axis of Evil (China & Russia) Don't expect much from there (unless it is support for the generals - written in Chinese).
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  11277. Well done to the judge. Nice to hear some human-principles from Argentina instead of drunken military jingoism and corruption.
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  11278. Hezbollah : assassination is their métier violence is their sine qua non
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  11279. The Axis of Evil = Russia China Iran North Korea, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Syria
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  11280. At the time of Ataturk's rebellion (~1922) Constantinople - Scutari signified the West - East divide. Scutari was medieval, with narrow allies, oil lamps, and full of old Turks. Constantinople was cosmopolitan. Ataturk rightly recognised the corruption of the Ottomans stemmed from the glitz of Constantinople. So he created the new capital at Ankara. He built it from scratch in the middle of Anatolia.
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  11281. @Anony Patient_ I've always said it takes 500yrs to create a culture. The formative period for Southern Italy was the Spanish Bourbon monarchy of the Two Sicilies (Naples). The entire state was corrupt. The Camorra were essentially part of the state. The irony is that nationalists pointed the finger at Austria (Milan, Lombardy, Tuscany etc), and yet in the Austrian north there were lower taxes, honest governance, free press, hardly any political prisoners - it was the best governed part of Italy, most prosperous, best educated. The rest of Italy was a tyranny - the Papal states backwards, censored and repressed, with no freedom. The Two Sicilies - a mafia state.
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  11282.  @jacopofacheris7215  You may be biased (from Naples). The corruption was so bad "It is the negation of God erected to a system of government....." In 1850, Gladstone began to support Neapolitan opponents of the Bourbon rulers: his "support" consisted of a couple of letters that he sent from Naples to the Parliament in London, describing the "awful conditions" of the Kingdom of Southern Italy and claiming that "it is the negation of God erected to a system of government". " (1830s) The Kingdom pursued an economic policy of protectionism; the country's economy was mainly based on agriculture, the cities, especially Naples - with over 400,000 inhabitants Italy's largest - 'a center of consumption rather than of production' (Santore p. 163) and home to poverty most expressed by the masses of Lazzaroni, the poorest class" Naples was the poorest, least productive, most corrupt and criminal. Obviously, the Neapolitan wealthy indulged in art and architecture, but the ordinary citizens were mostly impoverished. In the Austrian north there was a higher living standard, lower taxes, better justice, a free press, and fewest political prisoners.
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  11283.  @jacopofacheris7215  Rome :- The papal states were so backwards that even an engineering book on Railways was forbidden to use the word 'railway'. One assumes they wrote 'tracked transportation' or something. The Papal states were the most backwards in Europe. Austria wasn't Enlightened, but it was 10x better than the rest of Italy. Maria Theresa forbade a science academy in 1780 on the grounds it would encourage heresy. All the catholic south of Europe was backwards and repressive. Garibaldi was loved by the working class in Britain. 500,000 turned out to see him in 1864. He hated official receptions, but accepted a sword from Newcastle miners.
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  11284.  @AM-nl3pj  "220 million people behind him". But who does the army support ? There is only one power in Pakistan - even Islam cannot stand up against the military.
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  11285. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug, he has the morality of a gangster.
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  11286. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  11287. Resign ! The Speaker must go
    1
  11288.  @fabb5  Russia was defeated at Kyiv Russia was defeated at Kharkiv Russia lost 5 ships taking Snake Island, lost countless troops and helicopters before being forced to flee. Russia's Black Sea fleet has fled from Sevastopol and is hiding in Novorossiya. Ukraine has reclaimed territory the size of Denmark.
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  11289. ​ @fabb5  Turgenev's Grandma lost her temper and struck a serf-boy. He fell to the ground wounded, which so enraged her, she jumped on top of him with a cushion and suffocated him. A simple domestic murder. That was Russia in 1850 and that is Russia in Bucha - murderers by nature.
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  11290. ​ @Solder-of-Empire  The Serfs were 337% of the Russian population : they were described as "baptised property". Owners could whip them and torture them, but not murder them 'officially', in practice murders were extremely rarely prosecuted. Serf girls were open to every type of abuse by Russian males, and there is nobody more depraved than a Russian male.
    1
  11291.  @munastronaut8147  "Totaling $11.3 billion, or $180 billion in today's currency, the Lend-Lease Act of the United States supplied needed goods to the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1945"
    1
  11292. All the very best.
    1
  11293. "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD A Pentagon spokesman said, "Even the USA couldn't fire 20k shells a day like the Russians are doing." Russia is throwing the kitchen sink at it. Russian strategy :- To secure Donbas, then declare the whole area part of Russia. Then to declare that any attack by NATO, or by Ukraine using NATO weapons will meet with a nuclear response.
    1
  11294. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  11295.  @chrisj2502  Firstly, Russia classifies the majority of their missiles as being decommissioned. Those missiles need fuelling and don't even have warheads in place. (The warheads are kept separately and they would need arming). Russia's arsenal is woeful. America has a massive, massive superiority, and could probably take-out Russia with a first strike. Especially when joined by Britain (France will always stay neutral - they are utterly spineless).
    1
  11296.  @chrisj2502  Russia's GDP is less than Italy's. The US spends $800 billion a year. Obviously, the US would obliterate Russia. Use your common sense.
    1
  11297. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
    1
  11298.  @Cavc8g  But the right message. It was addressed to European viewers, ie DW viewers.
    1
  11299. In fairness Trump has made more progress on N Korea than any previous president. But also, Pakman is very funny on these analysis pieces : I enjoy them.
    1
  11300. This corrupt thug could be released in 10yrs, return to the Congo and still get elected. That's how dumb the voters are. Africa's problems all stem from the people electing shockingly corrupt thugs.
    1
  11301. Oh, it looks as though the Caliphate countries are becoming civilized & humanitarian. Let's keep our fingers crossed : democracy could be next, then maybe an end to corruption and institutional dysfunction. The caliphate certainly left the people a terrible legacy : despotism & ignorance.
    1
  11302. UN resolution calls for the UNCONDITIONAL release of all hostages Hamas has said "No" Hamas refuses to comply with the UN Al Jazeera never tell you that !
    1
  11303. The Catholics prayer is BLESSED ARE THE CHILD MOLESTERS
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  11304. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  11305.  anti zion  , that's where you are wrong. Statistically 35% of Israel is secular (ie they think all religions are invented , which they are ). 35% attend ceremonies for social reasons but are essentially secular. 30% are lunatic, half-wit religious believers. Now compare Islamic countries, any of them : 99% lunatic , medieval-moronic believers.
    1
  11306.  Waterlec  you're agreeing with me in the first sentence but then revealing yourself to be a whack-job conspiracy theorist in the second sentence. May I disavow .
    1
  11307. Iran militia have murdered 600 pro-democracy activists in Iraq. The Iraqi people want the Shia militia out. Why not feature that ?
    1
  11308. Military thugs backed by China. Releasing prisoners why ? To make room for political detainees ? Never trust corrupt despotic generals.
    1
  11309. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm Moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
    1
  11310. God never buttered a parsnip.
    1
  11311.  @tazboy1934  , you witless moron. What you mean is "You hope God is...." or "You'd like to think God is...." Or "You are wishing God is..." How can you KNOW anything about God ,you jackass, without it being total conjecture which is indistinguishable from fantasy. You really are an empty head.
    1
  11312.  @ZubairAhmed-od2xv  , you are totally wrong. I'm NOT conjecturing. If you say you have pink fairies in your garden shed I would say "Show me proof". That is NOT a conjecture. Your position on fairies (or God) IS a conjecture. Anthropologists reckon 10,000 religions have been invented by every tribe that ever evolved. What makes you think your invention is different ? It sounds just as daft as the others.
    1
  11313. Thomas, I was raised a catholic and every Sunday had to pretend to have no change when the collection plate came round. Sometimes I'd take it with the left hand and pass it with the right in the hope that my prestidigitation had mimicked a donation.
    1
  11314. Never expect the UN to speak on behalf of hostages The UN sides with Hamas, UNRWA fights with Hamas
    1
  11315. TYT became junk many years ago.
    1
  11316. Ukraine should leave some areas devastated : it will become a tourist hotspot. I think Ukraine will flourish after this war : and Russia will sink. There is a great tourist opportunity here. Good luck Ukraine.
    1
  11317. Why ? (Has the Pope refused the resignation) Nobody can say. The Pope has a direct line to God, which is why he is infallible. How could some bespectacled berkinshaw possibly tell you why the pontiff made a decision.
    1
  11318. The US did arrange a truce! The Paris Truce was arranged by the US & France : Israel accepted it Hamas added delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are non-starters" It is Hamas that wants war - they want to stay in power
    1
  11319. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
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  11320. When Putin dies the UN will vote on a resolution : "That he be buried right meetly deep"
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  11321. I've made an historical video on the failings of Spanish-America and been called racist for it. Even though the principal comparison is between the Venetian Republic and Papal States. Synopsis :- Spanish-America inherited the leviathans of Spanish society (Church and Nobility) which segued into military dictatorship.
    1
  11322. Well done. To those brave politicians who stood up for principles and condemned Maduro and his 2000 corrupt generals.
    1
  11323. Netanyahu is almost as bad as Yaser Arafat. Arafat ruled as a despot for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. Arafat's wife in Paris would receive $1 million per month. It was the only arena in which Arafat won : corruption : he beat the Israelis hands down.
    1
  11324. LOL the World Bank just sent $300 million in cash ! Ostensibly for Covid, but it will tide the generals over until they get a donation from China.
    1
  11325. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  11326. Try holding an election ! The Palestinian Authority does NOT represent the people They NEVER hold elections
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  11327. Russia's humiliating retreat from Snake Island. Russia then fires a missile at civilians. Macron warned Ukraine not to humiliate Russia. A pity Macron feels unable to warn the Kremlin.
    1
  11328.  @Ot-ej5gi  If you do some research you will realise how mistaken you are. What counts is the ability to launch a totally devastating strike in 20 mins : only the USA has that ability.
    1
  11329.  @gb-channel1880  Assange betrayed thousands of activists by releasing information that could expose them. Read Nick Cohen. Assange is a self-promoting egotist.
    1
  11330.  @Ot-ej5gi  "Does Russia have 1st strike capability? This strategy no longer has any meaning since Russia has no capability to mount the attack that this tactical nuclear force is meant to deter." Russia cannot strike first - it doesn't have the ability. Russia has to sit there and wait.
    1
  11331. "Call me on Monday". Is anyone else laughing at this attention seeking ploy by the Congressman. Surely you can see through this stunt ? Or are you a total moron.
    1
  11332.  @jo899  On Feb 24th Russia invaded. Britain immediately sent arms : NLAWs were vital for the Ukrainians to defend Kyiv. Germany effectively closed its airspace to weapons shipments for Ukraine. France didn't want to get involved. Macron tried to use the crisis to form a "European Defence Force" : he'd been trying to get that project up and running for years, and decided to use the Ukraine crisis for his own political triumph. Macron soft-soaped Putin and warned the West "Not to humiliate Russia" France & Germany displayed self-interest and fear in equal measure ; a disgraceful performance which will embarrass young students of history for generations.
    1
  11333.  @jo899  British planes carrying weapons for Ukraine had to do a massive detour. Germany said, "We never closed the airspace", but this is a subterfuge - the German airspace was effectively closed because Germany wouldn't give permission for the flights.
    1
  11334. Of course there will be a deal. Sir Ivan Rogers (top civil service negotiator) said this is a good deal for the EU. It will go to the 11th hour but the EU are very pleased with themselves. They have to deter others so are making the UK sweat.
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  11335. Stone throwing is no replacement for democracy. In 1920 the Jews elected an Assembly to shadow the British administration : They were already establishing a democratic state. So when the British pulled out in 1947 : the Jews declared the state of Israel. 100yrs later, the Palestinians still have no democracy - a corrupt Fatah, and a fascist Hamas.
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  11336. Compare 1917 and 1979 Both revolutions were hijacked : one by Totalitarian Bolshevism, the other by Fascist Theocracy. The Bolsheviks slaughtered their opponents, and Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians. The most ruthlessly violent rise to the top : Lenin & Trotsky, and the Ayatollah
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  11337. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  11338. "Warren disappeared", that's not a bad thing when you have momentum and there is a stage-full of folk talking nonsense. All those clips made me cringe : I'm relieved Warren wasn't amongst them.
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  11339. Why does Pakistan tolerate Islamofascist terror ? It goes back to its origins : the founding fathers Jinnah et al wanted Pak to be secular (like Britain) but the Pak people were largely illiterate and ignorant : they voted in the way their Imam told them. So to gain vote politicians pandered to radical Imams and the rest is history.
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  11340.  @uzmasaood8314  .my mistake , what I meant was that during the very first elections, the politicians pandered to radical clerics in order to obtain votes. I'm no expert, this is just what I read. I think it was in Tony Judt's great masterpiece "Postwar".
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  11341. Lavrov is one more heart-attack away from the graveyard He symbolises Russia Russian military aid LOL it should be going the other way
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  11342. How sad. These guys have never seen combat. Meanwhile those in Ukraine are humbling the Russians. NATO troops must feel like chocoolate soldiers on maneuvers. No disrespect to NATO, but I think we'd all prefer to watch a real war in Ukraine.
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  11343. Do you mean KGB man Putin ? The bloke who was deputy mayor of St Petersburg when $98 million went missing ? Putin didn't get it all, he just got his slice.
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  11344. @watch the neocons , you missed out the key adjective : corrupt. You meant to say, "Intelligent, corrupt and wise".
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  11345.  @emmanuelubaha5815  , are you suggesting Russia has no academics or intellectuals capable of being President ? Why does the President have to be a KGB thug ? Why does it have to be a corrupt KGB gangster ? AS deputy mayor of St Petersburg $98 million went missing.....the police said they couldn't find it. Putin was part of the administrative cartel that stole it....he is a crook. Surely Russia has intelligent honest people who can stand for election......or perhaps they are afraid of being assassinated.
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  11346.  @emmanuelubaha5815  , nobody was ever prosecuted for Stalin's Terror. 30 million Russians were killed. All the Gulag Commandants retired to their dachas. Nothing was ever said , they enjoyed generous pensions. All the gratuitous suffering they inflicted on innocent Russians. There isn't a family in Russia that doesn't know someone who was incarcerated. Don't wait for Putin to be convicted of embezzlement before you call him a crook : hell will freeze over before Putin is brought to justice.
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  11347. Only 2 questions count : a) Will Hamas govern Gaza when the war is over ? No b) Will the PA govern Gaza when the war is over ? Yes It's that simple The Palestinian Authority (PA) has to step in They are doomed f they don't If Gaza governs itself then the st Bank will ask for the same The PA is loathed - it can't afford to risk Gaza becoming an independently governed success
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  11348. "China has an interest in maintaining the war ?" asks Francois That glasses guy is a numpty China is appalled at Russia's war
    1
  11349. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
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  11350. Al Jazeera idiot ! "Israel will go into Rafah whether there is a ceasefire or not" What a dumbo. What total lies. This jackass talks rubbish Where do Al Jazeera find them ?
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  11351. My favourite MBS moment was when the helicopter was shot down with a missile. One of the corrupt princes was fleeing arrest. The airforce was alerted and they shot his damned helicopter down LOL
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  11352. Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
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  11353. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
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  11354. Cenk does this type of opinion piece better than anyone : very enjoyable.
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  11355. Liberal lunacy will destroy western civilisation
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  11356. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
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  11357.  @RichardTaylor1630  ....and one could add Louis XIV, who faced a coalition of the whole of Europe and never fought a battle on French soil. However, Louis XIV lost, and left France with a terrible debt, and a terrible inefficient autocratic political system -which led to revolution 1789. Napoleon lost in 1814 (abject abdication) Then lost again in 1815 (Heroic defeat) WW1 was such a catastrophic waste, it is hard to imagine any country emerging with credit.
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  11358.  @sharwama992  The massive, massive superiority means this : The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No other country has that ability. Russia knows this. It would take Russia at least 2 weeks to get half its missiles ready to fire. That's why the Pentagon often says, "We are constantly monitoring and see no indication of any preparations"
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  11359. Why is Russia incapable of this ? Why did Soviets spend all day queuing ? Because Russia has never had an articulate middle-class "Articulate" implies free to speak and think ; free to start a business protected by a justice system. Lack of freedom means lack of enterprise : Russians look to escape or turn in on themselves. Stalin encouraged children to inform on their parents, who went to the Gulags Russians can't trust the state or each other, yet believe in mystical superiority
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  11360. Putin has NOT pulled out He has suspended inspections ONLY Everything else is as it was And the inspections are only suspended temporarily
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  11361. Good Islam arrived as conquerors Now they are meeting resistance
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  11362. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, and quietly become a $hithole country.
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  11363.  @neodym5809  Britain was the very first to send NLAW anti-tank missiles. While Germany blocked airspace, forcing a huge diversion - still the British continued, despite Germany acting as the Kremlin's 5th column.
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  11364. "They underestimated the intrinsic weakness of their position and got crushed from the flanks" Who writes the script ? That's not a Ukrainian, only a native speaker could write that well.
    1
  11365. Putin's dad was KGB - he retired and lived in abject poverty but had a telephone, even back then. That was so he could inform on his friends and neighbours. That was life under Stalin, and Putin grew up longing to join the KGB. As deputy mayor of St Petersburg Putin was part of a syndicate that stole $98 million. The Russian police investigated but couldn't find the money or any suspects. What a stinking crooked thug Putin is. Good luck to the Russian citizens.
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  11366. Maybe China must pay reparations to 3rd world countries for Covid. 3rd world countries could simply cancel debt payments. China's lab leak virus.
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  11367. A brave lady. Journalists get thrown out of windows for saying less. She may have already been branded a terrorist, like opposition politicians.
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  11368. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm Moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
    1
  11369. What about Zimbabwe : they're doing well with their own currency ? What about South Africa : the ANC have run that into the ground ? What about the whole of Africa which is one long corrupt saga of failure ?
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  11370. Russia has called for the Bucha atrocities Russia committed in Ukraine to be repeated by Hamas
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  11371. Climate protest v carbon footprint ? That's easy, if you're a Hollywood actress you fly to the UK address protestors then fly home. The protestors shut-down London (Russia and China are laughing in their hats) Even though the UK is one of the top countries on GDP/emissions. So where is the Hollywood logic in that ?
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  11372. Notice the doctors and nurses don't look like that They have plenty of food & water Also, young males in Gaza have never looked fitter Hamas are trying to present propaganda
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  11373. No deal is NOT an option. Trump has everything riding on this. If they mess him about the consequences will be horrific.
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  11374. Russia is beaten. If Ukraine doesn't liberate Crimea in this war, it will never get a better opportunity.
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  11375. The US will blockade the Malacca straits faster than Xi Jinping can say chop-souy. China's economy will be strangled and civil unrest may well unseat the CCP.
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  11376.  @klassjogren831  , fair point , but in reality you never lose your democracy. Trade arrangements are only superficial ; when push comes to shove all nations will look out for their own best interests.
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  11377.  @klassjogren831  , good quote (Gandhi). I commented on an Al-Jazeera documentary ( made by college kids) saying the British were hated and pointed out that 2.4 million Indians had volunteered to fight for the British Empire in WW2. Which is difficult to square with them "hating the British". Jinnah was educated in Britain and wanted Pakistan to be a secular democracy......ignorance and fanaticism, the bedrock of Pakistani failure...scotched that dream. Speaking of ignorance and fanaticism : its greatest triumph was the Partition when illiterate peasants were fuelled by fear and hatred to slaughter one another. Education. (I'll finish on that one word)
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  11378. @Mebrice Depace , well said, you are quite right and I've always said China should be proud of Hong Kong protestors , their principles and courage are an inspiration.
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  11379. South Africa ? Yes ! Spain need to hitch themselves to that economic juggernaut. South Africa is going places. (Down the pan, being the most likely destination).
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  11380. AUKUS will mop up all those "Chinese" islands, in the event of war. China can't hold any islands.
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  11381. "Cultural erasure" : research the destruction of Mecca and Medina by Saudis They bulldozed all the medieval heritage to make a car park They believed old building shouldn't become icons for worship
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  11382. Poor analysis. The Taliban have no logistics, supply or services. They had to capture a hospital to treat their wounded. Obviously it was immediately bombed - which shows the Taliban desperation. The Taliban have built up a war chest (supplies) with which to conduct a major assault. they are relying on momentum from here.
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  11383. How did Hamas do in the election, did they all retain their seats in parliament ?
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  11384. Bullshit propaganda written by idiots with no knowledge of history. JInnah was the most hot-headed bloke you could meet. The idea that some British colonial officer could force him to do anything is a laugh. He had his own ideas and wouldn't budge an inch. Neither would the Indian Congress. They idea they could be played like puppets is a joke. Whoever made this bull$hit propaganda doesn't know any of the personalities involved. I wish Britannia could manipulate them there wouldn't have been a million killed. What nonsense this young guy is talking.
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  11385. I suppose Britan started all the conflicts between them as well. And Britain was behind Mumbai. This idiot is laughable. The sad thing is some morons will believe it.
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  11386.  @carolekjellander8917  Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, and quietly become a $hithole country.
    1
  11387.  @tsmith6203  Russia is finished. Putin is 99% focused on staying in power. The Russian army is a broken wreck.
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  11388. 1929 Saudi took control of Mecca and Medina - they bulldozed everything Wahhabi condemns idolatry So anything being venerated was crushed by a bulldozer The Saudi destroyed dozens of ancient sites
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  11389. A very interesting story. Impartially told by Al Jazeera. Congratulations.
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  11390. The EU France and Germany have all done marvellously. Let us not cut our nose off to spite our face. Move gradually. Ursula has a brilliant plan, follow her advice.
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  11391. Peace & prosperity mean nothing to Russia, and liberty is unknown. Russia celebrates death & destruction on Victory Day. Russia didn't liberate Europe in 1945, they imposed Stalin's terror on Eastern Europe, and introduced the Gulags, the KGB and Russian fascism.
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  11392. ICC arrest warrant for - "Abducting Children from Ukraine" A crime which has been admitted to by the Russians, who boast about it.
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  11393. Reasons US did it :- a) to send a message to Moscow the US isn't messing around b) Russia will be revanchist for generations, and Germany will resume buying gas the minute Putin resigns - funding revanchist Russia. c) Nordstream was a bad idea from the start and needed destroying. d) It sends a message to Europe the US isn't messing around - with Russia threatening to go nuclear the last thing the US needs is a wobbly EU re-engaging with the Kremlin.
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  11394. Anyone watching in the Middle East or Muslim world, take note , this is how Democracy works. It is adversarial like the Justice system : two sides battle it out before the public (or a jury vis-a-vis the judicial system) . It's not just a dictator who decides or a military junta. There is transparency and accountability. Why did Britain give the world parliamentary Democracy ? It's a long story but the fact that serfdom was abolished centuries before anyone else has a lot to do with citizens demanding rights.
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  11395. Hamas are delusional Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are clear non-starters"
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  11396. In a way the Palestinians share the blame for that. Why chose Hamas ? Who are hated by Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf States. And branded terrorists by the EU and US. Hamas have failure written all over them.
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  11397.  @rafiqrosli3967  Good point. I,ve been saying for years that Palestinians need a charismatic leader (a Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King), why not a woman leader like New Zealand have. Throwing stones and Intifadas have been a failure for 70yrs; Palestinians really have to try a Civil Rights movement (a peaceful one, with world opinion support - like anti-apartheid).
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  11398.  @usman5140  Israel don't need to : Hamas and Fatah beat-up or kill any opposition. Why do you think the Palestinians have no democracy ? Why is corruption rampant ? Anyone who challenges Hamas or Fatah is silenced.
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  11399. @Swaggie 707 , actually I think they were British living in Europe (ex-pats). I know Tony Blair wouldn't have run : he liked to play the martyr. (and it was actually quite effective)
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  11400.  @sawsanyasen2063  Arafat moneyman sentenced to 15 years for stealing $33.5 million CBS 60 minutes "Yasser Arafat diverted nearly $1 billion in public funds to insure his political survival, but a lot more is unaccounted for" It is actually closer to $3 billion
    1
  11401. "If he knew of the meeting in Trump Tower". Holy hell, does anyone honestly think he didn't ?
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  11402. Saudis killed 90k children in Yemen - UN figures
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  11403. Catalonia was independent from the time of Ferdinand & Isabella (1472). Aragon & Castile were unified in name only : all regions of Spain kept their own parlements and fiscal autonomy. In 1640 Portugal and Catalonia broke from Castille and declared full independence. Spain was never actually united. To say "Catalan independence is a shattered dream" , is to show a total ignorance of history.
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  11404. Wow the 4 components (malignant narcissism) all apply brilliantly to Hillary :- a) Paranoia : constantly lying to the media and investigators. b) Sadism ,"We came we saw he died", hysterical laughter. c) sociopathy : even assaulting her own staff. d) narcissism : "It's her turn", "I'm with her" and $75million spent on the glass-ceiling video.
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  11405. The Speaker must resign !
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  11406. "Spanish America failure North America success why ?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACa4p9jhVPc
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  11407. This is a PR stunt by China.
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  11408.  @0MVR_0  LOL , there is no comparison between the US and China. China is a totalitarian dictatorship run by a small group the CCP , it has no independent judiciary, no independent institutions , no transparency or accountability. The US is a democracy with a constitution, separation of powers : with a legislature, executive and judiciary. It has a free press, liberties, independent institutions. There is no comparison with China. How dare you compare a dictatorship with a democracy. You owe me an apology !
    1
  11409.  @0MVR_0  , LOL you're game I'll give you that. "Tell me one place in China where an official can lose the majority ?" I'm tempted to say ,"Pick one." Quite honestly there aren't ANY Chinese officials with a majority because, in case you've failed to notice, there is no democracy in China. Also, China are doing their best to stamp out democracy in Hong Kong and would like to invade Taiwan and stamp out democracy there. None of China's neighbours are safe....except perhaps North Korea : that is the sort of dictatorship China approves of. It was China that facilitated their nuclear arsenal.
    1
  11410.  @0MVR_0  touché , I'll forgive your sarcasm and allow you a victory. You defended the indefensible better than many Chinese officials.
    1
  11411. Well done Pakistan : the world likes to see a peaceful freedom march. What the world condemns is what happened in Bangladesh 1971 When the Pakistan military killed 3 million and raped 250,000 women and girls :- "Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. " It's a pity Pakistan didn't allow them a freedom march.
    1
  11412. Nick Cohen.... You did not have to listen for too long to Julian Assange's half-educated condemnations of the American "military-industrial complex" to know that he was aching to betray better and braver people than he could ever be. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/sep/18/julian-assange-wikileaks-nick-cohen As soon as WikiLeaks received the State Department cables, Assange announced that the opponents of dictatorial regimes and movements were fair game. That the targets of the Taliban, for instance, were fighting a clerical-fascist force, which threatened every good liberal value, did not concern him. They had spoken to US diplomats. They had collaborated with the great Satan. Their safety was not his concern.
    1
  11413.  @ecodesign9547  , I've given your comment the thumbs up. (But I wasn't the only one supporting the coup : the Western leaders were suspiciously non-committal).
    1
  11414. These folk are jackasses. Russia is crushing democracy in Europe, and these puddle-headed half-wits are seeking to wreck their own democracy.
    1
  11415.  @cryptotoolkit  , Oh, the way you describe it, it sounds like Erdoğan still has a healthy stack of chips. But the poker game isn't over : Haftar has chipped out, but the Europeans are now manipulating events. And if Erdoğan runs out of chips and has to throw his Libya-Turkey-maritime-agreement in the pot, it will be valued at tuppence.
    1
  11416. Marvellous. It warms one's heart to hear of the EU reaching out to China. The US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines with which to blockade China when it invades Taiwan. The US also demanded China take steps to balance the trade deficit (it needs to buy more from the US) Chian agreed but then failed due to Covid. Conclusion : building some subs wouldn't be a bad negotiating tactic.
    1
  11417. 0:19 Marlon Brando (Missouri Breaks ) "Burned meat, burned meat" After he sets fire to a cabin and his quarry comes dashing out smouldering.
    1
  11418. Look at Imran Khan's outfit : he looks like a Bollywood dingbat.
    1
  11419.  The people of Europe  Lord Owen said, "A massive, massive superiority". That, in layman's terms, means the USA could destroy Russia and China and could launch the full Monty in 20mins. No other country could do that. That is a massive, massive superiority. And both Russia and China know it.
    1
  11420. UN never takes action against Hezbollah BUT the cry foul when Israel takes action The UN is kinda hopeless - it is effectively on the side of Hezbollah
    1
  11421. "The Democratic candidate regularly charges thousands of dollars in luxury travel and hotels to her campaign. Harris stayed in D.C.’s upscale St. Regis hotel, billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay, a nightly rate of $858.69. " She's another crooked Hillary
    1
  11422. The problem lies in education. The Ottoman Caliphate was rotten. Palestinians were dirt poor, and the few who were wealthy robbed the others. In 1856 land titles were granted as part of the Tanzimat reforms. Where a village owned land it would be registered in the head-man's name and he then owned all the land. Or the local governor would register all the land in his family's name. It was the "Sick-man-of-Europe" empire and utterly corrupt. However, Palestinians were taught that the Sultan was "Our Lord on Earth". They never rebelled or questioned the Caliph/Sultan, and even fought the British when they finally collapsed the Empire. The Palestinians never fought for their liberty against the caliph. In 1948, Egypt, Jordan and Syria all claimed Palestine. Nobody recognised a Palestinian state. The Palestinians are like the Kurds, they missed out on a state.
    1
  11423. The similarity Kurds/Palestine is worth exploring :- a) The Kurds also never rebelled against the Caliph (their Lord on Earth) and happily joined in the massacre and looting of the Armenians. b) the Kurd cavalry were brutal bandits and when unleashed against Armenians, were enthusiastic supporters of Abdul Hamid II. c) Only after the Sick-man-of-Europe had been defeated by the British, did any notion of nationalism enter their heads.
    1
  11424. Turkey has NO allies in this. Erdogan has committed himself and has to go in. Turkey estimate 10k Kurdish fighters , that will take 3 divisions to shift and without air-power it will be costly. Long term : Turkey's only ally is Al-Nusra (Al-Qaeda ) which Russia has vowed to exterminate (as have Syria, the Kurds and the USA). Al-Nusra have no future in Syria which means Idlib falls, unless Turkey garrison it themselves. My money is on Assad retaking Idlib. East of the Euphrates will be autonomous Kurdistan. Syria was divided on June 18 when the Russians lost a jet and the air-space WEst of Euphrates was declared a no-go zone for the allies. That meant east of Euphrates air was U.S. by default.
    1
  11425. Mad, thanks for your response. There have been conflicting reports about whether Russia have pulled their troops out of Afrin. Al Jazeera said they have, the Kurds say they haven't. I watched a Turkish TV broadcast (20th Jan) and their map clearly showed Russian troops in Afrin. So I assume the Russians are still there. That tells you a lot : the Russians are manning the air defences. That's bad news for Turkey.
    1
  11426. News Flash : Turkey have sent planes in to bomb Afrin. Russia said it will only respond to defend its bases in Afrin. Russia said Turkey's invasion will be raised at the UN.
    1
  11427. China is a totalitarian corrupt one-party state. It has built internment camps for 1 million people in Xinjiang and had only recently stopped the practice of harvesting human organs from prisoners. The West should unite against China.
    1
  11428. "Warning the world" with what ? These folks are all 100% pro-Hamas terrorist supporters That ship will be full of weapons
    1
  11429. LOL the body double keeps the same distinctive yachting pumps on the whole time. Saudi morons. There's a scene in John le Carré's Tinker Tailor where Jim Prideaux says "They never change their shoes".
    1
  11430. Global warming : India will be uninhabitable (Let's hope Russia comes to the rescue, because the West will tell India to get stuffed !)
    1
  11431. "More and more barbarism", Joe Biden Boris and Trudeau sent a message to Ukraine - "Full support until victory"
    1
  11432.  @mohamedyusuf5141  , do you know why Palestine is a failure ? Evolution. In Israel (or any democracy) when a government fails they replace it with new ideas : so you get swings from left to right, different initiatives and policies. In Palestine (or any dictatorship/one party state eg South Africa's ANC or Zimbabwe Zanu-pf) there is no evolution of ideas and policies, this leads to total failure. Democracy enables ideas/policies to compete. There is no competition/democracy in Palestine : just continuous corruption and poorly educated youths throwing stones.
    1
  11433. Let me explain the USA's massive, massive superiority. Russia has thousands of decommissioned missiles - the warheads are stored separately and the rockets need fuelling. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No nation has ever had the instant firepower of the US.
    1
  11434. Global warming : India will be uninhabitable (Let's hope Russia comes to the rescue, because the West will tell India to get stuffed !)
    1
  11435. 1993 Oslo Accords - that was Yasser Arafat (not Trump) Why not blame Arafat (Because Palestinians are never to blame, it is always someone else's fault) (Even Oct 7th is Trump's fault)
    1
  11436. Rubbish. Putin is petrified of NATO. Why hasn't Russia taken down Ukraine's power-grid ? Because Putin is petrified of NATO. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Macron & Scholz must learn how to display some courage.
    1
  11437. I don't know why people harbour such animus towards John Bolton. He presents a very reasonable position vis-a-vis N Korea and Iran.
    1
  11438. France never acts France wants to play mediator - then pick up trade deals when the conflict ends France never pulls its weight (look at Ukraine)
    1
  11439. The Axis of Evil want an end to the spread of Democratic Civilization. To leave room for Asiatic Autocracy.
    1
  11440. Does Germany want the Golan Heights returning to Syria ?
    1
  11441. Great anecdote about Mc Master ,"He'd just go on as if Trump hadn't said anything". What a useless stiff. "What did Mc Master do to get fired ?" Well what did he do full stop. He's useless.
    1
  11442. Putin's psychology :- Putin hasn't liquidised any of his own assets : he could personally provide 2 Wagner divisions. Why would Putin go nuclear when he hasn't even put his hand in his pocket ? The invasion required 1.5 million, Putin used 150k The whole enterprise is being conducted on the cheap. Schools are crowd-funding drones for the army. Medvedev could sell a palace and fund a division - the Kremlin aren't personally impoverishing themselves at all. Why would they go nuclear ? Putin gambled on a cheap invasion, and followed it up with a cheap bluff.
    1
  11443. 3:00 "Palestinians make up half the refugees in Jordan" They also attempted a coup in Jordan ................... " The PLO's strength in Jordan grew, and by the beginning of 1970, groups within the PLO had begun to openly call for the overthrow of the Hashemite monarchy. " The PLO don't mind stealing other people's land. They tried to do it in Lebanon next, but were kicked out again.
    1
  11444. Rupert Murdoch is the moron. The old toad will soon be in his grave - thank God.
    1
  11445. "Victory for Hamas" - an Arab plan, UN resolution backed by the USA LOL what a lot of nonsense Notice Marwan never mentions Israel Israel calls the shots - Biden has to back Israel or he loses the election !
    1
  11446. Al Jazeera employ Hamas fighters :- " IDF revealed a trove of images and documents it said prove that another Al Jazeera reporter, Mohamed Washah, was a commander in Hamas's military wing
    1
  11447. This is great news : escalation is what the West needs. If the West doesn't challenge China soon we will all be under the jackboot of the murderous, corrupt CCP (Chinese Communist Party) thugs.
    1
  11448. Matt Fry is very well informed Key point : Putin did NOT want to mobilise He had to on 21 Sep after the army almost collapsed - 6 Sep Kharkiv Zaluzhnyi believes Russia will collapse on the next offensive Putin also believes that
    1
  11449. 1:40 "It's ridiculously old-fashioned to think some core-instinct will be wiser than an analytical and rational approach". Exactly the opposite is the case. In 1864 Nemik Kemal said he wanted the Ottomans to adopt British parliamentary democracy with the "indomitable power of public opinion against authority". In 1659 George Monck took a vox-pop as he brought his army down from Edinburgh and found the people wanted a return to Elizabethan governance, hence the Restoration of Charles II (1660). That wasn't decided by the faculty at Oxford. Take the Death Penalty : voted upon by the people, not a Platonic council of philosophers. Trump is much maligned : I haven't noticed Biden changing any of his policies.
    1
  11450. After winning WW2 the people kicked out Churchill because they wanted social reforms. Ordinary folk aren't as gullible as professor Amis suggests. I could sit here all morning thinking of examples. In 1802 the Peace of Amiens was signed because the public had had enough after 9yrs of war. By contrast when the Tsar retreated back across the Pruth in 1854 the Crimean War should've ended, but public opinion demanded the siege of Sevastopol (against all military advice).
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  11451. Populism :- The British army was dispatched to help our ally Prussia (1759). Because George II wanted Hanover defending (his homeland) the commander in chief Frederick the Great wrote "Since the (British) constitution requires them to explain things to the people ......and the people might be quicker than the government to suspect that British interests were being sacrificed to Hanover". Why is that ? Because intellectual politicians have careers to pursue. It is the common folk who have most at stake in the nation. In Britain "the indomitable power of public opinion against authority", produced the Enlightenment (Francis Bacon, Shakespeare), Industrial Revolution, Scientific revolution (Royal Society 1660)........etc etc
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  11452.  Евгения Едалина  China will determine the future of Russia : compare their GDPs. China is 10x the Russian GDP. Russia is incapable of developing itself. Europe's 10yr plan is to isolate Russia economically and politically. Europe is 30% bigger than the USA, but the Yanks call the shots - as seen in Ukraine. God bless the Yanks.
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  11453.  @samthomas1457  Abraham Lincoln was being ironic. Today he might say, "If the Trumpists take control I will emigrate to North Korea". He is emphasizing how bad things would be. The Tsar(s) proclaimed himself to be "Autocrat of all the Russias". Russia was manifestly despotic, it made no pretence to liberalism or democracy.
    1
  11454.  @shasha259  The Tsar's official title was "Autocrat of all the Russias". They boasted about being despots.
    1
  11455.  @shasha259  Russia never recovered from the 1905 defeat against Japan. And the crippling defeat against Germany crushed Imperial Russia - revolution, the result. A savage civil war followed, Lenin employed brutality to secure the new regime : Stalin turned brutality into mass terror, and knowingly killed 30 million, through relocation, famine - internecine genocide, and the gulags. Russia re-emerged in 1991, and immediately returned to the old imperialism.
    1
  11456.  @shasha259  Most Europeans and Ukrainians say " God bless the USA". Boris said, "The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts". Nobody can compete with the Yanks.
    1
  11457. Well done Al Jazeera - they never say "Hamas" Because that is a dirty word Al Jazeera are the best at propaganda - never mention "Hamas"
    1
  11458. "Considers" - that means he is saying it to assuage criticism Get real !
    1
  11459. Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
    1
  11460. The Speaker must resign !
    1
  11461.  @dreamadventure8220  I sympathise - the problem is a can of worms. But like Yugoslavia it has to be resolved using UN peace-keepers. Not by an invasion with Bucha atrocities, torture, rape and mass-graves.
    1
  11462. The Palestinian Authority's only success is in running a corrupt dictatorship. Their only initiative was for young folk to sacrifice themselves "attacking the fence". A flag and a pile of stones (for throwing) is the only achievement of the Palestinian leadership in 70yrs. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. They passed up a 2 state solution (by the UN) in 1947. Passed again in 2000 at Camp David : where Bill Clinton declared "Arafat can't be trusted". And still the same corrupt old men in charge. World leaders cringe at the sight of the corrupt PA entering the room. No wonder nobody engages with them. The Palestinians biggest enemy is their own leadership : a 70yr total failure.
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  11463.  @Asswife  You've seen how poorly Russia's military has performed ? Well that also reflects Russia's nuclear capability. Russia is a 3rd division nuclear power. Don't be fooled by the number of missiles. Russia would swap their 6758 for China's 300 in an instant !
    1
  11464. Macron is on a roll. He flirted with the Saudis and bagged a $40 billion contract for nuclear power stations. Now he is charming Putin, making him feel important (everyone likes a bit of that). Macron is a good listener, and Putin has lots of gripes. What we don't need is Erdoğan : no menage-et-trois, thank you.
    1
  11465.  @mda990  , funny how Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria etc are all in the African Union ? Perhaps you should petition them to leave. All those countries are hopelessly corrupt. Corruption goes everywhere with his twin incompetence. Add to that shameless, anti-democratic authoritarianism and you have the perfect recipe for failure. I marched to support the ANC and look at them now : 188 political assassinations later, along with rampant corruption and incompetence. I'm quite disappointed and wish I hadn't bothered.
    1
  11466. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  11467.  @AGirlHasNoName1.618  , not "funny" it is sad. During the Spanish Civil War a Jesuit watched 72 villagers executed and said he found it "edifying" .....because in the moment of desperation , facing fascist execution they made a last confession. It is quite sick to think how religious folk desire to see desperation force rational thinking people into the arms of their superstitious nonsense.
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  11468. Eric Trump said, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". Trump then went to Helsinki and licked Putin's boots. His performance this week in Europe reflects the pressure he's under as indictments for his son (on perjury ) wait on the Grand jury convening.
    1
  11469. Oh God this lady is such a hopeless moron. Forget Maduro, this lady is a zero watt bulb. What's with the breathless panic and half-witted exasperated stress on words. Surely you realise you are listening to an utter imbecile ?
    1
  11470. The mdern equivalent of the Chief is the President and he treats the country as if he owns it : he milks it dry. Look at Zuma and Mugabe they are a disgrace. Look at the one-party state ANC , they are a disgrace.
    1
  11471. Warren is Hillary lite. Hillary won Massachusetts by 27 , Warren won it by 24 ; what did I tell you : Hillary lite.
    1
  11472.  @rabbitransgenderbergracemi2062  , quite right ; but that only proves my conclusion "Therefore history proves you always get found out". 2nd ) ask yourself why would Israel/Yanks/Saudi stage the attack ? Iran are up to their neck in quicksand, why stage an attack. Just wait 12months Iran's inflation will be 100% (it's already 50%) , its GDP will have crashed and you can watch the regime collapse.
    1
  11473. India wants Russia to WIN, because it needs a strong Russia to oppose China. Britain and India are on opposite sides in a tug-of-war. All we can do is shake hands and say good-luck. For the rest of the century, India will be with the Axis of Evil
    1
  11474. Peter Atkins observed the efficacy of having a central religious authority (Catholics, Anglicans etc) because they can "put out these forest fires" of idiocy.
    1
  11475. 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington nuclear response 21,23 Oct Shoigu talks Lloyd Austin 2 weeks later : "The US is privately encouraging Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate" Russia wants it ended Prigozhin is Putin's plenipotentiary "Zelensky is a strong nice guy" Putin happy to retire
    1
  11476. The December Election will be an International event. Never in the history of Liberal Democracy has an election been held with political prisoners on charges of sedition and elected leaders in exile. It hasn't happened ever. The election will be the shame of Europe and the disgrace of Spain. TV reports will be peppered with footage of Spanish violence and scenes of protesters holding images of political prisoners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=4s Informed observers all agree Spain is further down the road to separation than they were 12 months ago : irreversibly so.
    1
  11477.  pat hat  , never mistake insurgency wars (Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya etc) with conventional wars. Remember the Yanks taking out a Russian mercenary battalion at Al-Tayib : they crossed the Euphrates and the Yanks simply crushed them without a single casualty. The firepower of the yanks is stupendous. There were 400 dead and injured Russians. Iran would be knocked into the stone-age.It would take them half a century to recover.
    1
  11478. The US intensifies pressure on Ayatollah's brutal dictatorship. Iran clutch at the straw of EU help. LOL
    1
  11479. What nonsense. Simply based on what has happened so far : the progress, you would have to say Trump has done more than the last 4 Presidents combined. You lot are so prejudice you can't think straight.
    1
  11480. Marwan never criticises Hamas Hamas has destroyed Gaza, and set back the Palestinian cause 75 years
    1
  11481.  @saharkamel9020  I went to London to march for Mandela - look at the revolting corrupt, despotic ANC now ! I wish I hadn't bothered I also supported Palestine - but they reject democracy, are 100% corrupt. Many are Islamic fanatics - they hate democracy and believe in a caliphate despotism Palestinians always blame someone else they never accept their own failings Even Oct 7 massacre, Guterres defends Hamas and says "It didn't happen in a vacuum" Even rape, murder and abduction is someone else's fault !
    1
  11482. Ayatollah ice cream - that theo-fascist flavour that has you coming back for more.
    1
  11483.  @billyclanton3717  Russia have always been a dark force holding back progress. After the Congress of Vienna (1815) Tsar Alexander and Metternich (Austria) agreed to invade any country that attempted to become constitutional. (Which they did after the Spanish and Italian revolutions). Russia is a lousy backwards country.
    1
  11484. What about a statue to the police snipers who shot protestors ?
    1
  11485. A floating Chernobyl ?
    1
  11486. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    1
  11487. I hope those mortars drop right in their pan of Russian borscht.
    1
  11488.  @andrewking4350  The UN report ! I suggest you read it UN said, "It was only 14 terrorists out of 14,000 employees" But that is just those who were caught Ten times as many were NOT caught
    1
  11489.  @yvettemoore1228  Good point. And what do they share in common ? Answer : Evolution : the tribal love of crowds - to be "an ourself amongst others" Religion evolved to bind the tribe together in a common belief. Football plays a similar tribal role. That's why there was objection to all-seater stadiums : fans enjoy the feeling of communal worship. Tribal festivals - whether religious or sporting all have their roots in evolution.
    1
  11490.  @ronnyronny8424  , Thanks for clearing that up Ronny, I agree : it has nothing to do with Jews, it is about religious fanaticism. After the 17th Century Enlightenment and the end of Witch persecution and the burning of heretics, one would have thought rational people would temper their evolutionary proclivity to religious abandonment.
    1
  11491. General Mutton-head
    1
  11492.  @kratos71  " If Russia, China and India got together " then you would have an Axis of Evil. The Civilized world is sick of brutality - from the Taliban, North Korea, Iran and the Russian butchers ; if India wants to join that group of losers then go ahead. WE have reached a moment of "Consequence and Peril" (President Biden) Decisions India makes now will affect future generations. Don't condemn India to a future of shame.
    1
  11493. In the olden days, Britain France and the Turks would've sorted out the Russians, like they did in 1856. (Crimea) The only problem being that the Kremlin always threaten to go nuclear when they think they might get a good hiding.
    1
  11494. The first two issues mentioned : profanity and attack-videos, I think everyone supports Youtube on that. It's called being civilized. Why would you want a child to have to listen to that ? Why debate in a civilized way and attack opponents in a clever/comical way ?
    1
  11495. "You're good, " says Bannon at the end. That's for sure, she was very good, genned up and polished.
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  11496. Can I play Devil's Advocate ? Trump says he has decided to ignore advice because it is frequently wrong and his instincts serve the country better. There's nothing in it for the EU or US to ramp up conflict with Russia. Russia had about $480 billion in reserve 3yrs ago : that is now $17 billion and has been added to the Social/Pension fund. Russia is in big trouble short term and long term. Oil/Gas revenue 10yrs down the line depend upon investment made today. Russia haven't been developing new fields and don't look likely to. Billions of dollars are flooding out of the country : why play tit-for-tat ?
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  11497. David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
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  11498. Ivan, I know what you mean mate. But have you seen what Rachel Maddow earns at MSNBC £7million Also, when he says "Killing us", he means they are haemorrhaging patreons. And it's not hyperbole. If they lose 7% in 4 days........(I forget how do the Math ?) Anyway, it's exponential and you'd end up with close to zero in 6 months.
    1
  11499.  @fadate7292  George Santayana Religion : "Its sources are in the solitude of the spirit and in the disparity, or the opposition between what the spirit feels it is fitted to do, and what, in this world, it is condemned to waste itself upon. The unmatched poet of this supernaturalism is Dante"
    1
  11500.  @fadate7292  I'm an atheist, but I always try to catch Choral Evensong on radio 3
    1
  11501. What would happen if they protested against Hamas ? First time they'd be beaten , next time killed.
    1
  11502. "Measuring the cost ?" Well if the corrupt Revolutionary Guard get involved you can double that figure. And if the rancid , rabid , corrupt Imams have a finger in the pot you can double it again.
    1
  11503. 0:40 The almost trip by Netanyahu. That's why Trump watches his feet and holds the rail. IF you catch your heel descending the stairs, for an old man, it can be curtains
    1
  11504. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  11505. Shia culture demands that people die at the funeral : it's a mark of respect. Ayatollah Khomeini had 36 killed at his funeral. The authorities know people will be killed but they see it as a show of unity with the government. The Ayatollah is pleased to see it. Iran thinks this sends a positive message to the world. It doesn't. The civilized world is horrified.
    1
  11506.  ZACK zack  , 40 dead and 200 injured. This funeral is an allegory for Iran. The self-destructive fanaticism.
    1
  11507. Who cares ! Assad comes from a long line of brutal dictators : his younger brother is worse than him at killing and torture. Let me draw an analogy :- Imagine $100million has gone missing from Gazprom and the West blames all the gangsters in the Kremlin. They may not be responsible. But they have looted $2.3 billion from Gazprom in the past so WHO CARES if they didn't do it on this occasion.
    1
  11508. 12:00 "A generation later" For countries to recognise their crimes. Very true. Russian children are taught to die for the Motherland in 'bravery classes' . Russia is similar to ISIL. Russian nobles would buy and sell serf girls, like ISIL did Yazidi girls. Putin is on record saying "Russia has the best prostitutes". Violence and depravity are the Kremlin's key features. Putin jokes to Macron about 'raping' Ukraine : he is a depraved thug.
    1
  11509. "Cultural erasure" : research the destruction of Mecca and Medina by Saudis They bulldozed all the medieval heritage to make a car park They believed old building shouldn't become icons for worship
    1
  11510.  @gazpachopolice7211  Fair point. But the same can be said of Ireland and Britain :- a) In 1914 tens of thousands of 'occupied' Irish volunteered to fight for Britain : it was a chance to travel and gain prestige, to fire a rifle, parade in uniform, and escape the humdrum of working life (or unemployment). b) watch "Oh what a lovely war" to see how the working class viewed WW1. It was like a music hall adventure. c) WW2 had a much higher moral cache : soldiers were on a crusade to save Civilization. Nazism represented the end of the civilized world (as did Soviet Stalinist communism). Indian men were behaving no different from British or Irish men. And the British were exceedingly grateful.
    1
  11511.  @emdumont  , "privileged rural elites hoarding resources" Good point. Allow me to add an historical perspective :- Under Philip III, bankrupt Spain had devalued the currency so often everyone hoarded their valuable (gold,silver) specie. Travellers reported : "There isn't a gold or silver coin to be seen". By contrast, Queen Elizabeth I, William Cecil and Thomas Gresham stabilized England's currency, after Henry VIII had repeatedly devalued it to build his navy and fight the Scots.
    1
  11512.  @Gloriaimperial1  Check Paul Preston's resume : he has been given every honour and award by the Spanish. I'll go find it for you... His work has been awarded several distinctions and prizes in Spain including the Encomienda de la Orden de Mérito Civil (1986), the Premi Internacional Ramon Llull (2005), the Gran Cruz de la Orden de Isabel la Católica (2007), the Premi Pompeu Fabra (2012) and the Gernika Peace Prize (2019).
    1
  11513. Sometimes morons give the game away :- Trump Jr, after the 2008 financial crisis,whilst playing golf, told a friend "We don't use banks, we get all the money we need from Russia". That's the same Trump Jr who tried to establish an encrypted back channel communication with the Kremlin. The same one who met with Russian intelligence agents in Trump Tower.
    1
  11514. EU "chattering classes" support Islamism Ordinary folk want to see Hamas defeated Ordinary folk think Palestine should have its 2-states when it elects a female PM
    1
  11515. Why interrupt him ?
    1
  11516. Misprision = concealing treason. That was its original meaning.
    1
  11517.  @dxxeer8606  " where was was your energy ?" LOL, I travelled 200 miles to march in London for Mandela. Imagine my disappointment when the ANC turned out bad. The ANC aren't just corrupt, they have assassinated 450 opposition activists in the townships :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_assassinations_in_post-apartheid_South_Africa In my old age I've realised democracy takes centuries to establish : one needs independent institutions (education, media, commerce, a middle class etc); also, one needs an educated electorate that is literate and has standards. Not a tribal illiterate ignorance. It will be at least a century before any African country becomes a functioning democracy.
    1
  11518.  @dxxeer8606  Jacob Zuma : He once declared that the African National Congress (ANC) "will rule until Jesus comes" in South Africa. LOL The ANC will never leave office. If they appear to lose an election, they will declare a state of emergency and unleash the ANC youth thugs.
    1
  11519. Great news for the US. The one thing stopping a strike is fear of retaliation against the South. If that becomes unlikely then a pre-emptive strike becomes likely.
    1
  11520. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  11521. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus opinion, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated on the battlefield".
    1
  11522. Maybe the goal is attrition Russia exposes artillery, brings units forward, brings helicopter Ka-52 All of which is then a target Maybe the big breakthrough will be September Mike Martin said, "Bite & hold"
    1
  11523.  @bl5608  Chinese envoy said Monday that respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states That means Russia pulls back to 2014 The liberation of Ukraine That's what even China wants !
    1
  11524. Putin's psychology :- Putin hasn't liquidised any of his own assets : he could personally provide 2 Wagner divisions. Why would Putin go nuclear when he hasn't even put his hand in his pocket ? The invasion required 1.5 million, Putin used 150k The whole enterprise is being conducted on the cheap. Schools are crowd-funding drones for the army. Medvedev could sell a palace and fund a division - the Kremlin aren't personally impoverishing themselves at all. Why would they go nuclear ? Putin gambled on a cheap invasion, and followed it up with a cheap bluff.
    1
  11525. South Africa's provisional measure were ALL kicked out South Africa's scarf wearing clowns fell flat on their faces The ICJ demanded ALL Hamas hostages be released immediately and unconditionally
    1
  11526. Wrong, wrong, wrong ! Gaza was entirely governed by Hamas It was NOT occupied by Israel This stupid lady is conflating the West Bank with Gaza Oct 7th : when Hamas launched a war it had a duty to its own civilians to stockpile food and bomb shelters for them Hamas hid themselves in tunnels Hamas had stockpiles of food & ammo, they simply left civilians to fend for themselves
    1
  11527.  @tehmaszohra9969  , "Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months."
    1
  11528.  @AMX8799  Thanks for that interesting reply. Russia and China are Asiatic Autocracies. Karl Marx described Russians as "The immobile Mongol". China and Russia are dystopias. Stalin killed 30 million in an internecine genocide, and Mao killed 60 million in a savage Great Leap forward. "You're not one of them". Have you watched The Sound of Music ? Do you remember the scene when the young putative Nazi post-boy points a gun at Christopher Plummer....... "You're not one of them, Rolf", says Captain von Trapp, as he takes the gun from the boy. The Nazi boy is India, and the Democratic world are saying, "You're not one of them"
    1
  11529. China is a totalitarian state that harvests human organs from its prisoners. I think we should bear in mind who we are dealing with. Carlos Gutierrez says the companies stealing technology aren't the government. LOL good laugh. The idiot doesn't know what totalitarian means.
    1
  11530. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  11531. Compare 1917 and 1979 Both revolutions were hijacked : one by Totalitarian Bolshevism, the other by Fascist Theocracy. The Bolsheviks slaughtered their opponents, and Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians. The most ruthlessly violent rise to the top : Lenin & Trotsky, and the Ayatollah
    1
  11532. You can take the boy out of the ghetto But you can't take the ghetto out of the boy
    1
  11533. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  11534.  @g.c.6706  Most of Russia's missiles are decommissioned - the warheads are stored separately and they need fuelling. The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No other nation can do that. The US has firepower the world has never seen. Russia has a pile of junk not much better than its military - which is currently on its knees.
    1
  11535.  @phillyyardyvibes808  Most of Russia's missiles are decommissioned - the warheads are stored separately and they need fuelling. The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No other nation can do that. The US has firepower the world has never seen. Russia's military is on its knees and the US hasn't even used its top ten weapons :- F-35, cruise missiles, ATACMS etc The Himars given to Ukraine don't even make the top ten of US weapons ..... they are just routine stuff given to infantry battalions.
    1
  11536. AI sea drones Torpedo drones Russia was pushed out of the Black Sea China must be pushed back too
    1
  11537. "Property deeds" The Caliphate had no private property - the Sultan owned all land, he ruled as "Our Lord on Earth" Tanzimat reforms ~1840 introduced by Europe so Otoomans could pay their debts This included private property When do the deeds date back to ? Were they given post 1948 when Jordan annexed the West bank ? Jordan had no rights to distribute property
    1
  11538.  @wawa1944  Open your eyes, it has been proved. Only half-wits deny it
    1
  11539. Peace & prosperity mean nothing to Russia, and liberty is unknown. Russia celebrates death & destruction on Victory Day. Russia didn't liberate Europe in 1945, they imposed Stalin's terror on Eastern Europe, and introduced the Gulags, the KGB and Russian fascism.
    1
  11540. Guterres never mentions hostages - he is 100% pro-Hamas
    1
  11541. This is an ANC tiff. I said that from the start.
    1
  11542. PROOF :- this is proof how corrupt Palestine are. There is not a word of criticism of the palestinian politicians or of Fatah & Hamas. The show would be taken straight off the air. And the producers would be beaten and possibly killed. Palestine is a totalitarian polity ; utterly corrupt and unaccountable. How do you think Fatah stay in power for 50yrs ? It's a one party-state ( plus Hamas who are anti-democratic psychos )
    1
  11543. Who is the silly fat lady on Labour's front bench : she was cackling like an idiot halfway through Corbyn's onslaught.
    1
  11544. The Pakistan Army raped 250,000 women during the Bangladesh War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_Bangladesh_Liberation_War
    1
  11545. LOL I said India should do nothing in response to Kashmir. Now look where it has got them. You know why India didn't shoot down the Pakistani planes ? They didn't want to escalate tension : so they scrambled jets to chase Pakistanis off. Every Indo-Pakistan war has been started by Pakistan. I told India to do nothing. Just keep growing economically, educationally, socially and politically and let Pakistan fester in Islamofascism.
    1
  11546. For Biden, Boris, Trudeau, Von Der Leyden and Charles Michel the menu was victory for Ukraine. For macron Schulz and Draghi it was peace and victory for Russia. There are definitely two camps. One camp is for capitulation, the other camp is for resolute defence of democracy.
    1
  11547. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  11548. Trump was still calling Obama an Arab right up till the election. Of course, you wouldn't expect anything less from an a-hole like Trump.
    1
  11549.  @DaPs166  Russia's brutal aggression goes back centuries ..... Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  11550.  @DaPs166  There is a Russian video showing a Ukrainian POW having his genitals mutilated and then his skull crushed. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping Ukraine" (Do some research) All Ukrainian POWs are mistreated - packed in small rooms and starved. I urge you to do some research. You won't learn anything reading the Guardian every day.
    1
  11551.  @numanunees2597  I thought morality transcended East and West. "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." Is not a bad start to any list of moral values.
    1
  11552. Good riddance.
    1
  11553. Jim, you have a lot in common with Jeremy Corbyn. You both hate the US and the West in general. You're happy to turn a blind eye to the Russian gangster state and the barbaric middle east dictators ; you get off on parading your principles while 500,000 people are killed in Syria.
    1
  11554. Imagine you are a student protesting in Iran against the dictatorship of Islamofascism. Now imagine you are a female student and you've been arrested by the Iranian Guard : you can expect to be raped :- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/14/protesters-raped-iran-jail https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html
    1
  11555. China is building a coal-fired power station every week.
    1
  11556. Russia envies Europe, and demands gratitude from Europe for Russia's WW2 sacrifices. Victory Day is a catharsis for Russia : all Russia's failings, sufferings and misery is expiated in a grand parade. The Gulags, Stalin's internecine genocide, centuries of serfdom, the dystopia of Russian history is expunged by a parade and two days inebriation. The invasion of Ukraine is an attempt to get Europeans to confront this fact.
    1
  11557. Brilliant expose of corrupt DNC. But I wish he'd done Chuck Schumer with his glasses......that cracks me up.
    1
  11558. What should we make of this mess ? Well, after the President sacked his government, there may have been a hurried power-struggle. It certainly wasn't planned, or at least well planned, because the very first job should have been to eliminate the President.
    1
  11559. .....religious leaders and drug dealers. LOL the addiction of superstition and narcotics.
    1
  11560. The Turks were also good at massacre-ism and genocide-ism read up on the Bulgarian Atrocities and the Armenian genocide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batak_massacre https://www.britannica.com/event/Bulgarian-Horrors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Uprising_of_1876 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide During the Armenian genocide young girls were taken from their families as they passed through Turkish villages , they were totally defenceless and at the mercy of the Turks who behaved like savages.
    1
  11561. Cargo ship was on auto-pilot Sailing through an area with many ships at anchor
    1
  11562. Ben, exactly. And the same applies to AI : you can put restrictions on limiting AI or having no reproducing , self replicating, self-programming AI but the Russians, Chinese and North Koreans will still do it.
    1
  11563. South Africa is a disgrace - "Political Assassination", the ANC kills anyone who opposes them in the townships. The ANC has killed 485 so far South Africa is simply grandstanding in their football scarves
    1
  11564.  @markofsaltburn  [Putin] "will be given the chance to be remembered as the man who brought democracy and freedom to Russia." I'm afraid Putin's legacy is already written. He is the man who destroyed Russia. Russia will be an impoverished pariah for the rest of the 21st century. There is no turning back the clock.
    1
  11565. Jenny, you are quite right to point that out but there's a difference. Just like Colin Powell (who Hillary always pointed at) those people are using conventional email, not government, e.g. AOL in Colin Powell's case. What Hillary did was set up a "Private" server in her bathroom ! Yes I know it's unheard of.....who the hell goes to those lengths to avoid scrutiny ? Someone who is a crook.
    1
  11566. Israel is fighting for its survival and the UK bans weapons sales Shocking and unforgivable
    1
  11567. The Saudi is indolent, lazy, bigoted, cowardly and cruel.
    1
  11568. The lady with glasses, at the end,.......that gas-bag of a question....it went on forever and was absolute trash. I could have parsed it in 10 words but wouldn't have bothered because it wasn't worth asking.
    1
  11569. How will the war end ? One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet". Most folk agree with that, but how does the war end ? Ukraine intend to liberate the whole country - including Donbas and Crimea. That can only lead to total political collapse in Russia.
    1
  11570. Well done George , good analysis. (2yrs on) I only watched it to see how much Friedman got wrong but I thought he did very well.
    1
  11571. Trudeau is an a-hole.
    1
  11572. North Korea is the creation of China. Western Civilization tries to spread democracy and human rights. China creates a deranged dystopia.
    1
  11573. Russia have conducted many pogroms against the Jews. This is a wise move.
    1
  11574.  Du Hast  , "They" Do you mean the lying Ayatollah who denied shooting down a passenger plane until mobile phone footage clearly showed it ? The Ayatollah who had police snipers on roof-tops killing unarmed protestors ? The same Ayatollah who has vowed to exterminate Israel, and forces a fascist theocracy on the Persian people ? Is that who you mean by "They".
    1
  11575. He keeps setting up straw men to shoot down. Jeff Hawkins is much more interesting, informative and accurate. Hawkins is a scientist, Searle a philosopher : always listen to science.
    1
  11576. 1:38 "A rebuke from Washington" ......we hope those nations will join us. OMG what a rebuke. Very undiplomatic language. It's an international crisis : Pompeo has said "We're simply recognising the facts on the ground". A powerful rebuke and a slap in the face for diplomacy.
    1
  11577. Historically :- May I remind everyone that no Arab state recognised Palestine for decades. They all laid claim to it themselves : Syria, Jordan, Egypt. Only when they'd been defeated in 3 wars did they finally pack it in and decide to twist the arm of the UN and recognise Palestine as an independent state.
    1
  11578. Good analysis.......but they forget to mention Iran's economy : it's a wreck !
    1
  11579. Ayatollah quoted a passage called "Mercy" That was directed at Israel (Hoping they will go easy on him)
    1
  11580. One commenter deleted his post about countries "stealing Turkish land and seas". What about Kurdish land or Armenian land ? What about the Armenian Genocide ? It's amazing how the Turks see themselves as victims when they are actually the worst offenders.
    1
  11581. Putin has put Russia on "High Nuclear Alert" If Russia attacks the USA, then the USA will retaliate. But also China will take both barrels. A devastated USA cannot leave China intact. Xi should be aware of this whilst he's backing Putin. The US has phenomenal firepower in nuclear armed submarines : they would turn China into a wasteland.
    1
  11582. Spare a thought for the Jewish hostages If Hamas release ALL hostages the war is over France 24 never mention hostages , they are 100% pro-Hamas
    1
  11583. I've just re-read that comment and given myself a thumbs up.
    1
  11584. Hamas stockpile food Young healthy males are stealing aid The young men - Hamas supporters all look healthy
    1
  11585.  Sarah Mann  The prime minister and his ministers salaries rose by a fixed $2,000 per month. Ha ha ha, you have to admire the crooked old rogue.
    1
  11586. Putin calls for Gulags, to cleanse Russian society. India has picked a fine bedfellow. Modi must be wincing (if he has an ounce of self-respect) India must feel such shame.
    1
  11587. "Harms the negotiation" wrong Hamas has been delusional ever since Oct 7th They think hostages are an ace card They think Israel will retreat and leave them in power Netaanyahu & Qatar & Egypt & the US have all told Hamas they have no future But Hamas still believe they will survive this war (with the help of the UN, the EU and France)
    1
  11588. Sri Lankans are to blame : they voted for despotism. Now they wish they hadn't. But they knew that family were corrupt despots when they voted them in.
    1
  11589. Eddie , you are quite right : Iran have respected the agreement. The problem is : 10yrs of sanction-free trading will make Iran 400% stronger than it is today. Nobody wants that. Iran isn't joking when it says it will wipe Israel off the globe. The Islamofascists believe in the 12th Imam who arrives on the day of Armageddon. The Ayatollahs long for Armageddon. Nuclear armed Ayatollahs will never be allowed.
    1
  11590. "UN staff" = Hamas The UN employs Hamas (they have admitted it and sacked some) Stop funding UNRWA
    1
  11591. You are not allowed to say that. Don't visit China after joking about Winnie the Pooh.....it's an arrestable offence in that crack-pot country.
    1
  11592. UN sued for complicity in massacre UNRWA staff participated in the massacre on 7 Oct The UN paid their workers to kill Jews Then Guterres defended Hamas UN to be sued !
    1
  11593. Russia has 15,000 troops in Kherson : that's 1/8th of Wembley Stadium. In a hostile city of 300,000 the Russians are going to be spread thin. "It will take a long time" say the BBC : who have been wrong about everything so far. Ukraine has warned the Russians to 'withdraw or be annihilated'.
    1
  11594.  @mohacking  Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians, in his torture camps, in his first year : read "The executioners deserve medals". The only reason the Ayatollah's brutal regime isn't slaughtering Iranian demonstrators is because the West is watching. The Ayatollah and IRGC are hated and feared by Iranians.
    1
  11595. Resign ! the Speaker must go 1863 Namik Kemal Young Ottoman : "Admired the British for the indomitable power of public opinion against authority" The public will not accept a back room deal cooked up to save the Speaker in the next parliament or Labour will vote him out !
    1
  11596.  @Dopaaamine27  I'm giving you an insight into the dystopia that is Russia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  11597. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is looking good.
    1
  11598. Never. Russia can't accommodate 300k. This announcement will make no difference : Russia's army is broken.
    1
  11599. Kremlin shill.
    1
  11600. Ban Al Jazeera - promoting terrorism Al Jazeera glorifies Hamas The West should ban this Qatar funded propaganda
    1
  11601. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  11602. NATO is on a victory lap, Putin has indelible egg on his face.
    1
  11603. Marine Le Pen in Putin's nuclear threat :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmthcGDaLxM
    1
  11604. Saudis are fat, flabby , indolent, corrupt and soft. They have a hopeless military. No wonder they want Israel to help them out.
    1
  11605. Hamas & Hezbollah are teacher-decapitating barbarians. There is no civilized country in the world that would want them as neighbours.
    1
  11606.  @sollte1239  I'm employing hyperbole for journalistic effect. In NATO military dills they use Erdogan as the enemy - in a humorous way. But everyone knows Turkey is a long way from being friendly
    1
  11607. dmode, " I'd rather go to the horse track." Not if you're getting 3.5% for 10yrs and it's backed by the ECB which is backed by the German economy, which pound for pound would kick the $hit out of the US economy.
    1
  11608. Bicicilind, I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not. It does look well structured , thanks. But I've always thought the Kremlin were clumsy and crude : hence my uncertainty.
    1
  11609. Martin , at least watch the video and ask why Spain have said there will be NO investigation of Police abuse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=30s And ask why the Mayor of Barcelona (who didn't support the declaration of Independence) is calling for an investigation into sexual assault by Spanish Police, "The mayor announced that she would bring charges against police officers not only for the use of excessive force but also for sexual abuse." “We have received many statements from women who reported sexual violence,” Colau said,
    1
  11610. Martin, you will be pleased to know Spain have said they will block any investigation of Police violence or sexual assault. So it is unlikely the victims will get justice. Unless they take their case to the European Court.
    1
  11611. Dariush, that 3% of GDP is spent on military hardware etc. You haven't included monies given to Hezbollah, Houthi and any other proxy paramilitaries. Also, the Revolutionary Guard actually run part of the economy : factories , businesses. The military are corruptly tied into the economic infrastructure of the country. There is no transparency or justice in Iran so I have estimated the figure of 18%. I'm certain it is closer to the truth than your state propaganda figure of 3%.
    1
  11612. "Turning point in history" ? Then why did Germany block weapons to Ukraine if n February ? a) RAF flight blocked b) Estonia howitzer transfer blocked c) direct sales blocked
    1
  11613.  @InCognito-vx8gi  What you've said is irrelevant. The relevant point is that Germany blocked weapons to Ukraine...THEN.....after they had been pressured by NATO they started supplying medical aid and tin hats. Only much later did they supply weapons. Germany is trying to rewrite history (again). The German president "A turning point in history" : that wasn't Germany's initial position. Germany froze, and half sided with Russia.
    1
  11614.  @joseywales148  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  11615. "Scepticism" ? That's dangerous : if the IDF say evacuate I'd evacuate (No wonder the casualties are high if civilians are sceptical)
    1
  11616. Puigdemont tweeted a response to Rajoy's threat.....and that's it. We now wait 7 days, then out of the blue Rajoy invokes 155 and Catalonia grinds to an economic gridlock. How do you think that extreme response will go down in the EU. The German Commissioner has already said," A civil war is being planned". Those words come from Merkel and behind the scenes there is frustration and anger at Rajoy.
    1
  11617. We will both agree this :- a) the EU want Spain united. b) the EU are dismayed by rajoy's handling of the situation. He has demolished the EU's moral standing in the world. When they chasten other countries Human Rights record (eg Turkey) that country points to Spanish Police kicking, dragging girls by the hair,throwing old ladies down steps, and says we don't do that. The EU are privately furious with how Rajoy is behaving.
    1
  11618. Putin's nuclear threat Ben Wallace (Brit MOD) : it is a low probability Marco Rubio : Putin is more likely to strike NATO logistics first Gen Ben Hodges : A nuclear strike won't help Russia, they have no mobile reserve to break through. Gen Petraeus : we will strike Russia a devastating blow - destroying the Black Sea fleet and all military assets in Ukraine. Public opinion would force NATO to get involved, and that is the last thing Putin wants.
    1
  11619.  @Kosmonooit  Indochina was always a French colony. Burma was British, and the British never employed the Japanese (although I'll stand correcting).
    1
  11620. Trump is an effing embarrassment.
    1
  11621. Of course, the Kremlin will use the technology against the citizens' human rights. Russia is an Axis of Evil country, what did you expect ?
    1
  11622.  @nomxhosapekani7966  " SA really needs a good opposition party." I couldn't agree more. But when anyone stands against the ANC in the townships they get beaten or killed (188 killed so far). Also, Zuma testified that he raped a girl with AIDS then took a shower afterwards so as not to catch it himself : it doesn't inspire confidence.
    1
  11623. LOL what is the point of spending millions of euros ? When the corrupt, inept administration is asleep on the job ?
    1
  11624. The Saudi is bone-idle and weak. In the long term Saudi will have many regrets.
    1
  11625.  @PlaYer-sn5or  Good question. Here's why : a) There are 2000 Leopards in Europe with a full spares back-up b) Abrams have shocking fuel consumption, and needs masses of expensive specialised maintenance. c) Abrams are shockingly complex and need months to master It has to be Leopards
    1
  11626.  @mrpepe1408  "Totaling $11.3 billion, or $180 billion in today's currency, the Lend-Lease Act of the United States supplied needed goods to the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1945" That enabled Russia to fight Germany. Russia repaid the debt with hostility, aggression, and by despotically imprisoning Eastern Europe
    1
  11627.  @laxmii9732  Russia spent the tail end of the 18thC and all the 19th century trying to conquer Constantinople. Catherine the Great had her son Constantin taught Greek to become the Byzantine emperor. The irony came in 1917 : to keep Russia in the war, the Allies offered her Constantinople - but Russia was that 5hagged out it couldn't cash the cheque. LOL
    1
  11628. Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
    1
  11629. It's all over : Lavrov has announced Russia recognises Zelensky, and is only asking for a list of weapons which cannot be deployed in Ukraine, and that's it : Russia is pulling out. So to answer your question : Yes Sanctions, and weapons are enough. Ukraine has won.
    1
  11630. When the Ayatollah's fascist theocracy falls the deal (and debt) may well be nullified by the incoming democracy. China need to factor in the collapse of the Islamic dictatorship, or they could get their fingers burnt on this one.
    1
  11631.  @junaidahmad6534  , is that why police snipers were shooting protestors ?
    1
  11632.  @mirzahamzabaig5667  , Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That was Hezbollah. Hezbollah are used for thuggish work so the regime can deny it was them. All dictatorships use paramilitary groups for deniability.
    1
  11633.  @mirzahamzabaig5667  tehran student protests :- read the gory details https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_student_protests,_July_1999 Also try not to allow your prejudice to blind your reason.
    1
  11634.  @mirzahamzabaig5667  , "On the evening of the protests, "about 400 plainclothes paramilitaries descended on a university dormitory, whispering into short-wave radios and wielding green sticks." The paramilitaries, thought to be Ansar-e-Hezbollah and Basij, began attacking students, kicking down doors and smashing through halls, grabbing female students by the hair and setting fire to rooms. Several students were thrown off of third story balconies "onto pavement below, their bones crushed," and one student paralyzed. According to students' accounts, uniformed police stood by and did nothing.[4] "Witnesses reported that at least one student was killed, 300 wounded, and thousands detained in the days that followed." Why don't you try doing a search ? Type "Tehran student protests 1999 Hezbollah" Then read the results. Do some research before voicing your prejudiced, ill-informed opinions.
    1
  11635. It's a good idea (economic sanctions), because if any harware or troops were deployed that would be Kremlin's excuse to invade. The Kremlin thugs are just looking for an excuse, or provocation.
    1
  11636. Ian Bremmer is an idiot Putin has asked to "Share sovereignty" in Crimea In 2023 Putin offered to make Crimea a demilitarised nature reserve Donbas - Putin knows that goes in any treaty Even Crimea - Putin wants to share ! Bremmer knows nothing !
    1
  11637. Europe is chorusing : "God bless the USA" Western Civilization would be doomed without the US. Don't hold your breath waiting for Europe to defend itself. Macron is a fighter : he got his hairy chest out against Le Pen, but he wants to talk Putin out of his invasion - soft soap him. Only the Yanks know how to deal with Russia : "Stop making idle nuclear threats", said Biden. I was so proud of the old duffer.
    1
  11638.  Rinadingding  , Surely you could see I was being sarcastic. Why would anyone say "bravely" then go on to completely trash France ? Are you just scanning a comment then replying without reading? That is a symptom of the modern era : folk have such short attention spans they can't even read 3 sentences.
    1
  11639.  @sachaweijdisch9690  , a very fair point. On the positive side : when Napoleon exported the revolution across Europe he modernized every medieval monarchy he touched. Even Egypt profited to such an extent that Muhammed Ali almost became Sultan. The Italian Carbonari modelled on French Gendarmes. Aristocratic governance swept away, replaced by professional bureaucrats, rights and accountability introduced. One should also remember Britain enthusiastically joined France in the Suez fiasco (1956) Who can forget Joan of Arc (~1429) Good king Henry IV (d. 1610) "Every peasant should be able to have a chicken in the pot on Sunday" And Denis Diderot's encyclopedia (~1750)
    1
  11640. LOL I said India should do nothing (they wouldn't listen) Now look where it has got them. First they attack a base in Pakistan and say they have killed 300 terrorists. Of course that is bull$hit : they damaged 3 houses and injured one person. Now it's Pakistan's turn. They make a strike , not on military, not on civilians, just on empty land : it's just a show. So now India scramble jets to chase off Pakistan. This is where it turns dangerous : Pakistan believe India's planes will shoot their jets down so they fire first. Now Modi has big election trouble : serves him right ; I told him "Do nothing".
    1
  11641.  @jondeibe2294  Civilian deaths are a disaster for Israel. World opinion is vital for them. Or one might say "World opprobrium" is a disaster. Now consider Hamas :- If their antiquated rockets strike anything they are celebrating. So in a sense, Gaza children are dying as collateral casualties, whereas Hamas are killing Israeli civilians (if they are lucky).
    1
  11642.  @subhamchakraborty3421  LOL don't I know it. They remove any comments that are critical of them (and their bedfellows).
    1
  11643. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    1
  11644. Haley will stay in the race Then in Sep run as an independent
    1
  11645. But what about Hillary. Manipulating the DNC with Clinton Foundation slush-fund money. There is hardly anyone in the DNC isn't on the Foundation payroll. You name them : Donna Brazil, Wasserman Shultz etc No mention of Democrat corruption ?
    1
  11646. 9 Nov 2022 NY economics club mark Milley : "Right now Russia is on its back"
    1
  11647. LOL China will take Russia to the cleaners, if that is any help.
    1
  11648. ICC arrest warrant for - "Abducting Children from Ukraine" A crime which has been admitted to by the Russians, who boast about it.
    1
  11649. China has a peasant army and gimcrack equipment (like Russia and India) When the US Commander in Chief makes a threat everyone had better keep their heads down.
    1
  11650. Peter the Great (d.1725) and Putin. Both bequeathed a succession problem : Peter tortured his son to death (1718) Putin assassinated and imprisoned the opposition. Also ,Lenin (d.1924) left a vacuum which Stalin filled with 30 million corpses : Holodomor genocide (1932/33) in Ukraine killed 4 million.
    1
  11651. Lenin : "Useful idiots in the West"
    1
  11652. The Ukraine crisis is the defining event of the 21st century : Asiatic Autocracy (Russia & China) against Democratic Civilization
    1
  11653. BUK missiles. Will Russia be shooting down any more passenger planes ? MH17 was shot down by drunken Russia militia.
    1
  11654. "Is my time up ?"
    1
  11655.  Arab Guy  , I agree , good analysis. I'm always prepared to reconsider my opinions. I read a good book on the Greek city states by Joseph Heller (Catch 22) it was called 'Picture This' ; primarily about the Dutch Republic but with flashbacks to ancient Greece , very enjoyable.
    1
  11656. Super, we all like Bernie but get real ! He's never kicked ass........and what happens when things get hot with N Korea or China. Let's choose Elizabeth Warren (if absolutely necessary, if there was just no alternative I'm sure she could do some ball-busting).
    1
  11657. India has my sympathy. They are forced, by geography, to desire a strong Russia to counter China. How India wishes Russia wasn't such a disgusting, thuggish neighbour. India admires civility, not boorish brutality.
    1
  11658.  @iii2183  I agree, you are right. India should look towards the democratic countries. AUKUS is the real strength in the Pacific : a natural ally to India.
    1
  11659. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
    1
  11660.  @bcanuck  I think Northern Europe branched(bifurcated) : the non-conformists (Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn as a haven for his fellow Quakers. ) were entirely European in culture, and simply continued their cultural development in the new world. All the values, systems of government (elected councils) and ideology were European. In 1848, when revolutions swept across Europe, all the liberal revolutionaries wanted to adopt the British model, which they though best exemplified the values fought for the 1789 (French Revolution). So, I agree, the British model of Parliamentary democracy (constitutional government), which is one of the foundation blocks of Western Civilization, is the best.
    1
  11661.  @kr8s  I agree about 4 pillars. There are many more than that : simply called "Institutions" :- a) The Judiciary b) Education (independent universities) c) Professional associations and trade bodies (confederations of industry, accountancy, lawyers, medicine, etc) d) Media & Arts (press, theatre, book publishing etc) e) Trade Unions f) and most importantly, "Public Opinion" This is the ingredient that takes 500yrs. In 1553 the palace announced the accession of Lady Jane Grey, and an apprentice in the crowd called out "Mary has the better claim" (Mary I, bloody Mary) Even an apprentice felt he had a right to say who sat on the throne. He was punished, of course. But that spirit was deeply engrained in the English/British. Causing Namik Kemal (Ottoman 1860) to admire the British for their "The indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
    1
  11662.  @bcanuck  I agree with you : well said.
    1
  11663.  @CHMichael  I agree. I remember reading a story from Iran :the Imams were furious because folks were dashing home early after Friday prayer to watch a soap opera. Folk around the world are basically the same - wanting security, justice and opportunity.
    1
  11664. Sympathy for the Mexican people but once again their crooked politicians have signed away their rights. The Mexican government has been a corrupt, incompetent disgrace for decades.
    1
  11665. LOL He also "remembers" all his correct predictions, like Nostradamus.
    1
  11666.  @ch0293  In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are filled with childish fiction.
    1
  11667.  @muhammedali2578  LOL
    1
  11668.  @denbel426  , do you know who will be holding the horse (as a page boy ? Jesus. He gets top-billing in the Christian myth, but in Islamic story he is just a supporting actor. The Middle East is the epicentre of story telling : the Shahnameh and Arabian Nights. Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All the best stories were invented in the Middle East.
    1
  11669. What she meant was 3 MAJOR religions. She misparsed her words. She misspoke.
    1
  11670. And if the leaders stopped giving companies to family and cronies who siphon off the wealth. Iran is utterly corrupt. If this grey beard with dyed hair thinks protests are small why not have a fair election ? He's a lying scumbag ,fascist Islamist.
    1
  11671. "Outright rejection by Israel of the Hamas peace offer" Bidem : "Hamas demands were over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands were a non-starter" Hamas deliberately scuppered the truce France 24 are always anti-Israel and pro-Hamas
    1
  11672. Scholz will apologise for sabotaging Ukraine....... Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Then Scholz will promise heavy weapons to arrive in winter. Germany is a disgrace.
    1
  11673. "A feat of diplomacy" is what Biden needs before the DNC He manufactured one with the prisoner swap Now he needs a real one !
    1
  11674. @Blizzard Storm , Amnesty International, The United nations war crimes Commission, the European Court of Justice etc etc I don't know of any international body that hasn't recognised Pakistan's genocide in Bangladesh. Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months.
    1
  11675. Where is the leadership in Europe ? "We must not humiliate Russia", said Macron. And Schulz has sabotaged Ukraine - closing airspace, refusing 3rd party transfers and blocking sales. The EU is like a damsel in distress.
    1
  11676. 1:00 Look at the militarism been drilled into children. No entrepreneurs there. No kids filled with ideas for a start-up company. Just stone-age violence. Every war between India & Pakistan was started by Pakistan. It is just an historical fact : Pakistan is an Islamofascist, militarist, $hithole country.
    1
  11677. Labour claim they were responding to threats of terrorism That encourages terrorists to try something more Labour's message - "Terrorism works" Shame on Labour The Speaker must resign
    1
  11678. 72 trucks of food before the war 110 trucks of food during the war South Africa presented a case built on lies - they quoted 5000 trucks per day But they knew those trucks weren't all food
    1
  11679. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  11680. Schools and libraries have been destroyed. Queen Victoria described Russia as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  11681. Try holding an election ! The Palestinian Authority does NOT represent the people They NEVER hold elections
    1
  11682. 7:00 The US general is Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  11683. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  11684. Brain damage can create a strobe effect (like a disco) The brain sees a series of frozen "motion" The motion your brain generates isn't actually recorded at 60fps (or whatever) The brain can't use that much energy It is more efficient to create the appearance of motion from a few stills
    1
  11685. They are safe now ! Northern Gaza will NEVER be handed back to Hamas (or the PA) Northern Gaza, Gaza city will become a buffer zone of security Well done Israel
    1
  11686. The UN is pro-Hamas UN has not condemned Hamas' rapes and murders Guterres defends Hamas Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  11687. 1:45 "Wilfully" should read "willingly" Wilfully = stubbornly or to cause intentionally cause harm On reflection maybe it should read wilfully
    1
  11688. Interesting summary.
    1
  11689. A peaceful demonstration : yes. A journalist detained : yes But there is a subtext :- Al-Jazeera are funded by Qatar (that is a plain fact) Qatar also fund Hamas (to the tune of $20 million per month) So, considering Hamas have just been at war with Israel, it isn't unreasonable for Israel to think videos may inspire Hamas to fire more rockets.
    1
  11690. 0:19 All the Saudis are contemptible but that guy takes the biscuit. He's a bone-idle, effete , soft-hands , indolent, smarmy, spineless, effeminate, gutless, cowardly, cruel and compassionless excuse for a man.
    1
  11691. Al Jazeera is 100% pro-Russia Turkey said it was "concerned" by attacks on the Ukrainian port of Odessa Saturday as Ukraine blamed Russia while Kremlin denied striking the port. Russia denied striking Odessa. Now they say it was a legitimate target. Al Jazeera never mention that.
    1
  11692.  @mortuos557  , LOL even the Ayatollah hasn't mentioned compensation. Ha ha ha, that was a good joke.
    1
  11693. What might a peace treaty look like ? a) Russia has suggested demilitarising Crimea, and turning it into a nature reserve. Zelensky stole their thunder and said he intended to do that. A minister then said the Kerch bridge as "damaging to the ecology". b) Russia would give up everything to have the Minsk agreement implemented. Putin is laying a foundation of credibility (snake island, the grain deal, nuclear inspectors etc) to get the West to apply some pressure on Kyiv to compromise. c) Russia would accept arbitration : they are desperate for this to end. They would withdraw from Donbas and Crimea - leaving UN to protest Russians, and allowing an arbitration panel to decide sovereignty over an (unlimited) period. Russia would drag this out indefinitely, just as Ukraine dragged out the implementation of the Minsk agreement. Conclusion : possession is 9/10ths of the law. Russia will try to use arbitration to buy itself breathing space : retaining possession of land whilst an international panel beats around the bush for 10 years.
    1
  11694. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  11695.  @xijinglove  Translation :- "Can a few submarines win the war? Then China has more submarines than the United States! Taiwan has a large number of missiles, but if Taiwan dares to launch into China, China may consider using nuclear weapons to bomb the platform bay and return blood for blood." I've never heard such schoolboy nonsense. China are the ones threatening invasion : for which they would need a huge invasion flotilla. China are offering the TARGET. That is why submarines have something to shoot at. What are China's subs doing ? Wandering around like a blind fish in the sea.
    1
  11696.  Jack Hui  You simply haven't perceived China's weakness : blockade. The minute any conflict with China begins, the United States will blockade China. China has no response to this. China needs food and fuel imports, and cannot survive without them. Even China's huge fishing fleet will be stranded. China has no strategy against blockade.
    1
  11697.  Jack Hui  It is strange, the folks who reply on behalf of China, all sound like school children. China is the country that is arming at the fastest rate of any nation ever....forcing an arms race, and forcing Australia to join AUKUS. China is the belligerent nation. However, world opinion is vital : one must wait for China to make the first move. Then, when Chinese troop ships are sunk crossing to Taiwan, the UN will simply call for China to stop its invasion. (They won't criticise AUKUS)
    1
  11698. Very brave. In reality there has never been any democracy in Russia. Russia has never had a liberal middle-class. It has never experienced the Enlightenment.
    1
  11699.  @Boooommerang  I'm afraid it is too late for Putin : he now has indelible egg on his face. Putin has overplayed his hand. NATO have taken charge of the narrative and appear strong, organized, and civilized.
    1
  11700.  @Boooommerang  Putin overplayed his hand. It is now like a victory parade for NATO. Canada and Spain have sent ships, Denmark and France are sending planes. Everyone is jumping on the victory parade. How did Putin allow the narrative to slip through his fingers ? It was the naval exercises off Ireland. The West realised Putin was trying to scare everyone, like the lion in Wizard of Oz. Putin has indelible egg on his face.
    1
  11701. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  11702. South Africa is a disgrace - "Political Assassination", the ANC kills anyone who opposes them in the townships. The ANC has killed 485 so far South Africa is simply grandstanding in their football scarves
    1
  11703.  @pubgmobilekg8433  Very interesting. Little wonder Queen Victoria described the Russians as , "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  11704.  @arty5876  How do you know ? They are not going to broadcast it. Russia asked the Chechens. They also asked Belarus (who said no) Russia also asked Kazakhstan (who said no) A colonel said on Russian TV "The whole world is against us ; this is not normal" You will find the clip on YouTube.
    1
  11705.  @arty5876  Russia did ask Belarus, and Kazakhstan, it is on record : they both said "No".
    1
  11706. This is an uplifting video : "The Industrial Revolution why Britain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PsZmnVqqQ England benefited greatly from the Dutch Connection ( see my Charles I, Charles,II and William III trilogy)
    1
  11707. Correct. Erdoğan is an opportunist.
    1
  11708. @Anonymous Bosch This war is the reckoning with Russia, and has been coming for 200yrs. Ever since Alexander I formed the Holy Alliance to crush liberal freedom and representative democracy in Europe (1815). "In 1848 Liberals across Europe hated Russia" Lewis Namier.
    1
  11709.  @АлександрКуницын-и6к  This war is the reckoning with Russia, and has been coming for 200yrs. Ever since Alexander I formed the Holy Alliance to crush liberal freedom and representative democracy in Europe (1815). "In 1848 Liberals across Europe hated Russia" Lewis Namier.
    1
  11710.  @АлександрКуницын-и6к  Mearsheiner is a shill. You should listen to historian Stephen Kotkin. Kotkin has studied Russian history his whole life. He spent years in the Kremlin archives, after 1990, researching Stalin. Kotkin knows what the Russians are like, and he supports Ukraine 100%. Also, read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words a and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  11711.  @АлександрКуницын-и6к  Kotkin knows this :- NATO expansion secures freedom and democracyfor Europeans Psychotic Russians see it as a threat to them. But Europe has no desire to 'conquer' Russia and would be happy to see Russia vanish. The Russians have a paranoid fear of invasion that is purely illusory. It is the product of their inadequacy and insecurity, their clamour for recognition and acceptance. Europe's message to Russia is simply "£uck off".
    1
  11712.  @curtmayer1070  Correct. The population of Mariupol was astonishingly divers :- Greeks, Turks, Russians, Armenians, and Ukrainians. It was very cosmopolitan. But it is still part of Ukraine. Which celebrates its diversity.
    1
  11713.  @bingxilao9086  NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  11714.  @ojkiuy  Thanks for saying "Bucha was fun", it convinces everyone of the truth.... Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  11715.  @ojkiuy  You will enjoy this : The Panzerhaubitze 2000 - deadly accurate and rapid fire. The Russians are taking a pounding. The US just supplied 10,000 rockets for Himars and MLRS, and when they are used there will be another batch. Russia simply cannot survive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPEYihJq4FA
    1
  11716. Let's be honest - Biden Harris & Trump will all support NATO and Ukraine, they all oppose Iran and back Israel Fair enough, the rhetoric is different 86yr old Lord Owen was asked about Trump, he said, "I don't think you'd see much change"
    1
  11717. 5 reasons Putin will not go nuclear or use a dirty bomb a) Lose Security Council seat b) Lose support from China & India c) NATO retaliation d) it will not prevent defeat e) Russia's elite have not sacrificed any personal wealth: their aim is to stay wealthy and stay in power
    1
  11718. This guy is delusional
    1
  11719. Yeah, Iran's inflation is 50% and its economy is shrinking by GDP -6% per year. That's working out well. If Iran continue this run of success they will have 100% inflation and the economy in the $hithouse. Things are looking great.
    1
  11720.  @bandeyekhoda3943  , I only want the Ayatollah to fall , I like the Persians. They are industrious , enterprising and intelligent. Unlike the Saudi : who is ignorant, indolent and cruel. The true face of the Ayatollah : read "The executioners deserve medals" https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-prayer-leader-executioners-deserve-medal/28632308.html
    1
  11721. Let's go Brandon.
    1
  11722.  @mosearena9341  Russia based its army on the Prussian army of Frederick the Great (d.1786). They copied the uniform and drill. The Prussian army was made up of disciplined and brutalised peasants. Russian soldiers are calling for food, they have no warm clothing : it is a peasant army. Don't listen to fools who talk about Russia's amazing missiles (that is wishful thinking). The Russian army is a failure. India will also fail, for the same reason : it is a 19th century army.
    1
  11723. Ursula von der Leyden has Europe's full confidence. She has replaced Merkel as the natural leader of the EU. Zero fear is the theme, unity is the message, and strength is the goal.
    1
  11724. "Is it just bad communications ?" No Germany sabotaged Ukraine in Feb : they blocked a) RAF flights, b) 3rd party transfers (Estonia howitzers) c) direct sales Boris "Germany wanted a quick win for Russia" It is NOT communications, it is simply that we aren't sure Germany is on the right side.
    1
  11725. Nonsense. Morsi, who has the brains of a jackass, brought himself down.
    1
  11726. Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a clear non-starter" Hamas is delusional
    1
  11727.  @TheDrAstrov  "Typhoons escort British surveillance aircraft over Black Sea" That was a week ago The recon aircraft was an RC-135 There are F-35s flying, Romanian F-16s The sky is full of NATO fighters and recon planes. Russia couldn't move an inch without being spotted. If Russian ships come within 300km of Ukraine they will be sunk. Maybe by Neptune missiles, maybe by ATACMS, maybe by Sea-hawk torpedoes There are many ways to sink Russian ships. And there is a great appetite to sink Russia's fleet.
    1
  11728.  @andreaberti5100  , spoken like a Russian citizen, born and bred in the Gulags.
    1
  11729. A stair-lift might be wise. Or why not place him in a crate in the cargo hold. Remember the Hammer Horror film "The Mummy" ? He was in a crate on a train - one could just see his eyes. The Chief of Staff could check whether the eyes are open, then report back, "The lights are on but no one's home"
    1
  11730.  @juanguzman9031  , in the US there are official channels for whistle-blowers. Look at the Ukraine phone call : the whistle-blower followed the law the whole way , notifying the correct departments. Snowden jeopardised national security. There is NO comparison between Snowden's revelations and the totalitarian CCP. You are either living in a dream or very misinformed.
    1
  11731. What's wrong with asking whether Biden was using his influence as VP to further the business deals of his son ? How does that jeopardise US security ? Couldn't we also ask about Bill Clinton's million $ speaking engagements abroad while Hillary was Sec. of State ?
    1
  11732. STOP calling it "crash" It is a hard landing LOL
    1
  11733. "Attacked" = peacefully pulling down a flag British police simply stroll over to those folks and ask them (politely) to calm down There is no violence This is considered (in Britain) to be legitimate protest And, obviously, Britain does NOT support these hot--heads But "Attacked" is a bit rich
    1
  11734. Correspondents and Celebrities : let's drain the swamp. Trump was speaking to hard working Americans : making America great again.
    1
  11735. There are too many Tories hate him for a start.
    1
  11736. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo stated : "We are the new aristocracy" A very astute observation. All the crimes of the Tsarist aristocracy were now being committed by the KGB. Beria was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Putin has fulfilled the observation - a KGB officer is now Tsar.
    1
  11737. Shame on IRAN for funding terrorism and massacre
    1
  11738. Also, I think "Not be difficult" is a euphemism for hiding it in the nether regions.
    1
  11739. 1:43 "Contrasting" one definition with another. Is America ready for 'conflating' ?
    1
  11740. 11:26 "I wouldn't call it a peace plan because it isn't" Everyone has missed that there are 2 China peace plans : a) Xi's "Peace proposition" to be announced on Feb 24 and cancelled b) replaced by a generalised 12 point plan Xi's "Peace proposition" is detailed - it includes demilitarised zone & peace keeping force Putin pulled the plug on it.
    1
  11741. Hamas & Hezbollah are teacher-decapitating barbarians. There is no civilized country in the world that would want them as neighbours.
    1
  11742. Palestine MUST hold elections The Palestinian Authority are corrupt thugs They do NOT represent Palestinians
    1
  11743. LOL Macron is an opportunist : "We must not humiliate Russia" "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" Macron will drop India like a stone, as soon as it benefits France.
    1
  11744.  @jasperzanjani  Imagine when Mum has to break the news "I told him he was spending too much time in those chat-rooms" "And you know how he's always been curious ?" "Well he's been in your study" Just then the SWAT team arrives
    1
  11745.  @ravenking2458  Maybe the West was silent for Galwan, but they are not silent now : they are pointing to India's problems and saying, "Don't you wish you'd declared yourself part of the international Alliance ?"
    1
  11746. Wrong title : it is "The Hamas war on Israel" Al Jazeera never mention Hamas LOL (they are simply propaganda)
    1
  11747. Russian soldiers are shooting Ukrainians who surrender :- "These ... reports suggest that atrocities are not the result of rogue units or individuals; they rather reveal a deeply disturbing pattern of systematic abuse across all areas where Russia's forces are engaged."
    1
  11748. Protestors don't phase Hezbollah. Funded by the Ayatollah Hezbollah are experts in political assassination. They have 10,000 armed thugs ready to take to the streets. Don't try to appeal to Hezbollah's civic duty : they are fanatics trying to impose a theocracy on Lebanon.
    1
  11749. 8:58 "Oman laid the groundwork for the Iran nuclear deal". LOL LMAO, as if western powers would listen to some jumped up Sheik. The Nuclear deal was conducted by professional diplomats, who had full access to intelligence and satellite surveillance and were fully aware of the Ayatollah's terror groups (Hezbollah). The Sheik of Oman wouldn't have even been allowed to make the tea.
    1
  11750.  @gomyas2519  , "On the nuclear issue itself, the Omanis pointed out that Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),; while it precludes signatories from developing or seeking a nuclear weapon; gives them the right to have a nuclear capability for peaceful purposes." Oh, you're right. It turns out Oman did play a role.
    1
  11751. I've just made a video on this myself. Much more historical. It never mentions Max Weber's work ethic which was ridiculed by Hugh Trevor-Roper and other serious historians. It was only included in Niall Ferguson Civilization : the six 'killer applications ' to sell copies in the US.
    1
  11752. Who is baldy, to be dictating to Israel the issues that are "on the table " ?
    1
  11753. India has made a catastrophic blunder. : Modi sold its soul for Russian military junk. Russian jets - easily shot down by Stingers Russian tanks - easily destroyed by British NLAWs Modi sided with the losers, and India must pay the price.
    1
  11754.  @williamdavis9562  The Greek Miracle was a growth rate of 6% for a decade. It included a chemical industry, shipping industry, etc. It was genuine growth. Your analogy comes later. When the economy slowed, the Greeks had become so used to high growth they began to borrow heavily, knowing their growth rate would eat up the debt. It was a terrible model - undone by the financial collapse.
    1
  11755. In February Macron used Russia's invasion to revive his European Defence Force (EDF) The EDF will be led by France and will be a counter-balance to NATO. France has always dislike NATO. Why ? de Gaulle "France cannot be France without greatness" Stephen Kotkin "France likes to think it is a diplomatic superpower"
    1
  11756. Macron "France will not respond to a nuclear attack on Ukraine" Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  11757. Modi still supporting Russia. Shame on India. Mass graves - one corpse had both arms broken and a noose around his neck. India has no moral compass.
    1
  11758. 1.40 "Conduit for cooperation and stability". That's a lovely phrase. To say it's his 2nd language he does turn out some nice phrases.
    1
  11759. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    1
  11760. Green, allow me to speculate : Russia will say NO. There are 2million Kurds in the region and Russia have a 200yr old understanding with them. Of course Russia will blame it on Assad and say they can't twist his arm. Also, the US have armed the Kurds with Stingers so Turkey were always going to struggle. For anyone that doesn't like Erdogan (and that's everyone) this is hillarious.
    1
  11761. Apparently 70 out of 130 are already dead That is why Hamas refuse to give a list of those still alive
    1
  11762. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  11763. France and Germany have no principles. Historically those nations made a Faustian pact : to abandon their principles in exchange for success France tolerated Napoleon's despotism until he came unstuck in Russia, after which he abdicated. Then again in 1853 when Napoleon III usurped the 1848 revolution. The trade is always the same :- success in exchange for abandoning principles. Germany did it in 1849 when the Frankfurt parliament capitulated to Frederick William IV Then did it again in 1866 : exonerating Bismarck for unconstitutionally raising taxes for the army in 1861. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Hitl@r) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  11764. Seems like a good time to post a link to my video :- "Spanish-America failure, North America success why ?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACa4p9jhVPc
    1
  11765. Did you know that syphilis was a sexually transmitted disease brought over from the New World 1495. Within 10yrs the Pope had caught it. Julius II (1503-13) was also the first pope to contract “the French disease,” syphilis, from Rome’s male prostitutes. On Good Friday of 1508, he was unable to allow his foot to be kissed by the faithful as it was completely covered with syphilitic sores.
    1
  11766. "Israel refuses to negotiate" Palestinians refused a UN 2-state solution in 1948 They refused again at Camp David in 2000 The Palestine always have delusional demands (Which they drop 20 years later when it's too late)
    1
  11767. Russia talks about "injustice" Having killed 500,000 Ukrainians Global South hypocrisy
    1
  11768. Don't blame Hillary , she's been a liar all her life, blame the DNC for backing her and blame the donors who supplied her with the $1.3 billion with which to bribe the DNC.
    1
  11769.  @James-Campbell  , are you saying that when the Ayatollah landed in Tehran (1979) and was asked what he'd do with the democrats, are you saying he didn't reply , "I'll kick their teeth in " ? Is that what you suggest. Are you wanting to re-write history ? Or maybe you are simply brainwashed and don't actually know very much history.
    1
  11770. The US will never allow N Korea to develop multiple warhead ballistic missiles. It is impossible to invade N Korea without them retaliating and killing 100ks of S Koreans. Therefore Trump will make a pre-emptive nuclear strike and flatten N Korea. Kim knows this. That is why he is meeting with Moon and encouraging dialogue. The Meeting with Trump will happen at some stage. Because the alternative is a pre-emptive strike on N Korea.
    1
  11771. Another good pun....take a like. Someone else said, "Le Pen is mightier than the sword"
    1
  11772.  moonbeam  , she did face an election , where she diminished her majority : when she was in tears. The election that secured Corbyn and bagged the DUP £1 billion.
    1
  11773.  @yvonneblake2  , thanks, it is a nice expression. Another old idiom I employ in response to religious folk who say 'God/Allah has done all this', is :- " God never buttered a parsnip".
    1
  11774. Poor old Ayatollah, clutching at the straw of EU help. LOL The Ayatollah's economy is a wreck : inflation 5%, GDP growth -6%, currency crashed. Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guard are terrorist pariahs, Iran a rogue state, no light at the end of the tunnel and a population that simply wants prosperity. I think we'll be saying goodbye to the Ayatollah's dictatorship soon.
    1
  11775. India should sit next to Russia to show friendship and support. (Don't worry about what the West think : they already despise you)
    1
  11776. Palestinians have been there 3000yrs and never shown any desire to be a nation. They were Roman, Byzantine, Umayyid , Abbasid, and Ottoman Nationalism is a fad that was invented in the 19th century. Before that you has empires, monarchies, caliphates and tribes etc Only after the Enlightenment did folk get it into their heads a democratic nation might be a good idea. That idea is anethema in the middle east where they respect a strong man like Yaser Arafat who ruled like a corrupt dictator. Arafat has been succeeded by Fatah who are one-party dictators. (Go to a Fatah meeting and mention corruption ; you'll be dragged out and beaten).
    1
  11777. Dave, well said. The Papal States were the most repressive in Europe. Tibet : the peasants had no education or health care and paid taxes to the Buddhist temple or got a good beating. Islam : the most obvious example fascism. Oxford & Cambridge were like theocracies in the 19th century If the church disapproved of a shop the council shut it down. The power they had in those days. No wonder Darwin feared to publish Origin of Species.
    1
  11778. India and the Barbarians :- Russia denies everything & Kremlin liars say black is white. Russia denied sending the BUK missile which shot down MH17 killing hundreds of civilians. Russia denies everything, even when there is 100% proof. Russia is like North Korea - simply a nation of barbarians that must be isolated.
    1
  11779. We'll take that as a yes
    1
  11780. "Colonial DNA" Also - "Caliphate DNA" how does that manifest itself ? Caliphate countries are all autocratic and corrupt They have no debate, they never had a Reformation or Enlightenment 1515 Caliphate banned printing - this led to widespread illiteracy and ignorance Caliphate DNA is the reason Palestinians took until 1988 to declare statehood
    1
  11781. God bless the USA In Britain we had an opposition leader (Jeremy Corbyn) who wanted to disband NATO and we have an Archbishop who refuses to condemn Russia.
    1
  11782. South Africa's case built on LIES Eg "500 trucks a day before the war" Actually only 72 trucks of food There are currently 110 trucks a day going in with food & medical aid South Africa deliberately present lies Eg "The only way to allow aid in is for Israel to stop fighting" Wrong Hamas could release all hostages and stop fighting S Africa never criticise Hamas, they are pro-Hamas
    1
  11783. What have I been saying since the coup started ? China (The Axis of Evil) support despotism and destroy democracy.
    1
  11784.  @andreinastase1604  If Russia can easily "take down drones", why did the Kremlin appear so anxious - "Russia warns Turkey over sale of drones" ? Why make an issue of it. Remember Khashama Syria Feb 2014 ? 500 Russian mercenaries (+ Islamists) slaughtered in 4hrs. It is possible Russia are in for a hiding when they invade Ukraine.
    1
  11785. Young people don't know anything They don't know how sadistic the Ayatollah was - read "The executioners deserve medals" They don't know how fascist Hamas and Hezbollah are Young folk are utter idiots When they get a little older they will kick themselves for supporting Islamist thugs
    1
  11786. Trump "Russia could give up a lot" There will be concessions by Russia - Trump has given them everything for a compete END Trump has ended sanctions, agreed to no NATO etc I am confident Putin will have to return to the 2014 border Trump and Kellogg mention 2014 repeatedly First Russia must clear 2 million mines : so the process will cushioned from the Russian people : Russian folk will only realise when Russia withdraws in 2026
    1
  11787. Medvedev : "They want to disintegrate Russia for a 2nd time" General Ben Hodges "Hemingway's character says he went bankrupt in two ways - slowly then suddenly : which is how the Russian Federation will collapse" Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  11788. The Vatican have been traduced by the media. Child abuse and paedophilia is a smear campaign by the Pro-Choice ? Actually this whole debate is a good diversion for Paedophile priests and Bishops and child-abusing Cardinals. Let's hope cardinal Pell goes to jail.
    1
  11789. Lord Salisbury : "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  11790. UN sued for complicity in massacre UNRWA staff participated in the massacre on 7 Oct The UN paid their workers to kill Jews Then Guterres defended Hamas UN to be sued !
    1
  11791. Very commendable humanism but how realistic is it ? You have 30% youth unemployment in Spain, Italy and Greece ; strain on public services across the EU and an ever increasing population in N Africa. Something has to give : immigration has to be controlled Much better to encourage responsible government in the countries they leave.
    1
  11792. Putin's Russia :- "A gaudy empire, more of a racket than a regime" "Sufficient motive for a pageant : but hollow within" "Something to be enjoyed rather than believed in" All said about Napoleon III who led France to total collapse (1870)
    1
  11793. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    1
  11794. Putin's rise to power. APARTEMNT BOMBINGS Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  11795. Good interview
    1
  11796.  @sheckyfeinstein  But Biden said, when asked about Putin's intentions, "It depends which side of the bed he gets out of" Biden is saying the US CANNOT predict Putin's moves. They knew he would invade only 3 days before it happened - because that was when the decision was made. Fedorov's insights were extraordinarily candid.
    1
  11797. Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
    1
  11798. The US and Britain are there to reassure Israel If Hezbollah launch hundreds of missiles at tel-Aviv Israel will launch a nuclear strike at Iran That is why the Iranian FM said, "Hamas will release all hostages" Hamas then denied it Iran realises how close it is to annihilation
    1
  11799.  @fooksengloke3625  , Chinese corporate debt has grown exponentially. You know when the Great Recession hit the US (1930s) they had 40% of world trade and couldn't fail. But once confidence leaves the market you are finished. Look at capital flight in China : everyone with money is putting it abroad. Once confidence collapses financial gravity takes over. I hop China have a soft landing .
    1
  11800. Justin, god bless you, Bernie would be demolished. Did you ever see TRump's impersonation of Bernie having the microphone taken from him by young women protesters at a rally ? Trump mimes giving up the mike then walks disconsolately away with his shoulders drooping .......and even Bernie bros. are laughing. (I know I was).
    1
  11801. Fear of China and fear of offending Russia, forces India to believe in "dialogue". Biden says, "India is shaky" To see an ally shaking with fear is not a pleasant sight. Russia will only be stopped by force : if Modi had an ounce of courage, he would acknowledge that.
    1
  11802. On 13 Oct Macron waved the white flag to Russia "If Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region France will be neutral" Why ? 13 Oct NATO Brussels : discuss nuclear response Macron panicked with fear 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington joint nuclear response Why did France surrender ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" French greatness began in C18th with Louis XIV France led the world : militarily, Enlightenment, architecture, literature; French was spoken from Madrid to Moscow France had the shock of 1789, but accompanied by military greatness, republican leadership and world changing ideas. In spite of defeat it confirmed France's conviction that it led the world. 200yrs of humiliation and failure has left France bereft of principles and courage.
    1
  11803. The protesters are brave. Because Iran are totally brutal Islamofascist thugs. They usually call in Hezbollah to torture & kill unarmed protesters. Hezbollah are Islamofascist thugs who will kill anyone who doesn't follow their ideology.
    1
  11804. Police : by lunchtime, most police are drunk. If you go into a police station in the afternoon the police are all soused.
    1
  11805. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  11806.  @fica375  The point is that Russia dare not confront its atrocities :- a) There was no investigation into Gulag torture killing and grotesque abuse. The Russian people when asked, would prefer to forget. b) The Kremlin has now closed the archives and refuses to acknowledge mass rapes after WW2 c) Read Svetlana Alexiovich (The Russian people in their own words, she won a Nobel Prize for it). Holodomor genocide : 4 million were starved to death. It is now unmentionable. d) Solzhenitsyn : spent 10yrs tortured in the Gulags, then becomes a lover of Mother Russia and KGB man Putin's guru. Your attitude is liberal, and very mistaken. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Even Russians who want democracy and an end to Putin, they would still like to see a strong Mother Russia. When polls show 85% of Russians supporting the war, they are not fake. Most Russians pride themselves on a strong nation. Read Svetlana, it will open your eyes.
    1
  11807. ​ @Dwg256 Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  11808. Do not fund the Taliban The west will never support the Taliban :let Pakistan pay Imran Khan supported the Taliban murderers
    1
  11809. This is NOT good news. No good comes out of Nigeria. At best the girls are traumatized, at worst pregnant.
    1
  11810. Enemies of the West (Russia,China) are laughing at Trump. He disowns NATO attacks Western democracy and praises authoritarian leaders.
    1
  11811. Taylor, thanks for the reply. I'm a bit vague on reality : I thought it was Trump siding with Putin in Helsinki and saying "I don't see any reason why he would". Turns out he meant to say "Wouldn't". Ahhh, that's better : that clarifies everything. Turns out that lying , traitorous moron is batting for the US after all.
    1
  11812. China is echoing Macron ! Nov 2021 Macron : "Australia is starting nuclear escalation with China" Macron is a viper in the nest France hates NATO and aligns with Russia and China at the drop of a hat
    1
  11813. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    1
  11814. A good speach. The State Dept is famous for sitting on its ass......oh and producing disinformation. So the long part about integrity was appropriate.
    1
  11815.  @cait2177  , Also, LOL, the Church were opposed to the printing (1440) , the Enlightenment , the Bible being printed in the vernacular ; they openly predicted it being the demise of the Church. So the aim of the Church is damage limitations. Jesuit colleges became great centres of learning in an effort to take control of education : science, maths, classics. But nothing that undermines the Church. So, South America's answer to Tom Paine , Juan Alberdi said ," Let us be Catholic as our fathers were, as is proper to our race ." The very force that controls education in the Americas is lauded by the spokesperson for Spanish-American radicalism ! Quite honestly my case is watertight.
    1
  11816. In 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran from Paris AFTER the Shah had been overthrown by Socialists, Democrats, Trade-unionists etc and , using his ruthless jihadists took control. What happened to the other groups who had overthrown the Shah ? Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : more than the Shah killed in his whole life. When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran the press asked him what he'd do with the democrats in the Shah's parliament (oh yes the Shah had a parliament) Khomeini replied, "I'll kick their teeth in ".
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  11817. a) The initial condemnation is for the home crowd (Palestinians) Behind the scenes they ALL want rid of Hamas Hamas = Muslim Brotherhood (regioanl governments hate them)
    1
  11818. John Micklethwait : good geopolitical analysis, we should see more of him.
    1
  11819. What a marvellous delegation : their demeanour and bearing, even sans necktie one perceives their noble countenance. God bless the USA. Russia's aggression is the defining event of the 21st century - Asiatic Autocracy against Western Civilization. Thank God for the USA.
    1
  11820. Verbal slips ......it's age baiting ! Everyone makes slips Biden's JUDGEMENT is good The DNC as usual has left it too late Get behind Joe
    1
  11821.  @reggea83  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    1
  11822. Lula has his own prison cell with a computer , phone , TV and everything ; it even has a cash machine so he can still take bribes.
    1
  11823. It sounds as though hospitals are hand in glove with Hamas Video of hostages being marched into hospitals in Gaza to be held captive Hospital staff appear to be supporting Hamas
    1
  11824. Hope he dies.
    1
  11825. LOL
    1
  11826. Keith Ellison DNC ......what took him so long ?
    1
  11827. China's leaders will be waking up with the old pyjamas soaking wet tonight.
    1
  11828.  @XJLCA  , The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) know they have no legitimacy. They monitor social media constantly, "What are the people saying about us ?" They are making jokes about Winnie the Pooh : "Censor all communications relating to Pooh bear !" Do they really sound like leaders who are confident of their position ? Or do they sound scared.
    1
  11829.  @LuisAldamiz  La Mesta won the conflict Correct - easily taxable and Merino wool made more money for the Spanish royals than did American silver (Which didn't stop Spain going bankrupt regularly - but that's because they were fiscally shocking managers) Philip III decreed that any land that had been grazed could NOT be plowed Sheep took precedence every time
    1
  11830.  @LuisAldamiz  1619 Count Gondomar returned to Spain (ambassador to England) "The English and Dutch have won the war - it is industry from dawn till dusk, in Spain the villages are deserted" (Paraphrased) I think 1/3 of the op of Valencia were on poor relief The tax collector was on commission -- so if a farmer couldn't pay he'd take all his implements and animals, leaving the family destitute. Spanish traders couldn't compete : the French, Dutch and English would buy huge quantities of wool, soap, oil etc Spanish merchants had to try & trade with anything that was left 1701 Philip V's French PM even asked France to send jam makers : "A lot of money is spent importing jam from Italy" That must have been the nadir
    1
  11831.  @LuisAldamiz  Can you help me : I've forgotten the term for economists in the time of Philip II and III etc - it begins Ad....v..o it ends in 'O' and has a 'v' Anyway, those chaps said "Silver comes into Spain just long enough to cause inflation and is shipped out again" Mercenaries in the Netherlands wanted gold, so Italian (or German) bankers had to swap silver for gold When the English attacked one fleet forcing it to northern Spain, the Spanish king had never seen as much : teams of smugglers in Seville had been denied their share
    1
  11832.  @LuisAldamiz  Very interesting comment. Catalonia was de jure joined with Castile post Succession, but de facto it was under the Castilian cosh from Olivares : which caused Catalonia to rebel with Portugal in 1640 The northern ports united in the Hermandad federation which negotiated directly with the kings of England and France until 1490 Very interesting Shakespeare reference Castile did govern "Spain" even if they were "independent" regions : the king would ask for loans or contributions The regions had their own Cortes (parliament) and 'privileges' The 1640 Catalonia rebellion was due to the "Spanish" army being billeted on them, but also Madrid assumed Catalonia was wealthier and more populous than it was : they therefore demanded a huge contribution which couldn't be paid Peasants paid 3 taxes - to the Landlord, the crown and tithes to the church There was no incentive to work hard González de Cellorigo, Martín (16th-17th centuries). Spanish economist, born in Oviedo towards the end of the 16th century. Many details about his first years of life are unknown, although it is known that he was ecclesiastical and lawyer of the Chancery of Valladolid. His main work, Memorial of the necessary policy and useful restoration of Spain and its states, and universal performance of these kingdoms , was published in Valladolid in the year 1600. The writing was addressed to King Philip II and in principle did not reach great diffusion . However, it was plagiarized in 1611 by Agustín de Rojas under the title El buen repúblico , and in this way it was better known. Influenced by the theoreticians of the so-called School of Salamanca, among whom was Martín Azpilcueta , he affirmed that the economic decline in which Spain was at the end of the sixteenth century and the beginning of the seventeenth was due to the progressive abandonment of "the virtuous operations of the trades, treatments, farming and raising "by a people to whom the numerous goods brought from America had led to trust in speculation and easy wealth. This circumstance, together with the progressive depopulation of the country and the disappearance of the so-called "mediums", that is, of the middle classes integrated by the bourgeoisie that had begun to develop a century earlier, came to complete the list of main factors that, When González de Cellorigo understood, they motivated the situation of economic decline in Spain and the deep social gap between the poor and the rich.
    1
  11833.  @LuisAldamiz  Spain & Russia both prevented students studying in Europe and banned European books - they isolated themselves. In 1704 only seven books were published in Spain, all of them religious. North America was created by enlightened northern European protestants Latin America is Catholic autocracy Spain biggest impact on Europe was the Jesuits 1540 Jesuits expelled from :- 1759 Portugal 1764 France 1773 Austria "before they ruin future generations" 1773 Pope Clement XIV By the brief Dominus ac Redemptor suppressed the Jesuits 1767 Spain expelled from its Empire 1767 Parma and Naples Jesuits - a malignancy - caused 30yr war
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  11834. Actually Trump will rise to the occasion. It is when old demented folk are bored that they are at their worst , when a new person arrives or something stimulating they are very nearly back to their old selves.
    1
  11835. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are childish fiction.
    1
  11836. Putin is happy to have the support of India. Shame on India.
    1
  11837. 7:00 "Can be commodity also" : then the hand gesture. This is straight out of the Persian storyteller's handbook.
    1
  11838. How will the US defend the Philippines ? Blockade Ultimately war boils down to blockade Hence AUKUS - it's all about submarines - for blockade Whatever way you look at it, it boils down to "Blockade" China knows it
    1
  11839. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  11840. Hamas must stop hiding behind children Hamas hides in "residential buildings" - that's why they are bombed
    1
  11841. "Turning point" That was 21 to 24 Oct when Shoigu and Gerasimov phoned the US 4 times. They hold 2/3 of the nuclear briefcases They represent the Army and are ousting Putin into retirement
    1
  11842. Everywhere in Africa there is injustice, incompetence and corruption. At each election the citizens should be given the choice of voting for an independent UN candidate that would establish a boring bureaucracy, that wasn't corrupt, which simply administered the finances and civil service with efficiency. The UN candidate would institute an honest judiciary and police-force and the Africans would think all their Christmases had come at once.
    1
  11843.  @movclips9872  , oh yeah, maybe I should've read up on the subject first. My comment was generic and applied to incompetent African countries with 2000% inflation : like Zimbabwe.
    1
  11844. 8:50 "They don't want to face the 2-state solution autopsy" Yes, because it would show that Arafat's theft of $3 billion and 40yr dictatorship, left the Palestinians up the Creek without a paddle.
    1
  11845. "The good times are over for the EU" Well they are for Macron and Scholz, who humiliated themselves in February :- Scholz froze with self interest and fear, banning all weapons to Ukraine a) RAF flights b) Estonia howitzer transfer c) direct sales Germany agreed to supply only 'non-lethal' aid. Macron opportunistically launched his vanity project the EDF European Defence Force Then on 13 Oct he waved the white flag to Russia Who is going to join the EDF now ? After Macron declared France's nuclear deterrent only applies to France.
    1
  11846. Merkel.
    1
  11847. Don't expect anything from the African Union : that fraternity of corrupt dictators.
    1
  11848. Iran has just joined. The SCO now looks a lot like "The Axis of Evil".
    1
  11849. Magnificent. The TERRIBLE TRUTH : - Russian people know that the Kremlin is lying, they know the atrocities were committed by their army, but they don't care. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  11850. How about blockading the Malacca Straits, collapsing China's economy and bringing an end to the totalitarian rule of the CCP.
    1
  11851. Alfred, there's no need for that. Every ship has a manifest giving it's cargo and destination. Indonesia and Malaysia will be only slightly inconvenienced. Nobody is putting a chain across or sinking a tanker to block the channel ; this is a 21st Century blockade with wireless communication and computerised administration. China will crash economically, the other countries will be inconvenienced.
    1
  11852. Turkey : Armenian Genocide part 2
    1
  11853. Hamas intentionally scuppered the Paris Ceasefire deal They even made demands for holy sites in the West Bank (Just to make sure Israel rejected Hamas' delusional demands) Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a non starter"
    1
  11854. Invading air-space is good It is cat & mouse - and China's plane is the mouse. China's pilot flies on a set course, and is watched by the ever alert Taiwan pilot who chooses his moment to intercept. China becomes accustomed to playing the mouse And Taiwan becomes accustomed to being the cat.
    1
  11855. Reasons US did it :- a) to send a message to Moscow the US isn't messing around b) Russia will be revanchist for generations, and Germany will resume buying gas the minute Putin resigns - funding revanchist Russia. c) Nordstream was a bad idea from the start and needed destroying. d) It sends a message to Europe the US isn't messing around - with Russia threatening to go nuclear the last thing the US needs is a wobbly EU re-engaging with the Kremlin.
    1
  11856. Well said Fedaykin, Russia really is a gangster state, One Party system, that ruthlessly murders opponents and journalists. Pity the Russian people who say, "The Kremlin is corrupt but not Putin : he is our little Papa."
    1
  11857. I didn't see the Russian display - maybe they were in Iran's pocket
    1
  11858. Soli, what does it matter where I'm from. Rational debate is about facts and good reasoning. I suspect you want to ascribe prejudice to my criticism so you don't have to confront it. I'm from the UK.
    1
  11859. The South Africa bank - run by the ANC It lasted 6 months, that's how long it took them to loot all the funds. LOL What will Namibia contribute to this project ? A bucket load of corruption, a campaign for reparations dating back 200 years and a dead-weight of stagnant bureaucracy.
    1
  11860. Result :- Accept the Deal 19% (+1) No deal 27% ( +8) 2nd referendum 53% (+7) The (+) refers to before and after the debate , ie 18% wanted the deal before and 19% after which is + 1.
    1
  11861. Portugal applied to Britain for a loan. When Wilhelm II heard about it he demanded compensation. Lord Salisbury said it had nothing to do with Germany. So, the Kaiser instructed his ambassador in Lisbon to make threats and Portugal withdrew the loan application. The Germans were bullying, boorish and unbearable. When present day German ministers visit the Kremlin they see their former selves. Catherine the Great was German, most Tsars married German wives. There has always been a strong connection and empathy. The gangsters in the Kremlin are bullying, boorish and unbearable : they are like 20th century Germans.
    1
  11862.  @salampakistan3691  It's an audio intercept by the IDF They have identified the guy and his crony https://youtu.be/Ly8bGudP7uk
    1
  11863. Hamas demands were outrageous - including religious sites in the West Bank Hamas' only hope is international pressure - they want more casualties
    1
  11864. At the Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles : they were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine. Plus frostbite. Russian troops are dressed like tramps - frostbite will soon finish them off.
    1
  11865. The Ukraine invasion by Russian butchers has created a new world. India has sided with the Axis of Evil : they have chosen the losing side. AUKUS doesn't need India. The QUAD is a pressure group - it is not an alliance. The US spends $755 billion on defence. Bismarck said, "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English", that is the basis for AUKUS. India must employ a moral compass, use its head, look to the future, and get on the winning side.
    1
  11866. Luciana Berger has Corbyn by the corbels. He can say "There's no anti-Semitism" but she is the judge. Poor old Jeremy, he's in bed with every Islamofascist group going.
    1
  11867. As part of the 2016 Panama Papers data leak, it was revealed that Mahmoud Abbas's son Tareq Abbas holds $1 million in shares of an offshore company associated with the Palestinian Authority
    1
  11868. Palestinians only declared themselves a state in 1988 Why ? Because Palestine has NEVER been a state In 1948 they looked to Damascus In 1967 they looked to Cairo (Arab League) Only after total failure elsewhere did they try statehood
    1
  11869.  @markhill3858  Yes, that is a "region" which is mentioned many times It is NOT a state 1919 Versailles : Wilson's 14 points "The right of self determination" Many small nations appeared for the first time (Palestine was not one of them, neither was Kurdistan, although the Kurds did petition for a state at Versailles. It was refused because they were simply tribes [like Palestinians], and would've immediately degenerated into civil war) Burma has many ethnically distinct regions but they are not states Catalonia has its own language and history and is not a state BUT Catalonia has been an independent state Palestine has NOT
    1
  11870.  @Sin3xtreme  Fair point, but the Jews recognised themselves as a distinct "People" with their own culture and history Palestinians never did
    1
  11871.  @markhill3858  Correct The nation state is a product of the C19th 1848 "Pitted every nation against its neighbours" 1848 Frankfurt parliament - Germans were astonished when Palacky read his declaration of Slav nationalism Palestinians missed all this The Caliphate never showed any interest in Europe - "The proud old Turk" was a constant refrain Unfortunately, that left Muslim peoples in the lurch, when Versailles 1919 came along (the making of the modern world)
    1
  11872. Shinzo Abe's grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, served as prime minister in the 1950s and was a cabinet member during the war who was accused – but never indicted – of war crimes. Abe refused to apologise for the 20,000 women forced into brothels to serve the Japanese army.
    1
  11873. LOL "May have been made by amateurs" I've only ever handled sparklers on bonfire night and I could have told you that yesterday. a) they didn't go off b) they looked like a drunk had stuck them together c) they were an idiotic idea. Yeah, I think amateurs is right : good work Einstein.
    1
  11874. Good thumbnail : Biden is saying "Look at Old Shaky"
    1
  11875. Nice to see democracy in action : Japan have the US to thank for that. And it was general MacArthur who insisted women should be represented in parliament.
    1
  11876. "Biden believes Hamas demands are over the top" He's not wrong - this deal looks a lot like Hamas victory Netanyahu's government will surely collapse
    1
  11877. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  11878. Pure joy. I hope those m0th$£ £uck$3$ were still inside.
    1
  11879. India has behaved strangely - Modi has decided to join the losing side. Even China has distanced itself from Russia But India is now with the Axis of Evil. Europe could easily side with China when the next border dispute occurs.
    1
  11880. Remember Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ? He described Trump as a " £%&$ing moron" Europe, are proud to welcome a President with good sense. (Albeit, declining by the second).
    1
  11881.  @Steve-gc5nt  The Pope described Russia's invasion as "infantile". That is very perceptive. Putin is like an ill-informed, ill-discipled, sadistic child. The Pope then addressed the Ukrainian delegation at his Easter sermon in St Peter's. What has the Archbishop of Canterbury done ? What has Labour done ? Corbyn wants to disband NATO, and blames the West for Russian war crimes. Russia's invasion is the defining event of the 21st century, and a great many people have said nothing.
    1
  11882. Shango, this is true :- " And they did it for their own beneficial reasoning. " One border was drawn so Britain could operate from an airfield. I did some research and read this : https://www.opendemocracy.net/gilbert-achcar/zionism-anti-semitism-and-balfour-declaration I must admit it was an eye-opener. However, you have to remember the opprobrium with which the Ottomans were viewed : after the Bulgarian massacres and the Armenian genocide and the Greek massacres. Dispossessing the Ottomans was to be commended. And look at the result : Israel is the only democracy in the middle east : with an independent judiciary, police force etc. And remember the 3rd largest party in Israel's parliament is Arab. Point to ONE Muslim country where the 3rd largest party in parliament is Jewish.
    1
  11883. Cpt. Memo, bravo and congratulations on your Greek democracy reference. Very apt , I have to agree. And there was emigration to Israel , I accept that. But I think the point about intolerance can't be just dismissed. There isn't a Muslim polity you could point to with pride. They are all authoritarian , totally corrupt, intolerant and with no justice or equality for their people. Look how the Arab-spring started : a street vendor harassed by corrupt Police.
    1
  11884. Hamas are cowards
    1
  11885. When Pelosi condescendingly clapped Trump at the end. Geez that was annoying. She made Trump look like a toddler seeking attention. Very disrespectful.
    1
  11886. "How dare the UN not condemn Hamas murder & rape ?"
    1
  11887. Trump has a great memory - for Putin's propaganda He hit every base
    1
  11888. How the mighty fall. Only weeks ago, Putin intended to occupy Ukraine, replace the government, and dictate terms to NATO. Now Lavrov is in India saying, "If there is anything else you want to buy" Russia is asking folk to buy the family silver - take a look round our museums, make an offer, everything must go.
    1
  11889. France v UK USA and Australia. Well, the French fought then in North Africa when they landed to oust the Nazis. The French fought them again in Indochina when the French sided with the japanese. So there is some unfortunate history for France. If it kicked off in the Pacific one could easily imagine France remaining neutral or even siding with China.
    1
  11890.  @franciscouderq1100  When France marched back into Indochina (after it had been liberated by the Yanks) they had insufficient troops to suppress the locals who wanted independence. So they recruited the Japanese and both fought the locals side-by-side.
    1
  11891. Hezbollah : the root of all evil.
    1
  11892. Meanwhile Attorney General Loretta Lynch has secret meetings with rapist Bill Clinton and that's fine. Crooked liar Hillary has 14 preconditions before she will consent to an interview with the FBI a) no oath b) no recording or transcript to catch her lying c) no questions on a list of topics the list goes on. Then Comey exonerates her even though his agents recommended prosecution. ....and now the Clintons have a huge slush fund in the Foundation and are sitting pretty.
    1
  11893. Shoigu, in his last meeting with Putin, looked like a condemned man. Just look at the faces here : they are all thinking..... Putin needs a cup of warm tea, with a nice lump of polonium in it.
    1
  11894.  @fintimwhimbim  If you were awake you'd see Russia is clearly NOT a superpower. The Kremlin talks up its arsenal to be super-weapons, but in practice nothing works.
    1
  11895. 1:50 When they both materialize through the doorway - very impressive.
    1
  11896. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
    1
  11897. Also, please begin mass-production of Turkish drones. Ukraine has a contract to manufacture them. I hope it is happening as we speak. General Keane has advised the President to send thousands of loitering drones. In both sizes (5kg and 50kg) Well done Ukraine : fighting for civilization and democracy.
    1
  11898. LOL even a rigged and biased Fox news poll makes it 50/50
    1
  11899.  @pjacobsen1000  Good question. AJP Taylor quotes it in his essay on John Bright. He doesn't give a reference, but says it was a letter written to a newspaper in 1855. John Bright was the MP for Manchester (he lost his seat after the Crimean War) so the newspaper may have been the Manchester Guardian.
    1
  11900.  @pjacobsen1000  I've just checked the essay : the first bit was a quote from "a correspondent of Cobden" That's Richard Cobden MP. So, a friend or maybe a constituent ?
    1
  11901. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  11902. "Both sides' unwillingness to come to a deal" ? Israel agreed to the Paris proposal It was Hamas that added delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blikebn : "Hamas demands are clear non-starters"
    1
  11903. President Cyril Ramaphosa was a spectator to the corruption. Why not call him as a witness : he knew what was going on for years.
    1
  11904. Jessus, I like China and will give you an example :- In about 1425 the emperor sent a huge Armada to India, Arabia and East Africa , to present them with gifts showing his magnificence. Unlike Western colonialists who went to loot and enslave other peoples. My observation on the ease with which China can be blockaded is just a geographical fact. China needs oil, food and to trade exports , a blockade would cause chaos , it would be hard to see it surviving.
    1
  11905. Pus, China have 285 ICBM whereas the US have 4897. Also the US have THAD missile defence in S Korea and missile defences throughout the Pacific. Obviously some missile warheads would land. By contrast the missiles in the US submarines (two SSBN) contain enough firepower to wipe China off the map. And they are right on China's coast. MAD is not an option for China.
    1
  11906. Pus, why are you being so belligerent ? Why threaten nuclear annihilation ? China are not going to invade Taiwan and invest in "One belt one road" Where is the logic ? The Taiwan nonsense was directed at nationalist numskulls like you. It's called tub-thumping or flag waving.
    1
  11907. Ezra, may I translate that for the benefit of others ? It says, "Don't talk silly ".
    1
  11908. LOL Captain bone-spurs does a runner. Not like the lady in New Zealand who laughs off an earthquake. Trump is one cowardly a-hole.
    1
  11909. They are safe now ! Northern Gaza will NEVER be handed back to Hamas (or the PA) Northern Gaza, Gaza city will become a buffer zone of security Well done Israel
    1
  11910. If anyone can pull this off it's Blair. He's got the tenacity, mendacity, duplicity and venality to spot an opportunity when it arises.
    1
  11911.  @dr.dirkfranke9563  How can Ukraine be destroyed when they are clearly winning ? NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
    1
  11912.  @dr.dirkfranke9563  Dirk, you are foooling nobody, and simply trying to convince yourself. Take one example : Snake Island. Russia lost 5 ships taking it, including their flagship (Moskva). They lost dozens of men, helicopters and vehicles. Then Ukraine began to pound it with Brimstones (at least 50), howitzers (countless shells), drones, etc Look at the video evidence - everything is in ruins. Russia had to flee. It was a total disaster for Russia. What has your brain done with that information ? You are trying to convince yourself it was "a goodwill gesture". Dirk, you are living in a psychotic dream.
    1
  11913.  VobisPacem  "Majority" ? Then why were Iranian police snipers shooting protestors ? Remember the 1999 Tehran student protests ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That was Hezbollah. The Ayatollah uses the Hezbollah paramilitaries, so he can deny the Iranian state's involvement.
    1
  11914. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  11915. 22:44 "the west has stepped back to stop Putin pushing the button" Totally wrong 21-24 Oct Shoigu & Gerasimov phoned the Yanks 4 times Russia capitulated 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington "Preventive Strike" agreed with USA 13 Oct Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality"
    1
  11916.  @omeridrees5433  I've just spent breakfast trying to inform the public. When did you last see a "Bot" having poached egg ?
    1
  11917.  @IdunilBandara-rj9uf  14 UNRWA workers were sacked for terrorism The UN said it was only 14 out of 14,000 But they were the only ones caught - the tip of the iceberg
    1
  11918.  @userxyz64  UNRWA can only operate with the permission of Hamas Hamas recommends employees That's how UNRWA ends up paying terrorists Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  11919. Pakman, you are naive. At the moment N Korea don't threaten California but in 18 months when they have a multiple warhead ICBM it's a different game. You can't intercept multiple warheads : it's hard enough intercepting a single missile (about 60% successful).
    1
  11920. A very rich slice of geopolitical analysis ; one almost requires two cups of tea to digest this lot.
    1
  11921. LOL "Possible response" Strike that - it is a CERTAIN response Israel has 251 strike aircraft (9th in the world)
    1
  11922. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are filled with childish fiction.
    1
  11923. Slip your feet into Putin's slippers and look at his cards He only needs Odessa to make a Royal Flush....unlikely but one is hypnotised by the possibility. Kherson is his best card He would trade Kherson to keep the rest, then come back for Odessa in later years If he is to create catastrophe it will be before losing Kherson
    1
  11924. Wow, listen to Tucker asking some probing questions. Wonders never cease. Fox viewers really are a joke. The most ill-informed, partisan, delusional bunch of half-wits you will find in any country.
    1
  11925. 2:01 nice gesture. Slightly overdone , perhaps she was playing to the gallery, but it is a large room and Bercow was sitting at an impersonal distance so maybe she felt she had to bridge the gap.
    1
  11926. 17:00 Poland & Finland haven't requested German permission Because they don't want it ! They want to be part of a coalition to send tanks.
    1
  11927. Iran's public relations nightmare : the terrorist Revolutionary Guard (RG). LOL Iran's economy is on resuscitation and the RG is making things worse. There are no military gains from this aggression : it's an exercise in stupidity by Iran. Of course the moron fanatics applaud it. But the civilized world see the Ayatollah for what he is : a dangerous thug.
    1
  11928. Timeline : a) ceasefire b) Zelesnky steps down - elections held c) Putin declares the war over (it was against the Nazi regime) Russia pulls out completely ! Watch it happen
    1
  11929. Hamas support the Taliban savages. Taliban are also supported by Pakistan and Turkey. (Spot a pattern ?)
    1
  11930. With Kim sacking 3 hard-line generals I'm more optimistic about a good outcome to this. I still feel 60% certain it will end in tears though.
    1
  11931.  @vksasdgaming9472  Well said. One chap said, the US haven't used any of their top ten weapons (F-35, cruise missiles, ATACMS etc) and Russia is already out for the count.
    1
  11932. NATO standard weapons are a must for Ukraine. We are entering a new phase of the war - the transition away from Soviet Russian junk, to quality lethal weaponry.
    1
  11933. ICC arrest warrant for - "Abducting Children from Ukraine" A crime which has been admitted to by the Russians, who boast about it.
    1
  11934. Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi all want Hamas destroyed If you believe differently then you're deluded
    1
  11935. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are filled with childish fiction.
    1
  11936. Scomo has been rash : one should simply rise above name callling. Scomo has delved to new lows of betraying state correspondence. AUKUS are hoping the big idiot is a reliable partner.
    1
  11937.  Ausgang  , that is simply not believable. You're saying that Turkey have made no difference and just miraculously Haftar has lost what it took him 6yrs to gain ? The entire offensive is Turkish ! The Turkish army are running the whole show. That's why the pick-up-truck militia are falling back in disarray.
    1
  11938.  ikweetnietook  , I'm contrasting Haftar's unprofessional forces with a proper army. And you are throwing the Kurds into the mix.........but the Kurds ARE a professional well-trained, highly motivated army. Let's go back to Libya and look at Haftar : he's a jumped up, clueless clan-chief.
    1
  11939. @Arcana Imperii , that is such simplistic analysis : that Al Jazeera simply do what Turkey wants ? The power of Al Jazeera is that folk watch it for unbiased content. If you throw that away you have no power. It makes no sense for Al Jazeera to spread Turkish propaganda. Also, every other media source agrees Haftar has lost what it took him 6yrs to gain.
    1
  11940. @Arcana Imperii , crying with laughter doesn't prove anything : give an example where Al-Jazeera have been found manipulating their news content. Give a link to an article exposing Al-Jazeera.
    1
  11941.  @OverAndOver303  , interesting. And what about Erdogan's deal with Libya to carve up the Mediterranean ? Turkey have stolen geo-survey information and planted their drilling rig right over the epicentre of a gas-field that had been mapped by Cyprus and Israel !
    1
  11942. Confederation of corrupt despots ( otherwise known as the African Union) looks on with a winking eye as war-criminals and dictators line their pockets with Saudi cash. The Saudi : is ignorant, indolent, bone-idle, arrogant, bigoted, cowardly & cruel.
    1
  11943.  @mimovil8730  I also compared the plight of the Kurds and Palestinians and explained why the collapse of the Ottoman Empire left them both stateless. It was premised upon the banning of printing by the Ulema in 1515, the illiteracy of the masses, and corrupt governance of a self-interested few.
    1
  11944.  @robertmarmaduke9721  A state isn't a word on a map. Eg the Negev desert doesn't mean the Bedouin had a state of Negev. It is a name on a map. A state is an administration, laws, schools, taxation, assemblies. Islam is opposed to national states, that is why the Ottoman Empire was a caliphate. The sultan is simultaneously the Caliph "Our Lord on Earth". Even if the Sultan is bad you must show obedience and respect because that is Allah's way of testing you. The sultan/caliph can only be legitimately overthrown with the sanction of the Ulema (a religious body of Imams and doctors) So in 1920 as the Ottomans collapsed the Palestinians looked to the Mufti in Jerusalem (whom the British installed 1920) By contrast, the Jews were state-building. Between 1948 (first Arab Israeli war) and 1967 (six day war), the Palestinians were fighting for a Caliphate or Pan Arabism. It was Arafat and the PLO who crated the Palestinian flag (1967) with a national identity.
    1
  11945.  @robertmarmaduke9721  research the Palestinian leaders :- a) Musa al-Husayni (mayor of Jerusalem) In the 1920s h sold land to the Jewish National Fund in particular at Dalab,... was receiving £400 a month from the British. b) Amin al-Husseini Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (in office 1921–1948) On meeting Adolf Hitler he requested backing for Arab independence and support in opposing the establishment in Palestine of a Jewish national home. He opposed the Jews. He did NOT propose a Palestinian state.
    1
  11946.  @robertmarmaduke9721  , The Sultan owned all land in the Empire, so where did the mayor of Jerusalem get his land from to sell to the Jews ? The Ottomans were on their knees - Napoleon said, "It will collapse in our time". So the Europeans encouraged the sick-man-of-Europe to introduce the Tanzimat reforms. In 1856 land title was granted. In Palestine governors would often register lots of village land in their own name. That is probably how the Mayor of Jerusalem got his land. He would've known he'd be challenged in the court at some time, so was probably glad to cash in his chips.
    1
  11947. China has rules for Governors. Rule number 1 :- No civil unrest Oh yes, that comes before economic growth or loyalty to the CCP. The party chiefs are fearful beyond belief of the people. The 'Communist' dictators (corrupt thugs) know they have no legitimacy and spend many sleepless nights dreaming about the oppressed people.
    1
  11948. LOL Whenever "young" people join the debate, one knows it's going to be nonsense These kids are so dumb - it's off the Richter scale
    1
  11949. UN Liars ! "500 - 600 trucks per day" Most of that was consumer goods Food was only 100 trucks, Israel now allows 120 trucks An increase of 20% UN liars support Hamas
    1
  11950. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  11951. They will NOT declare Independence. Rajoy has gifted them a million extra pro-independence votes for the elections next Spring. Also, any economic downturn in Catalonia (certain with civil disobedience) will be blamed on Madrid. Every weekend there will be protests in Barcelona demanding an end to occupation. For Puigdemont it is win win. Dunce-Rajoy has made nothing but bad moves and this is the worst.
    1
  11952. Germans may consider. This is windbag rhetoric at its best. No wonder Russia and the US sideline the EU. The EU are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.
    1
  11953. Why repeat Russian propaganda. This is the crushing of a protest movement against corruption (high prices) and despotism. Russia is the guarantor of tyranny.
    1
  11954. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, then quietly become a $hithole country.
    1
  11955. Hezbollah have 10,000 heavily armed murderous savages in Lebanon. All supplied by Iran. Remember Obama handing over $1.8 billion in cash ! That was to fund Hezbollah.....from chaos and anarchy emerges an Islamic state led by Hezbollah (that's what they hope).
    1
  11956. 3 cheers from Modi.
    1
  11957. Go get lost. Whatever Al Jazeera exposed in Malaysia needed exposing, regardless of how embarrassing fanatical nationalists find it.
    1
  11958. India depends on Russia for arms. Russia asks Iran for drones. Therefore, Modi is playing 3rd fiddle to the Ayatollah.
    1
  11959. Well done Trump The EU think the best of everybody (like Dr Pangloss) Take the Afghan that beheaded his Dutch girlfriend, sentenced to 12 yrs serves 7, is then released to attack someone else. Take Iran, a fascist theocracy whose police snipers shoot protesters, the EU believes they will change : meanwhile the Ayatollah builds nuclear weapons. The EU are purblind.
    1
  11960. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". Why is Macron in a flap over Putin's threats ? Guizot (1830) : ""In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes". Panic and exaggeration come naturally to the French.
    1
  11961. Oh what nonsense.......and after we've had a black President of the USA, the most powerful nation on Earth. What nonsensical rubbish you talk.
    1
  11962. Yes, France is doing a spiffin job in Lebanon - it's just about a failed state
    1
  11963.  @krism6260  You are missing the big picture : Israel is fighting for its survival Caliphate ideology intends to exterminate Jews Iran has a clock counting down to Israel's extermination (2040) Hamas began the war with genocidal sadistic slaughter Your philosophy is to reward Hamas
    1
  11964. "Beijing is like a silent partner" LOL so is INDIA 3 times India voted to abstain (the same as China) at the UN. Shame on India.
    1
  11965.  @hunterbeast8169  Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass. Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" Why can't Modi behave like Erdoğan ?
    1
  11966.  @hunterbeast8169  141 countries condemned Russia's aggression. 35 abstained : they included Pakistan India and China (the Axis of Evil countries)
    1
  11967. Sounds like 1984.
    1
  11968. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    1
  11969. It's a well written monologue and Hannity gets through it okay but if you don't recognise Hannity for a 24 carat assh@le then there's something wrong with you.
    1
  11970. in Pakistan he has wooed the religious right, vowing to defend the blasphemy law and describing the Taliban’s fight in Afghanistan as a “holy war”.
    1
  11971. Axis of Evil = North Korea, China, Russia, Turkey, Iran etc all anti-democratic, corrupt and authoritarian.
    1
  11972. Lula supports Moscow & Hamas Brazil supports Russian aggression and Hamas massacre Shame on Brazil
    1
  11973. Magnificent marksmanship.
    1
  11974. "The Political class have lost all credibility" Telegraph And that's a Tory newspaper. Boris the buffoon, helpless without Cummings : what a fricking situation.
    1
  11975. Hezbollah : remember the tehran student protests (1999) ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? Welcome to Hezbollah : totally corrupt, totally violent, anti-democratic fascists.
    1
  11976. Macron said he needs to see evidence and called the UK condemnation of Russia "fantasy politics" No surprises that France are supporting the Kremlin. France collaborated with the Nazis in North Africa and fought against Britain and the US. France collaborated with the Nazis in Europe. France collaborated with the Japanese in Indochina. Every president post WW2 had been a collaborator. People have very low expectations for France. The only time France got tough was when the bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland killing a Green-Peace activist.
    1
  11977. Democracy is like a house of cards - a struggle to establish and hard to maintain. Liberals think it is the default position for human affairs. That is why the EU windbags take a soft line on despotic countries. Thank God for the United States (the only true defender of Western Civilization).
    1
  11978. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  11979. LOL : let Trump take some credit. Trump should take all the credit. But , anyway, don't get excited because the US will NEVER remove troops from S Korea. And that will be one of Kim's conditions and it is not going to happen. This is a stalling tactic by N Korea they've done it many times.
    1
  11980. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  11981. India is in for a shock. The US means business, it has :- a) Humbled Russia b) faced down Putin's nuclear threat c) demolished NordStream 1 and 2 e) and is remaking the 21st century. Saudi is not the only country in the cross-hairs.....India is too.
    1
  11982. Gosh , he started a fist fight with 15 Saudi hit-men, one of whom was armed with a bane-saw ? Who did he think he was , Mr Miyagi ?
    1
  11983. " We have 'no ambition to hold the reins of power " Not much.
    1
  11984. Modi could be backing away from membership of the Commonwealth, if his foreign policy gets any worse.
    1
  11985.  @heroldmutebi8200  Well said. The point is, India are part of the bloc at the UN that includes China Pakistan and North Korea. That can't be comfortable for Indian folk.
    1
  11986. On 13 Oct Macron waved the white flag to Russia "If Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region France will be neutral" Why ? 13 Oct NATO Brussels : discuss nuclear response Macron panicked with fear 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington signs joint nuclear response Why did France surrender ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" French greatness began in C18th with Louis XIV France led the world : militarily, Enlightenment, architecture, literature; French was spoken from Madrid to Moscow France had the shock of 1789, but accompanied by military greatness, republican leadership and world changing ideas. In spite of defeat it confirmed France's conviction that it led the world. 200yrs of humiliation and failure has left France bereft of principles and courage.
    1
  11987. If you're bored go away you Chinese troll.
    1
  11988. CNN are part of the corruption. It was the fact they tried to foist Hillary on the country that cause the Hillary-haters to vote Trump. Well done CNN.
    1
  11989.  Faiez Cader  Russian ammo depots are being hit every day in Russia ! Bolgorod is hit constantly. Fuel and ammo dumps are in flames - watch the video evidence. The Yanks are "giving exquisite intelligence to Ukraine" and that doesn't stop at the Russian border.
    1
  11990. Sanctions .....and kick Turkey out of NATO.
    1
  11991. Shame on India. Even greedy, money-grabbing multinational corporations are condemning Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow gets a nod & wink from India.
    1
  11992. What an inspiration : a very brave lady. Often the Ukrainians shout, "God save the Queen" after destroying a tank with the British NLAW. Boris has spoken to Zelensky, asking for the most urgent military requirements, which he will demand at the G7 this week.
    1
  11993. Very brave. Not many people would defy the Islamofascist thugs . Iran is a dictatorship. The West should support anyone seeking freedom in Iran. When students protested for democracy it was Hezbollah beating them with clubs.
    1
  11994. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    1
  11995. James, a very sober assessment. But. I'm afraid your wise words will have little impact on Maduro he's as thick as two short planks.
    1
  11996. Catalonia will have to bide its time : the support for Independence is there it just needs a huge event : global economic collapse or the collapse of the EU or a pandemic etc. Then Catalonia can break-away , make alliances and cement its Independence.
    1
  11997. Putin doesn't want to talk to Macron, he wants the attention of Biden. Putin's little legs start twitching with excitement when he talks to Biden. Macron can't give Putin the leg-shakes, he doesn't have the gravitas.
    1
  11998. Tibet was a Buddhist dictatorship. The peasants received no education and were beaten to pay taxes to the monastery. Peaceful Buddhism is a joke when a gang of strapping monks come round collecting tax. No democracy, no education, no healthcare , just ignorance and Buddhist dictatorship.
    1
  11999.  @daniellucena9694  Well said. Russia specialises in prison architecture - the KGB's Lubyanka torture HQ, and the Gulags. Russia cannot build houses for free citizens - it only knows oppression. The people live in poverty, whilst the KGB ("we are the new aristocracy" they announced in 1930) live in palaces.
    1
  12000. LOL This is kindergarten analysis for Fox News dummies. I was hoping for...........something in-depth. I should have known better ; boy you Fox News viewers are morons.
    1
  12001. Russia will be celebrating Death & destruction is cheered in that barbaric nation.
    1
  12002. That was too accurate to be true. One suspects laser guided artillery (ie the very latest NATO equipment LOL)
    1
  12003.  @iraaus  , well the USA developed them during WW2 before their opponents did. Israel developed them after being attacked 3 times by all its neighbours who have vowed to exterminate it. Nobody has vowed to exterminate Iran. Nobody wants to exterminate Iran. Iran is the aggressor : supporting Hezbollah and other rabid fascist groups.
    1
  12004.  @tameenhaque2285  , I agree 100% It was a sorry day when the US,UK and BP overthrew Mohammed Mossadegh. But that's no reason to replace him with the Ayatollah. Khomeini executed 7000 Iranian opponents in his first year : Socialists, Trade-Unionists, Democrats, Feminists. When Khomeini landed in Tehran (1979) he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied ,"I'll kick their teeth in ".
    1
  12005.  @tameenhaque2285  , you're an intelligent honourable fellow so answer me this one question :- Do a majority of Iranians want the to live under the rule of the Ayatollah or would they prefer him to be a religious leader and to let elected qualified officials run for office ; just like any modern civilized democracy ?
    1
  12006.  @tameenhaque2285  , "let younger more capable people handle various defense-politico, social and economic aspects of the Islamic Republic." Well that seems to be working a treat. No problem there. Unless the rabid Ayatollah wants to develop nuclear weapons. Unless students protesting (1999) get beaten by thugs. Unless people wanting secular democracy get imprisoned and tortured. Tameen, it's fine for you fanatics but not everyone wants to live in a crackpot theocracy.
    1
  12007.  @tameenhaque2285  , "let younger more capable people handle various defense-politico, social and economic aspects of the Islamic Republic." Well that seems to be working a treat. No problem there. Unless the rabid Ayatollah wants to develop nuclear weapons. Unless students protesting (1999) get beaten by thugs. Unless people wanting secular democracy get imprisoned and tortured. Tameen, it's fine for you fanatics but not everyone wants to live in a crackpot theocracy.
    1
  12008. How did Erdoğan negotiate with the Russians, when their planes kept crossing into Turkish territory ? He shot down two planes. What did Putin do ? He placed economic sanctions on the import of tomatoes from Turkey. Bullies respect force.
    1
  12009. Institutions would be independent in a true democracy. True democracies take 500 years to evolve.
    1
  12010.  @debelasefere  The Nobel Peace Prize Committee can sure pick 'em.
    1
  12011. LOL Noam Chomsky is an America hating simpleton. Saddam and his sons committed atrocities one couldn't mention where children might read, yet Chomsky quotes Saddam as if he were a respected statesman
    1
  12012. LOL This means Russia and China, North Korea and Islam are free to steal our technology and go to the furthest limits This shackles the West This policy = CND (nuclear disarmament) it gives our enemies all the power
    1
  12013. A good history of the Kremlin thugs.
    1
  12014.  @ANYoungTrue  , the British Foreign Office just sent a diplomat to Tehran to try and clam the situation. The Foreign Office statement said they were 99% sure Iran attacked the tankers.
    1
  12015. Israeli hostages were seen in Gaza hospitals - being concealed by medical staff Hamas uses hospitals and schools for its terrorist operations
    1
  12016. Forgive. That's what the African electorate do when their chief robs them. Look at Jacob Zuma : his fans just destroyed the country, to save their chief.
    1
  12017. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    1
  12018. UN Liars ! "500 - 600 trucks per day" Most of that was consumer goods Food was only 100 trucks, Israel now allows 120 trucks An increase of 20% UN liars support Hamas
    1
  12019. Let me explain Russia's collapse :- If Xi offered to swap China's 300 nukes for Russia's 6000 Putin would bite his hand off. Why ? Because all Russia's assets are rusty old junk. That is the Russian army in Ukraine : rusty, dysfunctional junk.
    1
  12020. Typical of Hamas to delay providing a list
    1
  12021. LOL the standing ovation. When Stalin spoke they had to stand clapping for 8hrs and the first to sit down got sent to the Gulags. Nothing changes in Russia : they love dictators.
    1
  12022. Good News for Russia :- a) Putin's memoirs "From Delusion to Defeat" will be a bestseller. b) Markets like certainty, and Russia's defeat is a mathematical fact. c) Russians can shed the burden of being a superpower, then quietly become a $hithole country.
    1
  12023.  Ibrahim Somali  , interesting reply. I had to laugh at the "Christian Club". Christianity is what many Europeans hate. Winston Churchill (voted the greatest Britain by the TV population of the UK, though he didn't get my vote) was an atheist who lambasted the Christian Church. Christianity died in Europe after WW1 : when the Cenotaph went up in London (to the war dead) there was no mention of God and Church leaders, to their great annoyance had nothing to do with the ceremony. Europe is now post-religion. The Middle East will get there (post religion) eventually in maybe 100yrs.
    1
  12024. Iran is an Islamofascist disgrace.
    1
  12025. Jake Sullivan - he's the one who refuses to allow strikes on Russia He is the WH liaison with the Kremlin He scares the west with tales of nukes And Biden believes him
    1
  12026. China & Russia = The Axis of Evil
    1
  12027. India depends on Russia for military arms. Russia depends on Iran. What does that make India ? 3rd fiddle to the Ayatollah. (if that doesn't make you sad, nothing will)
    1
  12028. It started at 6 points, then it went to 8 points. Macron has the momentum. But I think there are around 30% undecided. So the last debate is huge.
    1
  12029. Military Juntas : a disgrace to civilisation. In Pakistan the military is the only institution that works. In Iran the IRGC control 40% of the economy. In Egypt the military are an imperio in imperium, they have their own supermarkets, theatres, recreation centres, they are a state within a state. All these countries are a disgrace.
    1
  12030. STOP calling it "crash" It is a hard landing LOL
    1
  12031.  @chathamdogend4461  I agree : the Ayatollah wasn't too nice a person. But one could've almost guessed that. George Orwell — 'At 50, everyone has the face he deserves.' The Ayatollah's mush looked like that of a psychopath.
    1
  12032.  @rahulmahesh4631  The Shah was overthrown n 179 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year.
    1
  12033.  @Alimoh786  You are talking Islamic nonsense. Saudi and China are totalitarian despotic regimes. The US and Europe are western civilised democracies. You are speaking total nonsense, and are simply hoping some moron believes you.
    1
  12034.  @samim8089  The Shah was overthrown in 1979 by many groups - Communists, Democrats, Trade Unionists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. What happened to all these groups once the fascist Islamists took control ? They vanished into the Ayatollah's death camps. Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : they were hanged 6 at a time from forklift trucks. Read The executioners deserve medals.
    1
  12035. The entire Western World is supporting Ukraine's fight for freedom. ( A Great shame Germany sabotaged the delivery of weapons :- by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania from donating a 155mm howitzer)
    1
  12036. A corruption prosecution in Lebanon ? That would be like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500.
    1
  12037. Sam, you list US aggression since WW2 , but remember the US have been the world super-power. Would you have preferred another country to have that role : Russia (corrupt gangsters) or China (corrupt dictatorship) or an Islamic dictatorship ? At least the media can hold the US government to account and folk are free to protest. More than can be said for most countries.
    1
  12038. It turns out it was the US that was a $hithole country all along : right under Trump's nose, and he couldn't even smell it.
    1
  12039.  Ali Mubarak  , I'm not saying Afghans are Wahhabis, I'm saying fundamentalist Wahhabism arrived in Afghanistan from Saudi around 1840 and changed the nature of Afghan culture. It is like saying Calvinism changed Scotland in 1560. That doesn't mean they are all Calvinist today. My point is that Afghan fundamentalism diverged from moderate civilized Islam around 1840. That was the ruination of Afghanistan (not the Soviet invasion 1979, or the British invasion 1839).
    1
  12040.  Ali Mubarak  Here is some evidence :- " The formal education institutions in Afghanistan never existed from its establishment (1747) until 1875. Despite that the foundation of modern education was laid in 1875, the number of established schools didn't exceed four until 1919. King Amanullah Khan (1919-1929) made the primary schools compulsory to all, for the first time he opened schools for girls and sent some female students to Turkey for education. This led to his exile from Afghanistan." Another article on King Amanullah Khan :- " This rapid modernisation created a backlash and a reactionary uprising known as the Khost rebellion" Conclusion : In 1924 the Afghans were so opposed to modernisation and education (girls) that they went into rebellion. The Afghans were fundamentalist barbarians long before 1924. I contend they became barbarians a century before ~1840.
    1
  12041.  Ali Mubarak  , When did Armenian merchants stop selling alcohol in Kabul, when did they pack up and leave ? Answer ~1840 I rest my case.
    1
  12042. The 19th Century saw the collapse of dynasties (Habsburg, Ottoman etc) and the rise of nationalism. Greece had been occupied since 146BC by Romans, Byzantine, Ottoman, then struck for nationhood 1828 Italy broke from the Habsburg 1871 Germany 1871. So how did folk manage for 2000yrs without a nation ? Well if they had freedoms, prosperity and justice they were quite happy. So why don't people settle for those things now ? Well its the zeitgeist of the times : everyone wants to be a nation. Never mind that if Palestine got their wish they'd be a corrupt dictatorship in minutes : all dissent would be punished ( it would be like Putin's Russia).
    1
  12043.  @rosem5041  " Genocide of the indigenous Palestinians" Genocide was 1.5million Armenians slaughtered by the Turks (1919) Genocide was 3 million Bangladeshi slaughtered by Pakistan (1971) When you see real genocide, there is no confusing it with an occupation.
    1
  12044. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  12045. Ditto
    1
  12046. LOL Chomsky looks like Solzhenitsyn, or some fascist believer in Mother Russia. I wonder what Chomsky actually believes ? He's a secularist : so he differs from Solzhenitsyn on the point. He hates the US and Western Democracy : so they have that in common. He has a myopic outlook, enabling him to magnify small western faults, and brush over 60 million deaths under Mao, or the 30 million deaths caused by Stalin - which included 4 million killed in the Holodomor genocide in Ukraine. Solzhenitsyn and Chomsky are both idealists : they can ignore facts and focus on small things that matter to them.
    1
  12047. Vichy France isn't fighting the Houthi France wants to act as mediator with Russia China and Tehran That would benefit France economically The French are lousy allies (NATO is a veneer - below the surface is 99% Vichy)
    1
  12048. NB : nobody is talking about an EU mechanism to bypass US sanctions. The agenda is now all about Iran acting like a rogue state. LOL Iran's economy is crashing.......it has been goaded into violence and is willingly participating in its own demise.
    1
  12049. Russia has launched more than 3,000 cruise missiles over Ukraine. "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD Russia has lost this war : Kherson is Snake Island part 2. Russia lost 5 ships and countless men and helicopters before they fled. They will lose much more at Kherson - they'll lose the war.
    1
  12050.  @Dude-yd2vz  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  12051.  @Dude-yd2vz  You never mention a single date or a single war. My comment is full of facts, your comment is fantasy. Tell me which wars you are talking about.
    1
  12052.  @Dude-yd2vz  1920 defeated by Poland. Miracle on the Vistula : the last clash of cavalry in the battlefield : Polish lancers routed the cossacks. A great victory for Poland.
    1
  12053.  @Dude-yd2vz  1920 : I gave the date in my comment. It was a war following the 1917 Revolution. A corollary of of the Red v White Russia civil war. From memory, Poland had taken a small piece of Russia, so Trotsky invaded Poland. Russia had great success until "The miracle of the Vistula". The Polish Lancers routed the Cossacks.
    1
  12054.  @Dude-yd2vz  In the 1930s an internal KGB memo stated : "We are the new aristocracy" A very astute observation. All the crimes of the Tsarist aristocracy were now being committed by the KGB. Beria was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Putin has fulfilled the observation - a KGB officer is now Tsar.
    1
  12055. "A life & death struggle with relevance" LOL The Palestinian Authority was created as a temporary agency It was supposed to go out of existence in 1998 and be replaced by a dynamic elected body Of course, once Palestinians get their hands on power - then corruption kicks in They never want to hand over power & cash to anyone else
    1
  12056. EU "getting our act together" Zelensky must feel he is in a time loop If only Ukraine had a $dollar for everytime the EU promised to "get its act together"
    1
  12057. Delicious
    1
  12058. Are you suggesting a loot sharing scheme for two corrupt governments ?
    1
  12059. Russia is an Asiatic Autocracy (like China) Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile mongol" Ruled by Genghis Khan's descendants for 250yrs, Russia has the values and attributes of Genghis Khan's mongols.
    1
  12060. Humanity has been doing better : you're missing the big picture. Within the next few hundred years we'll likely be super-technological. There's really no stopping it. Whether the climate changes or not. Whether there's a nuclear attack on N Korea or not. Science is now progressing exponentially.
    1
  12061. The Paris deal was acceptable to Israel It is Hamas that is adding delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a non-starter" It is NOT Israel, you should be asking the question of Hamas
    1
  12062. India's aircraft carrier Vikramaditya : how should it be used ? Remove all hazardous material, sail it into a bay, and use it for target practice. Modi hasn't a clue about modern warfare, his head is full of cobwebs, he looks like a haunted tennis ball. India should partner with Israel, not rag & bone junkyard Russia.
    1
  12063. Macron vetoed external sourcing to supply 1,000,000 shells France provided 1/3rd Czechia overturned the French veto and supplied the shells to Ukraine On the SAME day Macron made his "Troops to Ukraine" declaration He is a bullshitter - it is a publicity stunt Macron denuded Ukraine of artillery ! He plays this game to change the narrative (Do some research !)
    1
  12064. Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown.
    1
  12065. Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a clear non-starter" Hamas is delusional
    1
  12066. LOL It clarifies things okay : it clarifies that Trump is an absolute £ucking traitorous, lying moron.
    1
  12067. Romans called Judea "Palestine" after the 2nd Jewish uprising : they did it to punish the Jews There never has been a Palestinian state 1948 Arab Israeli war : Jordan occupied/annexed the West bank Nobody said anything 1967 Israel removed Jordan and took the West Bank
    1
  12068. Russians are Romantic : in the philosophical sense of being anti-rational. It began in the 1825 when Tsar Nicholas I sent students to Germany (Paris he thought too radical). German Metaphysics were transported to Russia - the half-baked ideas of Fichte, Hegel and Schelling. The Intelligentsia were a tiny group, surrounded by benighted ignorance and an oppressive aristocracy. Hegelian nonsense taught them that the world had a flow (Essence) and to perceive it one had to be part of it. Russian thinkers believed in a great leap forward : it came in 1917. Anti-rationalism was rampant in the USSR (cf Lysenkoism). Gangsterism replaced Communism, but the spirit of Romanticism continued. The unfathomable nonsense of Putin is its latest manifestation.
    1
  12069. Great news for the US. The one thing stopping a strike is fear of retaliation against the South. If that becomes unlikely then a pre-emptive strike becomes likely.
    1
  12070. Did Russia ask for military aid from China ? Who cares : it's a great story and very believable. Russia is desperate enough, they have been humiliated.
    1
  12071.  @RoadstersRegistry  Wrong. Imagine painting your shed Bill, and every time you finish, it all crumbles off, and you have to start again. What would you do after 20 years of this ? Well, you would simply say 'enough is enough'. That's what the Yanks did. (Having said that, they could have made a more respectable job of pulling out)
    1
  12072.  @narwnnn9981  Hamas were founded in 1987. The Palestinians had lost 3 wars by that time. Since then, Israel have gone from strength to strength, while Palestine's losing streak stretched out to 70yrs. What makes you think Hamas is the winning ticket ? Hamas are branded terrorists by the EU and US, they are disliked by Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states, they haven't got a friend in the civilized world.
    1
  12073.  @thomaspaine2243  , LOL I do like your style. What about the ship manifest ? It reveals the port of destination.....and guess what....it was heading to Syria ! Obviously the totalitarian Ayatollah would like to trade with the despotic Assad but there is the slight matter of the civilized world which has imposed sanctions.
    1
  12074. The middle-east used to buy weapons from Russia LOL (They were rubbish too - cf 1967 Six Day war, Russian junk) Now Russia is begging the middle-east for arms : how the mighty fall
    1
  12075. I applaud the lady for attacking Trump's lack of principles. But CNN should NOT use their own statistics, in the same way FOX shouldn't, they are both biased. You have to take an overall measure. Which means 8% is probably much nearer than 4% for the number of African-Americans that voted Trump.
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  12076.  Siri Priya  , I remember VS Naipaul decrying Indian standards. He said "Bookmakers apply just enough glue to hold the pages together until you get out of the shop, then the book falls apart".
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  12077. Lavrov, Putin Gerasimov and Shoigu are the grandchildren of Genghis Khan. Asiatic Autocracy is clashing with Western Democracy. That is why conflict is inevitable.
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  12078. The Persian people don't trust the government That's the problem. The brutal, backwards Ayatollah rule is the problem.
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  12079. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
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  12080. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries. Russia actually need therapy.
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  12081. Nobel Prize Winner Svetlana Alexiovich, "The Unwomanly face of war", recounts tales of Russians returning from their experience as POWs, only to be arrested and tortured by the KVD. Most of them believe it was a mistake and still support Mother Russia. They are astonishingly deluded. Pope Francis described Russia's invasion as "Infantile", which is quite perceptive. There is a childish stupidity about the Kremlin lies and blank denials : with no attempt at rationality. Russia is a mentally retarded country suffering from paranoia, delusions of grandeur, a persecution complex, and an amnesiac ability to disbelieve atrocity stories which are a repeat of atrocities Russia committed previously.
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  12082. 1:50 "he was from the, quote unquote 'Liberal wing' of the Brotherhood". LOL exactly my point. There is no liberal wing. He was slightly less fascist than the others.
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  12083.  @abe7907  , Historically when has the Catholic Church embraced democracy ? The Pope allowed monarchs a dispensation to break their oaths whenever they'd been forced to give rights to citizens. When has the Muslim Brotherhood ever embraced democracy ? Where does democracy fit into their ideology ?
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  12084. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  12085. Who could fail to see the hand of God in all this ?
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  12086.  @LukVik  Wrong Anyone with common sense who has seen images of young girls covered in blood being drooled over by Hamas rapists would be horrified at the ICC
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  12087. A good report but a map would have helped. I for one don't know where any of those places are and as for that port I haven't a clue where it is.
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  12088. Quraysh, that's a very cogent argument. But let's examine it. Hominids evolved say 4 million years ago Nation states have existed for say 400yrs Nomadic life has been the norm for millions of years You argue that nomadic life has no value but that is just your prejudice. Also, those who favour breaking up a country are usually in possession of the most valuable real estate.
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  12089. Does anyone celebrate Alex Jones' birthday with him ?
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  12090. Russia is constructing a narrative to provide itself a golden exit a) the counter offensive a disaster b) risk of nuclear war c) Kyiv sees sense Putin acts as peacemaker and plays the responsible statesman
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  12091. Wrong, wrong, wrong ! Gaza was entirely governed by Hamas It was NOT occupied by Israel This stupid lady is conflating the West Bank with Gaza Oct 7th : when Hamas launched a war it had a duty to its own civilians to stockpile food and bomb shelters for them Hamas hid themselves in tunnels Hamas had stockpiles of food & ammo, they simply left civilians to fend for themselves
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  12092. 1:56 watch the body-language. Shoigu is an incompetent goon : Putin picked him because he's no threat. Putin doesn't want a charismatic army chief - he wants a dunce.
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  12093. AUKUS is the answer. The sooner they blockade China with their submarine fleets the better.
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  12094. Samuel Ramani - good analysis
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  12095. 0:40 "It's astonishing how we miscast this as Moscow v the USA" LOL you total fake-news morons. Only CNN miscast it like that because they are propagandists. Most intelligent people already know what CNN have only just discovered.
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  12096. I'd vote for Sam : he seems like an honest guy. Every question gets an honest answer. He makes a great interviewee.
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  12097. Nobody twists the arm of the USA. Look what Ukraine are getting - $40 billion. Turkey may well get something, but they will pay for it in other ways. Goodwill underpins NATO. Turkey is in a grey zone of zero goodwill.
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  12098. The Myanmar generals have the support of the Axis of Evil : China & Russia have vetoed UN condemnation of the coup.
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  12099. "It is not the first time Russia has made nuclear threats", said the expert. LOL One Russian minister had his plane delayed in Poland and said, "Next time I'll come back on a nuclear armed bomber" The Kremlin is full of disgusting thugs : this is how they speak.
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  12100. All those statistics are fake news. The polls show Trump is more trusted on Coronavirus by 8 points !
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  12101. China wants to reduce troops and focus on hi-tech. It will simply ask India to harvest the soldier's organs.....for Chinese doctors to sell.
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  12102. The Palestinian "community" encourages young men to become terrorists It glorifies them. All young males respond to this hero worship, and are happy to kill Jews Israel stops cash payments to families of terrorists and destroys their homes Because they are the ones who glorified murder UNRWA glorifies murder in Gaza schools
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  12103. 0:35 the face of a man who just hood-winked Obama. He demanded $18 Billion in cash (to fund terror) and Obama Chartered panes from around the world and complied ! Never was a US president so humiliated. Why ? I assume Obama felt he had to justify the Nobel prize he had received for doing nothing.
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  12104. "The president is a public information officer", and he gave us all a lecture on civility at his Wisconsin rally. It was quite good, for a narcissistic, hypocritical, cowardly liar.
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  12105. An Indian politician corrupt ? I'll never believe it.
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  12106.  @dailytop1565  "They will never battle for other" Putin, knowing the US would obliterate the Russian army, has threatened to go nuclear if NATO take sides. So NATO are supplying everything needed for Ukraine to defend itself. Turkey, Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" If only India could find such courage. Modi is like the lion in The Wizard of Oz, searching for courage.
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  12107.  @dailytop1565  Nobody will ever do what Russia is doing. Putin is committing Hari-Kari. Russia has been isolated in every way imaginable. Nobody imagined the entire world could reject one nation the way they've rejected Russia. Queen Victoria described Russia as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". She was right then, and it is true today.
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  12108.  @dailytop1565  India has found itself on the wrong side of history. In the fight against China it will be AUKUS front and centre. (India is a 2nd division outfit that nobody can trust) Modi should've sided with Civilized Democracy, not the Axis of Evil.
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  12109.  @dailytop1565  "American assistance to India totalled $10‐billion from 1950 to 1971, the largest amount of aid given to any country. The aid included 50 million, tons of emergency food, largely sent in the 1960s to avert famine." Where was Russia when India were starving ? Modi has picked the wrong side and future generations must live with the shame.
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  12110.  @dailytop1565  "India gave 4.4 billion dollar as humanitarian assistance " I support India and applaud that generosity. My point is that Modi has placed India on the wrong side of history. Only 5 nations supported Russia at the UN. (Including North Korea) When India finds itself, even tacitly, in that camp, it can be sure it has chosen the wrong side. Shame on India. I only hope Modi finds some courage from somewhere.
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  12111. Saudi Army : if you want more evidence about why any alliance with Saudi is a joke watch this :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbZlWugqZHk The Saudi military is laughable. Great equipment , the best, but the soldiers and Saudi officers are simply the worst.
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  12112. What a shame. The alternative to el Sisi is the bigoted , intolerant Muslim Brotherhood. There are intelligent, enlightened , rational Egyptians but only a few thousand of them. Most are semi-literate fanatics or docile abject accepters of tyranny.
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  12113. The French are lining their pockets with Iranian trade deals of course they want to keep the deal. as ever with the UN it is self interest.
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  12114. LOL look at Xi's face ; he knows he's listening to a real plonker. Weak liberal democracy being overpowered by the hard-headed-human-organ-harvesting might of single-party- human-rights-ignoring-rule.
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  12115. "Recall ambassadors" Why should Arab nations allow Hamas to dictate their foreign policy ? Hamas - a bunch of thugs, dictating what the Arab world MUST do Why should a bunch of thugs, murderers and rapists call the shots ?
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  12116. YOU HAVE GOT IT WRONG ! Mattis said they DID use CHLORINE but not sarin. So Syria are using poison gas. I wish you Libtards would grow a brain. This is pure propaganda and you liberal numbskulls lap it up. The regime appears to have weaponized chlorine again, Mattis said, but “we are even more concerned about the possibility of sarin use.” They have weaponised chlorine : that is a poison gas. Mattis just said that. So they are using poison gas.......but there's no evidence they've used sarin.
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  12117. Putin compares Hitler's invasion of Poland to Russia in Ukraine How did that miss the top 5 ?
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  12118.  @saqibkhan2908  , "radicalism promoted by the West" It is a bit rich to lay the blame for Islamofascism on the West.
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  12119.  @saqibkhan2908  , when Khomeini landed in Tehran from Paris, he was surrounded by media, and someone asked what he would do with the Democrats in the Shah's old parliament. "I'll kick their teeth in" replied the holy man.
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  12120.  @lastword8783  , why was tsar Alexander I much more liberal than his Grandmother Catherine the Great ? Because he received a Swiss education. Russia overcame its backwardness by adopting (being forced to adopt) European civilisation. Western civilisation isn't a curse (as you think), it is a blessing : that gives parliamentary democracy and human rights. Your belief is that Russia, with its barbaric serfdom - half the population were bought and sold like cattle, families split up and young girls routinely violated, should have been left to fester with its own culture. You think colonialism is evil and that natural barbarism is wholesome. It is ill-informed lefty nonsense. And it is always spouted by folk living in Western comfort.
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  12121.  @lastword8783  , " more recent and relatively accessible reasons for why despotism thrives in these parts of the world " But why look for 'more recent' when they have been despotic for 1000yrs ? The "straight line borders" argument is 50yrs old and it was puerile when it was invented. All historical colonial powers played one group against another. And here is the KEY POINT : the groups willingly joined the colonial power against their own folk. For example Poland : it was Polish nobles that invited Catherine the Great to send troops and crush the Polish nationalists (leading to the second partition 1793 - which quickly became the 3rd partition which abolished the Polish state). The Polish state was abolished because Russia was invited to secure the aristocratic privileges of one group of nobles against another 'nationalist' group. That is the story of history. Ottomans, Mamluks, Romans, Egyptians, everyone did it. The Middle East has a religion that brooks no debate and kills any apostate trying to leave. Islam is fundamentally fascist. It has a 1000yrs history of despotism. And you look to straight lines in the sand as the reason for its backwardness. Compare British education, exported and admired throughout the world, with Saudi Wahabism : exported to Pakistan and producing fascist fundamentalism, violence and the suppression of women's rights. Not a word from you about religion or indigenous-culture, it is all the fault of map-makers drawing straight lines in the sand.
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  12122.  @lastword8783  , let me give another example : Scotland :- Clan warfare was genocidal long before the English arrived. Of course some clans sides with England. The Scottish Enlightenment would never have occurred without colonialism. It was Cromwell who removed the fascist, vicious, Calvinist theocracy of the Kirk.
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  12123.  @indeecjo  "Suez Canal" hardly accounts for despotism throughout the Middle East. You would be hard-pressed to tie that to the Ayatollah's dictatorship. Or Syria's dictatorship, or the Saudi dictatorship, or the Algiers dictatorship. Despotism in the Middle East is not derived from the Suez crisis.
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  12124.  @lastword8783  "Lively debate" is the key to Western Civilisation. Eg :- When the succession of Lady Jane Grey (1553) was heralded, an apprentice shouted "Mary has the better claim", for which he was cruelly punished. But the point is, a lowly apprentice felt empowered to voice an opinion. You don't get that in the Middle East even in the C20th. Nobody dare voice an opinion in the Mosque either. In the same way that the Russians, over centuries, have been cowed into silent submission, so the Middle East is cowed into silent submission : to Islam and Despotism. Could you imagine 70yrs of corruption and failure by the Palestinian Authority being meekly accepted by (for example) Londoners. LOL they would be chucked out on their ear. In the "Caroline of Brunswick" affair, George IV had a potato thrown at him, and just for disrespecting his wife.
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  12125.  @mrpeanut6267  "Lively debate : the key to Western Civilization" Allow me to elaborate :- a) The Arab historian Ibn Khaldun spent his life writing about the Middle East : he mentions European traders but has no interest in their culture, governance or technology ; he simply speculates that they must have marvellous cities. This mirrors China's insularism. b) By contrast Europeans were fascinated by the Ottomans. Even after the discovery of the Americas (1492), twice as many books were sold about the Ottomans as about the Americas. c) Needless to say Europe's "lively inquiry & interest" led to technological superiority, the dismissal of superstition and religion, and the colonization of other continents.
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  12126.  @lastword8783  Au revoir. But for the benefit of any 3rd party listeners. :- One cannot simply analyse the C20th ( "Egypt, for example, had a lively political debate, ....Muslim Brotherhood") One has to look at the last 500yrs. Your historical knowledge is very modern : you never reference anything prior to WW2. Democracy takes 500yrs to develop. China's culture is 2000yrs old. One has to step back and view the big picture. (You are completely rooted in the here-and-now). Allow me to elaborate :- a) The Arab historian Ibn Khaldun spent his life writing about the Middle East : he mentions European traders but has no interest in their culture, governance or technology ; he simply speculates that they must have marvellous cities. This mirrors China's insularism. b) By contrast Europeans were fascinated by the Ottomans. Even after the discovery of the Americas (1492), twice as many books were sold about the Ottomans as about the Americas. c) Needless to say Europe's "lively inquiry & interest" led to technological superiority, the dismissal of superstition and religion, and the colonization of other continents. Allow me to give another example :- a) Henry VIII (~1535) ordered every Church to have an English bible available for everyone to read. This had ordinary folk debating theology with each other and the parson. b) The Levellers (~1640) then used biblical justification for their communist beliefs. England (Britain after 1707) was an open forum for debate : producing Parliamentary democracy and the industrial revolution. The Middle East epitomizes stagnation : Islam condemns anyone who questions its tenets, and Despots punish dissent.
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  12127.  @ernstwiltmann6  , Apartheid : the Ottoman Caliphate was an apartheid system for 500yrs until ....... Western powers encouraged a constitution (like Magna Carta only 600yrs too late) in 1839 ( the Gulhane) , and the following year 1840 the Sultan agreed to follow the majority opinion of his Council of Justice. All this progress was made at the behest of the West. Of course no credit is ever given to that "Great Satan".
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  12128.  @inglisthomas5503  , Many thanks for those kind words. All the very best.
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  12129. TC, you ruined your well observed observation and analysis with that final bit of vulgarity. (Still, what do you expect from Yanks : Youtube is full of 'em.)
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  12130. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
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  12131. Not only did Brown sell off UK gold, but he announced he was off-loading UK gold - causing a huge drop in price. Which lost the UK £500,000,000
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  12132. The Chechen thug has sent his teenage sons, who have returned with 3 captives. These are being paraded and laughed at in a medieval manner. God knows what else they will do to them. The west needs to step up support. And macron needs to grow a pair - stop declaring neutrality don't say "We must not humiliate Russia" : that is playing Putin's game. Putin relies on pusillanimous Macron's cowardice.
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  12133. Russians torture a "patsy" and get him to confess The FSB has a list - a patsy for every occasion
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  12134. War games Logic :- a) Putin wants negotiations b) His biggest card is Kherson c) Talk of a dirty bomb/nuclear is to force negotiations Therefore Russia will use a dirty bomb before Kherson falls It makes no sense to force negotiations when you've lost your best card NATO/Ukraine may leave Kherson and focus on collapsing the Russian army (attrition) It will be as sudden as the 1917 or 1991 collapse And that cannot be prevented by detonating a dirty bomb.
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  12135. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asks his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha says, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  12136. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
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  12137. Tories , I'm not so sure. Rajoy & the PP had a good majority, this new chap relies on a basket of parties ; some of whom ( independence minded) might do some horse-trading for a referendum.(It happened in the UK)
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  12138. Modi has picked the losing side. This is the defining event of the 21st century, and India is in bed with China and Pakistan. One doesn't need to be an expert to know India has made a mega blunder.
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  12139. Eurovision - Israel wins the popular vote In UK Israel easily won hands down The ordinary people support ISRAEL not Hamas You Al Jazeera folk are living in a dream world
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  12140. Well done DW for showing this : it shows how Germany has betrayed its promises. Scholz is parroting Biden - "We will defend every inch of Nato territory" Easy to say, when the Yanks have already said it. Scholz is a schmuck. I'm sorry to have to tell you that.
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  12141. The Ayatollah knows about psychological warfare : When Khomeini landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with the democrats in the Shah's parliament, he said, "I'll kick their teeth in". That's psychological warfare. And he backed it up with action : executing 7000 in his first year.
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  12142. Embarrassed and ashamed ? Me too. When Corbyn asked the Kremlin to investigate the Skirpal poisonings I felt sick with shame. Corbyn still believes the BUK missile that shot down MH17 had nothing to do with Russia. Corbyn is a danger to national security. He sides with every Islamofascist group in the Middle East. Corbyn hates the U.S. but loves Iran . Yes, that totalitarian theocracy , the country that denies women equality and imposes fascist ideology on the people. Corbyn idolised Yaser Arafat : the man that stole $3billion from the Palestinian people. Corbyn supports Maduro, Putin ,the Ayatollah and every other dictator you can think of. He is an ill-informed nit-wit. He's great at meetings talking and socialising but he doesn't read : Corbyn has no understanding of history or geopolitics.
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  12143. The Shill Test If you see an unfamiliar Russian Opposition speaker, and want to check if they are a plant, simply type their name + "sanctions" into Google. If the 'opposition' person wants sanctions lifted they are a Kremlin shill. (There are many of these. The mainstream media fall for it every time)
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  12144. 706 UNRWA schools teaching Jihad and hatred of Jews Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
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  12145. Gaza is boring Everyone has moved on - it's old news
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  12146.  @QuietFrankly  World opinion is fickle They now think Hamas are dragging the conflict on to secure power in Gaza There is a UN deal on the table Hamas think world opinion will force a resolution in their favour Folk now blame HAMAS
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  12147. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
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  12148. In War & Peace Tolstoy abandons the narrative for a few moments to debunk the Great-Man theory of history. A theory which states that Great individuals determine the course of history. Tolstoy rightly points out that 'Great-men' simply personify the general sentiment of the population. Let's apply what we've learnt above to the EU :- These MEPs would have us believe that Putin (the Great-Man) is guiding docile citizens into anti-EU sentiments. Whereas the truth is ( and those MEP scoundrels know it) that Putin (that meddling little crook) has less influence in Europe than he did in the US when voters rejected Hillary ( that poisonous , lying crook)
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  12149. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
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  12150.  @danielwilkinson3173  The root of the problem is 1922 : collapse of the Ottoman empire. The Jews elected a council The Arabs looked to Damascus and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Nations ? They are a 19th century phenomenon Germany 1870, Italy 1871 etc Palestinians were largely illiterate and had no notion of what a nation was. Under the Caliphate the Sultan owned all land. The sultan was "Our Lord on Earth" That is the root of the problem.
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  12151.  @kdmo7814  Stone throwing is a waste of time. Palestine has been wasting time fr 70yrs They didn't declare statehood until 1988 Britain was turning away Jewish ships that's why the King David hotel was bombed. (Stern gang) 3 British soldiers : "were executed by hanging, the Irgun killed the two sergeants and hung their booby-trapped bodies in a eucalyptus grove near Netanya." France and Britain didn't establish Israel.
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  12152.  @josefabuaisheh6262  I agree with you - from 1:22 when the arrested man starts to comply (by laying on the ground) the soldier probably executes him (because he has been smacked in the face twice, and had his machine gun wrenched from him). But look at the big picture :- a) 14 Palestinian policemen burst into Nazir Banat's home and beat him to death. Why ? Because he called for the EU to stop funding corrupt Fatah b) Hamas own all municipal buildings in Gaza, they are multi-millionaires. Just like the IRGC in Iran (which owns all the profitable businesses) Iran and Hamas are theocratic fascists. All civilised nations are opposed to theocratic fascism (except the Palestinian people) Palestine will never get western support through Fatah and Hamas. Palestine needs to stop playing the victim, organise an election, elect a civilised representatives and start from scratch (70 years too late)
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  12153. All around the world, folk going about their normal business, are suddenly exclaiming, "B@stards". That is because they have remembered the Russian invasion. Those words will become synonymous : so whenever anyone uses the word 'Russian' in a conversation, someone might mutter, "B@stards".
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  12154. If Pakman wants "to be consistent" shouldn't he criticise rapist Bill Clinton ?
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  12155. "The Democratic candidate regularly charges thousands of dollars in luxury travel and hotels to her campaign. Harris stayed in D.C.’s upscale St. Regis hotel, billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay, a nightly rate of $858.69. " She's another crooked Hillary
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  12156. Well done Ma'am.
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  12157. Vietnam became the focal point for the expansion of Communism. Myanmar is the test-case for the Axis of Evil (China & Russia). If the barbaric military despots win it expands the Axis of Evil by one country. If democracy wins, then it is a victory for Human Rights and Liberal Enlightenment.
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  12158. Anyone who says Fatah is not corrupt I would challenge to attend a Fatah meeting and suggest KPMG audit their accounts. They would be dragged outside and beaten. But because the Palestinians have been conditioned like Pavlov's dog they would still support Fatah from their hospital bed
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  12159. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are filled with childish fiction.
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  12160. The Polish MIG jets should've been announced as a done-deal. All the broadcasting gave the Kremlin time to apply extortion pressure. It is as bad as Obama announcing the exact time of the Mosul invasion.
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  12161. Biden : "Russia will be a pariah on the world stage. Any nation countenancing Russian aggression will be tainted by association" He is talking about India. Modi has countenanced Russian aggression by not condemning it outright. India is tainted by association.
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  12162.  @yusufdaoud7009  Are you saying that a 35yr dictatorship by Yasser Arafat was a good thing ? Arafat stole $3 billion, in the 1960s he was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month. That was when $1 million was a jackpot to retire on. The Palestinians have never had decent leadership. Hamas are a disaster, they are hated and feared by the West, who classify them (rightly) as terrorists. The solution for Palestine is an educated, well-spoken, charismatic leader. Why not elect a female leader like New Zealand : someone to win world support ?
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  12163. Palestinian failure began in the 1920s When the Ottoman Empire collapsed (sultan fled in 1922, Caliph fled in 1924) The Palestinians had no intellectuals. There was no forum for ideas. Leadership was provided by the Mufti of Jerusalem - who was installed by the British ! It wasn't until 1960 that Yasser Arafat played the role of Ataturk and established the idea of a secular Palestinian state. By then it was too late. Palestine failed in the 1920s
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  12164.  @gregjohnson298  UN Sec general Guterres called out Russian aggression, "This is an evil war" The Kremlin thugs have unleashed the barbaric Russian army, destroyed cities, tortured civilians, raped women, murdered and mutilated thousands. The Orthodox Patriarch, Rolex-watch-wearing Kiril has called it a holy war, and he is the most ungodly man in Russia : a KGB informer exposed by Glasnost files in 1990, who informed on his fellow clerics and parishioners. Russia is a dystopia : rotten to the core.
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  12165. ....and ignorant Sinophiles think you can trust China with 5G.
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  12166. Macron vetoed external sourcing to supply 1,000,000 shells France provided 1/3rd Czechia overturned the French veto and supplied the shells to Ukraine On the SAME day Macron made his "Troops to Ukraine" declaration He is a bullshitter - it is a publicity stunt Macron denuded Ukraine of artillery ! He plays this game to change the narrative (Do some research !)
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  12167. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
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  12168.  @mooreso2001  "sexual abuse and the abduction and concealment of babies, who were born to inmates and then taken from mothers to be placed with families loyal to the military junta." Crimes like that are the business of humanity. The Argentinian people need support when their leaders become depraved animals. If nobody steps in, then the inhumanity continues. In 1864, 500,000 Londoners greeted Garibaldi (the Italian Revolutionary). British people have always supported a just cause. Lord Byron died (1823) fighting for Greek Independence from the Ottomans. In 1847 Lord Minto toured Italy trying to persuade rulers to accept constitutional government, and to stop oppressing their people. Britain has a history of supporting democracy and human rights.
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  12169. Ha ha ha ha ha....good laugh. Good fantasy.
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  12170. Palestine failed in the 1920s. As the Ottoman Empire collapsed (sultan fled in 1922, caliph fled in 1924) There was nothing to fill the vacuum. Palestinian intellectuals (the only ones who were literate) looked after themselves and preached Islam to the illiterate masses. It was a trahison de clercs. Only in 1960 did Yasser Arafat and the PLO play the role of Ataturk (and the young Turks) in Turkey.
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  12171. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  12172. Russian TV "We need to reorganise the army and industry. Meanwhile, we need to dig-in and mine the approaches" What a fanciful solution to a centuries old problem.
    1
  12173. The power of symbolism. I haven't a clue what's happening. The chap with the hammer could be from Bongo-bongo land, I don't know. But I do know he's mentally ill. Anyone who believes in an invented religion is infected by a mental illness.
    1
  12174. Hamas support = Youth culture + one or two odd-bods + transgender + LGBTQ It's not going to get you far
    1
  12175. Hamas are delusional Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are clear non-starters"
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  12176. 33:00 "Israel will have to control Gaza if it invades" Nonsense Hamas does NOT govern Gaza : 80% survive off aid The UN & EU govern Gaza, Hamas steals resources and focuses on terror Israel can simply leave the aid organisations to run Gaza
    1
  12177. Guterres is pro-Hamas He defended murder, rape and abduction immediately after 7th Oct massacre
    1
  12178. "Is Hamas above the law ?" The UN refuses to condemn Hamas, so is Hamas above the law ? Western countries condemn Hamas murder, rape and abduction But Axis of Evil countries don''t condemn Hamas
    1
  12179. "A man so scared of losing, he convinced a mob he hadn't". Good dénouement.
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  12180. Putin's Russia :- "A gaudy empire, more of a racket than a regime" "Sufficient motive for a pageant : but hollow within" "Something to be enjoyed rather than believed in" All said about Napoleon III who led France to total collapse (1870)
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  12181. 12 Dec el Sisi is re-elected President : Egypt may open the border
    1
  12182. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    1
  12183.  @kayrichard915  Russia and China are Asiatic Autocracies. The fight is between Civilized Democracy and Asiatic tyranny.
    1
  12184. Modi must be given the hard word. India is like Russia : they only understand force.
    1
  12185. "Der Chef ist tot" Hitler's Bunker staff were told, and they immediately started smoking and playing a gramophone loudly. A great sense of relief - as if released from a demon's spell. Miserable Orcs will mutter "Der Chef ist tot" Then look around for a despot to replace him.
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  12186. Hardly explosive. Explosive was Bangladesh where Pakistan killed 3 million.
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  12187. Egypt : the Army is a state within a State and is totally corrupt. They have their own roads, supermarkets etc. The Army are utterly incompetent but are idolised by the people. In the Six days War they were humiliated and infamously betrayed the Jordanians. The Egyptian people are conditioned like Pavlov's Dog into subservience and are complicit in their own subjugation.
    1
  12188. Truth, I sympathise with you. Islam has been humiliated and it is responsible for it. By outlawing technology and education they missed out on the Industrial Revolution. They have subsequently missed the technological revolution and will be the biotech one and Artificial Intelligence one. In short Islam is wishing things could be how they were in the Middle Ages when they had some clout. I'd feel the same if I was in your shoes. Japan realised the West had all the answers in 1868 and embraced Western technology and systems. Look at it now. Islam should do the same.
    1
  12189. Israel is a civilized democracy (the sort of place where the police interview the president 7 times over a gift of cigars). Russia is a gangster state where the elite steal $billions from Gazprom. Chomsky equates the two because he has been purblind with prejudice against the US and Israel for decades.
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  12190. Actually, it did almost come to blows in 1895 over the Venezuelan Crisis. Lord Salisbury's cabinet, over lunch, speculated over what might happen. They idly concluded that a pre-emptive invasion by Britain might save the day, and considered a 3 pronged attack - from Boston, a naval anding at New York, and a march down from Canada. One minister said hopefully, "It might inspire a massive uprising of Red Indians" Even in 1895, well informed people had no idea just how few Indians there were left. I suppose folk watching Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show would've thought the same : that the Indian nations were still thriving.
    1
  12191. Well done Al Jazeera - they never say "Hamas" Because that is a dirty word Al Jazeera are the best at propaganda - never mention "Hamas"
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  12192. Not nearly enough.........Act V !
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  12193. Drumming, you stupid, half-witted dummy.
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  12194.  @markandcathynickerson1287  LOL, Theresa May was the Home Secretary that told the Mayor of London (Boris) he couldn't have water-cannons. That doesn't sound very fascist.
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  12195. Imagine Jimmy Dore supporting Cuban police thugs beating people in the street. Always support the common man.I can't believe the idiots who defend despotism. Even if it is Socialist despotism, stand with the people !
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  12196. Kevin, if Italy left the EU what would happen to Italy's zombie banks ? Those banks couldn't stand up to a sneeze let alone an EU-exit.
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  12197. Labour claim they were responding to threats of terrorism That encourages terrorists to try something more Labour's message - "Terrorism works" Shame on Labour The Speaker must resign
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  12198.  @vksasdgaming9472  You sound like an Orc pretending to be a Finn.
    1
  12199. Look at the demographics for N Africa : populations are set to double over the next 50yrs. There are no jobs for young people now and there will be fewer in the future (with mechanisation and AI).
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  12200. Rosa Luxemburg (d. 1919), murdered by the German state, which didn't have the courage to put her on trial : that's just one example of Germany lacking courage. Twice they lacked the courage to resist despots : Wilhelm II (1914) and Big H (1939) Don't look to Germany for courage in opposing Russian atrocities in Ukraine. NATO, the EU and the Allies will have to cajole Germany into doing the right thing.
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  12201. Aaron, interesting points. "Small groups looking for food" is exactly the scenario I'm referring to for rudimentary democracy. Look at mercenaries, brigands and pirates : it was the usual practice for them to elect a captain and depose them when they'd failed. Rudimentary democracy exists in nature : all animals want to survive not fight. Hominids were almost certainly employing democracy 100,000yrs ago : young males that had been ejected from the tribe grouping together and agreeing a course of action. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121114-election-day-animal-style
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  12202. LOL good work. CNN are fake news , Trump got that much right.
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  12203.  @NordicWildSoul  Russia's economy has tanked : industry output has plummeted. Firms were told not to lay folk off, but just reduce wages and hours. Russian industry requires manufacturing products like semiconductors. Haven't you researched it ?
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  12204. She is as genuine as a Mona Lisa on a market stall How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
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  12205. Two powerful shithole countries in the middle east. Neither country has democracy or human rights or civil liberties. They are both medieval Muslim countries. (They do show some humanity : when they stone a woman to death they give her a drink of tea with a sedative in it .)
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  12206. Imagine Joe Biden has a pile of work on his desk. Why does he grab the Ukraine folder first ? Because his hapless son is getting $50k a month. That's how it works.....it's called a kickback. Hillary used to get it in the form of $600,000 for a speech.
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  12207.  Tee X  , Obviously there is no evidence. That's how corruption works. You don't write a letter asking for favours. You simply give $600,000 for a speech, then wait for a favour in return. How do you think it works. How do you think the big agri-corporations got the government to colour margarine pink LOL
    1
  12208. Frank Luntz : "A 3rd party candidate would start at 20%" Regardless who it is. That's where Ross Perot finished Nikki Haley will run as a 3rd party, it's a no-brainer Luntz : There are many voters who don't want Trump and won't vote Biden
    1
  12209. Melanie, NOT De Gaulle. De Gaulle was a force of nature. The British (we) gave him an office with no phone and tried to sideline him. He wouldn't be invited to important meetings but he'd find out about them and invite himself. Roosevelt didn't like him, I'm not sure anyone did. De Gaulle was a great French patriot.
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  12210. 1847 the French Government wanted to award medals to the war leaders DE Gaulle approved medals for Churchill, Roosevelt (posthumously) and Stalin but declined for himself saying ,""Governments do not decorate themselves. The acts that I accomplished were done at a time when I exercised the function of Chief of State." L'Etat, C'est Moi
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  12211. It should say 1947
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  12212. Mehdi Hussein is very watchable. Very knowledgeable. But here's what I'd ask him :- Could you imagine in your wildest dreams any Muslim state having a parliament (that on its own would be something) with the third largest party being Jewish ? And yet in the Knesset the 3rd largest party is Muslim. I think some credit should be given for that and some condemnation of the corrupt Fatah ,one-party state, anti-democratic Palestinian Authority. Remember the hero of the Palestinians Yaser Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion.
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  12213. Let me explain the USA's massive, massive superiority. Russia has thousands of decommissioned missiles - the warheads are stored separately and the rockets need fuelling. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No nation has ever had the instant firepower of the US.
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  12214.  @IvanRD-33  How will the war end ? One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet". Most folk agree with that, but how does the war end ? Ukraine intend to liberate the whole country - including Donbas and Crimea. That can only lead to total political collapse in Russia.
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  12215.  @IvanRD-33  I don't know the figures, but I think Afghanistan was £2.5 trillion over 20yrs. Oh sorry, you mean in reparations. Well, take Afghanistan - there were power-stations installed, and general infrastructure (hospitals, schools etc).... "Since 2001, the US has appropriated more than $144bn to Afghan reconstruction. " I just Googled it.
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  12216.  @IvanRD-33  The difference is that the USA tried to improve life in Afghanistan. Russia is invading Ukraine to weaken it and cripple the economy. Russia is destroying Ukraine. The Ukrainians are fighting valiantly, killing as many Russians as possible, and hoping to liberate the whole country.
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  12217.  @Marco-iy7lt  , the Shah was overthrown by a multitude of opposition groups : Socialists, trade-unionists, secularists , feminists and democrats ; when Khomeini landed in Tehran (1979) he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and said, "I'll kick their teeth in ". He executed 7000 in his first year. Marco, I suggest you read up on the Ayatollah's torture camps before you start cheerleading for him.
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  12218.  @johntu1967  , do you mean "I'll kick their teeth in" , I read that in Tony Judt "Postwar", he was scathing about the way Islamists had exterminated the Socialist opposition in Iran. Or do you mean the 12th Imam : that's just standard Shia theology, you'd find it on Wikipedia. Do you mean the Ayatollah executing 7000 i his first year ? I just rounded that number up : he probably tortured and executed 5,876. Do you mean "The Ayatollah's torture camps" ? That was from 'Postwar' : journals of prisoners under the Shah report boredom and tedium ; but under the Ayatollah they describe terror torture and death : Khomeini's prisons were death camps. That's why there is no opposition movement in Iran.
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  12219. Many years ago ....... Bernard Weatherill (speaker) : "May I suggest honourable members be a bit more robust" Parliament is confronting Asiatic Autocracy in the defining event of the 21st century And here we have MPs in tears because someone has pushed them in the lobby. The chief whip is a woman I wish folk would focus on Russia
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  12220. Hamas, had given Israel an ultimatum to stand down its forces at Al-Aqsa by 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). At one minute past Hamas fired rockets into Israel. What did Hamas imagine would happen next.
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  12221. Turkey & Qatar : watch out for that duo. They crop up everywhere - supporting Hamas. They have a finger in the pie in Libya. They're all over the place.
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  12222. What is power ? Is it 100,000 Chinese troops goose-stepping ? Or is it public opinion, world opinion : the civilized world watching totalitarian China ? The CCP are very savvy : the priority for all Governors is "No civil unrest". The CCP elite have sleepless nights thinking about all the millions they're oppressing.
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  12223.  @MarcelloG-mo3dq  , this is China in a nutshell : the folk on social media started making jokes about President Xi looking like Pooh Bear (Winnie the Pooh) so state media censored all references to bears. That's the CCP frightened witless of the people.
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  12224.  @MarcelloG-mo3dq  , well, well, well, you do have a lot to say for yourself. I'm trying to keep it in a nutshell ! "Westerners prefer to talk about politics day and night " , you're not doing bad yourself LOL Hong Kong : who does the world support a) China with 2 million in concentration camps in Xinjiang province. Or b) the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong ? I think the CCP know that most of the world finds them sickening.
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  12225.  @MarcelloG-mo3dq  , but we haven't talked about "Harvesting Human Organs" Now the CCP say they are no longer doing it , but the fact is they did do it as a policy : what does that tell you about them ? Let's talking about Mao slaughtering 60 million Chinese.....oh no, we are not allowed to talk about Mao. All Chinese children must be brainwashed for their own good. Brainwashing, harvesting human organs, killing unimaginable numbers : not just killing but torture..........read about the punishment inflicted on disobedient peasants, you'll need a strong stomach. You would have to have no morals to support the CCP after all its crimes.
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  12226. Modi has found his moral compass.
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  12227. It's Africa what did you expect.
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  12228. Quiz : Who's the only person ever to tell Prince Philip to shut his mouth ? David Mellor It was after the Cumbria mass shooting (Derrick Bird), there were calls to ban firearms or tighten restrictions. Prince Philip said that a cricket bat was also a deadly weapon and asked whether campaigners intended to ban cricket. David Mellor appeared on Radio 4 and said (I'm paraphrasing) ""If he can't contribute.........he should have the sense and courtesy to keep his mouth shut"
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  12229.  @maxdamagusbroski  , no, it was just broadcast to the whole nation on BBC Radio 4.
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  12230. Ronald , you are quite right my comments probably aren't germane to this interview because I haven't watched ! Chomsky is like a stuck record I know what he's going to say. Titan, nobody is saying the 'Christian West' is blameless. What I'm saying is that Chomsky talks about the fall of the Soviet Union and the KGB's suggestion of a European Defence Force, then shrugs his shoulders at the missed opportunity. It is laughable that NATO should be disbanded so we can throw our lot in with a bunch of corrupt KGB gangsters who over the preceding decades had slaughtered millions of their own citizens.
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  12231. "Russia investigating the use of drones" Why not investigate the BUK missile that shot down MH17 passenger plane killing everyone. It was sold by Russia, transported by Russia and fired by drunks. The Kremlin should investigate that, then march themselves to prison.
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  12232. 1860 Namik Kemal : Admired the British for :- "their indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
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  12233. ​ @yakivpopavich  Every nation creates its own culture or personality. Russia has an obnoxious, toxic personality. Read Svetlana Alexiovich, she records Russians in their own words and won a Nobel Prize for it. Even Russians who oppose Putin support the invasion of Ukraine, they wink at war crimes and atrocities, knowing they've experienced worse in the Gulags.
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  12234. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
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  12235.  Sherley Lowe  Macron also said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China". There is a pattern of French pusillanimity.
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  12236.  @fintonking7525  I also like macron, he has "the vision thing". But the Allies greet his timidity with exasperation. Macron has bonded with Putin, who feels relaxed enough to joke about "raping" Ukraine ( he was quoting some punk rock lyrics)
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  12237.  Sherley Lowe  Macron did the same with China. If you remember he said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China"
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  12238. This is totally wrong. I don't know where to start. China didn't have a huge trading fleet. They had a huge diplomatic fleet that took gifts everywhere bestowing the benevolence of the great ruler in China. The Silk Road wasn't "trading knowledge" ; knowledge was acquired and exchanged but represented 0.00000001% of trade. Why mention it as a commodity ? This is a very biased ill-informed summary of history.
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  12239. In China and Japan merchants were considered parasitical and ranked below productive peasants. China's great fleet was owned by the Emperor, it wasn't like the East India Company. Maritime merchant trading represented 0.001% of GDP. To try to equate this with modern global trade is completely wrong. When China abandoned its fleet there wasn't a massive financial shock, the end of global trade, very likely nobody noticed .
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  12240. Lord Owen (UK intelligence committee) "Russians know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability"
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  12241. India has made a catastrophic blunder. : Modi sold its soul for Russian military junk. Russian jets - easily shot down by Stingers Russian tanks - easily destroyed by British NLAWs Modi sided with the losers, and India must pay the price.
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  12242. I hope Israel drills near the line, and drinks Lebanon's milk-shake.
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  12243. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  12244. carpe diem - seize the moment I always listen to Yanis, but he's wrong about Greece. He praised the Chinese because they sent their own engineers with their investment. (Because the Greeks construction always involves kick-backs and corruption and every project ends up costing 50% more than any comparable project in the EU). Could you imagine his reaction if the EU sent German engineers along with their bail-out ?
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  12245. Trump supporters see Trump for what he is : you are forgetting the choice was him or Hillary. Lord David Owen was on Radio 4 (BBC) 11/10/17 and said he wouldn't criticise Trump's handling of N.Korea. Especially the way Trump has encouraged China to impose tough sanctions. Owen is one of the UK's most respected Foreign Secretaries.
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  12246. Also, nobody complained about "Little Marco", actually we all laughed. And what about "Lying Ted ", just because Ted is genetically predisposed to dissembling the truth shouldn't we condemn Trump for that ?
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  12247. Secular Talk is much nearer the mark than Pakman. There is a 65% chance of war with N Korea and rising. It will reach 100% at some stage. Unless N Korea abandon their nuclear program.
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  12248. Russia GDP = $1.4 trillion Italy GDP = $1.8 trillion Russia is a minnow, and its military is a paper tiger.
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  12249.  @amirshelby  There is an obvious correlation between a nation's wealth and its ability to wage war. Why is China suddenly such a threat ? Because it has expanded its military over two decades faster than any country in the world. How about Russia ? It had to reduce its military, after the economy shrank by 5%.
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  12250.  @amirshelby  By comparison :- The US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines to enforce a blockade on China (should it be necessary). Putin could only dream of having that ability.
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  12251. WRONG Pelosi is NOT 2nd in line to the President, that is the VP. 1 Vice President Democratic 2 Speaker of the House of Representatives Democratic 3 President pro tempore of the Senate Democratic 4 Secretary of State Democratic
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  12252.  @sonofthedragon2112  , just do some research you lazy fool. "A hungry Ethiopia gets 70 percent of its aid from the U.S." That was just a quick search. Try researching before you comment.
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  12253. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
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  12254. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  12255. LOL ha ha ha....let's all have a laugh at the UK.
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  12256.  @memz9513  Egyptians would obviously like to believe they were ruled by Egyptians But Muhammad Ali (ruled 1805-48) was DEFINITELY Albanian His army was a mixed bunch, but I'd guess they were at least 50% Balkan
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  12257.  @memz9513  Thanks for your reply This is from Wikipedia "The Mamluks in medieval Egypt were predominantly of White Turkic and Circassian origins, and most of them descended from enslaved Christians. After they were taken from their families, they became renegades." Ataturk was Circassian (very distinctive eyes) compare him with some Google images
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  12258.  @CruWiT  Debshirme = child levy Christian children were taken, converted and trained to be civil servants or elite Janissaries Mamluks were mostly Janissaries It is impossible that they were all ethnic Turks (of whatever variety) You write as if Jannisaries didn't exist
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  12259.  @memz9513  You have been reading Turkish school history - it is all propaganda Read some real academic history
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  12260.  @harmless6813  Hogan's Heroes ! Schulz was the fat sergeant.
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  12261. In 1640 Spain requested 3000 Walloon soldiers to defend Spain against France. Why not use Spanish conscripts ? Because there is no substitute for professional soldiers. Citizen soldiers are a liability.....they're a joke.
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  12262. 1:13 " A secular India for all" Those words were spoken before partition. The Indian Congress wanted a secular India for All. It was Jinnah and co. who wanted Partition. It was rabid Muslim Imams and genocidal Hindu nationalists that filled the illiterate peasants with hatred & fear and directed them to slaughter their enemies. Ironically Jinnah then declared he wanted a secular Pakistan based on the British model but alas once Pandora's Box of Islamic fascism had been opened there was no possibility of rational secularism.
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  12263. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
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  12264. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" (capitulated) So Germany has no shield - Macron is the weak link
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  12265. The fascist Madrid Police are now firing rubber bullets at peaceful families trying to vote. I think Rajoy will have to resign. Western leaders have been shocked at the totalitarian response by Madrid's fascist People's Party.
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  12266. Russia will NOT commit any atrocities : Putin is desperate for a deal. Russia has lost. The Kremlin either collapses or they salvage what they can. A salvaged peace deal is their best (and only) option.
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  12267. Ha ha ha, this is aimed at Erdogan. Fifteen love to France.
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  12268. Good question and the answer is maybe but not really. The truth is war is fought on a tight leash.......nobody wants to escalate it. And under those circumstances carriers are useful. Once it escalates to destroying carriers, then it has escalated to destroying cities. Most conflicts will avoid this.
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  12269.  Pushkar Jain  Thank you. In 1905 Russia sent a fleet half way round the world - as soon as it encountered the Japanese it was sunk the same afternoon.
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  12270. There is no need to spend more Biden needs to take is foot off the brake - end of story Eg Britain wanted to send 4 Apaches : "No" said Biden JDAM bombs on F-16s : "No" said Biden HARM missiles to destroy Russian radar : "No" said Biden Biden simply wants Ukraine to grind it out till Russia sees sense
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  12271. Guterres : "Hamas massacre did not happen in a VACUUM Hamas rapes and murder were provoked." Guterres thinks Hamas are the good guys Guterres MUST resign, he is a disgrace to the UN
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  12272.  @DdiafwlL  I think you should be lecturing the Russian state. Have you read "Gulag Archipelago" ? Have you read about the Holodomor genocide ? Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russian folk in their won words, and won a Nobel Prize for it. You sound like a sanctimonious Guardian reader : one who thinks most Russians want rid of Putin and oppose the war. One Russian (after 2014 Crimea) said, "We can't watch them succeed, they're too like us" Solzhenitsyn spent 10yrs being tortured in the Gulags, came out still loving Mother Russia, and became Putin's nationalist guru. Putin, the KGB man who sent folk to the Gulags ! Make what you can of that. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol", and with good reason. Have you any idea of the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers ? Svetlana reports her interviewees husbands saying, "Why did you tell her that". Russians know to practice self-censorship. They know to conceal the horrors of the past. The same occurs today with MH17, the Bucha atrocities, and every crime Russia commits. You should read some history and get yourself an education, and don't naively believe everything you read in the Guardian.
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  12273. The Irish are twisted in their obsessive response to Britain. In 1155 the Pope issued Laudibiliter to Henry II : to civilize Ireland. Dublin had the largest slave market in western Europe. Irish chieftains might have a dozen wives and would have scores of concubines captured from neighbouring tribes. Politically, the Irish Church was founded upon Eastern Mediterranean monasticism and didn't acknowledge the authority of Rome. Democracy, the Enlightenment and every benefit Ireland enjoys, all comes from Britain. (Actually there were centres of learning before 1155, but it was aristocratic)
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  12274. WRONG At the end Philip gets confused - he states "debt" NOT "deficit" Deficit is yearly overspend Debt is how much France owes in total Philip states the total France is in debt to the tune of around €3 trillion, or more than 110 percent of gross domestic product, and a deficit of €154 billion,
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  12275. Palestinians were offered a 2 state solution by the UN in 1847 and by Clinton in 2000 : they turned it down on both occasions. That doesn't mean they don't want a state because they tried to take over Jordan in 1970 ....well they had a lot of heavily armed men, who'd been given refuge in Jordan after the Six Day war, so they tried to take over the country. Then the Palestinians went to Lebanon and tried to take over a chunk of their country. So nobody can say they don't want a state because they're always trying to take someone else's land by force. What the Palestinians can't abide are free and fair elections ; they don't want the Palestinian people to have a say.
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  12276. "He's led 2200 times" , gosh did anyone keep tabs on Hillary. Trump will be well miffed if she beat him at lying.
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  12277. Hezbollah are fascist thugs. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs throwing students from windows and beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah.
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  12278. 21% of polling stations failed to post the results of their count as required by law. It looks as though the fix is underway.
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  12279. Also, the turnout was very high amongst young people. Common sense tells you they wouldn't vote for the corrupt butchers in ZANU-PF.
    1
  12280. The Palestinians are failures Compare Estonia - occupied by Hitler then Stalin - tens of thousands murdered, raped and exiled But Estonia is now a world leader in the cyber world Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion Gulf oil money The PLO were enriching themselves whilst children crawled around with wooden rifles at school Palestinians are permanent corrupt failures : they are autocratic and superstitious and have only themselves to blame
    1
  12281. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  12282. Majestic. Russia is a backwards country, it is an Asiatic Autocracy trying to pass itself off as Enlightened European. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  12283. Biden said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats" Germany is a disgrace. I wish the west could simply dump that "ally". Ilya Ponomarev makes a great observation about how nicely Putin protects his own health - with the quarantine length table.
    1
  12284.  @blintzkreig1638  The UN called it "An evil war" Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  12285. 22.19 watch for UN fraud exposed.
    1
  12286. POSTWAR Ukraine is riding high on the world stage : Victories in the same league as the "Six Day War" Everyone is watching with unabated admiration. When the war is over Ukraine will be the power that humbled Russia Status that will last for centuries
    1
  12287. What's going on ? France was against aid for Ukraine Macron was 'mediating' with Putin 13 Oct Macron declared "nuclear neutrality" ( a green light for Putin) Has France changed sides ?
    1
  12288. Russia deny crimes. They denied they were in the Ukraine, denied they were in Crimea, denied they supplied the missile which shot down MH17 denied they poisoned Litvinenko denied they poisoned the Skirpals the list of Russian lies is endless.
    1
  12289. Look at the Taliban and ISIL, the inhumanity. Look at Pakistan (the inhuman injustice), then Iran (the Ayatollah butchers). Compare that with democratic Israel (with all its faults), and imagine what life would be like under Hamas (fascist fanatics) or Fatah. Picture the Jews being "driven into the sea".
    1
  12290. Wrong MSNBC Biden : "The US will ALWAYS support Israel militarily" That's because it is essential But Biden DOES want to bypass Netanyahu Biden "I'd like to talk directly to the Knesset" Biden can NOT force Netanyahu's hand Bibi is calling the shots, and will always have the US at his back militarily
    1
  12291. Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
    1
  12292. "Will they write to India too ?" India should do the right thing without being pressurized. Shame on India. Modi has sold India's soul for Russian military junk. (Pak shot down India's Mig-21s with ease)Turkey shot down Russian SU-24 jets with ease. Modi is buying junk.
    1
  12293. Very nice to see. Education is the solution to all the problems of the Middle East. Statistics show the size of families diminishes (the curse of uneducated population growth, with its concomitant unemployment). Also, job opportunities increase with standard of living. Not to mention civic engagement in the political system (God knows Palestine needs that).
    1
  12294. "Israel is flying blind" (no postwar plan) Nobody has a postwar plan - it's intractable Of course, everyone says 2-states (in public), privately they know it's a non starter The PA cannot govern Gaza (they are only just hanging on in the West Bank) If the PA come in as "collaborators" they are finished Say for example Jordan volunteer (which they won't) They face a choice : a) accommodate Hamas or b) Oppose & suppress Hamas If they choose a) then nothing has changed - Hamas continue as before If they choose b) and arrest Hamas, then Hamas kidnap policemen and demand their release - nobody can defeat Hamas at this game So what is to be done ? It's intractable (Unless Gazans move to Sinai - which USA has already sought funding for)
    1
  12295. That music is like some discordant, avant-garde ear ache.
    1
  12296. You are also a dunce.
    1
  12297. Wrong MSNBC Biden : "The US will ALWAYS support Israel militarily" That's because it is essential But Biden DOES want to bypass Netanyahu Biden "I'd like to talk directly to the Knesset" Biden can NOT force Netanyahu's hand Bibi is calling the shots, and will always have the US at his back militarily
    1
  12298. Palestine MUST hold elections The Palestinian Authority are corrupt thugs They do NOT represent Palestinians
    1
  12299. Uganda's despot is being juxtaposed with Putin. I didn't know they were part of The Axis of Evil.
    1
  12300. LOL Rajoy is back-pedalling that quickly he should join a circus. He looks like a pantomime clown. He is like Mr Punch tackling every problem with violence. Western leaders mock him as a moron. Never has ANYONE handled a political problem as badly. Catalan independence could have been diverted years or months ago but Idiot leaves it until the referendum and sends the thugs in. The last laugh will be on Spain.
    1
  12301. Putin "cannot remain in power." I wish everyone would shut-up about this. Focus on the Russian Kremlin gangsters.
    1
  12302. 8 Oct Guterres defends Hamas Now Guterres urges funding for UNRWA terrorist The UN is 100% pro-Hamas It is a disgrace to fund UNRWA when they participated in the massacre
    1
  12303. Pakistan police agent provocateurs
    1
  12304. Heavy metal. Just what Ukraine are calling for. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus when he said, "There can be no peace with Putin , he must be defeated militarily"
    1
  12305. UN sued for complicity in massacre UNRWA staff participated in the massacre on 7 Oct The UN paid their workers to kill Jews Then Guterres defended Hamas UN to be sued !
    1
  12306. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  12307.  @CatatonicImperfect  British planes had to fly hundreds of miles around Germany because the airspace was closed. The debunking went like this - "If we had known we would have allowed the flights, but we weren't informed" Pull the other one.
    1
  12308. Why, if Russia intends to invade, hasn't it withdrawn Embassy staff ? It wants them murdered : that is the perfect pretext.
    1
  12309.  @midnightmaze8249  Well actually at the disastrous siege of Acre Napoleon (in desperation) did say, “The great nation which does not trade in men and countries as did those which sold your ancestors unto all people (Joel 4:6) herewith calls on you not indeed to conquer your patrimony; nay, only to take over that which has been conquered and, with that nation’s warranty and support, to remain master of it to maintain it against all comers.” So having pledged support for Islam, Napoleon did appeal to the Jews.
    1
  12310.  @come2success104  Two points :- a) The UN partition of 1947 allocated 55% land to Zionists, but most of it was desert. b) the In48 Arab Israeli war : "It formally began following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine at midnight on 14 May 1948; the Israeli Declaration of Independence had been issued earlier that day, and a military coalition of Arab states entered the territory of British Palestine in the morning of 15 May. "
    1
  12311.  @come2success104  "The overall objective (1948 war) was nothing short of an attempt to wipe Palestine off the world map." Why did it take until 1988 for Arab countries to recognise the State of Palestine ? Let me answer :- Because in 1948 Palestine was claimed by Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Nobody recognised a State of Palestine. Historically, there never had been a State of Palestine. The key year is 1920 : a) the Jews elect a general Assembly shadow administration. b) the British install a Mufti in Jerusalem to provide leadership for the Palestinians as the Ottoman Empire collapses.
    1
  12312.  @User-pe5qz  a) Ottoman land was legally purchased by Jewish associations. b) The First Arab Israeli war (1948) began following the end of the British Mandate at midnight on 14 May 1948; the Israeli Declaration of Independence had been issued earlier that day, and a military coalition of Arab states entered the territory of British Palestine in the morning of 15 May. c) If the coalition of Arabs had won, what would the situation for Jews have been ? Would Jewish immigrants be allowed to stay or driven into the sea ? Would dispossessed Jews have been granted the right of return ? d) after the War the displaced Palestinians were given homes in Sheikh Jarra by the Jordanians. That is the position : the Jews legally purchased Ottoman land, the Palestinian refugees were then granted the land by Jordanians.
    1
  12313.  @geozap4518  Yes, but if one goes back long enough, the first hominids out of Africa were "occupiers". Where does that get you ?
    1
  12314. MH-17 was shot down by Pro-Russian troops, using a BUK missile supplied by the Kremlin. Pro-Russian militia are drunken thugs and murderers. When they came upon the civilian plane they had downed, they said, "Is there another military plane". The drunken morons were hoping the civilian plane had come down with the imaginary military one.
    1
  12315. Why have Germany and France switched sides ? When Russia invaded they both decided on appeasement - Germany sabotaged weapons deliver from britain and Estonia, macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". They both considered Crimea to be de facto Russian territory. Why have they now sided with Ukraine ? Because by offering a carrot to Moscow France & Germany were prolonging the war.
    1
  12316. Al Jazeera never mentions :- a) 1922 Ottoman empire collapsed b) Israel's security : Golan Heights & Jordan heights c) 1947 Israel declare a state, but Palestine wait till 1988 : why ? Because in 1948 the Mufti looked to Damascus In 1967 the PLO looked to Cairo Arab League Nasser Al Jazeera paints a very, very biased picture.
    1
  12317. Does anyone remember "the Sound of Music" ? When the young, putative Nazi, post-boy points a gun at Captain Von Trapp, who says, "You're not one of them, Rolf". Someone should say that to Modi. India is voting with Russia, China, Pakistan and North Korea at the UN. "You're not one of them, India".
    1
  12318. Putin has lost and India has picked the posing side Soledar is a small town of no significance Russia has thrown its entire army against it - and only taken 3/4 India can sure pick a loser
    1
  12319. Rejoice at this news ! Russians are in full retreat and blowing up bridges to stop the Ukraine Offensive on Kherson. "The Ukrainians have punched through in 3 places", Prof Michael Clarke.
    1
  12320. 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington nuclear response 21,23 Oct Shoigu talks Lloyd Austin 2 weeks later : "The US is privately encouraging Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate" Russia wants it ended Prigozhin is Putin's plenipotentiary "Zelensky is a strong nice guy" Putin happy to retire
    1
  12321. "Purchasing power". LOL and they have 1 aircraft carrier that was junked by the Ukraine and destined to become a casino when the military said "Hey we can give that a lick of paint". China sink as soon as the US blockade the Straits of Malacca and that is accomplished with a few subs and frigates. China has a fatal weakness : blockade. And it is easily accomplished. Any analysis which ignores this and talks of "Purchasing power" is simply trying to sell books.
    1
  12322. No thanks to Germany - who sabotaged Ukraine. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Scholz had to have his arm twisted to untether Germany from Russia.
    1
  12323. Does anyone buy this idea of Gotland's strategic importance ? Where are you going once you take Gotland : the Yanks would only need to drop 3 MOABs to totally eliminate any military infrastructure. What are the Russians supposed to be doing when NATO is dropping daisy-cutters on their troops ? It would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Modern war is :- a) economic (blockade, cyber attacks, sanctions) b) international (UN resolutions, allies, threats ) c) casualty averse ( civilian deaths bring in big powers, UN and conflict conciliation ) I don't see where Gotland fits in.
    1
  12324.  @erikarneberg11  , well said.
    1
  12325. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  12326. "Blockaded Gaza for 16 years " LOL How did Hamas manage to build 4000km of tunnels How did Hamas manage to acquire 2000 missiles That's some blockade This lady is quite ill-informed; she is simply talking propaganda
    1
  12327. He he he........what's the word for it ? It's not kitsch , it's much worse. It's not gross. There is a word, it's probably a German multi-barrelled word.
    1
  12328. It's crass, vulgar and tasteless. You know why ? Well he just said they designed them by opinion poll. Who ever heard of quality architecture being designed based on what wealthy Arabs would buy.
    1
  12329. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  12330.  Mohamed Hamzah Mohamed Osman  , I will do next time. You must be as old as me.....don't tell me you still call Sri-Lanka Ceylon .
    1
  12331. She talks like a kindergarten teacher : " The dollar has value because we pay our taxes". Now children go out to play. The dollar value comes from a) taxes b) U.S. assets (infrstructure, intellectual design etc, future earnings, the population etc) c) intangibles , U.S soft power, confidence and stability, influence (World bank IMF etc) And I've never studied nor read a book on economics and yet I'd out debate this kindergarten teacher.
    1
  12332. Jens Stoltenberg has been a rock Macron & Scholz can only wish they had half his integrity
    1
  12333. Evacuees will receive a housing certificate LOL Cleaners at Chernobyl were promised apartments cars & cash Having taken a lethal dose of radiation they were given 7000 roubles to share between them They said, "We didn't believe their promises, we did it for the Motherland" The Kremlin elite are laughing all the way to the bank
    1
  12334. The Axis of Evil : China , North Korea, Russia, Iran etc etc All antidemocratic corrupt dictatorships. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  12335. LOL good for Iran. Who says Iran can't compete in international commerce. Gosh, there will be no shortage of customers : they are all starving in Venezuela. This is a great example of the Axis of Evil : two dictatorships failing their people.
    1
  12336. Journalists ? What do they know ?
    1
  12337. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
    1
  12338. Trump is a monumentally, immature, inadequate, ill-educated a-hole
    1
  12339. The battle is for Western Civilization against Asiatic Autocracy. The Ukraine crisis is identical to the Taiwan crisis (if one looks at the big picture) Asiatic Autocracy (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Islamism) Western Civilization - liberal democracy, defended by NATO
    1
  12340. Remember Black September ? The Palestinians found themselves in Jordan with thousands of heavily armed troops and decided to take over the country. People on here think butter wouldn't melt in their mouths.
    1
  12341. I hate the EU, but when they take on Global giants - maleficent multi-nationals, then I am right behind them.
    1
  12342. Despotism v Democracy
    1
  12343. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
    1
  12344. Correcting someone's English is pedantic and boorish. However, if someone misuses an expression , eg pacs Britani, one can use pax Britannia in a conversational reply : so they can learn if they wish.
    1
  12345.  @vixenami2934  The Imams who hanged the young girl were Iranian : I posted a link to it above. Sharia Law is no respecter of race : it is barbaric no matter who is sitting in judgement. The Quran is a terrible excuse for barbaric injustice.
    1
  12346.  @katherinevernier4945  "And you're being reported"
    1
  12347. WARNING : Russian tanks have a design flaw : they store shells in the turret. When it is hit, the w'ole tank goes up. Hope India hasn't purchased any Russian junk ?
    1
  12348. Hezbollah : remember the student protests in Tehran ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah. Hezbollah are the Ayatollah's henchmen ; they are anti-democratic, murderous, totalitarian, bigoted, anti-human rights, anti-equality, fanatical Islamist killers.
    1
  12349. Spain have said NO INVESTIGATION of Police violence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APsHNIrS7-s&t=14s Even though many girls reported being sexually assaulted. "The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has condemned sexual violence perpetrated by the Spanish police"
    1
  12350. Total nonsense. Bill Burns was in Ankara because Shoigu phoned Austin on 21 and 23 Oct with a peace deal. That's why Jake Sullivan was in Kyiv 9 Nov (same day Russia vacated Kherson) and Sullivan spoke to Putin's aides. Notice she specifically says, "He did not discuss a deal" Which is EXACTLY what he did discuss. Some folks think we were born yesterday The deal BTW was for Russia to vacate everywhere except Crimea. Crimea would be demilitarised (except small arms) for 7 years then a UN referendum would follow. Kyiv's 10 point plan delivered at Bali scuppered the deal, and missile attacks followed. The Kremlin saying Kyiv was "factually and legally" refusing to negotiate. What curious words ? (Unless a deal had just been scuppered)
    1
  12351. Yerisco, you are quite right. China's problem is the speed of non-state debt growth. The government encourages individuals to borrow money and speculate on property with the "guarantee" they can't lose. The trouble is the state can't just buy bad corporate debt without starting inflation. And collapsing corporations lower confidence leading to collapse. Financial gravity has got to take over eventually : you can't exponentially keep doubling debt. (Not state debt but corporate/private debt).
    1
  12352. Andy, interesting point but allow me to disagree. I think pseudo-democracy (PD) is the most dangerous threat we face. Let me explain : PD is the most popular form of government on the planet Russia, the whole of Africa,Middle East, etc I think the West should back genuine democracy and condemn PD. That means supporting Israel and condemning the corrupt Palestinian Authority ( Arafat looted $3billion and ruled as a dictator for 40yrs)
    1
  12353. Reasons US did it :- a) to send a message to Moscow the US isn't messing around b) Russia will be revanchist for generations, and Germany will resume buying gas the minute Putin resigns - funding revanchist Russia. c) Nordstream was a bad idea from the start and needed destroying. d) It sends a message to Europe the US isn't messing around - with Russia threatening to go nuclear the last thing the US needs is a wobbly EU re-engaging with the Kremlin.
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  12354. Summa, I hope you have to deal with it one day : preferably in prison.
    1
  12355. Why didn't Beijing just rig the vote.....like they do in Africa and the Middle-East and Russia and South America ?
    1
  12356. Just one question : why didn't Brennan leak the Russia connection to the media before the election ?
    1
  12357. They are both Hamas Hamas demands - return to Northern Gaza These men are trying to return - without the release of hostages They are clearly Hamas - it is Hamas policy Well done Israel When Hamas release ALL hostages folks can return to their homes
    1
  12358. Synopsis (I just skipped through it) The Zionist regime, tortures people ...... the Zionist regime demolished house The Palestinian people will resist......we must have a ceasefire ....... the Zionist regime kills women & children ....... America supplies the Zionist regime but expects the Axis of Evil to take no action. "The Axis on resistance is based upon Islamic ethics" We saw that on Oct 7 (It appalled everyone)
    1
  12359. Wise words. Hamas are teacher-decapitating fanatics : they are the worst thing for Palestinians.
    1
  12360. I just said the same. Who would've though Pakistan dare mention genocide. After killing 3 million in Bangladesh and raping 250,000 women and girls.
    1
  12361. I'm confused, but joyful : something Russian is burning merrily.
    1
  12362.  @ArthurD  Well, two wars were fought : who were the belligerents if not Chechens fighting to get free from the Kremlin ?
    1
  12363. "Colonial DNA" Also - "Caliphate DNA" how does that manifest itself ? Caliphate countries are all autocratic and corrupt They have no debate, they never had a Reformation or Enlightenment 1515 Caliphate banned printing - this led to widespread illiteracy and ignorance Caliphate DNA is the reason Palestinians took until 1988 to declare statehood
    1
  12364.  @rooblez9005  mass graves full of folk still wearing pyjamas, and that passes for civilization in North Africa. Some people (apologists for Gaddafi) will turn a blind eye to anything.
    1
  12365. Al Jazeera = Hamas
    1
  12366. Never trust the Taliban. They are medieval fascist fanatics.
    1
  12367. Rubbish The world stands with Israel (the civilised democratic world) ANC have ruled for 50yrs - that is faux democracy
    1
  12368. A few observations :- a) Maduro's timidity indicates his uncertainty. b) the 2000 corrupt generals don't know where the loyalty of the rank & file lies. c) Trump sees this as a feather in his cap and will not sit back and watch Maduro triumph.
    1
  12369. Iran is an Islamofascist state and is prepared to kill its own people . Hezbollah are the killers : they are experts at killing defenceless citizens.
    1
  12370.  @s1399518  Trade is the source of wealth. Iran has had sanctions imposed so it can't trade and the economy is dying. Trade is essential. China requires trade to exist : to feed the people and to import fuel. The USA exports food, and exports fuel. That is the difference, The US has just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines to blockade China (if necessary). Which would cripple China's economy and bring down the CCP. A blockade would be the end of Communist China.
    1
  12371. LOL
    1
  12372.  Sandman 123  , well try this "Biden would sell out the US in a deal with China to enrich his son". Biden is always selling out to benefit his family.
    1
  12373. Turkey are good ally to US. They only time they break sanction is when Erdogan son needs to make some dollar $$$$.
    1
  12374. Funny how prior to Oct &th Palestinian women NEVER complained about rape Now they say they were raped - is it simply to deflect attention from Hamas rapes ? (Of course it is)
    1
  12375. LOL
    1
  12376. Trump gave an excellent speech. Kim Jong has backed down his rhetoric is nothing like how bad it has been in the past. Kim Jong is actually appealing to the international community for understanding of his pursuit of nuclear weapons. Rocketman is rattled because he knows Trump can carry through with his threat.
    1
  12377. Defence : scrap the INS Vikrant and buy some French Frigates ? Or buy submarines ? Dump Russian junk ?
    1
  12378. France is democratically choosing a leader. Meanwhile Modi is trying to emulate Russia and turn India into a Hindu dystopia. Gangs of young Hindu males can be seen shouting at Muslim girls wearing Hijab. It reminds everyone of the fascist Russian thugs. Well done Modi - taking India down the Russian road to dystopia.
    1
  12379. The sight of rubber-bullets being fired at Catalans will have Junker reaching for the bottle. He will need a liquid lunch to cope with this situation. Spare a thought for the old soak.
    1
  12380.  @jkjkhardcore666  , two points :- a) there is no long term strategy in the US policy is made on the hoof. (eg Erdogan phones Trump, and he immediately walks out and announces a troop withdrawal : it's not planned). b) US debt is entirely relative. It's like the Mona Lisa is worth $1 million then a decade later is worth $100 million. Nothing has changed : it is just what folk are prepared to spend. With US debt, if folk are still buying Treasury Bonds then everyone is happy.
    1
  12381.  @jkjkhardcore666  , you can't simply say, " If we go into default", obviously all sorts of awful things happen. I agree ! But there is no default. US debt is quite serviceable : that's why folk buy treasury bonds.
    1
  12382. Oh Joy ! Well done Trump. He is such a master chess player he left Iran with only one move to make.......and it stinks ! Iran had to pull out which now leaves them as a pariah-state seeking nuclear weapons. Iran have the entire civilized world against them, unified in sanctions. A master stroke by the US.
    1
  12383.  @shaharhhlinovky2380  Hamas was elected as a response to Fatah corruption and gangsterism. " Fighting broke out in the West Bank after Palestinian National Security Forces fired on a Hamas rally in Ramallah. Security units loyal to Mahmoud Abbas and dressed in riot gear, used clubs and rifles to beat back the demonstrators before the shooting broke out. At least 20 people were wounded in the clashes, which came shortly after the attempt to assassinate Ismail Haniya" Fatah fought hard to maintain their turf :- "Throughout 10 and 15 June of fighting Hamas took control of the main north–south road and the coastal road.[69] and removed Fatah officials. The ICRC estimated that at least 118 people were killed and more than 550 wounded during the fighting in the week up to June 15.[70] Human Rights Watch accused both sides with violations of international humanitarian law. Including the targeting and killing of civilians, public executions of political opponents and captives, throwing prisoners off high-rise apartment buildings, fighting in hospitals, and shooting from a jeep marked with "TV" insignias."
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  12384. The ANC opened a bank VPS Mutual The ANC politicians then systematically robbed it until it had to close : the poor folk who had deposits lost everything.
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  12385. There were no casualties because Iran informed Iraq who informed the US. This was a face-saver.
    1
  12386. @synco pated , history will prove my analysis correct. Iran will have informed the Iraqi government of the strike, knowing they would inform the US. That way there are no casualties and no war.
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  12387. This is total nonsense. Britain established trading colonies in 1608 They had to give gifts to the local rulers. Then they had to sign treaties with other rulers. India was always ruled by local Nawabs and War-Lords. Every treaty Britian signed had a clause for the return of Kashmiri slave girls. The local Indian rulers were utterly depraved. Civilization was the result of British influence. Listen to Imran Khan : when speaking Urdu, he uses the English word "Elections" because there is no comparable Indian word. Many aspects of civilization had no comparable word in India.
    1
  12388. The Palestinian Authority's only success is in running a corrupt dictatorship. Their only initiative was for young folk to sacrifice themselves "attacking the fence". A flag and a pile of stones (for throwing) is the only achievement of the Palestinian leadership in 70yrs. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. They passed up a 2 state solution (by the UN) in 1947. Passed again in 2000 at Camp David : where Bill Clinton declared "Arafat can't be trusted". And still the same corrupt old men in charge. World leaders cringe at the sight of the corrupt PA entering the room. No wonder nobody engages with them. The Palestinians biggest enemy is their own leadership : a 70yr total failure.
    1
  12389. Putin explained to macron how he intends to "rape" Ukraine. 'Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it,' Putin said, using an expression that rhymes in Russian.
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  12390. China has loaned billions to Turkey, Pakistan, most of Africa. And is using its loans as a foreign policy tool.
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  12391.  @GaryCameron  Thanks. I saw close-up photos on Twitter, which suggested a blast from beneath. The road sections had been lifted of their bearings. (They sit on bearing to expand and contract, and to stop destructive vibrations)
    1
  12392. Bernard Weatharill (speaker) told one member, whose jacket had been pulled as he stood to speak, "May I suggest the honourable member be a bit more robust"
    1
  12393. Remember Erdogan visiting the US ? Remember his thugs beating up protestors and kicking women on the ground. Erdogan's thugs are still wanted in the US for assault.
    1
  12394.  @agu003  , Countries don't stop Islam, ideas do. Western civilization is everyone's ideal : folk like freedom and prosperity, education, transparency, accountability and democracy. Even Islamic folk in Iran desire democracy. Ask yourself this :- What happened to the Harem ? In the middle east all rulers had one, also in Africa the chiefs had them (they would sell women as they got older and replace them with younger ones) ; in India they had harems - every treaty signed by the British with a local warlord included a clause for the return of slave girls), in China the mandarins had them. What happened to the harem on all those continents ? They vanished because of the moral superiority of Western civilization. Western civilization is morally superior to Islam, that is why Islam will fail.
    1
  12395.  @etiennedegaulle3817  , also, I remember reading an impressive statistic about Argentians and books (which I've forgotten) The point is this :- the foundations of a country define its character, culture and identity. Spanish-America's foundations are the Spanish (fanatics of Europe) and the Church ( censorship, no independent intellectual movements, fabulously wealthy etc) The leviathans of Nobility and Church forged Spanish-America. The Hidalgo (minor nobles who made up ~25% of Spanish pop) came to the Americas looking for a village to support them. Not to create business or trade or farm or do any work. Henry karmen relates a story of a mother giving money to a beggar then kissing his hand. Her son discovered the beggar was a Hidalgo - built like a warrior, athletic, handsome but would sooner beg than work.
    1
  12396. Global south behind Putin ? Nobody has recognised Russia's annexations ! (Only whackjob countries)
    1
  12397. Galeotti is wrong Putin wants an END - not any of Mark's options Trump wants an END - hence he will remove all sanctions That's the clue Russia is pulling back to 2014 borders in 18 months
    1
  12398. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  12399. Rameez, you are in an alternative reality : Iran are the ones ostracized by the international community. In the civilized West everyone knows Iran attacked the tankers. Iran wants war. It's economy is tanking and nobody is coming to their aid.
    1
  12400.  @rameezraja5071  , I would never ask an opponent to leave. How will you ever be educated if you just feed your own prejudice ? I could tell you all about Mohammed Mossadegh and the overthrow of the Shah, how the Ayatollah executed 7000 in his first year, how the Shah's prisons were described as tedious and how the Ayatollah's prisons were torture camps.
    1
  12401.  @ginethontito2866  , you are quite right the evidence isn't 100%. But you fail to offer an alternative. Iran acknowledge it was their boat removing a mine but say it wasn't their mine : well can we see a photo of the mine they removed and decide whose it is. Then you have a drone shot down : let's say we're not 100% sure where it was, the fact is the Iranians shot it down. Iran's economy is sinking fast and there's no light at the end of the tunnel ; they think a short messy conflict could improve their situation : Iran want a short messy war that ends with a lifting of sanctions.
    1
  12402.  @abbasalwan7620  , But Biden snubbed MBS, stopped arms sales, and displayed great disapproval of the Yemen war. Saudi are reacting to Biden's approach with an attempt at peace. There are internet Whack-jobs who call all sorts of folk Zionists. Probably Biden did a Jewish fund-raiser, but he certainly opposed Israeli settlements.
    1
  12403. RIP with an exclamation mark. You don't need me to tell you it's wrong.
    1
  12404. Battle of Tannenberg (1914) Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles. They were slaughtered by artillery - 80,000 killed 92,000 POWs 500 artillery pieces lost. Russia's new conscripts are in for a similar bloody horror show in Ukraine.
    1
  12405. If one is daft enough to consider a UN declaration to be equivalent to statehood
    1
  12406. LOL - Al Jazeera NEVER mention Hamas (it's a dirty word)
    1
  12407. This guy has it all wrong :- a) In 1991 Crime voted NO (ie pro-Russia) by 42%, with a 60% turnout. That means 58% voted to leave Russia. And yet this jackass claims "The result would be no different" (with a fair referendum) b) The jackass doesn't realise Ukraine CANNOT join NATO whilst there is an ongoing territorial dispute. So his ludicrous hypothesis, that Ukraine would try to retake Crimea as a NATO member is a non-starter. He is quite an ignoramus.
    1
  12408. Merkel has been replaced, not by Macron but by Ursula von der Leyden. Macron, however, has done well. A good decision to avoid the debates : they can only harm him, and his opponents are elevated simply by debating with him as an equal.
    1
  12409. "European complicity" Yes, Europe funded UNRWA who provided some of the terrorists
    1
  12410. Hillary didn't force the Trump team to meet Russians in a hotel. They didn't force General Flynn to jump in bed with the Kremlin. They didn't force Eric Trump to say, "We don't need loans from US banks, we get all the money we need from Russia"
    1
  12411. A nice couple : the fat one is a mass murderer.
    1
  12412.  @sudhinalavil  Biden : "Russia will be a pariah on the world stage. Any nation countenancing Russian aggression will be tainted by association" He is talking about India. Modi has countenanced Russian aggression by not condemning it outright. India is tainted by association.
    1
  12413.  @joyid  You compare the British Raj with totalitarian despotic Russia ? The Indian Congress party was founded by Freemasons (an idealistic philanthropic society started in Scotland). The British left India as a functioning democracy with independent education and the rule of law. Even Jinnah wanted to model Pakistan on the British system. If you spot a corrupt thug (like Lukashenko) then you have detected Russian influence. Queen Victoria - whose sense of justice provoked her to send an unauthorised telegram to France, denouncing the outrageous injustice of the Dreyfus verdict, that fine lady described the Russians as, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exits".
    1
  12414. UK and Europe need to combine with Canada, Australia and ALL other nations in a coalition of the willing against Trump & Putin Trump's team are disgusting and detestable (there's no getting round that) One would prefer an alliance with China
    1
  12415. They should dump the Chinese characters and adopt the Western alphabet. Imagine all those 150,000 characters , it makes no sense.
    1
  12416. Cineva, one of the reasons China atrophied over the centuries (falling behind the West) was because academics aspired to pass the Confucian exam, part of which was memorizing 150,000 characters. It makes no sense. You can see how it evolved but now it needs dumping. I love history & culture and hope that printer is given a grant to help store it all. LoneRiderz, even simplified it is 30,000......it needs dumping. Andy, have you ever read one of those compressed Chinese books ? You would still need to memorize 30,000 characters and lose the nuance of the remaining 120,000. It's ridiculous.
    1
  12417. Andy, " have you read any Chinese books ?" LOL no I haven't but I've read Confucius in translation. Germaine + Andy, you're missing my point. The Western alphabet is technically superior. It is like a country using binary for mathematics. They can accomplish everything a decimal (Math) country can but it is needlessly complex. Andy , let me translate your final comment :- " You have probably never heard of vertical Chinese Classics and your opinion of Chinese writing and culture is laughable. " LOL
    1
  12418. Andy, let me translate , " So how is your algorithm coping with this ? Remember the when you pass to the spirit world , Heaven and the ancestors will be hard on your criticism. But don't stop keep digging till you can go no further". I accept that scolding LOL
    1
  12419. 25,000 Russian, defending 100 miles : that is 1/4 of a football stadium. General Keane (on Fox news)"The US is supplying Ukraine with exquisite intelligence" The counter offensive has been thoroughly planned with the Pentagon war-games department. Ony a desperate Orcs would put his money on Moscow. This will be 100% successful for Ukraine.
    1
  12420. What nincompoops. Who would believe in the 21st century such idiots would exist. Of course it is a religious belief they have : humanity has an innate yearning for the transcendent : that's why anthropologists estimate 10,000 religions have been invented over the course of human evolution.
    1
  12421. Kremlin lies :- Russians committed no war crimes in Chechnya no war crimes in Afghanistan didn't shoot down MH17 didn't poison anyone with Novichok didn't assassinate opposition politicians didn't throw journalists out of windows didn't commit atrocities in Bucha didn't torture civilians didn't rape women didn't loot property The Pope described Russia as "Infantile", it was very perceptive of him. There is a banality about Russian brutality, they are lie evil children.
    1
  12422.  @Harrier_DuBois  Oh jeez, where do I start. Israeli police action is a provocation, so are the evictions. Firing rockets across a border at a neighbouring country is an act of war. Do I need to elaborate, or do you understand the difference in magnitude ? What did Hamas imagine Israel would do in response ?
    1
  12423.  @Harrier_DuBois  Yes, that's exactly what one would expect, when Hamas launch missiles in an act of war. Of course Israel will respond with a deterrent lesson.
    1
  12424. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  12425. LOL The Ayatollah is such a liar. He is supposed to be a holy man, yet he's the biggest liar on the world stage. LOL
    1
  12426.  @syedmohammedhussain799  The propaganda is that Iranian militia murder Iraqi democracy activists. https://www.theguardian.com/guardianweekly/story/0,,1818778,00.html https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-36716494 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barwana_massacre Iran's militia in Iraq are just like Hezbollah in Lebanon : they are assassins and anti-democratic thugs.
    1
  12427.  @syedmohammedhussain799  Scores of Iraqis are murdered every year by Iranian militia. Why not ask about that ? "Waving portraits of victims, gunned down with silencers by unknown assailants, the demonstrators converged on the Iraqi capital's main squares including Tahrir, as police were deployed in force." https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210525-two-iraqis-killed-at-protest-in-iraq-over-unpunished-killings
    1
  12428.  @syedmohammedhussain799  600 democracy activists have been murdered by Iran :- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/25/one-killed-as-iraqs-anti-government-protests-resume " Protesters were united under the slogan: “Who killed me?” and armed with flags and banners bearing the faces of the dead.
    1
  12429.  @syedmohammedhussain799  Go to the Freedom House Index. It is an independent research unit that analyses citizen's freedom in different nations :- https://freedomhouse.org/countries/freedom-world/scores I won't spoil the fun by telling you that Iran score 16/100. They are at the very bottom with North Korea (6/100)
    1
  12430. If you read a bit of history you'll find the South fired the first shots. Also, it wasn't about independence it was about slavery. Independence is the gloss Southern historians put on the war to make it seem honourable. It was about slavery and was a very dishonourable position the South took when they started the war.
    1
  12431. "Lincoln didn't care to preserve or release slaves" . Lincoln was an abolitionist end of story. He was prepared to put those values aside to keep the Union. That is realpolitik. " The South ultimately wanted to be left alone ", you paint a lovely picture - no sign of slaves- just good Christian farmers who wanted to be "left alone". Can I say 'grow up' ? Nobody fights wars for those fairytale reasons. The South was going to be economically crippled by abolition. That's why war was inevitable. Read the letters between politicians predicting it : their only concern was "Abolition" not one letter mentions "Being left alone".
    1
  12432. Jblue, what is ignored by Liberals is the corrupt totalitarian fascism of the Palestinians. Jeremy Corbyn ( The UK's top 'democrat') backs Hamas. Yes, that anti-democratic Islamofascist bunch of thugs ! Yaser Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion from the people : nobody mentions it. In fact he is feted as a hero by Liberals.
    1
  12433. Scott, Yaser Arafat is emblematic of anti-democratic Palestinian corruption. Where is the opposition to Fatah ? Don't say Hamas. Hamas are a bunch of Islamofascist thugs. I'll ask again : where's the opposition ? There isn't one. The Palestinian Authority (Fatah) are a one-party state. That doesn't bother feeble minded Liberals. Well go to a Fatah meeting and ask to see their accounts : they'll drag you outside and beat the $hit out of you. Then you'll realise why there is no opposition in Palestine.
    1
  12434. 0:44 LOL Tunisia. The new Prime Minister and President, can anyone take that scene seriously ? What is it about North Africa and the Middle East - the Caliphate countries, why are they incapable of civilized governance. (That is a rhetorical question ) It is because of authoritarian Islam which demands (and extols) obedience. And authoritarian Sultan rule (the Sultan was considered to be "Our Lord on Earth") The caliphate has no history of democracy, representative assemblies, or education. The Ulema banned printing in 1515 and condemned the majority to ignorance, until the caliphate collapsed in 1922.
    1
  12435. Guterres never mentions hostages - he is 100% pro-Hamas
    1
  12436.  @suryatejach007  141 countries condemned Russia at the UN, India wasn't amongst them. What does that mean ? It means Modi didn't condemn Putin. Along with China and Pakistan. When India finds itself in bed with China and Pakistan, you can be sure they have made a massive blunder. This is the defining event of the 21st Century and India are on the losing side.
    1
  12437.  @Qwerty-jc3so  I meant to paste this one :- Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  12438.  @psn3694  Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  12439.  @psn3694  Modi is speaking to Zelensky on the phone today. I hope Modi has practised his circus sills, because he will be trying to ride two horses at once - to please the West and the Axis of Evil.
    1
  12440.  @Qwerty-jc3so  When a Chinese official can rape a young tennis player with complete immunity, most people would consider that evil. Chinese genocide camps in Xinjiang are also considered to be evil. North Korea is an evil regime. Most folk who have a moral compass agree on this. India tries to keep a foot in both camps, so it is unable to condemn Russian despotism.
    1
  12441.  @Qwerty-jc3so  With respect, your replies are nitpicking. The Russian invasion is the defining event of the 21st century. Russia isn't a democracy and never has been. Russia has never experienced the Enlightenment. Listen to Solzhenitsyn speak about Mother Russia and you will see it is essentially medieval. The Russian leviathan of Asiatic Autocracy is once again at war with Western Democracy, and it isn't going to end anytime soon. And India has chosen the losing side.
    1
  12442.  @Qwerty-jc3so  " global power shift from the west towards the east." That is just a journalistic article to grab attention. How many aircraft carriers does China have ? What about India ? and Russia ? The USA would obliterate all three on its own. Don't be fooled by economics. Folk are queuing up to buy dollar bonds (US debt). Whilst Chinese and Russian billionaires are queuing up to get Western citizenship. The power lies in the West : Germany has just announced a $100 billion increase per year in defence spending, could India do that (or China) ? Could India or China build 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines at the drop of a hat ? Don't be fooled by nuclear missile numbers : "The United States has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability and Russian generals know that" (Lord Owen)
    1
  12443.  @blantyre60  "Western leaders too are still speaking to Putin" Yes, but they all condemned Russia at the UN ! India abstained - giving Moscow a nod & wink of approval. Modi won't even call it a war. He follows his master's advice and calls it a 'military operation'. India has chosen the losing side, in the defining event of the 21st century.
    1
  12444. The Ukraine invasion by Russian butchers has created a new world. India has sided with the Axis of Evil : they have chosen the losing side. AUKUS doesn't need India. The QUAD is a pressure group - it is not an alliance. The US spends $755 billion on defence. Bismarck said, "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English", that is the basis for AUKUS. India must employ a moral compass, use its head, look to the future, and get on the winning side.
    1
  12445. That could be applied to Iran Khomeini arrested the moderates. Then executed many in the 1988 show trials, then there were more show trials in 1990. Opposition is necessary for successful evolution (that goes for sport, science, economics, anything)
    1
  12446.  @jaafarnasserddine9753  Fair enough. Consider Palestine : they have just announced they will have elections after 15 years. Of course, they will be faux elections (just like Russia) which is why Palestine have made no progress in 70yrs. It is written into the Palestinian constitution that the PLO(Fatah) represent the people. My point is this :- without genuine opposition there is no evolution. Hence, 70yrs of failure for the Palestinians. Hence, Russian decline ; "The ministry has proposed the government cut state spending on the military by 5% between 2021 and 2023"
    1
  12447.  @russianpower4252  The Levada centre was an independent, nongovernmental polling and sociological research organisation. "After the Levada Center on 1 September 2016 published the results of a poll that had found a significant decline in support for the ruling United Russia party, the Russian authorities closed it down. Declaring that the pollster was "performing the functions of a foreign agent" There are no independent academic research centres, no independent media, everything is controlled by Kremlin crooks and Moscow mafia.
    1
  12448.  @Muirton66  I agree. That was the case when Putin used it as an excuse for invasion - Ukraine cannot join NATO whilst ever Russia is in Crimea. We have to find things to give Russia so they don't lose face (because God knows they are getting humiliated)
    1
  12449.  @goodrocket2  Russia's defeat is a mathematical certainty. Even Kazakhstan's president said, "The hopeless situation in Russia"
    1
  12450.  @guilzd5836  Let me explain about Assange. He had many Gb of data, that he couldn't possibly review, so he simply revealed it all. That data exposed activists in despotic countries, who could then be identified and tortured. Why did Assange do it? Because in order to sift the data it would have taken a whole team of journalists. Those journalists would have shared the limelight. Assange's ego couldn't handle that. Assange had to be the focus - so he simply revealed everything, regardless of who had to suffer.
    1
  12451.  @guilzd5836  The bottom line is - Assange has nobody to blame but his own ego.
    1
  12452. Hamas MURDERED him
    1
  12453. "He has nothing left but his faith in God". Well God never buttered a parsnip ! All the food aid is stamped UN or U.S.A. you're not going to get much help from God.
    1
  12454. British newspapers : the strongest condemnation. Marvellous. The British have always defended the oppressed : In 1864 half a million turned out in London to welcome garibaldi. Well done Britain : the birthplace of parliamentary democracy, and a guardian of Civilization. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  12455. Corruption : the go-to weapon of despotic regimes. However, in any conflict China simply cannot defend these islands, they would be mopped up by AUKUS.
    1
  12456. Why not have a summit : Turkey and Sri-Lanka. They could share embassies abroad to save costs. Corrupt Turkish politicians could take their holidays in Sri-Lanka, and corrupt Sri-Lankan politicians could have a holiday in Turkey.
    1
  12457. Terrible analysis. One has to (at least) begin with the collapse of the Ottomans (1920s) Then include the Mufti of Jerusalem (1920) The first Jewish election (1920) This is a very sloppy video.
    1
  12458. Let's bring in me for some economic analysis. Well, in 2018 china's stock market saw the biggest loss anywhere in the world 28%. The fall was only halted by the CCP telling banks to lend and easing up banking leverage restrictions. The CCP told regional governors to start spending and the stocks picked up. However financial gravity is wanting the market lower. Debt is the only thing sustaining China at the moment. Private/corporate debt has grown exponentially. The CCP are right to be worried.
    1
  12459. @უფალო შემიწყალე , that's a fair point but imagine if interest rates are zero, you would be well advised to borrow and invest in education or development. National debt originated with the first national banks (Bank of Amsterdam 1612? and the Bank of England 1689?) The actual dates are in my video "Industrial Revolution : why Britain ?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdP0CdyJ1k&t=17s
    1
  12460. Medicare : I remember Dick Morris saying the Republicans can never scrap Obamacare because once people are given an entitlement it's very difficult to reverse.
    1
  12461.  @Eusantdac  , Meister is a schoolboy. He has named the only 3 Russian leaders he knows. Nobody with an ounce of sense would group Gorbachev with Stalin. It's good of you to educate him. As if Glasnost & Perestroika are comparable to the reign of terror.
    1
  12462. Has he explained why he allowed COVID to spread around the world ? The WHO knew there was an outbreak in China, but let it spread Have they finished investigating how that happened ?
    1
  12463. Palestinians should ask for advice Everything they do is a disaster - one Imam waved an AK47 in his mosque calling for more murders The West is revolted Yasser Arafat was worshipped by Palestinians : he ruled as a dictator for 35yrs and stole $3 billion Arafat was very wise - he managed to steal Western aid, and Gulf oil money. He was sending his wife in Paris 1 million per month in the 1970s (that's when one could retire on a million)
    1
  12464. Shame on India. Pakistan also supports Russia. When India finds itself in bed with Pak, one knows an error of judgement has been made. Come on Modi, find some courage.
    1
  12465. 18 Nov 2022 — Australia has entered 'nuclear confrontation' with China, says Emmanuel Macron. Macron is vindictive and a poor ally for the west
    1
  12466. Well the Palestinian Authority just arrested and murdered Nazir Banat and don't seem to feel much shame.
    1
  12467. A week of frantic diplomacy :- 21 Oct Shoigu phones Lloyd Austin 23 Oct Shoigu phones Turkey, France, UK, and in the evening, again, the US 24 Oct Gerasimov phones all the above In the evening Foreign ministers from France UK and US all have a conference call 23 Oct in Rome Macron and the Pope both say Peace is there if Ukraine wants it The same weekend Romania's Foreign Sec, who advocated land for peace 2 weeks ago, is forced to resign. What a long weekend : tectonic plates are shifting
    1
  12468. Hillary.
    1
  12469. Russia is rattled.
    1
  12470. India's foreign policy stinks The Ukraine invasion by Russian butchers has created a new world. India has sided with the Axis of Evil : they have chosen the losing side. AUKUS doesn't need India. The QUAD is a pressure group - it is not an alliance. The US spends $755 billion on defence. Bismarck said, "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English", that is the basis for AUKUS. India must employ a moral compass, use its head, look to the future, and get on the winning side.
    1
  12471. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    1
  12472. A great intro : masterful alliteration on the letter "D" : could he have said deracinated ? I can't even remember what that is. Defenestrated is thrown from a window.....but how could that apply to Mike Flynn. Anyway, well done Pakman.
    1
  12473. 75% if Israelis at present don't want to hear 2-states They want the hostages back And they want Hamas exterminated Maybe after a generation (25yrs) Israelis will feel different
    1
  12474. The US did ! The Paris Truce was arranged by the US & France : Israel accepted it Hamas added delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are non-starters" It is Hamas that wants war - they want to stay in power
    1
  12475. France 24 wrong again Israel accepted the Paris deal, it was Hamas that added delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are non-starters" Why does France 24 insist it is Israel blocking a deal ?
    1
  12476. I wish NATO would just tell Turkey to £%$& -off.
    1
  12477. The German President asked to visit Kyiv, and was told "No", why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  12478. Good - this is what Biden wants Biden wants a Frozen Conflict : he doesn't want Russia defeated Biden wants Ukraine to be forced to negotiate In effect Biden is happy to see Russia pounding Ukraine
    1
  12479. What does that lot add up to....appeasement. I've never heard such nonsense. A load of Russian suggestions the serve the purposes of Russia and N Korea. Offering Pyongyang economic sweeteners : I think the Moscow mafia should stick to corruption . It's what they're good at.
    1
  12480.  @kennethbryan3738  Afghanistan was a demonstration of US resolve ! They were there for 20yrs and spent $3 trillion. Point to another country that could do that. The Afghans are a medieval lost cause. It was finally time to cut the umbilical cord.
    1
  12481.  @b3drasse885  Russian soldiers were fleeing without their boots. Some were riding bicycles, others dressed as civilians : it will all be recorded in the history books. There will be plenty of scope for humour.
    1
  12482. 1917 : "Russia was incredibly ignorant and backwards". Stalin took that ignorance and gave it electric shock therapy. Kojeve : " He turned it into a jelly which he could mould" When the USSR collapsed (1991) that jelly needed leadership : That's when the KGB picked up the reins.
    1
  12483. They are a very good double act.
    1
  12484. "Shortage of paper and ink" I smell the pen & ink (stink) of corruption. LOL What a half-baked failure of a country.
    1
  12485. India has no shame. I hope the US and EU sanction the hell out of India.
    1
  12486. Pompeo will push back on Russia. Tillerson was given $80 million by congress to use against Russia cyber activity and he ran the clock out.......he didn'y want it. Tillerson was an old man who struggled to climb the steps to an air-plane. Pompeo will be very different.
    1
  12487. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  12488.  @emrekoseoglu1888  Many folk look at the number of missiles and get confused. Russia acknowledges that most of its missiles are decommissioned - the warhead is stored separately for safety, and the missiles need fuelling. Less than 10% of Russia's missiles are available for immediate launch. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. That is why the US has "a massive, massive, superiority" over any other nation. The Yanks don't spend $800 billion a year for nothing.
    1
  12489. Ha ha ha, notice macron never suggested a complete political change ? That's because France cherishes the influence at has with the present system. A new political system might sideline France. Do not expect anything but self-interest from France.
    1
  12490. Hamas has corrupted the West If they can't condemn rapes and murders then what's left ?
    1
  12491. Morsi thought himself secure because he believed democratic Western civilisation was his shield against any attack. Which is ironic considering he hated the West and wanted to replace it with totalitarian Islam.
    1
  12492. How will the war end ? One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet". Most folk agree with that, but how does the war end ? Ukraine intend to liberate the whole country - including Donbas and Crimea. That can only lead to total political collapse in Russia.
    1
  12493. That was great ; Turkey is heading for the precipice Erdogan has got his £it caught in the big ringer
    1
  12494. "500 killed in one Israeli air-strike" al-Ahli Arab Hospital That was shown to be a Hamas missile - this guy is repeating old lies "Anglican diocese that manages the hospital reported 200 people killed" 200 killed by a Hamas rocket misfire Please stop spreading propaganda which has been disproved !
    1
  12495. Palestinian failure began in the 1920s When the Ottoman Empire collapsed (sultan fled in 1922, Caliph fled in 1924) The Palestinians had no intellectuals. There was no forum for ideas. Leadership was provided by the Mufti of Jerusalem - who was installed by the British ! It wasn't until 1960 that Yasser Arafat played the role of Ataturk and established the idea of a secular Palestinian state. By then it was too late. Palestine failed in the 1920s
    1
  12496. Theresa May certainly called it right for her general election fiasco. She asked two of her staff to run that campaign : Sooty & Sweep, who resigned afterwards. It filled us all with confidence. Fortunately, off camera, Ken Clarke had called her " a bloody difficult woman" and armed with that tag-line she believed herself to be a match for Brussels. They stitched her up like a kipper , privately boasting "we have all the controls". It will never get through parliament and a tearful resignation will follow. The Conservatives will look at their mediocrities and try to select a super-flyweight. Labour will be urging their mediocrity to demand a general election and the public will be thinking ,"How about a second vote on Brexit or ask Corbyn to step down or maybe Boris can get us our cake & eat it or maybe we could bring back Blair".
    1
  12497. Hamas has corrupted the West If they can't condemn rapes and murders then what's left ?
    1
  12498. If Russia goes nuclear or chemical, it will happen within the next few weeks It makes no sense for Russia to wait until it only possesses Crimea Putin wants international mediation A deniable nuclear strike will freeze the conflict with Russian possessions secured
    1
  12499. Is India still looking for its moral compass ?
    1
  12500. Malaysia is a $hithole country. Why should anyone apologise to it.
    1
  12501. In Britain there are many Liberals (Jeremy Corbyn and the Archbishop of Canterbury) that want to stop military support for Ukraine. One smells the odour of appeasement on them. They should think on Britain's proud history. In 1864 half a million turned out to greet Garibaldi when he visited London. In 1824 Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence against the Ottomans. The appeasers cowardly considerations would undermine all that, and give strength and support to the Kremlin. Putin relies upon vacillating liberals to swallow his threats and sow discord and fatalistic dejection. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's threats on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" Spoken like a man : by a member of the Intelligence Committee. We must all show resolve. And recall the spirit of 1895 :- when Abdul Hamid II ordered the slaughter of Armenians and British marines went ashore to stop the massacre. They didn't turn round and say, "But there are thousands of Ottomans and only a few of us", they had the courage and conviction of doing the right thing.
    1
  12502. Biden is president and has ACES up his sleeve :- a) Biden can defeat Russia in 6 weeks if he takes his foot off the brake The Kerch bridge will be gone in a weekend Ukraine destroyed 40 Russian air def systems in June Ukraine can achieve air supremacy with Biden's foot off the brake
    1
  12503. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  12504. LOL that would be poetic indeed
    1
  12505.  @blackcatdungeonmastersfami5311  I just did the research. Those parachute regiments were the ones who committed the atrocities. Read it for yourself. The EU has sent investigators, so have the International Criminal Court. Russian Paras = Butchers of Bucha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucha_massacre
    1
  12506.  @blackcatdungeonmastersfami5311  The Russian war crimes are being investigated by the ICC, the EU, the Ukrainians and Amnesty International. Russian POWs are interviewed on YouTube. You can find the information everywhere. Butchers of Bucha = Russian Airborne Forces. 76th Guards Air Assault Division. 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment. 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment. 56th Guards Air Assault Regiment. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    1
  12507. Why is France incapable of dealing with Russia's invasion ? Guizot 1830 :"In France every storm becomes a deluge : opposition becomes insurrection, and insurrection revolution" That is why France is on its 5th Republic. That's the French character. Which is why they are unable to display equanimity towards Russian aggression. Macron must imagine the worst. The USA and Britain have been here before, they know how to deal with tyrants. Eg : AUKUS, Macron's hysteria ; "We must not humiliate Russia" Macron's panic.
    1
  12508.  @roberthoyt7921  remember Mugabe in Zimbabwe ? They were dancing in the streets celebrating his birthday, then 6 months later, after a coup, they were dancing celebrating his departure. The Russians are the same : they praise Putin now, but would celebrate his overthrow. They are conditioned to obedience, like Petrov's dog.
    1
  12509.  @7ebr830  LOL yes Pavlov.
    1
  12510.  @7ebr830  Thanks. I knew it was wrong when I wrote it, but didn't have time to check. I always confuse John Wycliffe and William Tyndale (the first started Protestantism at Oxford, which was transferred to Bohemia by Anne of Bohemia's courtiers, she married Richard II ; there it was taken up by Jan Huss; finally Luther declared "we are all Hussites without knowing it". The second translated the bible to English, and was executed for his troubles.).
    1
  12511.  @stevencharnock9271  LOL The EU are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants. However, the EU soft weapons, cannot be defended against by tanks or missiles :- prosperity, justice, equal opportunities, humanitarian values....etc Belarus want to join, Ukraine want to join, Turkey and Serbia want to join, even Russia would like to join. Soft-power appeals to folks desires, even Kremlin brainwashing is powerless.
    1
  12512. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  12513. His good friend said, "He was always the smartest guy in the room". Well, perhaps not always. In fact occasionally, he'd be standing there in scuba gear looking like a fricking clown . And his final performance was more Punch & Judy than Shakespeare.
    1
  12514. Russia and China are Asiatic Autocracies. Karl Marx described Russians as "The immobile Mongol". China and Russia are dystopias. Stalin killed 30 million in an internecine genocide, and Mao killed 60 million in a savage Great Leap forward. India is a democracy, it's roots are tied to the Commonwealth.
    1
  12515. Cuba's president doesn't like "hatred". Oh, no wonder his thugs are breaking bones - they are simply protecting the sensibilities of their leader.
    1
  12516. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  12517. Russia's missile attack was perfect : ineffectually venting steam. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win incrementally. Russia must quietly collapse. One more push on the battlefield and Putin will topple.
    1
  12518. This sort of thing isn't Trump's strong point, I'll grant you. He should delegate this to someone else. Trump's bravura plays best on the geopolitical stage.
    1
  12519. Qater are good at getting tough with Filipino maids and giving them a beating. When it comes to facing a credible adversary they sit in indolence and appeal to world opinion.
    1
  12520. "It is very unclear what Russia actually want" correct However, Biden has made clear his position - he showed the world his hand, "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" What a jackass statement.
    1
  12521. 52.4% are against Israel pulling out West Bank settlements Shin Bet said 15% I think he is very selective in what he wants to believe about Israeli society He thinks they all agree with him !
    1
  12522. Reasons US did it :- a) to send a message to Moscow the US isn't messing around b) Russia will be revanchist for generations, and Germany will resume buying gas the minute Putin resigns - funding revanchist Russia. c) Nordstream was a bad idea from the start and needed destroying. d) It sends a message to Europe the US isn't messing around - with Russia threatening to go nuclear the last thing the US needs is a wobbly EU re-engaging with the Kremlin.
    1
  12523. Ha ha ha, very good piece Dave. I'm a Trump supporter but have to laugh at your deconstruction of Trump's tweets. I'm shaking my head at Trump but saying, "He's just giving a human response ". You just said it ,"It's Trump being Trump".
    1
  12524. There's a lot there for me to tackle. Can I digress to his performance at the UN as an example. Folk say there were 'murmurs of disapproval '.........well good.....the place is full of dictatorships and human-rights violators. No doubt they would have been applauding pusillanimous Obama. But Trump let them have both barrels and also called for long overdue reform to the UN itself. The majority of the U.S. voted for change and Trump is shaking things up. You say he's a man-child who knows nothing : well everyone knew that when they voted for him.....blame the DNC for selecting a corrupt liar to stand against him ; who was so unpopular her campaign ads featured neither her voice nor her face.
    1
  12525. Good points but if you read "The art of the deal" Trump says ,"Keep pushing and pushing and raising the stakes and eventually you get what you want". (paraphrased) This could be what is happening here. At any rate everyone knew Obama would NEVER do anything whereas Trump just might and that keeps foes on their toes.
    1
  12526. firespinnr : Congratulations you have occupied the high moral ground and not left me a toe hold. Also you have read Art of the Deal whereas I just heard a few quotes. However, if China cut oil exports etc (they have already closed financial services) then maybe Trump's strategy will have worked. The key ingredient is "You must be prepared to walk" ie leave the deal : in the case of N Korea you have to be prepared to go to the military. Trump's primary concern is prosperity for the US ; if a strike on N Korea impoverishes China, Japan & S Korea but hardly effects the U.S. then that would be one more item for China to consider. Of course when Trump is addressing N Korea he's actually talking to China.
    1
  12527. I think you've over-estimated the debt cards China holds.They recently sold 18billion and the market snapped it up. For Obama this would be a huge problem because he can't go nuclear. Trump can and that means he holds ALL the cards. Pyongyang says it will explode an airburst nuke over the Pacific .If Trump decides now is the time he will seek diplomatic cover for the consequences by urging the UN & China & Russia to stop it. I don't think now is the time , Trump will just ratchet the pressure on China. POTUS does have a red-line and it's a multiple warhead nuke : he will never let N Korea develop one (they are 18months away). Nobody is under any illusions about Trump : these are not empty threats. As Pakman said he doesn't look for consensus and there are already Senators backing a strike.
    1
  12528. Hamas, founded in 1987, are "Muslim Brotherhood". Remember Mohammed Morsi removed by a coup in Egypt ? That's the Brotherhood. They are hated in Egypt, Jordan and all the Gulf states; the EU and US have branded them terrorists - everyone (who counts) hates them. Why have Palestine chosen Hamas ? The Palestinians have been losing for 70yrs, why pick Hamas ? The chances of Hamas success are zero, zilch, nought, nix, nichts, nothing.
    1
  12529. France & Germany are only half committed to Ukraine. Thank God for the USA
    1
  12530. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  12531.  @indianslay.........8064  Irish descent actually. But even on that topic many MPs campaigned for Home Rule for Ireland (it split the Liberal Party - Gladstone). Many British Mps campaigned for India's independence. Parliamentary democracy and free speech is Britain's bequest to the civilized world.
    1
  12532.  @rka-truthalwayswins5127  Correct : "Aurangzeb died in 1707, and the Mughal state began a long, slow process of crumbling from within and without. " But the Mughals still ruled many provinces :- "In 1757, the (British East India Co) BEI defeated the Nawab of Bengal and French company interests at the Battle of Palashi. After this victory, the BEI took political control of much of the subcontinent, marking the start of the British Raj in India." British Raj 1858 - 1947 Indian Mutiny 1857
    1
  12533. @theraven900 , every historian recognises that "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" was lifted from a novel. It's laughable when you know the history. You should be in a museum : Folk would walk round looking at C19th history and come across you , a fossil-brained throwback.
    1
  12534. ):40 LOL this is the same guy who made the statement on Huawei.....have China only got one guy.....is he the go-to guy for statements ?
    1
  12535. S Korea's leaders are fools. They are observers at a poker game. And when you find yourself in that position you should just keep quiet and let your player get on with it.
    1
  12536. Htin, you are dead right : that is why Trump is so dangerous. Kim is frightened to death of Trump because the US will not suffer casualties or economic consequences from a conflict. In a way Trump gains from a missile exchange. That is why N Korea want to negotiate. They fear Trump.
    1
  12537. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  12538.  @user1qaz2wsx3edc  There is some truth in your criticism :- a) Amritsar massacre : up to 1000 people were killed by the British Army. There was an outcry in parliament, and a demand for justice. The Indians admired the British system : where MPs and citizens could freely criticise the state. In WW2 250,000 Indians volunteered to fight for the British Empire, for which we are eternally grateful.
    1
  12539. Has he explained why he allowed COVID to spread around the world ? The WHO knew there was an outbreak in China, but let it spread Have they finished investigating how that happened ?
    1
  12540. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  12541. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  12542.  @sarthakprasad4432  , I remember a colonel saying they were in a tent when an air raid started and a 500lb bomb went off 50yds away ripping through all the tents : not a single casualty. Even when the Yanks drop an MOAB they might kill a dozen if they're lucky. So when India say they killed 300 in an air-strike you can guarantee it is bull.
    1
  12543. Why does France promote capitulation ? Why did Macron declare French neutrality on TV ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  12544. What a lot of waffle - "Israel must change its government" Trump is sure going to like that
    1
  12545. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  12546. Are you listening Putin ? This message means NATO will move in if Russia uses nukes in Ukraine.
    1
  12547. Trump said "We need to hear both sides". Switch the caps Lock off and listen to your leader you half-witted, brain-dead £uck-wit.
    1
  12548. knine, Let's see if Chuck Grassley is in bullying mood. "How does a shy retiring lady know about Long Dong Silver ?" That was classic humiliation from Chuck. I hope he does some more humiliating of a woman sitting in front of a senate committee, it's just what Americans love.
    1
  12549.  @Groundwater24  Lftys had that attitude to Stalin. Look where it's got us. Germany had that attitude - not any more, and to make sure the US bombed Nordstream.
    1
  12550. Wow, the time lag. Are you sure both parties have had enough time to prepare their briefs ? It's only been a quarter of a century. Maybe we will have a verdict by the end of the century (if the defendants aren't all expired)
    1
  12551. What about Viktor Medvedchuk , he was the defence lawyer who recommended his client the poet Vasyl Stus should get 10yrs hard labour (which killed him) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Medvedchuk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasyl_Stus Medvedchuk is now Putin's right-hand man. Putin is godfather to his daughter. A man that used to send poets to the Gulag. You libtard morons want proof of who throws journalists out of windows and assassinates opposition leaders. A libtard is someone who is befuddled by big issues , they put their hatred of the US before rational analysis. Wake up to the reality of Putin's dictatorship.
    1
  12552. 1:20 Zafira throws his head back laughing. Obama was duped by Iran. The US had to hand over $18 billion in cash to fund terrorism. No wonder the Iranian foreign minister is laughing at the Yanks.
    1
  12553. "Populated areas" The population has been repeatedly told to leave Leaflets, internet, broadcasts - it is common knowledge they must move south
    1
  12554. Wrong The UAE has a plan to rebuild Gaza But Hamas and radicalised Palestinians will be given homes in the Negev
    1
  12555. Mugabe's ace card is that he knows all the corruption. If Mugabe makes known the corruption of others he can finish their careers.
    1
  12556. "We're excusing Trump supporters". Remember the alternative ? That corrupt liar who is hawking a book full of psychotic delusion .
    1
  12557. What the hell is so indispensable about Dominic Cummings ?
    1
  12558. Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Netanyahu : "Hamas demands are delusional"
    1
  12559. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. It is impossible for Russia to reform- it would take at least 3 generations. Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (8161) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  12560. Guterres : "This is an evil war" The Kremlin thugs have unleashed the barbaric Russian army, destroyed cities, tortured civilians, raped women, murdered and mutilated thousands. The Orthodox Patriarch, Rolex-watch-wearing Kiril has called it a holy war, and he is the most ungodly man in Russia : a KGB informer exposed by Glasnost files in 1990, who informed on his fellow clerics and parishioners. Russia is a dystopia : rotten to the core.
    1
  12561. My latest history video "Erasmus Council of Trent" sheds some historical light on the Catholic Church if anyone cares to cast a critical eye over it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmuYOZA2cuw
    1
  12562. 1978 when the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he would do with secular activists, trade unionists and feminists who had overthrown the Shah : he said, "I will kick their teeth in ". That is how Iran became an Islamofascist state.
    1
  12563. The last Resistance fighter will be Sarkozy. All French Presidents claim to have been in the Resistance (even though most were collaborators). Especially when they are up on corruption charges (which most were).
    1
  12564. India sold its soul for Russian military junk (that doesn't work) Russian jets - easily shot down by Stingers Russian tanks - easily destroyed by British NLAW missiles India has picked the wrong side. AUKUS will never trust India (they have one foot in the camp of the Axis of Evil)
    1
  12565. Hannity is using all Bill O'Reilley's gestures. He's obviously been practising.
    1
  12566. Top of the agenda : the extirpation of Hamas.
    1
  12567. Does anyone remember the end of the film where the detective Lou Escobar says to Jake Gittes , after everything has gone horribly wrong ," It's Chinatown ." I feel like saying ,"It's Africa", to all these documentaries.
    1
  12568. Surely he's not a real professor He doesn't seem to understand Deepseek Deepseek does not compete with the human mind, it has zero comprehension It makes sense of bags of data and gives sensible answers Eg Watson + Jeopardy Watson had a goal to produce sensible comical answers It spotted two words in the question, looked for synonyms and gave Meringue Herangue as the winning answer Watson had zero comprehension Deepseek has zero comprehension That will require AI 2.0 AI 2.0 will be trainied like an undergraduate in Physics, Chemistry Biology etc AI 2.0 WILL have comprehension (or will act as if it does)
    1
  12569. Good report. Nice to see real journalism. (P.S. I think Maduro is a son-of-a-bitch )
    1
  12570. Mettternich : " All the stir of today is made by men with a pitiable stamp" Looking at Schulz one can sympathize.
    1
  12571. That guy is 100% Hamas
    1
  12572. St Francis saved the citizens from a wolf, by agreeing to give it regular meals, "Give me your paw", said St Francis. Macron needs to go to the Kremlin and ask Putin to stop terrorizing his neighbours, by agreeing generous gas-payments. "Give me your paw", Macron will say, as they sign the deal.
    1
  12573.  @jobandknock427  Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  12574. The terrible truth : The Russian people know their army is responsible for atrocities, and they don't care.
    1
  12575. Michel Yakovleff is a soldier-savant
    1
  12576. Flynn was a whack-job. He was being paid by Turkey, which he didn't declare, which is illegal and nothing to do with Russia. Flynn was a liar, crooked and no-good. Geez you must be able to see that !
    1
  12577. LOL Captain bone-spurs does a runner. Not like the lady in New Zealand who laughs off an earthquake. Trump is one cowardly a-hole.
    1
  12578. Deflection : Putin deflects having to address Russia's sanctions (due to aggressive land grab in Crimea and Russian thugs killing innocent people in Eastern Ukraine) by talking about China. BY comparing the iniquity of trade sanctions on China to Russia makes it seem as though Russia is in the same (trade) boat. When we all know Russia is sanctioned for its aggression.
    1
  12579. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    1
  12580. China's presentation is entirely western The setting is aping the west (USA) with a podium and flag The spokesperson is in western dress, exactly like the west The manner of Q&A is western Russia and China are the same, in aping everything from the west and yet denouncing the west
    1
  12581. LOL the EU will sit on its ass as usual. Trump is the man of action. The EU is a pushover.
    1
  12582. Oh Joy : look at O Rourke and Booker. LOL
    1
  12583. Very well presented and well informed
    1
  12584. Good bias - blame Israel (the victim of Oct 7th) It is Hamas the refuse the UN backed ceasefire Yes, Hamas refused it because they want to remain in power Hamas are delusional
    1
  12585. Kyrgyzstan is what Trump would describe as a $%7£hole country.
    1
  12586. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  12587. "Zelensky is there to rally support" WRONG He was invited It is Britain that WANTED to show support (DW tries to make Zelensky look like a beggar)
    1
  12588. 1952 Egypt banned Palestinian immigration Nobody wants Palestinians (cf Sep 1970 Jordan coup attempt)
    1
  12589. Jean, you are quite right. Trump wouldn't dream of going to N Korea (without 3 divisions of Marines and full air supremacy). I was probably being sarcastic. The N Korean regime is one of the most brutal & barbaric on the planet. Denuclearisation is the first step towards removing that dictator. Kim will go the way of Gaddafi (which wasn't too nice).
    1
  12590.  @roshanthapa8487  India asked the US Congress for sanctions exemption to buy S-400 systems. Himars are knocking 7 bells out of the S-400. Israelis have been able to destroy them for years. British Brimstone missiles can destroy S-400. India is buying junk from Russia. If you think the Russian army is under-performing , wait till you see India in action.
    1
  12591.  @escee6280  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  12592. India has lost all dignity. India will NEVER get a permanent seat on the security council. Russia will be kicked off, and another country will take its place. It won't be India - certain !
    1
  12593. Physical/mental Biden scores 23% Trump scores 46% in polls That makes Trump twice the man Biden is (according to US voters) That should have Dems worried
    1
  12594. Ho ho ho, pull the other one. I pity the poor patsy they've framed.
    1
  12595. The reality :- Russian TV says "Half the world supports Russia" They mean India and China......both those countries do NOT recognise the annexation of Crimea, and do NOT support Russian annexation of Ukraine. Russia is alone, and losing.
    1
  12596. Hamas steals 25% of the fuel aid that is for hospitals Hamas take humanitarian aid Palestinians must go to Egypt and evacuate Gaza, then Hamas can be crushed
    1
  12597. If Putin invades Ukraine Russia will be hammered. There is no scenario in which Russia is triumphant :- a) Ukraine are fighting Pro aris et focis (for hearth and home) the drunken Russian conscripts are reluctant invaders. b) the West will NOT get involved, but will extend guaranteed loans. Ukraine will buy every guided drone and missile on the market. Targetting Russia's gigantic assembly areas and fuel dumps, hitting barracks and canteens : the Russian casualties will be enormous. c) Russia will threaten to use nukes, and will target cities and civilians. There will be an outcry in the West : even more missiles, drones and smart bombs will be provided : Russia's casualties will be enormous. There is no good way out for Russia. It will be like shooting fish in a barrel. I cannot imagine a positive outcome for Putin ; neither can he, which is why he said "We will all be turned to radioactive ash". Nuclear war is Putin's only psychopathic strategy : to save Russia he will see it destroyed.
    1
  12598. Why are the EU grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants ? Because the Union was established to keep peace in Europe, it is essentially a pacifist organisation. For 16yrs it was hiding behind Mutti's apron.
    1
  12599. He retracted his statement ....then fell from a window. And the blonde bird says it's stress.
    1
  12600.  @aciidbraiin8079  Putin expected a 3 day operation : Russian POWs brought their dress uniforms for a parade ! A Russian website published a pre-timed statement on the 3rd day saying, "Thank you President Putin for solving a problem that future generations would have had to face". You must be very brainwashed if you think Putin expected to be in this jackpot.
    1
  12601.  @denissssss8579  Thanks for saying that. Let me explain Russia's problem. "They have a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" (British MOD). So what do a million Russians do with no modern weapons ? The Russian conscripts are already using old junk. In WW1at the battle of Tannenberg (1914), Russia sent men forward with no boots and no rifles. In the 21st century it is all about hi-tech munitions, drones, GPS guided missiles. A million men need feeding : Russian soldiers are already going hungry.
    1
  12602.  @sepxviii731  Trolls and bots cannot analyse and explain strategy the way I have done. Even the BBC & Sky News fail to present the overarching NATO war plan. You should thank me.
    1
  12603. Israel has that much desalinated water it exports it to Jordan. I'm afraid Africa will always lag behind. It's like when Jacob Zuma raped that girl who had AIDS and said he took a shower to prevent him contracted the disease. And the ANC health Minister said garlic & honey cure AIDS.
    1
  12604. 8:00 "Create institutions people have confidence in " In other words the Palestinian authority is 100% corrupt. He's got that much right. Look at successful countries , compare them with $hithole countries and what do you notice ? The successful countries have institutions : educational, legal, media, etc which can challenge authority and expose corruption. Now imagine you are an idealistic Palestinian teenager and you demand transparency in the corrupt system, what would happen ? The teenager is shot as "an Israeli spy".
    1
  12605. The old Biden nose-dive........9,9,8,9,8 (Gold)
    1
  12606. Don't anyone use the expression $hithole country. You have to pretend all systems are equal and if Mexicans vote for corrupt Cartel Politicians and if the Police are in cahoots with Cartels then that is just fine.
    1
  12607.  @jan22150  , interesting observation Charles. I saw some statistics on Israel : 35% believers, 35% are socially religious but don't believe (Bar mitzvah etc) and 30% atheist. What a contrast with Palestine where I suspect they are 99% believers and 1% daren't say anything.
    1
  12608. Why is Parliamentary Democracy the model for the Civilized world ? Because the essence of civilized governance is compromise (AJP Taylor) In the Glorious Revolution of 1688, a petty tyrant James II was replaced by a selected duo William II and Mary I, who signed The Bill of Rights (1689) The landed Aristocrats then compromised to govern with the Merchant class. (Tories and Whigs). That governing coalition then compromised with the working class PM John Peel Reform Act 1832 One could also mention Elizabeth I Religious Settlement (1559), when she "refused to make windows into men's souls" and forbade parliament from discussing religion. Causing the Venetian ambassador to report "In England they are neither Catholic nor Protestant". Anglicanism was always the middle path of 'Don't ask'.
    1
  12609. Europe should be thanking the Yanks. Merkel & Gazprom 2 are empowering Putin and the Kremlin crooks. Macron's France is blowing around like a windsock. It is nice to know the Yanks care. Thank God someone does, because Europe is going down the pan.
    1
  12610. What an amazing, and beautiful sight : all that firepower shattered. And a beautiful Spring morning. A testimony to mindless aggression and heroic resistance.
    1
  12611. What an unbearably biased lady
    1
  12612. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm Moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
    1
  12613. Shame on Labour - unable to stand up to Islamist threats Mr Speaker must resign !
    1
  12614.  @socrates5647  "Have you got forked tongue or twisted brain?" Both. It's the price one pays for democracy. Where would the Axis countries be without Britain's Industrial Revolutuion ? Russia only liberated its serfs in 1861 (strongly opposed by the Orthodox Church, who were the biggest beneficiaries of Serfdom). China has hugely benefited from industrialization.....it is the British Industrial revolution that has elevated most Chinese from subsistence. The reason all countries have adopted "Western Civilization" is because it is the only game in town :- a) Chinese Emperor Mandarin system is a dud b) the Tsar + Serfdom = Barbarians c) the Islamic Caliphate is a moronic medieval dead-end. d) the rag-tag bunch of Hindu, Buddhist, African, Pandeist crack-pottery is best buried. Western Civilization is the only game in town : democracy, human rights, equality....etc (and hypocrisy and halfwittedness, it goes with the turf).
    1
  12615. Macron said he needs to see evidence and called the UK condemnation of Russia "fantasy politics" No surprises that France are supporting the Kremlin. France collaborated with the Nazis in North Africa and fought against Britain and the US. France collaborated with the Nazis in Europe. France collaborated with the Japanese in Indochina. Every president post WW2 had been a collaborator. People have very low expectations for France. The only time France got tough was when the bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland killing a Green-Peace activist.
    1
  12616. Who is less fit - that is up to American voters Physical/Mental health .........Trump gets 46% Biden is on 23% Yanks think Trump is twice as fit
    1
  12617. Barham Salih should have borrowed Hillary's election tag-line "It's her turn". He should have said, "It's my turn to line my pockets". It's my turn to enrich my cronies. It's my turn to discriminate against my enemies and build up a country wrecking enmity in my opponents.
    1
  12618. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  12619. Thank God for the USA. Europe is a dead loss. Britain is doing what it can, so is Australia, but the Europeans disappoint.
    1
  12620. All Africa was once much worse than this guy. Before colonialism and Christianity, a chief would have a dozen wives and a harem of maybe 100. When the women reached their 20s he would sell them and get younger ones.
    1
  12621.  @roadapplesnapple7571  , what do you know about the 12th Imam that the rest of us don't ? What part of the Shia prophecy have I got wrong ?
    1
  12622.  @krisrogers3751  , I hate to be the one to tell you this but there is no 2nd coming. Religions are human invention. That's why the Old Testament reads like a Bronze-age myth (because it was invented in the Bronze-age) , it's why the Koran reads like Medieval-backwardness. Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented since man evolved, they all reflect the period in which they were invented.
    1
  12623.  @krisrogers3751  , thanks, I feel sorry for kids when they discover there's no Santa Clause. Having something to look forward to is why Jihadists are promised 7 virgins each: it doesn't make it true, it just means religion promises you things to get folk to martyr themselves.
    1
  12624. Kurdistan : there are 45 million Kurds why don't they have a state ? Because in 1919 when they attended Versailles they were too tribal Kurds have never had a state Just like Palestinians - they have NEVER been a state and are too tribal They can't even hold an election
    1
  12625. I fully support the Kurds but their leader Barzani is as corrupt as Yaser Arafat and intent upon becoming a dictator. I hope the Kurdish constitution stipulates that dictator has to step down after 2 terms.
    1
  12626. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  12627. What's the difference between a common middle-east dictator like MBS and a radical theocratic fascist cleric or an Islamofascist or a Hezbollah/Hamas fascist or an anti-democratic corrupt Fatah thug or a totalitarian ISIS psychopath. Is there no group or country in the middle east that possesses even the rudiments of enlightened humanism ?
    1
  12628. Remember Erdogan's visit to the US ? Remember his thugs attacking people and kicking a woman on the ground ? They are still wanted by US police. The US army should post some "Wanted" posters with a reward on $$$$.
    1
  12629. So Corporations borrow at zero % and buy back shares. So it is written that QE shall inflate a giant bubble.
    1
  12630. 50 weeks : he'll be out in 35 It's not a brutal sentence. Sweden may well say they no longer want to persue their case. America may have their extradition request turned down. So Assange walks. That could well happen and Julian will wonder why he locked himself in an embassy for 7yrs.
    1
  12631. ALL those students oppose Hamas rapes and murder The kids simply don't know what they are protesting for (cf 1968 Paris, the Soixant huitards)
    1
  12632. Wrong, wrong, wrong ! Gaza was entirely governed by Hamas It was NOT occupied by Israel This stupid lady is conflating the West Bank with Gaza Oct 7th : when Hamas launched a war it had a duty to its own civilians to stockpile food and bomb shelters for them Hamas hid themselves in tunnels Hamas had stockpiles of food & ammo, they simply left civilians to fend for themselves
    1
  12633. Iran has to be hit hard ! The Ayatollah is a liar Remember the lies over the plane they shot down ? They are the biggest liars on the world stage.
    1
  12634. Iran's economy is crashing they have to do something. If they do nothing they simply sink. So what options do they have, where is the light at the end of the tunnel ? They have one option and they're playing it : a short messy conflict in which they can appear the victims, which has the consequence of closing the Straits, with global repercussions. That is their only option. And yet the morons on here are totally incapable of any analysis and engage in kindergarten arguments about military industrial complex. You can argue about Trump but in this situation now , Iran's only option is a messy conflict in which they're the victims and which causes global oil prices to rise. Obviously Iran are provoking a conflict. You people are so dumb.
    1
  12635. FBI Director Chris Wray : " Nothing in this report impugns the integrity of the FBI". B@llocks.
    1
  12636. Palestinians side with "The Axis of Evil" (Russia, Iran etc) Silly students won't change that
    1
  12637.  @currentaf8455  And Wilson's 14 points ? And Britain spending £100,000 a year in the 1890s to stop the Arab slave trade in East Africa ? You are talking like a German. From 1848 on the Germans abandoned all liberal principles in exchange for military success (Schleswig, 1866,1870) and economic success - industrialisation. Germany acts in its self-interest, totally without principle (cf Rape of Belgium 1914)
    1
  12638. Why no helicopters ? Because the money is being spent on corruption.
    1
  12639. LOL he's putting a brave face on it.
    1
  12640. There are two civilizations in this world : Western civilization and The Axis of Evil (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, etc) Observe closely any event - Myanmar coup, the Axis of Evil support the generals ; Hong Kong, the Axis of Evil support despotism etc. Countries can remain neutral, but the battle is between democratic humanism and corrupt, despotic authoritarianism. One should applaud the United States for bravely taking up the vanguard.
    1
  12641. India doesn't know whether it's running with the hare or the hounds.
    1
  12642. Well done France. (Please don't anyone mention Renault sanction busting in Moscow now is not the time for recriminations) Also, don't anyone channel de Gaulle's "Don't cry my Lord" : that jeu d'esprit is reserved for the British, we enjoy jibes like that. Forget gas, and gestures, Russia has to be defeated by force :- a) get those 29 Mig jets transferred from Poland. b) get those s-300 missile defence systems transferred from Slovenia. c) switch on the Patriot missile defence systems in Poland. d) anti-ship missiles must destroy Russia's Black Sea fleet (an easy task) Bring back general Wes Clarke, and let's start kicking some ass.
    1
  12643. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  12644.  @josephstalin9357  Well in the hands of Ukrainian experts it is lethal, we can be sure of that.
    1
  12645.  @AusFeral23  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    1
  12646.  @tbonepumper5623  The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    1
  12647. Highly unlikely. The more money you pay for a forgery, the more you want to believe it is real. Even if it falls 80%, devotees will still hold on to it.
    1
  12648. "Deliberate provocation" Russia preparing a false flag excuse to invade.
    1
  12649.  @ArtSmosh1274  , Prince is a moron don't reply to the idiot. North Korea is the last totalitarian Stalinist state ; even the Chinese are embarrassed by the atrocities and human rights abuse in N Korea. Kim comes from a long line of psychopaths who have imprisoned, tortured and killed hundreds of thousands. And Prince (that monumental £uckwit) tries to compare N Korea with the UK : the country that gave the world parliamentary democracy !
    1
  12650. LOL the "Arab Spring" is over - it failed in 1515 when the Caliphate banned printing Caliphate culture is "Autocratic" There is no democracy in Caliphate culture
    1
  12651. Trump gives morons a bad name.
    1
  12652.  Billy McCarthy  , with all due respect may I suggest you are the one who is ill-informed. In 1979 the Ayatollah returned from Paris and ,on landing in Tehran was asked what he'd do with the democrats, "I'll kick their teeth in " he replied. He executed 7000 in the first year. The Shah was overthrown by a variety of groups : Socialists, communists, Democrats, Secularists, feminists. What do you think happened to them ? The went to the Ayatollah's torture camps.
    1
  12653. @US Of Zion , People who support the Ayatollah's theocracy are usually the ones with no understanding of history. You may be an exception. But ask yourself : where are the opposition groups in Iran ? What happened to the Socialists, Trade-unionists (oh yes there were trade-unions under the Shah) the democrats and secularists ? They were exterminated by the Ayatollah. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? They were Hezbollah, the Ayatollah's henchmen. I suppose you support Hezbollah as well as the Ayatollah and would like to see them both nuclear armed ?
    1
  12654. "Acting like a Bully", gosh, the hypocrisy ! This is a theocracy that imprisons and tortures anyone who dares to protest against it. And they talk about bullies !
    1
  12655. LOL ERdogan has 240+ journalists in prison. He has intimidated and imprisoned the opposition and turned Turkey into a one-party dictatorship. And he speaks of international law. Egypt are there and they torture and kill Europeans (Italian student) This bunch is an international disgrace.
    1
  12656. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  12657. The West MUST play to its strengths : blockade China is doomed by blockade by AUKUS If the West is unable to do that because it would shoot itself in the foot Then we've thrown away our trump card
    1
  12658. "No punishment , no repercussions" Hey sounds familiar. Isn't that what happens when you set up a private server to handle classified information then delete federal records to cover your tracks ?
    1
  12659. sobhan, you are quite right Modi never defended any criminal. BUT, he didn't condemn them either. And, when BJP politicians rape young girls and are given sit-ups to do as a punishment, which then infuriates the BJP politicians to go back and rape the victim again and kill her, and when Modi stays silent after that I think we are allowed to interpret his silence and backing the perpetrators.
    1
  12660. Vijay, I just replied to Sobhan ," you are quite right Modi never defended any criminal. BUT, he didn't condemn them either." Modi didn't condemn the HIndu BJP politician who had raped a girl and been given sit-ups as a punishment by the Magistrate. Then, the BJP Hindu politician was so furious he went back to the girl's house, raped her again and murdered her. Not a word from Modi. Modi's silence was tacit support : his silent acquiescence was an indication that BJP nationalists are above the law.
    1
  12661. Very proportionate.
    1
  12662. Good analysis. I've read all the comments , they're well informed and not complimentary to the Saudis.
    1
  12663. Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
    1
  12664. The point is that Belgians have done Nothing to expiate the atrocities they committed.
    1
  12665. This is a bag of fudge We are none the wiser, and have wasted 10 minutes
    1
  12666. That's how it ends : not in a bang but in a whimper. Blockade of the Malacca straits and the CCP collapse.
    1
  12667. This is a cry for help. Iran need a face-saver to get them where they want to be, which is at the negotiating table with Trump. Iran are desperate : their economy is sinking fast.
    1
  12668. It doesn't get much better than this.
    1
  12669. "National Socialists were not a party in any political sense, but a movement : they were action without thought, the union of all those who had lost their bearings, and asked only a change of circumstances no matter what." AJP Taylor "At the heart of the National Socialists were the Free Corps, the wild mercenaries of the postwar years, whose patriotism had taken the form of shooting German workers".
    1
  12670. What about Wahabi-ism ? That was a good idea once.
    1
  12671. Global warming : India will be uninhabitable (Let's hope Russia comes to the rescue, because the West will tell India to get stuffed !)
    1
  12672. @@NikhilPodlejski2 India will suffer climate change 10x worse than Europe Let's hope Russia helps them The West will listen with a tin ear to India's woes
    1
  12673. @@NikhilPodlejski2 India will get it 10x worse, that's my point Putin won't give India the steam off his piss
    1
  12674. Ireland getting tough on Russia ? Yet they abstain at the UN from condemnation of Russia, why ? Because Ireland is afraid of the British shadow : it would sooner share a sofa with Stalin, than appear to be in a camp which included Britain. The Irish should read the Bible, Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver and gold.”
    1
  12675. "Universal Jurisdiction" Russia has been applying that for years - poisoning people in Europe. Saudi have been employing it - butchering folk in their embassies. The Axis of Evil have been using "Universal Jurisdiction" for decades.
    1
  12676. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe : Macron went on TV the same evening (13 Oct) that NATO discussed Russia's nuclear threat. Macron feared the hard-line approach, so stabbed NATO in the back to protect France. “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair" Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Jens Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" Timing is obvious :- Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back. 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia
    1
  12677. Trump wants an investigation into potential Biden corruption. Most people (68%) think something fishy went on with Biden's son in Ukraine & China. Fact : his son came out of it with million$$$
    1
  12678.  @jumamnumbwa9483  , citizens voted for Mugabe but he's still a violent thug, who ruled as a dictator and destroyed the economy with 2000% inflation. Citizens voted for Hitler : that's how he came to power, he was elected. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating students with clubs and throwing them out of windows ? That was Hezbollah. Hezbollah are fascist thugs.
    1
  12679.  @jumamnumbwa9483  , very interesting statistics on Zimbabwe.
    1
  12680.  @moegash  , the protestors want the corrupt government to resign and for fresh elections to salvage the country. Hezbollah threatened to bring 10k armed militia onto the streets to silence pro-democracy protestors. Hezbollah are fascists. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember armed thugs beating them and throwing students from windows ? That was Hezbollah.
    1
  12681. Romans called Judea "Palestine" after the 2nd Jewish uprising : they did it to punish the Jews There never has been a Palestinian state 1948 Arab Israeli war : Jordan occupied/annexed the West bank Nobody said anything 1967 Israel removed Jordan and took the West Bank
    1
  12682. It makes one think : language only originate 50 - 150k years ago, which is maybe why it occupied a special position in hierarchical civilisation. Ottoman Sultans would spend their entire youth (in "Kafe" isolation) simply writing their name, to perfect the calligraphy. One also thinks of the European spread of Christianity ~600 AD The Chinese obsession with calligraphy
    1
  12683.  @namastehindustan8625  I agree. One chap suggested Asian nomads were democratic because the tribe elected a leader - well so did pirate ships. If a tribe or war party is being led by an incompetent, then that person will be replaced by a show of hands (or swords). That is not democracy. Democracy originated in Greece ~500 BC It was a giant stride, and formed the basis for western civilisation.
    1
  12684. ​ @Roman-kl3wk  " it’d be like saying actual Germans are cruel and brainless sheep" That is what I am saying. Example :- when Germans marched, they were told what to sing. When the British marched, they decided what they wanted to sing, often a comical song. There is a cultural difference. Compare Dutch UN peacekeepers handing refugees over to the Serbs, with British UN Gurkhas holding off an Israeli armoured division in Lebanon. Could you imagine British troops laying down their rifles for the Serbs ? Of course not. But one could easily imagine the Dutch doing it.
    1
  12685.  @Roman-kl3wk  Remember when Macron met Putin ? He raised the subject of human rights in Russia (I'm not knocking him for that). Putin bristled, reminded Macron of the size and strength of Russia, and threatened to crush him. Macron was left shaking, and looking round for his Algerian bodyguard. By contrast, Erdoğan has Putin on the ropes : he shoots down Russian planes, then gets a warm welcome in the Kremlin. Macron is le grande imbécile.
    1
  12686. Fear, Confidence and Civilisation. Russia is fearful of invasion, sanctions, and "being cancelled" by LGBT and modernization. By contrast, the Western civilisation is confident - it mocks itself. When the war started, Australians declared "Toxic masculinity comes to the rescue". The west sees its faults and allows criticism and humour. Putin jokes, in a phone call with Macron, about "raping" Ukraine. Russia has no humour and no tolerance : it is a civilisation of fear. Confidence indicates a thriving culture and fear signifies a culture which knows it is doomed.
    1
  12687. LOL Zuma's defence lawyers say, "He acted alone and impulsively.....and therefore irrationally" Alone my @ss ; the whole ANC are corrupt. This is a propaganda pantomime for the dopey S. African people. The supporters of ANC are just moronic enough to fall for it.
    1
  12688. In the first Moroccan crisis (1906), Germany was flexing its muscles after the Russia's defeat by Japan (1905). At the Congress of Algecair the French PM ordered capitulation but his ambassador ignored him - then with British support Germany backed down. Also, the German ambassador to Rome told Berlin, "Don't rely on Italy" a) French instinct for capitulation b) Italy unreliable. A Nation's culture is like a personality. French capitulation, Italian unreliability are themes which recur. Russia also has a personality : it was described by Queen Victoria, "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists". Putin's war in Ukraine is a manifestation of Russia's personality.
    1
  12689. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  12690. Jackass.
    1
  12691. "Keep resisting" LOL That has gotten them far Why don't they have an election Try and be more western - look like a civilised state Stop rampant corruption and despotism by the PA Have a damned election - it's NOT hard
    1
  12692. 11:00 "Coup - working conditions, payment, something or other" 1820 Trienio Liberal Spain The army complained about a) barracks, food, living conditions b) being sent to be slaughtered in South America "Liberalism" was the ideological justification only
    1
  12693. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    1
  12694.  @christinasibley2791  Fair point But At the time he said he wanted to change an "antiquated procedure" Only later, when the flak was flying, did he raise terrorist threats : it doesn't wash Either he's a reformist or a coward Parliament will NEVER be intimidated by Islamists
    1
  12695. Yehosh, "Vice played a trick" , LOL This whole channel is conspiracy propaganda. It is for the simple minded. I just popped in to laugh at the idiots.
    1
  12696. SHOW THE VIDEO Of course Al jazeera will not show girls covered in blood
    1
  12697. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  12698. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  12699. India won't get any help from the West in its pathetic border disputes with China. When AUKUS moves into action with blockade, China will collapse. India won't even feature. Modi has chosen the losing side. India is no friend of the West, and will regret it.
    1
  12700. Notice how inspiring the you Hong Kong protestors are ? Why don't Palestine elect an inspiring young leader or elect a woman ! Why are the corrupt old men still in charge : ordering young people to attack the fence, throw stones & petrol bombs. Where is the vision ; where is the Nelson Mandela or Gandhi. What did 40yrs of Arafat corrupt despotism achieve ? What will anti-democratic, Islamofascist Hamas achieve ? Why is Abbas just sitting their building a $1.8 million mansion 10yrs after being elected for 4yrs ? No wonder the world eats popcorn.....it's like watching an old 1970s documentary : nothing changes in the Palestinian polity. Will Fatah's corrupt old men still be there in another 50yrs ? You bet.
    1
  12701. 9:50 bankruptcy : Henry Ford went bankrupt twice if my memory serves me.
    1
  12702. Obvs , that was before he hit the big time with Ford Motor Co.
    1
  12703. They were cheering on Oct 7th
    1
  12704. Well done France. France must sell Exocets to Ukraine. Of course they won't, because France is full of romantic ideals, but lamentably short on action.
    1
  12705. Where did Pakistan go wrong ? India is bad, but it's 100x better than Pak.
    1
  12706. Forget gas, and gestures, Russia has to be defeated by force :- a) get those 29 Mig jets transferred from Poland. b) get those s-300 missile defence systems transferred from Slovenia. c) switch on the Patriot missile defence systems in Poland. d) anti-ship missiles must destroy Russia's Black Sea fleet (an easy task) Bring back general Wes Clarke, and let's start kicking some ass.
    1
  12707.  @gg-zj4ji  Lord Owen was interviewed on radio 4, and asked about Putin's nuclear threat, he replied :- "Russian generals know the United States has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capabilities. They know what would happen to their families." Putin can't just push a button : Russian civilization hasn't stooped that low (yet).
    1
  12708.  @gg-zj4ji  I think I would sooner listen to Lord Owen's reasoned argument, than respond to your infantile imaginings. Donald Trump was amazed at US firepower. When he became president, he let slip how much destructive power the US had in their submarines. Think about it. How can Russia - a backward country with the GDP of Italy, compete with the world's only superpower.
    1
  12709. Hamas are LIARS Emily Hands was with her mother 48 hours before her release, Hamas said they can't locate her mother - they are liars !
    1
  12710. Well said. India needs to decide what is morally right, then take a stance regardless of whether it will hurt Putin's feelings. Simply do the right thing and have some self-respect.
    1
  12711.  @msdolly6101981  "what morals?" Let's go back to 1815 (The Congress of Vienna, after napoleon's defeat) The major powers, Austria, Prussia, Russia, established a Holy Alliance to suppress democracy. Britain called it "mystical nonsense". In 1820 when Spanish liberal officers kicked out Ferdinand VII, Russia raised an army of 150k to invade. But France went in instead with 100k "sons of St Louis". Britain didn't look round to see what everyone else was thinking - they simply did the right thing and opposed invasion. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". Britain simply did the right thing, not what made them popular. India should try doing the right thing, they would find ordinary Indian folk supporting them.
    1
  12712.  @msdolly6101981  You have a good point, and you could include the Irish Famine (1847-49). But Britain was just an imperial nation, it wasn't a saviour, Buddha or Christ-like. Compare it to China or Russia (37% serf slaves), or the brutality of the Ottomans. Britain spread Western Civilization, but it wasn't faultless. 500,000 turned out in London to greet Garibaldi (1864). They didn't look round to see whether Russia, Austria and Prussia approved. The British people followed their moral instinct.
    1
  12713. A good opportunity for Erdoğan's multi-millionaire son to do some business. Erdogan's son is an example to all Turks : who should stop moaning and become millionaires.
    1
  12714. Eurovision - Israel wins the popular vote In UK Israel easily won hands down The ordinary people support ISRAEL not Hamas You Al Jazeera folk are living in a dream world
    1
  12715. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  12716. LOL "If they don't stop interfering" : he means they pushed is rag-tag-bag-o-rogues back 400 miles into Sirte and would have driven them back to Benghazi, had Russia not stepped in.
    1
  12717. Wow, have you seen the size of Trump's derrière ? LOL He will go ballistic when he watches this.
    1
  12718.  Alex Denton117  , a general election is inevitable......and Farage , quite presciently , predicted two.
    1
  12719. When Jimmy Durante saw that armoured vehicle parked in an open field he just said, "Are you kidding me"
    1
  12720. This poor schmuck has been victimised simply for being French. French culture is based upon turning a blind-eye. Take any example : Jean-Paul Satre, not only a lousy thinker but a collaborator with the Nazis. Take Chirac or Mitterrand : both collaborators who quickly masqueraded themselves as resistance fighters.
    1
  12721. Boxer Rebellion China (1899) : the leaders would fire a blank from a rifle at a stooge, and convince the peasants a magic charm had protected him. Russian Orthodox priests are handing out "amulets" to protect conscripts, in lieu of body armour The dumb, mystical 19th century Orcs
    1
  12722. LOL there is one numpty whose cognomen is "Love Violence" and he is berating YouTube from "Blocking his comments". I don't think we've missed much.
    1
  12723. Just think about what is happening : Hamas have decided the road to peace is to take on Israel at war. They will get hammered. Arafat ruled for 40yrs as a corrupt dictator ; everyone agreed (Arab ,Jew, US etc) that he couldn't be trusted and was a double-dealer interested only in remaining in power. He stole $3billion , he had to, he needed it to bribe his friends and pay-off his enemies. Palestine's tragedy is a total failure of leadership. Even now Fatah are a totally corrupt one-party state that tolerates no opposition. Hamas are anti-democratic thugs who throw opponents off roofs.
    1
  12724. Historically the Bedouin were like a plague. Nothing to do with Jews, I'm talking 1000 to 1500yrs ago. The whole area was depopulated because the nomadic Bedouin would come through and help themselves to everything : livestock, people's daughters, valuables, etc Only very recently (historically) have the Bedouin settled into villages. You wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a Bedouin raid : you'd be shown absolutely no mercy.
    1
  12725. There's nothing romantic about Bedouin they were as bad as Genghis Khan, all nomads were : if they had the power they took everything from civilians who couldn't protect themselves.
    1
  12726. Egypt : a small amount of forest and a large amount of corruption.
    1
  12727. The FSB has experience planting bombs in Russia....(The apartment bombings) Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  12728.  @pz_faust6866  Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. The Russian army remains medieval, as evinced by the appalling casualties they are sustaining in Ukraine.
    1
  12729. Macron : "The EU shouldn't gang-up on China with the US" France will always stab you in the back and side with the aggressor. (Remember Vichy France jumping in bed with the Nazis)
    1
  12730. Prof Vali is talking out of his a-hole. He's an Obama appeaser and only has one idea in his head : to resurrect the deal. I've never heard a bigger moron. Then he talks up all the things the Ayatollah will do, not mentioning their parlous economy. This guy.....he's a 2 time loser. He's worse than Jeremy Corbyn for being in bed with the Islamists.
    1
  12731. 5 Jan : Erdogan to Putin - peace efforts need unilateral ceasefire for a "vision for a fair solution" 5 Jan : then Kirill calls for ceasefire, then Putin orders Shoigu to ceasefire 7th - noon 8th Jan A very elaborate, desperate pantomime Weakness & desperation
    1
  12732. Peace & prosperity mean nothing to Russia, and liberty is unknown. Russia celebrates death & destruction on Victory Day. Russia didn't liberate Europe in 1945, they imposed Stalin's terror on Eastern Europe, and introduced the Gulags, the KGB and Russian fascism.
    1
  12733.  @samiabe8686  , After 70yrs, do you honestly think calling for "freedom" is a solution ? Imagine a global conference in Stockholm to finally solve the issue, and when everyone is finally seated, the Palestinian young person declares "What we want is freedom". How long do you think that conference will last. What does "freedom" mean :- a) right of return, b) 2 state solution : by 1967 borders or (Hamas) 1948 borders. c) that the 2 state isn't even practically workable any more with settlements. d) that Israel's defence will be compromised by any solution giving trans-Jordan land to the Arabs. e) that the Golan heights is now Israel. f) that Hamas refuse to recognise the State of Israel (just its right to exist) I could keep going. Calling out for "freedom" is a way to stop thinking about the issue. No need to read a book, just call for "Freedom".
    1
  12734. The Islamic world has zero principles. This is a joke Civilised values are nowhere to be seen
    1
  12735. They will go till the 11th hour - wink wink. Just like all EU negotiations do. The sticking points are already resolved on both sides :- a) level playing field - it will be agreed that the EU can take 'significant' divergence to arbitration. b) fishing - will be fudged on a rolling basis. Starting from the current position, France will be weaned back to (effective) 40% access ; with the option to purchase further fishing rights from the UK gov. Notice how nobody is mentioning the Ireland border ? That's because it was never a problem : the EU raised it as a sticking point because it could seize the high-moral ground in appearing to defend the Good Friday Agreement. ( Which worked on Nancy Pelosi and the perennially ill-informed Yanks).
    1
  12736. What is the difference between Russia and the West ? Russia has no middle class liberals : no chattering class. Russian Populism was the name given to the Inteligensia movement (1850-1881) In the spring of 1876 the Radicals took "liberation and freedom" to the peasants, who immediately reported them to the police. The Russian middle class were hated from above and below. Stalin then exterminated them. In the West the middle-class were the source of all wealth and progress.
    1
  12737. Rosa Luxemburg (d. 1919), murdered by the German state, which didn't have the courage to put her on trial : that's just one example of Germany lacking courage. Twice they lacked the courage to resist despots : Wilhelm II (1914) and Big H (1939) Don't look to Germany for courage in opposing Russian atrocities in Ukraine. NATO, the EU and the Allies will have to cajole Germany into doing the right thing.
    1
  12738. Good point. Russian TV says it has had to fall back in Ukraine and send troops to Finland to fight NATO It sounds comical, but the Russians have to excuse every failure.
    1
  12739. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" ie France surrendered Good luck with France as an ally (Europe will always need the Yanks)
    1
  12740. 6:00 "No military option is not reflective of the ground reality" That's because Pakistan's military is an imperium-in-imperio (state within a state) the military don't take orders from the government and they filch 18% of the GDP.
    1
  12741.  @robbnugie1164  Saddam Hussein and his sadistic sons :- One of his sons tortured the Iraqi football team when they were knocked out of the world cup. Abuse and torture was the foundation of governance in Iraq. If Iraqi people like that they can always vote for it back. The US has created the foundations for democracy. 600 pro-democracy activists have been slaughtered by Iran Militia. Sulemanie trained thugs assassinate unarmed activists, some of them women. That is another reason Iran's fascist Ayatollah must be stopped.
    1
  12742. 83% of Israelis support Trump's plan
    1
  12743. Trump gets off the phone with Erdogan....... "We're pulling out of Syria, ISIS are defeated". LOL Trump is an a-hole on foreign policy and a jackass in general.
    1
  12744. Hostages were hidden in hospitals (video evidence) Hospital staff worked hand in glove with Hamas
    1
  12745. Ten contrails visible in Yorkshire about 2 months ago. Normally no more than 3.
    1
  12746. April Fools ? Very poor taste during a war. Don't try journalistic jokes, puns or bon mots, people are dying, Mariupol needs relieving. NATO are sending tanks and long range howitzers. Putin has backtracked on gas. Let us all stay united and focused.
    1
  12747.  @taigauwu5325  The Falklands had zero residents. Argentinians occupied land that was inhabited by Patagonian Indians. They killed the Indians in a genocide. One Argentinian intellectual said, "The Indians couldn't count past 3" As if that excused genocide. They would count : one, two, three, many
    1
  12748.  @taigauwu5325  You said, " Dude, you literally still own big parts of land nowhere near your country." I took that to mean the Falklands. And explained that the Patagonian Indians were in South America before the Spanish arrived. The Spanish slaughtered them all : then excused it by saying, "They could only count to three" By contrast : there were no inhabitants on the Falklands when they was claimed by Britain. Hope that clarifies things.
    1
  12749.  @taigauwu5325  That's a bonny list. How proud those islands must be part of the Commonwealth and to to contribute to the Commonwealth fraternity.
    1
  12750. Russia atrocities : Modi would be inhuman not to squirm. Of course Modi is squirming, but he must remain loyal to Russia. Modi fears offending Russia, and must endure the reports of Russian rape and murder, he is doing a good job - but occasionally revels a glimmer of humanity when he watches scenes of Russian slaughter.
    1
  12751. 0:51 Chinese Communist party member shouting "Shame on you". Now we've seen everything....a corrupt, totalitarian CCP interfering in Western democracy.
    1
  12752. An astonishing fact : The police arrested one chap for violent conduct. The far-right guy refused to get out of his car to burn the Koran unless the police released the arrested chap. So the police released him so he could film the burning, then one assumes they re-arrested him. ? make of that what you will ?
    1
  12753. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  12754. 50% Happy New Year.
    1
  12755. Democracy ? The Sri Lankans have only themselves to blame, they voted for the tyrant.
    1
  12756. 2 things :- a) Arter mas said,"We are not ready for Independence". He means there's insufficient infrastructure. Catalans had better kerb expectations.(for maybe 4yrs) b) entry to the EU is essential and there is an obvious route. Along with a Statute of Autonomy they'll be guaranteed constitutional reform, allowing a referendum in say 4yrs. Then Catalonia will accept some of Spain's debt and pay an indemnity in exchange for EU entry.
    1
  12757. Russia envies Europe, and demands gratitude from Europe for Russia's WW2 sacrifices. Victory Day is a catharsis for Russia : all Russia's failings, sufferings and misery is expiated in a grand parade. The Gulags, Stalin's internecine genocide, centuries of serfdom, the dystopia of Russian history is expunged by a parade and two days inebriation. The invasion of Ukraine is an attempt to get Europeans to confront this fact.
    1
  12758.  @chandankumarchand6686  I keep telling India not to worry about China : AUKUS will finish off China with a blockade. China is entirely dependent on imports and exports : a blockade will collapse their economy. Having facial recognition of its citizens will not help the regime when the people are re-enacting the Boxer Rebellion. That is why the US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear subs. It is why Australia will get 9, which added to Britain's 11, is more than enough to blockade China into economic collapse.
    1
  12759. India & Russia have become half-baked jackass nations
    1
  12760. Iran wants the US to respond militarily. Their economy is a wreck. The chaos of military action suits them. The US will just tighten sanctions.
    1
  12761. Resign ! the Speaker must go 1863 Namik Kemal Young Ottoman : "Admired the British for the indomitable power of public opinion against authority" The public will not accept a back room deal cooked up to save the Speaker in the next parliament or Labour will vote him out !
    1
  12762. It's a fair point...... But Iran is in no position to demand anything : its economy is a wreck and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. What's the plan ? To threaten the EU with enrichment , to cause chaos in the Gulf ? Good luck.....but it's a losing plan.
    1
  12763. Well done USA. Those eastern flank countries can't rely on the EU, that is certain.
    1
  12764. The Chechen thug has sent his teenage sons, who have returned with 3 captives. These are being paraded and laughed at in a medieval manner. God knows what else they will do to them. The west needs to step up support. And macron needs to grow a pair - stop declaring neutrality don't say "We must not humiliate Russia" : that is playing Putin's game. Putin relies on pusillanimous Macron's cowardice.
    1
  12765. Arafat was a dictator for 40yrs (he also stole $3billion) What do you expect from Palestinians democracy ? Where do you see democracy in the middle east ? Well what made you think the Palestinians wouldn't be corrupt, authoritarian thugs ? I don't know why Westerners continue supporting them. They are worse than South Africa's ANC , who are a corrupt one-party state that have assassinated 148 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_assassinations_in_post-apartheid_South_Africa The West should always back democracy and the rule of law.
    1
  12766. Of course it would be a hoax.
    1
  12767.  @rtos  Civilized people wake up of a morning with a sickness in their stomachs - because of Russian savagery in Ukraine. And you try to cleverly justify India's role as a facilitator. India will pay the price tomorrow for its deeds today, mark my words. Biden has said, "India is shaky" Other people are saying much worse.
    1
  12768. I agree. The Nobel Committee are ill-informed and staggeringly naive. They remind one of Voltaire's Dr Pangloss : they believe this is the best of all possible worlds, and that Nobel deeds can only possibly flow from the bequeathing of a Nobel honour.
    1
  12769. Well done. Russia's sphere of influence shrinks further. Good times.
    1
  12770. Iran needs hitting hard. Gen Ben Hodges "We should interdict the drones at source"
    1
  12771. 0:48 Dogs of war.
    1
  12772. #Kherson #WWIII Kremlin : "Russia committed to avoiding nuclear war" Russia has withdrawn their threat So Biden serves it straight back at them LOL Biden : "Risk of nuclear Armageddon highest in 60yrs" IT IS ALL OVER FOR RUSSIA Their last card was a joker LOL
    1
  12773. Nordstream sabotage is a win-win. It can never be proved who did it. It can be denied six ways from Sunday. Even if a Snowden blows the whistle, the White House will say, "It had to be done to show Putin we were serious about preventing a nuclear strike on Ukraine"
    1
  12774. India complains of being "Bullied" as civilians are slaughtered in Ukraine. India is the victim of "bullying", whilst children are being used as human shields, women are suffering abuse by Russian soldiers, but they aren't the victims. It is India that is the victim ......."Of bullying" India sounds pathetic, it is an utter despicable disgrace. Go join the Axis of Evil and stew in your isolated inhumanity.
    1
  12775.  @saurabhraj2690  You are talking about pre-democratic Ukraine. Regardless of which, even if Russia were killing Pakistani women and children, it would still be deplorable. The very fact you try to justify it, exposes India's solipsistic amorality : that is what makes the rest of the world despise India. "India the victim of bullies. India the vindictive". It makes the civilized world want to puke.
    1
  12776. Russia can't build a civilisation : it can only destroy and conquer. Like Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol".
    1
  12777. Relocation of Gazans :- a) Those who move first get to pick the best apartments (that'll see 80% go) b) Those remaining are radicalised Hamas - they can be forced into camps in Sinai
    1
  12778. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians : the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  12779. The best way to unite Spain is to send Police thugs to beat up old ladies trying to vote in a referendum. Once the Spanish Fascist Police have beaten up the citizens they will soon convert to patriotic Castilians. The Fascist Police should try forcing them to drink olive oil.....that was always good for a fascist laugh and it works wonders on innocent citizens.
    1
  12780.  @bolobardelavega2843  What nonsense : a democratic referendum is not a Coup d'état. We had one recently in Scotland.......it's a civilized democratic way to behave.
    1
  12781.  @bolobardelavega2843  , yo make it all sound very civilized......but what everyone saw was Spanish Police thugs beating old ladies trying to vote. Welding batons and indiscriminately kicking young girls on the floor. When there is so much video evidence one can't help assuming Franco's Spain is still alive and kicking (no pun intended).
    1
  12782. Thank goodness, peace talks are progressing. Russia's savage war has made the civilized world feel like vomiting. Modi is hoping for an end to his painful fence-sitting. He has been up on that insouciant perch for 3 weeks now.
    1
  12783. Darwinian system, a reference to totalitarian despots Russia, China Iran etc (The Axis of Evil) The 2 party system of Gladstone & Disraeli was admired everywhere : Ataturk created a parody of it, as did the corrupt Spanish. British parliamentary democracy has been the model for world governance.
    1
  12784. Why is Turkey supporting Islamic Jihad fanatics ?
    1
  12785. UNRWA employs terrorists to teach terrorism to children Sinwar was an UNRWA headmaster
    1
  12786. The Cultural Revolution 1966 - 76 Chairman Mao mobilized brainwashed young people to destroy China's heritage. They smashed Ming vases, ripped up manuscripts, pummelled paintings. Conservative old-folk were tortured and brainwashed. Xi's parents were among the victims. China (and Russia) are self-perpetuating dystopias. Let me explain :- Zoologists observed a troop of aggressive Orangutangs for decades, they ate poisoned meat and the dominant males died. The next generation were passive, and this continued for decades. Conclusion : a trope once established in a nation repeats itself. Examples :_ a) President Xi's parents were tortured and brainwashed in the Cultural Revolution, and now Xi is torturing and brainwashing folk in Xinjiang province. The despotic meme is repeating itself. b) Russia has been an Autocracy for ever. The nobility would buy and sell the serfs. When the KGB were established, they declared in a memorandum, "We are the new nobility". Then started shipping folk to the Gulags. The dystopia repeats itself.
    1
  12787. There are 2 camps :- a) For resolute defence of democracy : Biden, Boris, Trudeau, Von Der Leyden and Charles Michel (which is victory for Ukraine) b) For capitulation : Macron Schulz and Draghi propose peace (which is victory for Russia)
    1
  12788. Did anyone ever charge Yaser Arafat with stealing $3 billion from the Palestinians ?
    1
  12789. To be quite honest I think people are inured to him. He's going to be a hard act to follow I'll tell you that. Sleepy Joe (it won't be Crazy Bernie the super-delegates will see to that) is going to seem comatose compared with Trump.
    1
  12790. "US spies on allies" They spy on the Pope : who wouldn't ? They spy on the UN (it's full of rogues) It's passe
    1
  12791. On 13 Oct Macron waved the white flag to Russia "If Russia uses nuclear weapons in the region France will be neutral" Why ? 13 Oct NATO Brussels : discuss nuclear response Macron panicked with fear 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington signs joint nuclear response Why did France surrender ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" French greatness began in C18th with Louis XIV France led the world : militarily, Enlightenment, architecture, literature; French was spoken from Madrid to Moscow France had the shock of 1789, but accompanied by military greatness, republican leadership and world changing ideas. In spite of defeat it confirmed France's conviction that it led the world. 200yrs of humiliation and failure has left France bereft of principles and courage.
    1
  12792. Africa should be self-sufficient. Also, Russia is stealing grain from Ukraine. Russia is also looting farm machinery - very expensive combine harvesters. Their GPS systems show they are now in Chechnya.
    1
  12793.  @Jack-fs2im  , surely you don't listen to Boris fumbling and dithering and consider that to be statesmanship ? Ken Clarke is a seasoned statesman, with a lifetime's experience. I suspect you're only a young kid obsessed with Brexit , but when you get older you'll appreciate someone who speaks candidly, has principles, is honest and comical.
    1
  12794. I'm not an expert on this period but I would challenge the authenticity on these grounds :- once the ship has run aground it is a prize and no captain would order its destruction. The Anglo-Dutch wars are mentioned in my video "Industrial Revolution Why Britain ?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VdP0CdyJ1k&t=17s
    1
  12795.  @StudioDaVeed  NATO is supplying all the weapons and munitions to Ukraine. The UK are training ten thousands soldiers every 4 months. One military expert said, "Putin is right to be worried about western arms : some of them have the power to tip the balance". Which is my very point. NATO is supplying just enough "to tip the balance", without causing the Kremlin to become hysterical and start threatening a nuclear retaliation. NATO will help Ukraine incrementally. If Russia's military begins to collapse (which it may) then NATO supplies will slow down.
    1
  12796. Hamas has corrupted the West If they can't condemn rapes and murders then what's left ?
    1
  12797. "Friend Modi" .....oh, how reassuring. Modi fears China and fears offending Russia : I'm so pleased he has a friend.
    1
  12798. Several sources including Ukraine officials claim cruiser MOSKVA capsized and sank after developing a heavy portside list. Rejoice !!! India has allied itself with a loser. India's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant is a Russian rust-bucket. It will be sunk by China on the first day of any conflict.
    1
  12799.  @VojvodaSloboda  I've seen the Russian troops- a tremendously fat-faced officers, barking orders at shabbily dressed conscripts. Do you expect me to believe my own eyes or believe the glorified portrait you paint ? My guess is that when Russian casualties grow, Russian morale will sink into the mud of the March thaw.
    1
  12800.  @VojvodaSloboda  I don't mean Rambo. I mean folks who know how to direct artillery or give coordinates for air-strikes. I'm talking about technicians. Of course, most special forces are also technicians. Canada have sent special forces, and I'm sure many others will do. (If only to get combat experience)
    1
  12801.  @VojvodaSloboda  Russia is the invader :- Hungary 1954 Czechoslovakia 1968 Georgia 2005 Ukraine 2014 In the 19th Century Russia was constantly invading Europe to suppress democracy. " In 1848 Liberals across Europe hated Russia" Lewis Namier Tsar Alexander was a religious fruitcake who believed constitutional democracy was the work of Satan. He thought all monarchs were appointed by God. Britain was already a constitutional democracy, and their foreign secretary Castlereagh thought Russian ideas were "sublime mysticism and nonsense"
    1
  12802. "Israel refuses to negotiate" Palestinians refused a UN 2-state solution in 1948 They refused again at Camp David in 2000 The Palestine always have delusional demands (Which they drop 20 years later when it's too late)
    1
  12803.  @notaneurotypical5338  , that is what is written into the Iranian constitution but of course the Ayatollah is a lair. In practice the police behave like savages :- The riot police behaved so brutally that even some of the Basij tried to stop them, as the video shows. Students were harassed verbally and physically when forced to lie on the ground. Some were bleeding profusely but the police continued to attack them. This was the point when five students were killed by being beaten with electric batons on their heads. Later that night, students were made to stand in front of a dormitory block with plastic bags over their heads. The video their hands bound with plastic ties – known in Iran as "Israeli handcuffs" – and 46 of them were taken to the basement of the interior ministry on nearby Fatemi Street. It was there, on the building's upper floors, that the vote-rigging was going on, according to opposition supporters. Another 87 were taken to a security police building on Hafez Street where they were tortured and mistreated. Their ordeal lasted 24 hours and before being released the students were ordered to put on fresh clothes (without bloodstains) supplied by the police.
    1
  12804.  @ricklee4515  "Russia has been gaining about a mile a day since" The Russian army had more tanks than the whole of NATO combined. Russia is an antiquated superpower, it has tremendous resources. All that momentum can certainly creep forward at "a mile a day". But "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons", MOD Even the Yanks would have to go into full production to keep up this rate of munitions use. Russia cannot produce because of sanctions. Meanwhile Ukraine has $46 billion from the US alone, + 50 other countries sending weapons. Do the Math : Russia can only grind to a halt (which it has done), then start taking irreplaceable losses. Even Russia TV acknowledges it can't win : they simply say they will never end the war, "Sanctions are what we must get used to" is their message.
    1
  12805.  @xxoo-lp6vc  No nation ever surrendered because they couldn't have the central heating on full blast. Russia is being "smashed in the face", with HImars on a nightly basis. They just killed 100 soldiers in a hotel... "Ukrainian Army Kills 100 Russian Soldiers at Hotel in Krasnyy "
    1
  12806.  @harrierr628  NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
    1
  12807.  @harrierr628  Your mind is totally brainwashed. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she records Russians in their own words and won a Nobel Prize for it. She'd report your words as an example of Russian belief in unreality.
    1
  12808.  @harrierr628  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  12809.  @man_3782  Your reply doesn't state any facts. Which of Russia's defeats do you question ? In 1905 Russia sailed right around the world, and had its fleet sunk the moment it arrived near Japan. All Russia's defeats are the result of hubris and folly. Putin's invasion is a disaster. One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
    1
  12810.  @alexlong3714  That is a fair point. There are two downsides to Russia simply turning Kyiv into a Grozny :- a) Public opinion in the West would demand real weapons be delivered : Himars, Patriots, F-35s etc b) World opinion would see the slaughter and turn on Russia. c) The USA would supply 300km Himars so Ukraine could return the favour to Russian towns and cities. d) "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD Russia is using anti-air missiles for ground attack, and anti-ship missiles. They are very low on cruise missiles.
    1
  12811.  @biodidu25  Very interesting comment, I enjoyed reading it. "It is better for France to adopt a neutral and independent role" I have been saying that about France for ages. If it kicks off with China France are very likely to remain neutral. Australia needs fighting allies. Only recently Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China". France always puts its own economic interests first : Australia would be left out on a limb if it relied on France. With Britain and America the Aussies have fighting allies.
    1
  12812. Let me explain the USA's massive, massive superiority. Russia has thousands of decommissioned missiles - the warheads are stored separately and the rockets need fuelling. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No nation has ever had the instant firepower of the US.
    1
  12813. General Ben Hodges (retired NATO commander) "hemingway's character says he went bankrupt in two ways slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation could collapse." The West should be prepared. Medvedev :"They are trying to disintegrate Russia for a 2nd time" Russia and America are in agreement.
    1
  12814. Shoigu hasn't fastened his top button - it is scruffy and disrespectful Seated at the table - his top button is still unfastened It's almost as if he has no self respect
    1
  12815. Correct. Russia should go back to being a gas-station for Europe.
    1
  12816.  @VenomousCompany  "The rise of Fascism is always achieved through protest." Not in the case of :- a) Hitler who manoeuvred his way to power through the Bundestag b) Putin who was elected after the Moscow FSB perpetrated the Apartment Bombings (1999)
    1
  12817. The last deal broke down because Hamas wanted to exchange "dead bodies" instead of live hostages So Israel wants to know that the hostages are alive Hamas are liars Israel is trying to establish the truth
    1
  12818. 2:22 "she upset the Greeks by telling them to pay their taxes" Never suggest that Greece are responsible for their own economy. Never suggest it was corruption, nepotism, incompetence and cronyism that caused their debt problem. Yanis praised China "They invest money and send their own engineers to supervise the project". Could you imagine the EU handing Greece a development grant and then sending German engineers to oversee it ? Imagine the response from Yanis.
    1
  12819. @Patel Group Actually it is savage barbarian Russia that is massacring civilians, torturing and raping.
    1
  12820. LOL : the pot calling the kettle black.
    1
  12821. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
    1
  12822. Bismarck : "Genius consists of hearing the distant hoofbeat of the Horse of History, then leaping to catch the Horseman by the coattails" 2022 is Putin's folly Ukraine is riding the Horse of History A powerful nation is being formed before our eyes
    1
  12823. Macron vetoed external sourcing to supply 1,000,000 shells France provided 1/3rd Czechia overturned the French veto and supplied the shells to Ukraine On the SAME day Macron made his "Troops to Ukraine" declaration He is a bullshitter - it is a publicity stunt Macron denuded Ukraine of artillery ! He plays this game to change the narrative (Do some research !)
    1
  12824.  @paladro  I'm 100% NATO It is France that wants to sabotage NATO and establish the EDF Jens Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" After Macron went on TV to wave the white flag to Russia (13 Oct) Thank God for the USA Rescuing Europe again.
    1
  12825. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she records Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it. It will open your eyes. Solzhenitsyn did 10yrs in the Gulags and came out loving Mother Russia's aggressive imperialism. He was Putin's guru.
    1
  12826. The Palestinian Authority don't represent the people : they are a corrupt old men. All the major bad-decisions by Arafat etc , rejecting a 2-state solution in 1947 and 2000 (Camp David) , are made by corrupt old men. Why not have a plebiscite ?
    1
  12827. This is costing the Kremlin a fortune......and it is already bankrupt.
    1
  12828. Christianity has always held back civilisation. There are hundreds of examples but I'll give you a few of the top of my head. a) Trial by ordeal : ended by Henry II in 1166 but it took the infallible Pope another 50yrs before he abolished the barbaric practice. b) burning heretics was ended by Edward VI in 1550 then reinstated by Catholic Mary in 1554. But it took the Pope another 200yrs before he abolished it. c) The Jesuits tried to destroy Diderot's manuscript for his great encyclopedia in 1750. The manuscript was concealed in the Paris 'Plice Chief's' office LOL The religious morons hate to see progress , they have been on the back foot ever since the Enlightenment and will soon be extinct.
    1
  12829. Modi will be upset - his friend Putin is in trouble.
    1
  12830. 0:58 the Houthi leader , he's not very likeable is he ? However, he has the support of most of the world. After all the children killed by Saudi air-strikes. The Saudi is ignorant, indolent, bone-idle, unenlightened, bigoted cowardly and cruel.
    1
  12831. She's a Russian dope In Sep 2022 Putin said "This time I'm not bluffing" after Ukraine's counter offensive crushed Russia's SMO Feb 2023 Britain said they were sending 4 Apache helicopters - Biden said "No" The west fears arming Ukraine because it would "provoke Putin" Ukraine can easily defeat Russia but the west refuses the weapons
    1
  12832.  @ronaldjohnson902  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  12833. Aid workers are 100% pro-Hamas UN, UNRWA, Amnesty etc They are all unabashed supporters of Hamas massacres
    1
  12834. Very impressive.
    1
  12835. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  12836. Iran is bluffing They won't do anything
    1
  12837. 80% of the West agree with Israel The west tolerates Al Jazeera for 2 reasons a) to maintain good Gulf relations b) to diffuse radical Islam Al Jazeera stinks
    1
  12838. Most folk applaud these sanctions ( Not the Axis of Evil Russia & China) and yet Iran has a tyrannical cleric controlling the country and folk baulk at sanctions in that case. One should support democracy across-the-board, not pick and choose like the woolly liberals.
    1
  12839. LOL I had to look that up (Gilligan's island) it's an idiom I'd not come across.
    1
  12840. SHOW THE VIDEO Of course Al jazeera will not show girls covered in blood
    1
  12841. LOL (and it's not often I laugh) Gosh that comment is subtle.
    1
  12842. EU "chattering classes" support Islamism Ordinary folk want to see Hamas defeated Ordinary folk think Palestine should have its 2-states when it elects a female PM
    1
  12843. Russia is a major Axis of Evil country and is certainly living up to its name.
    1
  12844. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  12845.  Albo Stallion  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  12846. The Soixant huitards will find a solution - where the rest of the world has failed LOL
    1
  12847. Hand over to whom ? The Kremlin ?
    1
  12848. Many people, myself included, don't know anything about this. Instead of just saying it is wrong it might have helped to say what is right.
    1
  12849. What about secularists ? Is that not one rational, intelligent person in Nigeria ?
    1
  12850. Eric Trump blew this gaff back in 2008 While playing golf he told a buddy, "We don't use banks we get all the money we need from Russia" I knew it would be Russian cash.......the pee tape / Steele dossier is a red herring.
    1
  12851. LOL Every nation in history has attempted to divide its enemies The US does it in Russia, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt (Muslim brotherhood, the west sat back and watched a coup to get rid of them) Imagine Israel sitting back to watch a coup get rid of Abbas Every nation does it for God's sake This guy is college kid debating
    1
  12852. BBC wrong again. Direct rule has NOT been imposed : it takes 7 days for the senate to ratify 155. The BBC are morons. The powers given to Rajoy under article 155 allow him to act with discretion which he will. Don't believe the sensationalist, fever-pitch reporting of the BBC. The BBC are worse than tabloid media.
    1
  12853. Let's have a bet ? The BBC say Rajoy will take charge of Mossos. I bet he won't even try......he has a good idea they will simply ignore him and can't risk it. Try explaining the subtlty of the situation to the BBC it's like talking to a moron.
    1
  12854.  @tenzinganag5348  Well done, it looks as though everyone is fleecing the Russians. President Xi is laughing up his sleeve. The Ayatollah is laughing in his turban. Poor old Russia. One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet" It is the best analysis I've heard.
    1
  12855.  @tenzinganag5348  What nonsense. In 1864 Garibaldi visited London, and 500,000 turned out to greet him. The British have always supported countries fighting for freedom. Lord Byron died (1824) fighting for Greek independence against the Turks. Lord Minto (1847) toured Italy to encourage constitutional government. That is why the British are respected and admired. The Durham miners raised money to send to Garibaldi's Risorgimento army in Italy. Even though Garibaldi hated official presentations, he went to Durham to accept a sword.
    1
  12856.  @mahatmadutcheastcompany6726  Good point. When the British East India Co. ended in 1874, they boasted that they had handed the government, "The finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen". The British only controlled 55% of India. What contribution did the other 45% make ? Did India model its future state on the 45% of corrupt warlords, who were exploiting peasants, spreading backwardness and illiteracy and living in decadence ? No. The Indian Congress were all British educated, and followed the British model.
    1
  12857. What did they call the Persian Gulf ?
    1
  12858. No thanks to Germany - they closed their airspace to British weapon deliveries. Germany blocked Lithuania from transferring howitzers to Ukraine. Scholz had to have his arm twisted to untether himself from Russia.
    1
  12859.  @xl000  , good question. The answer is NO. the US is a secular country. And God never buttered a parsnip.
    1
  12860. This lady is 100% FSB Ukraine intelligence warned everyone a long time ago. When she 'fled' to the west the first thing she did was call for "An end to sanctions". Saying it hurt the Russian people and didn't affect the regime.
    1
  12861.  @michaelkoopman7274  The TV lady is the focus of Russian protest in Western media : the FSB decide what she says, they are controlling the narrative. TV lady - doesn't like war, she likes peace. She wants sanctions lifted because they hurt ordinary Russians. She doesn't call Putin an incompetent thief, she quite likes him, but wants peace not war. This is the sort of bland message the Kremlin can cope with. It takes the Western focus away from real protests - that Putin is an utterly corrupt incompetent KGB killer. Hillary Clinton - "Russia can only destroy, they can't develop their own country" Imagine the TV lady saying that ? Never. Because that would be unacceptable criticism. The FSB wants to control bland criticism.
    1
  12862. When Putin dies the UN will vote on a resolution : "That he be buried right meetly deep"
    1
  12863. The entire Western World is supporting Ukraine's fight for freedom. ( A Great shame Germany sabotaged the delivery of weapons :- by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania from donating a 155mm howitzer)
    1
  12864. Good timing. Thank Merkel for her pro-Russia policy (which has thankfully backfired) And thank Merkel for the ruination of Europe.
    1
  12865. What a lousy, lazy, ill-informed, ill-prepared a-hole.
    1
  12866. Even Corbyn supporters acknowledge he has some rather Islamofascist bedfellows.
    1
  12867. ...and a chill went down my spine. If that doesn't win a Pulitzer, there's no justice.
    1
  12868. Let me give you all some background :- Palestine were offered a 2 state solution in 1947 and 2000 (Camp David, Clinton) and turned it down. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3billion from the people. He had to, that was how he stayed in power : he bribed his friends and paid-off his enemies. Fatah are totally corrupt, have never been audited and tolerate no opposition : they are the archetypal one-party state. Hamas are anti-democratic fascist thugs. The biggest tragedy of the Palestinians is a total failure of leadership. If they had a liberal, democratic , honest leader the whole thing would have been resolved decades ago. Gulf $dollar$ has paid to keep the conflict going for political advantage.
    1
  12869. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often joke about rape.
    1
  12870. Why don't you eff off ! Sky Australia are like a 5th column for the Kremlin. This is a time to show a united front. You effing rats should go £ucking bury yourselves.
    1
  12871.  @sra7085  I simply did some research. It seems astonishing that a prime Minister should cancel elections : that is the road to despotism. It is equally astonishing that the Prime Minister should invade a region that DOES hold an election : that IS despotism.
    1
  12872.  @samsong6746  Fair point. I have searched all over and can find no analysis on this topic : so I have conjectured an explanation. I'm very curious how a 1 million strong army can simply collapse. Why did the rebels achieve such success ? When the PM Abiya and his government can cut of food, fuel and finance ? It really is extraordinary, yet nobody seems interested in explaining why. That is why I had a bash.
    1
  12873.  @samsong6746  I think I'm probably correct in saying it is the same reason the Iraqi army collapsed when confronted by 300 ISIS fighters : no officer corps ethos.
    1
  12874. You have to repeat 5 nouns, then you are given another 5 and have to repeat all ten. That's not easy. Ten unrelated nouns............and yet Trump nails it then purses his lips for the next question.
    1
  12875. Do you remember medieval times ? When peasants across the world were savagely exploited by nobles ? Do you know how that system was transformed into modern democracy ? Well, through representative assemblies taking power from dictators. In England you had Magna-Carta (1215), Henry Bracton Common Law (1235) the Bill of Rights (1688) etc that's how people gained their freedom. Iran is a medieval theocratic dictatorship. The Ayatollah uses Hezbollah (murderous thugs) to beat protestors and the prison system tortures and abuses them.
    1
  12876.  Syed Ahmed  and the US have total contempt for the bone-idle Saudi. The Yanks actually like hard-working Iranians , it's the Ayatollah they can't stomach.
    1
  12877.  @mohasendeli1563  LOL " Iran is really a free country " good phrasing. It only appears to be a religious dictatorship it is "really free". LOL I like you, you keep us all laughing with your half-witted comments.
    1
  12878.  @mohasendeli1563  LOL " Iran is really a free country " good phrasing. It only appears to be a religious dictatorship it is "really free". LOL I like you, you keep us all laughing with your half-witted comments.
    1
  12879.  @mohasendeli1563  , your brain is mush. You've been reading to much Dan Brown. Try reading a proper history book , like Tony Judt "Postwar". At the end of a year do you ever look back at all the half-witted books you've read and feel as though the year was wasted ?
    1
  12880. Iran's economy is crashing they have to do something. If they do nothing they simply sink. So what options do they have, where is the light at the end of the tunnel ? They have one option and they're playing it : a short messy conflict in which they can appear the victims, which has the consequence of closing the Straits, with global repercussions. That is their only option. And yet the morons on here are totally incapable of any analysis and engage in kindergarten arguments about military industrial complex. You can argue about Trump but in this situation now , Iran's only option is a messy conflict in which they're the victims and which causes global oil prices to rise. Obviously Iran are provoking a conflict. You people are so dumb.
    1
  12881. The Russians are retreating like whipped dogs. I hope a retreat becomes a rout. Well done Ukraine heroes. A magnificent stage 1 victory. Stage 2 is the relief of Mariupol. The Allies must supply anti-ship missiles. Also, those 29 Migs from Poland, must be transferred : every general in the US has said the MIgs should've gone to Ukraine weeks ago.
    1
  12882. Mexico has a plan - it has only been disclosed to the Cartels (who run mexico)
    1
  12883. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  12884. "Palestinians deprived of everything" Yes, they have been deprived of democracy by Hamas and Fatah who both rule with a despotic rod of intolerance Yes, they have been deprived of a voice - nobody can speak out against Hamas or Fatah Poor Palestinians, when will they be free to choose ?
    1
  12885. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities, which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
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  12886. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  12887. Rejoice at this news ! Russians are in full retreat and blowing up bridges to stop the Ukraine Offensive on Kherson. "The Ukrainians have punched through in 3 places", Prof Michael Clarke.
    1
  12888. BIng-bong bog off.
    1
  12889. Bingku, touche. I can't agree with you though. Look at the those opposing the US : Iran, Hezbollah,Russia,Assad, ISIS, Al-Nusra...... it is a rogues gallery. Surely you don't support any of that lot ? Whenever there is confusion always side with democracy and you weon't go far wrong. (In Syria that's the US and Israel)
    1
  12890. Bingku, sorry to hear those facts. There is nothing you can say to excuse it. But that period in history was a clash between the USSR who had killed 30 million of their own people in Stalin's purge (and Mao had killed 30 million in purges and the Great Leap forward). The nature of American people is shown by the fact it was TV that brought Vietnam to an end and TV ended the McCarthy with-hunt trials. When the people in the US see injustice they want it stopped : even when it is their government doing it.
    1
  12891.  @PezhvakIMV  ,"for no reason" ? Dude are you following the news ? The reason :- Iran spend million$ supplying Hezbollah (were do you think Gaza gets the missiles) ; they supply the Houthi, they supply every terror group in the middle east ; they are a totalitarian theo-fascist dictatorship. "For no reason" ? Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year. More than the Shah killed in his whole life. Read prisoners' testimony : under the Shah it was tedium, boredom, ennui ; under the Ayatollah it was torture, terror, fear. Read the records. Who did the Ayatollah kill : democrats, trade-unionists, feminists. When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with the democrats in parliament (the Shah did have a parliament) and he said, "Kick their teeth in".
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  12892. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
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  12893. Alpha, you're putting a positive spin on some depressing statistics but you are correct : 35% would prefer to stay in a civilized democracy and get on with their lives.
    1
  12894. เหงาเสมอ แต่มีความสุข That's a fair question : the answer is statistics. You only need a small sample to (quite) accurately extrapolate a result. The pollster probably asked 300 or 400 young Muslim men picked at random and then extrapolated to the whole population.
    1
  12895. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  12896. What a lot of waffle.
    1
  12897.  @santaclaus0815  There is a vitality about democracy and all its associations (EU NATO etc), that can easily cope with "mouldy apples". Autocratic countries lack vitality - they are governed at the whim of the dictator, and make dreadful mistakes like Ukraine. One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
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  12898. Trump is finished.
    1
  12899. LOL I just said as much France 24 can sure find 'em
    1
  12900. Steven, we should be wishing the NK people to obtain their freedom. Not to be sending greetings to a brutal murderous dictator. Earth Mars, never confuse a genuine dictator/butcher of his own people, with a celebrity egotist.
    1
  12901. Jemel, I just said the same thing 2 mins ago :- China want Rocket-man to demand the US remove their military-base from S Korea as part of denuclearisation. The US will not even consider it. But China will ease sanctions "To encourage progress in talks". So Rocketman gets sanctions lifted, China get the US base put on the negotiating table and Trump gets FA. This is not clever by China because the US are quite sanguine about a military strike.
    1
  12902. Liban, why wouldn't the US want N & S Korea to unify ? That is just what the US want : it's what China do NOT want.
    1
  12903. Liban, I understand you. You're saying if they unified like eg Vietnam , but were not allied to the US or China, then neither China nor the US would want that. Well maybe. But why would Korea want to be like a 3rd rate $hithole country like Vietnam ? If you asked Koreans : would you like to be like a first rate S Korea or a 3rd rate Vietnam ? They would all choose the US allied S Korea.
    1
  12904.  @shanthageorge8254  , Oh, I didn't know about Alaska's fire and didn't know about India's no-rain. I'm learning a lot today.
    1
  12905. What happened to Modi's brain ? India has been humiliated. I told India to do nothing : just keep developing economically, socially, politically and in education. Leave Pakistan to stew in Islamofascism. It's like a multi-national executive picking a fight with a tattooed yob.
    1
  12906. GPF : all your presenters seem to have their backs to the wall....literally. Those shadows behind them are disconcerting : it's like they're in a phone box. Other than that it is a very good report.
    1
  12907. Zelensky said Boris is leading the fight against Putin. Britain has supplied Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The Black Sea fleet is the apple of Putin's eye. Let's see how he lies to watch his ships go down.
    1
  12908. Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
    1
  12909. The administration hasn't "put it all into a pot" and calculated the knock on effects. Trump said he listens to his gut.
    1
  12910. Ha ha ha , good comment. Just what I expected.......I saw the supermarket style entrance and thought "What a miserable sight". ( Actually I really thought : what a dump)
    1
  12911. Hamas has certainly doomed Gaza If Hamas releases the hostages then the war ends Shame on Hamas
    1
  12912. Lebanon, ruined by Hezbollah. Maybe hezbollah could ask the Ayatollah to step in, considering Iran has destroyed Lebanon.
    1
  12913. The thing to remember is that the Arabs are worse than the Israelis to each other. All the Arab leaders hated Yaser Arafat ; he had lied to them all and stabbed them all in the back at some stage. The Arabs would much prefer to make agreements with the Israelis as much as they dislike them.
    1
  12914. Macron "France will not respond to a nuclear attack on Ukraine" Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  12915. @Murdock McClaine The quote was in response to the Fashoda incident 1898 France had to vacate their fort and instead of sailing down the Nile (controlled by Britain) then sailing home, the French captain marched his men across miles of desert, then one assumes he sailed around Africa. The British were baffled. That is when Lord Salisbury made his assessment of French character.
    1
  12916.  @joedias7946  Thanks for that interesting comment. A popular song by Edith Piaff was quoted by de Gaulle, after he had rejected Britain's application. He consoled Harold McMillan saying, "Don't cry my Lord". The key stage in the development of Western Civilization occurs around the Norman Conquest. It is the French that civilize Anglo-Saxon England. Words like chivalry, courtesy and honour enter the language, cathedrals are built and slavery (which may have accounted for 30% of England's pop.) is ended. Christianity plays a crucial role - this is long before the centuries of corruption, it is just before the crusades, the Church has values and grants Henry II the decree of 'Laudabiliter' (1155) to civilize Ireland (Dublin has the largest slave market in western Europe, the Chieftains have many wives and capture concubines from their neighbours, they are essentially barbarians). Queen Elizabeth I, just before the Armada (1588) said "This nation has never been conquered". A brave courtier reminded her of the Norman conquest. So the Queen (who spoke many languages and was the smartest of all our monarchs) replied, "But they couldn't have conquered us without them being us". A magnificent reply, with so much insight and understanding. The British never really hated the French : during the American revolutionary wars (1775-1783) Britain continued trading with France. Cast iron sewage pipes were exported to Paris, tourists continued to travel, and relations were very gentlemanly. Thousands of French Huguenots settled in England, after the St Bartholemew's massacre (1572). Lord Salisbury (PM 3 times, circa 1890s) summed up Britain's relationship - "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" That was after the Fashoda crisis, when the French garrison, instead of sailing down the Nile (occupied by Britain) decided to trek miles across hostile desert to return home.
    1
  12917. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    1
  12918.  @governmentnwankwo9906  No you are wrong. Read the reply I've just sent. Russian junk is "decommissioned" : the warheads would need taking out of storage. The US has a deadly - truly shocking capability that can be launched in minutes. Russia has nothing like it.
    1
  12919.  @jonkite0071  Korean war (1950-63) General MacArthur wanted to drop an atom bomb on China, the Whitehouse said "No". In 1969 the Russians were getting a hammering from China in a border dispute and told the USA it intended to drop an atom bomb on them. The United States told them they would respond in kind against Russia. It was the US that saved China's bacon.
    1
  12920.  @governmentnwankwo9906  ,Your nonsense sounds like a Russian folk tale. A return to sobriety will convince you the US has "a massive, massive superiority"
    1
  12921.  @ShayPatrickCormacTHEHUNTER  I will say you are a prophetic genius (if it happens). Israel and the Yanks are hand-in-glove. A divorce is inconceivable.
    1
  12922. "Turning point in history" ? Then why did Germany block weapons to Ukraine if n February ? a) RAF flight blocked b) Estonia howitzer transfer blocked c) direct sales blocked
    1
  12923. Eurovision - Israel wins the popular vote In UK Israel easily won hands down The ordinary people support ISRAEL not Hamas You Al Jazeera folk are living in a dream world
    1
  12924.  @abhishekkj9664  If it goes nuclear, India had better make their mind up quickly. Because China will be getting both barrels. If Russia attacks the USA, then the USA will retaliate. But also China will be obliterated. A devastated USA cannot leave China intact. Xi should be aware of this whilst he's backing Putin. The US has phenomenal firepower in nuclear armed submarines : they would turn China into a wasteland.
    1
  12925. Something strange is happening .... a) the stalled convoy, I've never heard such hogwash excuses. That has been purposely stalled. b) Ukraine aren't striking the convoy, again such hogwash reasons. It is extremely strange, as if some agreement has been reached. As if they are waiting for something to come to the boil in Moscow. Ukraine let it slip (?) that the FSB tipped them off about an assassination attempt. Is that a clue ? Something is happening.
    1
  12926.  @stevehouse3904  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  12927. mr, for some reason I'm not following that story. Thanks for keeping us all up to date. I must look up some more info.
    1
  12928. The Russians were hammered. Thanks to US intelligence, and fierce Ukrainian resistance. Intelligence enabled many ambushes to be arranged - killing zones. Especially the famous Chechen battalion slaughter.
    1
  12929. Germany closed their airspace to weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Putin isn't showing much gratitude. One would've thought German perfidy deserved better.
    1
  12930. Black Page, you are right : Russia does produce things, unlike other oil & gas producers, say Saudi Arabia. But I'm talking about producing things for export, products that contribute to the GDP. Russia may produce shoddy items for domestic consumption but they don't sell abroad. Russia sells its natural resources like African countries.
    1
  12931. Thank you Al Jazeera for supporting terrorism
    1
  12932. SNP Ian Blackford does NOT call for all hostages to be released The SNP is supporting Hamas savages All hostages must be released. The SNP should pressure Hamas rapists
    1
  12933. What nonsense , unless you are making the joke , in which case ha ha.
    1
  12934.  @philipd9901  Putin thinks his best generals are January and February. The EU may fold (France Germany etc) But not Poland and the Baltics. Not the US and Britain. And quite honestly if France and germany pull out we'll say good riddance. One is better off without 5th columnists.
    1
  12935. It has nothing to do with hatred of Israel or Sunni/Shia or youth unemployment or the legacy of colonialism. It goes right back to 1453 when the Turks captured Constantinople. The Muslims controlled trade with the east and Christendom was haemorrhaging money. (It is estimated Europe spent 65000kg of silver on spices before the voyages of discovery Columbus 1493 and Vasco da Gama 1498) Voyages of discovery ushered in the Enlightenment (1500-1800) which led to the Industrial revolution(1750)
    1
  12936. The Speaker MUST resign ! He claimed Islamic terrorists had threatened MPs lives That means the British parliament was intimidated by Islamists ! He must resign
    1
  12937. Put emotions to one side. Ask yourself this :- "Australia needs fighting allies (not the neutrality of France). Macron recently said ' countries shouldn't gang up on China'. What is the point of an alliance with French windbags ?" Germany (the EU) sent a warship to the South China Sea : It didn't enter any contested waters, and even asked to make a courtesy call to Shanghai. The Chinese told them, "Get lost". EU windbags will not defend Western Civilization. That duty falls to the USA, Britain, and Australia.
    1
  12938.  @Eran_Haim  Imagine one could conduct a poll in 1922 and ask 100 Palestinians where their capital was - they would mostly say Damascus, some might say Constantinople, but few would say Jerusalem. Jerusalem was a dump compared to Damascus. Now imagine one asks "What nation do you belong to ?" Even in 1970 they would have said "The Arab nation". Egypt was the leader of the Arab league. The Caliphate had no nations : all land was owned by the Sultan "Our Lord on Earth". The culture of the Caliphate has been the ruination of the Palestinians - they look to a strong man saviour (Arafat), and have no notion of strong independent (democratic) institutions. That is why no Caliphate country has become a democracy. (With the exception of Turkey : watch my video on Ataturk ).
    1
  12939.  @longnhattran2627  LOL good comment. I agree with you (and Shlomo Sand) that the Palestinians probably are the descendents of the tribes of Israel who converted to Islam. As for belief in God - the last statistics I saw were :- 30% Jewish, 35% social Jews (just for weddings and bar mitzvahs), 35% secular. It was the European ancestry of the israelis which gave them a head start in nation building. It was the Caliphate ancestry of the Palestinians which hobbled their nation building.
    1
  12940.  @mogamadrayaandawjee6732  In 1922 the was a Jewish community, and that community elected an Administrative Council : it was a state in embryo. Nation states haven't always existed : rulers could change (dynasties fighting) and it made no difference to the ordinary farmer. Hungarian peasants moved into Ottoman territory they were so abused by the Magyars. There was no notion of a nation state. In 1922 the Palestinians had no notion of a nation state. For centuries they had believed "The Sultan is our Lord on Earth". The sultan owned all land, and parcelled it out to nobles who would provide military service (feudalism).
    1
  12941. "500 dead at hospital" lies ! "The Anglican diocese that manages the hospital reported 200 people killed" Al Ahli hospital was a Hamas rocket that misfired Al Jazeera please stop propaganda and lies
    1
  12942. Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a clear non-starter" Hamas is delusional
    1
  12943. Face it India you have been totally humiliated. I told them to do nothing after the Kashmir bombing. I said, "Continue to develop economically, socially, politically and in education. Leave the Islamofascists to fester. By all means call for international condemnation ; ask the US to stop funding Pakistan's limitary etc, but don't go getting involved in violence. Pakistan thrive on violence : every Indo-Pakistan war was started by Pakistan. It's like a multi-national executive picking a fight with a tattooed yob. So why did Modi behave like he'd no brains ? Because an election is coming up.
    1
  12944. Germany has assessed it has 19 Leopard 2A5 ready for Ukraine and has authorised Poland to train Ukrainians on Leopards Vice Chancellor & Foreign Minister have voiced approval. Boris Pistorius said the decision would be made in hours (5 days ago) Pure procrastination by Scholz - he has humiliated himself.
    1
  12945. Exposing India for having no principles shouldn't be applauded. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    1
  12946. But Hillary is crooked we ALL believe that. Polls showed 68% of Americans think she is untrustworthy. What do facts matter ! Bill did get $1 million in speaking fees from the business conglomerate that purchased the Uranium. Either way she is crooked statistics prove it. She was a crook when she was the Arkansas governors wife : doing Cattle trading that netted her $100,000. You folks are living in a liberal fantasy world.
    1
  12947. 1860 Namik Kemal : Admired the British for :- "their indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
    1
  12948. Well done Ukraine. (But also, well done USA, NATO and EU. I hope we don't see any back-sliding in the Western Alliance)
    1
  12949. That's a nice thought, but let me give you a history lesson :- In 1815 (after the defeat of Napoleon) the Vienna Congress decided to uphold autocratic dynasties and suppress progressive democracy. So in 1830 "the July Revolution in France along with revolutions in Congress Poland, Italian states, Portugal and Switzerland and Belgium. Russia mobilised its army to intervene. In 1848 revolutions swept Europe : again Russia mobilized. L B Namier "Hatred of Tsarist Russia, as the mainstay of the Holy Alliance (1815) and the guardian of autocracy was universal among European liberals and radicals" Even Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". When the USSR invaded Hungary (1954) and Czechoslovakia (1968) it was essentially a continuation of "Russian Autocracy" - the Holy Alliance of 1815.
    1
  12950. Unfortunately all the artefacts are replicas. The originals were smashed during the Cultural Revolution. That was when psychopathic Mao and his sadistic wife instigated a reign of terror against the old traditions. People were tortured and killed. Anyone who possessed any culture was in danger. It was a time when imbeciles reigned supreme : that's right I'm talking about teenagers. Students under Mao's guidance destroyed everything.
    1
  12951. US military aid is to prevent Israel having to go nuclear
    1
  12952. Russia has a long established relationship with the Kurds. They have said NO to Turkey using air-space. And they have withdrawn their troops from Afrin : so they know Turkey are going ahead. Syria have just said "We will support the Kurds against Turkey". Add to that the spectacle of Erdogan's thugs beating up citizens in Washington and you see why Turkey is hated all across the world.
    1
  12953. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    1
  12954. Blockade China.
    1
  12955. Why not interview the Palestinian Authority ? LOL those old crooks, who haven't held an election for 11yrs, make such a bad impression on world opinion it is better not to hear from them. Pity the Palestinians : they have an unelected leadership that can't wait to turn the West Bank into a $hithole country under their corrupt, clueless leadership.
    1
  12956. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine
    1
  12957. LOL Pakistan have a brass neck, to talk about atrocities after what the Pakistan army did in Bangladesh (1971).
    1
  12958. Pakistan should be asking for forgiveness. From all their victims (mostly women and girls).
    1
  12959. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
    1
  12960. Remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember those thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah the Ayatollah's henchmen.
    1
  12961. History :- The Dreyfuss letter This was an antisemitic episode in France in the 1890s The French Army had unjustly persecuted a Jewish officer. So to cover their shame, they fabricated a letter. This was shown to journalists, one of whom happened to have a letter from Dreyfuss. They immediately showed the handwriting was totally different, strikingly different. The French army was humiliated again, but they doubled down, accused Dreyfuss of treason and sent him to devil's Island.
    1
  12962. Russia looks like an aggressive bully. Putin has tarnished the image of Russia for generations : he has certainly motivated more neighbours to join NATO. Putin's appeal "You have been ignoring us", sounds quite pathetic : he looks like a clown.
    1
  12963. The ANC are a corrupt one-party-state organisation. The people still support them because they're illiterate morons. There have been 146 political assassinations of anyone who challenges the ANC in the townships. Liberals who supported anti-apartheid turn a blind eye to this dictatorship.
    1
  12964. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranian opposition supporters in his first year. That's how the Islamic Republic was established. When Khomeini landed in Tehran (1979) he was asked what he'd do with the democrats, "I'll kick their teeth in ", he religiously replied.
    1
  12965. Why would the Yanks escalate things when Iranian inflation is 50% and their economy is slumping by 6% . All the US needs to do is wait, Iran can't survive. Now ask yourself : why would Iran sabotage tankers ? Because it is in Iran's interest to disrupt the world oil supply and apply pressure to the US to pull back on sanctions. There is only one way to read this. You folks are irrational morons.
    1
  12966. "The next several months" LOL The war will still be going on past Oct 7th 2024 France24 live in a liberal bubble of optimism
    1
  12967.  @bigboyrambo2009  LOL exactly. A tactical retreat, leaving all your equipment to the enemy. Haftar is the biggest jackass in North Africa ........ and that's a well contested title.
    1
  12968. I hope IRAN is invaded or at least bombed into submission. It is an Islamofascist state and has just used it's ARMY to kill its own citizens who protested against Islamic theocratic dictators. There is clearly a huge portion of the population wants to see the regime brought down. Saudi, Israel and USA will have watched these events and will use them to justify an attack. I hope its successful.
    1
  12969. The Middle East has always been despotic. It is one of the reasons it fell behind the West. ( Actually, all the Ottoman technicians were from the West - ship builders, foundry workers, arms were always purchased from Europe etc). Islam, which admits of no debate, and Despotism are the Herculean twin pillars of Middle East stagnation. (I think I'll make a video on it).
    1
  12970. 5 reasons Putin will not go nuclear or use a dirty bomb : a) Lose Security Council seat b) Lose support from China & India c) NATO retaliation d) it will not prevent defeat e) Russia's elite have not sacrificed any personal wealth their aim is to stay wealthy and stay in power
    1
  12971. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  12972. One chap removed his comment :- "Morality has no space in geo politics." But I'm talking about purchasing Russian military junk. I'm giving commercial advice. Remember Pakistan easily shooting down two Indian Mig-21 jets ? Remember how easily Turkey shot down Russian jets ? Why does Modi want to buy Russian junk ?
    1
  12973.  @lordraydens  Thank you for asking. Let me explain how it works. When the USSR collapsed the East German Stasi had informers all over society including TV. THis is how it might work : as a student the TV lady took part in a demo and caused minor damage. She was interviewed and gave some trivial information to avoid a small sentence. She then gets a job at TV and is informed that the FSB fixed it for her - she gives some more trivial information. Do you get the picture ? She is not on a salary. She is not "working" for the FSB as an agent. She is lie all Stasi informers simply in their grasp. She gets financial rewards - promotion and maybe cash. She is also threatened with losing her job or being exposed. It is always carrot and stick. The Ukrainian Intelligence spotted her immediately.
    1
  12974.  @JackieOdonnel  Thank you for asking. Let me explain how it works. When the USSR collapsed the East German Stasi had informers all over society including TV. THis is how it might work : as a student the TV lady took part in a demo and caused minor damage. She was interviewed and gave some trivial information to avoid a small sentence. She then gets a job at TV and is informed that the FSB fixed it for her - she gives some more trivial information. Do you get the picture ? She is not on a salary. She is not "working" for the FSB as an agent. She is lie all Stasi informers simply in their grasp. She gets financial rewards - promotion and maybe cash. She is also threatened with losing her job or being exposed. It is always carrot and stick. The Ukrainian Intelligence spotted her immediately.
    1
  12975.  @tommyatkins2527  Politico did an article on her Google it. The TV lady is the focus of Russian protest in Western media : the FSB decide what she says, they are controlling the narrative. TV lady - doesn't like war, she likes peace. She wants sanctions lifted because they hurt ordinary Russians. She doesn't call Putin an incompetent thief, she quite likes him, but wants peace not war. This is the sort of bland message the Kremlin can cope with. It takes the Western focus away from real protests - that Putin is an utterly corrupt incompetent KGB killer. Hillary Clinton - "Russia can only destroy, they can't develop their own country" Imagine the TV lady saying that ? Never. Because that would be unacceptable criticism. The FSB wants to control bland criticism.
    1
  12976.  @JackieOdonnel  Thanks, a good question. The TV lady is the focus of Russian protest in Western media : the FSB decide what she says, they are controlling the narrative. TV lady - doesn't like war, she likes peace. She wants sanctions lifted because they hurt ordinary Russians. She doesn't call Putin an incompetent thief, she quite likes him, but wants peace not war. This is the sort of bland message the Kremlin can cope with. It takes the Western focus away from real protests - that Putin is an utterly corrupt incompetent KGB killer. Hillary Clinton - "Russia can only destroy, they can't develop their own country" Imagine the TV lady saying that ? Never. Because that would be unacceptable criticism. The FSB wants to control bland criticism.
    1
  12977.  @richardowen1130  Churchill believed the Russians were "A quasi-Asiatic formless mass". Formless is a curious word, it is echoed in Kejove's description. Kejove : "Stalin turned the people into a jelly he could mould". A formless-jelly - sounds a lot like a brainwashed Russian.
    1
  12978.  @LunaticTheCat  Lord Owen sits on the Intelligence Committee and was speaking on Radio 4. Besides, all the information is freely available - research US nuclear capability. Then take a look at Russia - warheads are stored separately for safety. It would take Russia many days to prepare for a nuclear attack. Russia has a few ready-missiles, but they will easily be shot down.
    1
  12979. Rejoice at this news ! Russians are in full retreat and blowing up bridges to stop the Ukraine Offensive on Kherson. "The Russians have punched through in 3 places", Prof Michael Clarke.
    1
  12980. LOL ha ha ha , Russia have a few dozen trolls with poor English skills posting nonsense on social media. It's been going on for centuries : during the Bishop's wars (1639) the Scots printed pamphlets for English soldiers to read. Very effective they were too : the troops shot one of their officers and showed no inclination to fight.
    1
  12981.  @rongrummer5457  , well spotted comrade. And, if I may also add, it's actually very hard to change someone's mind : propaganda only works to reinforce what folk already believe. It is just about impossible for Russia , those unpersuasive bigoted dopes, to change anyone's mind. E Cooper and M Jahoda , "The evasion of propaganda : How prejudiced People Respond to anti-prejudice propaganda" Journal of psychology 23 1947 (15-25)
    1
  12982.  @blueeyes6192  LOL Estonia and Latvia have NATO troops stationed there. Russia's days are numbered. Russia is being humiliated. Russia has failed. Only the most brainwashed drunken Orc could even imagine Russia has any cards left to play.
    1
  12983. LOL what rubbish. China is fundamentally weak : it is like a runaway train , it has to keep growing or it collapses. It is handing debt to Africa that it hopes the IMF will repay, same with Pakistan etc The US (Pompeo) has already said they're not playing that game and will not authorise bailouts. Let's see where China are in 5yrs when everyone defaults.
    1
  12984. Rafisongs, you mean the democratic ,human rights respecting United States will be nuked by the totalitarian nazis of China and the gangster state Russia. I think that's what you meant to say.
    1
  12985. Hamas support = Youth culture + one or two odd-bods + transgender + LGBTQ It's not going to get you far
    1
  12986. Everyone is doing their part to defend civilization. (Except China, India, Pakistan, North Korea etc) The Axis of Evil.
    1
  12987. I bet even the ricochet made their ears ring.
    1
  12988. 8:20 Before Midnight "Did somebody kidnap your CEO ?" LOL
    1
  12989. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  12990. Why did Hamas fire the first rockets after their 6pm deadline wasn't met by Israel ? What did Hamas imagine the consequences would be ? Hamas started it and Israel will finish it.
    1
  12991. @Mohammed Sultan , " Sometimes you have to bend to stand Tall again". I Like that expression, also you talk a lot of sense. However I have a visceral detestation of theocracy of every kind (from the Pope to the Ayatollah) and am rubbing my hands at the prospect of seeing an end to those fanatical Islamist crackpots ensconced in Tehran.
    1
  12992.  Mati Velázquez  , you don't need to be a Trumptard to deduce the Ayatollah's plans for Israel : he's on record saying he will destroy Israel. How did you miss that : Google it, the Ayatollah says it weekly at Friday prayers.
    1
  12993.  @Metsada007  , gosh you are dangerously naive. Do you remember the student protests in Tehran (1999) ? Remember those thugs beating them over the head with clubs ? That was Hezbollah.
    1
  12994.  @Klopp2543  , Iran are hand in glove with Hezbollah :- remember the student protests in Tehran 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That was Hezbollah. The Ayatollah and Hezbollah are joined in a psychotic symbiosis of fanatical fascism.
    1
  12995. Hezbollah have ruined Lebanon. Hezbollah have control of the finance ministry and refuse to budge. The EU and IMF refuse loans until Hezbollah leave. Hezbollah = Iran = the ruination of the Middle East.
    1
  12996.  @gunsumwong3948  , no. The banking system was systematically raided by corrupt officials. Hezbollah run the finance ministry and refuse to move. Lebanon's economic collapse :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FKZ4_LgEUM
    1
  12997. Supply anti-ship missiles and relieve Mariupol.
    1
  12998. Shame on India : Modi supports butchery and torture in Ukraine.
    1
  12999. Putin has bottled it. Take no notice of this fellah. An invasion looks like Normandy in 1944 : it takes six months to assemble. This old guy is talking nonsense. Russia needs full strength, fully fuelled, with ammo dumps, hospitals, canteens logistics. Putin had his moment and has bottled it.
    1
  13000. Hey, there's enough money for everyone : why not share the spoils of office ? I'm sure they can join forces to loot the country and then distribute it amicably amongst themselves.
    1
  13001. Very brave, and very effective.
    1
  13002. A pre-emptive nuclear strike by the US would require half the multiple warhead missiles on one submarine. It would totally destroy the N Korea. It is hard to imagine how the North could retaliate. Perhaps a few artillery rounds which would be soon dealt with. 99% of casualties would be N Korean and Kim Jung Un's regime would be over.
    1
  13003.  @pwn5047  I've simply presented Russian military history.
    1
  13004.  @pwn5047  You are welcome to choose some Russian victories ? Russia even struggled to defeat the Turks (the sick-man of Europe) They had some success there : 1768-74
    1
  13005.  @jacqdanieles  "Why are the west not supplying anti ship missiles?" The US have a liaison team (a general) in Moscow, to make sure no unwanted escalation takes place. I've a feeling there are many putative red-lines being proferred. Not set in stone, just suggested. I think the Kremlin has suggested that NATO missiles hitting ships may be a red line. At first NATO backed off, but with the advent of war crimes and massacre, and the escalation of a second major assault, then suddenly the Black Sea ships have come into play. That is just my assessment.
    1
  13006. French murderers ! The French government sank the Rainbow Warrior on 10 July 1985, using underwater explosives. Killing an innocent crew member. No wonder France was looking for a rogue state to ally itself with It found India
    1
  13007. I hope the mortar bombs landed right on top of the Orcs tin-hats
    1
  13008. MOhamed, you wouldn't like it if you were Falun Gong and they'd come to your prison cell to harvest your organs.
    1
  13009.  @kadogo7712  , I'm trying to put a positive spin on things. Of course Bobi Wine is as ludicrous as Good-luck Jonathan. And both are only slightly preferable to the idiotic African generals whose jackets were so festooned with medals they had to pin some on their trousers.
    1
  13010. Question : why does the firing chap have a foam mat tucked in his belt ? I've seen other teams do the same thing.
    1
  13011.  @Miraclelnvoker  The most important metric to measure China by is "Global Currency use"...... The top currency, the US Dollar 45% The Euro 40% UK Pound Sterling 10% China Rimini 5% Then a host of minor nations. It indicates that nations have no confidence in China. Chinese millionaires all flee to the West to buy homes. Nobody has confidence in China.
    1
  13012. Car park - floodlights Lobby - brilliantly illuminated But surgeons are having to use candles according to Al Jazeera
    1
  13013. What did the Shia militia make of that meeting ? The Ayatollah's thugs will not be happy about that. Iran have 120,000 well-trained thugs who murder Iraqi democracy activists and promote a theocratic fascist state.
    1
  13014. Pity all the activists rounded up by despotic regimes - because Assange leaked enough information to identify them. The real victims are being tortured right now - courtesy of information Assange made public.
    1
  13015.  @krystalklear7793  , It is like playing Cluedo : if I give you 3 pieces of information they are meaningless unless you have been following the game (taking notes) and already have a lot of info on the game. Assange hasn't been following security info on dissidents in the Middle East, he has no idea how much info they already have and which pieces of info would enable them to identify a dissident. How could he know ? Even the CIA would struggle to answer that. Do some thinking, don't just join the bleeting sheep (Assange's fan club).
    1
  13016. That bald liar : he epitomises the Russian state propaganda pillock. He is a disgrace to the UN (and that's a high bar)
    1
  13017. Macron : "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" What is wrong with France ? Macron wants to lead a "European Defence Force", which would be a rival to NATO. Macron used Russia's invasion to try to launch this vanity project. France has sent Ukraine 1/10th of the weapons Poland provided, and 1/20th of the weapons Britain has sent. Moscow regards France as a "neutral country" : that should tell you everything.
    1
  13018. 6:00 "There should be exit ramps for Russia" 2 Dec : "Biden, speaking beside French President Emmanuel Macron, said the only way to end the war in Ukraine was for Putin to pull troops out and that if Putin was looking to end the conflict then Biden would be prepared to speak to him." That is a good exit ramp Putin should take it It's a good option
    1
  13019. Interesting. Agriculture is hi-tech these days (which means it's beyond Russian manufacture)
    1
  13020. "Was not prepared" LOL Prigo's cop was like the Barnum & Bailey circus You can't get that on the road without the FSB & GRU knowing about it THis was an inside job
    1
  13021.  @kevinjewitt6347  Thanks for your reply. I was listening to Tarik Ali (the old lefty) he said, "The world has changed I haven't" Corbyn hasn't changed : he started hating the US in the 1960s and 1970s and the fact that the Cold War ended makes no difference to him. Corbyn's second wife said, "I never saw him read a book" It doesn't surprise me - Corbyn is as thick as pig droppings. The defining event of the 21st century is Russia's invasion. A confrontation between ASiatic Autocracy (China Russia) and Democracy. Corbyn blames NATO : that's how wrongheaded he is.
    1
  13022.  @PanglossDr  The Arab Spring - a total failure, why ? No Caliphate country developed democracy Democracy takes centuries to develop The Caliphate was a theocratic Autocracy The Sultan "Our Lord on earth" The Sultan owned all land 1920 : When the Caliphate collapsed Palestinians had no notion of a nation-state or land ownership 1515 the Ulema bans printing : this condemned working folk to illiteracy Hamas & Hezbollah are products of the Caliphate - authoritarian, anti democratic, totalitarian, sectarian, intolerant, violent and backwards Hamas & Hezbollah specialise in assassination, terror, suicide bombing. Hezbollah : violence is their sine qua non, assassination is their métier, terrorism is their raison d'être, and fascism their forté
    1
  13023. Wateveryournameis, you are quite right. That's why Trump will never touch Mueller or anything associated with the investigation.
    1
  13024. Here are one or two happy facts :- a) The West want Turkey out of NATO as indicated by the use of Erdogan's name as the enemy target in NATO exercises. Norway said it was a clerical error (but the message was sent). b) Turkey will never join the EU. They are hated by Austria, Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary and Cyprus. c) Erdogan is hated and despised by Europe and the U.S.
    1
  13025. "Death to liars" the protestors shout. The Ayatollah is supposed to be the moral guardian. How ironic.
    1
  13026. The Revolutionary Guard are famous for beating up young women who refuse to wear a veil. That's the high moral standards of those murderers.
    1
  13027. This is huge. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  13028. Correct Egypt MUST allow civilians to shelter in Sinai
    1
  13029. Putin will be conducting a brass band, when you see him next (sozzled). Putin has made a jackass of himself.
    1
  13030. Instead of Greeks retiring at 50 on full salary, perhaps they could be more active in fire prevention and forestry management.
    1
  13031. Be fair, Tillerson was low-energy. Are you saying he was a good Sec. of State ? He went to Africa and got ill ; had to come home early. The US needs someone with a bit more vim. Oh, and on that subject , have you seen Hillary falling down steps lately ? She is like an old lady that you libtards wanted to confront N Korea and take on China and Russia. You stupid libtards. When are you going to wake up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E1d1GDw0QM&t=10s
    1
  13032. LOL the UN supports Hamas The UN has ordered unrestricted ARMS deliveries The UN wants weapons smuggled to Hamas
    1
  13033. Agreement to remove Assad .....I don't think Russia and Iran had much say in it
    1
  13034.  @Kirill-b6e2o  If you think Russia has come out of this smelling of roses, then you are in your cups. All Russia's neighbours want to join NATO quicker than ever. Nobody trusts the Kremlin (they never did) Putin looks like a jackass.
    1
  13035. IOcnes, you've a lot of reading to do. There is loads of information on Russian assassinations. Just do some Google search, here's a quick sample http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/09/a-brief-history-of-attempted-russian-assassinations-by-poison/ http://uk.businessinsider.com/list-alleged-russian-assassinations-in-britain-litvinenko-2018-3 https://nypost.com/2018/03/06/ex-spys-poisoning-eerily-similar-previous-russian-assassinations/
    1
  13036. Putin is talking about Gulags to cleanse Russia. He sounds like a KGB thug, which is what he is. Putin is a foul-mouthed KGB thus, the Russian folk must be so ashamed. Especially when they see the dear old Queen of England - dignified and regal.
    1
  13037. For "disengaged" read "Obama".
    1
  13038. Do you know what the definition of a $hithole country is ? When a tragedy like this happens the Politicians blame each other, everyone but the PM is to blame , lies and corruption produce an indigestible cocktail for a disgusted public, the heads of defence, Police and Intelligence are finally sacked and after weeks of more lies and corruption the PM steps down.
    1
  13039. Look at hannity's gestures : he's been coached to present like Bill O'Reilly.
    1
  13040. Hamas demands were outrageous - including religious sites in the West Bank Hamas' only hope is international pressure - they want more casualties
    1
  13041. All wrong ! "After the meeting Poland’s defence minister said 15 countries that have the German-made Leopards discussed the issue but no decisions were made. Mariusz Blaszczak called the meeting a “good discussion among allies” and said the matter would be discussed again at future talks. Though the tank debate was unresolved, Germany’s new defence minister suggested the issue was moving forward." Moving forward = will be announced 22 Jan at 60th anniversary of Elysee Treaty Macron will also announce Leclerc tanks
    1
  13042. "Is Hamas above the law ?" The UN refuses to condemn Hamas, so is Hamas above the law ? Western countries condemn Hamas murder, rape and abduction But Axis of Evil countries don''t condemn Hamas
    1
  13043. India is in for a shock. The US means business, it has :- a) Humbled Russia b) faced down Putin's nuclear threat c) demolished NordStream 1 and 2 d) faced down China e) and is remaking the 21st century. Saudi is not the only country in the cross-hairs.....India is too.
    1
  13044.  @mdabdulhadi7730  , but Abdul you're not a statesman, I'm quoting world leaders who are all opposed to Iran's nuclear ambitions. You're puerile maxims don't cut much mustard with world leaders. The whole world are united in their belief that the Ayatollah is a rabid fanatic.
    1
  13045. Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
    1
  13046.  @manniforit2940  Pentagon's AI computer: The Ukraine "war game" in February : Parameters indicated a turning point in August, and decisive advances in September. Mobilization increases Russian casualties, and slightly slows Ukrainian victory but Russian defeat was a mathematical fact In February
    1
  13047. Hamas will not release female hostages who have been raped
    1
  13048. India will be sitting there with a big red face (of shame), giving Russia the nod and wink of approval. I hope India are kicked out of the Commonwealth.
    1
  13049. Liars ! Al Jazeera and Hamas lies ! "Exchange all the prisoners" is wrong The UN said, "Unconditional release of ALL hostages" Of course Al Jazeera simply broadcast lies
    1
  13050. They are knocking the sweet Jazus out of the Orcs.
    1
  13051.  @gachaleaks8654  , Russia is calling the shots, El-Sisi is just sweating and following orders.
    1
  13052. " Josep Rull i Andreu has Tweeted from his office", LOL He's campaigning for December already. Everyone knows independence was a strategy. Josep knows that : he's just Tweeted a photo to get his December campaign underway. Independence is a strategy NOT a realisable immediate objective. History will show it was declared in 2017 : that is a great milestone. December will bring another Independence parliament and negotiations for Full Autonomy. (that was the objective).
    1
  13053. Well done Germany. However, Germany has vetoed heavy weapons to Ukraine, and is looking as "shaky" as India. France too is trying to retain friendly relations with Russia. Thank God for AUKUS. Zelensky said, "Britain has been the best supporter" (he meant after the USA) Australia has also sent arms and Bushmaster armoured cars.
    1
  13054. Germany and Russia have always had close ties, which are fundamentally bad for Europe. Not just the Ribbentrop pact, but a century before : Frederick II and Peter III changed Europe by securing the existence of fascist Prussia.
    1
  13055.    , and rightly so. The 3 autocratic powers (Russia Austria and Prussia) wanted the power to intervene in other countries to secure aristocratic despotism. This was achieved at the Congress of Verona (1822). The British, who gave the world parliamentary democracy, refused to endorse European tyranny and at every conference promoted the abolition of slavery.... Russia with 50% of its population in abject servitude declined ; Austria, Hungary and Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) had introduced the 2nd serfdom, and Prussia, which had no conception of human rights, also demurred.
    1
  13056. This is a fantastic recipe for corruption. When you are voting for a partisan , paramilitary leader to represent your faction they always end up as unaccountable autocrats. They should be governed under a UN mandate, ie a civilised country should take over the onerous task of administration. Just as Africa and S America should be governed as protectorates. Some countries are incapable of governing themselves.
    1
  13057. CCTV shows terrorists running rampant inside the hospital
    1
  13058. Ironic : Justin Trudeau supported farmers in India who shut down the cities.
    1
  13059. I hope so.
    1
  13060. Hezbollah are to blame. Hezbollah occupy the Finance Ministry and refuse to move. International finance refuse to co-operate with Hezbollah and Lebanon is going to the dogs.
    1
  13061. exzo, After the formation of Pakistan in 1947 it took a quarter of a century for a Prime Minister to leave office without being killed. Do you not find that barbaric ?
    1
  13062. African Union = corruption, despotism and rigged elections They have zero credibility
    1
  13063. Oooh, he's won me over I've never liked Starmer, but he's got my vote
    1
  13064.  Fahad Mahmood  I'm not Indian. I'm a historian who is amazed to hear Pakistan talking about human rights in Kashmir when the Pakistan military committed unspeakable crimes in Bangladesh (1971). Pakistanis never mention this. It is never taught in schools, young people don't know it happened.
    1
  13065.  Fahad Mahmood  Even if I was a bot, it doesn't detract from my argument - that Pakistan needs to come to terms with the unspeakable crimes it committed in Bangladesh (1971)
    1
  13066. Tehran endorses any govt chosen by the people of Syria LOL They do now LOL Iran is hated in Syria Hezbollah is hated in Lebanon
    1
  13067. Mobilization is a disaster for Russia - it will break the army. The British army didn't want it in WW1, and they had a fully professional officer corps and logistics supply. The Russian army will collapse under the load, unless China supplies ration packs and equipment. Medvedev : "They want to disintegrate Russia a 2nd time" Gen Ben Hodges : "A Hemingway character said he went bankrupt in to ways - slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation will collapse".
    1
  13068. Iranian drones must be dealt with by a united NATO. Is NATO united ? How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  13069. "Hamas dogs" said a bereaved mother in Gaza She blamed it all on "Hamas dogs" A man put his hand over her mouth (probably a Hamas supporter) Al Jazeera will now remove this comment : free speech & truth is banned on Al Jazeera
    1
  13070. Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
    1
  13071. Putin's lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it was a war of Imperial expansion)
    1
  13072. Stop funding UNRWA Hamas has infiltrated schools and hospitals The UN are blind to the situation
    1
  13073. This is all over, the ceasefire is just days away. Putin fired a Parthian shot at NATO (Polish border attack) Putin is threatening Western Multinationals (McDonald's etc) Someone should say, "Mister, you haven't got it to give"
    1
  13074. In history class do they study the Bangladesh war of 1971 ? When the Pakistan army killed 3 million and abused 240,000 women and girls ?
    1
  13075. LOL this guy has written nonsense. "The US is no longer the world policeman" Biden has just told China if he invades Taiwan the US will retaliate. That looks like a policeman to me. This guy is a typical Frenchman - hoping France can play a bigger role. Stephen Kotkin : "France thinks it is a diplomatic superpower"
    1
  13076. Erdogan : the face of a dictator. His son is very wealthy.......just a coincidence not corruption.
    1
  13077. 4:17 "Nevertheless, if Russia does pull its forces out" He just said they weren't doing ! What is the point in hypothesising about its significance if it actually isn't happening ?
    1
  13078. Turkey has imprisoned more journalists than any other country on Earth Why doesn't anyone protest about that ? (Because they'd be imprisoned)
    1
  13079. "Empty": but it used to contain hostages Hamas used the hospital to imprison hostages Why does Al Jazeera never mention that ? Ban Al Jazeera propaganda
    1
  13080. Yes. Blinken has given it the green light. Most ordinary folk have no idea how powerful the US is. Remember when Trump became president, the Pentagon had to inform him of their capability. Then Trump, the big jackass, would reveal US strength at a press conference. He was shocked to discover it. Lord Owen said, "The United States has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability, and Russian generals know that". He was implying that the generals will stop Putin doing anything stupid.
    1
  13081. Sexually assaulted UN Guterres will be "contextualising" those assaults Telling us "They didn't happen in a vacuum"
    1
  13082. Egypt MUST allow civilians to shelter in Sinai
    1
  13083.  @rogerwilco2  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  13084. Those injured were shot in the legs. They are "wounded" Those who were killed died in a stampede & run over by trucks Hamas are spreading lies as usual and Western media repeats Hamas propaganda
    1
  13085.  @adler1964  Thank you, well said. Primarily the Yanks : thank God for the USA Europe (and Britain) are steeped in the past The USA has majestic confidence and vision : it can see the 21st century, and Russian barbaric despotism has no place in that vision.
    1
  13086.  @WiesoNurMistnamen  History records this :- "Germany has not denied access to its airspace as the UK did not submit a request. There has been no dispute between the UK and Germany on this issue." Meanwhile, a German Defence spokesperson claimed the C-17 planes were not prohibited from entering German airspace. This is despite the fact the aircraft also avoided Germany on their return flight to RAF Brize Norton." LOL, even empty the RAF plane was refused permission to fly across Germany.
    1
  13087. Corrupt Pakistan Police have beaten out many confessions but have NO DNA match. A pity about the DNA or the corrupt Police would have solved the murders many times over. Good News : whenever they arrest anyone they always force a bribe out of them so the Police are doing OK. I suppose Trump would describe Pakistan as a "Shithole"
    1
  13088.  Chakir  But what if Jews had purchased the land 100yrs ago, and possessed the land title deeds, and so were actually the legal owners ? And what if the Palestinian families had been settled there by Jordan as refugees, and had never purchased the land and had no title deeds ?
    1
  13089. If Russia wins then western civilisation falls
    1
  13090. Religion is responsible for more slaughter and suffering than any other invention.
    1
  13091. The terrible truth is that Russian people already know their army is responsible - they simply don't care. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  13092.  @youreshadow6306  One could say exactly the same about Russia in 1941 (The Great Patriotic war) Russia would've been slaughtered by the Germans without the help of the West. Russian soldiers had no boots or rifles - everything had to be supplied by the West. Engineering supplies and fuel.
    1
  13093.  @5.45x39_  On a timeline Russian gains were months ago ; since then they have "a diminishing stockpile of modern weapons". Since February Ukraine has grown massively stronger. Ir receives "exquisite intelligence" from the US. The timeline shows Russia losing rapidly. Even Igor Girkin is saying,"There is no shame in giving up Kherson and even Crimea : then reorganising the army to come back later".
    1
  13094.  @albertolopez797  WEll said. History is repeating itself : 1991 the collapse of the USSR. Igor Girkin said, "They want Russia to tear itself apart". That has already started.
    1
  13095.  @MrMaddox57  Thanks mate, I agree. Also, Russian TV said "Ukraine has NATO weapons and AI" AI doesn't just apply to weapons systems. LOng before the war started the Pentagon's "Alpha GO" computer worked out the wargame for Ukraine to defeat Russia. Russia had lost before the war started - it was a mathematical certainty. Even Putin's nuclear card can be calculated - he's neither a fanatic nor suicidal.
    1
  13096.  @Everythinz  Very interesting question. At the moment, Modi is tightrope walking - Biden said, "He looks shaky" but he hasn't fallen yet.
    1
  13097. Very Presidential. I'm impressed. Trump is at his best on the world stage.
    1
  13098. Caladan, it is very hard to say. I liked Obama and shared his values but Obama inspired no confidence. On the world stage people listen to Trump. He's someone who knows how much power he's got and gives the impression he'd be prepared to use it. It's a hell of a combination.
    1
  13099. Caladan, when Obama left office he said his guiding principle had been , "Don't do any stupid shit". And that came across : he looked like a man afraid to act. By contrast Trump's guiding principle is to get what he wants. Apropos Rocket-man he'll lift sanctions and give them financial aid for full nuclear,inspected, disarmament. But he could also wipe them off the map. Especially if they make him look a fool in the talks.
    1
  13100. Don't worry. China have a crucial weakness it can't do anything about : geography. a) it is very easy to blockade b) it can't feed itself (needs to import food) c) needs to import oil That means the US can shut down China with just its submarine fleet. No carriers necessary. A blockade leads to an immediate collapse of China's economy.
    1
  13101. LOL What an ill-informed Indian nationalist. "US needs India against China" LOL AUKUS are the big player against China : India is minnow.
    1
  13102. @Cardio Vascular I agree with you 90%. But I do believe the QUAD is a pressure group, not an alliance. And I do think that when the shooting starts, it will be AUKUS in the vanguard of the war against China. Most folks don't realise the strength of the US : they have 11 aircraft carrier strike groups, yet won't use any of them against China (they are too vulnerable). That is why the US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. It is why Australia will acquire a further 9 ; which, combined with Britain's 11, provides a secure force to blockade China into collapse.
    1
  13103. 24 Feb 2023 Wang Yi in Moscow will present China's "Peace proposition" It will be the same as Deal 1 (9 Nov) : demilitarised Crimea under UN, with a UN referendum after 7yrs Difference : Crimea will be under the Aegis of Ukraine for those 7yrs - NOT Russia
    1
  13104. LOL Africa = corruption + despotism Never have high hopes for Africa
    1
  13105. China & Russia support the brutal junta. Both veto UN condemnation. Both seek to add a Myanmar dictatorship to the Axis of Evil.
    1
  13106.  @godblesstheworldwearehuman3331  , Any rational person can watch Russia and China veto UN condemnation of the Myanmar coup, and deduce that those two powers are supporting despotism. They can deduce that China & Russia must be The Axis of Evil. (I'm British, not that it matters)
    1
  13107. In February Scholz froze. Should he side with big business and Russia or support Ukraine ? Scholz still hasn't decided. That's why the Yanks bombed Nordstream (Germany is an extremely unreliable partner and a strategic weakness)
    1
  13108. "We're in this for the long haul".
    1
  13109.  @eugeneosborn9551  , you cannot be serious ! Biden's problem is that he can't keep a train of thought or string 2 sentences together. You MUST have noticed he has dementia ? You must be deluding yourself.
    1
  13110. Why is Parliamentary Democracy the model for the Civilized world ? Because the essence of civilized governance is compromise (AJP Taylor) In the Glorious Revolution of 1688, a petty tyrant James II was replaced by a selected duo William II and Mary I, who signed The Bill of Rights (1689) The landed Aristocrats then compromised to govern with the Merchant class. (Tories and Whigs). That governing coalition then compromised with the working class PM John Peel Reform Act 1832 One could also mention Elizabeth I Religious Settlement (1559), when she "refused to make windows into men's souls" and forbade parliament from discussing religion. Causing the Venetian ambassador to report "In England they are neither Catholic nor Protestant". Anglicanism was always the middle path of 'Don't ask'.
    1
  13111. Jill Biden is NOT a doctor at age 55, she received a Doctor of Education from a community college She is a joke doctor
    1
  13112. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
    1
  13113. LOL remember when Syrian air-defence locked on to Israeli jets. So the jets manoeuvred to put a Russian coastal-patrol plane betwixt them and the missiles. The Russians were shot down by one of their own missiles supplied to Syria. Putin went blue in the face.......but eventually saw the funny side.
    1
  13114. I've never heard of him but if he's rubbed everyone up the wrong way he might be that rare thing an honourable bloke.
    1
  13115. Zelensky is asking Canada, USA, Britain and all nations for Howitzers. Which weapons is Germany blocking ? Answer : Howitzers Well done Germany you £ucking treacherous b@stards.
    1
  13116. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
    1
  13117. Surely the Dutch fellow can only comment on his own case. He can't comment on other news corporations. There are a great many journalists who would never entertain becoming a stooge.
    1
  13118. These Japanese players are real athletes ....not like Sumo.
    1
  13119. On Victory Day it is customary to parade with a photo of a fallen veteran. After the parade the photos were strewn on the floor near a rubbish bin. Nobody is really interested in Russian veterans. In a simlar vein, after Putin stadium rally all those Ruusian waving flags were rammed into a litter bin as folks made their way home.
    1
  13120. Russia can't build a civilisation : it can only destroy and conquer. Russian conquest is like Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol".
    1
  13121. The terrible truth is that Russian people already know their army is responsible - they simply don't care. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  13122. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  13123. I agree with Igor Girkin (Russian nationalist Donbas former leader) He said, "Russia must withdraw completely - from Kherson and Crimea, we need to reorganise the military and reorganise society" Putin said the latter with his military "We've spoken about reorganisation" Putin can survive : everyone around him wants to stay in power, and they can only be sure of that with him at the helm. But Putin could sell complete withdrawal as a survival strategy for Russia.
    1
  13124. "Putin backtracks" Great news ! Europe has united. Led by Ursula von der Leyden : zero fear is the theme, unity is the message, and strength is the goal. (That's not her speech, I invented that)
    1
  13125. "Democracy Now" apologises for the Russian atrocities in Bucha, then blames the West and NATO for Putin's crimes. (They will remove this comment : anything anti-Putin is removed by this propaganda channel)
    1
  13126. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  13127. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  13128. £%4%ing hell. Zelensky said "Russia needs smashing in the face". That tank must've had Putin's portrait on it.
    1
  13129. They are safe now ! Northern Gaza will NEVER be handed back to Hamas (or the PA) Northern Gaza, Gaza city will become a buffer zone of security Well done Israel
    1
  13130. Exit strategy : Why does Israel need that ? It's Hamas that's in trouble Israel can stay in Gaza for years - until Palestinians move into Sinai
    1
  13131. But what Assange did was lazy. He dumped 2.5Gb of info into the lap of Russia, China and every anti-democratic, anti-human-rights country in the world. It included information about human rights protestors and informants. They all went down the pan. Just so lazy Assange can claim the credit for a scoop. Jimmy is right about war-crimes but the 2.5Gb should have been filtered to find crimes. Assange was too lazy. Too lazy and too egotistical to hand it to someone else to filter.
    1
  13132. Assange released 2.5Gb of info : that's about 7000 books. He had no idea what was on it. Assange betrayed hundreds of activists who who working for democracy against dictatorships. Why ? Because he couldn't read it all and didn't want to share it. He could send it to Amnesty or other journalists but didn't want them stealing his limelight. Lazy, egotistical Assange wanted all the glory of dumping intelligence that endangered other people's lives. Obviously he exposed war-crimes : we all want that but you can't condemn other activists to arrest & torture at the same time. You have to filter it and protect the good guys. Assange has no friends....except for ill-informed Jimmy Dore types.
    1
  13133.  @paulbattenbough1002  ,David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
    1
  13134.  @paulbattenbough1002  , I'm not a troll I'm a Radical : this is one of my videos :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pPcAPBBXR8&t=4s
    1
  13135.  @paulbattenbough1002  , why not watch my latest video and tell me it's boring :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWbwHcrRj0s
    1
  13136. Trump effect : low turnout always bad news for the incumbent. Those wanting renewal or change are far more likely to vote. Don't expect France 24 to say this - they are 100% behind Macron.
    1
  13137. Try as I might I've really got nothing to say.
    1
  13138. Targeting civilians. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  13139. Arming to Battel, and in stead of rage Deliberate valour breath'd, firm and unmov'd With dread of death to flight or foul retreat (It's a quiz......where are the lines from ?)
    1
  13140. Indian cricketers will receive a harsh reception in England and Australia. The Commonwealth has a low opinion of collaborators.
    1
  13141.  @tatanka4u  They can certainly "Boo" and call out things like "Collaborators". And give them the dreaded slow-hand-clap.
    1
  13142.  Ayush Shah  , I detect some sarcasm in that "killer strategy". Pakistan's problems are actually cultural and fall into 3 categories :- a) Very shortly after independence (1947) it veered away from the secular democracy envisioned by Jinnah etal and made a bedfellow of Islamists. b) The Military is its own boss. c) Cultural corruption and incompetence.
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  13143. Can anyone confirm this : under WTO rules China can't give access to the US and not the rest of the world ?
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  13144. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are filled with childish fiction.
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  13145. When Putin dies, the UN will vote on a resolution : " That he be buried right meetly deep"
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  13146. Picture a jackboot stamping on a human face : China's CCP
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  13147. Mary, the Pope is infallible in religious matters.
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  13148. Cloudy, the Old Testament was invented in the Bronze Age. It reads like a bronze age story. There is not a single sentence that doesn't look as though it has been invented by man.
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  13149. Cloudy, you are my senior by 4yrs so as an old altar boy myself I suppose I'd have to let you ring the bells. All religions are fascist but Islam & Catholicism are the best examples. After the Enlightenment religion lost much of its bigotry and authority. It became a social gathering : people no longer believed the creation myth or miracles it was somewhere to hold jumble sales and garden parties. The Baptist Church is a good choice . I'd love to go there for a good carol concert. As an atheist I'd just stand at the back.....but I'd right enjoy it.
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  13150. Hiponakte, I agree with you about the dark future. We disagree about who is at fault : surely you don't support Rajoy's authoritarian, no-negotiation approach ? Even the EU (PACE_ committee said 155 is "the worst option". Tusk said,"The force of argument is better than the argument of force". And Junker said, when asked about mediating "Only one side wants to talk". Only Catalonia wants to talk. Rajoy has said no to mediation and no to speaking to Catalonia. Rajoy's PP have to be authoritarian or lose votes to far right parties.
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  13151. No thanks to Germany - they closed their airspace to British weapon deliveries. Germany blocked Lithuania from transferring howitzers to Ukraine. Scholz had to have his arm twisted to untether himself from Russia.
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  13152. Congratulations Russia. You've got the KGB dictator you wanted. The Russian moron isn't happy unless he's fed a diet of propaganda. They call Putin Little Papa , like they did with Stalin who killed 30 million of them.
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  13153.    , you're not correcting me ....you're supporting me. I'm the one who says Hezbollah are murderous thugs, financed by the fanatical fascist Ayatollah. I don't have time to read that book (I already have six on the go). You go read "The executioners deserve medals" it tells you about the Ayatollah's torture camps, how they invented a fork-lift truck method to hang six people at a time off pallets.
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  13154.  @shahrahman4368  I'm very well read in the history of Iran. I've read a biography of Mohammed Mossadegh amongst other books. What you just said is simply a restatement of what I said - only without the pejoratives against the bloodthirsty Ayatollah.
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  13155. Why would anyone flip when Trump will pardon them all.
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  13156. UK ready to ‘go up a gear’ in military support for Ukraine to help relieve Mariupol, says Boris Johnson. It is Joe Biden who is blocking further military aid.
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  13157. The lunatics have taken over the asylum
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  13158. The Met should investigate their own culture - which is a disgrace. Jokes about rape, strip searching, racism, sexism and a general lack of morals. The Metropolitan Police need fundamental reform.
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  13159. The "Death Committee" ? It wasn't called that by the West : that is what Ayatollah Khomeini called it. Ebrahim Raisi was a member of the so-called "death committee ". The Iranian theocracy is shameless in its human rights abuses.
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  13160. India's aircraft carrier cost $3.2 billion French advanced Frigates are $750 million each. India should've bought 4 Frigates. In any war with China, that aircraft carrier will be sunk within 24hrs. It indicates how backward looking Modi is. The US has 11 carriers and won't use any in a war with China : they will use their 19 nuclear subs.
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  13161. Russian Culture (smiling) Historically, two major contributors would be :- a) Serfdom : although slavery was abolished in 1723, Serfs were still bought and sold by the nobles up until 1861. Serfs were 34% of the population. b) Stalinism : there wasn't a family in Russia that didn't know someone who had ended up in the Gulags. Stalin killed 30 million Russians. The NKVD KGB (FSB) encouraged children to inform at school on their parents, neighbours to inform, and workers to inform. The entire Russian society was a prison camp.
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  13162.  @nadak47  The Taliban seized that hospital to treat their wounded : at that moment it became a legitimate target - and was bombed minutes later. (A direct hit).
    1
  13163. Liars ! Al Jazeera and Hamas lies ! "Exchange all the prisoners" is wrong The UN said, "Unconditional release of ALL hostages" Of course Al Jazeera simply broadcast lies
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  13164. Xi is laughing up his sleeve at Putin's failure. Tokayev (Kazakhstan) is laughing in his hat. A weak Russia is good for everyone : nobody wants to see Russia succeed.
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  13165. Russia and China veto UN condemnation. The Axis of Evil call the protestors "terrorists" and "traitors". Russia also supports the despot Lukashenko in Belarus. Liberal Democracy is in a war - but doesn't know it yet ; one either accepts the Chinese jackboot or fights against it.
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  13166. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  13167. No need to be reticent with 3yrs military service under one's belt I think he did a first rate job
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  13168.  @farhanakabir1656  Religion ages, though. Ever since the Enlightenment, religion has looked very long in the tooth. Most folks are embarrassed by religious belief and hardly dare mention it. How many times does the Pope mention God ? (Very rarely) Look at the Ayatollah : he harps on about God to Iranians, but is very circumspect in mentioning Allah on the world stage. The Ayatollah recognises God is an embarrassment in international diplomacy.
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  13169.  @mattyork7625  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
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  13170.  @zlauriault  Well said. One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet"
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  13171. 2.01 the Spain example : Jews expelled in 1492 ( a year before Columbus) Philip II Spain 1556 -98 :- even with shiploads of silver coming in from America he went bankrupt 3 times ; to the German , Genoese and Amsterdam banks. Perhaps with Jews in the country it wouldn't have happened.
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  13172. Iran is the root of all evil
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  13173. This is an uplifting video : "The Industrial Revolution why Britain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PsZmnVqqQ England benefitted greatly from the Dutch Connection ( see my Charles I, Charles II and William III trilogy)
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  13174. Hamas must release ALL hostages - then the war ends
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  13175. Biden is back ! that was a dynamite performance
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  13176. That is the process and at any stage it can be derailed (to the relief of Rajoy). Rajoy can blow hard and begin the process but that is a long way from implementation. Long before 155 actually hits the streets there will be international mediation. 155 is a pantomime show for Rajoy's supporters. It will never actually be put into effect.
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  13177. Je pense que Rajoy sera assis comme une poule humide à Madrid lorsque l'indépendance sera déclarée. La Catalogne aura une chance démocratique de renverser la décision lorsque les élections auront lieu 4 mois plus tard. Jusque-là, les facistes de Madrid devront simplement se mordre les ongles.
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  13178. Vous confondez les vœux pieux avec la réalité. Les mains de Rajoy sont liées; il ne peut pas utiliser la force. Il a déclaré: "Nous défendrons les lois de la nation avec sérénité et modération", ces mots fins ne porteront pas de panais en Catalogne. Un référendum partiel interrompu est encore un référendum et l'indépendance sera déclarée 48 heures plus tard. La situation a déjà glissé Les doigts de Rajoy. Si Madrid pouvait effectivement faire quelque chose, il ne serait pas engagé dans la pantomime d'appeler 700 maires.
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  13179. Je pensais juste à toi alors que je lisais "Laisser séparer les appels au séparatisme et on peut parler d'argent, dit Madrid aux Catalans", dans le Financial Times. Ce titre reflète la nervosité à Madrid. Il y a encore beaucoup de jeux à jouer dans ce match. Rajoy apparaît pour bien faire (15-0) mais ses paramilitaires lourds quittent une impression terrible sur l'opinion publique mondiale. À l'âge de la société Rajoy ressemble à un Mephistophélès qui a joué ses meilleurs coups de feu alors que le puissant Puigdemont réchauffe encore. Il appelle une élection et fait un manifeste s'engager à déclarer son indépendance. J'aimerais que Rajoy renvoie ce service. (15-30) Ils ont défait Rajoy au vote de l'Assemblée nationale sur le soutien son action en Catalogne (15-40) Et les enquêtes sur la corruption pourraient forcer Rajoy hors du bureau (jeu!) Mettez la bouilloire, croquez le beurre et profitez de la performance de Puigdemont.
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  13180. This is all infantile blabber What a shocking waste of time
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  13181.  @del7724  Israel attacked Hamas after Oct 7th What else could Israel do ? The demolition of Gaza was the result of the Hamas massacre on Oct 7th
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  13182. "Endorsed by the UN" May 2024 ........and REJECTED by Hamas Al Jazeera conveniently forget that LOL
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  13183.  @k.h5971  , I admit Iran has some admirable qualities : allowing women to study and hold office in government etc. But you can't ignore the fact that it is a theocracy.
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  13184.  @parsa8223  , well I agree but the Ayatollah and the fanatical revolutionary Guard believe in the apocalyptic prophesy of the 12th Imam and want to develop nuclear weapons to bring this about : the civilised world can't just stand back and watch.
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  13185. The loser = Russia Russia will have to pay reparations for Ukraine's lost exports. As well as paying $1 trillion for reconstruction.
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  13186. Good Christ, haven't Japan paid any compensation yet ! The Japanese got off light. General Mc Arthur opened the army warehouses because the population were starving. He then insisted women are represented in Parliament. The USA made Japan the country it is today. Read about how the Shogunate treated the peasants, the tortures they inflicted, to keep them in subsistence, and obedience. Japanese history is a horror story of injustice against its own people.
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  13187. Forget it Gaza is prime development - there are big plans UAE and Israel will turn Gaza into a new Singapore This is an opportunity for Palestinians to move into new homes elsewhere in the Negev : the UAE will build some wonderful homes & fund businesses
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  13188. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  13189. This case reminds me of the JonBenét Ramsey case. In that case it was obvious the mother had written the ransom note - it was written on their kitchen note-pad ! And it used phrases idiosyncratic to the mother. In the McCann case it is obvious the parents know something :- a) they refused to speak individually. b) their behaviour was bizarre - both kneeling on the bed and weeping as they showed cops her room. c) washing all the evidence including cuddly toy etc etc
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  13190. Ha ha ha, wise words. This is a guy who tweets at 2am then immediately deletes it. Hardly diplomatic.....exactly the opposite.
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  13191. Pakistan is sending its troops to the border..... to help transfer arms and munitions to the Taliban. Pak is the no.1 sponsor of terror.
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  13192. LOL Iran is keeping us laughing Iran has fired their shot and must now wait for the reply LOL
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  13193. Mert, so the situation of Turk ethnicity is similar to that of Cossacks who were Scandanavian, Slav, Ruthene, Tartar, etc Interesting. Anyway, while I'm here :- Palestine would get more sympathy id Fatah weren't so corrupt. Also, are they a one-party state ? Or have they just intimidated the opposition into going away. And Hamas are a fascist movement that want to impose a Caliphate. When Iranian students demonstrated for greater democracy it was Hamas that beat them with clubs.
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  13194.  @paulnorman845  I'm only quoting the Kremlin's figures for economic slow-down :- Growth in Russia is forecast at 2.4 percent in 2022, on the back of a continually strong oil sector, before slowing down to 1.8 percent in 2023 Russia's growth rate is declining. I admit partly Covid related. I also agree Russia is stronger for developing an internal sanctions proof economy. But my point about "ressentiment" stands : Russia would hate to see Belarus and Ukraine in the EU with a higher GDP per capita, and higher living standards. Read about Putin in East Germany - jealousy was eating him up, he admits it himself.
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  13195.  @paulnorman845  "Russia is not as scary" Tell that to Finland and Sweden, who are now considering NATO membership after Russia's display of aggression. Tell it to the countries Russia has invaded :- Hungary 1954 Czechoslovakia 1968 Georgia 2008 Crimea 2014 Russia doesn't have a single friendly neighbour, and don't say Lukashenko, that Stalinist thug propped up by the Kremlin. Belarus will join the EU and NATO at the first opportunity.
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  13196. STOP calling it "crash" It is a hard landing LOL
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  13197. Good luck to the protestors. Bangladesh is another totally corrupt Muslim country. Yes, Islam does play a part : it's an authoritarian religion. Culturally, Islamic countries gravitate to authoritarianism.
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  13198. I should add most religions are authoritarian. Oh yes even Buddhism : examine the dictatorial theocracy of Tibet before the Dalai Lama was kicked out. Historically citizens need to adopt values like human rights, freedom of speech etc which supersede their religion. Take the 17thC European Enlightenment for example : humanist values neutered Christianity and left it, as David Hume said "Viewed with the most cool indifference".
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  13199. Palestinians side with Russia
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  13200. Compare Putin & Franz Joseph (1914) Austria went to war in 1914 to suppress Serb independence Because without Serbia, Austria would be unbearably diminished Putin believes without Ukraine, Russia would be unbearably diminished. So Russia went to war in 2022
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  13201.  Middle East History Channel  , One can argue that the Palestinian families should be allowed to keep this land in compensation for land lost in 1948. But one can't argue they are being "kicked off their land" or "evicted from their land". The families acknowledge they were settled there by the Jordanians (post 1948)
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  13202. In Israel you just saw a former Prime Minister (Netanyahu) taken to court for corruption. When would that ever happen in Iran ? The Iranian leaders are above the law. The Revolutionary Guard are above the law. How can you live in a country where the top people can commit crimes and not face Justice ?
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  13203. The Civilized world condemns India : calling it "shaky" India is held in contempt by the civilized world. Only China & Russia "Woos India" : they are "The Axis of Evil" The Axis of Evil Woos India (That should be the title)
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  13204. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries. Russia actually need therapy.
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  13205. 14 Palestinian police beat a man to death on CCTV they have all been released. Why does nobody investigate that ? Nizar Banat was his name, they killed him for criticising Fatah corruption.
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  13206. Erdogan is hardly a raconteur. He has one of the best stories to tell and he's boring the pants off us all.
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  13207.  @2012isnear-my-my-my  Good reply. You are referring to the Opium Wars (1839-42 and 1856 -70). The problem there was that China didn't want to buy anything from Britain. Britain wanted tea, porcelain, silk, etc and China demanded payment in silver. This was draining the British purse. In desperation they found something the Chinese would buy - opium. Why didn't China buy machinery, or ships, or technology ? Britain had lots to sell. It was China's medieval attitude - the emperor's lust for silver, that caused the debacle.
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  13208. @Dean Clark You are quite a wit. Do tesco also promote parliamentary democracy ? When General Gordon defeated the Mahdi (1885) his first dispatch included plans to build a college at Khartoum. Lord Salisbury (PM) agreed, "It would help spread civilization". The Mahdi was worse than the Taliban - slavery and the most appalling cruelty and atrocities. Do Tesco also spread civilisation ?
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  13209. Global warming : India will be uninhabitable (Let's hope Russia comes to the rescue, because the West will tell India to get stuffed !)
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  13210. What is the difference between Russia and the West ? Russia has no middle class liberals : no chattering class. Russian Populism was the name given to the Inteligensia movement (1850-1881) In the spring of 1876 the Radicals took "liberation and freedom" to the peasants, who immediately reported them to the police. The Russian middle class were hated from above and below. Stalin then exterminated them. In the West the middle-class were the source of all wealth and progress.
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  13211. Gulen schools have educated 2 million Turks. Any one of those pupils can be arrested by Erdogan's secret police. They need no evidence just suspicion. It is like Medieval Europe before the introduction of habeas corpus. Erdogan is like an absolute monarch his will is law.
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  13212. Robert Mueller is a combat veteran..........he isn't frightened by a draft dodging dope.
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  13213. "The apostle of payback" was how the CIA director described Putin. Putin is a twisted psychotic. Expect gruesome treatment meted out to the defenders.
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  13214. For Houthi read Iran. The fascist Ayatollahs are squandering Iran's wealth on conflicts abroad instead of improving the lives of their own citizens.
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  13215. Russian liars. A barbaric invasion - against all civilized norms, with total disregard to civilian casualties.
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  13216.  @SK-im7hs  Good question. I'm no expert, but "The" is called the definite article, and it precedes some nouns but not others. So one would say The Cat, but not The Society. Some nouns are classed as singular. I don't really understand it. But with the acronym NATO the convention is not to use the definite article (the). Noam Chomsky has revealed there are many rules in language that simply cannot be taught. It is as if the brain is hard-wired for language. As a child, one picks up the rules but cannot explain what the rule is.
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  13217.  @SK-im7hs  Like pronunciation, it is simply convention : it is what most folks decide it is. Compare :- The great Vowel Shift in the 15th C The soft vowels a e i o u, were replaced by hard vowels A E I O U
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  13218.  @SK-im7hs  The McDonald's expression "I'm loving it" is an example of Indian English being adopted by the rest of the world. One would say "I love ...." but not "I'm loving...." that would have been wrong. But now folks happily use the expression, I've used it myself. If Wion get enough folk to use the expression "The NATO" that will become standard usage. But I'm 61 and have never heard anyone say "The NATO" until now.
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  13219.  @SK-im7hs  'The Kremlin are sending delegates to Geneva.' But not :- 'The NATO are sending delegates.' It isn't wrong, but it sounds eccentric.
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  13220. If Russia wins then western civilisation falls
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  13221. No nation has recognised Russia's annexation of Crimea (modulo $hithole countries)
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  13222. LOL I can see through you......you're an empty headed conspiracy theorist.
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  13223.  @krisztiankramli3038  , okay, where is the light at the end of the tunnel for Iran ? How does Iran extricate itself from its predicament ? Because its economy is a wreck and can only get terminally worse. Allow me to answer : the Ayatollah has a half-baked notion they can keep enriching uranium and 'force' the EU to give them money. LOL it will never happen. Let's agree on that much. That is the daftest plan and could only by dreamt up by a lunatic cleric. So what's the plan ? The plan is chaos. Iran try to create chaos while not doing so much they force the US to strike them. Out of chaos they hope (like Mr McCawber) something will turn up.
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  13224. It is written ...............(Omar Khayyam)
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  13225. Russia has been shown to be a paper tiger. Yet India thinks Russia is a super-power, why ? Because Modi hasn't a clue, he is living in the last century, the world has changed. India's flagship, the carrier Vikramaditya, is Russian junk that will be sunk within 24hrs by China, once war starts in the Indian Ocean.
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  13226. LOL If Hamas release ALL HOSTAGES the war ends No mention of HOSTAGES from Palestinians They are playing the EU for fools
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  13227. 1979 Khomeini landed in Tehran from Paris He was asked what he would do with democrats in the Iranian parliament "I'll kick their teeth in" said the holy man.
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  13228. May I shamelessly promote my video ? It's called James I (civil war roots) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUT2GJeu16c&t=2s
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  13229. "They believe" ? The Jewish Temple remains are historical fact Muhammad ascending to heaven is a "Belief" NOT a fact Al Jazeera deliberately muddy the water to make Jewish & Muslim claims comparable
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  13230.  @tokul76  NATO planes are all over the Black Sea There are British Tornadoes flying 24/7 fully armed. Turkey has already shot down Russian planes (4yrs ago) and would not be afraid of firing on Russian ships attacking an unarmed convoy.
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  13231.  @Solder-of-Empire  "Coalition fleet" I'm well aware of the Montreux convention. NATO planes are all over the Black Sea Russia wouldn't dare attempt a surface attack. Turkey may well sink a Russian submarine (after a torpedo attack) Turkey has shot down Russian planes before, and is not afraid of defending civilian ships.
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  13232.  @madbadger6255  Typhoon, Tornado, F-35, F-15 and F-16. NATO also have surveillance planes providing "exquisite intelligence to Ukraine" Gen Keane, "There isn't a Russian unit moves that we don't know about"
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  13233.  @imperialinquisition6006  NATO fighters are two-a-penny over the Black Sea (I don't know what type they are - ask the Russians)
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  13234.  @tokul76  There is already a UN convoy system (which doesn't contravene the Montreux convention) There are also NATO planes in abundance. Plus, Russia doesn't have much of a fleet left. Putin is likely to cut his losses.
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  13235.  @Solder-of-Empire  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
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  13236.  @marcusaetius9309  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
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  13237.  @Solder-of-Empire  Russian warheads are in storage. That's why the Pentagon say, "We seen no signs to worry about" Russia would take weeks to prepare for a launch.
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  13238.  @Solder-of-Empire  The US were in Afghanistan 20yrs and spent $3 trillion. Which other nation could do that? The Afghans are a medieval dead-loss.
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  13239.  @Solder-of-Empire  How much money has the Kremlin elite spent ? The Nagorno-Karabhak war showed the effectiveness of drones. How many drone factories were opened by Kremlin billionaires - zero Putin and his cronies haven't spent any personal wealth on the invasion. Russian schools crowd-fund drones. Russian people are morons - their leaders have robbed them for 30yrs.
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  13240.  @marcusaetius9309  Russia is finished and utterly humiliated. IEA : by 2030 Russian oil & gas revenue will be 50% of what it was in 2021 And that will be permanent. Europe is never buying anything from Russia again. All nations hate Russia - even China and India, they think Putin is a liar, a loser and an embarrassment.
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  13241.  @lifeovdeath  , and who benefits then ? Oil production from the middle east ceases , prices rocket : Russia benefits, the US does , Venezuela etc Iran would be a stone-age country worse than Syria is now. It would take Iran almost 100yrs to recover. War is not an option for Iran.
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  13242.  @toddgattfry5405  , let's consider immigration :- a) Angela Merkel invites them, welcomes them, then insists everyone takes a quota.
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  13243.  Social Gadfly  , the EU began as a trading-bloc : the UK just wants to trade, without European courts telling us we can't deport terrorists.
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  13244. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  13245. Has Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on Russia" ? He said that about China. LOL he is such a cowardly statesman. No wonder Australia chose AUKUS
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  13246. How can Russians have faith in the Kremlin after the 1999 Apartment Bombings ? "Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
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  13247. Crossword Clue :- A democratic country that elects the same party (ZANU 40yrs or ANC 25yrs) even though they are corrupt and incompetent. 8 letters S**TH*LE Anyone like to guess ?
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  13248. Afgahan military failure is almost identical to Iraqi military failure. Remember the flight from Kirkuk (it was like the Indi 500) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0dXSsiUlLU The reason they fled from 300 ISIS fighters is that the officers vanished. Officers are corrupt cousins of those in power. The military is a money-making racquet. It was similar in the declining Ottoman Empire : the Turks had no leadership, but they actually fought well under British or German or French officers. There were many Napoleonic French officers successfully leading Turks.
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  13249. Everywhere one looks, morons. Morons and 3rd rate politicians are in the ascendency. If you're a moron try your hand at politics, there's never been a better time.
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  13250. Putin is back-pedalling at speed. He is toning down the aggressive rhetoric, exchanging the largest number of prisoners to date, expressing insouciance at Sweden and Finland joining NATO. The whole package adds up to Russian failure.
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  13251. Putin explained to Macron how he intends to "rape" Ukraine. 'Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it,' Putin said, using an expression that rhymes in Russian.
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  13252. We are NOT divided Ordinary folk detest Islamist terrorism The chattering class are ideologically attracted to 2 states 90% of Europe hates Hamas
    1
  13253. Macron has been accused of being too close to Putin. What are the charges ? a) Misprision (concealment of information about Putin's intentions from the Allies) b) Passing information to Putin (about the Allies) c) having a foot in both camps. What is macron's defence :- "Here I stand, I can do no other" (Diet of Worms 1521)
    1
  13254. Joe Bien, Palestinians turned down the 1947 2 state solution (which gave them everything) , they then turned down the 2000 Camp David 2 state solution , at the end of which Clinton said, "Arafat can't be trusted". Everyone said that of Arafat : the Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians etc, he'd stabbed them all in the back at some time during his 40yr dictatorship (during which he stole £3billion from the people) In fairness Arafat needed the money : that's how he stayed in power , by bribing his friends and paying off his enemies.
    1
  13255. Joe, you are looking at the minutia so you can avoid the big picture. Arafat was hated by Jordanians , Syrians, Egyptians etc he stabbed them all in the back and was a dictator that ruled for 40yrs and stole $3billion from the people. The tragedy of the Palestinians is one of terrible leadership. Do you think Fatah will accept an opposition party ? Do you think they'd allow an independent to run for President ? The last election was 2005 ! how come Fatah are still ruling when it was a 5yr term ? If Palestine had genuine democracy and could elect someone with vision and reason then this whole problem could be resolved.
    1
  13256. France can only spare 14 Leclerc tanks says general "And they wouldn't make a difference to Ukraine" So France isn't sending any ! Watch at 1:10( below) The logic France used in June 1940 when they capitulated after 5 weeks (with a 5 million strong army) https://youtu.be/BWmOJIdAnoo
    1
  13257. In 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran and was asked what he'd do with the democrats, he replied, "I'll kick their teeth in ". Khomeini executed 7000 opposition supporters in his first year. They used a fork-lift truck to hang 6 at a time.
    1
  13258. And we haven't even started on Russian money laundering which will be the main charge.
    1
  13259. Palestinians only declared themselves a state in 1988 Why ? Because Palestine has NEVER been a state In 1948 they looked to Damascus In 1967 they looked to Cairo (Arab League) Only after total failure elsewhere did they try statehood
    1
  13260. Russia can't build a civilisation : it can only destroy and conquer. Like Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol".
    1
  13261. ICJ can only rule on nations that have signed the UN Charter Palestine hasn't (it isn't a state) ICJ has no remit on this
    1
  13262.  @firebyrd437  By September 2012, with their application for full membership stalled due to the inability of Security Council members to 'make a unanimous recommendation' Palestine asked for it's observer status to be upgraded
    1
  13263.  @firebyrd437  Wrong ! They have "observer status" They have NOT signed the UN Charter They are NOT a state The ICJ has no grounds to make a ruling These are facts
    1
  13264. The solution is democracy for Palestine. Not the fascist Hamas terror group. Not the corrupt authoritarian PA
    1
  13265. Enjoy ! This is the turning point....in a few weeks you'll be feeling sorry for the Russians
    1
  13266. Cheeky ! Show some respect.
    1
  13267.  @jyotiradityathakur5169  I'm approving of your satirical comment, and ironically reproving you. Your initial comment was very percipient.
    1
  13268. Salim, you are quite right : it was primarily the British who established the Al-Saud regime. However, just as Yaser Arafat was funded by Gulf money but did whatever he pleased, so the Saudis are obligated to the Yanks but still embroil themselves in a war they can't win in Yemen. I just don't see what's in it for the Yanks.
    1
  13269. What is it ? It is a shallow draft ship (5m) That can carry 200 pallets of food 26 pallets = 1 truck So about 8 trucks The ship can do a round tip in 24hrs So at best it is 8 trucks a day (Hardly worth it)
    1
  13270. I'll tell you what everyone does understand :- When Trump says, "We're not playing games". It sends shivers down a few spines. If you're not one of them it's because you think his fire & fury is a bluff : it isn't.
    1
  13271. The Axis of Evil.
    1
  13272.  @appletree6741  There was a mobile phone recording of a female protestor arrested by the police and then sexually assaulted in the Police Station : it is routine.
    1
  13273. Idi Amin : totally silent.
    1
  13274. Russia envies Europe, and demands gratitude from Europe for Russia's WW2 sacrifices. Victory Day is a catharsis for Russia : all Russia's failings, sufferings and misery is expiated in a grand parade. The Gulags, Stalin's internecine genocide, centuries of serfdom, the dystopia of Russian history is expunged by a parade and two days inebriation. The invasion of Ukraine is an attempt to get Europeans to confront this fact.
    1
  13275. 22 Jan 60th Elysee Treaty There ill be an announcement on tanks Macron will send Leclerc Scholz will okay Leopards Boris Pistorius : "I'm very sure there will be a decision in the short term, but I don't know how the decision will look"
    1
  13276.  @muzzy_55  , no I'm simply publishing a witty comment, which highlights the barbarity of the Taliban.
    1
  13277. TQ, wise words. We need to listen to jeremy Corbyn who sides with the Kremlin. Or follow Ed Milliband's lead : he paraded his principles on military intervention then sat back and watched 500,000 be killed over 7yrs.
    1
  13278. When will NATO get its act together ? When will coward Biden take his foot off the brake ? When will the EU wake up ?
    1
  13279. Germany's contribution won't arrive until July. Well done Germany : sabotaging Ukraine at every opportunity.
    1
  13280.  @johnfaith9486  Fair point. But a "secular" national simply allows individuals to practise their own religion. Elizabeth I (1559 Religious settlement) said, ""I have no desire to make windows into men's souls". The danger in being "Non-secular", is that you invite religion into politics. Elizabeth I forbade her parliament from discussing religion. What good could possibly have come from grown men denouncing one another over superstitious beliefs ?
    1
  13281.  @johnfaith9486  "what India could do to become truly Secular?" I don't know enough to answer. (Which is why I watch The Print, and Wion) You know more than I do about the Indian political system. Apparently, India is secular :- "With the Forty-second Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976, the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation. ... The Constitution does not recognize, it does not permit, mixing religion and State power".
    1
  13282.  @johnfaith9486  The State of Emergency last 21 months :- June 1975 to March 1977 Now the secular addition to the constitution, (42nd Amendment) was added in December 1976. So one would assume Prime Minister Indira Gandhi felt this was necessary because she had seen India heading in the direction of Pakistan. Prior to the State of Emergency there had been riots everywhere, and one would assume these were being fuelled by religious fanatics - just like Pakistan.
    1
  13283. @ŤHÄÑØŚ "Pakistan to become a Secular state is a biggest oxymoron ", I agree : The Muslim League separated from India on the basisi of founding Pakistan as "A beacon for Islam" But Jinnah clearly said :- "We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one state " And in his full speech the meaning is obvious : secularism.
    1
  13284.  @anuragpoddar8631  I've made a biopic on Ataturk if you'd care to watch it :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46tof_35l9o&t=3s
    1
  13285.  @mullahasifahmedkhan9292  Let me tell you a story, to indicate what Ataturk had to put up with. After the Greco-Turk war (19-22) Ataturk came to power. (watch my video for a brief history). A group of pilgrims returned from Haj. A crowd gathered around the pilgrims, who were starting a frenzy. Two police officers approached them, to break up the disturbance : they were both killed. The pilgrims called for a saw, decapitated them and put the heads on poles. A huge crowd had now gathered, and the army were sent in : the soldiers refused to fire on holy-men, so an officer took the machine gun and started killing the pilgrims. Many people were arrested, some imprisoned and others hanged. That is how volatile Islamic Turkey was. Ataturk abolished religious courts, religious, schools and religious councils. Turkey's success today is all due to Ataturk's secular reforms.
    1
  13286. Trust the Taliban....to shoot schoolgirls in the head.
    1
  13287. Notice Hamas never fire rockets from close to their own homes. Hamas rule Gaza like feudal warlords : there is no justice in Gaza If a Hamas official assaults someone there is nobody for the victim to appeal to : Hamas are the anti-democratic, psychotic, fascist dictators.
    1
  13288. 100% bluff. Why hasn't Russia knocked out Ukraine's power-grid ? Because it fears a humanitarian crisis would force NATO intervention. Russia fears NATO. The nuclear threat is pure bluff.
    1
  13289.  @tubthump  The full might of the Russian army, is slogging its guts out to take small villages. Imagine a gigantic Bull against a hi-tech matador. The Russian bull will take some killing, and the matador must keep moving and withdrawing until the bull is worn down. Sky News military analyst just said, Some of these NATO weapons have the ability to tip the balance" That is what NATO wants : not a massive victory for Ukraine (which would provoke a nuclear response), but an incremental victory. Which is why Boris said, "If Ukraine is struggling, we'll ramp up the dial".
    1
  13290. Believe it or not, the Ukraine war will be decided by Sea-power. Sea-power determines who controls world trade, and that is the West. Russia is essentially a blockaded continental power. One Russian lady in Finland said, "Putin has flushed Russia down the toilet".
    1
  13291. Why not replace it with a statue of Thomas Coke or Viscount Scudamore or Viscount Charles 'turnip' Townshend ? Who contributed to Britain's world beating agricultural revolution.
    1
  13292. 24th, it's a good argument, but I think you are falling into the fallacy of policize-ing the proletariat. The inequalities you state exist and should be rectified ; but you are then using the lumpen mass's refusal to act on healthy advice as an additional reason to rectify social and financial inequality. The truth is it is a choice. And it's more fun to smoke, booze and not exercise.
    1
  13293. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  13294.  @хватит-т1б  Don't knock female ministers : Liz Truss made Lavrov shiver in his shoes. He went ballistic after her visit. The Kremlin banned her from Russia for life. Liz Truss is a hawk, and she has Putin in her sights. Putin is the wealing - escaping to hospital for cancer surgery. I would back Liz Truss against Lavrov any day. Lavrov is half sozzled most of the time.
    1
  13295. What about Ukraine ? Why is France silent ? Macron "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" Maybe he is thinking the same about Russia.
    1
  13296. This lady is 100% FSB Ukraine intelligence warned everyone a long time ago. When she 'fled' to the west the first thing she did was call for "An end to sanctions". Saying it hurt the Russian people and didn't affect the regime.
    1
  13297. @Николай Саввин LOL I call them all FSB. Just like the NKVD and FSB are actually the same old KGB. But technically you may be right.
    1
  13298. @Николай Саввин Thank you for asking. Let me explain how it works. When the USSR collapsed the East German Stasi had informers all over society including TV. THis is how it might work : as a student the TV lady took part in a demo and caused minor damage. She was interviewed and gave some trivial information to avoid a small sentence. She then gets a job at TV and is informed that the FSB fixed it for her - she gives some more trivial information. Do you get the picture ? She is not on a salary. She is not "working" for the FSB as an agent. She is lie all Stasi informers simply in their grasp. She gets financial rewards - promotion and maybe cash. She is also threatened with losing her job or being exposed. It is always carrot and stick. The Ukrainian Intelligence spotted her immediately.
    1
  13299.  @xcitemex6353  10 days to Ranstein 8 :latest news Scholz : "Germany will not go alone" Scholz : "Germany will always remain united with its friends and allies" Minister Habeck : "Germany cannot rule out the delivery of Leopard II tanks" Opposition:"SPD too slow, waiting for allies to act first"
    1
  13300. #Kirill #Kherson #UkraineRussianWar Patriarch, Aleksi II recruited by KGB 1958 age 29 Patriarch Kirill recruited by KGB 1972 age 25 Putin recruited by KGB 1975 age 23 Russia is a KGB state. An internal memo declared :- "We are the new aristocracy"
    1
  13301. The Orthodox Church :- The Ukrainian and Russian peoples came out of the Dnieper baptismal font, and war between these peoples is a repetition of Cain’s sin. . . Such a war has no justification for either God or man.” Someone will have to explain to irreligious Putin who Cain is.
    1
  13302. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  13303. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  13304. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  13305. Correct !
    1
  13306. So it can be done ! Evacuation is impossible said the UN, WHO and all aid agencies But it turns out it can be done ! The UN, WHO etc are all apologists for Hamas
    1
  13307.  @alainlefebvre9860  Correct. Macron (France) has had a chip on its shoulder for centuries. Remember Putin saying "Europe never gives Russia credit for saving them from the Nazis" ? It was supremely childish, but France shares that attention seeking malady : they feel their greatness is unacknowledged. At the same time France shares Russia's paranoia - they are naturally fearful. Guizot 1830, said :- "In France every storm develops into a deluge, resistance always becomes insurrection and insurrection revolution : every important political conflict is made a question of life and death, people and passions rush at once to the extremes".
    1
  13308.  @orkunkara6334  , I don't need to look up anything : I've made a superb video on the history of the Ottoman Empire (1299 - 1922) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yx7eIXBDCc
    1
  13309. Eggs & Tomatoes ? Erdoğan's son is a multi-millionaire : why doesn't this lady follow his example ?
    1
  13310. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    1
  13311. The Kremlin are displaying all the traits the Germans possessed in the early 20th Century : bullying, boorish and unbearable. Ask the Germans what the Kremlin will do next ; they can see their former selves in Russia.
    1
  13312. LOL The USA has just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Why ? Because the US knows aircraft carriers are too vulnerable to missile attack. LOL : India has just jumped on the bandwagon with their rust-bucket, just as aircraft carriers become obsolete. Typical of old man Modi.
    1
  13313.  Khushal Singh Maurya   I agree : aircraft carriers project power. But in any conflict with China the US will keep its carriers well out of range, and send in the subs. Unfortunately India has no nuclear subs. That is why India should look to the west and abandon Russia. Russia is a loser : that is obvious to a schoolboy.
    1
  13314. UN Guterres - careful never to mention hostages He is 100% pro-Hamas
    1
  13315. India and Turkey are both friendly with Russia and buy S-400 missiles. But Turkey condemns Russia and wants it to LOOSE India abstains and wants Russia to WIN. Turkey wants to dominate the Black Sea, and has always opposed Russia's occupation of Crimea. India wants a strong ally against China ; so hopes Russia succeeds.
    1
  13316. Shame on everyone commenting on here for treating the millions who died in the Gulags with such casual disregard. Putin is KGB : they were the executive arm which sent victims to the Gulags. Putin's daughter's Godfather is the KGB prosecutor that sent poet Vasyl Stus to the death camps. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasyl_Stus Shame on the lot of you.
    1
  13317. I challenge any of you to review your comments on any forum and find the last time you spoke up for victims of the KGB Gulags. Yeah, that's right : never.
    1
  13318. How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  13319.  @django3037  , that is a good point. But the KKK still have allegiance to the USA : whereas Hezbollah take directions from Iran not from Iraq.
    1
  13320. China must be proud : they are supporting this coup. Russia and China veto any UN condemnation. The Axis of Evil destroying democracy.
    1
  13321. Not to fight ISIS But to defend democracy. Iran's Shia militia have murdered 60 democracy activists. How many will the Ayatollah murder without a US presence ?
    1
  13322. If the Taliban arrive late it will be because of a beheading. Simply observe social distancing. Don't shake hands.
    1
  13323. NO I'm not in favour for 2 reasons a) Pat was blushing just talking about it b) It's a waste of money : give the cash to some indebted 3rd world farmer that is going to commit suicide next week.
    1
  13324. Wion news is scandalously pro-Russian. I hope India get sanctioned.
    1
  13325. David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
    1
  13326. No thanks to Germany - they closed their airspace to British weapon deliveries. Germany blocked Lithuania from transferring howitzers to Ukraine. Scholz had to have his arm twisted to untether himself from Russia.
    1
  13327. India's weakness :- a) the flagship aircraft carrier will be sunk within 24hrs. Even the US no longer plan to use carriers as a strike force : that is why they have just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. b) 68% of India's military budget goes on wages, pensions and welfare. The reminder is used to buy Russian junk. India has a poorly equipped peasant army.
    1
  13328. Correct. India needs to model its military on Israel, not the peasant army of Russia.
    1
  13329. India complains of being "Bullied" as civilians are slaughtered in Ukraine. India is the victim of "bullying", whilst children are being used as human shields, women are suffering abuse by Russian soldiers, but they aren't the victims. It is India that is the victim ......."Of bullying" India sounds pathetic, it is an utter despicable disgrace.
    1
  13330.  @VzeliPostroil1952  You can laugh, but that is the brutality of Russian history. Millions of events like that form the Russian character and lead to the Gulags and Bucha atrocities.
    1
  13331. Those injured were shot in the legs. They are "wounded" Those who were killed died in a stampede & run over by trucks Hamas are spreading lies as usual and Western media repeats Hamas propaganda
    1
  13332. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That's Hezbollah. Hezbollah are fascist anti-democratic fanatical thugs.
    1
  13333.  @cyriil2.0aril11  The battle of Kyiv - Russia lost. The battle of Kharkiv - Russia lost. The battle for Donbas and Crimea have yet to be resolved.
    1
  13334.  @thefallencomrade50  Nobody won the Korean war. The Korean War reached a stalemate at the 38th parallel in 1951. And it ended with an armistice in 1953.
    1
  13335.  @westyork937  Read Svetlana Alexiovich, she records the Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it. You may have read Russian school history books, but they do not correspond with reality. Svetlana has to talk to folk for ages before they are prepared to divert from official Soviet history and tell the truth. It would be a tonic for you to read them : it may dispel some of your brainwashing.
    1
  13336.  @westyork937  Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  13337.  @fo90f33  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  13338. Paper O, the Bible is for everyone. If you want a recycling reference you have to look for an allegory. You can't just search for "democracy" or "civil rights" in the Bible : it's not full of facts. It's full of allegories and most stories are elastic enough to accommodate everyone.
    1
  13339. Pak has chosen some right bedfellows.
    1
  13340. High-readiness forces, from 40k to 300k What information does NATO have ? Well it has common sense : Russia is a barbaric danger to civilization. One doesn't need hi-tech surveillance to know that.
    1
  13341. So Donna Brazil's book shows crooked Hillary was running the bankrupt DNC from her headquarters in Brooklyn. Wow , you liberals have a real blind spot in your moral landscape. Hillary, who has been a liar and crook her whole life is going to get away with it again.
    1
  13342. I can't stand to watch this crook.
    1
  13343. Erdogan is playing to a domestic audience. The drum beating is just for show , his supporters love it but it will come to nothing.
    1
  13344. Public opinion is fickle : Eg, Islamists in Nigeria have just kidnapped schoolgirls to rape There will always be terrorist outrages and they will quickly take "Public opinion" away from Israel and against Islamism
    1
  13345.  @ManishChauhan-ch7ue  A lot of what you say is true. But India will get no help when China invades for real. Everyone will quote Modi's words back to him about neutrality. India is a country that need allies : not cut--throats like Russia.
    1
  13346.  @anandkhond5474  "in case of war against Chinese. We are on our own and we expect no help." What nonsense : obviously, Britain will back you up. The British couldn't look themselves in the mirror if they didn't repay India for the help they gave during WW2.
    1
  13347.  @ManishChauhan-ch7ue  Boris Johnson : "Russia's attack on a maternity hospital is depraved" Modi : silence
    1
  13348.  @nitd955  A very spirited reply, well said. However, you do say you doubt China would "face a nuclear armed nation", then go on to say that China is duffing up India on the border, simply to get a 5G contract.
    1
  13349.  @anandkhond5474  " a strong Indian navy is a direct threat to China's 70-80% oil and other imports passing through Malacca strait " Hands off ! The Malacca Straits will be blockaded by AUKUS. ( Everyone is queuing up to blockade China, LOL)
    1
  13350.  @jesusaguilar4585  Wrong ! Biden said the deal was acceptable to Israel Netanyahu NEVER openly said it was or it wasn't - he equivocated But Hamas definitely said "No" If Hamas had said "Yes" Then the ball would be in Israel's court But Hamas said "No" Israel equivocated (They weren't happy with the concessions) But Hamas said a definite "NO"
    1
  13351.  @riseandfall...  Biden said Israel accepted the UN deal Netanyahu equivocated But Hamas said flat out "NO"
    1
  13352.  @jesusaguilar4585  Wrong ! Biden said, "It is acceptable to Israel, it is now up to Hamas to agree" Hamas said "No" I'm amazed you don't know that !
    1
  13353.  @jesusaguilar4585  Everything you said is correct, except - " Israel never accepted it and acted accordingly by continuing the destruction of Gaza" Hamas REJECTED it, so we never found out whether Israel would actually dump its own deal Hamas rejected, you forgot to mention that !
    1
  13354.  @jesusaguilar4585  Only ONE deal was approved by the UN - "3-phase deal" Hamas rejected it You may speculate what might have happened vis-a-vis Israel but we never found out. Immediately after Oct 7th massacre a pro-Palestinian Israel negotiator said "Hamas has set back the Palestinian cause by 50 years" When you look back in 20 yrs remember that, and ask yourself whether the massacre was a good move
    1
  13355. Stop moaning - Hamas has accepted "A pause" Hamas is desperate Rafah in 6 weeks time : that will finish Hamas
    1
  13356. Simple to decode : self-interest and no shame.
    1
  13357. This goes back 100 years - Robert Millikan's famous oil drop experiment, reported in August 1913 Turned out he'd fudged his data to meet expectation He knew what the charge of an electron should be and fitted his data to match Then won a Nobel Prize
    1
  13358. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  13359. Putin wants to impose Asiatic Autocracy on Ukraine and Belarus. The Ukraine crisis and Taiwan are identical : a battle between Western Civilization and Asiatic Autocracy.
    1
  13360. Gerasimov isn't new - he's an old administrator. He's not a battlefield general. Surovikin was demoted because he didn't push back against Prigozhin's criticism of the High Command. This is simple Kremlin politics
    1
  13361.  @PINEAcompany  It is history. Even Russian schools must teach that.
    1
  13362. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
    1
  13363.  @slobodanpaunovic3834  Unspeakable atrocities occurred in the Gulags - but nobody was ever charged. Because Russia cannot confront its crimes. It would undermine Russian identity.
    1
  13364. Who can you trust when 2 liars give evidence ? I'm reminded of Lorreta Lynch (attorney general) and Bill Clinton meeting on a plane, dismissing all staff and security and then talking in secret about "golf and grand-children". Who can you believe ?
    1
  13365. The Republican rebels will not alter the overall Washington position. Too many old-time Republicans support Ukraine Vance sounds like a jackass.
    1
  13366. It isn't the fault of the EU and NATO that democratic countries want to join.
    1
  13367.  jim jonson  Thanks, that is a great chronology. I copied it immediately.
    1
  13368. Marvellous project. Congratulations and well done. They have also just discovered that modern hominids left Africa. They used to think ~ 125,000yrs ago maximum Now they are saying ~ 250,000yrs ago or more ?
    1
  13369. WRONG Trump said he would "cut aid" IF UKRAINE REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE Trump said : "If Russia refuse the deal - he will INCREASE AID" So, what is the deal ? a) Trump cannot trade land for peace - impossible for obvious reasons (ukr say no) b) Trump has levers of power - economic etc : he'll remove all sanctions and unfreeze all assets : that secures Siloviki survival Russia gets the Xi deal that was cancelled 24 feb 2023 DMZ No NATO Arms restrictions Autonomous Donbas Crimea etc UN peace keepers Russia leaves - Russia knows it has to leave AND - Trump visits Moscow !
    1
  13370. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "Nuclear neutrality" Europe cannot rely on France France will capitulate and collaborate every time (Vichy is just below the surface)
    1
  13371. Who'd be a tree.
    1
  13372. Danial, Iran is failing & falling. It is in the middle of a massive drought, sanctions and civil unrest. If you can't read the runes you are very naive.
    1
  13373. Rodell, Iran has huge problems : drought, corruption, sanctions, Islamofascist Ayatollahs etc Iran only has one thing going for it : it has a very youthful population. Unfortunately for the theocratic dictators it's the young people who are most opposed to their Islamofascist rule.
    1
  13374. Rodell, touché, I enjoyed your comment. The tragedy for Iran was the overthrow of Mosaddegh and the patriotic democrats. Iran's 2nd tragedy was Ayatollah Khomeini ( look at his psychopathic eyes) he killed more Iranians in his first year than the Shah did in his whole life. Iran's future is grim. Sanctions are crippling Iran and will only get worse. The theocratic Ayatollahs have no support from the people. Unemployment, corruption, mismanagement and inefficiency. It's a divided country : people are afraid to speak. Iran is a dictatorship that needs dismantling.
    1
  13375. The drone guy - I wouldn't want to play him at draughts.
    1
  13376. Gosh, where are the DUP when you need them ?
    1
  13377.  @carolynjanes4005  LOL ..... No Look at "Political assassinations" in South Africa - 485 Anyone standing against the ANC in the townships is murdered The ANC are corrupt thugs, they will never be removed from power. The ANC believes in democracy only for as long as it is winning; they will never accept defeat Look at Zuma trying to start civil war
    1
  13378.  @ataurrahaman3640  I gave your comment a like A good argument (I enjoyed it)
    1
  13379. Quiz : Who's the only person ever to tell Prince Philip to shut his mouth ? David Mellor It was after the Cumbria mass shooting (Derrick Bird), there were calls to ban firearms or tighten restrictions. Prince Philip said that a cricket bat was also a deadly weapon and asked whether campaigners intended to ban cricket. David Mellor appeared on Radio 4 and said (I'm paraphrasing) ""If he can't contribute.........he should have the sense and courtesy to keep his mouth shut"
    1
  13380. What might a peace treaty look like ? a) Russia has suggested demilitarising Crimea, and turning it into a nature reserve. Zelensky stole their thunder and said he intended to do that. A minister then said the Kerch bridge as "damaging to the ecology". b) Russia would give up everything to have the Minsk agreement implemented. Putin is laying a foundation of credibility (snake island, the grain deal, nuclear inspectors etc) to get the West to apply some pressure on Kyiv to compromise. c) Russia would accept arbitration : they are desperate for this to end. They would withdraw from Donbas and Crimea - leaving UN to protest Russians, and allowing an arbitration panel to decide sovereignty over an (unlimited) period. Russia would drag this out indefinitely, just as Ukraine dragged out the implementation of the Minsk agreement. Conclusion : possession is 9/10ths of the law. Russia will try to use arbitration to buy itself breathing space : retaining possession of land whilst an international panel beats around the bush for 10 years.
    1
  13381. Panama's president LOL A thug, murderer, drug pusher, dictator, gangster, racketeer, incompetent corrupt administrator, liar, thief from the public purse, half-witted, uneducated trash. The Central Americans can sure pick 'em.
    1
  13382. UK is 3rd not India. India's army is a welfare scheme to employ 1.5 million and provide health-care and a pension. It isn't a 21st century army. Britain's army is the real deal - 21st century, with a proven fighting record. Which is why AUKUS (and China knows it)
    1
  13383. Bad move by Morrison : it makes him appear shallow and weak. I hope Morrison doesn't behave in this petty way with China : Britain and the US don't want to be dragged into military action because Morrison is playing tit-for-tat. When a French President calls one a liar, one simply lets it ride.
    1
  13384. What is the difference between Russia and the West ? Russia has no middle class liberals : no chattering class. Russian Populism was the name given to the Inteligensia movement (1850-1881) In the spring of 1876 the Radicals took "liberation and freedom" to the peasants, who immediately reported them to the police. The Russian middle class were hated from above and below. Stalin then exterminated them. In the West the middle-class were the source of all wealth and progress.
    1
  13385. Xi is laughing up his sleeve. China wants to see a weak Russia, and Putin, the enormous loser, is doing just that.
    1
  13386.  @AAA310  How is Russia weak ? They are getting their ass kicked in Ukraine :- a) the Kherson army is effectively besieged. b) In Crimea Russians are fleeing with their families. c) In Donbas the collaborators are trying to flee to Russia but are being stopped at the border and told to return. d) Ukraine captured an estimated $800 billion in Russian equipment. e) Ukraine has air superiority. Harm anti radar missiles easily destroy Russia's air defence systems. f) Long range strikes take out any ammunition stores. g) Gen Keane "The US is supplying Ukraine with exquisite intelligence, there isn't a unit moves that we don't know about". etc etc
    1
  13387.  @AAA310  Russia is being kicked from pillar to post. Putin should hurry up and use his air-force or there will be no Russian army left. LOL
    1
  13388.  @AAA310  You are deluding yourself. Deep down you know Russia is finished. So does Medvedev - "They are trying to disintegrate Russia a second time"
    1
  13389. Good in-depth analysis.
    1
  13390. 7.40 "We know for a fact the Senkaku Is belong to us" Japan said that about Manchuria and Korea when they invaded. They said that when they kidnapped Filipino women to be sex slaves. Why doesn't fatty lose a few stone and lighten up.
    1
  13391. Was he a knowledgeable source ? He seemed to be a bit of a bone head who couldn't join up the dots. In the US that passes for expertise.
    1
  13392. 5:35 "Classical cases of emergence are all cases of behaviour" This gut is a moron. Liquid water is emergent : there is no wetness in hydrogen and oxygen. Emergent properties of gases. Physics is full of emergent properties. IE the Universe is filled with emergent properties. Why is this guy looking only at psychology : he's a moron.
    1
  13393.  @nik8099  .........and we could be living in a simulation. That is the mentality of religious- reasoning. It is a policy of giving up, throwing in the towel. Why not start with Physics and Cosmology, then work through Neurology and AI : then start philosophising about "emergent properties". This guy has skipped the hard work, jumped in with psychology and made a berk of himself.
    1
  13394.  @nik8099  , interesting viewpoint. However, the romantic "wisdom of the ancients" is a myth. The Aristotelian great-chain-of-being led to the European Witch craze.(I made a video on it :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A_ab-kZ-0o&t=40s ) It held back the European Enlightenment : it reinforced scholasticism : which was the biggest waste of time in history. Research by Steve Pinker shows the ancient pagans were more violent, not enlightened. Rousseau and the romantics invented the myth of pagan wisdom. A C-of-E vicar did some missionary work in S America and was so horrified by pagan stupidity he lost his faith (of course he never ascribed his faith loss to pagan stupidity, he kidded himself it just happened. But he wrote a book about his experiences and the paganism was doltish).
    1
  13395. Vom Kriege (On War) Carl von Clausewitz (~1830) Germany took little notice of this in 1870 when they had to occupy France at crippling expense for 6 months - through harvest time July to Jan)
    1
  13396. I think we can all agree that Israel looks shocking : the optics are all pro-Palestinian. Palestinians as victims is an image the world can relate to. Unfortunately, Arab machismo demands that Islamic Jihad appear to be stronger than Israel. Hamas will launch rockets, and the world will once again back Israel. Palestinians have made no progress in 70yrs, they really must change their strategy. Have an election. Elect a well-spoken young woman. Engage in peaceful protest, and get some world support. Islamism, corruption, machismo, and Caliphate mentality are some of the reasons for failure.
    1
  13397. Very impressive.
    1
  13398. 1980s UK there was an anti-nuclear campaigner killed and we all though MI5 had done it. Looking back it was kinda weird to believe the government was bumping off old ladies.
    1
  13399. When I say "All" I don't mean me and my mates , I mean the whole country : the newspapers, TV, you name it.
    1
  13400. Let me explain :- You know the Russian TV lady (protestor) who is an FSB stooge ? Well Elon Musk also has CIA handlers. Have you noticed everyone is throwing Putin carrots ? French PM "Russia is a great power and will still be our neighbour tomorrow" Elon Musk has also thrown Putin a carrot. Putin has to be delayed from employing hysterical tactics (nukes) just for a few months until Russia collapses. Musk doesn't actually believe that, or maybe he does, it doesn't matter. It pacifies Putin.
    1
  13401. Rami, You dumb clot : obviously they are collateral damage from the Kremlin's assassination attempt on the Skirpals.
    1
  13402. Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
    1
  13403. Lord Owen : "The Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability ; they know what would happen to their families" When asked whether the threat was real.
    1
  13404. Very good interview Combative but civil
    1
  13405. Guterres : "Hamas massacre did not happen in a VACUUM Hamas rapes and murder were provoked." Guterres thinks Hamas are the good guys Guterres MUST resign, he is a disgrace to the UN
    1
  13406. I agree. Although the fields were wonderful enough to be Ukraine.
    1
  13407. Inebolu, you're right I should have considered he's CIA (which he probably is). Hashimoto, if I could explain then I wouldn't be dumb. Lexus, US IQ is low because education isn't valued. Now can you explain why Ataturk made it a legal requirement for girls to receive an education but Erdogan wants men who rape girls to be released from prison if they marry their victim ? Perhaps you lot are the dumbos.
    1
  13408. 35,000 deaths .......but at least half of those are Hamas So it is only 17,000 civilian deaths
    1
  13409.  @santiagoalcantara3806  UN just slashed Hamas numbers by half UN said child deaths had been doubled by Hamas (Look it up)
    1
  13410. 1971 was a terrible war with 250,000 rapes (by Pakistan) and a genocide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_Bangladesh_Liberation_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1971_Bangladesh_genocide
    1
  13411. Expect a stinker of a decision. The UN has no moral compass. LOL Russia is an Axis-of-Evil country, and it gets to make the decision.
    1
  13412. Labour Cabinet Minister Keith Vaz said, after the Charlie Hebdo slaughter in Paris, "My constituents love Allah more than their own lives". I'm assuming this fanatical Muslim is one of Keith Vaz's constituents. Mr Vaz was advocating a Blasphemy Law be introduced in the UK. England broke broke from Rome in 1534 and has enjoyed freedom and liberty ever since. The Muslims would like us all to return to the Dark Ages.
    1
  13413. No Name, everyone is saying Trump debased himself. Some are calling it treasonous. I don't think it will surprise anyone when it turns out Trump has been laundering Moscow mafia money for decades.
    1
  13414. Pakistan deserves some good fortune. If only they could get rid of the rabid radical Imams. Jinnah wanted a secular Pakistan but the illiterate peasants voted for their Imam's recommendation : Islamofascism weaves itself into politics. Perpetuating itself through brainwashing madrasa. If only Pakistan could tell the Imams to eff-off.
    1
  13415. Hamas, had given Israel an ultimatum to stand down its forces at Al-Aqsa by 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). At one minute past Hamas fired rockets into Israel. The start of the war.
    1
  13416.  @amv1255  I'm saying Hamas gave a deadline to Israel, and when it was ignored fired missiles. Israel then retaliated. Most news media seem to think Israeli airstrikes came first.
    1
  13417.  @amv1255  Financial Times :- " The rocket fire came after a 6pm deadline that Hamas had issued to Israel to withdraw its forces from the compound of the mosque, a holy site ." https://www.ft.com/content/887f0b34-1e08-428c-92c0-603e7830ba5b
    1
  13418.  @amv1255  " Palestinian militants armed by cottage industry of rockets, mortars and other ... 30,000 rockets and mortars today, mostly homemade, “on a par with the fire ... It set a 6pm deadline for Israeli police to leave the mosque and for...." I got that from Google, one has to subscribe to read the FT
    1
  13419.  @amv1255  Al-Jazeera :- "The barrage of rockets from Gaza came following the expiration of Hamas’s deadline demanding Israel cease attacks and pull its forces from the Al Aqsa Mosque compound." https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/10/israeli-forces-raid-al-aqsa-compound-live
    1
  13420.  @amv1255  Newsweek :- "The Al-Aqsa episode was used by Hamas to justify firing rockets close to Jerusalem after the terror group issued an ultimatum for Israeli forces (who were protecting Israelis and trying to quell riots) to withdraw from Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah. I heard one popular and influential British radio host scandalously ask her Israeli government interviewee why Israel didn't acquiesce to Hamas's deadline—as if Israel should have stopped protecting its citizens at the behest of a murderous jihadist organization." https://www.newsweek.com/stop-spreading-hamass-lies-opinion-1590956
    1
  13421.  @amv1255  Bloomberg :- Air raid sirens sounded in the cities of Jerusalem and nearby Beit Shemesh, the military reported, around the deadline that the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers had given Israeli security forces to vacate a contested Jerusalem shrine and nearby neighborhood. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-10/air-raid-sirens-sound-in-jerusalem-explosions-heard
    1
  13422. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug, he has the morality of a gangster.
    1
  13423. History Germany froze in Feb 2022 and would supply only non-lethal aid Macron opportunistically relaunched his vanity project (EDF) European Defence Force 13 Oct Macron waved the white flag to Russia Jens Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand"
    1
  13424. Doctors knew where hostages were Doctors treated hostages Hospitals were complicit in concealing hostages (video evidence) There is EVERY reason to interrogate doctors
    1
  13425. When did Afghanistan go wrong ? About 1000yrs ago : it will take centuries to break the medieval mindset of the natives. Actually I could be wrong. The effects of Wahhabism only really started about 1840.
    1
  13426.  @ChromeMan04  "Muhammad bin Abd al. Wahhab, who lived in the Arabian peninsula during the eighteenth century (1703-1791)" I know it was in Afghanistan because Alexander Burnes mentions it. He was the explorer sent by the British East India Company.
    1
  13427.  @ChromeMan04  , I think Burnes mentions Durst Mohammed a warlord who had previously been a casual Muslim - drinking etc ; when Burnes saw him a few years later he had become a fundamentalist, abstaining from all alcohol ; Burnes observed this was the result of a new strain of Islam Wahhabism.
    1
  13428. UN resolutions are being hampered by India and Pakistan "abstaining" Shame on India and Pakistan siding with the Axis of Evil
    1
  13429.  @yba666_  Erdoğan : "We find the invasion unacceptable, and we reject it" Turkey teaches India how to use a moral compass.
    1
  13430. There are 3 EU countries who are rank cowards : two are famous for their gastronomy, and one surrendered an EU camp to the Serbs and allowed 7k to be slaughtered. The EU windbags will do nothing. It is in their nature to talk, and the cowards will certainly oppose action.
    1
  13431. It sounds like a Blue Peter report. The BBC has been hopeless for many years. Ever since the Jimmy Saville episode.
    1
  13432. Germany is great when there is no action - sending duds to do nothing. The action is in Ukraine, why not send tanks ? France and Germany are the 5th columnists, they want Ukraine to trade land for peace. France has sent 1/40th of the weapons Britain has sent.
    1
  13433. The guarantors = Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, Russia and the UN (That's virtually the axis of evil)
    1
  13434. Poor old Modi, his knees must be knocking. Modi is the most timid national leader. India is in a disgraceful quandary - it fears China, and fears offending Russia. Fear is Modi's narrative from breakfast to suppertime.
    1
  13435. Officer : "How do I know that's the truth ?" Pastor : "Because I had a water hose in my hand"
    1
  13436. Eric Trump : he aint no smarter than a turnip. (From In The Heat of the Night : "Gillepsie (sic) he aint no smarter than a turnip". )
    1
  13437. Fake video. Google it. This has been proved to be fake. The first shot is TRUE. A drone dropped a small grenade. The rest is just edited nonsense.
    1
  13438. Rey, you forgot to mention Russia's tally with their own citizens. Ivan the terrible : slaughtered tortured & abused countless thousands. Stalin : murdered 33 million in Gulags and state-planned starvation Russia have always treated people as resource to exploit, fear, and kill.
    1
  13439. Europe MUST go nuclear-power, and cut its reliance on the Moscow mafia.
    1
  13440. The EU are now solidly behind Catalonia :- Cientos de eurodiputados se congregaron en solidaridad con el Parlamento Europeo en Bruselas y retrataron a la pareja, titulado: "Libertad para los presos políticos catalanes". El colega de Merkel, el comisario de la UE, Gunther Oettinger, dijo que España es "Planificación de la Guerra Civil". Junker cuando se le preguntó si la UE mediaría dijo: "Solo un lado quiere hablar". Hundreds of MEPs gathered outside the European Parliament in Brussels in solidarity, holding pictures of the pair, headlined: “Freedom for Catalan political prisoners”. Merkel's colleague EU Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said Spain are , "Planning Civil War". Junker when asked if the EU would mediate said, "Only one side wants to talk".
    1
  13441.  @hamish1309  Well said, you are right I'll explain why :- The C21st is a clash of civilisations Autocracy (Russia China Iran etc) v Democracy Palestinians support Saddam, Iran, Islamism and Autocracy Even if they got a state it would be like every other Caliphate country - corrupt & despotic Western Civilisation MUST support Israel & Ukraine
    1
  13442. The problem very likely stems from the fuel efficiency. Both planes suffered on take-off which is when most fuelled is used. Boeing have economised in this department and the engine appears to occasionally lack power.
    1
  13443. Taliban = the Nazis of the Muslim world.
    1
  13444. SNP Ian Blackford does NOT call for all hostages to be released The SNP is supporting Hamas savages All hostages must be released. The SNP should pressure Hamas rapists
    1
  13445. Peace & prosperity mean nothing to Russia. Russia celebrates death & destruction on Victory Day. Russia didn't liberate Europe in 1945, it imprisoned Eastern Europe, and introduced the Gulags and Stalin's terror.
    1
  13446. How old is Erdogan ? He walks like an old man : I think the attempted coup put 10yrs on him.
    1
  13447.  @omeridrees5433  The UN admits it The UN defence is that it was "only" 14 terrorists out of 14k staff But those caught were the tip of the iceberg And UNRWA staff teach extremism in schools Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  13448. Russia's army couldn't incorporate 100k - it has been logistically smashed. In February Putin couldn't feed 150k, and begged Cina for ration packs. POWs said they had no warm clothes, and 3 tents instead of 15 for the battalion. The Russian army is broken. Putin is "mobilizing" to appease the right wingers, amd to try to force NATO into twisting Zelinsky's arm to negotiate. Russia is tripping air defences from its borders to use the missiles, and buying shells from N Korea : the army is caput. It can't accommodate a million soldiers !
    1
  13449. I was going to say the same.
    1
  13450. NFS, too true.Most General Elections in the UK have lower turnout.
    1
  13451. When Putin dies the UN will vote on a resolution : "That he be buried right meetly deep"
    1
  13452. This is like the Battle of Stalingrad : with Russia playing the part of the Nazis.
    1
  13453. Belarus backed by the Kremlin thugs. Another member to add to the Axis of Evil.
    1
  13454. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
    1
  13455.  @honeybobmarley1755  , the WHO have enormous power : they provide the world with information ! They down-played the virus and refused to call it a pandemic , to protect China's economy. They criticised Trump for overreacting when he halted flights from China.
    1
  13456. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  13457.  @gerasmus  I hadn't watched it.....but I have now. Tell your daughter this is a training video, not an actual incident. The soldiers are expecting to intercept Russian special forces travelling as citizens. When they do - they will drag them from the vehicle and shoot them.
    1
  13458. Look at the riots MORONS. "Economy doing well" what sort of French propaganda are you pushing ?
    1
  13459. Lula supports Moscow & Hamas Brazil supports Russian aggression and Hamas massacre Shame on Brazil
    1
  13460. They are Russian !
    1
  13461. More money goes to MIGRANTS than goes to UKRAINE God help us all
    1
  13462. 8:00 "Create institutions people have confidence in " In other words the Palestinian authority is 100% corrupt. He's got that much right. Look at successful countries , compare them with $hithole countries and what do you notice ? The successful countries have institutions : educational, legal, media, etc which can challenge authority and expose corruption. Now imagine you are an idealistic Palestinian teenager and you demand transparency in the corrupt system, what would happen ? The teenager is shot as "an Israeli spy".
    1
  13463. Hey Professor, you should include a lecture in your course on how to succinctly formulate an argument. It's something you do with aplomb.
    1
  13464. Because Russia supports despotism with its bombs
    1
  13465. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  13466. "Colonial DNA" Also - "Caliphate DNA" how does that manifest itself ? Caliphate countries are all autocratic and corrupt They have no debate, they never had a Reformation or Enlightenment 1515 Caliphate banned printing - this led to widespread illiteracy and ignorance Caliphate DNA is the reason Palestinians took until 1988 to declare statehood
    1
  13467. Feb 2022 Germany blocked : a) RAF weapons b) 3rd party transfers (Estonia howitzers) c) direct sales They sent 5000 tin-hats Boris : "Germany wanted a quick victory for Russia" With friends like that, who needs enemies ?
    1
  13468. The UN is pro-Hamas : they wanted unrestricted arms smuggling The UN never condemned Hamas murders and rapes
    1
  13469. Good news. Biden remembers the Cold War : he is wobbly on Russia. His senility means younger guys are calling the shots, guys who are not afraid to poke the Bear.
    1
  13470. 1:30 "The US not preparing to rush back into the nuclear deal" Iran warned : the US have a limited time. This means the Ayatollah is on his knees, if sanctions don't end soon the people will kick out the clerics. There are only so many people Police snipers can kill from rooftops.
    1
  13471. Crossword clue : Frequently disliked, often loathed, and always friendless. 6 letters, beginning with "R". George VI met Roosevelt in 1942 and recorded in his journal : "He is very anti-Russian, I told him we were too" Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  13472. Well done ! Al Jazeera is usually embarrassingly pro-Putin
    1
  13473. Also, one could include MBS (Saudi), as soon as he elbowed his way to power, he starts a war against Yemen. Of course MBS knows the Saudi cannot fight, so he asks Pakistan to send troops, they decline, so he calls in their loan, then he asks various others - sure enough the whole thing goes pear-shaped, so he assuages his Arab pride by butchering Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy.
    1
  13474.  @dm32904  Good point, but all those governments can be voted out of office. Russia is an autocratic despotism. Russia has always been so - the Tsars gave way to Stalinism, which became despotic stagnation, then collapse and savage gangsterism, which segued into Putinism. Russia has always been a dystopia. Which is why Queen Victoria described them as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  13475. Peace may be around the corner :- state-controlled Russian news agency RIA has reported. Leonid Slutsky added the delegations could soon reach draft agreements. Mr Slutsky said: "According to my personal expectations, this progress may grow in the coming days into a joint position of both delegations, into documents for signing."
    1
  13476. 4:53 freeze that frame. It's like a painting by Caspar David Friedrich
    1
  13477. UN supports Hamas They make no secret of it
    1
  13478.  @KH-sc8yn  , I'm not calling you a liar but I just Googled "Israel wipe out Iran" and very reference (that's 100%) is for Iran wiping Israel off the map. Page after page of links to various top Iranians saying they will wipe Israel off the map. So unless you can provide a reference I'll have to assume you are making it up.
    1
  13479. About 15yrs ago Jocelyn Bell Burnell (British Astronomer) predicted we'd receive a signal from ET by 2025 or something and I laid in bed thinking I bet we don't. The fact is that Earth is very unique : it has super-abundant life. Then there's the Fermi question "Where is everyone ?" well there's certainly no sign of them and very likely a giant roadblock to complex intelligent life.
    1
  13480. Sundowner, LOL touché.
    1
  13481. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  13482.  @tradingsith3531  Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    1
  13483. Let me explain :- a) all parties agree on the key issues b) Egypt wants a signed legal document that recognises the previous treaties That's the sticking point. Ethiopia will fill the dam during the rainy season : it may take 7yrs, depending on seasonal rainfall. Egypt are deliberately insisting on the recognition of previous treaties to enable them to scupper the project in the International Court.
    1
  13484. Spanish Constitution :- It mentions that Spain indivisible. But the constitution was offered to people who had suffered decades of brutal fascist rule. The Franco-fascists formed there own party when he died (Peoples Party) and they presented the constitution or dictatorship to the people........of course they chose the constitution but was it a free choice ? Today the judges arresting Catalan politicians are the same people who served under Franco. Let us all hope Spain allows democracy to succeed.
    1
  13485. What ridiculously wrong analysis. Why did the Kremlin go into a panic over Turkish drones ? "Russia warn Turkey over sale of drones to Ukraine", a most severe warning. Russia GDP = $1.4 trillion Italy GDP = $1.8 trillion If the US severe Russian banking with sanctions, the economy will totally dry up. Yet the Australians think Russia hold all the cards. (Such nonsense).
    1
  13486. Albanian, you mean long live Al-Nusra (an Islamofascist terrorist group supported by Turkey) Also, your ancestors would turn in their grave to know you have adopted the religion of their oppressors. They fought against the Muslim invaders and now you adopt the conqueror's religion and talk like a moron.
    1
  13487. Hamas must release ALL hostages - then the war ends
    1
  13488. Total humiliation for Russia Erdogan bestrides the Black Sea like a colossus. Putin & Erdogan esteem themselves to be "Men of their word" They both hail from the Steppes with their ancient tradition of honour and keeping one's word. Putin flew into a rage and hysterically pulled out of the grain deal : Erdogan held him to it. Russia is shrinking on the world stage. (Erdogan, with hardly any cards to play, is rising)
    1
  13489. In case anyone missed Lindsey Graham's red-faced rant I can tell you he made a complete unhinged @rse of himself.
    1
  13490. This is a great idea. Ukraine must set the agenda. Russia thrives on disinformation to gull the half-baked countries into passive acquiescence in its war crimes.
    1
  13491. Where did it go wrong ? Well, the drunken military junta didn't help. Endemic corruption and incompetence. But the main reason is historical : one needs to go back to Spain. The Catholic Church and Nobility ruled. The people's folk hero was the Picaro, who tricked the ruling elites, did no work but ended each story with a big meal and a few coins. It is the culture of Spanish America. One historian pointed out that in South America large towns had an opera house but no sewage system. In North America they had a sewage system but no opera house. In South America, the elites made all the decisions (opera houses) In North America, the ordinary folks council made the decisions (democracy)
    1
  13492. Spitfire did NOT win the battle of Britain : there were far more Hurricanes doing just as much damage. The advantage was with Britain. In fighter planes we vastly outnumbered the Germans who had to return quickly being low on fuel. The Spitfire was an equal match with the M-109. In the Pacific the Spitfire was outperformed by everything. All nations invent national myths: ours is the Battle of Britain. I'm not detracting from the courage of the pilots but in the spirit of historicity we owe it to young people to tell them all the facts. "Give me Spitfires", says Goering to Hitler in the film (LOL)
    1
  13493. The Axis of Evil supporting one another. (India has one foot in that camp)
    1
  13494. LOL Every nation in history has attempted to divide its enemies The US does it in Russia, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt (Muslim brotherhood, the west sat back and watched a coup to get rid of them) Imagine Israel sitting back to watch a coup get rid of Abbas Every nation does it for God's sake This guy is college kid debating
    1
  13495. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  13496. What a terrific experience. To be part of a victorious army in the 21st century. The Kharkiv counter offensive - Russia defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942. Lyman - Russia encircled for the first time since WW2 Oh, the unbearable humiliation for Russia.
    1
  13497. Israel wants to arm a "Palestinian police force" to guard the distribution of aid Hamas said they'd kill them as collaborators Hamas wants starvation and chaos Hamas is stopping aid
    1
  13498. Qatar funds Hamas Qatar are not neutral mediators - they support Hamas terrorism
    1
  13499. The journalist was Wedad Hussein Ali, 28, and he was exposing corruption in the KRG. Kakamam , you remind me of Russians who say the Kremlin is corrupt but not Putin "He is our little Papa ". You are self deluded , believing what makes you feel comfortable. Wake up and look at the facts : he has placed family members in all positions of power and intends for him and his kin to become millionaires and hold on to power ; just like Putin and his Moscow Mafia.
    1
  13500. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  13501. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  13502.  @USN1985dos  I pity you. Russia's invasion is the defining event of the 21st century. If you are unable to see that, I can only conclude you have never read a history book in your life. Try Postwar by Tony Judt : it is the most concise history of the 20th century.
    1
  13503. That is so obvious. It was aprt of a peace deal initiated with the phone calls :- 21 & 23 Oct Shoigu to Lloyd Austin 22 & 24 Oct Gerasimov to Mark Milley 9 Nov Russia pulled out of Kherson 14 Nov Zaluzhny (Ukr) phones his counter part Mark Milley to say the deal is off - Ukraine will liberate all its territory including Crimea. 15 NOv 10 point peace plan Bali 15 Nov Russia responds with missiles This is so obvious I'm amazed everyone missed it !
    1
  13504. This is the decisive battle for the 21st century. It is the clash of Asiatic Autocracy (China & Russia) against Western Democracy. And don't say Russia isn't Asiatic - it was ruled by Mongols for 250yrs, till 1487. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" The Russian Orthodox Church is wholly medieval - Patriarch Kiril is a rolex-watch-wearing agent for the FSB and formerly informed on his parishioners to the KGB. Russia is entirely Asiatic, and despotic, just like China.
    1
  13505. Shoigu looks like a man dangling over a precipice. He's already had a massive heart-attack. Putin is dressing up failure as success, and the West are laughing in their hats.
    1
  13506. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  13507. UN will clear UNRWA of all crimes Then all the evidence will come flooding out The UN will look compliicit That's Israel's strategy - let the UN declare UNRWA innocent
    1
  13508. Kurdistan : there are 45 million Kurds why don't they have a state ? Because in 1919 when they attended Versailles they were too tribal Kurds have never had a state Just like Palestinians - they have NEVER been a state and are too tribal They can't even hold an election
    1
  13509. UN sued for complicity in massacre UNRWA staff participated in the massacre on 7 Oct The UN paid their workers to kill Jews Then Guterres defended Hamas UN to be sued !
    1
  13510. Rocket-Man should be candidate for the Nobel Peace prize. He's as good a man as Henry Kissinger. Perhaps the UN would like Rocket-Man to chair their human rights council. It would be an honour for the UN. Newsweek's man of the year ?
    1
  13511. Lloyd Austin said on US TV : "One of mu goals is to get Germany to allow other countries to donate tanks" Lloyd is too canny to set a bar he can't hurdle LOL
    1
  13512.  @faiezcader5681  Saddam's sons were psychopaths. Bush said their crimes were unspeakable. They tortured all sorts of people for trivial reasons. Saddam & his sons (you have picked a nice bunch to speak up for) Try researching their horrors
    1
  13513.  @easteregg6355  NATO are defending democratic civilization. Russia is a despotic Autocracy. Russia has always been a dystopia :- Tsarist Imperialism (with 37% of the population serf/slaves), segued into Soviet totalitarianism, which became despotic Putinism. India has sided with the Axis of Evil.
    1
  13514.  @studyclassesbyksinha2792  India is NOT neutral. This is the defining event of the 21st Century, and India is in bed with Russia. India will realise how 'neutral' it is when the US and EU impose sanctions.
    1
  13515.  @easteregg6355  " Shame on NATO to break agreement" The agreement was a conversation, not a signed document. International affairs are rarely conducted on the basis of conversation - where both parties remember the conversation differently. That is why legal contracts are drawn up, with both sides keeping a signed copy. Shame on India for giving a nod & wink of approval to Russia's barbaric invasion of a democratic neighbour.
    1
  13516.  @easteregg6355  Sanctions on neutral countries ? That is the whole point of sanctions. It is why nobody trades with Iran. Example :- if a German country trades with Iran, it cannot trade with the USA or anyone else. Say it wanted to then trade with a French company, the French would say "No" o0r they would be subject to sanctions. That is why sanctions are so effective. Sanctions are contagious, once you have violated them, you have the plague and nobody will trade with you.
    1
  13517.  @nidheeshkumar6760  The true title should be "Sanctions on anyone who trades with X" It is actually neutral countries who are sanctioned. The target X, can trade with anyone who is willing. But if neutrals trade with X, they will find it difficult to trade with allied nations.
    1
  13518.  @nidheeshkumar6760  Imagine an Indian bank gives a loan in Roubles. That bank will suffer. It will be unable to trade with the EU or USA. It will be unable to trade in dollars, euros or pounds sterling. It will be unable to access capital markets. In other words, it will be stuffed.
    1
  13519.  @markusjohnson6558  , I quite agree. Just as we look back on slavery and think- How could Thomas Jefferson own slaves. So future generations will look back on us and wonder how we could treat animals so barbarically.
    1
  13520. Maybe if the EU didn't force us to accept terrorists. Maybe if they didn't send Afghan jihadists who had already decapitated their Dutch girlfriends and served 7yrs of a 12yr sentence and then arrived in the EU to arm themselves with a machete and continue their Jihad, perhaps we might still be a member.
    1
  13521.  @ffs6158  The historical evidence is that Russia has been invading its neighbours for centuries. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists".
    1
  13522.  @hakapeszimaki8369  The historical evidence is that Russia has been invading its neighbours for centuries. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists".
    1
  13523.  @dexorne9753  I spotted some sarcasm in your comment. One cannot excuse barbaric Russian despotism by pointing to Colonialist Europe or savage China (Mao killed 60 million in his great leap forward). One must confront and condemn Russian atrocities, not find weasel ways to excuse Russian barbarism.
    1
  13524.  @dexorne9753  When General Gordon defeated the Mahdi in Sudan, his first dispatch home included plans to build a college at Khartoum. Lord Salisbury (PM) agreed, "it would advance civilization". What is destructive about that ? India was a jumble of warring states - only 50% was ever governed by Britain. When the East India Co was dissolved, they boasted they had handed the British Government, "The finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen" What is destructive about that. All India's rulers were educated in Britain. The Indian Congress Party was started by Freemasons. Freemasonry was invented in Scotland and arrived in India with the military. It was a benevolent brotherhood, and the Indians were keen members. Many British Masons favoured Indian independence. What is destructive about that ?
    1
  13525. Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.”
    1
  13526. Labour claim they were responding to threats of terrorism That encourages terrorists to try something more Labour's message - "Terrorism works" Shame on Labour The Speaker must resign
    1
  13527. "Mature consideration" by Erdoğan is asking a lot, LOL That curmudgeonly old rascal is chasing a financial sweetener.
    1
  13528. But the Syrians DID drop barrel bombs on civilians. The Syrians ARE backed by the Axis of Evil. Assad (dynasty) HAS ruled for 50yrs. The right thing to do is support democracy.
    1
  13529. "Most Iranians are pleased" ? How would one know in a fascist theocracy. Where unarmed protestors are killed by police snipers on roof-tops. How does one judge the tenor of the people ?
    1
  13530.  Make America Native Again  , Iran has faux democracy : the theocratic-fascist Ayatollah presents a list to the people, from which they are allowed to choose. The CCP in China do the same for Hong Kong elections.
    1
  13531.  @rurutuM  I hope Biden doesn't help Iran get nuclear weapons. The Ayatollah has vowed to exterminate Israel.
    1
  13532.  @kpaxxapk6397  , I agree : the DNC (Democrats) have cheated Bernie twice ! The difference between Iran V USA is that you have freedom of speech and can start a 3rd party in the USA. There is only one party in Iran = the theocratic fascist Ayatollah's party. Backed by the thugs in the Revolutionary Guards.... (and police snipers on rooftops).
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  13533.  @iraaus  , A poll of 'religion in Iran' found they were 96% Muslim. However an online poll showed only 32% Shia, 5% Sunni and 3.2% Suffi. People in Iran are afraid to declare their true beliefs. "because irreligion and some other religions are not recognized by the Iranian government and apostasy from Islam may be subject to capital punishment " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Iran
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  13534. Putin's Faux Russia Faux Democracy Faux Stalinism - No Terror or Gulags, but fear and prison Faux Nuclear threats Faux Red Army - total failure & humiliation Faux Annexation - no actual integration Faux Allies - China & India hate Russia & are embarrassed by Putin
    1
  13535. Poor old Bernie : he's lost the plot. He will support Warren when he's finished his swan song .
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  13536. Israel accepted the Paris deal - Hamas then made delusional demands (Including about religious sites in the West Bank !) Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a clear non starter"
    1
  13537.  @theemperor3557  That is true. But India hasn't got the capacity to operate in deep oceans. Aircraft carriers are a liability - they need a fleet to protect them. Britain and France couldn't operate alone. Only the US has the muscle to operate thousands of miles from home.
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  13538. The UN is pro-Hamas UN has not condemned Hamas' rapes and murders Guterres defends Hamas Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  13539. QUAD = diplomatic face of AUKUS If push comes to shove and action is required, it will be AUKUS that blockades China. One of the QUAD nations is a half-baked member of the Axis of Evil (I'll leave you to guess who that is).
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  13540. An incredible statement by Medvedev, implies Russia faces collapse :- " The destruction of the world's biggest country by area could lead to an unstable leadership in Moscow with a maximum number of nuclear weapons aimed at targets in the US and Europe" Dmitry Medvedev, deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council Medvedev is saying, the humiliation of Russia's military will collapse the Russian Federation, and fearful chaos will ensue.
    1
  13541. LOL Iran is keeping us laughing Iran has fired their shot and must now wait for the reply LOL
    1
  13542.  @jyotiranjanmohanta8488  The Russian junk is preventing India from joining the 141 nations in condemning Russia : that is my point ! India must condemn Russia. Russian TV boasts that they have 2 strong allies : China and India. India is propping up the war ! That is my point ! The USA doesn't fear anything Russian. Lord Owen said, "The Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability. They know what would happen to their families". In conventional warfare : the US could blockade China with 19 nuclear subs, and not even use their 11 carrier strike forces. They could also defeat Russia without shipping any troops from the U.S. You have no conception of how strong the Yanks are. They out-spend every other nation combined.
    1
  13543.  @soulXXXtaker  "we don't want war but a dialogue we said that from the first day of invasion." That is what Turkey said, and Erdoğan is hosting peace talks. Turkey also voted to condemn Russia at the UN. India abstained. Modi's foreign policy formula :_ Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality
    1
  13544. 1:35 "Historically one religion has always denied access to the other monotheistic religions - until in 1967 Israel allowed freedom of worship". That is complete nonsense - and I'm an admirer of Netanyahu, but his historicity stinks. Under the Ottomans pilgrims arrived from all over the world : it provided a significant income to the region. When Saladin fought Richard Coeur de Lion, he guaranteed free access for all pilgrims.
    1
  13545. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    1
  13546. "Iranian woman dies after falling into coma following assault from ‘morality police’ over hijab" India's new ally in the SCO (Axis of Evil)
    1
  13547.  @Barettix  It is from an essay by AJP Taylor on John Bright. The essay says the first quote is from "a correspondent of Cobden" Richard Cobden was an MP and maybe the correspondent was a constituent or colleague.
    1
  13548.  @anintrovert6676  The quote is from an essay by AJP Taylor on John Bright. The statement "This is my creed", is from 'correspondence with Cobden.' Richard Cobden was also an MP, and the correspondent may have been a constituent or colleague. Taylor gives no other reference.
    1
  13549. Russian security is a red herring A mask for Russian imperial aggression
    1
  13550. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    1
  13551.  @shakiMiki  1905 Russia was humiliated by Japan - revolution followed 1917 Russia was slaughtered by Germany - Revolution followed, the collapse of the Tsar, start of USSR 1989 Afghan defeat led to collapse of USSR (1991) Putin knows all this. That is why he waited so long to mobilize. Russia may collapse : Putin knows this, but defeat in Ukraine left him no option. The clock is ticking. Russia will collapse before next summer.
    1
  13552. Latest News : the PNV (Basques) have turned against Rajoy . He's going, he's out (in disgrace) , good riddance.
    1
  13553. History : Russia made a pact with Napoleon (Tilsit 1807) and Hitler (Molotov/Ribbentrop 1939) Russia's invasions are the result of Russian duplicity.
    1
  13554. "Definitely" are you sure. "It's definitely a bear market", as if it be the start of a Bull market.
    1
  13555. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
    1
  13556. Before the FBI can "spy" on anyone they have to present evidence to a judge who clears it. It also has to be cleared by the AG. There are a trove of checks and balances. Don't expect Fox News morons to know that. They don't have the sense they were born with. You Fox New £uckwits tune in for buzz-words like 'Deep state'. Serious analysis is beyond you. You gad-dam retards.
    1
  13557. Thasial, many Spanish people are unaware of attempts to eradicate language and family names under Franco. This is from Wikipedia :- FRANCO "The public use of other languages was either banned,[2] discouraged or frowned upon depending on the particular circumstances and timing, while the use of non Castilian names for newborns was forbidden in 1938, " Throughout History only the most brutally repressive regimes employed such genocidal tactics. Prussia in the 19th Century was an absolutist monarchy but it didn't try to outlaw the Polish language or family names. Hence my conclusion : Spain is more authoritarian and repressive than Prussia was in the 19th Century.
    1
  13558. Gato, another example would be :- Turkey / Kurds "The use of Kurdish language, dress, folklore, and names were banned and the Kurdish-inhabited areas remained under martial law until 1946.[7] In an attempt to deny their existence, the Turkish government categorized Kurds as "Mountain Turks" until 1991" Turkey and Spain employed the same inhumane tactics to deny the existence of a minority.
    1
  13559. Gato, ask yourself this :- Why would Spain deny Catalans the right to speak their language and give their children Catalan names if everyone in Spain is "Spanish " ? The reason occupiers like Prussia, Turkey, Indonesia (Timor) and Spain outlaw languages and deny rights to families is because they want to eradicate the minority and force assimilation.
    1
  13560. Gato, that's very shrewd of you : I had you earmarked as a monosyllabic whatnot and now you've check-mated me in the final move ! Very perceptive of you , I'm impressed.
    1
  13561. Most people think the Catalans in jail are political prisoners. When you demand everyone adopts your definition of political prisoner you typify the Authoritarian Spaniard. (Try to refrain from beating people who disagree with you). Why would Franco try to eradicate the Catalan language if Catalonia has no claim to being a Nation ? Why would Spain outlaw families from giving children Catalan names ? Turkey do the same with the Kurds because they know the Kurds have a legitimate claim to being a Nation ; just as Catalonia have a legitimate claim to being a nation. The referendum was NOT unconstitutional. There isn't a constitution in the world that outlaws referenda on any subject. "Spain is indivisible" is what is written in the constitution. So why did Spanish Police beat people ? Because Spain know Catalonia has a claim to being a Nation and just as Franco tried to eradicate the Catalan language so Madrid & Rajoy try to intimidate the Catalan population.
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  13562. Forgive me, but I can't resist continuing the Prussia analogy :- 1871 Germany unifies and Bismark starts a purge of Catholics. The (catholic) Centre Party support goes from 25% in 1871 to 45% in 1874 and it becomes the largest party in the Reichstag. Compare : Rajoy's People's Party came to power on a pledge to suppress Catalonia by reneging on promises, changing the law to force bullfighting on them and generally humiliating them. The result was and increase in separatist support from 20% to 49%. Bismark's anti-catholic laws were often totally ineffective "He had overestimated the power of the State and underestimated the determination of his opponents". Compare : Rajoy ,"There will be no referendum". Then the memorably ineffective brutality that followed as they tried to stop the referendum.
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  13563.  @iamallergictobullshit6954  The Ayatollah believes in the 12th Imam, who arrives with Armageddon. That seems like a scary guy to have his finger on the nuclear button. I can't imagine the US, the EU , the Saudis and Israel allowing it. Also, there are many top Iranians who don't want it. It was top Iranians that facilitated the sabotage fire. The Ayatollah and IRGC are only a small faction in Iran : they have a monopoly on violence (shooting protestors), but are not well liked.
    1
  13564.  @laymanlion4042  But you haven't contradicted anything I said. a) Does the 12th Imam arrive with Armageddon or not ? b) Is it safe for the Ayatollah to have his finger on a nuclear button?
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  13565.  @iamallergictobullshit6954  How will Iran "cease to exist" ? Nobody is threatening them. It is Iran that constantly declares its intention to "Wipe Israel off the map". Nobody has ever said they wanted to "Wipe Iran off the map".
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  13566.  Copper Sulphate  "In 1999, a military parade carried slogans that read "Israel must be wiped off the map" in Farsi and English" A country (Iran) which boasts that it wants to wipe another country "off the map", must never be allowed nuclear weapons.
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  13567. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  13568. Dumbos Trump will sanction Russian oil exports - that go to India and China When Trump says Tariffs he means sanctions Trump said, "I prefer the word Tariff " It doesn't mean Tariff (you dumbos)
    1
  13569. CNN , feed questions to Hillary, they are fake news shills.
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  13570. MBS is a cuckoo in the nest : I like him. He's like a Westerner : he goes to Mosque as a social thing (like secular Christians go to church) he doesn't actually believe that medieval nonsense. In 100yrs historians will look back at MBS as the person who brought the whole Middle East out of medieval ignorance.
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  13571. Fahim, good comment : touché. You have managed to rubbish western values while giving a kicking to Muslim hypocrites. Nobody is safe when you start commenting.
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  13572. Wuhan Lab Staff Went To Hospital With Covid-Like Symptoms Before Confirmed Outbreak ! The Scientific Institutes which are "Unsure", are often found to be involved in funding linked to Wuhan
    1
  13573. One hopes the cargo ship captain's name didn't begin with "M"
    1
  13574. Hezbollah : violence is their sine qua non, assassination is their métier, terrorism is their raison d'être, and fascism their forte.
    1
  13575. Lebanon is a half-baked nation It should be governed by the UN or EU, or some civilised organisation. Wherever Hezbollah has power one will find barbarism.
    1
  13576. Group think. The Police are trained as a para-military force and their opponents are the enemy. The old chap bleeding from the ears is a fallen enemy. He's not a senior citizen.
    1
  13577. "Russia is destined to become a large land but a small nation". Putin's fortune-teller told him that. And then she fell out of a window.
    1
  13578. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  13579.  @AntonNb  , but you have made my argument for me. All religions are invented. Since humans evolved there have been 10,000 religions invented ( an estimate by anthropologists). The Enlightenment taught us about science and rational thinking. Adam Smith "The Church was the most formidable combination ever formed.......... against the liberty, reason and happiness of mankind " You can say the same tenfold for Islam.
    1
  13580.  @AntonNb  , LOL you are quite right : the Europeans didn't bathe or brush their teeth. In France (1562 - 1598) the wars of religion cost 3 million lives , mostly plague and starvation . Then the Witch-Craze cost 100,000 lives. This is what folk do when they are ignorant. Once Europe became enlightened they stopped believing in witches and religion. The Islamic world needs to experience the enlightenment through education :- a) stop executing apostates, allow young people to develop a healthy rational mind. b) stop brain-washing young people in Madrasa, allow them to think rationally c) give women equal rights and develop a fair society with rights for all minorities.
    1
  13581.  @AntonNb  , anyone who looks at the middle-east and says "This isn't about religion at all" is about to make a massive miss-analysis.
    1
  13582.  @AntonNb  "It's about jobs" doesn't say anything. Iraq has the world's 4th largest oil reserves and is like a 3rd world country. The reason isn't "Jobs" it is because the middle-east has never emerged from the middle-ages. Look at schools in Saudi teaching students to recite the Koran. It's madness. In 1557 Nicholas Bernaud wrote a book on voluntary servitude : that's the mentality of the middle-east. They submit to religion and dictatorship. In Europe the Reformation was about challenging authority. It never happened in the Islamic world.
    1
  13583.  @AntonNb  , Compare Iraq and Venezuela (look at the big picture) : huge oil reserves and 3rd world poverty. I've made a video on Spanish-America's failure. In the C17th Spanish people were enthral to the Inquisition not oppressed by it, they embraced it. That "indigestible extremism" was transferred to the Americas. In North America it was "Representative assemblies" in religion and politics. They are two totally different models of society. In the middle-east there is a model of society : enthral to Islam and embracing of strong, despotic leadership.
    1
  13584.  world peace  , take Zimbabwe as an example. It has fantastic farmland : the "bread basket of Africa". Once Mugabe took power farms were given to war-veterans who turned them into brothels. That's not the West's fault. Look at Spanish America : 12 countries in the South and 9 in central America and not one success. Do you think that is someone else's fault ? You have to analyse history. Spanish fanaticism - the Catholic Church and parasitical nobility were the foundation stone. The bloated bureaucracies of State & Church. 'Representative Assemblies' were the key to progress not authoritarianism and despotism. Islam and the catholic Church are prime examples of authoritarianism. Then you have the strongman leader , embraced in Spanish-America and the middle-east : it is a recipe for failure.
    1
  13585.  @Rafael-xx1id  Well said. This is an epic battle : Asiatic Autocracy (Russia/China) against Western Democracy (which includes India)
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  13586. You morons, I don't know where to start. Let's look at history : remember the Russian revolution 1917 ; Lenin constructed his policies to reflect what people were thinking. When peasants wanted land for family farms that became Bolshevik policy. The people dictate policy. You can't print a bold headline and force everyone to follow your lead. Tolstoy said as much in War & Peace when he dismissed the "Great man " theory of history. You illiterate liberal half-wits think Farage & Johnson have hoodwinked the people. You believe in great demagogues. You think Trump hoodwinked the US workers. He didn't .He jumped on the bandwagon of their issues and gave them a voice. You idiots should read Nick Cohen's "What's Left" , you might slowly realise just how formulaic and ill-informed your thinking is.
    1
  13587. Lord Owen (UK intelligence committee) "Russians know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability"
    1
  13588.  @BlatentlyFakeName  Well said. One wonders where the myth of Russian invincibility comes from. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  13589. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  13590. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    1
  13591. LOL
    1
  13592. What you Libtard morons don't realise is that only 5% of the World is democratic. You should back democracy and condemn Islamofascism or Russian-gangsterism. But you morons are religiously obsessed with attacking the US. You are like immature high-school fools.
    1
  13593. Long live INS Vikram (carrier) : that old rust bucket will be sunk within 24hrs
    1
  13594. The feeling's mutual.
    1
  13595.  @osint-a  Even the Kremlin spokesman acknowledged "Significant loses, which are a tragedy", after the interviewer suggested Russia's army has "been humiliated"
    1
  13596. Daleks : you know what defeated them ? A flight of stairs.
    1
  13597. Hamas has "toughened their demands" because of UN support The UN support Hamas, so Hamas now demands more concessions for hostage release Well done UN (supporters of terrorism) Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  13598. The Aussie is an embarrassment to Al Jazeera They want the Aussie to be subtle, not crackpot anti-Semitic
    1
  13599. General Ben Hodges : "Russia's defeat is now inevitable" Mykhailo Podolyak (adviser to Zelensky) " It is a mathematical certainty that Ukraine will win in 3 - 6 months" Putin knows he has lost. That information will take 6 weeks to dawn on the army. At which stage Putin falls and the Russian Federation may collapse.
    1
  13600.  @paulgibbon5991  Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  13601. Democracy is for civilised countries The UN nations should give it a miss - they might get a nose bleed Stick to corrupt autocracy
    1
  13602. WRONG ! Not "crash", you mean hard landing LOL
    1
  13603. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    1
  13604. I don't want to burst anyone's bubble but Bernie hasn't a chance. He's running against the entire corporate media, the Republicans, Trump and the DNC. You tell me how anyone can win against that lot ?
    1
  13605. Nicholas, when you said, "Competents should hold power not the manipulating rich and their companies.". It reminded me of Joseph Heller's Picture This when he comments on Plato's Republic :- (I'm paraphrasing) "Plato realised sooner what most people realise later that all political systems are flawed , so he invented his own : it stinks". Of course the Republic is government by competent philosophers.
    1
  13606. $3,434.74 for a four-night stay. The luxury hotels will be supporting Kamala.
    1
  13607. UK ready to ‘go up a gear’ in military support for Ukraine to help relieve Mariupol, says Boris Johnson. It is Joe Biden who is blocking further military aid.
    1
  13608. What a daft interview. How embarrassing. The Romanian is interrupted just as she tells us the big news that there are 20,000 tones of munitions. (You probably didn't hear it)
    1
  13609.  @constantinvaldor3742  Russia was barbaric long before WW2. The most famous Russian general Sugov was famous for atrocities. British officers visited his HQ, they found him eating "cattle cake and drinking vodka", they said he lived in squalor.
    1
  13610.  @carnalcarnivore  Of course I know what Gulag means : I read Solzhenitsyn's 'Gulag Archipelago' probably 30yrs ago. Might I suggest that it is you who are ill-informed and brainwashed. All nations, over centuries, develop a culture or 'personality'. Folk seem to be the same on the surface, but in moments of stress their culture becomes apparent. The Russian believes they are unique, that they have a divine or mystical place in the world. At the same time they acknowledge their backwardness and inferiority. They are paranoid, with delusions of grandeur.
    1
  13611.  @jaydon707  This is why Western soldiers fight for Ukraine :- Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  13612.  @constantinvaldor3742  "Total war". You wouldn't dare say that in Russia - you would get 15yrs.
    1
  13613. Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
    1
  13614. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  13615. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later,if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and he suggested that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  13616. There were no casualties because Iran informed Iraq who informed the US. This was a face-saver.
    1
  13617. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP) John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  13618. Oh yes.......Biden is worse than Hillary.
    1
  13619. Zuma never went to school....he has no formal education. Imagine electing a pig-ignorant, uneducated corrupt half-wit. What is it about Africans ? Why do they elect people like this ?
    1
  13620. Modi phone call with Zelensky ! Modi will be walking on egg-shells, so as not to offend his master (Putin)
    1
  13621. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  13622. HEY Professor........didn't you just gloss over the Huma Abedin story ? She handed pass words out ! Where is the investigation ? Only 2mins ago he called Trump a hypocrite. Maybe you should look in the mirror. How is it that everyone connected to the Clintons avoids prosecution ?
    1
  13623. Sean, but Hillary did violate national security laws. So did Huma. Why when Comey was investigateing did he give everyone immunity ?
    1
  13624. Can CNN pardon itself ? For rigging the Primary by feeding Hillary the debate questions.
    1
  13625. Statistics : the IDF know how many they have killed and what's left is probably in Rafah Approximately 4 brigades
    1
  13626. @Alper Özkaynak .....but they are doing.
    1
  13627. @Alper Özkaynak , the facts are these :- a) The islamist Jihadis backed by Turkey are on the retreat. b) Idlib will be taken by Syria (actually by Hezbollah and the Iranian RGC + mercenaries and some Syrian army) c) Russia will get their man in place and will have a Mediterranean port at Tartus.
    1
  13628. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  13629. France and Italy want Ukraine to capitulate.
    1
  13630. Gosh the warm-up act is boring (where did Trump find him ?) The laughs start at 27:30
    1
  13631. Honestly he very opposite is the case :- a) only capitalist countries are democratic. b) every type of socialism/communism has resulted in totalitarianism c) historically democracy was spawned by merchants (capitalists) wanting representation. d) etc etc, I could go on ad infinitum . I like Yanis buthe's got no grasp of history.
    1
  13632.  @sublime8728  , I agree, every citizen should have the vote. But I was speaking historically about the evolution of society/culture : it was the financial power of the merchant class that transformed the feudal system into a mercantile-monarchy. Then it was industrialist like Cobden who campaigned for 7yrs against the Corn Laws and the working class holding rallies & presenting petitions, that led to the society we have today : neutered capitalism.
    1
  13633. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief, was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  13634. Very good video and a good presenter. Can I say her presentation is very Western ? Look at the first broadcasting in Britain and the US it was patronising and pedagogic. Now Western presenters are informal and ironic. (That is how she is) I don't see any reason for the whole globe to adopt the same presentation manner.
    1
  13635. LOL Yanis It is always the West's fault - "Colonialism" All the problems in Africa will be the fault of colonialism for the next 500 years
    1
  13636. Hamas have produced a good recipe book for grass & weeds
    1
  13637. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  13638.  @HypermarketCommodity , the 'capitalist machine ' has been neutered. Real capitalism was in the 19th C when folk had no rights. Now you have welfare, national health service, old age pensions etc etc., oh and the vote ! Folk have never had it so good . If you want to see real capitalism read some 19th Century history.
    1
  13639. S Africa has no principles - they support terrorism full stop S Africa has never called for the hostages to be released They have never condemned mass murder & rape They are pro-Hamas
    1
  13640. There is always one sensible guest This debate - Alon Pinkas
    1
  13641. Credit to Iran :- remember their foreign minister laughing his head off after hoodwinking Obama ? (Watch the post-signing ceremony) The Ayatollah's thugs can always out smart the West, why ? The naïveté of the EU and the venality of the Yanks.
    1
  13642.  @anthonyleon1  That analysis is my own. You won't find it on US news. Russia is like a gigantic bear : it will take a lot of killing. Russia has used 330,000 troops ; about 10% have been killed and 30% maimed and wounded. But Russia easily replaces those. Russia has lost 25% of its helicopters : those are more difficult to replace. The war will drag on, but Russia will lose. Boris said, "If Ukraine is struggling, we'll ramp up the dial".
    1
  13643.  @John-or7zh  Focus on one example : helicopters. Russia has lost 25% of its helicopters, they cannot be replaced. China will not help (it actually wants Russia to fail). Maybe Ukraine has lost just as many, but the West will replace them. Billions of Euros and dollars are being supplied, heavy weapons are flooding in, and Ukraine is having 10k troops trained by the UK every 3 months. Not like bullied underfed, Russian conscripts, these are professional technical soldiers, supplied with hi-tech western weapons. Russia can only lose. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  13644.  @ጥንታዊቀይሰው  China is giving Russia zero support. President Xi wants Russia to be weak : he wants Russia to lose. In the 1969 China clash, Russia took such a beating from China Brezhnev threatened to go nuclear (as Russia always does). Russia lost against China, do some reading.
    1
  13645.  @ጥንታዊቀይሰው  Do some reading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Soviet_border_conflict
    1
  13646.  @raymondmusic9198  "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD A Pentagon spokesman said, "Even the USA couldn't fire 20k shells a day like the Russians are doing." Russia is throwing the kitchen sink at it. Russian strategy :- To secure Donbas, then declare the whole area part of Russia. Then to declare that any attack by NATO, or by Ukraine using NATO weapons will meet with a nuclear response.
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  13647. A vision of the Chinese future : imagine a jackboot stamping on a human face.
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  13648. Excellent report.
    1
  13649.  @jim2376  Correct. The Russians are going to get plastered. Let's see how that affects their morale.
    1
  13650. Weren't you ? I listened to Macron's repetitive platitudes and felt ill. Trump would have said all that in 6 words.....and had everyone laughing.
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  13651. Rosa Luxemburg (d. 1919), murdered by the German state, which didn't have the courage to put her on trial : that's just one example of Germany lacking courage. Twice they lacked the courage to resist despots : Wilhelm II (1914) and Big H (1939) Don't look to Germany for courage in opposing Russian atrocities in Ukraine. NATO, the EU and the Allies will have to cajole Germany into doing the right thing.
    1
  13652.  angie rose  "70 years of brutal Israeli attacks" : well, 3 wars were fought by Egypt Jordan Syria etc to push the Israelis into the sea : that constitutes an attack. And incidentally Egypt claimed Palestine was its territory as did Jordan and Syria : none of them recognised an independent Palestine. That was an afterthought in order to garner UN & international support.
    1
  13653. On the subject of students : they universally criticise those in authority, wherever you look....except China, North Korea, Russia etc. The totalitarian countries don't allow criticism from students. Now look at Palestine. Where are the students protesting against the corrupt old men in the P.A. ? Anyone that challenges the authority of Fatah or Hamas is beaten and then killed as an Israeli spy. Try going to a Fatah meeting and raise the subject of accountability : they will drag you outside and beat you senseless.
    1
  13654.  @ThePinkerston  I agree with you. Except Britain didn't want Jews occupying Palestine : that's why the Stern gang killed British soldiers and bombed the St David's hotel. Also you say every problem is due to Palestinians not having their own state......but they have never had a state : not under the Romans or Ottomans or ever. And after WW2 all the neighbouring countries claimed Palestine , no Arab country recognised a Palestinian state. Israel's position is that it can't trust any of its neighbours and needs the Golan heights and Jordan heights to defend itself. Israelis are 65% secular ( they either don't believe in God or are Jewish just for social festivals) only 35% actually believe. Palestinians are 99.9% fanatically Islam. Any Palestinian that doesn't believe daren't say anything for fear of being killed. They are two different societies that's why it is hard for them to talk. Israel is modern and Western, Palestine is traditional and religiously conservative. That's why I suggest Palestine try democracy and equal rights.
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  13655. Everyone knows the virus should have been isolated in CHINA. Trump is the only one who dares say it. The WHO is staffed by unaccountable people who are hand-in-glove with the corrupt UN.
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  13656. Macron :"France as an independent, respected nuclear-armed power" On 13 Oct he waved the white flag to Russia ! France stabbed NATO in the back He killed his European Defence Force Why join a capitulating France led EDF when NATO gives nuclear deterrence
    1
  13657. The UN is pro-Hamas UN has not condemned Hamas' rapes and murders Guterres defends Hamas Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  13658.  @robertmason9265  Correct Israel is doomed unless it retains the Golan Heights and Jordan Heights
    1
  13659. Don't trade people, land or sovereignty. That is concrete. Reinforced by International Law and Ukrainian armed force.
    1
  13660.  @biggles106  Correct. Putin came to power on the back of 200 corpses in 1999. The Apartment Bombings were conducted by Moscow FSB Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  13661. Pope Francis described the Russian invasion as "Infantile" This is very perceptive : - a) Solzhenitsyn, even after torture and 10yrs in the Gulags, still believed in Mother Russia and would've supported Putin's war. b) The Kremlin's childish narrative of Ukrainians inflicting bombing and slaughter upon themselves. c) The Russian persecution complex and childish belief in Imperial Russia. d) The deluded belief that Russia champions civilization - when the opposite is true. Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  13662. Macron's betrayal of NATO and Europe “France would be neutral if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region” Foundation for Strategic Research : “curious timing" Timing is obvious Macron was petrified after 13 Oct meeting and stabbed NATO in the back 13 Oct NATO defence meeting discusses nuclear response to Russia 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares neutrality 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington to finalise nuclear response to Russia Jens Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" Jean-Louis Thiériot "I almost fell off my chair"
    1
  13663.  @moabman6803  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    1
  13664.  @moabman6803  Putin will not use nuclear/dirty bomb for 4 reasons :- a) Lose Security Council seat b) retaliation by NATO c) it will not prevent defeat d) Russia's elite are not going all in on this war : they haven't sacrificed any personal wealth. Their aim to stay in power and rich.
    1
  13665.  @Goodspiri  So why did Russia's billionaire elite not invest in a drone factory ? In Nagorno-Karabhak everyone saw how effective drones were. So why did Russian billionaires not invest ? Because the war was an impulsive decision made by Putin and a few cronies over Christmas. Nobody expected the war, and nobody invested to ensure success. This was an invasion on the cheap. Russia needed 1.5 million men, and used 150k
    1
  13666.  @moabman6803  Russia's nuclear warheads are in storage for safety. That is why the US keep saying "We have seen no signs" Russia would need to remove their warheads from storage and attach them to rockets. The US has a "massive, massive superiority" : it can launch in 20 mins and scorch both Russia and China
    1
  13667.  @moabman6803  Russian elites love wealth and power : they are not going nuclear. Everyone knows that.
    1
  13668.  @jacobfrost2131  Jacob, the joke is on you. I mean the joke is on Russia. If the Russians are at 20% strength, why do they have no tents, or warm clothing, why are they asking China for food rations. Why is their no fuel for convoys, why do radios not work - forcing them to use mobile phones which are intercepted. In short, why is Russia a dysfunctional, decrepit, ill-organised, ill-discipled shambles ?
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  13669. 2:40 "They stood aside as Serb forces separated the men ". The Dutch have to bear that shame - indelible shame. It must be awful to be Dutch : branded with cowardice.
    1
  13670. LOL Young protesters have great ideas "Stop Oil" switches people off Everyone would like to see them jailed
    1
  13671. Bernie Sanders is part of the Lunatic Left They support Moscow and Islamism cf Jeremy Corbyn : he supports Moscow, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and every terrorist group going
    1
  13672. FACTS : Deepseek's final training run cost $6 million Chat GPT's final training run cost $100 million Not billions versus $6 million Only the FINAL training run cost $6 million
    1
  13673. WRONG Biden is not there to support Israel, he is there to prevent a nuclear strike on Iran That is why Iran's FM is in Saudi That is why Blinken spoke with Netanyahu for 7hrs That is why Iran's FM said "Hamas will release all hostages (Hamas then denied it) Iran fears the worst
    1
  13674. "President" ? You mean despot Palestine hasn't had an election for 20 years Abbas is a despot, Hamas are fascist thugs Palestinians have NO elected representatives
    1
  13675. The nonsense spoken on here : look at the comments. You are aware that Rocket-man will have miniaturised war-heads this year. That means a multiple war-head ICBM. That means it cannot be shot down. That is what the urgency is about. Everyone is laughing at Trump but he at least grasps the severity of the problem.
    1
  13676. He looked like the Pope, kissing the tarmac. LOL But seriously, one could be arrested in Turkey for mocking Erdoğan. At least Modi can see the funny side. The old goat has a good sense of humour.
    1
  13677. 5 reasons Putin will not go nuclear or use a dirty bomb a) Lose Security Council seat b) Lose support from China & India c) NATO retaliation d) it will not prevent defeat e) Russia's elite have not sacrificed any personal wealth: their aim is to stay wealthy and stay in power
    1
  13678. Trump has done more to cripple N Korea than any President since the Korean war 1953.
    1
  13679. Institutional buyers will be unloading this time. Home owners will be selling what they can't afford. And banks will be Selling what they repossessed. He paints a bonny picture.
    1
  13680. Looked like a damp squib. Not at all like 2016.
    1
  13681. UN Liars ! "500 - 600 trucks per day" Most of that was consumer goods Food was only 100 trucks, Israel now allows 120 trucks An increase of 20% UN liars support Hamas
    1
  13682.  @SigmaGigaChad-yv4ci  , thank you for asking. a) the Palestinian Leadership have been a disaster for 70yrs. Have an open debate : allow folk to voice an opinion without Fatah beating them senseless and Hamas killing them and Islamic Jihad torturing and killing them. b) Just try it ! Have a TV show where ordinary folk voice opinions and criticise the leadership without being killed. c) allow young people to learn about Yasser Arafat's 40yr dictatorship : how he robbed them of $3 billion. A lot of it went to Paris with his wife, try to recoup some of it. d) Palestine need a leader like Nelson Madela , someone the world respects and likes. Not corrupt old men, anti-democratic and clueless. e) TRY a female leader : a young woman, well-spoken with dynamism.
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  13683. 0:44 it is the quickest way to boost GDP, building homes and real estate. Look at China. 1:30 look at the Palestinians : a picture of anti-democratic corruption. They said they can't hold elections whilst occupied , but now have scheduled elections - even though they are more occupied than they were 15 years ago ! So why cancel elections ? It is a simple power grab : so those in power can enjoy their benefits. 1:40 elections. This will be a faux election : only candidates on the list approved by Hamas and Fatah will be allowed to stand. Why has Palestine suffered 70yrs of failure ? Well Yasser Arafat's 40yr dictatorship was a bad start, but the reason goes back 500yrs. Middle East stagnation was the result of despotism and Islam. In 1947 when Israel declared themselves a state the Palestinians had no idea what that looked like. The Palestinians couldn't declare themselves a state because they had no administration or unity; there was no model of statehood they could appeal to. Also their land was claimed by Egypt, Syria and Jordan. So why 70yrs of failure ? Well democracy produces success by natural selection : if a government mismanages the economy they are replaced after 4yrs. But when the PA/PLO (Fatah) mismanage their affairs they stay in power. It is a recipe for stagnation and failure. Just like South Africa : the ANC will never leave power, and South Africa will become a bankrupt state.
    1
  13684.  @СлаваВайцеховский  "Catholic Church opposed European Emancipation ?" Polish nobles certainly did. That is one reason the peasants massacred them in 1846 Galicia peasant rebellion. Inquisition : started in Spain 1470. The Dominicans were the major witch burners (I made a video on the Witch Craze) Serfdom only affected two Catholic countries - Austria and Poland. Austria : Joseph II attempted to end serfdom in 1790 but was only partially successful, having been resisted by the nobles. Poland was partitioned between Russia, Austria and Prussia (1772, 1793, 1795) Only just before the final partition did the Polish nobles feel inspired enough to abolish serfdom, which never came into effect.
    1
  13685. Compare 1917 and 1979 Both revolutions were hijacked : one by Totalitarian Bolshevism, the other by Fascist Theocracy. The Bolsheviks slaughtered their opponents, and Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians. The most ruthlessly violent rise to the top : Lenin & Trotsky, and the Ayatollah
    1
  13686. President Biden said a small invasion will incur small sanctions. Obviously he "misspoke" So Blinken trotted out a damage limitation statement. Poor old Biden, his mind is for the knackers yard.
    1
  13687. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  13688. Young Hindu males harassing Muslim girls. I didn't notice that bravado at Galwan : the Chinese gave the Indians a pasting. India needs more lessons from the Chinese military to knock the sectarian violence out of them. Who would've thought China would be the power to teach tolerance.
    1
  13689. If Russia take Mariupol and slaughter the inhabitants and garrison, then Biden will be blamed. NATO will take the blame also. Supply the 29 Migs, and anti-ship missiles !
    1
  13690. Maduro was one of the best bus drivers in Venezuela. He's not so hot on economics though.
    1
  13691. Mark Rutte - a safe hand on the tiller for western civilization
    1
  13692. Obviously it's true. The Saudi is ignorant, indolent, bigoted, bone-idle, cowardly and cruel.
    1
  13693. I'm going to tell you a story :- Portugal applied to Britain for a loan. When Wilhelm II heard about it he demanded compensation. Lord Salisbury said it had nothing to do with Germany. So, the Kaiser instructed his ambassador in Lisbon to make threats and Portugal withdrew the loan application. The Germans were bullying, boorish and unbearable. When present day German ministers visit the Kremlin they see their former selves. Catherine the Great was German, most Tsars married German wives. There has always been a strong connection and empathy. The gangsters in the Kremlin are bullying, boorish and unbearable : they are like 20th century Germans.
    1
  13694. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA : they have infiltrated schools and hospitals
    1
  13695.  @Abbadon380  , I totally agree. Anthropologists reckon 10,000 religions have been invented by every tribe that ever evolved. Religion is part of human nature : that is why tribes invent religions : to bind the tribe in common belief. Also, the spastic-religious-explanations of natural phenomena were comforting for half-witted tribe folk.
    1
  13696. Soixant huitards : 1968 Paris, the students didn't know why they were rioting These pro-Hamas folks don't know which river or what sea. It's a French fashion
    1
  13697. LOL I said India should do nothing in response to Kashmir. Now look where it has got them. You know why India didn't shoot down the Pakistani planes ? They didn't want to escalate tension : so they scrambled jets to chase Pakistanis off. Every Indo-Pakistan war has been started by Pakistan. I told India to do nothing. Just keep growing economically, educationally, socially and politically and let Pakistan fester in Islamofascism.
    1
  13698.  @whatsinmymind5942  , I heard that from a Pakistani retired Air Chief Marshall (I forget his name) his argument was that Pakistan should spend less on the military and invest economically. I remember one quote he said, "India wouldn't take Pakistan if we gave it to them". He also said, "Every war with India has been started by Pakistan". That's where I got the quote from.
    1
  13699. Wow it has taken Pakistan nearly 70yrs to confront fanatics. When Pakistan was founded in 1947 by Jinnah et al the very first politicians pandered to radical Imams to win the votes of the Imam's ignorant, illiterate followers. Now after over 70yrs they are finally cracking down.
    1
  13700.  @DGE123  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  13701. 1978 when the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he would do with secular activists, trade unionists and feminists who had overthrown the Shah : he said, "I will kick their teeth in ". That is how Iran became an Islamofascist state.
    1
  13702. Russia will pay for this :- a) reparations, deducted from Russia's seized assets ($300 billion) b) war crimes : a criminal prosecution is inevitable c) for the next century, Russia will be classed as a barbaric pariah. d) Russia will lose the war, and be impoverished culturally, technologically, and financially for generations.
    1
  13703.  @JohnGeometresMaximos  LOL I'm only saying what everyone is thinking.
    1
  13704. CNN showed a protrestor being arrested by 4 police : two hold him, one beats him over the head and the other grabs his genitals. Also, in Egypt the police sexually assault protestors. Can anyone explain this ?
    1
  13705. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
    1
  13706. @Aquarius 07 , thanks for that reply. You have demonstrated just how difficult it is to close the strait. Even Iran say, "We will not close it just restrict the flow". But they don't explain how. Even to restrict the traffic you have to explain how ? And don't talk daft about setting it on fire !
    1
  13707.  @gauthamkkrishnan3282  , you are absolutely correct : an insurgency war is terrible to win (look at Russia in Afghanistan). But a quick naval war with Iran : the Yanks would think all their Christmases had come at once.
    1
  13708.  @bahmanborzou4650  , someone said that to me over Erdogan taking Afrin. I'm still waiting. I said the Yanks would never pull out of Syria and was dead RIGHT : whoever controls the oilfields controls Syria and right now that is the Yanks & Kurds.
    1
  13709. @Aquarius 07 , a fire is nonsense on multi levels. It certainly wasn't proposed by the Iranian government or anyone with a modicum of sense.
    1
  13710.  @mathislove3722  , you simply fail to understand modern warfare : it's not about guns , it's about international support and economics. Mines would totally, totally isolate Iran, they would be utterly economically crippled and the Islamofascist regime would fall within 6 months. You don't understand the implications of your suggestions. The Iranian FM knows the implications that's why he's pedalling a conciliatory line.
    1
  13711. Liberal lunacy will destroy western civilisation
    1
  13712. EU "chattering classes" support Islamism Ordinary folk want to see Hamas defeated Ordinary folk think Palestine should have its 2-states when it elects a female PM
    1
  13713. 4:00 Russian propaganda :- What she is trying to say is that Russians know they are consuming propaganda, they treat it like pornography : they even know it's bad for them, but they consume it anyway because they like it.
    1
  13714. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug. India's strongest ally.
    1
  13715. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  13716. Biden warned Iran about these strikes The IRGC then removed personnel and weapons Hence no casualties This is a pantomime strike
    1
  13717. Lula supports Moscow & Hamas Brazil supports Russian aggression and Hamas massacre Shame on Brazil
    1
  13718. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  13719. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  13720. To summarize :- a) there is evidence of Trump Russia collusion : hells bells Trump even suggested inviting Russian cyber experts to help set up US cyber defences against hacking ! Then his son was trying to set up a back channel of communications. It's all been admitted. b) there was no proper investigation of Hillary ; no searches, no proper interview under caution, no seizure of computers. And then a whitewash exoneration.
    1
  13721. Macron has been accused of being too close to Putin. What are the charges ? a) Misprision (concealment of information about Putin's intentions from the Allies) b) Passing information to Putin (about the Allies) c) having a foot in both camps. What is macron's defence :- "Here I stand, I can do no other" (Diet of Worms 1521)
    1
  13722. Never pity the Russians : they are entirely responsible for their own history.
    1
  13723.  @svetakhamaganova6302  You big dope : this is Putin's war, he has gone nuts.
    1
  13724. ........then, if you are MBS, throw some of your people under-the-bus. Because someone is going to have to carry the can, mark my words this is an international issue.
    1
  13725.  @rjames3981  I didn't go back as far as Napoleon, otherwise I would've mention Tilsit (1807) when Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon carved up Europe. It was a precursor to the Molotov - Ribbentrop Pact (1939)
    1
  13726.  @rjames3981  At the end of WW2 Russian POWs were forced (by Churchill) to return. They spent 10yrs in the Gulags. Female Russian POWs in Germany were liberated and raped by the Russian army. Russia has always been a dystopia. They don't know whether to hate Stalin or praise him. The Russian psychology is schizophrenic and paranoid. Paranoia :- the KGB asked school children to inform on their parents, no family was safe from the state. After the collapse of Tsarist Autocracy, Russia segued into Soviet Autocracy : in a memo, the KGB described themselves saying, "We are the new aristocracy". Bari, Stalin's henchman, was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman Beria took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
    1
  13727. Quiz : Who's the only person ever to tell Prince Philip to shut his mouth ? David Mellor It was after the Cumbria mass shooting (Derrick Bird), there were calls to ban firearms or tighten restrictions. Prince Philip said that a cricket bat was also a deadly weapon and asked whether campaigners intended to ban cricket. David Mellor appeared on Radio 4 and said (I'm paraphrasing) ""If he can't contribute.........he should have the sense and courtesy to keep his mouth shut"
    1
  13728. Allow me to make a prediction :- the coup will end in failure. Also, the next election will produce failure, and the one after that.
    1
  13729.  Teh Chuan  David Leigh and Luke Harding's history of WikiLeaks describes how journalists took Assange to Moro's, a classy Spanish restaurant in central London. A reporter worried that Assange would risk killing Afghans who had co-operated with American forces if he put US secrets online without taking the basic precaution of removing their names. "Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it." A silence fell on the table as the reporters realised that the man the gullible hailed as the pioneer of a new age of transparency was willing to hand death lists to psychopaths. They persuaded Assange to remove names before publishing the State Department Afghanistan cables. But Assange's disillusioned associates suggest that the failure to expose "informants" niggled in his mind
    1
  13730. China is a totalitarian corrupt one-party state. It has built internment camps for 1 million people in Xinjiang and had only recently stopped the practice of harvesting human organs from prisoners. The West should unite against China.
    1
  13731.  @gaius_marius  , Canada hasn't folded : the extradition is still ongoing. She hasn't been extradited yet. The legal process require the US authorities to present their evidence and for her (lawyer) to present a rebuttal. Your case is quite a good one you might want to Fax it to her lawyers.
    1
  13732.  @analuciasanchez104  , what nonsense. You are just making things up. Tell us where in the USA she was and how you know ! You are a bull$hitter. Her plane stopped over to refuel in Vancouver and she was arrested. She may have visited the USA years ago before the sanctions violations.
    1
  13733.  @analuciasanchez104  , I've done an intensive online search (hell it was boring and I've better things to do) there is no mention anywhere of a US home or a daughter attending a US college. Her sister was a graduate at Harvard (computer science) " Meng and her husband own two multi-million dollar residences in Vancouver, British Columbia.[45] From 2001 to 2009,[44] Meng was a permanent resident of Canada.[46] She is currently a permanent resident of Hong Kong since at least 2011." Not only have you got the facts wrong but you then make some geopolitical deductions painting the US as pusillanimous.
    1
  13734.  Helen R   Well said. I read many comments from folk fearing Putin's threats..... One smells the odour of appeasement on them. They should think on Britain's proud history. In 1864 half a million turned out to greet garibaldi when he visited London. In 1824 Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence against the Ottomans. The appeasers cowardly considerations would undermine all that, and give strength and support to the Kremlin. Putin relies upon vacillating liberals to swallow his threats and sow discord and fatalistic dejection. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's threats on Radio 4 : "Russian generals know that America has a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" Spoken like a man, by a member of the Intelligence Committee. We must all show resolve. And recall the spirit of 1895 when Abdul Hamid II ordered the slaughter of Armenians and British marines went ashore to stop the massacre. They didn't turn round and say, "But there are thousands of Ottomans and only a few of us", they had the courage and conviction of doing the right thing.
    1
  13735. Shogu looks like a commander who has been knocked from pillar to post, and who knows worse is to come. Putin "The single plan" LOL, that means an ad-hoc shambles. What a farce. The West are laughing in their hats. NATO strategy is a success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  13736.  @ladderssnakes1755  , regardless of whether I'm a Jew or a Gentile, you should be arguing that "Hamas are pro-democracy and human rights, they believe in equality and justice". Of course you can't say that because everyone will think you are a loony.
    1
  13737. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  13738.  @Xaiando  , " refused a group of between 20 - 40 entry into HK" How do you know that. My understanding is that HK takes orders from the mainland.
    1
  13739. My God, he is brave.
    1
  13740. The US military has told the Russian military they will act preemptively if Russia shapes itself to use nukes in Ukraine. Nordstream sabotage was a demonstration of US resolve. The US are not messing around, and they "have a massive, massive nuclear superiority" Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  13741. My advice to Democrats (and I'm a Warren supporter) : just leave it. It will blow up in your face. Trump has already shrugged it off and nobody cares. Most people think Biden's son was profiting off his Dad : look at the $1 billion from China Hunter got for his hedge-fund.
    1
  13742. LOL Hamas lies - "The war started on Oct 9th" Ooops, he forgot the Hamas massacre
    1
  13743.  @SL-my4fg  "In temples there is sexual imagery too." Nobody takes that seriously. It would be like suggesting the Bayeux Tapestry might inspire violence. Philip Larkin said ,"Sexual intercourse began In 1963. Between the end of the "Chatterley" ban And the Beatles' first LP ". Everything before then was procreation. Postwar - was a different culture to pre-war. Children used to mimic their parents (wearing flat caps), but Postwar saw the dominance of Youth : adults started to dress like young people. Young people set the standards. That marked the decline of morals, just as technology marked the ascendency of living standards.
    1
  13744.  @harshvardhanheda7153  When one considers Catholic Church abuse, the decline of religion cannot happen quick enough. An epoch shift has occurred. It happened after WW2 Tony Judt pointed it out in his masterpiece "Postwar". Youth Culture became dominant. Google images of the great actor John Mills : you will find one of him dressed like an idiotic teenager (he is about 58). Youth Culture became economically dominant. Movies and music were directed towards young people, Social media is Youth driven. Young people now set the standards. I'm simply saying that isn't always a good thing.
    1
  13745.  @tulikagupta21  "you mean religion was meant to avoid rape?" I simply mentioned religion, because like it or not it was a building block of Western Civilization. The Catholic Church was mostly corrupt & hypocritical. But in the early days Christian missionaries to Russia (the Cyrillic script), to Ireland (monasticism), to Northern England (Bede Northumbria) etc The Church was instrumental in bringing Europe out of the Dark Ages. It was a key component to the Old Epoch before WW2. After that comes the new Epoch : Youth Culture.
    1
  13746.  @stephanierevell8050  , Robin Hood is the quintessential English folk hero (first written reference to him 1377). But ironically the virtues he represents are French : chivalry, courtesy, honour - are all French words. By contrast, the quintessential Anglo-Saxon her Beowulf is described by the Anglo-Saxon words :"Strength, power, great" Robin Hood is an example of the Anglo Saxons recognizing the superior virtues of the French, and embracing them. The French words were imported with Eleanor of Aquitaine (1154)
    1
  13747. Turkey's prospects to join the EU are zilch.
    1
  13748. WRONG Have you read how Egypt tortures Muslim brotherhood ? Egypt wants Hamas crushed This is a pantomime the US suggested
    1
  13749. Israeli hostages were beaten and held in isolation
    1
  13750. Please supply anti-ship missiles and destroy Russia's Black Sea fleet.
    1
  13751. Can language truly describe reality? No Can science ? Yes That's why we have biologists, geneticists, chemists, physicists, cosmologists, astronomers, geologists, palaeontologists, and mathematicians. Language is for philosophers, scholastics and theologians. It is for psychologists : it describes human interaction with the environment. Leave reality for science.
    1
  13752. Biden's foot is still on the brake though Russia lose when Biden allows real weapons in
    1
  13753. Fantastic. Ukraine will have the best troops when they finally defeat the Muscovy murderers. They will be able to train NATO in best practices. Nobody has killed more tanks in action, or shot down more aircraft. The Ukrainians will be in demand for seminars and masterclasses.
    1
  13754. The thing to remember is that the nation-state isn't natural : it was created in the 15th 16th and 17th Centuries. If you asked a 'Polish' noble to identify himself he would say he was a descendant of a mythical (non-existent) tribe "Samartians". That's how they thought :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmatism
    1
  13755. The peasants who the Polish nobles were oppressing were Slavs but the nobles believed themselves to be a different master-race. It was a recipe for disaster. It didn't help that the Poles invaded Russia. The Habsburgs were only safe when an Elector held the Polish crown (Augustus II Saxony). I might make a video on it.
    1
  13756. A talking shop - add it to the rest. Germany, by its wilful naivete, funded Russia's war machine. And when Russia invaded Europe froze. British RAF planes had to fly around German airspace, Macron flew to Moscow (more talk) Once again the US rescued Europe : they did it in WW1, WW2, Kosovo and now Ukraine. Thank God for the US - defenders of world democracy. The Nordstream incident will at least make the EU sit up and take notice.
    1
  13757. Inclusive - yes Iran, Russia, Hezbollah - NO
    1
  13758. I don't even know what QAnon is, but I'll tell you why it exists. The establishment have all the aces : one can't mock them because they join in the fun, insults cannot penetrate their rhinoceros hide ; what emerges, is a macabre fantasy world that the establishment cannot deal with. A medium which invents its own message.
    1
  13759. NO - to both questions
    1
  13760.  @r3dpowel796  You are clearly a clown
    1
  13761. It would look like a Slavic civil war, for which Putin would never be forgiven.
    1
  13762.  @AA-tu1jo  I am talking about the Islamic justification for the Ayatollah ruling the country. Look at the history books. Khomeini is the 1st Ayatollah in history to rule a country. That needs justification. The justification is Velayat-e faqih. Which means the Ayatollah is the guardian over the people. The people of Iran are the Ayatollah's widows, orphans and disabled.
    1
  13763.  @sneakysky6398  , thanks for that :- "Buhari is a retired Major General of the Nigerian Army and served as military head of state from 1983 to 1985, after taking power in a military coup d'état." Stupid me. I thought he was an example of civilised government. I should've known better.
    1
  13764.  @yalechuk6714  , When one performs a military coup, then settles down to enjoy the fruits of one's labours, one doesn't become 'a civilian'. El Sisi in Egypt is the military in civvies. Zimbabwe's military thugs are sitting in the corrupt cabinet of Maningawe wearing civvies - but are still military thugs. Don't be fooled by the quick change of uniform.
    1
  13765. Who negotiates for the Palestinians.......not democratically elected leaders, they haven't had an election in 12yrs. Yaser Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion. That money should've been invested in technical colleges to enable internet start-ups. Instead young people were told to throw stones while corrupt old men (Palestinian politicians) sat back and built themselves mansions.
    1
  13766. LOL isn't the Arab world lovely : not a single democracy, not a single decent, uncorrupt politician , no independent judiciary, no free press , corrupt police , military that are only just brave enough to kill unarmed civilians, it's just a disheartening cess-pit.
    1
  13767. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  13768.  @Persian-Gulf.  , you sound like an okay guy : why don't you enter politics. Because the IRGC leaders sound like crackpots, the Ayatollah is awaiting the 12th Imam and Armageddon. Ahmadinejad : imagine him with his finger on the button : you're blood runs cold , he was a complete crackpot. The US government have safeguards and transparency and accountability. Iran is a totalitarian theocracy.
    1
  13769. Well delivered : better than Trump
    1
  13770. NATO or Russia, who will blink first ? That's easy. It will be the EU windbags, they are already talking about neutrality, and wait-and-see strategies.
    1
  13771. No wonder Australia chose AUKUS.
    1
  13772. The hell they will prevail. Russian TV said, "I was in conversation with a military exert who said there are two ways this war can end : defeat or WW3"
    1
  13773. It started in 1947. Actually, one could say it started when the Caliphate collapsed 1922. Israelis elected a council in 1922. Britain appointed a Grand Mufti of Jerusalem for the Palestinians in 1922. Democracy v old Caliphate. Modern v Old. Palestinians have had nothing but failure (40yrs of Araft despotism). Corruption, zero democracy, zero progress, total failure. Palestine needs to think outside the box - try electing a charismatic young female leader ?
    1
  13774. Hezbollah says "Bring it on" The people of Lebanon are the ones that suffer Maybe Hezbollah needs removing ?
    1
  13775. 4:27 "One day is not going to freak me out". She looks freaked out. I'm not being sexist, I'm just saying she looks nervous, shocked, panicky, alert, hunted, on-edge, in a nutshell freaked out.
    1
  13776. Guterres wants to "Contextualise" Hamas rape, torture, mutilation, murder and abduction There is video evidence of all these But Guterres insists on ignoring Hamas savagery He is the worst Secretary General by far (and that's a high bar)
    1
  13777.  @oldnosoul4183  No. Jacob Zuma's Intelligence Service (NIA) looted millions from the state over a decade. They know they will be next for prison. That is why Zuma's thugs fought gun battles with security staff - to leave shopping malls free for looting. Zuma and his thugs, (and the ANC) are to blame.
    1
  13778. The West MUST play to its strengths : blockade China is doomed by blockade by AUKUS If the West is unable to do that because it would shoot itself in the foot Then we've thrown away our trump card
    1
  13779. Pakistan is hand in hand with Global designated terrorist Hafeez Saeed who was responsible for 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which killed around 200 innocent people
    1
  13780. What happened to MH17 ? Russia supplied the drunken rebels with a BUK missiles and the drunken Russian tugs shot down a passenger plane. There has been a full enquiry with photographic evidence, documenting the BUK missile transport. Moscow deny everything. The Pope described Moscow as "Infantile". Putin doesn't even attempt to be civilized or rational.
    1
  13781. China : the Chinese jackboot, stamping on democracy. Pity the Tibetans.......and those in Hong Kong....and those bordering the South China Sea (being rammed and sunk by the Chinese-jackboot).
    1
  13782. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  13783. "Other places too" for Palestinians If Jordan says NO Then Trump will take Jordan's $1.3 billion and give half of it to another nation
    1
  13784. James Ussher Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656 The most well read man in Europe : he read Hebrew, Greek, Latin etc Anyway, his coach was held up in Ireland - just the usual highwaymen, but Ussher was certain they were Jesuits in disguise targeting him Even the cleverest find comfort in conspiracies He saw the Jesuits behind everything - 1637 Book of Common prayer Scotland Guess who was behind that rebellion ? That lady who threw a stool at the priest ( a Jesuit in disguise)
    1
  13785. Because they are part of the Axis of Evil. India has joined that club along with Pakistan
    1
  13786.  @Zinpinko  There is a spectrum of governance - at one end North Korea, at the other maybe Sweden or New Zealand. When a young tennis player in China says she has been abused by a CCP official, most people recognise evil. Genocide camps in Xinjiang are evil. That is why China Russia North Korea Iran are described as The Axis of Evil. When Modi abstains three times (giving a nod & wink to Moscow), it is convenient shorthand to say he is in bed with the Axis of Evil.
    1
  13787. India is forced by Geography to desire a Russian VICTORY. It needs a strong Russia to oppose China. Western democracies must realise this, and temporarily say to India, "Goodbye and good luck" as India drifts into the orbit of the Axis of Evil.
    1
  13788. Shame on India : supporting a tyrant. A nuclear catastrophe is in the making, and Modi gives Moscow a nod & wink.
    1
  13789. Hamas has thousands of gallons of fuel Hamas is hoarding fuel to fight Israel
    1
  13790. Ban Al Jazeera ! This is Hezbollah propaganda Never once does Al Jazeera mention Hamas or Hezbollah (they are dirty words) Al Jazeera simply presents Israel as fighting civilians
    1
  13791. Maybe he said "From the river to the sea"
    1
  13792. The Saudi is bone-idle, lazy , indolent, ignorant, over indulged, bigoted, discriminatory, cruel and cowardly. If you think they've no sense of humour watch their military in action. They will never understand the West. Saudi doesn't know what humanitarian values are : they think expelling Canadians is getting them recognition, it is but the wrong sort. Everyone is recognising them as a $hithole country.
    1
  13793. China (one of the Axis of Evil countries) shouldn't be surprised when the Civilized world takes offence at their human rights record.
    1
  13794.  @shd1394  , anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented over man's evolution : they are all products of their time (the Old Testament reads like a Bronze Age myth etc), and they all hold progress back. Christianity didn't produce Galileo and Newton : they were individuals using their great intellect. Religion opposed both, and tried to destroy Diderot's encyclopedia. Christianity (especially Jesuits) tried to drag Europe back to the Middle Ages, and Islam succeeded in keeping the Middle East in the Middle Ages.
    1
  13795.  @atakansakarya5795  "Some Turkish sources claim he was a devout Muslim. However, according to other sources, Atatürk himself was an agnostic, i.e. non-doctrinaire deist, or even an atheist, who was antireligious and anti-Islamic in general. Sources point out that Atatürk was a religious skeptic and a freethinker." Gordion, you represent 'some Turkish sources'. Most biographers describe Ataturk's dislike of religion.
    1
  13796.  @atakansakarya5795  That is an impressive lexicon of Islamic sects you possess. But Ataturk hated religion. He was in a nightclub when he spotted a man wearing a Fez and shouted threatening insults at him - forcing him to remove it. The Hat Law of 1925 is still in place. It is part of the Turkish Penal Code, which continues to include the infamous Article 301. All the evidence points to Ataturk's disdain for religious backwardness. There is no evidence to support his membership of any sect.
    1
  13797.  @HaithamAmar-u9o  Apropos the Ulema banning printing (1515) :- By contrast, during the Fronde in France (1649) there were 300 printing presses in Paris producing thousands of pamphlets. The pamphlets were filled with news, commentary, comedy (mocking the nobles) and ideas of liberty and justice. The caliphate, even at the end in the 1920s, had nothing like this. The Young Turks were ALL western educated.
    1
  13798.  Torsha Samy  , It isn't just Islam & Christianity : all religions are invented. Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented during Human Evolution. Each religion reflects the epoch in which it was invented. The Torah (Old Testament) reads like a Bronze Age myth. The Koran is full of medieval superstition. No religious text contains information that was unknown at the time (ie nothing comes from "God"), everything written is simply what was known at the time. There are no revelations from "God".
    1
  13799.  @cultureclashmusicvideo4545  , you must be remarkably brainwashed to think there is no oppression in Islam. Take a look at the Taliban, Pakistan, Iran, the Gulf states, or North Africa. All these Islamic countries are oppressive. Islam teaches obedience to authority : it doesn't encourage independent thinking. Christianity was the same : when the English attempted to produce a Bible written in English, John Wycliffe's followers (Lollards ~1400) were tortured and burnt. The Pope began the savage "Counter Reformation" in the 1560s, after Martin Luther had revived John Wycliffe's ideas. Again there was savage authoritarian persecution. The contrast with Islam is that Islam has yet to have a Reformation : Islam is still authoritarian in the medieval tradition. Only in Western countries are Muslims allowed to say they no longer believe. In Islamic countries, an apostate must be killed (according to the Koran).
    1
  13800. Golan Heights - what is Israel's exit strategy ? Correct Now apply that to Gaza That's how Israel guarantees security
    1
  13801.  @efrainrondon5753  , thanks I hadn't heard of him. Tom Paine was an atheist though, so Alberdi's attachment to the absolute authority of the Pope disqualifies him. I found this : "Alberdi was grateful for his Catholic upbringing but tolerant towards all. He wrote: “ Let us be Catholic as our fathers were, as is proper to our race ; but without forgetting that there are profoundly religious people who are not Catholic.”  “ Let us be Catholic as our fathers were, as is proper to our race" That is brilliant. Alberdi has (unwittingly) put his finger on Spanish-America's failure. What does it mean to be Catholic ? It means be obedient to authority. All progress has been rejected by the Pope : who anathematised Magna Carta and Erasmian Humanism, minted medals to bestow on those who slaughtered Huguenots in the St Bartholemew's Day massacre. With the Edict of Restitution : ""Ecclesiastical Reservation" of the Augsburg treaty was retroactively enforced. It had a tremendously polarizing effect causing the approximately 1,800 states of the Holy Roman Empire to shatter into disparate blocks of opposed interests" Which fired the 30yrs War which killed 8 million.
    1
  13802.  @efrainrondon5753  , Tom Paine said, "I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church ". He also said, " I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. " That's pretty good going for the C18th : he's speaking before Darwin Evolution or the Big Bang Astronomy. That is a pretty Enlightened outlook and one million miles from being religious.
    1
  13803.  @efrainrondon5753  , let me give you another example :- What was the Spanish attitude to the Inquisition ? Well, thanks for asking, I'll tell you. The Spanish/Castilians regarded it as paternal. Yes, not like the East German Stasi or KGB it was more like a parent. Eg :- when some chaps are drinking in the cantena and someone says he'd like to knock a priest on the head and abuses the Church, another drinker walks aout and reports him to the Inquisition. Whenever food riots occurred the Inquisition offices were never damaged. And as I mentioned the largest event of the year was the Auto-de fe in Madrid. The Inquisition is part of Spanish culture & values. How does one transition from the Inquisition and strongman leader to democracy ? You don't : which is why Spanish-America is a failure.
    1
  13804. Education in South America "There was no effective education plan until President Domingo Sarmiento (1868–1874) placed emphasis on bringing Argentina up-to-date with practices in developed countries. " Compare England where the Long Parliament, as well as opposing ship-tax etc, had a positive program of "An Eton College in every county ". That is in 1640s What about Spain ? Glad you asked :- the Inquisition had banned students from studying abroad and banned the import of foreign books. It sounds like the Taliban or Islamic state. No, it's just Catholicism. In 1703 the were just 4 books published in the whole of Spain. That is the cultural foundation of Spanish-America and you ask why it's a failure.
    1
  13805.  @zehran340  , well said. I believe in civilized dialogue as well.
    1
  13806. Good Christmas present : a bike which requires a 16yr old rider (by law), given to a 13yr old.
    1
  13807.  @ferghalicious1480  , you are quite right. The English/Scots protestant settlers wanted independence from Westminster as much as the Gaelic Catholics. So well had the Norman English integrated into Gaelic culture that the Statues of Kilkenny (1366) forbade intermarriage and even hurling : to try to maintain a distinct English identity.
    1
  13808. THis guy is in fairy land - "Trump is laying the ground for essentially a 2-state solution" Is he kidding Trump means it, and most common sense folk agree
    1
  13809. Why "scary" ? That is Putin's intention - to get civilians voicing fear. Show some resolve !
    1
  13810. You know where this ends ? It ends with a blockade on China which will collapse the economy and collapse the Communist Party. a) China exports are 51% of GDP b) China doesn't grow enough food to feed itself c) China has to import oil & gas. A blockade finishes China.
    1
  13811. Zeflute, blockade is imposed using submarines , we are talking war, I'm not talking boycott. You are quite right about a deficit being very tolerable. And debt for growth is good for China. But too much deficit is bad. And for China too much debt over a very short period is also bad. One belt-one road is keeping growth going but at the expense of ever increasing debt : it's a balancing act. I'm just saying that if things go sour in the S China Sea or with a trade war ; then a submarine enforced blockade sinks China. They know it and the US know it.
    1
  13812. airborn, have you ever noticed that any criticism of Russia or China always brings out idiots calling for nuclear war. What makes you call for nuclear war ? I'm talking about a conflict with China over trade or the S China Sea and I'm saying any conflict will end badly for China. China has NO defence against blockade : China is geographically weak.
    1
  13813. airborn, that is a good reply. You're my first interlocutor to actually consider the consequences of blockade. a) The land route :- it's a non starter. Have you any idea how many tons China exports and imports. Fair enough emergency medical supplies could come overland. b) Donfeng-21 :- the US carriers will be out of range. the blockade is implemented using SSBN submarines. c) Neutral nations :- a blockade doesn't mean sinking ships. Israel blockade Gaza, they don't sink ships ; just stop them from entering. d) Any conflict goes nuclear. I doubt it. It could be a partial blockade, that just stops 50% of traffic. Besides with the US having patriot and THAD missiles all over the Pacific I wouldn't be sure China have an effective nuclear strike capability. Whereas just one SSBN submarine could obliterate China.
    1
  13814. 2.00 can anyone watch Trump and not find him endearing ?
    1
  13815. This adds another example to me thesis on South American $hithole countries. I'll give a brief synopsis :- S America colonised by absolutist monarchy (Spain) with no history of parliamentary representation they segue to military dictatorship then faux democracy. There is no culture of independent institutions or individual rights : the people are inured to unaccountable authority.
    1
  13816. Catholicism , which is basically benign totalitarianism, hasn't helped. A good Catholic is one who obeys authority (Pope,Cardinals, Bishops etc) whereas the protestant N American is more engaged as an individual. S America has had the worst of both worlds : absolute monarchy and absolute unaccountable Church authority.
    1
  13817. The ANC have ruined South Africa with corruption and incompetence. They blame foreigners as scape goats. What is the difference between Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma. Mandela had a British education and Zuma was 100% ignorant.
    1
  13818. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  13819. 0:26 the old warrior has never encountered a Twix. LOL
    1
  13820. The UN is a joke - they have given 100% support to Hamas and only mention hostages in passing (just to tick the box) The UN cannot pressure Hamas, because the UN will never withdraw support
    1
  13821. Shame on India. Modi is praying for peace, to hide his disgrace. He sold India's soul for Russian military junk. Jets that can be shot down by stingers, and tanks destroyed by British NLAWs. Modi has placed India alongside the Axis of Evil - shame on India.
    1
  13822. This is the history of physics. NOT The Fabric Of Reality
    1
  13823. Russia is rattled. Well done USA and Britain.
    1
  13824. Very disturbing : India's legal process of claiming citizenship. In Bangladesh Pakistan did away with the legal process and killed 3 million. Raping 250,000 along the way. Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months.
    1
  13825. The Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1922 The Jews elected an Administrative Council (to shadow the British governors) The Palestinians had the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (appointed by the British) The Mufti looked to Damascus as the Palestinian capital : the Palestinian farmers had no notion of what a state was : for centuries they had been told "The Sultan is our Lord on Earth" There was no such thing as land ownership (until Europe forced the Tanzimat reforms) all land was owned by the Sultan. Palestinian woes, and the failure of the Arab Spring, are the legacy of the Caliphate.
    1
  13826. 3:1 is the statistical ratio of Attack to Defence. Ukraine has acknowledged over 3000 casualties ; therefore it is reasonable to assume 9000 Russian casualties. Can Russia conceal the casualties ? Putin has already confessed to the Russian people that he lied about not using conscripts. Can Putin keep lying about casualties ?
    1
  13827. China lends billion$ to Africa , then when the corrupt governments go bust the IMF come in to bail them out and have to pay China's interest on the loan.
    1
  13828. Madrid have said,"We will use a scalpel not an axe" when they impose article 155. What does that mean ? It means Rajoy knows he cannot take control of the Catalan Police (Mossos) He tried on Oct 1st and they said,"No", they are hardly like to have had a change of heart. Rajoy cannot call fresh elections because the Catalan civil service will ignore him. That is why they have to "use a scalpel". they will target Puigdemont and others. Rajoy is a paper tiger. He daren't send in the Civil Guard for obvious reasons ( a scuffle with Mossos comes to blows and someone fires a warning shot : a catastrophe ! ) What is Rajoy's strategy ? Procrastination. He will drag it on and hope foe events to favour him. He is trying to manoeuvre himself into a position where he can make a defeat look like victory. Solution : an all-party committe from the Spanish Assembly begotiates with an all-party delegation from Catalonia. They agree on the 2006 Statute of Autonomy granted (then withdrawn) Catalonia & constitutional reform.
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  13829. It's quite clear the IRGC are a law unto themselves : a state within a state. An imperium in imperio.
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  13830. LOL "A 9 month pregnant woman climbed the wall" "100 people scaled the wall with a ladder". Solution = build a longer wall. LOL He just said they are climbing it when pregnant you Fox news morons. Clearly he is saying "Walls don't work". But not for the brain-dead retards on here.
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  13831. Independence for Catalonia will come when the EU breaks-up, or if there is a global financial meltdown or a global crisis, pandemic etc. The Catalans hate Spain, a hatred that was fuelled by the brutal fascist Police action : beating young women and clubbing an old lady. Fascist Spain never cleared out the old Franco regime : it just segued into faux democracy in order to join the EU.
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  13832. NB : nobody is talking about an EU mechanism to bypass US sanctions. The agenda is now all about Iran acting like a rogue state. LOL Iran's economy is crashing.......it has been goaded into violence and is willingly participating in its own demise.
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  13833. Bloody hell, who would want to live in that nightmare necropolis ? Imagine the neighbours : they'd be the type of people who like to live in Dubai !
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  13834. Erdogan is hated by the West. NATO will no longer supply Turkey with the new F35 fighter jet. Turkey have chosen Russia and the Axis of Evil.
    1
  13835. Kindergarten analysis. God bless the Yanks (but they are so simple-minded)
    1
  13836. "Diplomatic fallout" Modi has allied India with :- Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan. The biggest blunder in history......aligning India with the Axis of Evil
    1
  13837. Hamas has corrupted the West If they can't condemn rapes and murders then what's left ?
    1
  13838.  @RyzenShanks  Well said EU liberals believe in peace, they live in a fantasy Graham Greene "Innocence is a form of insanity"
    1
  13839.  @cyberslim7955  Germany has worked wonders to separate themselves from Russia Germany is now 2nd only to the US in military aid to Ukraine
    1
  13840.  @miguelderijckke5907  No I Googled it and got nothing
    1
  13841. 2:15 Lord Palmerston coined the expression, " She (the country) has no permanent friends only permanent interests". That was true for Great Britain at its peak, because nobody would ally with it. But everyone from war-criminal Kissinger, to half-wit John Bolton think themselves clever repeating it. I wish this lady hadn't repeated it. It's simply not true. Countries spend $billions on Soft Power to garner world opinion. Friendship is priceless. In conclusion :- Palmerston was correctly illustrating GB's lack of allies. Every subsequent parroting of the phrase has been done by an ignoramus in order to appear smart.
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  13842. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  13843. How depressing : to see religious crackpots getting involved in government, in the C21st.
    1
  13844. Maduro is not wholly to blame. Chavez left an economic time-bomb. Either way, for a notion with the largest oil reserves on Earth it's an effing scandal . Maduro and the corrupt generals are killing this country.
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  13845. Maduro is not wholly to blame. Chavez left an economic time-bomb. Either way, for a notion with the largest oil reserves on Earth it's an effing scandal . Maduro and the corrupt generals are killing this country.
    1
  13846. Western liberals have an unhealthy desire to see India get its comeuppance, for the way it has sided with Putin. Modi's legacy is to leave the civilized world wanting to see India punished.
    1
  13847. "How to turn your neighbour progressive." Give them a DVD of Hillary's campaign ads. Send them Donna Brazil's book (the one where she admits to telling a pack of lies while running the DNC) Send them the rigged CNN debates where Hillary received the questions. Send them the DNC accounts that show Hillary was funding the DNC while campaigning in a rigged Primary. If that doesn't convince them nothing will.
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  13848. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief, was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
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  13849. Rajoy aint no smarter than a turnip. The King : every inch that is not fool is rogue.
    1
  13850. ECuevas, nothing in the constitution forbids a referendum. It is legal to hold a referendum. Declaring secession is illegal. Rajoy sent his Police in to intimidate the population because he knew they would overwhelmingly vote Yes.
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  13851. The story begins with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire (the last sultan fled in 1922, the last caliph in 1924) That's thread one. The second thread concerns education : the Young Turks were all Western educated and established pseudo democracy. The Ulema banned printing in 1515 and in 1920 most Palestinians were illiterate. In 1920 two things happen :- a) the British install a Mufti in Jerusalem to fill the vacuum left by the Ottomans. b) the Jews organize an election for a general Assembly to establish a shadow administration. The Palestinian nationalism begins in 1960 with Yasser Arafat and the PLO Arafat is the Palestinian version of Ataturk : a secular nationalist. The Palestinin flag is created in 1967 and in 1988 Palestine's neighbours recognize the State of Palestine.
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  13852. Believe it or not Macron prioritise the Olympics over all other foreign policy That's why he phoned Moscow The Xi visit was also a nod to the French Olympics (I hope it's a disaster)
    1
  13853. Have you ever watched a nature program, where young male chimps go on patrol in a forest - snapping branches and banging on tree-trunks ? Well that is what the tuneless Loyalist cacophony is.
    1
  13854. Actually I support them : who wants to be dictated to by the Pope in Rome.
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  13855. This land-bridge to Crimea theory does explain the Mariupol strategy. Experts were amazed at Russia's obsession : Mariupol could've been isolated, allowing key forces to strike elsewhere. But if the aim was primarily a land-bridge, then Mariupol was the key objective.
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  13856. Hamas has loads of food in storage Enough to last Hamas for 12 months
    1
  13857. A very British position if I may say.
    1
  13858.  @ChrisVillagomez  With a professional army of only 30k US defeated Spain's global army of 240k (1898). The military humiliation led to many atrocities, as the Spanish military took revenge on their own people (anyone who opposed military fascism). Asturian miners strike (1934) some 1,500 miners were killed, with another 30,000 to 40,000 taken prisoner[32][33] and thousands more became unemployed.[34] The repression of the uprising carried out by the colonial troops included looting, rape and summary executions
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  13859.  @shamimali5353  , want to talk about back-stabbing. Read a biography of Yasser Arafat. Everyone hated him, the Jordanians, Egyptians, Syrians etc etc. He stabbed everyone in the back. Bill Clinton said, "He can't be trusted". Israel existed from 1000BC and only ceased during the Ottoman period. Palestine has never existed. Even after 1947 it was claimed by Jordan, Syria and Egypt. Nobody recognised the state of Palestine until they had been defeated in 3 wars. Then in desperation they appealed to the UN and recognised Palestine.
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  13860. Very stately.....dignified......and reassuring.
    1
  13861.  @hmamsb1150  Putin respects Erdoğan? Yes Did you watch Putin snatch the ceremonial sword from Modi's hands ? search YouTube, it was embarrassing. Russia has no respect for India.
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  13862.  @aosaeanor  "what about the empty words & meaningless threats of Biden / US ? " Forget words and listen to Lord Owen : " The United States has a massive, massive superiority, and Russian generals know that" (he was referring to nuclear capability, but the statement applies to conventional forces as well). The US may say dumb things occasionally, but they are still the world's only superpower.
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  13863. Elvis, not all Palestinians need aid. Fatah have a great thing going : they get $millions from the Gulf states then divided between themselves and keep n accounts. Anyone Palestinian asks where the money went gets beaten up. Also, Yaser Arafat didn't need aid money he robbed the Palestinians of $3billion. Yes that's 9 zeros, you might think it's a typo but that's what he stole : three thousand million dollars.
    1
  13864. "Understand the risks" For Arab neighbours the risk is.......DEMOCRACY That is what Arab feudal rulers fear most
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  13865.  @southpole4776  NATO is on a victory lap : countries are queuing up to join the parade Denmark, Spain, Canada, France etc It is all over. Putin laid down his cards and had nothing. The narrative now belongs to NATO. Putin can only play the victim. And with the entire Russian army just sitting there, it is hard to play the victim.
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  13866.  @684W13  Yes. Surely you can see it is all over ? If Russia even attempts a minor invasion, it will be responded to as if it were total war : the casualties will be terrifying. Putin has played his hand badly : he must now climb down with egg on his face. All Russia has left are cyberattacks. Victory belongs to NATO : they appear organised, civilized and strong.
    1
  13867.  @commiesnzombies  LOL Putin has to find a new narrative, the Ukraine story belongs to NATO, and they are parading victory in a masterful way. Keeping the tension high, and allowing all players a role - Canada, Spain, Denmark and France. Even NATO press conferences are polished - reassuring, thoughtful, conciliatory and commanding.
    1
  13868. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  13869. Residents Rights ? What about the rights of Tourists :- a) to wander round gawping and talking loudly. b) to chuck litter in the canals c) to moronic merry-making after midnight. d) to block walkways with their morbidly obese carcases. and e) to sacrilegiously squat at St Mark's, stuffing junk into their insatiable maws.
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  13870. All around the world, folk going about their normal business, are suddenly exclaiming, "B@stards". That is because they have remembered the Russian invasion. Those words will become synonymous : so whenever anyone uses the word 'Russian' in a conversation, someone might mutter, "B@stards".
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  13871. "Allow it to have no consequences" , I just said that regarding corruption in $hithole countries. The voters still elect people who have a track record for corruption and incompetence cf Zimbabwe, South Africa, South America.
    1
  13872. Grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants......that is the EU The EU was established to keep the peace in Europe after 2 world wars started by Germany. Its ideology is pacifist. It is happier talking about an agricultural policy. You will never get the EU to beat their ploughshares into swords.
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  13873. LOL AUKUS is more than ready. The US has built 19 Virginia class nuclear subs precisely to blockade China. Geography has dealt China a terrible hand. The US is self-sufficient, China is totally dependent on imports.
    1
  13874. There were only 66 Tigers at the Battle of the Bulge 1944 And that was "almost" a game-changer.
    1
  13875. Jared Kushner has done a Hillary Clinton. There is conflict of interest just as there was for Hillary. I notice nobody mentions Hillary : the Clintons are untouchable for rapes and economic corruption.
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  13876. Putin attacks his enemies by raiding them for "tax offences" Modi just raided the BBC offices Modi & Putin : despicable despots act alike The reason ? A BBC documentary (banned in India), how Modi allowed a genocidal riot
    1
  13877. Mayor Pete attended....1:50 ....Jimmy just said it as I was writing it.
    1
  13878. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  13879. South Africa's case built on LIES Eg "500 trucks a day before the war" Actually only 72 trucks of food There are currently 110 trucks a day going in with food & medical aid South Africa deliberately present lies Eg "The only way to allow aid in is for Israel to stop fighting" Wrong Hamas could release all hostages and stop fighting S Africa never criticise Hamas, they are pro-Hamas
    1
  13880.  Carl Lewis  , whilst you are technically correct, the irony is that the Ayatollah killed more Iranians in his first year (7000) than the Shah had done in his whole life. Prisoners under the Shah recorded the boredom and tedium of prison. Prisoners under the Ayatollah described terror, torture and death. The Ayatollah's death camps were horrendous.
    1
  13881.  @surushs.447  , you talk like a brainwashed Islamist. Read "The executioners deserve medals" it is written by an Iranian who was part of the Ayatollah's death-camp program.
    1
  13882.  @surushs.447  , imagine some folk in Iran disagree with the Ayatollah, how are they supposed to express their discontent without being shot by police snipers on rooftops ? Where is the opposition in Iran ? It is the very definition of fascism - to shoot the opposition.
    1
  13883. S Korea don't know how to deal with the North. If they find themselves out of the loop it's because they are observers at a poker game. Trump is playing with the best hand : because when push comes to shove he's prepared to wipe N Korea off the map.
    1
  13884. persimmon, thanks for the financial contribution. I think you are getting value for money. I hope S Korea continue with their talks. They should remain friendly , then if Trump does strike the N Koreans will retaliate against the US and not against Seoul.
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  13885. persimmon, you are quite right. My point, though, is that all the conflict and fallout takes place in South east Asia, not in the US. Any casualties and economic disruption will be felt there. If N Korea develops multi-warhead ICBMs then there could be massive casualties in the US. That will never happen. A deal will be reached or Trump will nuke N Korea.
    1
  13886. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
    1
  13887.  Ben Ghazi  , yes you are right, I stand corrected. They said "projectiles" about N Korea's recent launch as well.
    1
  13888. ​ @hakanpetersson2662  , from 1948-59 the All-Palestine Government was headed by king Abdulah I (Jordan ) and pay-rolled by Egypt. and its capability quickly reduced it to the level of farce. It claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Palestine, yet it had no administration, no civil service, no money, and no real army of its own. Even in the small enclave around the town of Gaza its writ ran only by the grace of the Egyptian authorities. Taking advantage of the new government's dependence on them for funds and protection, the Egyptian paymasters manipulated it to undermine Abdullah's claim to represent the Palestinians in the Arab League and in international forums. I can't find any sources nut Syria and Egypt also claimed Palestine. The only date I can find is 1988 when the Arab league recognised a state of Palestine.
    1
  13889.  @Khaled91  , corruption is the new pocket-liner, my friend. In the next 20-30 years corruption will make Nigeria worse than it is today (a disgrace).
    1
  13890. After the Armenian massacres the British ambassador to Constantinople, Sir Henry Elliot, said, "We have been upholding what we know to have been a semi-civilized nation" Nothing much has changed. Ataturk was the best thing that ever happened to Turkey - an atheist, an alcoholic and western reformer.
    1
  13891. Great news for Ukraine ! The West had become complacent at Russian failure, it needed to wake up. Now there are "tank buster" planes on the way, and 200 tanks, howitzers and heavy weapons. Remember when the West feared sending anything bigger than a Manpad ?
    1
  13892.  kyag kham  Your comment shows you have misunderstood the situation : Russian tanks are getting hammered by NATO Manpads ; Russian planes are being "Stingered" out odf the sky : Russia has pathetic drones - Ukrainian drones are hammering the Russians. Russia's only advantage is they have lots of cannon fodder.
    1
  13893.  @nikolasmacedonites917  "would risk losing precious European and global friends " So as not to loose European 'friends' they bang on the table jump up, storm out and slam the door. Let me explain how Iran works :- the 'moderate Rhouhani has limited power : he has no control over intelligence or the Revolutionary Guard, he doesn't call the shots on assassinations. Of course the Iranians plan assassinations in Europe, you would have to be an ingénue to think otherwise.
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  13894. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  13895. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
    1
  13896. Mexico is run by drug cartels - it is corrupt from top to bottom
    1
  13897. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug, he has the morality of a gangster.
    1
  13898. Wrong analysis on just about every level. NATO have taken control of the narrative : Canada, Spain, Denmark and France are on a victory lap. Putin has indelible egg on his face. He can only reply with cyberattacks which appear churlish. Well done NATO : organized, civilized and strong.
    1
  13899. Kremlin lies :- Russians committed no war crimes in Chechnya no war crimes in Afghanistan didn't shoot down MH17 didn't poison anyone with Novichok didn't assassinate opposition politicians didn't throw journalists out of windows didn't commit atrocities in Bucha didn't torture civilians didn't rape women didn't loot property The Pope described Russia as "Infantile", it was very perceptive of him. There is a banality about Russian brutality, they are lie evil children.
    1
  13900. 20 Jan Ramstein 8 : Ukraine will get what is needed to expel the Russians
    1
  13901. Mmmm ...... Africa is turning a corner....... Goodbye, corruption, incompetence, ignorance, greed, human-rights violations, venality, dictatorships, graft, gangsterism, tribalism, shameless half-witted judicial bias, contemptibly corrupt policing, outrageous self-enrichment and detestable indifference.
    1
  13902. Palestinians must hold an election (If they want to be taken seriously)
    1
  13903. I was going to leave a comment above yours but having read your comment have decided to simply move on. You've despoiled the comment section with your gibberish.
    1
  13904.  @devilsdouble.3433  , " InshAAllah " is the gibberish I was referring to and here are some facts :- a) Anthropologists estimate 10,000 religions have been invented during human evolution. b) each religion reflects the period in which it was invented. The Old Testament was invented in the Bronze Age and reflects Bronze Age values. Hinduism is neolithic and Islam is a medieval religion. c) Religions place great emphasis on educating (brainwashing) children because any rational adult looking at that pile of irrational nonsense would simply reject it. Now it is up to you : you can either edit your comment and join the rational world or continue with your irrational gibberish.
    1
  13905. 1958 May Crisis : French generals stage a coup in Algiers which collapses the 4th Republic in France. Charles de Gaulle has to return from a 12yr retirement to head the 5th republic.
    1
  13906. Bibin, Turkey has NO friends what are you on about. Everyone is hostile to Turkey. All Turkey's neighbours hate Turkey. It goes back to Ottoman days. Turkey haven't a friend in the world. Being a half-wit you'll say, "Russia is our friend". LOL Russia would sell you down the river : do you think they've forgotten the fighter-jet incident ?
    1
  13907. OH dear, Boeing are looking at a multi billion pay out.
    1
  13908. Abbas is on the scrap heap The West gave him two choices for his retirement : a) Play ball and persuade Hamas to release all hostages or b) Retire with no money, no mansion and a life of poverty
    1
  13909. Historically Farage has achieved more than hundreds of former Prime Ministers. He's been the catalyst which precipitated this cataclysm.
    1
  13910. Impeach !
    1
  13911. Europe 24 Feb 2022 : Germany sent "tin-hats" to Ukraine and blocked RAF weapons flights Macron used his first speech - NOT for weapons to Ukraine but for his vanity project "We need a European Defence Force" Admiral Lord West "Macron wants an EDF for all the wrong reasons" Macron's EDF will oppose "brain dead" NATO It will be comfortable with China "The EU must not gang up on China with the USA" France having nukes and a security council seat will lead the EDF Macron's dream
    1
  13912. Wise words. Unfortunately Trump (the chess master) left them with only one move to make. They made it.......and it stinks !
    1
  13913. Wise words. Unfortunately Trump (the chess master) left them with only one move to make. They made it.......and it stinks !
    1
  13914. Xi is laughing up his sleeve. All Russia's neighbours are laughing in their hats. A weak Russia is good for them all.
    1
  13915. Europe 24 Feb 2022 : Germany sent "tin-hats" to Ukraine and blocked RAF weapons flights Macron used his first speech - NOT for weapons to Ukraine but for his vanity project "We need a European Defence Force" Admiral Lord West "Macron wants an EDF for all the wrong reasons" Macron's EDF will oppose "brain dead" NATO It will be comfortable with China "The EU must not gang up on China with the USA" France having nukes and a security council seat will lead the EDF Macron's dream
    1
  13916. Rupert Murdoch is the moron.
    1
  13917. Ha ha ha watch the faces from 1:30 talk about worried. Watch the hand-clasp at 1:44 totally unconvincing. Where is the light for the regime ? What is there to aim for ? It's like Hitler in his bunker, there's no way to turn this around. Those faces : the apparatchiks LOL
    1
  13918. "How does she do it ?" Because there's no one else : she is a lightweight surrounded by fly-weights. The last time they challenged her it was Boris or Davies, now it's Raab or someone whose name I've forgotten. There is no obvious alternative. It has nothing to do with her grit , there's simply nobody else. Never has British politics produced such a generation of dunces. Look at the opposition : Corbyn would be the class dunce in any year but now looks like a credible opposition leader.
    1
  13919. God help us if Russia defeats the combined west
    1
  13920. Allow me to sum this up. (I said India should do nothing BTW and I was absolutely right) Because of the elections India have to respond to the Kashmir bombing : so they damage 3 houses and injure 1 person and claim they have killed 300 militants. Now Pakistan must respond so they target no military, no civilians, no buildings just empty land. It's all a show. So India respond by scrambling jets to shoo Pakistan away. Now it goes wrong : Pakistan think their planes might be shot so they fire missiles and bring down 2 Indian planes. I told India to do nothing : look where they are now. It's a mugs game getting involved in a scrap with Pakistan. The only winners are the Islamofascist terror group.
    1
  13921.  @markkidrov5066  , I've done as much research as I can and this is all I found : "On 18 April 1988, the U.S. Navy waged a one-day battle against Iranian forces in and around the strait." Unless you know something the rest of the world doesn't.
    1
  13922. Allow me to simplify it :- Pakistan is a basket case that spends a huge % of GDP on the military. India is an economic success. Pakistan thrives on conflict , chaos and violence. India thrives on commercial expansion and trade. Pakistan's government lives in fear of the military who are an imperium in imperio. India is a corrupt democracy with genocidal Hindi nationalists it can barely control. Take your pick.
    1
  13923. Pope Francis is Argentinian, has anyone asked his opinion ? He supported the Falklands war and defended a Columbian child abusing bishop, I wonder where he stands on abortion.
    1
  13924. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries. Russia actually need therapy.
    1
  13925. If Russia goes nuclear it will happen within the next few weeks It makes no sense for Russia to wait until it only possesses Crimea Putin wants international mediation A deniable nuclear strike will freeze the conflict with Russian possessions secured
    1
  13926. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  13927. I thought I'd seen this before But I haven't : it's a fresh one LOL
    1
  13928. Waffle Iran will take the slap and shut up
    1
  13929. Well done to the British Police ! The Oil rich Gulf states are a disgusting disgrace.
    1
  13930.  @grantsmythe8625  , Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Ted Cruz ..... If Trump doesn't run it will be Pompeo who gets Trump's imprimatur. Trump values loyalty and Pompeo has shown it in spades.
    1
  13931. Jamie, very well said. However, I'm intrigued by the word you've redacted : is it darn ,damn, dogs ? .....none of these words seem to justify being blanked. Just give me the random letters and I'll solve this puzzle.
    1
  13932.  @ricardowilliams9201  "Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad" i That is Abiy Ahmed, he has lost his marbles.
    1
  13933. "Israel refuses to negotiate" Palestinians refused a UN 2-state solution in 1948 They refused again at Camp David in 2000 The Palestine always have delusional demands (Which they drop 20 years later when it's too late)
    1
  13934. 35,000 deaths .......but at least half of those are Hamas So it is only 17,000 civilian deaths
    1
  13935. Russia never hits a target.... no wonder they always lose :- Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  13936. Well done Ukraine : defending Democracy against Asiatic Autocracy.
    1
  13937. The Aussie is an embarrassment to Al Jazeera They want the Aussie to be subtle, not crackpot anti-Semitic
    1
  13938.  @russkydrussky8850  History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. Karl Marx On a serious not, I think Europe has done quite well - nations are falling over themselves to join the EU, and every civilized nation is denouncing Russia and sending Ukraine heavy weapons. The Russians are getting slaughtered - thank God.
    1
  13939. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  13940. "A durable democratic Israel and a Palestinian sate" NB not a democratic Palestine - that will never happen
    1
  13941. Needlessly complicated. Entropy is a measure of probability. Take a huge chessboard with 10,000 squares, shake some checkers on it. It is highly unlikely they will all arrange themselves in one half. They will be randomly arranged. Important ** : if you move a few it looks identical to the first random arrangement. So both those states are essentially the same. Take an organised system and shake it.........it will (almost certainly) become more disordered. But there is no law of entropy forcing it to. It can become more ordered, but the chances would be a trillion trillion to one. That's why hot coffee cools down. It's possible some energetic air molecules could impart energy to the coffee for a nano-second, thus heating it up , but it's highly unlikely. Even in a nanosecond there will have been 100,000,000 collisions with molecules. The chances of them all being highly-energetic-air and low-energy-coffee is miniscule.
    1
  13942. Tillerson said of Trump , "He's a £ucking moron".
    1
  13943. Shoigu looks like a man dangling over a precipice. He's already had a massive heart-attack. Putin is dressing up failure as success, and the West are laughing in their hats.
    1
  13944. Saul, LOL . I think it was Lincoln who said when a man reaches his later years he has the face he deserves. Mangwe looks like a sadistic butcher : that's why they called him the Crocodile, after the 1000s of killings he ordered.
    1
  13945. Jeremy Corbyn (Labour Party) : "We need peace and dialogue. I have invited the KGB to Downing Street, and they explained that NATO is to blame. I will be asking the United States to halt all support for Ukraine, which is continuing the bloodshed. We need peace. Britain will be sending bandages and medical supplies only. And urging all sides to stop fighting."
    1
  13946. December election :- Will Catalans vote for a pro-union quisling ? After Spain kicked ,beat and humiliated them ; then chased their government into exile ? Who'd vote for a pro-Spain back-stabbing, fifth-columnist , turncoat quisling ? They will vote for Bonny Prince Carles in exile. The brave separatists forced to flee by the democracy crushing Spanish.
    1
  13947. No the US isn't honest. But neither is Egypt Jordan or Syria who all claimed Palestine as part of their territory. And only after losing 3 wars did they concede it was never going to be theirs so decided to recognise its independence.
    1
  13948. Hamas ditched the law on 7 Oct (you idiot)
    1
  13949. Ursula von der Leyden has Europe's full confidence. She has replaced Merkel as the natural leader of the EU. Zero fear is the theme, unity is the message, and strength is the goal.
    1
  13950. 80% of the West agree with Israel The west tolerates Al Jazeera for 2 reasons a) to maintain good Gulf relations b) to diffuse radical Islam Al Jazeera stinks
    1
  13951. How's the new canal coming along ? There should be no shortage of international finance.
    1
  13952. "India shares a strategic relationship with Russia and the West" India has one foot in the camp of the Axis of Evil. "What's in it for Modi" Palki doesn't ask. I'll answer :- Modi has purchased Russian military junk. Much good it did him, when Pak shot down two Mig-21s without trying. Turkey shot down two SU-24 jets. Russian junk is overrated (but try telling Modi)
    1
  13953. LOL he is thinking of retiring not running for re-election, you clown.
    1
  13954. Magnificent speech by Ursula. It included the prescient observation that China has monopolised rare earth elements essential for tomorrow's lithium, Green economy. The EU will work with partners to source reliable access to these products.
    1
  13955. Wrong - not the Kremlin The documents were stumbled upon by a hacker They have been knocking about on various outfield websites - Japanese animation, unintentionally celibate etc Someone then saw them and put some on Telegram That's when the doctoring took place The originals are undoctored
    1
  13956. Apropos the desk : does anyone know what that handle is under the glass ? It is like a lathe handle , does it raise and lower something ?
    1
  13957. 12:00 "A generation later" For countries to recognise their crimes. Very true. Russian children are taught to die for the Motherland in 'bravery classes' . Russia is similar to ISIL. Russian nobles would buy and sell serf girls, like ISIL did Yazidi girls. Putin is on record saying "Russia has the best prostitutes". Violence and depravity are the Kremlin's key features. Putin jokes to Macron about 'raping' Ukraine : he is a depraved thug.
    1
  13958. WRONG. NATO is not divided. Putin wants to portray the war as being against NATO (which would explain why Russia is losing). So transferring planes would help Putin's narrative. Britain has just sent 3500 NLAW missiles, The US is sending 17,000 missiles. Even guys at checkpoints in Ukraine have a £20k missile on their backs. Russia is taking a hiding. 16,000 volunteers have arrived for the International Brigade. When China attacks India, the world will say nothing : India has made its bed and must lie in it.
    1
  13959. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  13960. Putin can rely on France to promote land for peace appeasement and to declare nuclear neutrality. Nobody relies on France as an ally. Jens Stoltenberg said, "France has shown its hand" Meaning Macron has stabbed NATO in the back.
    1
  13961. Well said. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    1
  13962. @Cu6upckuû I agree with you, those were tragic examples. They were denounced in the British and French parliaments. Read the condemnations. This is from 1901 :- "So far as I am concerned, and the other Members who sit on these benches, the Secretary for the Colonies is welcome to call us pro-Boers. [Ministerial cries of "So you are."] I am a pro-Boer, because during the last two years I have made a careful study of the history of Toggle showing location of Column 1146 these people. [Ministerial laughter.] I do not suppose that hon. Members opposite who laugh have taken the slightest interest in that history, and yet it is one of the most interesting that they could find. I am convinced from the study that they have been deeply wronged for many generations by the Government of England, that they are now fighting for freedom against enormous odds ..." In Russia nobody is allowed to speak out. Children were told by the KGB to inform on their parents - who were then sent to the Gulags. Just last week, pupils recorded their teacher saying "Ukraine is a country", and got the teacher sacked. Russia is a barbaric country of mentally retarded, brainwashed savages.
    1
  13963. US said they'll deliver 2 million ration packs a day Hamas fighters will take 500 each To stock up in case Israel start a full blockade US will be supplying Hamas with ration packs It's incredible !
    1
  13964. Elucidati, The Bible is for everyone : if you are for or against transgender you have to find an allegory that supports your position. Now that science has discovered there are no facts in the Bible it's a free-for-all. Most of the stories are elastic enough to accommodate both views at the same time.
    1
  13965. Vince, you can't just look for "democracy" or "civil rights" in the Bible : there aren't any "Facts" in there. It is a Bronze Age book of stories and you have to find one that fits your prejudice. It's like a big tombola of allegories ; if you get one you don't like discard it and pick another that justifies whatever it is you believe.
    1
  13966. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  13967. As part of the 2016 Panama Papers data leak, it was revealed that Mahmoud Abbas's son Tareq Abbas holds $1 million in shares of an offshore company associated with the Palestinian Authority
    1
  13968. Modi will be upset - his friend Putin is in trouble.
    1
  13969.  Putler is Old (69)Dwarf (5'3")  Correct Ukraine have won. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1979 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  13970.  Son  I can picture you with a glass of vodka and an open bottle, trying to convince yourself that the humiliation of Russia is not happening. Good luck. You may need more than one bottle, because even Macron is saying, "We must not humiliate Russia". Meanwhile, the EU, NATO, USA, Britain, and 42 countries in total are supplying Ukraine massively. A Colonel on Russian TV said, "All the world is against us". He should've added "All the world hates our war crimes - massacres, tortures and rapes".
    1
  13971. Macron : "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" (2018) Macron : "Australia is causing a nuclear confrontation with China" Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region Stloltenberg : "France has shown its hand" Macron is like a vindictive schoolgirl Remember the press conference in Kyiv when he threw Zelensky under the bus - saying "You asked me to phone Putin" and jabbing his finger at Zelensky That was an unforgivable indiscretion Then he jabbed a finger at Scholz and referenced Germany in WW2 Macron is a vindictive schoolgirl
    1
  13972. Post AUKUS Macron sided with China He accused Australia of stoking "nuclear conflict" Macron is a vindictive schoolgirl
    1
  13973. 18 Nov 2022 — Australia has entered 'nuclear confrontation' with China, says Emmanuel Macron. Macron is vindictive and a poor ally for the west
    1
  13974. 18 Nov 2022 — Australia has entered 'nuclear confrontation' with China, says Emmanuel Macron Macron is vindictive (post AUKUS) France is the worst ally the west could have
    1
  13975. The UN is implicitly encouraging Gazans NOT to flee They are encouraging (by example) Gazans to defy the IDF Gaza city is a war zone - all civilians should evacuate Shame on the UN
    1
  13976. Palestine only declared statehood in 1988 Why ? Because the Jerusalem Mufti looked to Damascus as the capital of Palestine Then they looked to Cairo (The Arab League Nasser) 1922 When the Ottoman empire collapsed Jerusalem was a dirty dump, with goats in the streets and a pop of 70k Palestinians never regarded Jerusalem as a capital They never regarded themselves as a nation
    1
  13977. USA stopping aid does not force a 2-state solution It convinces Israel they are on their own Obama stabbed Israel in the back with his Iran deal Israel would feel more vulnerable and fight with the gloves off Casualties would soar The IDF would genuinely exterminate Hamas, without restraint
    1
  13978. Germany is sending anti missile defence system.... but not for 2 months. Germany has sabotaged Ukraine from Day 1.
    1
  13979. Boring
    1
  13980. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  13981. Good. All Western liberal democracy (tyoe) countries should ban Chinese companies.
    1
  13982. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  13983. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  13984. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  13985. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  13986. LOL the reporter sounds sloshed
    1
  13987. St Francis saved the citizens from a wolf, by agreeing to give it regular meals, "Give me your paw", said St Francis. Macron needs to go to the Kremlin and ask Putin to stop terrorizing his neighbours, by agreeing generous gas-payments. "Give me your paw", Macron will say, as they sign the deal.
    1
  13988. India is passing this off as charity LOL The fact is Modi had a wheat mountain - which he why he wanted to reduce the Punjab farmers state allowance. The Ukraine crisis has enabled Modi to get rid of his mountain, and Punjab can continue producing unwanted wheat because suddenly there is a market. Modi isn't fooling me (or anyone in the know)
    1
  13989. @Doon Siddique was born in a toilet hole I'm the chap who can see through India's unprincipled foreign policy. Modi fears China and fears offending Russia : it is a foreign policy based on fear. India needs to purchase a moral compass.
    1
  13990. Total rubbish !!!! If the US pulls the plug on Israel 3 things happen :- a) Biden loses in Nov b) Regional escalation is guaranteed (only the US stop IDF going into Lebanon) c) the gloves come off in Gaza (it would be ten times worse)
    1
  13991. Fifth, I was thinking the judge , when he heard the defendant had taken poison, might have stood up and said, "C'mon".
    1
  13992. LOL it takes peter 6mins to get fired up...........only at 5:45 does he start sticking up for himself.
    1
  13993. UN resolution : Hamas refuses to "release hostages unconditionally" Hamas fails to comply with the UN resolution If Hamas release ALL hostages the war ends
    1
  13994. The Nobel committee should ask for that Peace prize returning. A very evil woman. And I'm secular and don't believe in evil.....but that woman...look at her eyes.
    1
  13995. Lord Owen (UK intelligence committee) "Russians know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability"
    1
  13996. China are balancing public opinion (they must retaliate) with geopolitical strategy (they don't want a trade war).
    1
  13997. Northern Gaza will never be handed back So you must add the real estate value = ~ $3 trillion once it's developed
    1
  13998. Germany froze in February and blocked RAF weapons flights They blocked Estonia from sending howitzers They blocked weapon sales to Ukraine The US and NATO had to pressure them into doing the right thing. Why ? Historically Germany has never done the right thing : Blood & Iron was Germany's motto Only after WW2 did Germany adopt civilised values. Germany is a novice - it needs encouraging to do the right thing.
    1
  13999. Pope Francis is Argentinian, has anyone asked his opinion ? He supported the Falklands war and defended a Columbian child abusing bishop, I wonder where he stands on abortion.
    1
  14000.  @RS-rj5sh  There is a great scene in Dr Zhivago were the newly recruited troops pass a column of injured soldiers returning. They are incited to mutiny and kill their officers.
    1
  14001. Just 2 points :- a) Hinduism is just a jumble of neolithic religions. Anthropologists reckon there have been 10,000 religions invented during human evolution : Islam being one of the most pernicious , violent ones, and Christianity being responsible for most deaths. b) Why on God's earth would anyone want to join a long queue up a stinking trail to a stinking cave. I'd sooner sit at home and read a good book.
    1
  14002. 1898 Lord Salisbury (British PM) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" 1840 Duke of Wellington PM : "The French Govt are too bad; their cowardly temporising conduct is in the highest degree provoking; but we must have patience" Timeline 2021 Feb Macron "The Eu should not gang up on China with the US" June AUKUS at Cornwall G7 Nov Macron "Australia is starting nuclear escalation with China" Macron was pro-China BEFORE the Australia deal collapsed 2017 Macron's European defence Force to oppose NATO 2019 Macron "NATO is brain dead" Macron has always been anti-NATO
    1
  14003. The Iranians lie to everyone - especially their won people. Iranian police snipers shoot unarmed protesters from rooftops. The Ayatollah is the biggest liar on the world stage.
    1
  14004. Russians want their neighbours to fear them They are proud to be considered barbaric Read Nobel winner Svetlana Alexievich
    1
  14005. Sassy, you are quite right about Saudi. But realpolitik has always required difficult choices :- dealing with Franco in Spain, S American dictators, African dictators, etc The Saudis play ball with the West and we support them. I don't deny it.
    1
  14006. Yisrael, allow me to correct your simplified history of Palestine. Shlomo Sands has shown there was no Jewish Exodus after the fall of Jerusalem (AD70). The Jews remained under Roman occupation then converted to Islam in the 7th C. DNA supports this. Also, you could use your own eyes : the modern Israelis are white Caucasian : they don't even look middle-eastern (and DNA confirms they are Europeans who converted to Judaism. Contrary to popular myth Judaism is NOT inherited : there were many centuries of Jewish proselytising.
    1
  14007. John, nobody is interested in footballers' wives. Or in who is flirting with who. I think you read too many women's' magazines ; we're talking about geopolitics. This is not the place for tittle-tattle.
    1
  14008. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  14009. She is WOKE - it is a religious stupidity Graham Greene : "Innocence is a form of insanity" Lunatic Liberals believe in the goodness of human nature like a religion They think everyone is like them : they have a naive stupidity
    1
  14010. Quentin Crisp said that many decades ago. He realised from personal experience. His book was The Naked Civil Servant.
    1
  14011. Maxwell Relling : the study of watching the News. The study of current affairs. I recall the case in Texas where two Nazis tortured a gay man. They were convicted and then in prison caught engaging in homosexual acts. It happens all the time. The whole Nazi symbolism in permeated with homosexual iconography.
    1
  14012.  @lakshaysingh9743  Even China has decided to scale down its military personnel. China has 2.8 million soldiers. Wars are won by professional troops using hi-tech weapons. China is still thinking of the Korean War (1950-53), where it used human waves of infantry. Huge peasant armies are a thing of the past. That is why India must shrink the number and increase professionalism.
    1
  14013. The Axis of Evil (China & Russia, Iran, North Korea etc) support dictators in Myanmar, and support Savages in Afghanistan. The civilized world has to simply tolerate Axis of Evil behaviour, to keep the peace.
    1
  14014.  @СебастьянПерейра-ю6ч  You miss the big picture : Ukraine's Counter-Offensive has begun (Kherson). Russia is on the back foot. Hospitals in Crimea have been told to treat no more civilians. Russia's retreat may well turn into a rout. A Russian SU-25 was just shot down by a Ukrainian Mig-29. There is no good news for Russia.
    1
  14015.  @fgutran6996  The Counter Offensive (Kherson) isn't fantasy. Russia has told Crimean hospitals to treat no more civilians. The Russian military casualties are pouring in. Ukraine are advancing at speed. Russia's retreat may become a rout.
    1
  14016.  @fgutran6996  You should visit the hospital in Crimea - that will bring you to your senses.
    1
  14017. This is a great story. The gun-shop guy wasn't taking any b.s.from Borat. Anyone who thinks Fox News is for mindless gun-toting morons should watch this item. I'd like to see a 1hr documentary on this. The gun-shop guy should have said, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice .....you can't fool me twice". Or just tell Borat to STFU. Well done Fox News : this report shows it's not just a channel for malignant-minded half-wits.
    1
  14018. Notice this : they call it "China's vaccine" But not "China's virus" It is the "India variant" and "Brazil variant" but NOT Wuhan Virus. The WHO makes one sick.
    1
  14019. Biden's nuclear message to China :- " Do not fall for the fantasy scenario that China emerges as the world's only super-power after Russia and USA suffer a nuclear exchange. China is only minutes away from being wiped off the globe. US submarines in the Pacific possess awesome destructive power, and China will take a total hit as soon as the balloon goes up." That should be Biden's warning to China.
    1
  14020. 21:24 CET: Polish radio station PolskieRadio24 reports: "A witness to the event, who called Polish Radio 3 before 5:00 p.m., reported that two rockets flew over the village. - One exploded in the field, the other hit the corn cart next to my neighbors in Przewodów - he said." At least one missile was Russian NATO simply does not want to respond to a hot potato.
    1
  14021.  @persephone1062  Putin's 'ceasefire' was a ploy There can be no trust in Russia's declarations and commitments Putin is a KGB man and adheres to that criminal ethos of deception
    1
  14022. Why is Russia and Eastern Europe so backwards ? Well it goes back a few centuries. After the French Revolution (1789), carnage segued to chaos and brought Napoleon to power. The Treaty of Vienna (1815) established monarchies throughout Europe. The Tsar (Alexander) and Habsburgs (Metternich) were paranoid about constitutional reform. They instituted harsh censorship and banned Enlightened Education. Prior to that Maria Theresa (Habsburg) had refused a Science Institute on the grounds it would encourage heresy. In short, Russia and Eastern Europe are backwards because they have always been backwards.
    1
  14023. General Wes Clarke has also aged. He looks like a man who has barely slept, and is repeatedly appealing for more heavy weapons - in large quantities.
    1
  14024. A good point. The best strategy for Rajoy would be to give a little to one group and divide them. Rajoy hasn't the sense he was born with. Rajoy : every inch that is not fool is rogue.
    1
  14025. Great analysis. Terrikon = mound of earth (I think. Google is bereft of info/help)
    1
  14026.  Pablo Suárez  Very interesting thanks "RFE/RL Radio Farda's audience has chosen exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the late deposed Shah of Iran, as the most important and most influential person of the Iranian year." "The selection is the result of an online poll that was timed to coincide with the Persian New Year and included thousands of respondents."
    1
  14027. Because he's too charismatic. I remember hating him and watching his final speech in the Commons ; I was laughing away and applauding with all the rest, it was great fun. And now he's sat there once again , making a lot of sense and winning everyone over. No wonder he made millions in the middle east.
    1
  14028. 90,000 well armed Police : it's the face of democracy. Well said, that lady from Canada, "There are no plans to reinstate Russia with its current (gangster) behaviour". Trump managed to get right up my nose on this occasion.
    1
  14029. Having thoroughly surveyed the site from the air, I can confirm : the devastation is total. Rejoice at that news !
    1
  14030. The old Biden nose-dive.......9,9,8,9,8, (Gold)
    1
  14031. You are confusing Kashmir with Bangladesh (1971) : Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000. Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months.
    1
  14032. Israel, next election - October 2026
    1
  14033. Europe 24 Feb 2022 : Germany sent "tin-hats" to Ukraine and blocked RAF weapons flights Macron used his first speech - NOT for weapons to Ukraine but for his vanity project "We need a European Defence Force" Admiral Lord West "Macron wants an EDF for all the wrong reasons" Macron's EDF will oppose "brain dead" NATO It will be comfortable with China "The EU must not gang up on China with the USA" France having nukes and a security council seat will lead the EDF Macron's dream
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  14034. When the war ends will Palestinians vote for Hamas ? I doubt it (Anyway, they won't be voting for at least 10 years)
    1
  14035. Carolinian, you are the first person to speak sense. Of course you are dead right. (Although I think you fail to appreciate how dangerous a nuclear armed rabid Ayatollah would be.)
    1
  14036. Two points :- a) Fox News (Trump's channel) are openly calling for Turkey to be kicked out of NATO b) a recent NATO exercise used Erdogan's name as the enemy objective. Norway, who were responsible for the administration of the exercise said it was a mistake but Turkey withdrew 44 personal in response.
    1
  14037. Hamas are delusional Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are clear non-starters"
    1
  14038.  @mmtzbgm1024  1919 Versailles was the making of the modern world - Wilson's 14 points, right of self determination The Kurds turned up but didn't get a state. Why ? Because they were tribal and had no leadership or government Palestinians did NOT turn up and would NOT have gotten a state for the same reason Israel is the name of the modern nation-state of the Jews
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  14039. Colton nobody said there's proof. whether he used them wasn't the question. Whether he was responsible or not the air strikes make it much less likely that he will use them. (You have to agree with that) Also, "Is Assad capable of using Chemical/biological weapons on his own people ?" You would also have to agree the answer is yes.
    1
  14040.  Ben Louis  , you are quite right but investment in one's own country is a measure of confidence. Wealthy Russians only hold 40% of their assets in the Ruble ( ie Russia being like China an unsafe country).
    1
  14041.  @mandarinandthetenrings2201  Thanks for you reply. A more accurate picture of Gaza might be :- Fatah (The Palestinian Authority) ruled Gaza like mobsters, they were totally corrupt and above the law. Nobody could challenge the PA without being beaten up or killed. Hamas challenged the PA because they could fight back - with street beatings and killings. The Gazans wanted rid of the PA mobsters so voted for Hamas mobsters 2006 Hamas immediately cancelled democracy and ruled as Islamist tyrants
    1
  14042.  @cbernard6410  Netanyahu has a magnificent military record : he was a very famous hero and took part in many special operations (It's all on Wikipedia) That's why he has been PM so long
    1
  14043. There is such thing as competition. Taiwan also make cycle parts. Almost everything can be sourced elsewhere except steel which China is dumping (at a loss to them) on the world market. China do this to protect their steel industry and destroy the competition. It is illegal to dump products at a loss but China do it anyway. Thank God for Trump. The EU used to dump farm produce (over-production) in Africa. It crippled Africa's home-grown producers who couldn't compete. (nobody can compete when one state is selling at a loss)
    1
  14044.  @garysorley6186  , well said. Also, I may add from experience, having purchased 2 Chinese bottom brackets (cycle crank bearings) , that they are useless and only last 6 months. I pity customers purchasing bikes with China components they will be $hit.
    1
  14045. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  14046.  @wanja2660  Correct. They had a fine victory against Sweden (1721) The Great Northern war. Just before Peter the Great died (1725). It essentially finished Sweden as a great power. Sweden had played a key role in the 30yrs war. But the advent of Louis XIV (d.1715) changed warfare into a huge business, that required wealth and manufacture.
    1
  14047. Modi will never understand this. Estonia and Latvia have principles. India has no principles and will happily fraternise with the Axis of Evil.
    1
  14048.  Сергей Макеев  Russians will be annihilated by Himars, M270 rocket systems, howitzers, drones, Brimstone missiles etc All GPS guided (not like Russian junk)
    1
  14049. Brits usually take their opinions from Rupert Murdoch it makes a refreshing change for Trump to be pulling our strings.
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  14050. Fox News are always following in Alex Jones' footsteps.
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  14051. Wheat fields on fire... Hillary Clinton said, in a furious speech, "Russia can only destroy and loot, it can't develop its own country". Hatred of Russia spans the spectrum - Lindsey Graham (Rep) also hates the Russians, and called for Putin to be given a bullet !
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  14052. How I coughed laughing at Trump : his timing is perfection
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  14053. 1922 collapse of Ottoman empire 1924 end of Caliphate (by Ataturk) Britian appoints a Grand Mufti to lead Palestinians 1948 Arab Israeli war : Mufti looks to Damascus as capital of Palestine 1967 the PLO look to Cairo as the capital os Arab Leeague Only in 1988 do the Palestinians declare themselves a state The phrase "Palestine" comes from Rome 135 after the 2nd Jewish rebellion, Rome changes Judea to "Palestine" to anger the Jews
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  14054. India should do Nothing. You just make noises and threats but do nothing. India are doing great economically : simply play the long game and Pakistan become a stone-age bankrupt country. If you start retaliating like a caveman you are playing Pakistan's game. Just do nothing and continue succeeding economically (and militarily and technologically etc).
    1
  14055. Bernard Weatharill (speaker) told one member, whose jacket had been pulled as he stood to speak, "May I suggest the honourable member be a bit more robust"
    1
  14056.  @NaZelensky  US general Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  14057.  @jeffvella9765  21:24 CET: Polish radio station PolskieRadio24 reports: "A witness to the event, who called Polish Radio 3 before 5:00 p.m., reported that two rockets flew over the village. - One exploded in the field, the other hit the corn cart next to my neighbors in Przewodów - he said." Everyone knows there were two missiles NATO simply doesn't want to deal with this hot potato. Gen Mark Milley Nov 9 NY Economics Club "Right now Russia is on its back" When Russia collapses, NATO wants to be as far away as possible.
    1
  14058. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  14059. Well done to the brave heroes who carried out this mission. A mission to save the Middle East from the Ayatollah's plan for Armageddon. The Ayatollah believes in the 12th Imam, who will arrive with the advent of Armageddon. That will herald paradise on Earth for the Ayatollah and his whack-job followers. (Of course non-believers will all be exterminated)
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  14060. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  14061. "Logistics is for experts, tactics is for amateurs" LOL, I hadn't heard that one.
    1
  14062. Terrible analysis. Most of the old-timers don't have a clue about 21st century warfare.
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  14063. Martyrs ? Why do the Middle East folk always refer to any deaths as martyrdom ? The Western world considers that phrase indicates the orator is a bit of a loony.
    1
  14064.  @kazandbz4962  Okay, thank you. I was using 'Middle East' as a euphemism for Islamic. Why do Islamic countries describe folk as martyrs, even if a politician dies from Covid, another loony will say "He was a martyr". I'm just giving some advice : it goes down like a lead balloon in the West. People who use the "martyr" phrase sound like loonies.
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  14065.  @fatihtore5720  I'll explain why they call them martyrs :- It is the authoritarian collective. Islam claims the dead as part of the collective - not individuals. They are martyrs, even if they never attended Mosque and didn't reckon much to superstitious religion. The tag "martyr" denies the individual their individuality and makes them part of the collective. I have always said a culture takes 500yrs to develop, and Islamic culture claims individuals, teaches them obedience and persecutes dissent. The West by contrast wouldn't dream of doing the "martyr" trick. Idiotic priests would be mocked and kicked out if they tried that trick - claiming the dead.
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  14066.  @rabhamazzer2353  That is a good explanation. I was going to say, "Maybe all 26 weren't Muslim, maybe one was agnostic". But Algeria is 99.1% Muslim. One has to wonder about countries with a mono-culture : what sort of persecution went on to drive out every other denomination ; what prevented rational free-thinkers declaring themselves Enlightened Humanists ? In all religions (especially Catholicism) there is a hint of fascism : it is the fascist authoritarianism that produces monoculture.
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  14067.  @nessd.b1223  Thanks, you are quite right. But I was talking about the cultural peculiarity of using the word "Martyr" and described it as "Middle Eastern" as a euphemism for "Islamic" What I should've said is : Why do Islamic countries refer to every public death as a martyrdom ? In Western Civilization, this is looked upon as medieval nonsense. They clearly are not martyrs. A martyr is someone who dies for their faith. The firefighters died because of administrative negligence.
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  14068. All the money from that tanker sale would have gone straight to the IRGC ;not towards health and education. The IRGC filch the lion's share of the economy.
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  14069. LOL "The witnesses are NOT forensic experts so can't determine systematic rape" LOL This is what Liberal Ideals have come to You should be ashamed What a lot of Liberal pro-Hamas propaganda
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  14070. The Greek Railway - was the colossal product of corrupt politics It was so over-staffed economists calculated it would be cheaper to give the passengers their taxi fare All Greek politicians used the Railway to give their cronies high-paid jobs The Railway is institutionally dysfunctional And it's all down to Greek corruption
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  14071. The EU do NOT want a no deal Brexit. Look at the EU Italy's zombie banks now have Deutsch Bank to keep them company. Germany's GDP has just dropped. France's economy has hit the skids. The US is heading for recession and the notion that the EU can comfortably cope without £38 billion from the UK is a joke.
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  14072. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" I hope Ukraine take it easy.
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  14073. 0:50 celebrations by Hamas in Gaza Hamas have failure written all over them. They are the Muslim brotherhood......the ones who were deposed in Egypt. They strike fear into Jordan and the Gulf states, and are branded a terrorist organisation by the EU and US.
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  14074. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
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  14075.  Adrian Spears  Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
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  14076. I've made a video on this topic if anyone would like to watch : "Spanish America failure North America success why ? " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACa4p9jhVPc
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  14077. St Francis saved the citizens from a wolf, by agreeing to give it regular meals, "Give me your paw", said St Francis. Macron needs to go to the Kremlin and ask Putin to stop terrorizing his neighbours, by agreeing generous gas-payments. "Give me your paw", Macron will say, as they sign the deal.
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  14078. Trotsky used to read French novels when rival revolutionaries were debating. Not if Jimmy was there he wouldn't. He'd have been told to take his head out of his ass and grow a pair. (Justifiably, because Trotsky's insouciance enabled Stalin to seize the reins)
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  14079. Tzboy, go to one of those anti-democratic countries and try criticising the government. After you've been arrested, beaten & sodomised go to a democracy and try it again. Then come back on here and tell us all which you prefer.
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  14080. How many other $hithole countries are demanding historical items be returned ? How safe are those items from looting, degradation and destruction. To house historical items you need a stable civilized society , not an African shambles or a South American scandal. Let's leave historical artefacts in safe keeping in the West until everyone is on a level playing field.
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  14081. Ana, that is a fair argument. And it would apply to the overthrow of Mosadegh in Iran 1953 and the Pinochet coup in Chile 1973. But what makes a $hithole country is rank incompetence and corruption coupled to a population who don't distinguish between honest competent politicians and lousy corrupt ones. That is they keep voting for $hitholes, decade after decade.
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  14082. You are either deluded or a propagandist. There is NO evidence for what you say. I suspect you are so shocked by the behaviour of your POlice that you are willing what you say to be true. Everyone saw the Police beating, kicking, dragging girls by the hair and sexually assaulting one girl, throwing old ladies down steps and cracking their skulls and stomping on people on the ground. It was a disgrace witnessed by the whole world who rightly despise Spain for the violence.
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  14083.  @Pink-Floyd2000  This is NOT lies :- The war can end today if Hamas release all hostages and go into exile 1970 PLO kicked out of Jordan 1982 PLO kicked out of Lebanon Hamas can end the war today
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  14084. The Bank of Australia has just issued a statement saying it is making preparations for a collapse in China because of its debt mountain.
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  14085. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  14086. Birdbrain did a great job supporting Trump He will get his reward after the election
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  14087.  @alexmala6483  , do you know what corruption does in the US ? It sells news, it gets viewers : the media are all over it and the independent judiciary prosecute it. Where is the free press in Russia ? Where is the independent judiciary ?
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  14088.  @alexmala6483  , wow you've got some brainwashed cheek. Stalin killed 30 million Russians & Soviets , there is hardly a family in Russia that hasn't an ancestor who was in the Gulags. Not a single inquiry. Some of the sadistic camp commandants enjoy a good pension today. These are sadists who tortured fellow Russians.
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  14089.  @alexmala6483  , let me give you an example of Kremlin sickness : they asked school children to inform on their parents. One kid said his Dad listens to a foreign radio and Dad gets 10yrs in the Gulag. Imagine how the mother felt bringing up her son ? What sort of sick society does that leave behind : one that elects a KGB man to be president. When so many millions have been slaughtered in the Gulags what sort of society does it leave behind : a cowering fearful one that elects a strongman ,gangster leader that they hope won't turn on them.
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  14090. If they are not Hamas, then they probably have relatives in Hamas Or they work at an establishment associated with Hamas Or they facilitated Hamas, voted for Hamas, or celebrated the Hamas massacre
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  14091. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries. Russia actually need therapy.
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  14092. "What did the little man say ?" Clemenceau would ask at Versailles (1919) when the Italian PM* spoke. (* Vittorio Emanuele Orlando )
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  14093. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  14094. Wrong ! Research last May - rumours that the NATO summit would include a 250k strong peace-keeping force for the DMZ as part of a deal for Russia to pull out This was before the June Wagner coup April : Lavrov had spoken privately with US officials Baltic states bruited sending troops - Germany then sent 10k to Latvia was that to back-fill ? Sending troops is NOT new
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  14095.  @jatinkumar7287  "India had 20%+ GDP when they left we had 2% GDP with only 13% literacy rate." That may be true. But it was probably the Industrial Revolution, not colonialism per se. Warren Hastings was the first Governor general of India. He established a famine insurance for each region, rooted out Indian corruption, exploitation and cruelty and replaced it with justice and efficient administration : the Indians welcomed it. It was 1000 x better than the Moguls. Warren Hastings was accused of corruption and the use of violence in India : he suffered an 8yr impeachment which bankrupted him, and finally the "evidence" which had been gathered by hearsay, proved baseless. That was British justice in action : nobody is above the law. How many India rulers were impeached for corruption ? How many Mogul rulers ? That's because they had no law, they were unenlightened and backwards.
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  14096.  @CupcakeAndMuffins  I've given all your comments a like - you are a credit to the legacy of the British empire, you even have a British sense of irony. When general Gordon fought the Mahdi, his first dispatch home included plans to build a college at Khartoum : Lord Salisbury agreed, "It would spread civilisation". Read about the Mad Mahdi, his tortures and inhumanity, his support for slavery. In the 1890s Britain (& France) spent £100,000 a year on six cruisers to patrol east Africa and stop the Arab slave trade. Governments had to do it, or the voters would elect someone who would - the British people (especially the influential evangelicals) demanded it.
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  14097. It is what I've been saying for years. Yasser Arafat ruled as a dictator for 35yrs (and stole $3 billion)
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  14098. part of the Palestinian leader's wealth was in a secret portfolio worth close to $1 billion -- with investments in companies like a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Ramallah, a Tunisian cell phone company and venture capital funds in the U.S. and the Cayman Islands.
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  14099. a) GUSP b) SVR c) FSO d) GU e) FSB Look no further.
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  14100. An awful situation. The problem is it won't improve. That region will become semi-desert : it simply can't support a population. Those people all have to move. The same will happen all over : before the century is out hundreds of millions will have to relocate.
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  14101.  @amaa6353  , I'm sure the expression is one of William Tyndale's. He translated the Bible to English ~1530.
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  14102. THEY DIDN'T "Commit to a lengthy war" it was 3 days Putin's strategy = ZERO STRATEGY It was simple opportunism that went catastrophically wrong
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  14103. What must the Ayatollah be thinking ? His world-view is that Allah is guiding Iran and that everything is part of some great cosmic plan. I wonder how the Ayatollah's medieval mind grapples with Trump : a rambunctious celebrity who has him in a strangle-hold. Oh for the arrival of the 12th Imam. If only Iran had a nuclear weapon ; the Ayatollah could demand the respect he deserves.
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  14104. Insha Allah
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  14105. Bulgaria refuses to supply any weapons to Ukraine Zelensky appoints a sexologist as ambassador to Bulgaria The military are furious A display of old style corruption Maybe Zelensky feels pressure but this is a howler
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  14106.  @風清揚-c6e  , oh honestly, what are you talking about. Western Democracy has the rule of Law - an independent judiciary. Compare Israel where the PM and his wife can be prosecuted with Palestine where Yasser Arafat rules as a dictator for 40yrs and steals $3 billion. All the Axis of Evil countries steal from the people. The CCP are all multi-millionaires. The Moscow Mafia are all multi-millionaires. You must be very half-witted or perhaps you're a totalitarian troll ?
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  14107.  @風清揚-c6e  okay , everything you say is nonsense but let's examine , "In 2020 they will also tell you who to choose to be president. " How does that work ? The media tell you who to vote for ? They already do that : it's called bias. Do you mean the government tell you how to vote ? They already do that : Obama endorsed Hillary, Trump will endorse himself. So what exactly do you mean ? The Police will escort you to the polling station ? ...........only in China might that happen if they ever have a polling station.
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  14108. 2:00 "The best part of our army has been fighting for 8yrs" Interesting perspective. It reminds me of the 80yrs war : Spain and Netherlands (1568- 1648) Both nations traded during the period, and hostilities were on and off, but it was still essentially one long protracted war.
    1
  14109.  @KaeMae_  Russian police kick a woman :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1mmf8CnSFQ I didn't watch it. Russian brutality can damage one's mental health.
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  14110. Well done Houthi ! The whole world wants the Houthi to win......the Pentagon are actually laughing in their hats. Nobody likes the Saudi who is ignorant, indolent, bigoted , bone-idle, cowardly and cruel. The West do business with Saudi but actually despise them. Most Western military analysts are laughing in their hats.
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  14111. Remember "Storm the Fence" when the Palestinian authority encouraged youths to martyr themselves storming the fence ? Stone throwing and corruption has failed the Palestinians for 70yrs. Imagine Palestine Plc, would you buy shares in it ? Why ? Because it is a failure. Its board of executives is corrupt and happy with the status quo. It is antiquated with no modern model for progress. Come back in 2050 : Palestinian policy will still be stone-throwing corruption. In a violent confrontation Israel will wipe the floor with Palestine every time. Look at Nelson Mandela - he won from his prison cell.
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  14112. Does anyone remember George W Bush trying to explain the expression "Playing your cards close to your chest". Well Biden has just revealed his hand. Biden is a jackass, his mind is for the knackers yard. Who thought a 2hr press conference was advisable ? Biden is like an old grandpa talking to the kids.
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  14113. Correct. there is a divide 90% of ordinary folk detest Islamism The "chattering class" side with the Muslim world and support Islamism and UNRWA
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  14114.  John Lesnar  , No, I'm not exculpating Christianity (I've made a video on the European witch-craze, caused by Dominicans). In Italy (1848) the peasants had no interest in nationalism, they were firm supporters of the anti-democratic Pope. Similarly, in Turkey the peasants supported the Caliphate not the nation of Turkey (1920s) Nationalism is a middle class pursuit. In Palestine in 1948, farmers fought for their village and religion. The idea of a Palestinian nation came with the PLO/Fatah (western educated, middle class). The Russian peasants called the Tsar "little Papa". Even under the serfdom (ended 1861) they looked for paternal protection. The Caliphate was 90% illiterate, and very few farmers looked towards nationalism (1920s). Across the Middle East religion was still the biggest influence.
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  14115.  @italianguy4195  Some folk would avoid your question and say it is too nebulous, but I'll answer it. Over the span of human evolution there have been many civilizations :- Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Persia, Greek, Roma, Ottoman, etc. The final civilization was Enlightened Western Democracy. All the other civilizations had 90% illiteracy, but Western had 30-60% literacy: Parliamentary democracy developed in Britain and this spread across the globe. Consequently, everything that happened, good or bad, could be laid at the door of Western Civilization. If someone choses to ignore the wood and focus on one bad tree, then they can traduce Western civilization. But the fact remains it is what 99% of the world desires.
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  14116. 12:00 "A generation later" For countries to recognise their crimes. Very true. Russian children are taught to die for the Motherland in 'bravery classes' . Russia is similar to ISIL. Russian nobles would buy and sell serf girls, like ISIL did Yazidi girls. Putin is on record saying "Russia has the best prostitutes". Violence and depravity are the Kremlin's key features. Putin jokes to Macron about 'raping' Ukraine : he is a depraved thug.
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  14117. Resign ! The Speaker must go
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  14118. I hope Hamas didn't stone it to death.
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  14119. LOL - the war is heading to a humiliating defeat for Russia. Maybe India doesn't get up-to-date news, but Russia just got their ass kicked. Crimea and Donbas will be liberated by Ukraine. An amazing victory. The counter-offensive will go down in history alongside the Six Day War (1967)
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  14120. Total rubbish !!!! If the US pulls the plug on Israel 3 things happen :- a) Biden loses in Nov b) Regional escalation is guaranteed (only the US stop IDF going into Lebanon) c) the gloves come off in Gaza (it would be ten times worse)
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  14121. Rajoy plans elections for Catalonia in 6 months time. Step by step he will putge Catalonia of independence supporters. Rajoy will remove Trapero the Mossos Chief and take control of Catalan media. The Civil Guard will be unleashed on any protesters. They have total impunity and can beat, kick, club and in the case of girls sexually assault at will.
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  14122. Correct, well said.
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  14123. The Ultra Orthodox have a lot in common with Islamists in the Madrasa. One lot study the Torah the other lot the Quran. Both bunches are medieval morons ; half-awake half-wits.
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  14124. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable" (by Russians), let me give you an example - A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable), Russia cannot confront its barbarism. Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : she reports Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it.
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  14125. What a know-nothing comment
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  14126.  @Topaz2022  Thanks for asking - NATO strategy is a great success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
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  14127.  @Ytl-x8d  "why Ukraine lost 30% land, 80% coastal areas" ? Good question. Russia is a huge leviathan, with enormous momentum. It must be slowly ground to a halt, and it's arsenal used up. Eg Snake Island : Russia lost 5 ships, including the Moskva, it lost many dozens of lives, helicopters and vehicles, and then retreated. "Ukraine wins incrementally" without the Kremlin becoming hysterical.
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  14128.  @ShadowMoses-lz2ei  " Wake me up when Ukraine starts winning." Snake Island must have woken you up ? That is a barometer for how the war will go : Russia will simply retreat.
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  14129.  @victoriakyivua6929  I'm sorry to say you are right. But many cruel decisions must be made : e.g. Mariupol had to be left to its fate. Russia will be slowly ground down - death by a thousand cuts. When Kherson falls, the pressure on Putin will be enormous.
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  14130.  @markclift2952  NATO's big problem is "Not to humiliate Russia" Macron warned the West about that. Himars are terrifying the Russians : it is massive destruction every single night.
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  14131.  @Topaz2022  The Bucha massacre followed a pattern of Russian atrocities. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable". Let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  14132.  @Topaz2022  Thank you for revealing your inner feelings. I'm no psychologist but suspect you have been brainwashed. Hope this helps. As for governments deceiving the people, one should address that to the Axis of Evil countries (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran etc) Most folk in the West have a deep hatred for Russian barbarism. They would gladly suffer economic setbacks to see Russia defeated, and to see Ukraine and Democracy triumph. Thanks again, and good luck with your therapy.
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  14133. "All he got in the end was........." Well actually a multi-million dollar book and movie deal is the correct answer.
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  14134. Egypt MUST allow civilians to shelter in Sinai
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  14135.  @endribardhyli1340  You are correct - but misunderstand my question. There is an OFFER that has been made. The offer (to resolve the issue) is that the current residents can have a protected tenancy for 3 generations. My question was "How is that measured" ? Having done some research, it appears the offer is unclear to the lawyers. Not the 'law', the 'offer'.
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  14136. A bit rich : 1948 Arab/Israeli war : Jordan occupied the West bank and simply annexed it as part of Jordan. Nobody batted an eye 1967 Six day war : Israel forced Jordan out, and reclaimed the west bank
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  14137. Angela Merkel : the only good decision she made was choosing von der Leyden as European Commission President.
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  14138. Russian history :- Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  14139.  @Mordecai_real  Dawla Name Meaning. wealth, empire, power. That does NOT mean "Nation-state" I can't speak Arabic, but I know for certain Arabic has no term for it - because the nation-state was a C19th invention The Caliphate & Quran oppose the idea of tribal/ethnic states.
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  14140.  @Mordecai_real  Let's move on - to Egypt Egypt was a kingdom under the Pharaohs till 30BC, then part of Rome Egypt was never a nation-state 1922 Ottoman collapse - Egypt becomes a nation-state The nation-state was invented in C19th Europe (Belgium, Greece 1830 : Germany Italy 1871) The zenith of the nation-state was 1919 Versailles, Wilson's 14 points "The right of self determination" 1922 Palestinians had a Grand Mufti appointed by Britain : he looked to Damascus as his capital 1967 the PLO looked to Cairo Arab League Nasser Only in 1988 after losing 3 wars, did Palestinians declare themselves a nation-state Kurds attended Versailles but were too divided to be granted a nation Palestinians are STILL too divided to be a nation Palestinians have never had democracy only PLO thugs and corrupt despotism
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  14141. Remember when Germany's warship Bayern asked to pay a courtesy call to Shanghai ? China said, "Get lost" I wonder whether that embarrassing incident has had any repercussions. Germany usually simply swallow insults, but they are being pressured into showing some self-respect.
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  14142. How marvellous. A lesson to India : how to show moral rectitude. Shame on India : buying cheap Russian oil and profiting from other people's misery.
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  14143. China admitted harvesting human organs from prisoners of conscience but said it has now stopped. But if you phone any hospital today and ask for a transplant they book you straight in. How ? They get organs on demand. Where from ? Well where do you think you numbskull.
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  14144. All Caliphate countries sexually assault protesters. I watched on CNN a man being arrested by 4 police. Two held his arms, one beat him over the head and the fourth had grabbed the man's genitals. Egyptian police also sexually assaulted men and women It is the legacy of the Caliphate.
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  14145. Gosh, he can barely read, is totally ignorant and uneducated : and yet the people of South Africa voted him President twice !
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  14146.  @ЛюдмилаАртюшкина  Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  14147. The West MUST play to its strengths : blockade China is doomed by blockade by AUKUS If the West is unable to do that because it would shoot itself in the foot Then we've thrown away our trump card
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  14148.  @farzana6676  , I'll have a fisherman's bet with you that the military never leave their barracks. They are so 'solid' behind Maduro he wouldn't dare let them out on the street : they'd surround his palace and arrest him. Mark my words you will never see troops on the street ; Maduro is very uncertain of where he stands.
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  14149. Remarkable restraint by the Ukrainians. Compare the bestiality of Russia : A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
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  14150. ziaul, just as an experiment go to an Erdogan rally and criticise something you'll be beaten senseless by his thugs.
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  14151. Kamala is worse than Hillary.......okay not worse but almost as bad.
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  14152. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
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  14153. A shame Germany sabotaged Ukraine in the beginning :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
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  14154. Count Yorga, I notice we both have 2 thumbs up so I'm going to post a dynamite reply to clinch the match :- Revolutionary, Republican.......you say toMato I say tomAto. The key thing is Iran are blowing hot air . Have you seen the US firepower : just the frigates and subs would see off Iran's entire navy. It's the military lunatics who talk about a Hormuz Straights blockade. Look at Iran's diplomatic position :- we might start enrichment. That's going to win you friends in the EU and Iran need all the friends they can get because the days Ayatollah fascism are drawing to a close.
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  14155. Count Yorga, thanks for that reply : I'd not heard of the war exercise Millennium Challenge. ", Red used a fleet of small boats to determine the position of Blue's fleet by the second day of the exercise. In a preemptive strike, Red launched a massive salvo of cruise missiles that overwhelmed the Blue forces' electronic sensors and destroyed sixteen warships. This included one aircraft carrier, ten cruisers and five of six amphibious ships. An equivalent success in a real conflict would have resulted in the deaths of over 20,000 service personnel. " Of course that happened because the Yanks gave a 24hr deadline and allowed Iran to make the first strike. The lesson learned was that the US should strike first.
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  14156. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is looking good.
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  14157. Kremlin elite hoard their wealth and let schools crowd-fund the military Russia needed 1.5 million and used 150k A cheap invasion followed by a cheap bluff Britain and the US finalised nuclear drills and signed-off on a joint nuclear response : "Beyond belief" France declared neutrality - simply confirming their perfidious nature, by stabbing NATO in the back.
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  14158. LOL no wonder there's no progress That guy is in cuckoo land
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  14159. Russia would deny everything anyway.
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  14160. The UN, EU and USA, what are they doing ? We know what China is doing supporting tyranny. China and Russia always attack democracy and support despotism, that's why they are called The Axis of Evil.
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  14161.  @ragingmonk6080  Thanks for your reply. Nordstream was a terrible idea from day 1 It benefited only two nations, and endangered many nations. Germany financed Putin's army and now America is having to pick up the pieces again. When this war ends Russia will be revanchist and Germany will be building bridges by buying gas (ie financing Russia for round 2) Bombing Nordstream is a great relief for everyone - except two nations (wink) The two nations being Germany and Russia
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  14162. The West stands with Israel
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  14163. Correct. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
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  14164. This is very sad. But it exactly what Hamas wanted. Hamas are anti-democratic ,fascist dictators. Why doesn't Gaza unite with Egypt ? It will mean the Palestinians in Gaza are under the rule of El-Sisi who is a fascist dictator : so it will be home-from-home.
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  14165. sufzup, the 3rd largest party in Israel Knesset is Muslim/Arab. Tell me about an Arab country that has ANY party that is not Muslim ? I agree there is discrimination : which is condemned by many Israeli Jews. But security comes first (and the economy) that's why they keep voting Netanyahu.
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  14166. Subtle, what would happen to Palestinians in Gaza who protested against Hamas ? They'd be thrown off a roof. "deprive of every basic human needs? " Well one need is freedom which Hamas dent to everyone that speaks against them. Another need is democracy which Hamas deny the people. Another need is justice which Hamas deny the people : Hamas members can commit any crime against enemies of Hamas and walk free : they can assault and rob people who oppose Hamas. Wake up to what Hamas is like ! Hamas are fascist dictators.
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  14167.  @awalabdulnoor  "Renowned Afghan folk singer killed in Afghanistan's Baghlan Province " The Taliban are having lots of fun. Orphan girls are simply an hors d'oeuvre.
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  14168.  @awalabdulnoor  Remember the 1990s, when the Taliban used football stadiums for executions and torture ? That is the Taliban manifesto for the future : a return to barbarism, ignorance, and Islamic Jihad.
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  14169.  @mysticcove3392  So far the Taliban have murdered a comedian (after slapping him around), they've murdered a folk singer, and they are beginning their reign of barbarism. They intend to deny girls an education. The Taliban fear education : they are mind-numbingly dumb themselves, and fear anyone (especially females) acquiring a professional competence. That is quite disgraceful. Which should be your comment. You should be standing up for ordinary folk, not defending the savages.
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  14170. LOL nobody wants to talk to Putin once he has withdrawn troops. They only called to Moscow because that jackass had a loaded gun.
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  14171. 3.5hr Steve Witkoff spent with Putin With no other US monitor Witkoff cannot name a single concession Russia will make and he says Ukraine provoked the war
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  14172. "Freeze the current frontlines to calm Moscow". That sounds like pressure from France. One can detect Macron's stamp of cowardice. I think France & Germany are trying to force Ukraine to capitulate.
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  14173. Golan Heights is the key to understanding this dilemma Does anyone think the Golan Hts should be returned to despotic Syria ? No Why ? It is annexed after all ? Because Israel needs it for security Israel also needs the Jordan heights - Israel can never trust its neighbours They may be civilised today - and fanatical jihadist tomorrow
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  14174.  @ЯБезымянный-о5ф  Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  14175. That guy is 100% Hamas Fire had been coming from that house Why would an "old man" be in a house with NO furniture ?
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  14176. Mugabe has the goods on everyone : the Judge is corrupt , the accusers are corrupt and Mugabe has all the details. Everyone is tainted and nobody wants it to come out. The Impeachment will have to be held in Camera.
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  14177. Germany has had a foolish energy policy for decades. Merkel's idiotic policies are coming home to roost. A college student could've devised a better energy plan. The Green Party + Russian-speaking Merkel = disaster.
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  14178. The king of Jordan hated Arafat : everyone did : the Egyptians, Syrians, etc The 40yr dictatorship by Arafat was the ruin of Palestine.
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  14179. Very similar to the Spanish. Spain were bankrupting themselves paying for mercenaries to fight in the Netherlands, and the soldiers all spent the money in the local economy. That was one way American silver vanished. Another was luxury goods which were mostly imports. Another was paying off loans. Smuggling was huge, so much so that when the English forced the treasure-fleet to dock in northern Spain the king couldn't believe the windfall.....they'd circumvented the smugglers !
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  14180. If anyone needed any more convincing....that Russian Orcs need removing from Ukraine with extreme prejudice.
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  14181. I agree but let's consider what he's achieved :- He's set this racket up off his own bat. Not like those CNN millionaires who just follow an editorial line and brown nose round the management. Look at millionaire Rachel Maddow she never has to get on a soap box for contributors. What Pakman has achieved deserves some recognition. If he wants to expand and add a new producer good luck to him.
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  14182.  S Cooper  , okay I take it back. Vote Beto but don't say I didn't warn you : I predicted Hillary would lose and am doing the same for Beto.
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  14183. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
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  14184. What a scandal ! Sarkozy is the first President to stand trial. They have all been corrupt. Most pretended to belong to the resistance when in fact they collaborated with Nazis. Giscard de Estaing appointed a Nazis to head the Paris Police : resulting in 300 handcuffed Algerians being garotted in the police compound (1961) France should have prosecuted all its presidents.
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  14185. Putin has surrendered These analysts simply miss the big picture Putin said, "Back to the borders that existed when they BECAME UKRAINE" So Putin acknowledges the regions ARE Ukraine Putin will agree to the Feb 2023 deal announced by Xi Wang Yi (Paris Munich Moscow) Then Xi visited Moscow and Putin changed his mind Then Wagner coup June 2023 Now finally Putin accepts the Xi Peace What for the history books
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  14186. What a twitchy legged dunce.
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  14187. 3.15 "Limited chances of Peace". Too true : so why not encourage true democracy in Palestine : a multi party system. get rid of violent corrupt Fatah and Hamas. Then offer the Palestinians a referendum on becoming bi-national or self-governing and move on from there. The stumbling blocks are a) unrealistic expectations b) Fatah total corruption , violent repression of critics c) Hamas hate democracy and want a Caliphate
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  14188. It's an old story, a new country trying to develop a civilised system. It happened in 1947 with Pakistan : the intention is to be a secular democracy but politicians sell out to militias and religious radicals : the result, a $hithole country. What's the solution ? Well 500yrs of people developing Common Law and limiting absolute rule. Like in England with Clarendon Assize 1166, Magna Carta 1215, Henry Bracton 1235, 1628 Petition of Right restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and the use of martial law. 1679 Habeas Corpus required a court to examine the lawfulness of a prisoner's detention 1689 Bill of rights .
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  14189. Haftar took a spanking from Erdoğan. I'm surprised he dare show his face.
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  14190.  Ralph Hammond  The Pentagon were being self-deprecating. They were acknowledging that even they couldn't burn through 20,000 shells per day. In April the Pentagon hosted defence industry CEOs. The press asked why. "To open up new production lines" was the answer. Back in April the US new production of munitions was key. The Yanks will out-produce the Russians every time, hands down, no contest.
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  14191. At least it is providing jobs. But why not just employ professional scaffolders who don't smoke. Why not ask military engineers to put the scaffolding up ? Why have half-wits on fire patrol - going to the wrong tower, and why was it the general public had to raise the alarm ?
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  14192. The African Union is a joke - corrupt dictators and thugs The ANC top the list of corrupt thugs Zuma tried to start a civil war to get himself out of jail Africa is a basket case
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  14193. Resign ! The Speaker must go
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  14194. The Butchers of Bucha : ski masks.
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  14195.  Futura  Let me explain the USA's massive, massive superiority. Russia has thousands of decommissioned missiles - the warheads are stored separately and the rockets need fuelling. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No nation has ever had the instant firepower of the US.
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  14196.  @RealCherry8085  Let me explain the USA's massive, massive superiority. Russia has thousands of decommissioned missiles - the warheads are stored separately and the rockets need fuelling. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No nation has ever had the instant firepower of the US.
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  14197. Very impressive. Those helicopters are from Slovenia (I recognise the cammo, which isn't to everyone's taste)
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  14198. I KNOW why the Muslim world is behind the West. It has nothing to do with hatred of Israel or Sunni/Shia or youth unemployment or the legacy of colonialism. It goes right back to 1453 when the Turks captured Constantinople. The Muslims controlled trade with the east and Christendom was haemorrhaging money. (It is estimated Europe spent 65000kg of silver on spices before the voyages of discovery Columbus 1493 and Vasco da Gama 1498) Voyages of discovery ushered in the Enlightenment (1500-1800) which led to the Industrial revolution(1750) That's it in a nutshell.
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  14199. I should add that in 847 the Caliph Al-Mutawakkil decreed a literal interpretation of the Koran which ended the Islamic Enlightenment.
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  14200. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP) John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  14201.  @Chris-tm4zq  , that is my point exactly. I am saying that colonisation spread the notion of democracy and good governance. Well British colonisation (for all its faults) did. What is the difference between Nelson Mandela and the corrupt violent thug Jacob Zuma ? Mandela had a British education, whilst Zuma was illiterate. For all its faults British colonialism provided countries with a blue-print for Parliamentary Democracy. I'm saying that Thailand's backwards authoritarianism is the result of Thai culture. It is precisely because Thailand never experienced any semblance of Western Democracy that it is in a state of emergency. With 'divine' rulers oppressing the population.
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  14202.  PJ R  , that's quite a mixed bag, but very informative. The strength of democracy is evinced in the US elections : it is a small number of "don't-knows" that decide the election. In 2016 the don't-knows didn't fancy Hillary so voted Trump, this year they are voting Biden. Those with strong convictions simply make up the numbers, it is the don't-knows who make the decision.
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  14203. The US doesn't need to worry. No amount of AI technology will prevent a blockade. China has geographical weaknesses :- a) it has to import food , it can't feed itself. b) it has to import oil & gas c) exports make up 51% of China's GDP A blockade is very easily implemented (a few submarines) and China suffers economic collapse.
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  14204. Merkel has spoken to Rajoy. She will have told him that any further violence by Spain will make it 'difficult' for the EU to continue support. When independence is declared Rajoy (having been castrated by Merkel) will issue an arrest warrant. Puigdemont will ignore it and there will follow an unholy mess , with strikes sit-ins and blockades. Rajoy will fall. The new Spanish Government will have to negotiate and a compromise will be reached. Rajoy is the Moron of Europe.
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  14205. "The United States has accused Russia of using Ukraine's biggest nuclear power plant as a "nuclear shield" by stationing troops there, preventing Ukrainian forces from returning fire" LOL The Ukrainians can drop Himars within 1.5m They can drop Excalibur howitzer shells within 1.5m Drone strikes same The Russians can run, but they can't hide (Joe Louis)
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  14206. No dignity, no civilized manners, no decorum, no respect, no self-restraint to subdue his despotic sense of entitlement. A display of ignorance, arrogance, contempt, incivility, and rudeness.
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  14207. Feb 2022 Germany blocked : a) RAF weapons b) 3rd party transfers (Estonia howitzers) c) direct sales They sent 5000 tin-hats Boris : "Germany wanted a quick victory for Russia" With friends like that, who needs enemies ?
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  14208.  @Vonaark28  ,I think I should've said "standards". WE would still be out of the EU (Brexit), but would be forced to keep our 'standards' in-line with the EU. My point is that we would then have no input into the formulation of these 'standards'.
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  14209. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region Macron wants a deal with Russia Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" ie France has capitulated again
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  14210. The US will never allow N Korea to develop multiple warhead ballistic missiles. It is impossible to invade N Korea without them retaliating and killing 100ks of S Koreans. Therefore Trump will make a pre-emptive nuclear strike and flatten N Korea. Kim knows this. That is why he is meeting with Moon and encouraging dialogue. The Meeting with Trump will happen at some stage. Because the alternative is a pre-emptive strike on N Korea.
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  14211. Yak Yak, North Korea will develop multiple warhead ICBMs within months That's the CIAs assessment. You can't just let China deal with it. (China wouldn't be put out at all if a few nukes landed in the US) You are wrong about S Korean casualties : When the nukes start going off the North will be paralyzed. Communications will cut by an air-bust, then all military establishments simultaneously nuked. Fallout will be minimized by doing it when there's an onshore wind.
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  14212. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  14213.  @svanimation8969  Stop worrying about China. The US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines, with which to blockade China into penury. AUKUS is all about submarines and the blockade of China. Australia will get 9, and the UK has 11. That is more than enough to strangle China. India can sit back and enjoy the show. However, India could do the decent thing by showing some support against Russia.
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  14214. Well done Bono & Edge. Cynics will decry the visit as self-promotion : they are wrong. "Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more". That is old Bono's philosophy - he is in Ukraine because he cares.
    1
  14215. 5.59 Black September : the PLO were planning to take over Jordan : they would walk around ignoring all laws and brandishing weapons and treating the civilians like their peasants. The PLO thought they were feudal Lords. Everyone hates the PLO. When they went to Lebanon they started trying to take over. They are violent ,mercenary thugs and respect no laws. Black September : the Jordanians had had enough and secretly surrounded the PLO forcing them to flee.
    1
  14216. LOL "We've heard from the UN Secretary general" Guterres spoke to defend the Hamas massacre He's part of the Lunatic Left - he sides with the Kremlin & Hamas Many Left Wing Loonies think the same
    1
  14217. 1922 Ottoman collapse Britain appoints a Grand Mufti to lead Palestinians 1948 The Mufti looks to Damascus as the capital 1967 The PLO look to Cairo Arab League Nasser Only in 1988, after losing 3 wars do the Palestinians declare a state 1948 Jordan annex the West bank - Palestinians are happy to have Jordanian passport Israel remove Jordan in 1967 So Jordanian annexation is fine But when Israel push them out it is wrong !
    1
  14218. lamtop, I'm not sure about that : "It was the Sun what won it". I think papers reflect what is already there , not totally, obviously there's influence but nothing like you imagine it is.
    1
  14219. @opener of the world , LOL I looked at your propaganda channel : it is a spirited attempt to salvage some pride from a series of setbacks and defeats. Egypt can't even handle the Islamist insurgency in Sinai, let alone tackle the IDF (the middle-east's C21st super-power).
    1
  14220. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  14221. Putin didn't get a smile from Modi ! India belongs with the West. The Axis of Evil (China, Russia, North Korea , Iran etc) is no place for India.
    1
  14222. .......and Modi voted to abstain at the UN Shame on India.
    1
  14223. The ceasefire serves the same purpose as the big Belarus summit 19 Dec Belarus distracts from Putin;s cancellation - TV, Duma speech, ice hockey 5 Dec ceasefire distracts from the Himars 400 dead Russians also, Putin is desperate for peace, and must try something : it's desperation
    1
  14224. So, a curious fitting together of jigsaw pieces :- Rasmussen NATO and Sherriff together from 2011-14 May : Rasmussen "Some NATO countries prepared to send troops to Ukraine May Sherriff " NATO should be prepared to swing the balance in Ukraine" Both statements in the same month After.... April : Lavrov in US for talks A curious glimpse behind the scenes ?
    1
  14225. Well written speech, but oh Joe did he struggle to read it. The old duffer is doing okay though, But oh Joe the debates.
    1
  14226. Robert Fox's mind is still in the Cold War. Fedorov : "The one thing the Kremlin fears is that the war is long" Q : Do they know they've lost (this is April 2022) Fedorov "No. They think victory will come quickly, within the next few days" Putin doesn't want a military dictatorship - he loves the West. He would've loved to attend the Queen's funeral. The Moscow elite needs the West - they glory in acceptance by the West, it gives them prestige.
    1
  14227. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Aiyana_Jones
    1
  14228. "The US is trying to pivot towards Asia, but is being pulled back by Europe" ? Eh Where did he get that notion. Trump began the stance against China "raping" the US And Biden has trumped him with AUKUS. The US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines to blockade China. AUKUS is about Australia getting 9 nuclear subs, which added to Britain's 11 just about finishes China off. I don't see a "Pivot to Asia" Also, India has just shown it is firmly in the Russia camp. Russian state TV said "China and India, our closest allies" Where does this guy get his ideas ?
    1
  14229. 3:03 "The unfortunate truth is" That the people of Africa get what they deserve :- In Zimbabwe they voted for Mugabe with inflation at 10,000% , one lady said, "He has the experience". in South Africa the ANC is a totally corrupt one party state responsible for 450 'political killings' but the people dance in the streets with support for them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_assassinations_in_post-apartheid_South_Africa What does it take to make a civilization ? The answer is hundreds of years. 1166 The Clarendon Assize ; trial by ordeal replaced with trial by jury (Henry II) 1215 Magna Carta ; the royal council morphs into a parliament 1235 Henry Bracton codifies Common Law. When James II is confronted with Bracton he sacks his chief justice but doesn't transgress Common Law. Africa have nothing like this. They have no understanding of rights & liberties and blindly vote for whomever they perceive to be the tribal chief. They complain about corruption but still vote for corrupt politicians. They complain about incompetence but vote incompetents back into office.
    1
  14230. Let me express that in evolutionary terms :- If you don't select politicians for honesty and competence then you get dishonesty and incompetence.
    1
  14231. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  14232. Well done Ukraine. Putin has announced an end to stage 1. "Russia will concentrate on the south East of Ukraine" he whined. Will Ukraine try to relieve Mariupol ? Good work Ukraine, the Free world salute you.
    1
  14233. 100% bluff. Why hasn't Russia knocked out Ukraine's power-grid ? Because it fears a humanitarian crisis would force NATO intervention. Russia fears NATO. The nuclear threat is pure bluff.
    1
  14234. Turkey - "More carrot than stick" Obviously ! Erdogan is happy to see an Islamist Syria Erdogan would have an Islamist Turkey if he could
    1
  14235. A very good answer. Russian atrocities affect everyone - in the peaceful West we have trouble eating or sleeping. The Russian inhumanity and barbarity affects everyone's mental health. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated on the battlefield".
    1
  14236. I'm here, giving thumbs up to all the congratulatory comments. There was no malice in my criticism of Tesla.
    1
  14237. Modern Day Example :- The Angels of Mons They were reported in Newspapers and testified to be professionals (officers, doctors, clerks, accountants, solicitors, lawyers) .They were mentioned by the government. In other words they were genuine. The thing is they were invented by a journalist : that is fact. So what happened ? Well the trauma of WW1 made people create memories. Especially when they had seen the incident in print (in the Times). That occurred in the 20th century, think how much easier it would be 2000yrs ago, at a time of stress (occupation).
    1
  14238. Just to be clear :- nobody "saw" them , they just said they had seen them after reading about it. The first mention the idea of Angels at Mons was in a newspaper ; it was an invention of the journalist. But then corroborated officers, doctors etc who were there when it (never) happened.
    1
  14239. An argument FOR Jesus existence would be the Gospels. The fact that they were embarrassed he came from Nazareth and had to invent the nativity (Bethlehem) : well why not say he was born there period. Also, Mark never mentions the resurrected Jesus : well why not ? If you are inventing everything why not go the whole hog ?
    1
  14240. Totally wrong ! Germany fears Russian tactical nukes 13 Oct 2022 Macron declared "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes "in the region" That means Poland, Germany, Baltics Biden would not launch a full strike in retaliation to a tactical nuke He would call for 'full sanctions' and a conventional response So, Germany has no nuclear shield ! That is the logic of the situation (and Russia knows it)
    1
  14241.  @chrisbuesnell3428  Never confuse Vietnam, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland or Lebanon with real wars. China will be a real war. That is what the yanks are geared up for : they are the major player. Britain and Australia are fighting allies. Blockade by submarine will be top of the agenda, which is why the yanks hurriedly commissioned 19 Virginia class subs, and it's why Australia will be getting 9 more.
    1
  14242.  @kaksinho  , that's a good question and the answer is NO, one doesn't know what they do. BUT one does know what their budget is. The CIA can't filch billion$ from the people. In Iran the Revolutionary guard are a law unto themselves.
    1
  14243. Why don't Palestinians do that ? Campaign and vote Why do they only vote in the UK ? Why net allow Palestinians to speak and campaign and vote ? Because Fatah is despotic and corrupt and Hamas is fascist and Islamist Nice choice !
    1
  14244. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    1
  14245. Great news. Please supply drones to Ukraine. General Petraeus has recommended sending thousands. Please supply Ukraine (like only the USA can)
    1
  14246. Good analysis. Now do one on Hillary. Then do one on the Clinton Foundation. Then do one on how Clinton cash bough the DNC and rigged the primary against Bernie.
    1
  14247. Imran Khan supported this - it is called ,"throwing off the shackles of slavery" As you sow, so shall you reap.
    1
  14248. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  14249. Israel is at war with Hamas (since 7 Oct terrorist attack) Civilians should leave the war zone Israel gives many warnings to move south
    1
  14250. My thesis is that you need at least 35% of the population to have a corrupt authoritarian government. No dictator rules by fear alone. In Bangladesh you'll find most big business and institutions (army, police, judiciary ,the media ) go along with the government.
    1
  14251. Picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. That's China's vision for the future.
    1
  14252. Kurdistan : there are 45 million Kurds why don't they have a state ? Because in 1919 when they attended Versailles they were too tribal Kurds have never had a state Just like Palestinians - they have NEVER been a state and are too tribal They can't even hold an election
    1
  14253. The majority of traditional hadith sources state that Aisha was married to Muhammad at the age of six or seven, but she stayed in her parents' home until the age of nine, or ten according to Ibn Hisham, when the marriage was consummated with Muhammad, then 53, in Medina.
    1
  14254. Fan, good question : have you any theories ? I could come up with one or two but they involve the nether regions so I think I'd better keep them to myself .
    1
  14255. Pete, there was an enquiry into the WW2 Nuremberg case. Didn't they find a private had been seduced (I'm using the subordinate non-sexual definition) by a winsome Nazi. Obviously with the aforementioned private having fought his way through Anzio no charges were filed.
    1
  14256. The Ukrainian people are feeling Victory. Putin says Russia is being "cancelled".
    1
  14257. Hillary.
    1
  14258. ......and private debt continues to grow exponentially fast. Faster then ever experienced by any country in history. Financial gravity will take effect at some stage.
    1
  14259. Hit Iran with more sanctions. The Ayatollah presides over a fascist theocracy and spreads fascist Islamic ideology across the region. He is destabilising Iraq as we speak.
    1
  14260. I don't trust any U.S. network or the BBC etc The best way to keep informed is to hit Google News and read items from across the globe :- Gulf News, Belfast Times, Reuters, Guardian, NYT, Washington Post etc You have to cast a net and then make a critical judgement. Fox News is like sitting on a couch and stuffing popcorn.
    1
  14261. Le Pen is a Kremlin hussy. (Yes I know it's a sexist remark - but the stakes are high, and one is allowed) Ernest Hemingway was reprimanded by a literary critic for "Hiding behind his hairy chest" ; at least Macron isn't doing that. (Oh, his team has just a photo to contradict me)
    1
  14262. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
    1
  14263. 1:40 "Picasso : creativity begins with destruction" 1815 : following the Napoleonic wars there was 33yrs of tranquility, till the 1848 revolutions. (With the exception of 1830, the collapse of Bourbon rule. And the Trienio Liberal in Spain 1822 etc) But not much creativity - more like stagnation. Slow progress for Britain, as usual, with the 1832 reform act, railways and industry. But total stagnation everywhere else.
    1
  14264. LOL that is a very pro-Russia map. Russia doesn't occupy anything like that much of Ukraine. https://www.vox.com/2014/4/8/5590378/a-russian-invasion-of-eastern-ukraine-just-got-more-likely-heres-why
    1
  14265.  @CalculusProfessor  I think Lord Owen, as a member of the Intelligence committee is better informed than you are.
    1
  14266. Gosh I don't want to outsmart a guy who was imprisoned in Iran but he's missed the whole point. It's not the demonstrators it's Rouhani and the moderates who are in a power play for control with the IRGC.
    1
  14267. Middle man, you are surely delusional. I watched a lot of footage from the referendum and those old ladies beaten over the head didn't look like Marxists.
    1
  14268. Why not line the highway with volunteers ? What is the point of watching from a distance. A 4 lane carriageway is an ideal fire-break.
    1
  14269. German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht is having a great time. She is really enjoying this war, and all the opportunities for her to travel and meet people.
    1
  14270. The FSA (free syrian army) are actually Al-Nusra Islamists who are worse than Al-Qaeda. Al-Nusra are backed by Erdogan who supports their Islamofascist ideology. Erdogan is adopting Islamofascism for Turkey and has the support of many extreme Islamists.
    1
  14271. This is a century too late. Russia are still thinking Kursk. Modern warfare is about economic influence, information processing and world opinion. If you are a pariah state ( a gangster state like Russia or a totalitarian one-party corrupt state like China ) then world opinion is against you.
    1
  14272. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  14273. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  14274. Wrong Erdogan is preparing a deal - a peacekeeping force for Gaza He is establiishing his bona-fide with some theatre
    1
  14275. Compare 1917 and 1979 Both revolutions were hijacked : one by Totalitarian Bolshevism, the other by Fascist Theocracy. The Bolsheviks slaughtered their opponents, and Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians. The most ruthlessly violent rise to the top : Lenin & Trotsky, and the Ayatollah
    1
  14276. "We won't be pushed around" The lady almost laughs Because Europe is a herbivore pretending to be carnivorous
    1
  14277. Chronology 21 Sep 2022 Putin "This time I'm not bluffing" 13 Oct NATO defence summit Brussels 13 Oct evening Macron on TV : "Nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington : US + UK nuclear response to Russia 21 - 24 Oct Gerasimov & Shoigu call the West 4 times in 4 days Russia capitulated I'm amazed nobody else knows this
    1
  14278. Iraqis would prefer to live under UN governance. Ask Iranians which they would prefer - and they would ditch the Ayatollah in a flash. Ask any Arabs living under despotism, and they would prefer UN governance. The entire Middle East would benefit.
    1
  14279.  @MrTaxiRob  But you are NOT an Iraqi. I was saying what the Iraqi people would like, not what a westerner like you would like to see happen in Iraq. You are living comfortably in the West.
    1
  14280. Nice rifle (bloody big bullets), I would hate to be in the sights.
    1
  14281. Totally wrong analysis The Ukraine "Peace" is NOT cover That is the purpose of Xi's trip Wang Yi (Paris Munich Moscow) did the ground work
    1
  14282. Very rude, to start with Italy's zombie banks, no need to headline that. Good intro ...."as disputes ripple across the region", if someone handed me a script I could spot Shirvan's prose.
    1
  14283. LOL you dumb klutz. Pakistan's military has and will always interfere in politics.
    1
  14284. The best news went unnoticed : the Pentagon held a meeting, about 6 weeks ago, with the CEOs of the industrial giants : the purpose was to open new production lines for all the equipment needed in Ukraine. Once the Yanks start manufacturing, Ukraine will want for nothing. God bless Ukraine, God bless the USA
    1
  14285. Wrong ! After 20 seconds ! Germany & Japan are not the US's close allies AUKUS will tackle China Germany will always look after itself :- Boris "Germany wanted a quick defeat for Ukraine"
    1
  14286. Sri Lankans voted for despotism - now they are paying the price. Never vote for despots.
    1
  14287. An inspiration - very brave. They are securing freedom for the whole of Europe. (The EU is useless - they are like a damsel in distress)
    1
  14288.  @Chukyka  Thank you, very well spotted. Same year as the Suez Crisis.
    1
  14289. Why has the Palestinian cause been a 70yr failure ? I've been studying this question for 30yrs, and the answer is Arab machismo. Look at successes like Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, then compare them to Yasser Arafat. What do you notice ?
    1
  14290. Hezbollah occupy the finance ministry and refuse to move. They are very knowledgeable and professional, unfortunately not about economics, their métier is political assassination.
    1
  14291. I don't want to sound like a stuck record....but what about Hillary ?
    1
  14292. Well said. There are no basic freedoms in China.
    1
  14293. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  14294. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    1
  14295. "Russia needs smashing in the face", said Zelensky. That isn't a subjective opinion, it is a verifiable fact. And with the help of the United States, Russia is getting a makeover.
    1
  14296. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  14297. A day of infamy.
    1
  14298. Iran is in the cross-hairs
    1
  14299. The stupidity of the interviewer - "Hamas want a ceasefire for a long term solution" Wrong Hamas is desperate to get wounded out, to allow fighters to recover, to get a wash Israel can rotate troops, they have constant supply of food & medicine Israel is winning Hamas is desperate ! Calling for a ceasefire is NOT asking for a long term solution
    1
  14300. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  14301. 13 Oct 2022 macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region NATO Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" This was after Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" (21 Sep) France is a capitulating country Macron is talk and posture - he couldn't stop phoning Putin He needs to be centre stage
    1
  14302. Before every speech they have to remind themselves not to say , "We will wipe Israel off the map". And then to demand the right to nuclear weapons with which to achieve their objective.
    1
  14303.  @shonix123  , are you making a joke or are you just totally uninformed ? Do you know anything about Iran ? You do know Israel is a Democracy : with separation of powers and accountability, regular elections and the rule of law. And what do you think Iran is ? It's a theocracy. You know, like the Taliban in Afghanistan. You do know that Khomeini executed all the opposition that overthrew the Shah ? 7000 in his first year. Read "The executioners deserve medals". You have a lot of reading to do, either that or you are an Islamofascist fanatic. Try Googling "Wipe Israel off the map" You will find dozens of pages referencing every Iranian statesman who has vowed to do it......and you want them to go nuclear.
    1
  14304.  @shonix123  LOL I knew you were an Islamist fanatic. "They steal Palestinian full territory" wrong : they were offered a 2 state solution by the UN in 1947 and turned it down because Arab neighbours intended to drive the Jews into the sea. Egypt, Jordan and Syria all claimed Palestine belonged to them and only after losing 3 wars did they recognise a Palestinian state. You are a genocidal Islamist, the whole world opposes Iran getting nuclear weapons , for good reasons.
    1
  14305. Saied is a despot. But the parties are corrupt and appoint judges to stifle investigations into politically sensitive cases : the judiciary is politically corrupt. The council overseeing the judiciary is also politically appointed and corrupt. The legacy of the Caliphate : despotism and corruption.
    1
  14306. 1860 Namik Kemal : Admired the British for :- "their indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
    1
  14307. Faint heart never won fair lady. Macron may be walking a tightrope, but the eyes of Europe are upon him and he couldn't ask for more than that (in a presidential year).
    1
  14308.  @worthit5064  LOL, I was cuing you in when I said, "whether it is worth it". But I'm pleased you showed up. (It's like rubbing a magic lamp).
    1
  14309. "Warning for the Quad"........ Wrong. It is a warning for Modi. He is the weak link, the bedfellow of Russia. Ask anyone who is the weak fellow in the Quad, they will say Modi.
    1
  14310. Free Thought, Russia is poor : they had a sovereign wealth fund of over $500 billion when they invaded Crimea, it reached double figures and was added to the social welfare fund. So now it no longer exists : they've just blown through their savings. Also, future oil & gas production depends upon investment now : there is no investment. hose fields aren't been developed. Russia is in big trouble. Coupled with a decreasing demographic, Aids and alcoholism : they are a shrinking nation.
    1
  14311. Of course the Vatican were big supporters of fascist Franco. Child abuse and baby snatching are nothing to the Catholics.
    1
  14312. Pence, "We don't drown our partners in debt". I thought that's just what QE did to emerging markets ? I thought that's why Fed rate hikes have caused emerging currencies to collapse ? Perhaps Pence is viewing the world through propaganda tinted spectacles.
    1
  14313. Russian liars : that is a simple fact. UK ready to 'go up a gear' in military support for Ukraine, says Boris I hope Biden approves. Putin has backed down over Ruble payments for gas : he is all wind. Now is the time to supply anti-ship missiles, Mig jets, and tanks.
    1
  14314. 9:38 Erdogan's countenance is quite admirable.
    1
  14315. Happier than it deserves is the nation whose politicians are destroyed by their courage.
    1
  14316. Correct. Before colonialism and Christianity, a chief would have a dozen wives and a harem of maybe 100. When the women reached their 20s he would sell them and get younger ones.
    1
  14317. Why not ?
    1
  14318.  @gethcreator751  , yes but a hand on the thigh is nothing. A Prime Minister's hand on your thigh is something. Why report it when it's nothing (ie when Boris is just a clown) It only became something when that clown became PM.If you believe Boris's denial then you have reached the zenith of gullibility.
    1
  14319.  @anewfuture  , good analysis. I suppose that applies to all Jimmy Savile's accusers and all those folk abused by the Church who waited decades.
    1
  14320.  @gethcreator751  , fair enough, you are saying it DID happen but she should keep quiet about it. Well consider Dave Lee-Travis, that was an old groping offence, should all those people keep quiet ? I'm a Trump supporter BTW but recognise him to be a liar and a clown. Boris is also a liar and a clown. Neither of them are statesmen. Neither of them have any dignity or principles. They are opportunists. Ignore this groping by all means but don't allow your prejudice to blind you to reality.
    1
  14321. Tariq Ali : the dumbest thing he ever said, "The world has changed I haven't" What sort of idiot would boast about that ? So even when the cold war ends Taiq Ali goes on supporting the Kremlin, even though it is now the Moscow Mafia. He goes on hating the USA, even when it is attempting to introduce democracy into the Middle East Not a single Caliphate country has developed democracy The Arab Spring a total failure S Africa's ANC utterly corrupt But Tariq Ali won't change - he's immutable
    1
  14322. "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown"
    1
  14323. Slim let me hypothesise :- China want Rocket-man to demand the US remove their military-base from S Korea as part of denuclearisation. The US will not even consider it. But China will ease sanctions "To encourage progress in talks". So Rocketman gets sanctions lifted, China get the US base put on the negotiating table and Trump gets FA. This is not clever by China because the US are quite sanguine about a military strike.
    1
  14324. Aidan O’Neill QC, barrister for Joanna Cherry and 70 parliamentarians who are bringing the Scottish case, claimed in his written arguments that the Scottish court decision was correct and the reasons for the government’s motives in prorogation should be examined by the courts. “It is an administrative power that has, in this case, been used abusively by the executive” which “falls squarely” within the court’s remit, he said. He argued that English law should be “brought up to the standards by which the executive is called to account under Scots law”.
    1
  14325.  @shonabeggs9680  , we've still to hear John Major. I'd expect that to be nothing short of a character assassination. The government have no chance : remember Bercow's closing remarks, consider how closely they reflect the Scottish judgement , then consider the implications for the Union. The PM knows he's lost, which is why he said he'd abide by the court's decision.
    1
  14326. Al Jazeera = Hamas
    1
  14327. Islam respects woman. That is why the Quran says "Only beat woman with a stick no thicker than your thumb". The West criticise Saudi......but what size stick do they use on woman ? Islamic Quran protects woman by insisting on small stick.
    1
  14328. Apropos what ? There is no context to this item. Western folk who try to keep abreast of events in India are completely baffled by this story.
    1
  14329. Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
    1
  14330. Naughty - but historically correct.
    1
  14331. "If |Russian personnel are killed ". They were massacred at Al-Tabiyeh : 200 dead another 200 injured. The US destroyed a whole battalion effortlessly. The US only have 2000 troops in Syria but they have awesome firepower.
    1
  14332. 1:27 look at all the microphones for the Iranian Islamist. This is what the Taliban crave (world attention). Remember Zafira laughing his head off when Iran signed the Obama deal, my God they hoodwinked Obama.
    1
  14333. Good propaganda
    1
  14334. Independence was NEVER the realisable immediate goal. Arter Mas said,"We are not ready for Independence". There were two objectives a) Full Autonomy (Sain's foreign sec. has said more powers can be given) b) More support for independence (Spanish violence has done that). Mission accomplished. Plus the bonus of a government in exile. Puigdemont's brave escape brought tears to my eyes. The history books will show Independence declared in 1936 by Llouis Camponys (executed) Independence declared in 2017 by Puigdemont ( exiled).
    1
  14335. Russia doesn't abide by civilized rules. They recognise their behaviour is beyond the pale of humanity, and dare not speak about it. Let me give you an example :-:- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  14336.  @Kimberly_Chappell  That quote is daft - it's a justification for Nazism or the Soviet Gulags. It's the philosophy a relative morality : Gulags work for Russia but not for us. Palestinians commit massacre but "not in a vacuum" It's for folk with no moral compass
    1
  14337. 3 out of 3 aint bad. (That is a pun on a Meatloaf song)
    1
  14338. It is hard to imagine Russia ever being accepted back amongst the civilized nations, after this unprecedented and unprovoked aggression.
    1
  14339.  @lenawagenfuehr53  With tanks, troops, planes, missile launchers, landing craft and artillery surrounding Ukraine on three sides, it is hard to imagine Russia's actions as being anything other than aggressive.
    1
  14340.  @jomo1990  ,LOL I didn't know he was such an old duffer. A corrupt old duffer like him should just go count his ill-gotten gains.
    1
  14341. Hysterical is a curious word. It occurs frequently in the build up to WW1. The Prussians were hysterical (AJP Taylor) which is evinced in Bismarck's tears and jug smashing. One could include the lachrymose Wilhelm I, his clearly mad (brain starved of oxygen during birth) Wilhelm I. Also, the Fashoda crisis - Britain and France close to war over a tiny fort on the desolate upper Nile. Joseph Chamberlain champing at the bit for war. Prussian paranoia with the Franco/Russian entente. The feeling of fin-de-siècle, with the old imperial order about to vanish. It was an age of hysteria, and its dénouement was tragic.
    1
  14342.  @dukadarodear2176  , well said , you are half-right. But the "million strong army are underfed conscripts who would put up their hands at the first artillery salvo. It was the Chinese who held the Yanks to a draw, not N Korea. In a conventional war with the South N Korea would be beaten hands down......why do you think he's going nuclear.
    1
  14343. Good report , very factual but I'm no wiser. Who were the victims ? There ID was checked ,it was after midnight, who was on the coach ; were they all military personnel ? Who were the men in military fatigues , Afghan, or Indian, or what ? Can anyone shed any light on this ?
    1
  14344. alex, LOL : there will be a few feathers ruffled when Trump negotiates. Kim wants to play the game of _ end sanctions and I'll denuclearise bit by bit. Trump won't wear it. It will end in tears for N Korea. There has never been a US administration more ready to do a pre-emptive nuclear strike.
    1
  14345. Pm Rajoy is in a very difficult position : he can't use force and will very likely be sitting in Madrid as a partial referendum takes place. Polls suggest those who go to vote will give a 72% 'yes' and independence will be declared. Rajoy is then sitting like a wet hen in Madrid hoping the EU will frighten Catalonia and some how reverse the situation. I'm afraid secession is on the cards.
    1
  14346. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  14347. Trump ! Remake the middle east !
    1
  14348. I hate the Ayatollah's Islamofascist regime. 1:10 but that guy is a real soldier (unlike the Saudis) Why does Iran have to be totalitarian & fascist. I would love to support the Persians against the Saudi.
    1
  14349. Very enjoyable The Orcs should go back to their Gulags.
    1
  14350. Palestinian failure began in the 1920s When the Ottoman Empire collapsed (sultan fled in 1922, Caliph fled in 1924) The Palestinians had no intellectuals. There was no forum for ideas. Leadership was provided by the Mufti of Jerusalem - who was installed by the British ! It wasn't until 1960 that Yasser Arafat played the role of Ataturk and established the idea of a secular Palestinian state. By then it was too late. Palestine failed in the 1920s
    1
  14351. LOL, any government that has Hezbollah as a key player is doomed. Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascists. They know nothing about economics or education or governance. Their ideology is for a Totalitarian Theocracy like Iran (their financial backers). For Lebanon to thrive Hezbollah must go.
    1
  14352. UNRWA has given aid workers a bad name
    1
  14353. I'm afraid I still can't speak. I'm not taking the 5th it's just that there's not much more to add. Actually I'm reminded of Hillary's campaign slogan "It's her turn". When will it be her turn to stand in the dock ?
    1
  14354. Off camera Ken Clarke had said she was "a bloody difficult woman" and armed with that tag-line she thought she could take on Brussels. They've stitched her up like a kipper.
    1
  14355. The pie chart :- you have to remember postwar the US was making money hand over fist......big companies could swallow 35% tax. Once you have competition the story is different.....you have to compete. Personally I would have used the $1.5trillion to spend on infrastructure. That's a government investment.
    1
  14356. LOL, you £ucking half-brained imbecile.
    1
  14357. Oh dear, you are such a dummy. This is being reported in a bigger way in Iran ! They say there were 4 tankers on fire. So why would Iran join in a false flag operation against them ! For £ucks sake.
    1
  14358. Oh dear, you are such a dummy. This is being reported in a bigger way in Iran ! They say there were 4 tankers on fire. So why would Iran join in a false flag operation against them ! For £ucks sake.
    1
  14359.  @gamingparadise3390  ,LOL, one doesn't get that many twists in a John Le Carre novel.
    1
  14360. Biden is confused - he said the UN resolution was NON-BINDING But by article 25 of the UN charter it IS binding
    1
  14361. Palestinian support = student nutcases and the Axis of Evil
    1
  14362.  @tedcrilly46  Then we need "to monitor Putin's mental health" : ring, ring, "Allo monsieur combien le paranoia ?"
    1
  14363. Trump (captain bone-spurs) hiding in his bunker. That Lady in New Zealand laughed off an earthquake. I've never been so ashamed of the President : Trump is a contemptible coward. Finally, I've seen Trump as the first-class a-hole he has always been.
    1
  14364. Why does France promote capitulation ? Why did Macron declare French neutrality on TV ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  14365. No mention of Islamism and corruption. The largest party was Islamist, which is why the West were glad to see it go. Tunisia's judiciary were loyal to their own party and corrupt. Tunisia was a failure even before this mad President tried to become a despot.
    1
  14366.  @newjerseyyouth4853  Islamist parties require loyalty. It means public officials are not independent. The judiciary should belong to no party (or at least keep quiet about whom they vote for)
    1
  14367. Did Congress take into account that India has no moral compass ?
    1
  14368. Geez the hypocrisy. The yanks pay Boeing $1 billion a year for nothing : just for being in business. Because Boeing are strategic defence contractors.
    1
  14369. Judge the NON violence for yourself.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo8bEK1z1kA Thousands of youths backed by Hamas attempt an invasion of Israel. Burning tyres and firing catapults. It is hardly Gandi's non-violent civil resistance.
    1
  14370. Many years ago Eric Trump told a golf buddy, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". End of story. Trump has been laundering Russian money for decades. Incidentally Deutsche Bank have just been fined $600 million for money laundering. Do you know who Trump's European bankers are ? I'll let you guess.
    1
  14371. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    1
  14372. Yasser Arafat always put himself first (to stay in power) Abbas is putting himself first (protesters are calling for his ouster, that's why he has returned, he admits it himself) Palestinian leaders always put themselves first
    1
  14373. I said that ages ago. As soon as Trump said she'd be used to get a trade deal the Canadians should have released her.
    1
  14374. 11:13 There were 3 Hussein brothers - a) One remains as sheriff of Mecca (Hashemite kingdom) b) One gets Iraq (Faisal) c) the lazy one gets Jordan Ironically the two dynamic brothers fail, and the lazy sybarite has his descendants ruling Jordan today Write your own moral
    1
  14375. The legacy of the Caliphate : despotism and illiteracy.
    1
  14376. Compare Putin and Napoleon III (1870) "By 1867 French hegemony was at an end." "France felt intolerably humiliated." "The Empire was an infatuation." "War was made into a blend of the circus, the tournament and the quest" Putin during Covid lockdown channeled a quixotic ideal. France collapsed in 1870 and Russia may collapse this year.
    1
  14377.  @Illawong  I hope Germany pulls its weight. Their statesmen (persons) seem far too respectful and friendly towards the Kremlin. Liz Truss went there : never cracked a smile, glared at Lavrov and watched him shiver in his shoes. Lavrov then impressed upon the Kremlin the need to ban her from Russia for life (which they did).
    1
  14378.  @blintzkreig1638  The UN called it "An evil war" Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  14379. Genocide ? There is a UN approved ceasefire deal, accepted by Israel and refused by Hamas How is that genocide ? It is Hamas holding hostages and refusing a UN ceasefire deal
    1
  14380. Irony is quality Russia has always gone big on. Stalin is the "Father of the nation" : having extirpated a 1/5th of the people. Patriarch Kiril is the ungodly, Rolex-watch-wearing pontiff : Glasnost files exposed him as a KGB agent, informing on his cleric and parishioners. The Moscow Police were christened "The werewolves within" during the 1990s that was after their rampage of rape and murder on the population they were supposed to protect. Irony is part of Russian culture.
    1
  14381.  @ok_laptop7963  , I'll gladly explain. The people should hold their leaders accountable not worship them. Look at the Perons in Argentina : they were worshipped and were 100% corrupt. In Egypt the military are idolised and yet utterly fail their country in every operation whilst filching 25% of the GDP. In Pakistan the military are idolised and do the same. It's why central & south America are failures and the North is a success. In the North they believed in representative assemblies , whereas the South believed in royal and religious absolutism.
    1
  14382. The Ottoman Sultan is the kind of guy who will load two trunks with jewels then climb into a British ambulance and flee. (1922) The Ottoman Caliph is the type of guy who will accept £2000 and jump on a train to Switzerland, only to find he can't cross the border because he has too many wives. The Ottoman Ulema were the kind of conservative religious guys who will ban printing (1515) and condemn poor folk in the Sultanate to illiteracy and backwardness. Yasser Arafat was the kind of guy, who would rule as a despot for 40yrs and steal $3 billion, at one time sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month.
    1
  14383.  @georgezee5173  Good point. Actually I suspect many of the MEPs who voted to withdraw immunity did so because of the precedent it would set, not necessarily for separatists, but in general : it would enable elected MEPs to stand outside the law (I'm thinking of corrupt ones from Eastern Europe). Most MEPs quietly condemn Spain's handling of the Catalan crisis.
    1
  14384. @Tortuga González García , Spain's trouble stems from (1625) :- "in 1625 Olivares had advised the king in a secret memorandum to “secretly plan and work to reduce these kingdoms of which Spain is composed to the style and laws of Castile.” This produced rebellion in Portugal and Catalonia (1640). The other kingdoms didn't want to be part of Castile.
    1
  14385. @Tortuga González García , (correct me if I'm wrong) The Catalonia revolt (1640) was crushed but they still remained autonomous. The Habsburg monarchy ended in (1700) and in the ensuing war (Spanish Succession) Catalonia threw their lot in with France. France were desperate for peace, so Catalonia was handed back to Spain. Spain then did okay under the Bourbon monarchy (obsessed with Italy - Naples Sicily). Then Napoleon installed his brother Joseph as king. After which Spain was divided between royalist and republican for the next two centuries.
    1
  14386. @Tortuga González García I've enjoyed reading your comments. French Catalonia was during the first revolt " In 1640 the Castilian government was faced with a major rebellion in Catalonia in the north-east. The region revolted and, placing itself under French protection, was not fully reclaimed until 1659. " Never heard of Maria Pita : an interesting episode. The Cuba incident (The Maine) was similar to the Gulf of Tonkin (1964) that started the Vietnam War. Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete heroic stand against overwhelming force, reminded me of the Ottomans at Sinope (1853) at the start of the Crimean War. A tiny fleet was slaughtered by a large Russian fleet in the Black Sea with 3000 Turks losing their lives. Not that we should have much sympathy for the Turks, considering they were slaughtering Armenians after Friday prayers : with a bugle call beginning and ending the carnage.
    1
  14387. LOL when were Gurus good ? When you can attend a college and learn science, math, history etc why in the name of superstitious bullshit would you want to listen to a rabid Guru ? LOL there's one born every minute.
    1
  14388. The US proposed a ceasefire which also criticized Hamas "rapes" The Muslim countries refused to vote for it
    1
  14389. Yamo, let's try looking at an example : Greece. After WW2 Greece benefited from the Marshall Plan and grew at an astonishing 7% for a decade. It was known as the Greek miracle. Subsequently, because of rotten corruption, cronyism ,an appalling bent tax system and scandalous mismanagement, they ran up incredible debts. The IMF & ECB stepped in and demanded fiscal reform. You can't point the finger at the banks for Greek failings. However I agree with the general tone of your argument : that Banking has become the lynch-pin of society and exerts an often malign influence.
    1
  14390. Yamo, you haven'y addressed the Greek example. The Banks didn't crash Greece : the Greeks experienced miracle growth partly thanks to banks lending them money to invest. The Greek collapse was mismanagement & corruption. When you speak generically it's easy to say it is all the banks but try looking at some examples and see if your rhetoric holds up.
    1
  14391. Good reporting - very emotive ; which is what the situation requires
    1
  14392. LOL this is simply Rupert Murdoch propaganda. Murdoch supports the Kremlin, everyone knows that.
    1
  14393. I think around half of Ottoman sultans died before they were 50. (Someone might care to find the actual figure). Erdoğan doesn't look well. He may not contest the next election in 2023.
    1
  14394. Simplex, he won that round did the corrupt gangster, I'll say that for him.
    1
  14395. But what Assange did was lazy. He dumped 2.5Gb of info into the lap of Russia, China and every anti-democratic, anti-human-rights country in the world. It included information about human rights protestors and informants. They all went down the pan. Just so lazy Assange can claim the credit for a scoop. Jimmy is right about war-crimes but the 2.5Gb should have been filtered to find crimes. Assange was too lazy. Too lazy and too egotistical to hand it to someone else to filter.
    1
  14396. Pedro, Fitzgerald is an expert in this field : he's thoroughly researched every reference and the context of the reference. If you aren't happy then point to expert refutations of his position. It may surprise you to know how many advances in science came from 'amateurs' in the field........the whole Industrial Revolution depended on them. It may also surprise you to learn how closed minded academia can be : Research the Rosenhan experiment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Rosenhan
    1
  14397. The Ayatollah has zero respect for the people, and feeds them non-stop bull.
    1
  14398. Don't do anything Biden. When push comes to shove, China are simply much weaker than the US and there's no likelihood of that changing this century.
    1
  14399. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov (1794 Prague massacre) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    1
  14400. She looks like a bag of nerves. How did she manage to negotiate when she has to take a deep breath before speaking to the press ? It's a wonder she didn't hand everything on a plate to the EU and leave us with a ligature round our necks that any country with and issue can tighten.
    1
  14401. Lavrov, Putin Gerasimov and Shoigu are the grandchildren of Genghis Khan. Asiatic Autocracy is clashing with Western Democracy. That is why conflict is inevitable.
    1
  14402. LOL Islamic countries never allow "female equality"
    1
  14403. Biden has good JUDGEMENT that's what counts Leave inane repartee to Trump
    1
  14404. Those guys and gals are hauling lead. Ride the High Country, Randolph Scott : "We're hauling lead not petticoats"
    1
  14405. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  14406. Myanmar supports Russia's invasion. The battle is between Democracy and Asiatic Autocracy. Between Western Civilization and the Axis of Evil (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar etc)
    1
  14407. Corruption and incompetence. Remember the "African Bank" ? It was looted by the ANC to such an extent it went bankrupt. The victims were the poor sods - the savers. The ANC have ruined S Africa.
    1
  14408. Killed in a HARD LANDING, how is that possible ?
    1
  14409. How sanguine is Trump about war with N Korea ? Well I'm not saying he'd jump at the chance but he certainly wouldn't need asking twice. For all sorts of reasons a) it would economically impact Asia and probably financially boost the U.S. b) it would enhance Trump (never far from his thoughts) c) He has little sympathy for the N Koreans (he wouldn't lose sleep).
    1
  14410. Lock her up.
    1
  14411.  @ЛеК-я6ж  Putin is the guy who thought he would defeat Ukraine in 3 days. Putin is a moron and a liar, everyone knows that.
    1
  14412.  @garyjohn3075  Don't trust Qatar - they fund Hamas
    1
  14413. "Compatible with democracy? " Israel have an admirable democracy. It is Palestine who have cancelled elections.
    1
  14414.  @Hayanomie  , I've replied to this once and Youtube removed it ?!? My reply said : Israel PM has a 4yr limit Oh, I know why they removed it. I then went on to mention examples of persecution : Bangladesh 1971 and the Turkish expulsion of Armenians . Those are "hot" topics which Youtube removes. I also mentioned that the 3rd largest party in the Knesset is Arab and challenged my interlocutor to name a Middle East country which has any minorities in their parliament (if they even have a parliament).
    1
  14415. LOL Marwan's wishful thinking Truth :- Israel is 100% key to US strategy in the middle east Without Israel the US has had a limb amputated Biden can do NOTHING Bibi knows that But obviously Bibi wants harmony not animosity
    1
  14416. Global warming : India will be uninhabitable (Let's hope Russia comes to the rescue, because the West will tell India to get stuffed !)
    1
  14417. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  14418. In February Scholz froze. Should he side with big business and Russia or support Ukraine ? Scholz still hasn't decided. That's why the Yanks bombed Nordstream (Germany is an extremely unreliable partner and a strategic weakness)
    1
  14419. Ban Al Jazeera - promoting terrorism Al Jazeera glorifies Hamas The West should ban this Qatar funded propaganda
    1
  14420. India is in for a shock. The US means business, it has :- a) Humbled Russia b) faced down Putin's nuclear threat c) demolished NordStream 1 and 2 e) and is remaking the 21st century. Saudi is not the only country in the cross-hairs.....India is too.
    1
  14421.  @celiaowen2444  I only said "similarities", I didn't say they are the same. Spain and Russia were peripheral to the Enlightenment, and (consequently) peripheral to the industrial revolution. In 1703 only seven books were published in the whole of Spain. Catholic Censors refused to allow any foreign books to enter the country : Spanish students were forbidden to study abroad. In Russia Censorship restricted access to Enlightened ideas. Russians could not study in Paris (which was too radical), but they could study in Prussia were they acquired German metaphysics (Hegel, Schelling ). Both Spain and Russia were very late industrialising - by consequence of their backwards development. I'm only drawing comparisons.
    1
  14422. NOT "Unknown to science" It didn't exist ! It crossed over to humans. So it only came into existence with the first infection.
    1
  14423. Iran's greatest weakness is closed-minded-thinking. They are incapable of stepping outside their crackpot religious thinking. The rational West fears Iran, whose leaders are eagerly anticipating Armageddon when their 12th Imam will appear. Iran's crackpots declare they will exterminate Israel and think the West should join them. Iran's inability to think rationally is its greatest weakness and will be the downfall of the crackpot Theocracy.
    1
  14424. I never noticed Trump get "would" and "wouldn't" confused. He only makes that mistake in the presence of Putin.  (When Trump's knees are knocking)
    1
  14425. Call Trump a dotard and he can't do enough for you.
    1
  14426. God bless Elon Musk.
    1
  14427. The Palestinians are failures Compare Estonia - occupied by Hitler then Stalin - tens of thousands murdered, raped and exiled But Estonia is now a world leader in the cyber world Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion Gulf oil money The PLO were enriching themselves whilst children crawled around with wooden rifles at school Palestinians are permanent corrupt failures : they are autocratic and superstitious and have only themselves to blame
    1
  14428. Quite bizarre. Putin is a complete headcase. The barbaric, savage invasion is killing thousands in Ukraine, and Putin is whining like an upset schoolboy.
    1
  14429. I've made a historical video on the failure of Spanish-America. For which I've been called a racist : even though it's primary comparison is between the Venice Republic and the Papal States. Synopsis : The Spanish leviathans of Church & State imposed a despotism which was accepted by the people. This segued into Military Dictatorship and the rest is history.
    1
  14430.  @juanguzman9031  , okay, you are thinking this is " Black Legend " (fake Spanish history to defame Spain ; which started many centuries ago as propaganda). Let me give you an example from Spain's records :- In 1639 before the Battle of the Downs, the fleet was assembled at La Coruna and short of men. They kidnapped 2000 men from the country-side and led them to port in chains with their wives and children wailing behind. The captains stayed indoors not want to be associated with it. The Harbour Master said it ruined his health for 3yrs. Why ? The Spanish wouldn't fight for Flanders. Why should they. It was a dynastic conquest for the Habsburg king (Philip IV). They also wouldn't fight for Spain ! Which is why Olivares desperately asked for 2000 professional Walloons to be sent to Spain to defend against the French. I could go on. Spain was not a good model of governance and it was transferred to the Americas.
    1
  14431.  @juanguzman9031  , fair point and I think we are talking at cross purposes. You are analysing much more recent history ," The main reason I think this way is that in democratic countries ". What I'm saying is that by the time Spanish-American countries had achieved democracy the damage was done. The destitution of Spain in the C16th and C17th and the apathy of the people. Arbitristas (economists) testified to it : they were so heavily taxed they did enough to survive and no more. Any wealth acquired vanished when the King devalued the currency to clear his debts. On occasion Spanish folk were reduced to barter because nobody would take junk currency and wouldn't spend quality currency. One traveller reported there wasn't a gold coin to be found in Spain
    1
  14432.  @HusseinDoha  , a very fair and well-informed comment. "Spanish-America" is every country with Iberian culture. What is Iberian culture ? A land-owning elite and mega-powerful Church. The elite dominate any representative government and the Church dominate education and culture. "North America" is any country dominated by free-thinking and obsessed with free-trade, representative governance and avoidance of tyranny. The Hacienda dominated Spanish America in symbiosis with the Church. Consider the intellectual climate : in the North you had Tom Paine and Benjamin Franklin. In the South Juan Alberdi - who said "Let us be catholic as our fathers were, as is proper to our race". The Catholic tyranny which opposed every step of progress is endorsed by the radical ! The Spanish Inquisition only stopped torture in 1820. In England nobody was tortured after 1688 (Glorious Revolution). You must be able to see there are two totally different cultures : one liberal and progressive pushing representative government , the other dominated by the Leviathans of Church and Elite.
    1
  14433.  @HusseinDoha  , here's another example of different cultures :- a) Wallenstein's Friedland was magnificently organised with breweries, butteries, forges, colleges etc. He decreed that beggars should be given a bath and clean clothes and a paid job or if infirm be cared for in an almshouse. When he was assassinated by Catholic Ferdinand II his policy was reversed : beggars proliferated. Why ? b) Catholic policy decreed begging to be part of life and salvation to be partly attained by charity to the poor. Catholics opposed state poor relief because it denied individuals the opportunity to display largess. Wallenstein wasn't an altruist or philanthropist , just a managerial genius : he recognised folks worked better if they were healthy and educated. Roads and bridges were repaired for efficiency and farms improved. The Church takes money in tithes and then distributes some of it. In England the Valor Ecclesiasticus showed they distribute approximately 5% of what they take in. The Catholic Church was a huge impediment to progress and was embraced throughout Spanish-America.
    1
  14434.  @HusseinDoha  , by the 1820s the die was already cast. The institutions and culture were almost totally Spanish. By 1700 Spain had ceased to function. The Habsburg monarchs got progressively worse : ending with the disabled Charles II. By that stage the Spanish Grandees were simply extracting as much as they could for themselves. Offices were created to employ family members and salaries doubled. Nepotism, factionalism and corruption ruled. Compare England : they had a series of lousy kings - the Stuarts.....James I ran the country down with degeneracy ; followed by his son Charles I. But now the country had had enough and rebelled (Civil war). Charles II returned 1660 and then his brother James II was once again kicked out (1688) for William III. This never happened in Spain because the Grandees always fought each other to maximise their slice of the cake. That culture was transferred to America. By the 1820s Spanish-American culture was already established. Spanish-American grandees fought against Spain for independence precisely because they wanted a bigger slice of the cake. It was the land-owning grandees who claimed independence from Spain , not a democratic parliament. In Spain under Charles II 1661-1700(40yrs) the Castilian Cortes (parliament) never met once ! Spain had no history of functioning representative-assemblies. North America was the exact opposite.
    1
  14435.  @HusseinDoha  , let me give an example which is instructive :- In around 1690 there was a Spanish merchant whose principle export was soap. One year along comes a French merchant and buys up all the soap in Spain. The Spanish merchant is now struggling looking for other things to export. This is the story of Spain. The Dutch , English & French had their own ships and warehouses in Cadiz and access to huge finances : the Spanish couldn't compete. When did they miss the boat ? Back in the C16th after they colonised the Americas : silver was a curse. It's not just historians looking back who say this, Arbitristas (economists) at the time said, "Silver just causes high inflation and prevents us manufacturing anything" You're talking about 1820 : the die was cast centuries before then. You have to analyse the whole history. Philip II destroyed the colonialists olive groves because they had to be totally dependent on Spain (Castile). The Church was ultra conservative and opposed anything that hinted of independence or Liberalism and Democracy. The Church had a stranglehold on education (amongst other things).
    1
  14436. ...and while you're prosecuting those Republicans perhaps we could finally investigate Hillary. I don't mean by a Democrat lackey like Comey ; a guy who alters the definition of mishandling intelligence to include "intent", a guy who goes against recommendations from his investigators, a guy who drafts an exoneration statement months before the investigation is concluded, I mean a proper, Mueller type investigation.
    1
  14437. CNN reporters arrested by the Police : the definition of Trumpism.
    1
  14438. Well done : appeal to Israel, the wives and family have appealed to China ; "Humanity is a duty", let's hope someone heeds the call.
    1
  14439.  @trainrideph1109  No hope of any humanity from Putin. In a phone call with Macron, Putin joked about "raping" Ukraine. It surprised nobody : Putin had previously said "Russia has the best prostitutes in the world". And when Israeli PM Ehud Olmert was convicted of rape, Putin said he admired him. Putin is a depraved KGB thug.
    1
  14440. 21:24 CET: Polish radio station PolskieRadio24 reports: "A witness to the event, who called Polish Radio 3 before 5:00 p.m., reported that two rockets flew over the village. - One exploded in the field, the other hit the corn cart next to my neighbors in Przewodów - he said."
    1
  14441.  @saiteja7377  In 1815 Tsar Alexander formed a Holy Alliance with Prussia (whom he had preserved at Tilsit in 1807) and Austria. The purpose was to secure Autocracy across Europe. IN 1820 Spanish officers deposed their king and announced the Triennio Liberal Republic. Alexander I raised an army of 150k and threatened to march across Europe to reinstate King Ferdinand VII. This horrified Europe and forced France to send an army and crush the new Spanish republic. This pattern of Russian domination continued throughout the 19th century. In 1849 Russia crushed the Hungarian republic. Lewis Namier "Liberals across Europe hated Russia" during the 1848 Revolutions. Russia has always crushed liberty. That is why Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  14442. @M R R "Russia kicked out Jesuits in 1700s" The Jesuits were kicked out everywhere :- FALL OF THE JESUITS Portugal started in 1759 property confiscated and expelled. France 1764 dissolved and members expelled Paraguay Jesuit mission state......reduced by force of prayer to total obedience. West Indies Jesuits prosperous trading company until 7trs war bankrupted them Clement XIII gave them refuge but died in 1769 Austria 1773 expels Clement XIV By the brief Dominus ac Redemptor (21 July 1773) Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society of Jesus, as a fait accompli. Spain 1767 expelled from Spain and the Empire property confiscated Parma and Naples 1767 Charles III denounced the Society as opposed to public interest. The Russian Orthodox Church never experienced a Reformation, which may explain why Russia never experienced the Enlightenment : religiously and culturally, Russia remains medieval.
    1
  14443.  @kamoteph273  The terrible truth : The Russian people know their army is responsible for atrocities, and they don't care.
    1
  14444. Yassine, imagine you are an alien come to Earth. You'd see two groups fighting for some land. You'd have seen the same in Africa during the Bantu expansion a few hundred years ago. It's been going on since humans evolved. The Arabs spread Islam at the point of a sword in the 7&8th C. It is what humans have always done.
    1
  14445. Great news for NATO Russians must remain calm as they are defeated, and watching ineffectual strikes on Ukrainian civilians is just the ticket. These strikes are a palliative which prevent an hysterical Kremlin response to defeat (nuclear)
    1
  14446. cj, why wouldn't pro-government supporters speak to Al-Jazeera ? They actually said to Al-Jazeera, "We might say the wrong thing ". If you call that a free society you must be an Islamofascist yourself.
    1
  14447.  @GIANNHSPEIRAIAS  , you are an example of a fool who believes just what he wants to believe. You haven't researched it and are talking out of your @rse.
    1
  14448.  @wiymmf  , no conspiracy : it was caused by welding work being carried out on the warehouse roof. Hezbollah control the port : a fact not "a theory". If ammonia nitrate is stored for 6yrs it is done so with Hezbollah's cognisance : another fact. Where are the tinfoil hat theories ?
    1
  14449.  @wiymmf  , Jeez nobody said Hezbollah did it deliberately. It was 100% an accident caused by roof welding on the warehouse. Are you deliberately misunderstanding me ? Hezbollah were directly responsible for the storage of 2750 tons of ammonia nitrate : they control the Port. Many times the safety issue was raised and over-ruled. As to Hezbollah's motives for wanting to hang on to 2750 tons of explosive oxidant, you would have to ask them.
    1
  14450. Russia is preparing to use biological or chemical weapons. Russia wants NATO to react. Putin can then resent the war as Russia against NATO. PS (Shame on India)
    1
  14451. No taxation without representation. (US war of independence).
    1
  14452. LOL "The witnesses are NOT forensic experts so can't determine systematic rape" LOL This is what Liberal Ideals have come to You should be ashamed What a lot of Liberal pro-Hamas propaganda
    1
  14453. I hope China stop selling rare-earths to the US. I want this to escalate. If the West doesn't stop China soon we will all be under the jackboot of the murderous CCP (Chinese Communist Party) thugs.
    1
  14454. Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown.
    1
  14455.  @Abraham_Tsfaye  A fair point. But after one election in Zimbabwe, they asked a lady why she'd voted for the despot Mugabe, and she said, "Because he has the experience." Inflation was then at 2000% But they still elect him ?
    1
  14456. @S E P True. But he was a despot. He gave the "War veterans" successful, productive farms. Do you know what they did ? Beat up the farm-workers who had "worked for the white-man" ; then they got some booze in and turned the farms into brothels. Zimbabwe was the bread basket of Africa, and ZANU-pf turned it into a basket-case.
    1
  14457. Abiy Ahmed claims he won 97% of the vote (obviously it was rigged) He has now divided his country, and is slowing going insane.
    1
  14458. Gosh, a chap who is bisexual, homosexual and also Islamofascist..... .....and for his next trick......
    1
  14459. It sure looks like Hezbollah.
    1
  14460. G7 vows to hold Putin ‘to account’ That is why Macron went on French TV to declare it would not respond to a Russian nuclear strike on Ukraine. Macron objected to the G7 statement and like a spiteful child retaliated by breaking ranks with NATO
    1
  14461. Great Video. Some excellent significant statistics and good analysis. Here's an idea : why not take all the young people and stick them in the Army for 3yrs so they can be physically and sexually assaulted by drunken savages. Also, you can use those young people as prostitutes to provide bonus payments to officers :- http://www.pravdareport.com/society/stories/15-02-2007/87441-army_prostitute-0/
    1
  14462. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
    1
  14463. Good thumbnail. I'm looking forward to "Childhood traumas", I like a good yarn.
    1
  14464. This young lady cries, and yet the liberal media condemn Biden for saying, "Putin must go". Biden also called the Ukrainian slaughter "Tienanmen Square squared" For God's sake, support Biden.
    1
  14465. Cicero it' you again. What are you suggesting now with that sarcasm ? You're saying since we abandoned Crimea to the corrupt one-party Mafia state of Putin , then we should also abandon Catalonia which has behaved democratically and peacefully while the Spanish Police beat, kicked, dragged girls by the hair, sexually assaulted girls, threw old ladies down steps and stomped on people.
    1
  14466. 31Knots is laugh at Dr Maxi for talking daft.
    1
  14467. Hunter could become his family's 'sacrificial turd' to protect Joe Biden
    1
  14468. How can anyone not love this ?
    1
  14469. This is an uplifting video : "The Industrial Revolution why Britain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PsZmnVqqQ England benefitted greatly from the Dutch Connection ( see my Charles I, Charles II and William III trilogy)
    1
  14470. Iran wants the US to respond militarily. Their economy is a wreck. The chaos of military action suits them. The US will just tighten sanctions.
    1
  14471. Marvellous
    1
  14472. That's a very astute observation, could you elaborate ?
    1
  14473. Russia will pay for this :- a) reparations, deducted from Russia's seized assets ($300 billion) b) war crimes : a criminal prosecution is inevitable c) for the next century, Russia will be classed as a barbaric pariah. d) Russia will lose the war, and be impoverished culturally, technologically, and financially for generations.
    1
  14474. Hezbollah. Look no further. Iran's Hezbollah occupy the finance ministry and refuse to move.
    1
  14475. ​ @brianporter9508  After the collapse of the USSR (1991) Russia became like gangs of New York : it was a gangster-ocracy. The Moscow Police went on a crime spree - robbing, raping and killing. One member of the Duma described them as "The werewolves within" Read Svetlana Alexievich Nobel Prize winner One Moscow policeman famously raped and killed 81 women. Watch the Moscow police beating protests - they are savages in uniform.
    1
  14476. This is the decisive battle for the 21st century. It is the clash of Asiatic Autocracy (China & Russia) against Western Democracy. And don't say Russia isn't Asiatic - it was ruled by Mongols for 250yrs, till 1487. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" The Russian Orthodox Church is wholly medieval - Patriarch Kiril is a rolex-watch-wearing agent for the FSB and formerly informed on his parishioners to the KGB. Russia is entirely Asiatic, and despotic, just like China.
    1
  14477. The US is sitting on Syria's oil wealth. The US calls the shots in Syria and Trump is handing it to Turkey, Russia and Iran.
    1
  14478. "Heads will roll" - well done Israel for putting your hand up and admitting a tragic mistake It was right to notify the charity and relevant countries first Israel is clearly acting in a responsible, transparent manner Well done Israel
    1
  14479. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  14480. Mrs Romney didn't mind. She is Trumps peer there is no power relationship here. She just laughed it off.
    1
  14481. Aaron, I agree Trump is a disgrace for many reasons. But this isn't one of them. Mrs Romney is part of his milieu and deals with it by simply shivering her posterior . Evan Fields, has studied the mechanics of this ass grab for which we all thank him. Conclusion : this is a cocktail-party piece of audacity that everyone enjoys
    1
  14482. I hope IRAN is invaded or at least bombed into submission. It is an Islamofascist state and has just used it's ARMY to kill its own citizens who protested against Islamic theocratic dictators. There is clearly a huge portion of the population wants to see the regime brought down. Saudi, Israel and USA will have watched these events and will use them to justify an attack. I hope its successful.
    1
  14483. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  14484.  @orrrlllyy3473  You must be a barbarian Orc
    1
  14485.  @briancharters8720  All the war-crimes have been committed by Russia - check with the UN and International Court. I believe there are 20,000 cases pending.
    1
  14486. Wow, the $hit has just hit the fan.
    1
  14487. The worm turns
    1
  14488.  @luisodriozola79  Yes, unfortunately. Ukraine must strike long-range and degrade Russia's army. The West is supplying more air defence. Ukraine can use Brimstone missiles, which are astonishingly accurate (and deadly)
    1
  14489.  @luisodriozola79  Ask yourself, "Where is Russia's Black Sea fleet ?" It daren't leave Sevastopol. The flagship is sunk, many other ships and landing craft are sunk. The Russian navy is skulking, fearful of being sunk too. That looks a lot like defeat.
    1
  14490.  @luisodriozola79  Russia is using munitions at an unsustainable rate... "Satellite images revealed that much of the military equipment at Russia's Alakurtti military base near the Finnish border has been emptied" "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD "Russian troops have fired 2,503 missiles against Ukraine since the beginning " Even a child knows Russia is simply running out of weapons. In April the Pentagon met with defence industry CEOs. "To open new production lines". Russia is finished : Ukraine can keep fighting indefinitely, with superior, more accurate weapons.
    1
  14491.  @luisodriozola79  Keep watching, it won't be Russia's first defeat. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  14492. Hamas release all hostages and go into exile - the war ends 1970 PLO kicked out of Jordan 1982 PLO kicked out of Lebanon There is a precedent for exile, it's happened before
    1
  14493. The protesters are brave. Because Iran are totally brutal Islamofascist thugs. They usually call in Hezbollah to torture & kill unarmed protesters. Hezbollah are Islamofascist thugs who will kill anyone who doesn't follow their ideology.
    1
  14494.  @lexluong8155  Russian savagery is being investigated by the UN, Amnesty International, the International Criminal Court, the European Union , the FBI, and the Ukrainian Justice Minister. Latest figures, ~1,000 bodies recovered (in Bucha Raion) including 31 children (per local authorities) ~50 unlawful civilian killings documented by OHCHR as of 9 April (not an estimate of total deaths) 270 civilians buried. Also, one can simply watch videos of Russians shooting civilians, they are all over YouTube.
    1
  14495.  @wutfacewutface7343  YouTube has a video of a chap emerging from the family car, arms raised, and being murdered. His wife and daughter are then taken by the Russian military. Thankfully not raped or tortured. They were allowed to escape to the West.
    1
  14496.  @lexluong8155  There are "several hundred" Russian suspects so far identified. "In late March, prior to the Russian retreat from Kyiv, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova stated that Ukrainian prosecutors had collected evidence of 2,500 suspected cases of war crimes committed by Russia during the invasion and had identified "several hundred suspects".
    1
  14497.  @wutfacewutface7343  There are literally dozens if you search for "Civilians killed by Russian soldiers" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdGQVnyCn1k
    1
  14498. Putin has put Russia on "High Nuclear Alert" If Russia attacks the USA, then the USA will retaliate. But also China will take both barrels. A devastated USA cannot leave China intact. Xi should be aware of this whilst he's backing Putin. The US has phenomenal firepower in nuclear armed submarines : they would turn China into a wasteland.
    1
  14499.  @corey8420  Of course The Axis of Evil have a good friend in China. Tyrants and dictators look to China. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  14500. Putin is doing a de Gaulle (1958) Algeria Russia is pulling out (Xi's Peace Deal) Putin is reassuring the residents
    1
  14501. The West MUST play to its strengths : blockade China is doomed by blockade by AUKUS If the West is unable to do that because it would shoot itself in the foot Then we've thrown away our trump card
    1
  14502. Feb 2022 Germany blocked : a) RAF weapons b) 3rd party transfers (Estonia howitzers) c) direct sales They sent 5000 tin-hats Boris : "Germany wanted a quick victory for Russia" With friends like that, who needs enemies ?
    1
  14503. Macron : "The EU shouldn't gang up on China with the US"
    1
  14504. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ? A long history of selfishness, moral abnegation, and national priority.
    1
  14505. Peace & prosperity mean nothing to Russia. Russia celebrates death & destruction on Victory Day. Russia didn't liberate Europe in 1945, it imprisoned Eastern Europe, and introduced the Gulags and Stalin's terror.
    1
  14506. 0:35 UK Palestinian Mission Ask him why Palestinians have no democracy.
    1
  14507.  @RR-wk9zi  "Israel is not a democracy" But the 3rd largest party in the Knesset is Arab. Compared with other (Muslim) countries, that is a commendable achievement in the Middle East.
    1
  14508. A genuine tank on tank Orc tupping.
    1
  14509. What an awful dilemma for the UN For once they are going to have to act. They will accept the Junta representative : it's a no-brainer, the UN always do the cowardly thing.
    1
  14510. @None of your Business , Well Turkey are in power in Northern Cyprus, but nobody recognizes their legitimacy. Russia is in Power in Crimea, but all civilized countries are imposing sanctions. There are many examples where de facto fails to become de jure. (By fact fails to become by law).
    1
  14511. Russia's list of unfriendly nations :- (don't worry India you're not on it) only brave nations, that defend civilized values. United States Canada the EU states UK (including Jersey Anguilla British Virgin Islands Gibraltar Ukraine Montenegro Switzerland Albania Andorra Iceland Liechtenstein Monaco Norway San Marino North Macedonia Japan South Korea Australia Micronesia New Zealand Singapore Taiwan (considered a territory of China, but ruled by its own administration since 1949)
    1
  14512. He isn't saying "Re-conquest" he's saying Reconquista. Watch my video and you will see the significance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad8Gg73AnUs&t=3s
    1
  14513. The artillery chap appears to be wearing slippers (having removed muddy boots) They look like very comfortable "mules".
    1
  14514. Eurovision - Israel wins the popular vote In UK Israel easily won hands down The ordinary people support ISRAEL not Hamas You Al Jazeera folk are living in a dream world
    1
  14515. "Holodomor famine" ? That was genocide. Its purpose was to punish Ukrainians who resisted collective farms. Stalin killed 10 million Ukrainians with his genocidal famine (1930s)
    1
  14516. Russian "mobilis" have shot their officer and surrendered. This is NOT a rumour : it's inevitable.
    1
  14517. Wink : they can always be unleashed when the Russians invade.
    1
  14518. LOL Palestinians have finally found an ally - dumb teenagers LOL the PLO and teenage morons, what a combination This can only mean one thing - 75yrs of failure will soon be success LOL
    1
  14519. A Russian referendum is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400k serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  14520.  @jimdemetri8168  I'm afraid I don't know very much about that. Maybe they assumed it would all be resolved by negotiation over a few months ?
    1
  14521.  @karan257  Very interesting comment. But you forget that Putin is a KGB thus, and that the Kremlin is full of gangsters. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  14522.  @jimdemetri8168  Which US invasion are you referring to :- a) Afghan Taliban - they would use football stadiums as torture theatres. Women were stoned, prisoners tortured and executed. b) Saddam and his psycho sons :- the depravity of their crimes cannot be related in public : they were savages. c) Libya :: Gaddafi's police would arrest folk at night. How do we know ? Because the mass graves were full of folk wearing pyjamas.
    1
  14523.  @karan257  My reply was to your comment (not to my initial comment). If you'll permit me, I'll finish with a history lesson for you :- One Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf-girls - Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow, he was exiled to Siberia. Serf girls were advertised as "having a pretty face and attractive figure". The Russian nobles were no better than ISIS with Yazidi girls. The KGB, in an internal memo, referred to themselves as "the new nobility" which gives us a significant insight into their mentality. Stalin's intelligence chief, 'Beria', was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he ordered them to. Russia's culture encourages their soldiers to behave like barbarians : Squalor is the first thing one notices about Russian army camps. General Suvurov is a Russian national hero. He was famous for the massacre at Ismail (1790) and the massacre at Praga (1794). Suvorov was popular : he lived and ate with the men. British liaison officers visited Suvorov and reported that he lived in squalor, eating 'cattle cake' and drinking vodka, surrounded by filth. His greatness lay in his ability to motivate the Russian peasants into brutal bayonet charges. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a good lad", was Suvorov's maxim. Russia continues the tradition of brutalizing conscripts, then unleashing them on civilians.
    1
  14524. Chloe, gosh have you really. Don't you see Lindsey Graham in the same vein as Rudy Giuliani ? Neither of them can stay away from a camera. Remember Giuliani's telephone call at the NRA, what a laugh : they're both a couple of @-holes.
    1
  14525. Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated" The Kremlin are liars. Putin wrote an essay in August 2021, in which he stated, "Ukraine is a faux country, it has always been part of Russia". NATO and Nazis are red-herrings, Putin's goal is to re-establish Russian Imperialism.
    1
  14526. LOL 1:14 "Besides Russia the countries most often targeted are Iran and North Korea" Why not say 'The Axis of Evil' and throw China into the mix. And Turkey, Venezuela, Belarus and all those other anti-democratic dictatorships.
    1
  14527. "The international community in in Haiti to steal its natural resources" - Haiti has an agricultural economy. Over half of the world's vetiver oil (an essential oil used in high-end perfumes) comes from Haiti. Bananas, cocoa, and mangoes are important export crops Mangoes : that's what they are there to steal ! A likely story This guy is part of the gang that has been excluded from power It's all about corruption in Hatai (ignore this joke professor clown)
    1
  14528. UN sued for complicity in massacre UNRWA staff participated in the massacre on 7 Oct The UN paid their workers to kill Jews Then Guterres defended Hamas UN to be sued !
    1
  14529. The tip of a Canadian iceberg : check sexual misconduct against women police, racism and the disappearance of Canadians.
    1
  14530.  @ans7031  St Francis saved the citizens from a wolf, by agreeing to give it regular meals, "Give me your paw", said St Francis. Macron needs to go to the Kremlin and ask Putin to stop terrorizing his neighbours, by agreeing generous gas-payments. "Give me your paw", Macron will say, as they sign the deal.
    1
  14531. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
    1
  14532. I'm a Trump supporter but I have to say the latest about Cohen and Russian cash and the whole caboodle.......there might be something to this.
    1
  14533. Trump was in MBS's pocket. Remember the murder in the Saudi embassy ? Trump said "It could be a rogue operation" This is after a phone call from MBS telling him what to say.
    1
  14534.  @blardymunggas6884  Well then why do all China's neighbours fear and hate China ? Mongolia fears & hates China. Tibet fears and hates China Xinjiang province likewise Taiwan likewise etc etc China spreads despotism
    1
  14535.  @Jdjdbxdj  Correct China doesn't need to invade - Russia will disintegrate. Economic gravity will pull eastern Russia into China's orbit.
    1
  14536. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug.
    1
  14537. Corruption :- introduce an amnesty for the party that informs. So if the politician confesses the business executives go to jail and have to pay huge fines. If they executives confess they get amnesty and the politician goes to jail. It's what the US do in monopoly cases.
    1
  14538. Daryl Metcalfe (R) : I'll bet any money he likes to watch men wrestling....and he'll enjoy mercenary war movies......and he'll be a gun buff enjoying sniper-movies. In other words he's as gay as a window.
    1
  14539.  @daniels1263  The Russian war crimes are being investigated by the ICC, the EU, the Ukrainians and Amnesty International. Russian POWs are interviewed on YouTube. You can find the information everywhere. Butchers of Bucha = Russian Airborne Forces. 76th Guards Air Assault Division. 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment. 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment. 56th Guards Air Assault Regiment. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    1
  14540. LOL, I've been saying this for years - Fatah are anti-democratic thugs, Hamas are religious fascists thugs. The Palestinian people need genuine civilized democracy, not corrupt gangsters and jihadist fascists.
    1
  14541. @Pho-King Soup LOL who can forget the Polish Mig fiasco.
    1
  14542. If it goes back decades it will show the Arabs were genocidal towards Jews a) 1929 - Arabs massacred Jews killing 133 The British then killed 110 Arabs b) Arabs intended to "Drive the Jews into the sea" : that is genocide c) Arabs refuse 1948 2 state solution d) Arabs attack the Jews causing the first Arab Israeli war e) 1967 Arabs attack Israel again (6 Day war) f) Arabs attack Israel again 1973 (Yom Kippur war) Israel is the victim of Arab aggression There has NEVER been a Palestinian state When the Ottomans collapsed 1922 Palestinians looked to Damascus They then looked to Cairo (Arab League) Only in 1988 did Palestine declare itself a state
    1
  14543. Hamas has corrupted the West If they can't condemn rapes and murders then what's left ?
    1
  14544.  @piperafrica1150  Fair point. Only bad news sells, that's why the media are 'fixated' on it. And me, I suppose I'm fixated. I always remember a lady being asked why she voted for Mugabe (Zanu-pf) and replying "because he has the experience". Inflation in Zimbabwe was 2000% at the time and the country had gone from the bread-basket of Africa to total dependence on foreign food donations, I just felt that summed up Africa. I never hear anything nice.
    1
  14545. "Software upgrades" LOL the Germans specialize in those. Get ready for crooked data coming your way.
    1
  14546. Former NATO commander general Wesley Clarke is incandescent at President Biden's cowardly approach. Trump would've called Putin's bluff. When a $hithole country like Russia is in a bankrupt quagmire, one doesn't treat it with courtesy. Simply supply defensive Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
    1
  14547.  @lbu9542  I'm British, but I read this on Wikipedia and realised that Abiy Ahmed is mad. He has abviously a ddeep hatred, which has coloured all his judgements, and will result in Ethiopia's devastation. In a speech to assembled Ethiopian ambassadors in January 2019, Abiy Ahmed made a prescient remark regarding sexual violence in war. Alluding to the role of soldiers during the battle of Adua in 1896 and later, during the Eritrean war, Abiy said: “This hasn't been researched, but it's obvious. From the battle of Adwa during the time of Menelik, to the later wars, many people from central Ethiopia – Oromos, Amharas – have been going to Tigray to fight. They were there for the war with Eritrea, and there's been a military presence in Tigray for the 30 years since. So, if you're wondering what the proportion of Oromo in Tigray is, leave it for DNA to find out. [Hilarity in the audience] It's probably wrong to say this, but: those who went to Adwa, to fight, didn't just go and come back. Each of them had about 10 kids.” [Loud laughter of the audience and applause].[130] Jan Nyssen and colleagues consider this as “an open acknowledgement, even an endorsement, of military tactics and strategy that holds, as its central pillar, the use of rape in war” UN report :- "Nearly a quarter of reports received by one agency involve gang rape, with multiple men assaulting the victim; in some cases, women have been repeatedly raped over a period of days. Girls as young as eight are being targeted," Lowcock said. In June 2021, representatives from multiple countries called for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Abiy to be re-considered because of the war crimes committed in Tigray.[111][112] In an opinion piece, Simon Tisdall, one-time foreign editor of The Guardian, wrote that Abiy "should hand back his Nobel Peace Prize over his actions in the breakaway region".[1
    1
  14548.  @emnet4947  The U.S. doesn't think it's silly : they are considering sanctions. Also, the EU don't think it silly : they believe Abiy Ahmed committed war crimes.
    1
  14549. You are kidding. This is toe-curling embarrassing. The impersonation is good but it's college-boy profanity. Where is the satire, the subtlety , the humour ?
    1
  14550.  @Woke365  , I like Jimmy Dore and Ron Placone and the miserable liberal. But this sketch makes me sweat : it's painful to watch : even Jimmy is embarrassed and halfway through says, "we'll talk later" because he knows it's bombing.
    1
  14551. LOL "defeat" The Lunatic Left support Moscow and Islamism They live in a dream world
    1
  14552. What poetical nonsense. You should be taking up her fight and posting a damning indictment of the corrupt Maltese establishment.
    1
  14553. No not really. I was just incensed and wanting to read condemnation of those responsible (the corrupt Maltese government). When I saw what you'd written it made me despair.
    1
  14554. "Bade-Baden Germany's most Russian town" that is DW's latest video ! What is the thinking behind this Kremlin pleasing title ? Has Germany no shame ? They have already sabotaged the war-effort by denying airspace to RAF planes, and vetoing Lithuania's transfer of a 155mm howitzer. Germany has one foot in Moscow's camp, desiring a return to the status quo ante bellum.
    1
  14555. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    1
  14556. Abiya is wanted for war-crimes in the Hague, and the rebels are closing in on the capital. I think the PM has mishandled this : he overplayed his hand. Also, his genocidal policy of massacre and rape has backfired.
    1
  14557.  @tsegem1  The facts are these :- a) The president Ayia cancelled elections, so the people of Tigray held their own election. b) the President decided that holding an election was justification to start a civil war, so he sent in the military, who began genocidal massacre and rape. c) the Tigray region then went into full scale counter-attack.
    1
  14558.  @tony001212  Correct. The PM Abiy cancelled all elections, so the Tigray region held its own election. The PM decided this was a justification for war :- He sent the military into Tigray where they began a genocidal campaign of massacre and rape.
    1
  14559.  @aytal1  I'm no apologist for the TPLF, I'm sure they are corrupt and oppressive, but by any standard Abiya (PM) has handled this appallingly. The cherry on the cake is Abiya attacking the US.......whilst his capital is about to fall to rebels. I mean, just how badly has Abiya played his cards, and could he have done any worse ?
    1
  14560. What a tragedy, he was an excellent lecturer and seemed like a very affable bloke.
    1
  14561. Thank Allah that Kashmir is not like Bangladesh :- " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. She states she was tortured and was five months pregnant when she returned to her home. "
    1
  14562. ..........meanwhile, the Russian army are getting dog food. It has been relabelled as military beef.
    1
  14563. Notice Hamas never fire rockets from close to their own homes. Hamas rule Gaza like feudal warlords : there is no justice in Gaza If a Hamas official assaults someone there is nobody for the victim to appeal to : Hamas are the anti-democratic, psychotic, fascist dictators.
    1
  14564. A former member of the PLO She must have witnessed some corruption, I bet she could tell some tales Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion over 30 years He was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month (That's one helluva shopping allowance)
    1
  14565. WHO is pro-China and pro-Hamas They also support Moscow The WHO is essentially infiltrated by the Axis of Evil
    1
  14566. France 24 is running with Russian propaganda : "Suppressing terrorism" they report, " Russia has sent in troops to combat foreign influence"
    1
  14567. Al Jazeera = Hamas propaganda wing
    1
  14568. Someone should tell Putin, "Mister, you don't have it to give"
    1
  14569. Russians are Romantic : in the philosophical sense of being anti-rational. It began in the 1825 when Tsar Nicholas I sent students to Germany (Paris he thought too radical). German Metaphysics were transported to Russia - the half-baked ideas of Fichte, Hegel and Schelling. The Intelligentsia were a tiny group, surrounded by benighted ignorance and an oppressive aristocracy. Hegelian nonsense taught them that the world had a flow (Essence) and to perceive it one had to be part of it. Russian thinkers believed in a great leap forward : it came in 1917. Anti-rationalism was rampant in the USSR (cf Lysenkoism). Gangsterism replaced Communism, but the spirit of Romanticism continued. The unfathomable nonsense of Putin is its latest manifestation.
    1
  14570. Watch this you socialist schmucks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhO6EhUMicw UN human rights say Maduro is killing people right left and centre. Not that it interests you morons.
    1
  14571. Unenforceable. They've already scrapped all previous Lockdown fines and this one is no different.
    1
  14572. Gutterres didn't even wait till the bodies were cold "UN Guterres defends Hamas massacre - didn't happen in a vacuum"
    1
  14573.  @Whoop8628  Good question. In truth I think the Yanks did it, for 4 reasons :- a) It needed doing, and should've been done years ago. Putin gained $350 billion a year. b) it send a message to Putin that the Yanks are not messing around vis-a-vis his nuclear threats. c) there will never be a better time. The US can deny it six ways from Sunday, and one expert said "We may never be able to prove who did it". d) The Ukraine war is the defining event of the 21st century : even a democratic Russia will have a revanchist spirit for generations. So Russia must be kept impoverished and weak.
    1
  14574.  @philipclift7205  LOL It's difficult : Russia loses both ways. Whether they did it or didn't Putin loses. Kazakhstan President said, "Russia's hopeless situation" Russia is hopelessly losing LOL
    1
  14575.  @Whoop8628  I think we have a multi-polar world :- the EU, USA, China, India, Africa, South America etc Russia is with North Korea and Iran : the pariah countries. The US dominates militarily and economically. Only because folk are queuing to buy treasury bonds - US debt go go to $40 trillion and folk would still buy US debt. And also successful folk want to live there : every Chinese and Russian billionaire wants a US passport. One can't blame the US for that.
    1
  14576. Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" AUKUS is a fighting alliance. Any group which includes France (and India) will never actually get stuck in. Both nations have a history of disappointing performance.
    1
  14577. All aid agencies in Gaza nee to approval of Hamas Also, they need the approval of Israel Now, Hamas may be suspicious that aid agencies are pro-Israel spies (But they needn't worry - all aid agencies are pro-Hamas)
    1
  14578. Russia always threatens to go nuclear, because its conventional military is such a shambles.
    1
  14579. Hamas, founded in 1987, is the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt hates Hamas. Israel saved the King of Jordan in 1971 as the PLO/Fatah tried to oust the Royal family. Jordan also hates Hamas. Fatah hates Hamas. Why do the Palestinians support Hamas ? Answer : Education. The caliphate banned printing in 1515, and when the Ottomans collapsed in the 1920s Palestine was 95% illiterate. It wasn't until the western educated PLO (Arafat) in the 1960s that the idea of nationalism took hold. This is shockingly late in the day. Compare America : in 1640 the settlers decreed every 50 man colony had to have a teacher, so children could read and write. In 1775 America was overwhelmingly literate. Almost everyone knew what a constitution was.
    1
  14580. @Юрий & Ко Colonial History :- a) When General Gordon defeated the Mahdi (1895) his first dispatch home included plans to build a college at Khartoum. Lord Salisbury (PM) agreed,"It would help spread civilization" b) When the East India Co was ended in 1874, they boasted they had "Handed the British government the finest civil and military administration the wrld has ever seen". That was Britain's contribution - civilization, justice and law, parliamentary government. Only 50% of India was controlled by the British. Did India base its state on the 50% of indigenous India ? Hinduism, the caste system, corruption, exploitation and injustice ? No. They became the world's largest democracy : that was Britain's legacy - enlightenment and civilization.
    1
  14581.  @kndmr  LOL thanks, you are probably right. I have a cynical suspicious nature, that's all.
    1
  14582. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard control 30% of the economy (the most lucrative parts) The Ayatollah and his thugs don't suffer : it is the ordinary people.
    1
  14583. Streets, I think it should be "who" not "whom" but I might be wrong. Good point though. However, when/if Trump moves on N Korea it won't be telegraphed. They won't ask for a UN resolution. Iran is different but the EU won't go back to sanctions : France has too much money wrapped up there.
    1
  14584. 8000 arrested and unaccounted in Kashmir. 3,000,000 were killed by Pakistan in Bangladesh 250,000 women and girls were raped. Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months.
    1
  14585. Look at the barbaric mob - demanding the expulsion of foreign forces, so they can shoot school-girls in the head for trying to get an education.
    1
  14586. Also, look at Bangladesh : Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000.
    1
  14587. It is all over : Russia has been humiliated. Every time the Ukrainians destroy a tank with a British NLAW, they shout, "God save the Queen". I love that story. Well done Britain - easily destroying Russian junk. Shame on India. Russian state TV announced "China and India are Russia's closest allies" What a bunch of cut-throats.
    1
  14588. The priest is half the reason Spanish-America is a failure. North America valued assemblies in religion and politics. Spanish -America valued absolutism in religion and politics : the catholic Church absolute authority, the Spanish crown absolute authority which segued into military dictatorship. In Spain the Church was fantastically wealthy :in 1695 Toledo half of all property and every large building belonged to the Church. This is wasted capital. In North America capital belonged to industrialists who reinvested and built railways and steel mills. The Catholic Church should have been pushed off the stage many centuries ago.
    1
  14589. Shame on India : Modi supports butchery and torture in Ukraine.
    1
  14590. Biden wanted Tara to serve them drinks "because she has nice legs". Is everyone saying that is a lie ? How much of a saint is Biden supposed to be ? He has already apologised for inappropriately touching, but "he gets it now". What is it that his defenders find unbelievable.
    1
  14591. China = Axis of Evil
    1
  14592.  @pjrosello  President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine.
    1
  14593. Good work with the thurible : the pastor has it doing a merry dance.
    1
  14594. Iran is happy, things are going great a) Normalization has ended (Saudi Israel etc) b) Israel is getting isolated internationally c) huge conflict between "street and state" in Arab countries Iran is very pleased with itself
    1
  14595. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jack-boot stamping on a human face.
    1
  14596. Biden
    1
  14597. I can't stand to look at her. And her campaign knew that : that's why her ads didn't feature her or her voice. 78% of Americans think she can't be trusted and the DNC picked her to run for President.
    1
  14598. Russia & China = the Asiatic Autocracies. Western Civilization faces a tough battle against those forces ( often described as the Axis of Evil).
    1
  14599. Russian desperation. This can only end 3 ways :- a) Putin backs down and cancels b) the Russian army ignores him & keeps fighting c) The Russians take a 36hr unopposed pounding then fold
    1
  14600. This could spell trouble for the Kremlin. Wait until the Russian people hear about casualties.
    1
  14601. "Bolton is evil"..............but doing good work.
    1
  14602.  fafar gol  , When Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran from Paris, the journalists asked him what he would do with the democrats in the Shah's parliament, Khomeini replied, "Kick their teeth in". The 7000 executed were democrats, trade-unionists, socialists, feminists and anyone that opposed the Ayatollah's brutal regime.
    1
  14603.  fafar gol  , don't forget the great and much loved democrat Mohammed Mossadegh was a minister under the Shah !
    1
  14604.  hanief karim  , you miss the point :- Khomeini said, "I'll kick their teeth in" when asked about democrats. The 7000 he executed in his first year were Socialists, trade-unionists, feminists, Communists and anyone who opposed him. Read "The executioners deserve medals". P.S. the reason you are so ill-informed about Iran is that you never read books.
    1
  14605. The ICC in Palestine and Elections all in the same year. Things are looking up. Unfortunately the elections will be a monumental farce :- Hamas & Fatah will never relinquish power, so there will be voting followed by musical chairs - as personnel are shifted around, then when everyone stops laughing Hamas will still rule in Gaza and Fatah will still rule the West Bank.
    1
  14606. Sara M, well said. You tube comments are the most ill-informed and half-witted you will find anywhere. Lack of information is no impediment to a moron expressing their opinion.
    1
  14607. NOT a rival. Once the Kremlin stop funding the Wagner Group melts away. Wagner is an off-the-books way of conducting the war. It serves the Kremlin's purpose - it is no rival to anyone.
    1
  14608. The Rave looked decadent. Even Westerners would raise an eyebrow. Heaven knows what the old fakirs are thinking.
    1
  14609. In February Germany thought Russia would be victorious so hedged its bets in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany was then forced to supply some weapons, always with great reluctance. Never at its own initiative. Never a team player.
    1
  14610.  @charlemangedan2919  Do you remember the start of the war - when Kyiv was under attack, and John Sweeney would begin each podcast, "It is day X, and there's still electricity and the internet is still on". Why do you think that was ? Why didn't Russia wipe out the power supply, it is easily done ? Because Putin did not want NATO to step in for humanitarian reasons. Russia fears NATO. Lord Owen was asked about Putin's nuclear threats, he said, "Russian generals know that the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability, they know what would happen to their families ".
    1
  14611.  @BolshevikCarpetbagger1917  The historical evidence is that Russia has been invading its neighbours for centuries. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilisation wherever it exists".
    1
  14612.  @BolshevikCarpetbagger1917  Why do you keep repeating that Russia had support in the 19th Century for destroying liberty in Poland and Hungary ? Can you give some references for your nonsense. "In 1848 liberals across Europe hated Russia" Lewis Namier The Crimean War was caused by Russia seizing the mouth of the Danube. Russian aggression was never applauded. Maybe you read Russian school-books. Britain was the opposite of Russia (Democracy v Autocracy) they had nothing in common. When General Gordon defeated the Mahdi, his first dispatch included plans to build a college in Khartoum. Lord Salisbury agreed, "It would help spread civilization". Russia spread barbarism.
    1
  14613.  @algoshosdigitalplayground2226  Germany needs Russian gas - but why sabotage the war effort ? Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the C21st , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  14614. Israel accepted the Paris proposal Hamas added delusional demands (including religious sites in the West Bank !) Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are a non-starter" Hamas is continuing the war - they want more casualties, to generate international opinion for them
    1
  14615. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  14616. Did Putin change ? It makes no difference : Russia's problem dates back centuries. What is the difference between Russia and the West ? Russia has no middle class liberals : no chattering class. Russian Populism was the name given to the Inteligensia movement (1850-1881) In the spring of 1876 the Radicals took "liberation and freedom" to the peasants, who immediately reported them to the police. The Russian middle class were hated from above and below. Stalin then exterminated them. In the West the middle-class were the source of all wealth and progress.
    1
  14617.  @felipe-vibor  This is why "It makes no difference whether Putin changed" Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  14618. The Papal States were the most oppressive inhumane nation in Europe. The Pope governed like a dictator putting any critics in prison. Only when the people were liberated by Italy did they get any civil rights. Read some history you religious morons.
    1
  14619. 15:00 $100 billion overseas "God knows how much money we are talking about" Pity the middle-east, it is corrupt to the core. In Iran the Revolutionary Guard have a controlling interest in every profitable part of the economy. In Egypt the military is a law unto itself, with its own economy. The middle-east is a total political wreck. With the exception of one democracy.
    1
  14620.  @AndreasKisomi  , "If you are intelligent". You mean - "I'm alright Jack". In Africa and the middle-east when people have wealth and power they just look after themselves. No attempt is made to improve the country :- a) to establish political institutions (parliament) b) create an independent judiciary c) allow freedom of speech and transparency d) independent educational institutions. That is why Africa and the middle-east are failures.
    1
  14621. Well done EU. Well done France. This is the battle for Civilization : democracy, the rule of law, freedom of speech, etc. Asiatic Autocracy (Russia & China) are facing down the Civilized world.
    1
  14622.  M B  , cheeky ! Britain built the first Commercial Empire in history. Pakistan's Nehru wanted a country based on British democracy and education (unfortunately it fell victim to Islam). In India the largest volunteer force ever (240,000) signed up to support Britain in WW2 ; for which we are eternally grateful. I could go on , the list is endless, Hong Kong - 2 systems : one the Chinese jackboot the other British Democracy and education. It's an endless list.
    1
  14623. India sitting on the fence. Maybe if India had joined the condemnation, Russia might have thought twice. India should side with the civilized world (they are too close to the Axis of Evil).
    1
  14624. He calls Russians barbarians, and everyone applauds. I call Russians barbarians and my comments are removed ? The Russians are drunk on propaganda : they have lucid moments (1990) but then relapse into psychotic drunken nationalism.
    1
  14625. What is clear is that Kavanaugh claims he wasn't a drunk and everyone who knows him says he was : including his freshman room-mate. Is Kavanaugh painting himself white ? Well yes. He's a ruddy-cheeked boozer and liar. Oh, and what about the $200,000 debt that vanished because "I bought baseball tickets for me mates". Does anyone believe those lies ?
    1
  14626. Alysin & Keith, you haven't addressed the $200,000 debt. Do you believe he racked that up buying his mates baseball tickets ? It's like Hillary saying she made $100,000 in an Arkansas cattle deal. Everyone knows Hillary was lying and so is Kavanaugh. Wake-up you pair of dopes.
    1
  14627. Putin explained to macron how he intends to "rape" Ukraine. 'Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it,' Putin said, using an expression that rhymes in Russian.
    1
  14628. 1948 Arab/Israeli war : Jordan occupied the West bank and simply annexed it as part of Jordan. Nobody batted an eye 1967 Six day war : Israel forced Jordan out, and reclaimed the west bank
    1
  14629. If you have a disgusting human-rights record then turn to China and the Axis of Evil for support. You will be welcomed.
    1
  14630. Hamas must stop hiding behind children Hamas hides in "residential buildings" - that's why they are bombed
    1
  14631.  @Ben-ij3td  I said 1 million (nobody actually knows the true figure - even the Chinese couldn't tell you exactly), a commenter said that was ridiculous and suggested there were only 20 camps. I then multiplied 20 by 20k (the size of LA state prison) and came up with 0.4 million. Which isn't ridiculous, it is actually a good ball-park figure. You are probably one of those whack jobs who disputes Stalin killed 30 million Russians, or that Mao killed 60 million Chinese. Pedantically picking fault with the number misses the point.
    1
  14632. Hamas release all hostages and go into exile - the war ends 1970 PLO kicked out of Jordan 1982 PLO kicked out of Lebanon There is a precedent for exile, it's happened before
    1
  14633. First Last, there is some truth to what you say. I could focus on another aspect of Hamas : social welfare or community work. But that applies to the IRA or UVF or any other paramilitary group. All paramilitary organisations spread roots in the community. I focused on their brutality and corruption.
    1
  14634. Is France pulling its weight ? They donated AMX-10 junk, which proved to be worse than useless France is offloading its junk on Ukraine and not doing enough
    1
  14635.  @nothereandthereanywhere  Speed is what counts. The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20mins The US has "a massive, massive superiority"
    1
  14636. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  14637. It's hard to get Hamas to acknowledge that they should release all hostages It's hard to get S Africa to recognise that Hamas are terrorists who slaughtered 1200, committed gang rapes, abducted women and children This case is a farce, brought by pro-Hamas dupes
    1
  14638.  @shhdurgevvs  The west hates Islamism All democratic countries hate Islamofascism
    1
  14639. The thumbnail looks lie a Harpoon missile. Please strike the Black Sea Fleet. Especially before Moscow Victory Day. The Black Sea Fleet is the apple of the Kremlin's eye.
    1
  14640. The Slava Class cruiser Moskva ......PLEASE sink it with a Harpoon missile !
    1
  14641. Religion........the source of spreading disease.
    1
  14642. Did anyone else feel sick when the photo of Hillary came up ? The person most to blame for us ending up with Trump. Although her rapist husband didn't help : women tend to shy away from voting for an enabler.
    1
  14643. You are a slow learner. Russia has been a barbaric country for centuries. Karl Marx described Russia as "The immobile Mongol" Queen Victoria described Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists".
    1
  14644. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  14645. I'd like to know.
    1
  14646. So now we know : it was Shamus Milne. A quick Google reveals he is known as "The thin controller" and sounds despicable. I think when Nick Cohen wrote "What is Left ? " it was people like Seamus Milne (revisionist Stalinists) he was talking about.
    1
  14647. Adam, good point on Corbyn's failure to criticise Maduro . (But let's remember young people might be reading these comments).
    1
  14648. NOT military aid Typical of DW to get it WRONG However, the freeze reportedly does not apply to military aid for Ukraine. This clarification came from Oleksandr Kovalenko, director of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD).
    1
  14649. China is a country which harvests the human organs from prisoners. Why is there an endless supply of organs , where do they come from ? To think you can make a civilized deal with China is nonsense. The entire West is engaged in economic war with China. China steal technologies and make cyber attacks : they inveigle their way into countries' infrastructure planting cyber-bugs to activate later. It is time the world woke up to the threat from China. (Except for the axis of evil countries : Russia, Iran, N Korea etc)
    1
  14650. You closed-minded moron. It is because of deluded idiots like you that Fatah steal millions of dollars from the Palestinian people. Wake up !
    1
  14651. Eurovision - Israel wins the popular vote In UK Israel easily won hands down The ordinary people support ISRAEL not Hamas You Al Jazeera folk are living in a dream world
    1
  14652. Poor Yemeni folk. Imagine the choice : totalitarian Saudi or theo-fascist Iran. Two despicable countries trying to enslave the Yemeni to their regime.
    1
  14653. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  14654. 3:00 Look at Macron punching the air : yet in reality he is weak, weak, weak on Russia.
    1
  14655. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. This is small fry to the Islamic fanatics.
    1
  14656. When ? .... about 200yrs. It takes at least that long to establish democracy. Pakistan and Bangladesh have no history of democracy. You may say look at India. But India was infused with Western Civilization and embraced it. The British Commonwealth, India embraced : Pakistan left in 1972 (after committing genocide 1971 in Bangladesh)
    1
  14657. Very good : Trump has got the egg-heads supporting him.
    1
  14658. Why are they all egg-heads ?
    1
  14659. Al Jazeera is the voice of Hamas
    1
  14660. 0:22 Eraser head
    1
  14661. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
    1
  14662. Un + aid + Jerusalem and still somehow Pat's veganism gets into the mix. LOL On this occasion it was an inadvisable analogy by Pakman.( red meat)
    1
  14663. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with Macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often joke about rape.
    1
  14664. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  14665.  @slawomirozdoba4605  Well said. Breaking News : the USA are now training Ukrainians to fly F16 and F16 planes. It is a $100 million program, so I imagine they're training around a hundred pilots.
    1
  14666. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
    1
  14667. Libyan warlords, armed thugs and terror mercenaries all supported by France. Christ knows why.
    1
  14668. Trump ends by defending Putin "Putin went through a lot" The US sentiments are all directed towards a brutal dictator - nice
    1
  14669. Wise words, but aren't financial markets inherently cyclical ? I mean canonically cyclical by their very nature.
    1
  14670. 3;25 "Doesn't think PM will succeed". 10:30 "The USA bases in Iraq will not be removed because they represent US power in the region, primarily against Iran"
    1
  14671. Macron would disagree : a friendly word, and an understanding ear, coupled to statesman like dignitas, might just bring about a chrysalis like transformation in the Kremlin - from barbrous savagery to enlightened accord.
    1
  14672.  @TheZachary86  Neville Chamberlain died in 1940. He looked ill when he stepped off the plane from Munich, but one can't help thinking the strain and disappointment contributed. Non, je ne regrette rien Then there was the disastrous Norwegian Campaign (May 1940), and Neville had to go. Even the most sympathetic historian would have to say he was no war Prime Minister.
    1
  14673. Gorbachev was a small murderer.
    1
  14674. Title : a paper tiger, then he repeats this idiom twice with no more information than I can gather on the web. What is the point of this moronic interview ? He's right : China have exponentially increasing debt and financial gravity will catch up with them at some stage. But what a dumb presentation : as if he's seen something we don't already know.
    1
  14675. Wrong ! The UK is 78% supporting Israel 98% of UK believe Hamas is a terrorist organisation
    1
  14676. There are 2 democratic powers in the region : US & Israel. And the West should back them. All the rest are Un-Democratic, that's all you need to know.
    1
  14677.  @ahmadfrhan5265  , LOL I've given your comment a thumbs-up for sheer audacity. Even Fatah acknowledge it is THEY who have cancelled elections (not Israel or the US). Why do you think Hamas and Fatah are having talks to arrange an election ? LOL Because Hamas and Fatah are the barrier, the stumbling-block, the hurdle ; once they sort out their differences then an election can take place. Your argument did make me laugh though, good one.
    1
  14678. @Crazy The Don , I don't dispute anything you've said. Hamas won Gaza because Fatah treated it like a fiefdom : driving around in luxury SUVs, violently oppressing any criticism. Of course Israel back Fatah. Fatah are a totally corrupt failure. Imagine you had a Palestinian football team and always chose the same eleven : they would be terrible, because competition is required to select success. Palestine has been governed with no competition for 70yrs : that is why it is a total failure. Don't expect any change with this coming election : Hamas will still rule in Gaza and Fatah will still rule the West Bank. (Palestine is a lost cause).
    1
  14679.  Crazy The Don  , remember the Young Ottomans (1860s), Namik Kemal said he wanted the Turks to adopt the British parliamentary system "With the indomitable power of public opinion against authority". Where in Palestine do you ever hear public opinion ? Not at the ballot box. Not in newspaper. Anyone criticizing Hamas or Fatah will be beaten for a first offence then killed as an Israeli spy. The Palestinians have to show obedience and respect : Fatah and Hamas govern like tyrants.
    1
  14680. @Crazy The Don , Billions of dollars were given to the Palestinians (Gulf oil money), Arafat was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month, that was in the 1970s when one could comfortably retire for life on a million. Were the people ever asked for their opinion ? Palestinian children are taught to crawl around with wooden rifles, do you think that is a good education ? Do you think some of the billions$$$ could have been spent on technical colleges - so Palestinians could get a head-start in the cyber world of technology ? The Palestinian people are never asked for an opinion, they never voice an opinion. This is the legacy of 600yrs of Ottoman despotism and Islamic stagnation : people show respect and obedience, they don't question authority.
    1
  14681. What happened ? The two Russians responsible were interviewed and humiliated on Russian TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku8OQNyI2i0
    1
  14682. Russia can't build a civilisation : it can only destroy and conquer. Like Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol".
    1
  14683. Modi and Erdogan, what do they share in common ? They both threaten democracy.
    1
  14684. @Ericme No tears here : when the US, EU and NATO are defending Western Civilization.
    1
  14685. LOL good propaganda
    1
  14686.  @Keepthepeacesharethelove  The "Deal" is accepted by everyone except Hamas The UN Egypt, Israel, the PA (Abbas) Qatar, US, UK, France and 14 nations, everyone - except Hamas So what do Al Jazeera do ? They focus on Israel - as if Israel is the stumbling block Al Jazeera are a pro-Hamas joke
    1
  14687. LOL
    1
  14688. Lies ! 500 trucks pre-war were mostly consumer goods Only 100 were food Al Jazeera always spread propaganda
    1
  14689. @Alfa Man The Turks haven't paid compensation for their genocide of 1,500,000 Armenians. The Armenians were force marched without food or water until they dropped dead. Turkish men would take any young girl that caught their eye.
    1
  14690. @Alfa Man "from whom Greeks had taken those lands 3.000 BC?" Good question. Civilisation began in Mesopotamia (Iraq) Egypt, China and India about 1500 BC Before that people lived in an unorganised semi-nomadic way.
    1
  14691. In Britain "A dear John letter" meant a soldier had been told the relationship is over. I suppose this was a bit of a 'Dear John phone call'.
    1
  14692. My understanding is that during the negotiations the EU suggested they would use the Irish agreement to hamstring the UK if it left without a deal : i.e. if the UK doesn't bow down to the Eu's position and walks away, then the EU will use terms in the Irish agreement to punitively punish the UK. That is why the UK were forced to introduce clauses (against EU extortion).
    1
  14693. Russia will be revanchist for many generations, after its humiliation in Ukraine. Nordstream with have empowered a "post-Putin reformed democratic" Russia. Germany was bent on naively empowering Russia for a 2nd go at Ukraine. These pipelines had to go. For world peace.
    1
  14694. In February Germany thought Russia would be victorious so hedged its bets in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Lithuanian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany was then forced to supply some weapons, always with great reluctance. Never at its own initiative. Never a team player.
    1
  14695. Lula supports Moscow & Hamas Brazil supports Russian aggression and Hamas massacre Shame on Brazil
    1
  14696.  @UnapologeticCatholicBlackMan  What about Hamas rapes ? Hamas abducting children - is God okay with that ?
    1
  14697.  @ArianiMauve999  Also, reject fascist Islamism Reject fascist Iran Fascist Hezbollah and Fascist Hamas
    1
  14698.  @Tily0507  Correct The atrocity was on 7 Oct More details emerge about Hamas rapes "forcing family members to watch the rapes" All those nations silently supporting Hamas (eg Turkey) will be labelled enemies of humanity
    1
  14699. Slavic, how do you know that ? It is curious they were trying to capture and oil/gas field. And Tillerson said he can't understand who gave the orders. (Because it was a ludicrous attack which was telegraphed in advance and then annihilated once it started).
    1
  14700. Russia can't build a civilisation : it can only destroy and conquer. Like Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol".
    1
  14701. 9000 tons - that's a light cruiser. A destroyer is 3-4000 tons (or it used to be).
    1
  14702. Chronology 21 Sep 2022 Putin "This time I'm not bluffing" 13 Oct NATO defence summit Brussels 13 Oct evening Macron on TV : "Nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington : US + UK nuclear response to Russia 21 - 24 Oct Gerasimov & Shoigu call the West 4 times in 4 days Russia capitulated I'm amazed nobody else knows this
    1
  14703. 14 Palestinian police beat a man to death on CCTV they have all been released. Why does nobody investigate that ? Nizar Banat was his name, they killed him for criticising Fatah corruption.
    1
  14704.  @kokomo9764  1914 Battle of Tannenberg : the Germans annihilated Russian forces. Tens of thousands of Russians had no boots or rifles and little food. The Russians were slaughtered.
    1
  14705.  @yeti5857  In 1856 Everyone said, "Russia will never accept neutralization of the Black Sea". What happened ? At the Treaty of Paris (1856) Russia accepted neutralization of the Black Sea. Once Russia is defeated they will accept anything.
    1
  14706. The Ayatollahs have my sympathy. It's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel for those theocratic mad-men. What can they hope for ? More persecution of their own people : martial law and imprisonment for opposition politicians ? I hope the Persian people get their freedom soon.
    1
  14707.  @Кремень-ц8ю  In 1807 Tilsit, Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon divided up Europe. (Similar to the Molotov Ribbentrop pact). After Prussia's defeat 1806, it was Russia who persuaded the French to keep the kingdom of Prussia in existence. Alexander had callouses on his knees from prayer, and was a religious fanatic. In 1815 Alexander formed the Holy Alliance with Prussia and Austria. It's purpose was to maintain monarchy throughout Europe against calls for constitutional change. That is, Russia wanted all Europe to be an authoritarian autocracy just like itself. Britain refused to join, Castlereagh called it "mysticism and nonsense". Conclusion : Russia invaded or threatened to invade, throughout the 19th century, whenever democracy raised its head. Eg 1820 Spain Trenio Liberal crushed 1830 France 1848 Hungary. Lewis Namier said, "Liberals across Europe hated Russia".
    1
  14708. NATO have sent in the hardware. How does Putin climb down and save face ? It was always going to be difficult for Putin to descend his flag pole, but now it will simply look like cowardice.
    1
  14709. Well done Palestine. It has taken them 70yrs to realise that a civilised state is based on Law, Democracy (which they still don't have), independent institutions (ditto, they don't have), separation of powers - ie an independent judiciary and law enforcement (they don't have). At least this is a step up from terrorism and stone throwing. If they now have an election and prosecute their corrupt leaders they may get world opinion on their side.
    1
  14710.  @omarawad5705  , I agree with you. I am simply saying Palestinians have wasted 70yrs. a) Arafat's 40yr dictatorship wasn't appealing to public opinion. b) The Palestinian Authority's disregard for democracy isn't appealing. c) the PA's corruption isn't appealing. etc etc Compare the situation with Israel. What did they do after 1947 ? a) Immediately establish a state, judicial system, law enforcement, welfare, education etc, and hold an election. What was stopping Palestinians doing the same ? Well the Middle East Caliphate had imposed 600yrs of despotism and Islam. The notion of statehood didn't exist (or was only slowing growing) illiteracy and subservience was the norm. Villages showed loyalty to the family and neighbours : they didn't identify with a state. &0yrs may seem too late, but at least this application of a legal system is an improvement on violence.
    1
  14711.  @omarawad5705  , you have missed my point :- in 1947 Israel only controlled a small area. What was stopping the Palestinians declaring themselves a state as Israel did ? That's the first point you missed. Secondly, my point was world opinion. "Democracy isn't a priority" you mistakenly say. Well world opinion should be a priority, and they balk at Palestinian corruption and despotism. Arafat's 40yr dictatorship was not a success. He stole $3 billion of Gulf oil money to keep himself in power (bribing his friends and paying off his enemies). Look at Nelson Mandela and see what world opinion can do for you. Look at Navalny in Russia today : he is the darling of Western civilisation - everyone is speaking on his behalf. When was the last time anyone spoke up for the corrupt despots in Palestine ?
    1
  14712.  Ali Peerbocus  , I appreciate your passion but the 3rd largest party in the Israeli Knesset is Arab ! Where in the Middle East is there any Islamic country that has minority representation in its parliament (if it has one) ? Also, the Israelis have charged numerous politicians with corruption and other crimes, everyone recognizes Israel has an independent judiciary. Israel has a free press, independent institutions, separation of powers etc : they are part of Western Civilisation. By contrast the Palestinians look more like Ottomans : despotic rule & Islam.
    1
  14713.  @omarawad5705  , I appreciate what you are saying. The Palestinians are a) Occupied, b) Unable to remove their corrupt leadership. c) Not attracting world sympathy (because of the corrupt leadership & their violent backwards tactics) What is the solution ? Well certainly not Hamas. Why don't young students protest (against Fatah) and demand an election ? Unfortunately most students are wearing Yasser Arafat T-Shirts and have been brainwashed into believing he was a hero.
    1
  14714. The US are sharing direct intelligence with Ukraine. The Kremlin estimate 10k "technical advisors" are active in Ukraine. (They are there to target Russian hardware) It will be a short war : Russia aim to occupy the east, Ukraine aim to inflict a high price. Rapier missiles will hit tanks, APCs, artillery, truck and anything that moves. Drones will hit assembly points, depots, stores, canteens, fuel dumps, etc If only a third of the "technicians" hit one target a day that = 300+ Call it 3 casualties per target, that means Russia are taking 1000 casualties per day. In 1905 defeat by Japan caused revolution in St Petersburg. I think Putin may be in trouble with high casualties.
    1
  14715.  @niculuca4798  USA are in a can't lose position, that is why they can talk tough :- a) If Russia invade the US supply intelligence and targets for Ukraine to pound. b) all the casualties will be Ukrainian and Russian. USA can't lose. But more importantly, Russia can't win :- a) Even if Russia occupy half of Ukraine they will have killed so many civilians they will become international pariahs for a century.
    1
  14716. He blames Israel But there is a UN approved deal that HAMAS rejects Why doesn't France 24 point that out ? Why blame Israel when Hamas rejects the UN deal ?
    1
  14717. "Trump wasn't warned about Manafort" No, but he was warned about Flynn several times.
    1
  14718. BUT the Trump Deal involves re-opening Nordstream and Russia pays reparations from revenue
    1
  14719. Resign ! The Speaker must go
    1
  14720. Remember Black September ? The Palestinians found themselves in Jordan with thousands of heavily armed troops and decided to take over the country. People on here think butter wouldn't melt in their mouths.
    1
  14721. Barrie, those are very good statistics. However, as you know, Britain simply had more fighters airborne for longer. If we'd only had Hurricanes we would still have won. German losses were overwhelmingly bombers. Also, if the Spitfire was so awesome why didn't the Yanks churn them out by the thousand ? Why did the Spitfire struggle in the Pacific ? I'm not knocking Britain , I just object to nationalist propaganda. I like unbiased historical fact : we owe that to future generations.
    1
  14722. Barrie, I'm reading the statistics now :- Germany 2550 aircraft Britain 1965 aircraft. German casualties 2585 Britain casualties 544 German lost planes 1977 Britain lost planes 1744 You can see the Germans lost more bombers because they carried more crew. Britain mostly had more fighters in the sky than the Germans. And the bombers were very easy to shoot down.
    1
  14723. Barrie, your statistics could be correct. "On September 15 1940, for example, the morning raid of some 75 Luftwaffe aircraft were attacked by around 275 British fighters, while the afternoon raid of 300-plus enemy aircraft was met by 330 Spitfires and Hurricanes. Knowing this in no way diminishes the immense courage of the pilots, " https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/battle-of-britain/11866425/Its-time-to-shatter-the-myths-of-the-Battle-of-Britain.html Steve gale, "the NAA did not go to Supermarine for the simple fact the company did not exist" LOL I didn't know that.
    1
  14724. Barrie, touché. "Even worse, there was little time to engage with the enemy – their Messerschmitt 109s did not really have the range for what was required of them; " "the reality was the majority of British fighter squadrons were still comfortably able to operate 12 aircraft at any one moment. " "His 1st Gruppe, with just 18 aircraft in all, was now half-strength; the 2nd and 3rd Gruppen had only 12 aircraft each instead of 36 – in other words, they were operating at between a third and half strength." https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/battle-of-britain/7851013/Battle-of-Britain-Germanys-battle.html Even when German fighters outnumbered the British they could only spend a fraction of the time in the sky because of fuel shortage.
    1
  14725. 1) It didn't find planets better than Earth, or we would've heard from them by now. 2) Earth is a super-abundant life planet & probably the only one in the near Universe.
    1
  14726. Germany also announces military aid - then finds reasons to delay sending it. Germany is a like the Kremlin's 5th column. For almost 200yrs Germans have prioritized success over liberty : they have never fought for freedom. (1866, 1871 ; Bismarck - industrialization and unification). Then with 19th century industrialization, they prioritized economic success over liberty. (Wilhelm II, Hitler etc) That applies today - economic success is the German priority, for which they would gladly sacrifice Ukraine to the Kremlin.
    1
  14727. Why does the Left support Islamofascist Iran ? Why did the Left support fascist dictator Saddam Hussein ? An interesting book to read is Nick Cohen's "What's Left ?" It would be an epiphany for you morons that watch Democracy Now.
    1
  14728. Ukraine will blitz Russia with everything NATO provides. There are already (according to the Kremlin) 10k technical NATO advisors in Ukraine. They are targetting missiles and drones at Russian hardware. Then they will target fuel depots and storage depots, then barracks and canteens. The Russian should take cognisance of the Azerbaijan -Armenia war : it's all about targeted air strikes. All Russia have are hopeless, unmotivated conscript infantry.
    1
  14729. Rajoy talks about Law and Justice but there is NO investigation into Spanish Police violence. The Civil Guard beat, kicked , dragged girls by the hair, sexually assaulted girls , threw old ladies down steps and stomped on people on the floor. Spain have refused to investigate any violence but Catalonia are presenting the evidence to the EU in the Hague.
    1
  14730. This war is the reckoning with Russia, and has been coming for 200yrs. Ever since Alexander I formed the Holy Alliance to crush liberal freedom and representative democracy in Europe (1815). "In 1848 Liberals across Europe hated Russia" Lewis Namier.
    1
  14731. Let's all hope the Ayatollahs collapse soon. The people of Iran are sick of the fascist dictatorship by the Ayatollah. Just a bit more pressure from sanctions and the hated regime will collapse.
    1
  14732. Joshua, knowing you like I do I'll assume you are being sarcastic and answer accordingly. Syria is very different ethnographically and many/most of its problems stem from its diversity. Iran on the other hand has already had a functioning democracy (embarrassingly overthrown by the West in 1953) , so one is entitled to hope for a better outcome than Lebanon.
    1
  14733. After the latest hostage stunt by Hamas sympathy for Palestinians is just about zero (Ignore these idiots, I'm talking about the majority)
    1
  14734.  @Jedscorp  , well it was just a suggestion. Maybe it wouldn't work....no harm done : just go back to corrupt old despots.
    1
  14735. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  14736. Hamas = fascism Hamas oppose democracy, they violently beat and kill any political opponents They censor publications and control education Israel has democracy, a free liberal education system, and active opposition parties. Hamas is 100% fascist by definition.
    1
  14737. China & Russia veto UN condemnation. The Axis of Evil.
    1
  14738. What is it about Spanish America ? Allow me to speculate :- At the end of the C17th there was a revolution in warfare : armies became huge, well-equipped and organised. They consumed significant state resources. It became fashionable for nobles to be seen in uniform and the military became a force to be reckoned with. In Britain which already had an established parliament it was no problem (although the Duke of Wellington did become PM, he wasn't prancing around in uniform). In weaker countries with no history of Democracy or strong civil government, the military became the key player (in Spanish-America alongside the Church). Spanish history is full of leaders in uniform. Britain's Hanoverians (George I II III) were always in uniform, but checked by Parliament. Bolsonaro and his military is quintessential Spanish-American failure. Under Charles II (the last Habsburg king of Spain before the French Bourbons, Philip V took over ), the Cortes (parliament) never met once. Spain's history was one of authoritarian leadership and that was exported to America, alongside the Catholic Church which domineered education, the postal service, censorship etc. Enlightened humanism didn't stand a chance.
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  14739.  @phoque121  , Portugal is a mirror image of Spain. In many ways they were worse. Henry Kamen said Spain was cursed with the twin fanaticisms of rank & faith. Well let me give you an example of Portugal's obsession with rank :- When Britain fought with them in the Spanish Succession the troops had to wait 2 days before moving so that a senior ranking regiment could march in 1st place. Portugal segued into military dictatorship more easily than Spain. And was just as savage.
    1
  14740.  @phoque121  , the obsession with rank also means that talented people don't get promoted. Unlike England with the likes of Thomas Cromwell. The competition between the nobles for Court office was crippling for Spain. In Spain nobody went into commerce or industry they all headed for the Court or the Church.
    1
  14741.  @phoque121  , just consider Spanish America's obsession with uniforms (military) : Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.... Where are the Edmund Burkes, the John Stuart Mills ? Latin America did have a radical thinker : Juan Alberdi and do you know what he said ? "Let us be Catholic as our fathers were, as is proper for our race". That's the curse of Spanish-America in a nutshell. The Pope sided with authoritarian rule throughout history ; he anathematized Magna Carta and told King John he could break his oath. The Church never backed democracy or representative government. The Church never backed advancement or the scientific revolution. And the Church kept a tight grip on censorship. The Church was the ruin of Spanish America.
    1
  14742.  @phoque121  , interesting information, thanks. I don't know much Brazilian history but there was the Vargas Era dictatorship 1930-45 and there must have been uniformed dictators in the C19th.
    1
  14743.  @phoque121  , thanks. You're a wealth of information, much appreciated.
    1
  14744.  @phoque121  , The Jesuits ruined every country they touched. Adam Zamoyski (Poland) is scathing about them. In Austria 1770 Pergen (educated by Jeusits) "submitted a lengthy memorandum to the Empress" to replace Jesuits with lay teachers "before the latter can inflict more cultural damage on future generations".
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  14745. "Gaza must have its own ports" he muses Why not Google it and check NO - it doesn't : the sea is too shallow It has a marina at Gaza city. For pleasure boats & light fishing
    1
  14746. Saudi kidnap the Lebanon PM and force him to resign because they are so bogged down in Yemen. If the flabby, indolent, corrupt Saudi could fight then they wouldn't have to kidnap.
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  14747. I think space programs are a complete waste ! All that money should be spent on AI. Space is no place for humans :- a) they need feeding and watering. b) their minds can't cope with long periods c) they never evolved for it. d) self replicating AI bots are made for space. e) humans should stop wasting all the cash on vanity projects. f) spend the money on AI !
    1
  14748.  @sanjeevdandin9350  , I've watched a lot of experts talk about AI and they ALL say it is underfunded. b) Luna Rovers are not AI. c) "how a human can cope ", they can't. They need watering and entertaining, they want to have sex and lose their marbles if a few years go by and there's nothing to do. d) " still in developmental stage of A.I. " we are way past that. This is the embryonic stage that needs lots of cash and attention. Not half-wit, sci-fi , back-pack space heroes.
    1
  14749.  @sanjeevdandin9350  , I've watched a lot of experts talk about AI and they ALL say it is underfunded. b) Luna Rovers are not AI. c) "how a human can cope ", they can't. They need watering and entertaining, they want to have sex and lose their marbles if a few years go by and there's nothing to do. d) " still in developmental stage of A.I. " we are way past that. This is the embryonic stage that needs lots of cash and attention. Not half-wit, sci-fi , back-pack space heroes.
    1
  14750.  @sanjeevdandin9350  , I've watched a lot of experts talk about AI and they ALL say it is underfunded. b) Luna Rovers are not AI. c) "how a human can cope ", they can't. They need watering and entertaining, they want to have sex and lose their marbles if a few years go by and there's nothing to do. d) " still in developmental stage of A.I. " we are way past that. This is the embryonic stage that needs lots of cash and attention. Not half-wit, sci-fi , back-pack space heroes.
    1
  14751. What an extraordinary glimpse of Homo sapiens sapiens His planning, adaptation, knowledge and endurance. Quite extraordinary
    1
  14752. Liz Truss (British PM) : "We shouldn't listen to Putin's sabre rattling and bogus threats, we should continue to support Ukraine". (A marvellous statement manifesting Britannia)
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  14753. In a word : Hezbollah Hezbollah run the finance ministry and refuse to move. They have 10k armed thugs and can dictate to the country.
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  14754. Hamas hides in hospitals
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  14755. Fear of China and fear of offending Russia. India is "shaky" said Biden. Shaking with fear, which is why they are the weak link in the QUAD A shaky, fearful ally isn't a pleasant sight.
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  14756. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 opposition Iranians in his first year. When asked what he'd do with democrats he said, "I'll kick their teeth in ".
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  14757. Trump 2020..........he'll wipe the floor with any of the Democrats. (and I'm a Democrat).
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  14758. Sa'd gave his verdict that "the men should be killed, the property divided, and the women and children taken as captives". Muhammad approved of the ruling, calling it similar to God's judgment, after which nearly all male members of the tribe who had reached puberty were beheaded.
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  14759.  @Δογλογ  Obvious ? I've never heard anyone else suggest that a Palestinian Ataturk would have been a good idea. Ataturk was a secularist, he admired Western Democracy and left it firmly established in Turkey. He ended religious courts, religious schools, and the religious council. Palestinians could learn a lot from studying Ataturk.
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  14760. The DUP don't want to be part f a country (Eire) that allows women to die. Who can forget the Indian lady who needed an abortion, but the doctors feared being excommunicated by the Pope.
    1
  14761.  @Susan7B  Oh, I forgot. The DUP are just as bigoted as the Catholics. What an island, totally benighted. Thank God for the EU, maybe enlightenment can be forced upon them.
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  14762. LOL The Spanish king is wanted by the police and hiding with Gulf Arabs Spain is totally corrupt
    1
  14763. Nord stream 2 : such a bad idea. Many of Mutty's ideas were bad.
    1
  14764.  @yannickille4049  , Nord Stream 2 is bad because the money should have been invested in finding alternatives to Russia. For example the gas fields around Greece.
    1
  14765. Remember how May tackled the general election she called ? She got Sooty & Sweep from her department to run the campaign : they'd never done anything like it before and had to resign afterwards. Did that fill anyone with confidence that she was the person to tackle Brexit ?
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  14766. "They don't say that, but we've all seen Hamas taking aid" No the UN doesn't "say that" Why ? Because the UN is pro-Hamas
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  14767.  @farautfarautto2518  A bot can't construct, creative, historically accurate comments the way I do ! C'mon.
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  14768. 4:20 Taiwan and economic sanctions. WRONG China will be blockaded by AUKUS, sanctions are unnecessary.
    1
  14769.  @resurrectedone7463  , I'm a historian not a troll. Let's analyse Iran :- a) a Theocratic dictatorship b) Opposition are imprisoned and tortured read 'The Executioners Deserve Medals'. c) protestors are killed by Iranian police rooftop snipers. d) The Ayatollah wants a nuclear weapon to "wipe Israel off the map". e) the religious fanatics are anticipating the 12th Imam, who will arrive with Armageddon. f) The Ayatollah embraces Armageddon and has nuclear plans to bring it about.
    1
  14770.  @resurrectedone7463  "same lies" You never specify what the lie is ! Is it that Iranian police rooftop snipers killed protestors ? Or is it "The executioners deserve medals" testimony about prisoners being hanged 6 at a time off the Ayatollah's forklift truck pallets ?
    1
  14771.  @resurrectedone7463  LOL I haven't blocked you (I wouldn't know how). I'm still waiting for you to be more specific. You talk about "lies" but never actually specify them. Maybe you are a propagandist for the Ayatollah ?
    1
  14772.  @resurrectedone7463  , the reason you struggle to be specific is because you are indoctrinated. The Islamic Madrasa forces children to repeat mantras they don't even understand. The Imam doesn't want pupils thinking, he wants them indoctrinated. That is why you are struggling to think rationally, you have been mind-washed.
    1
  14773.  @resurrectedone7463  You still haven't specified WHICH statement is a lie ? Everything I've said is historically accurate. I read a book by an Iranian politician in the downfall of the Shah. He mentioned an incident from his youth :- He was working as a journalist filming the festival for the martyrdom at Karbala of Hussein. He said he had to hand the camera to someone else and join in - even though he wasn't really religious. He said he had to become "an ourself amongst others". That was very revealing. It encapsulates the Muslim mindset : to meld into the mass of people. Not to think as an individual, but to "become an ourself amongst others".
    1
  14774.  @resurrectedone7463  "The Shia-Collective" that explains why Iranian police rooftop snipers kill protestors. The Ayatollah cannot tolerate dissent : everyone must be part of the "Shia-Collective". That is why Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 opposition Iranians in his first year.
    1
  14775. More solipsism from the BBC. Anyone would think the world revolves around the BBC
    1
  14776.  @新世界秩序-t4e  Yes. But in fairness to the 'capitulations', their 4 point plan was rejected by the Kremlin as being "fantasy". It included a long-term lease for Crimea. Which means Russia wouldn't have gained anything - it would actually lose Crimea. But then be allowed a long term lease.
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  14777. What is that bald-headed half-wit on about "They are so ready". Targeted sanctions have been around forever. It only comes as a surprise if you're a bald-headed moron. When push comes to shove a blockade of China cripples their economy and collapses the whole country. "They're so ready". I'd like to see what response they have to blockade.
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  14778. Macron vetoed external sourcing to supply 1,000,000 shells France provided 1/3rd Czechia overturned the French veto and supplied the shells to Ukraine On the SAME day Macron made his "Troops to Ukraine" declaration He is a bullshitter - it is a publicity stunt Macron denuded Ukraine of artillery ! He plays this game to change the narrative (Do some research !)
    1
  14779. Kurt Volker - very inspiring and correct. Let's hope NATO listens.
    1
  14780. UN Liars ! "500 - 600 trucks per day" Most of that was consumer goods Food was only 100 trucks, Israel now allows 120 trucks An increase of 20% UN liars support Hamas
    1
  14781. I think it is fair to say Al-Aqsa has considerable significance in Islam. Legend has it Muhammed ascended to paradise from there. I've just finished Harold Bloom's "The Book of J" About the woman in Solomon's court who wrote Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy (the Pentateuch). She essentially invented Yahweh as a literary character. Bloom says Yahweh was the inspiration for Shakespeare's King Lear.
    1
  14782. Well done NATO. Britain is supplying 6000 missiles. Apparently, the brave Ukrainians often shout, "God save the Queen" after destroying a Russian vehicle. May I suggest anti-ship missiles to destroy the Black Sea fleet. The Russian fleet is irreplaceable : its loss would collapse Russia just like 1905 against Japan.
    1
  14783.  @luzr6613  The USSR and Russia are the same entity. History draws no distinction between Autocratic Tsarist Russia and Totalitarian Bolshevik Russia.
    1
  14784.  @luzr6613  The 18thC (eg Voltaire) saw the world on a small scale The 19thC (eg Marx) on a universal scale Similarly : fissiparous & fearful Europe views the 21st C differently to majestic & confident USA Russia is bewildered because the 21st C left it behind
    1
  14785.  @luzr6613  You are desperately and pedantically trying to explain Russia's failure as a state. You need to go back much further :- "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  14786.  @luzr6613  Okay, if you are not a child see if you can take this on the chin :- Why is Russia backwards ? Peter I (d.1725) opened Rus but increased serfdom & autocracy Alex I (d.1825) post Rev (1789) isolated and censored Rus Nicholas I (d.1855) post Dec rebellion 1825 created a police state Russia : a police state till 1917 Then under Stalin (1924) Russia became a Gulag. The Orthodox Church,mystical & medieval, isolated itself from ideas and from the 17th C believed the West degenerate and decadent Stalin invested in "wrong" science : Lysenkoism They substituted paranoia and psychosis for culture
    1
  14787.  @luzr6613  Churchill believed the Russians were "A quasi-Asiatic formless mass". Formless is a curious word, it is echoed in Kejove's description. Kejove : "Stalin turned the people into a jelly he could mould". A formless-jelly - sounds a lot like a brainwashed Russian.
    1
  14788. I liked the way Russia retreated : a lot of dignity. There is no "humiliation" in defeat, one simply accepts the inevitable. Russia is good at it ........ Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  14789. Lord Owen (UK intelligence committee) "Russians know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability"
    1
  14790. Theresa May played this very well. The UK have had their cake and eaten it.....and still have it. I mean, we can now claim to have been Yankee-prised into ditching them, and hope there are no shocking economic consequences for us.
    1
  14791. "Rogue state" ? Israel is the only democracy in the middle east
    1
  14792. Putin lied about invading, he lied about the grain deal (bombing Odessa) Putin lied about war crimes (denied Bucha atrocities) he lied about MH17 (Russia supplied their tugs with a BUK missile) Putin is a liar. The CIA chief said, "Putin is the apostle of payback" There could be any number of reasons why Putin would shell the power-plant. The only sure conclusion is 'Never trust Putin'.
    1
  14793.  @seimen4348  Germany closed its airspace to British weapons deliveries. The RAF had to fly around German airspace. Germany refused to allow Estonia to transfer howitzers to Ukraine. Germany hobbled Ukraine's defence capabilities - they wanted to war to end diplomatically so as not to damage the German economy. France also sabotaged Ukraine's defence. Macron :"We must not humiliate Russia" Macron also said, "Countries shouldn't gang-up on China". France always looks after its own interests and has no principles. France has sent 1/10th of what Poland sent in heavy weapons. France is only half committed to NATO and always has been. Italy is a natural capitulator and does the bidding of France and Germany.
    1
  14794. Lenard, " having authorities reading chicken entrails or reading chicken entrails for yourself.", therein lies the difference betwix Catholicism and Protestantism. Metaphorically speaking the proddy-dogs interpret the entrails for themselves. Also, the Bronze Age myths of the Old Testament must have something they were the foundation for Western Civilization (alongside Greek philosophy and Roman law.)
    1
  14795. Amused, when Socialism manifests itself in Authoritarianism then it resembles Catholicism. Catholicism is inherently hierarchical and authoritarian. Whereas Socialism could manifest itself in a non-authoritarian form, the Kibbutz for instance.
    1
  14796. There is a war going on - are these Hamas fighters are on a reconnaissance mission ? Who knows But Hamas want return to the north to be a condition of hostage release These Hamas fighters seem to be testing the water and observing ?
    1
  14797. 3:50 "Why did they allow Trump to announce it ?" He he he, Trump gave such a display of ignorance, and such a shambles of mispronunciation, that any political kudos slipped through his small hands.
    1
  14798. Breaking News : what nonsense Biden is NOT "calling for" he says he "supports" That means he isn't demanding. This is the real situation : Jordan hates Hamas, Egypt hates Hamas (they are the brotherhood that Egypt is arresting, torturing and executing) Hamas support the decapitation of teachers in France who show images of the prophet. The EU and US hates Hamas. Why do Palestinians always pick losers ? They've been doing it for 70yrs. The answer is education.
    1
  14799. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  14800. Caesar, The People's Party (PP) were formed by Franco's minister Farga : he was a committed fascist. Rajoy now leads the (PP). Spain adopted democracy to join the EU but it is only a veneer : underneath there is a strong current of fascism. Look at the nazi salutes at any rally in Madrid. When the Civil Guard went to beat peaceful voters the Spanish were shouting, "Go get them ". Rajoy's People's Party is a CONTINUATION of Franco with a veneer of democracy.
    1
  14801. Goddam stone-age Houthi - holding the world to ransom
    1
  14802. Biden "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Those words must be ringing in every ear.
    1
  14803. Is a West Bank uprising a disaster for Israel ? One would've thought it would be another disaster for Palestinians After Oct 7th the gloves are off as far as Terrorist uprisings go A Ramadan uprising would be disaster for Palestinians
    1
  14804. Any man that uses the "F" word in front of his wife and daughter to impress the media will never be President.
    1
  14805. India has picked the losing side. It happened to Turkey (Ottomans) in WW1 Ataturk (envoy to Bulgaria) advised neutrality, but Enver Pasha had already made a secret treaty with the Germans. Modi has no grasp of history, he thinks life revolves around Punjab and Kashmir.
    1
  14806. "UN staff" = Hamas The UN employs Hamas (they have admitted it and sacked some) Stop funding UNRWA
    1
  14807. Russia state TV said, "Our closest allies China and India" Moscow is really counting on the support of the Axis of Evil.
    1
  14808.  @mohamedsallehwari5309  All these are ARAB massacres of Jews :- Battle of Tel Hai March 1, 192 Armed Arabs were looking for French soldiers, and Jews mounted armed resistance. Nebi Musa riots April 4–7, 1920 Started by inflammatory language at an Arab rally. Origin of violence uncertain, but a witness reported stone throwing by Arabs. Jaffa riots Began as a fight between two Jewish groups. Arabs joined in because they thought they were being attacked. Jerusalem Stabbings November 2, 1921 5 Jews killed in Jerusalem in stabbing attack. Multiple wounded, including women and children. Palestine riots of 1929 August 23–29, 1929 67 Jews killed; 58 Jews wounded and a massacre in Safed (18–20 Jews killed; 80 Jews wounded
    1
  14809. Xi is laughing up his sleeve at Putin's failure.
    1
  14810.  @ngjohn2102  Xi is laughing up his sleeve at Putin's failure. Tokayev (Kazakhstan) is laughing in his hat. A weak Russia is good for everyone : nobody wants to see Russia succeed.
    1
  14811. Why not hand the Golan heights to Syria while you're at it This is ludicrous How can Israel be safe with Syria sitting on the Golan Heights and Palestinian rockets on the Jordan Heights Israel MUST control all high ground
    1
  14812. Biden "We weren't there to unify Iraq" Krystal "That is the key point there" Biden "I mean Afghanistan" We know what you meant. And by the way, that was your son's laptop.
    1
  14813. May I comment on the new presentation : the wallpaper and shirt sleeves ? It stinks.
    1
  14814. What is wrong with a polished presentation ? Is it something to do with you becoming a professor ? Is this the academic way to handle news ? Get you jacket out of the wardrobe, put the background graphics back up and let's smarten this show up some !
    1
  14815. LOL when China fight corruption it's always the political enemies that cop for it. Cronies then move into their shoes and take over the graft. China is built on corruption. Corruption and human organ harvesting.
    1
  14816.  @blokin5039  China is winning ? They are like a runaway train they can't slow down : they have exponentially high debt have overbuilt ghost cities, a fake housing bubble, corrupt government and an economy on the verge of meltdown. One Belt One Road is the last throw of the dice for China.
    1
  14817. Non partisan good sense. Who is he ? He'd make a good German Chancellor if Mutti ever retires.
    1
  14818. You bet that's what I'm implying ! The evidence of pay-to-play was all over the place (Bill getting $1million in speaking fees) . One would have to be very self deluded to not see the blatant corruption. Are you honestly saying a Mueller type investigation into Hillary wouldn't turn up anything ?
    1
  14819. No hypocrisy : like the majority of Americans I didn't like either of them. There is a difference though : Clinton engineered her barrier to public scrutiny of her public office. She admitted it in the leaked emails : the server was to prevent investigation.
    1
  14820. The protesters are brave. Because Iran are totally brutal Islamofascist thugs. They usually call in Hezbollah to torture & kill unarmed protesters. Hezbollah are Islamofascist thugs who will kill anyone who doesn't follow their ideology.
    1
  14821. buseye, you historically illiterate fool. Football existed long before Grid-Iron football was invented. You chomp on your carcinogenic hot-dogs and watch grid Iron.
    1
  14822. Ask yourself this : in the event of a global catastrophe, who would come to China's aid ? Answer, nobody. Whilst China was helpless, various regions would declare themselves independent (Tibet, Xinjiang etc), neighbouring powers would disarm China to make sure they could no longer threaten the region. In short, 'China' would no longer exist - it would be broken up, and the civilized world would breathe a sigh of relief. Conclusion : China is hated by all its neighbours, and hasn't a friend in the world. Now substitute the USA : massive amounts of aid would flood in from Europe, Canada Australia, New Zealand etc. The USA has friends and allies all over the globe.
    1
  14823. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  14824. Very powerful words from Biden. Sky News has a terrific lot of jackasses watching and commenting. One can immediately assess their infantile nature - the constant repetition of a meme denigrating Biden. I'm no fan of his, but those jackasses should try to look at the big picture.
    1
  14825.  @orangejuice2934  Food and medicine are already sanction free. Iran can spend the whole $7 billion on medicine and food no problem. But Iran want the money for missiles and Hezbollah terror groups.
    1
  14826.  @orangejuice2934  , like I told YOU before - there is a mechanism for buying food and medicine, the Ayatollah wants the money to develop nukes and to fund Hezbollah terrorists.
    1
  14827.  @KH-sc8yn  , imagine you are a neutral democracy : would you prefer to side with the EU, US, NATO and the civilized world or would you side with Iran North Korea, China, Russia and the Axis of Evil. I think it's a no-brainer. Any civilized democracy is going to side with the civilized world.
    1
  14828. Too late....Trump has already blown it.
    1
  14829. Interesting. AJP Taylor described the National Socialists (1930s) as "not a party but a movement : disillusioned people who wanted change" I think that comes closer to describing Trumpists. Anti-immigration is a manifestation of nationalism. Also, nobody minds Ukrainians ; it is Islamists who are unwelcome (for the same reason Catholics were unwelcome. Cf the Gordon riots 1780) Islam and Catholicism (old type) are authoritarian and antithetical to the British spirit of 1688. The Glorious Revolution 1688 defines Britain (England before 1707). Let me give you an example :- The Lord Mayor of London was visiting a borough, and his entourage were holding his sword of office aloft. The local apprentices realised he was outside his jurisdiction and began pelting the parade with potatoes.This was in the early 1700s. Even the lowliest knew the limits of power. It reminds me of the accession of Lady Jane Grey 1553, when an apprentice shouted, "Mary has the better claim". Even the lowliest felt entitled to voice an opinion. Islam and Catholicism allow no voice of opinion : they are alien to the British ideal. They are authoritarian and dictatorial. The British look askance at those beliefs. Not today they don't, because nobody takes Catholicism seriously. But they do take Islam seriously.
    1
  14830. Wrong again ! The dead man was an Al Aqusa brigade commander Not "a member of Fatah" France24 always do that - they always sanitise terrorists
    1
  14831.  @mijicmugendo  Thanks for asking : I'm from Yorkshire. Is it possible to be apolitical ? I'm a historian, and when one views history on 'la grande échelle' (the big scale), one also favours grands idéaux (ideas) : like the battle against Russian autocracy. Or one might say Asiatic Autocracy : Russia and China. After all it was Karl Marx who described Russia as "The immobile mongol".
    1
  14832.  @mijicmugendo  Historically, Trump and Biden have each made major decisions, which consign all other trivia to footnotes. Trump : change China policy to confrontation. Biden : AUKUS Putin's invasion has changed the world permanently for the 21st century. Trump and Biden have each strengthened the ability for democratic civilization to confront Asiatic Autocracy.
    1
  14833.  @mijicmugendo  Golo Mann used a nice expression when he said, "Historian is the flag I sail under". I don't think he had a degree in history, but I would recommend his book on Wallenstein. Science soon reaches its limits, and is too specialized. There are always discoveries and new interpretations to be made in history. Lewis Namier describes AJP Taylor's Concise Germany to be 'full of half-polished gems'. Bismarck's observation that "The most important fact in modern history is that North America speaks English", is the basis for AUKUS. That combination is a gem I cobbled together myself.
    1
  14834. Hezbollah destroyed Lebanon
    1
  14835. A marvellous presentation of unity and strength. Addressing world issues - climate change and food security : democratic supremacy. Compare the corrupt Kremlin : unfathomable ignorance, unhealthy barbarity, and banal lies.
    1
  14836. How boring. Pakman asks about Pence and we get the Yodeller. Finally fatty says there's nothing on Pence which we already knew.
    1
  14837. "Stockpiling goods" Stalin & Mao used the same excuse for their failures It is all straight out of the dictator's play-book
    1
  14838. Very enjoyable.
    1
  14839. My bet is she doesn't go to Taiwan. Russia is losing badly, China is giving them no assistance ; Iran may come to blows with the US + Israel, and Mark Milley (US army CinC) says he'd prefer no visit.
    1
  14840. When will India find its moral compass ? History will mark India as a facilitator. India with one foot in both camps : Western Democracy and the Axis of Evil
    1
  14841. How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
    1
  14842. Sinai is a safe zone
    1
  14843. What can he do ? Ukraine;s advance is inexorable.
    1
  14844. I'm not sure about the throwing of milk-shakes. It's violence masked as humour, a bit like Jew baiting.
    1
  14845. Putin's Victory Day lies :- a) the West keeps threatening a nuclear attack on Russia (The opposite is true) b) Russia is fighting for its existence (The opposite : Ukraine is fighting fascist Russia for its existence) c) Russia Had to invade (The opposite - it is a war of Imperial Russian expansion)
    1
  14846.  Ur Boi Ali  , Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That was Hezbollah. Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascists. If women campaign for equal rights Hezbollah assassinate them.
    1
  14847.  @zazzyboy8592  Why go so far back as 1999? As recently as October of last year, when the protests against government corruption started and protesters were camping out at Martyrs' Square, Hezbollah thugs came and torched the tents of the protesters and beat them up. And in June 2013, when SHIA protesters were outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut protesting its interference in Lebanese politics, a gang of Hezbollah members came out and beat up and shot the protesters, killing one by the name of Hisham Salman (look him up).
    1
  14848. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  14849.  @carlakselberghjansen790  Also, Hamas wants to exchange hostages who are "dead or alive" So Hamas may hand over 33 corpses Good deal Who came up with that non-starter Hamas are full of jokes
    1
  14850. Trump is a moron we know that. On the other hand Obama said Hillary is "wicked smart" with the emphasis on the 'wicked'. If anyone needs telling that's why she lost.
    1
  14851. A map is worth a thousand words.
    1
  14852. Russia's Black Sea fleet must be the target. Ukraine must be allowed to buy Exocets.
    1
  14853. Have I told you my theory about Trump's N Korea talks. Rocket-man will offer to end all nukes with inspection if the US removes its military base from S Korea. This will be supported by Russia and China who will unilaterally end sanctions. Leaving Trump with egg on his face. Just a scenario.
    1
  14854. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  14855. The files released by Assange may have enabled despotic regimes to identify activists and arrest them. Assange was warned about this - but released the files anyway. Read the Guardian article by Nick Cohen : "The treachery of Julian Assange"
    1
  14856. EU Liberals never call for Hamas to release hostages They always blame Israel If Hamas free ALL hostages the war ends The EU prolongs the war by supporting Hamas
    1
  14857. Why does France promote capitulation ? Why did Macron declare French neutrality on TV ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  14858. Rejoice at that news ! Russia's ambassador to London gave an interview with unbearable arrogance : he was rejoicing at the suffering of Ukrainians and calling resistance futile Russia needs defeating The West must get serious in support of Ukraine Russia is a threat to Europe and international order
    1
  14859.  @superpantman  Yes, the Clintons should be investigated - The Washington Post www.washingtonpost.com › opinions › 2017/11/19 19 Nov 2017 — Hillary and Bill Clinton in Washington on Jan. ... Ask yourself: How many half-a-million-dollar speeches has Bill Clinton given to ... was "under the ultimate direction" of Ukraine's Putin-backed president and his political party.
    1
  14860.  @superpantman  , you 'forgot' to mention the $68 million from foreign donors. You never mentioned Bill's Ukraine fees (millions of dollars). I'm a Democrat, but one has to hold folk accountable for corruption. You are a self-deluded sycophant, simply excusing corruption. Read the Washington Post and Wall St Journal.
    1
  14861.  @superpantman  , The Clinton Foundation is a political slush fund, a pension Pot for the Clintons family and an emolument for loyal staffers. It buys property in Dubai, and invests money in Wall St, donating approx 15% to charity as a cover. It would take a purblind sap like you to fall for its charitable features, and ignore the glaring conflict of interest : $68 million foreign dollars being raised while Hillary was Sec. of State !
    1
  14862. Very polished performance by Blinken : very reassuring that there is a sober hand on the tiller.
    1
  14863. Listen to these clowns : all the things China can do. And yet if the US switch off the tap of China exports to the US then China collapse. The economic impact would collapse the Communist party. The US would be slightly impoverished but survive. To listen to these clowns you'd think China hold all the cards.
    1
  14864. Quiz : Who's the only person ever to tell Prince Philip to shut his mouth ? David Mellor It was after the Cumbria mass shooting (Derrick Bird), there were calls to ban firearms or tighten restrictions. Prince Philip said that a cricket bat was also a deadly weapon and asked whether campaigners intended to ban cricket. David Mellor appeared on Radio 4 and said (I'm paraphrasing) ""If he can't contribute.........he should have the sense and courtesy to keep his mouth shut"
    1
  14865. They were cheering on Oct 7th
    1
  14866. He foresees economic collapse for Russia in 2025 Trump is preparing a massive sanctions package if Putin doesn't agree a ceasefire
    1
  14867. When Putin dies the UN will vote on a resolution : "That he be buried right meetly deep"
    1
  14868. How the mighty fall LOL That's where fanaticism gets you. If only he'd played the long game. Fanatical fools are purblind.
    1
  14869. China harvests human organs from prisoners. You think that ended decades ago ? Well just phone any hospital and ask for a transplant , they will book you straight in . How ? Well they just get organs on demand. How ? Well how do you think you £ucking moron.
    1
  14870. They will be faux elections however long it takes As with Palestine : Fatah will only hold elections they win
    1
  14871. "The end of the war...." so Hamas can return to governing Gaza and waging terrorist war against Israel No way !
    1
  14872. .....and Russia like the morons they are played right into the Ukrain's hands.
    1
  14873. History : Palestinians began the strategy of terrorism & violence in the 1970s It failed The solution is "Democracy" but Palestinians won't listen Stone-throwing, terrorism, violence & corrupt despotism - the legacy of the Caliphate Palestinians think "Islam is the answer"
    1
  14874. Yanks don't buy guns to defend themselves from Russians or Chinese , they buy guns specifically to kill fellow Americans. They may say they fear they Government or radical elements but it boils down to the same thing : guns are purchased to kill fellow Americans.
    1
  14875. Grey, I suppose you could say the same about all religions. Christianity opposed printing, the translation of the bible etc Tibet Buddhism was a theocracy with no schooling (other than temple) The Papal States were the most backward in Europe with no telegraph railway or any modernisation and many political prisoners. The sooner all religions are neutered the better. Let them organise garden parties & jumble sales but stay out of anything connected with governance.
    1
  14876. Grey, well spoken. I'm reminded of Dostoyevsky's The Inquisitor “Anyone who can appease a man's conscience can take his freedom away from him.” “In the end they will lay their freedom at our feet and say to us, Make us your slaves, but feed us.” I can't find the quote I wanted. Where the Inquisitor says to Christ(second coming) we're not with you........and goes on to say they never have been since they accepted Earthly power through the benefaction of Rome. Organised ,powerful, wealthy religious institutions are the very antithesis of spiritual enlightenment. (I say that and I'm a radical atheist).
    1
  14877. I'm with her She's in it to win it It's her turn Personally I liked the last one although I suppose you could argue that mentioning the American people might have helped.
    1
  14878.  @jacobturan7948  Thank you. I came to this conclusion many weeks ago. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  14879.  @rubengonzalez620  NATO strategy : Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia.
    1
  14880.  @rubengonzalez620  NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  14881. The Revolutionary Guard (Iran) do not answer to Rouhani. They are essentially a rogue organisation within Iran. This attack together with the drone attack on the Saudi pipe-line and the tanker sabotage are very likely the work of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
    1
  14882. a) first strike is an IDF missile b) secondary explosions are Hamas rockets going off
    1
  14883. LOL Biden is on the ball ....when nobody is listening In private phone calls Biden is a sage But when its in public he's clearly got dementia
    1
  14884. Ursula has been a rock.
    1
  14885.  @silviabarbosa5804  WE can already see the results of NATO strategy :- a) flagship Moskva : sunk b) Snake Island : Russian defeat c) Battle of Kyiv : Russian defeat d) Battle of Kharkiv : Russian defeat British MOD : "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" Things are going pretty well.
    1
  14886. Newspapers have one thing in common : profit. They all struggle in the electronic age. Consequently they will publish any information that helps terror groups or China or Russia , as long as it gains them circulation. The new laws are good. There is a statutory channel for whistle-blowers : inform Parliament. Parliament has the right to disclose anything.
    1
  14887. The Pope supports Moscow He calls on Ukraine to "Wave the white flag" The Pope is an autocrat and has always sided with autocrats
    1
  14888. Lukashenko can only survive with the help of Putin. The Axis of Evil support dictatorship as their preferred form of government. Axis of Evil = Russia, China, North Korea, Iran etc
    1
  14889. "End of blockade on Gaza" Hamas wants unrestricted access to Iranian rockets to fire at Israel
    1
  14890. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia"The Allies response : exasperation.Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration.France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia".Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  14891. Very well presented. Very watchable : he squeezes the pips out of Trumps fake photos.
    1
  14892.  @jeremysmith8035  Okay I was exaggerating. Britain would just be sending them money and arms. Remember Hamas supported the decapitation of the teacher in France. Without any condemnation from Jeremy Corbyn.
    1
  14893.  @jeremysmith8035  But the Saudis are sitting on lots of oil. Hamas and Hezbollah are simply Islamist Fanatics. Why would Jeremy Corbyn support them ? Imagine Hamas attending a Downing Street conference - arriving in style to be greeted by the Prime Minister Mr Corbyn. (Have you got no shame !)
    1
  14894.  @michaelc3051  "We will do anything for money." That sounds like the cue to a Meatloaf song. "But we won't do that"....we won't befriend Hamas, à la Jeremy Corbyn.
    1
  14895. The Saudi can't fight. LOL I saw one general with wet lips and soft hands - he can't fight or command. They are puddings in pillowcases. They can buy what they like, the Houthi will defeat them with just rifles.
    1
  14896. Sweden : Turkey indicated they will ratify before Vilnius NATO summit July
    1
  14897. Iran's problems are caused by a brutal, backwards theocracy. The Persian people want to see an end to Ayatollah rule.
    1
  14898.  @mirekslechta7161  You are ill-informed and brain-washed. Russia has been a threat to democracy for centuries. NATO is a Kremlin red-herring. Moscow fears democracy and it always has. "Saddle up gentlemen, France has declared itself a republic". That was Alexander I in 1848. Russia invaded Europe and crushed democracy in Austra, Hungary and Prussia.
    1
  14899. "End the war" = hostages won't be released for many years Hostages could be in captivity for a decade Graham Greene "Innocence is a form of insanity" Western liberals are slightly insane
    1
  14900. Russia must be stopped Europe will never be safe if Putin wins in Ukraine
    1
  14901. "Turkey risking its position in NATO" LOL there's no risk , Turkey is getting kicked out anyway. I hope Turkey don't think they have a friend in Russia : Putin hasn't forgotten those planes Erdogan shot down , the payback for that is on hold.
    1
  14902. @pat jack , No. Trump is just intellectually challenged, we all know that. But he's right on China and Iran. I suspect you are the one, if I may be so bold, that buys into false prophets, perhaps a Blairite or Corbynite or maybe you voted Hillary. ?
    1
  14903. The Pope has just said, "Satan is responsible for Priests sexually abusing children ". Nice one you £ucking half-wit.
    1
  14904. Nobel Prize winner - guilty of war crimes ? How can that be possible ?
    1
  14905. LOL tell us something we don't know. The Saudi is indolent, ignorant, bone-idle, cowardly and cruel.
    1
  14906. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  14907.  @ghulamhussain687  Russia will pay a high price for its war crimes. Also, Russia must pay almost $1 trillion in reparations. Russia will be a failed state for the rest of the 21st century.
    1
  14908.  @lecorsaire2283  , it is pointless to allocate blame for each epoch in history. Right now (today) Hezbollah refuse to vacate the Finance Ministry - which means the IMF/EU will not provide money. Hezbollah = Iran (the Ayatollah) , it is that simple. Lebanon is on its knees because of Iran.
    1
  14909. TOTALLY WRONG "We know China's balanced position, we value it highly and we believe the leader of China makes his own decisions on the expediency of certain contacts. We have no right to offer any advice here," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said India does NOT understand world politics You must learn how to translate properly !
    1
  14910. Rethink ? more like Regret LOL Haftar was always a jumped up tin-pot dictator. Turkish intervention (a professional army) has pushed him back to where he was 6 years ago. Haftar hasn't a clue : he's a typical African general with a chest full of medals and no brains.
    1
  14911.  @videogamestutorial  You may be happy to live on your knees, but many people would prefer to fight for freedom. The Russian jackboot has clearly rattled you.
    1
  14912. Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  14913. There are 3 sticking points :- a) fisheries .......the Spanish and French simply buy a licence from UK b) UK independent market.........leave the agreement vague so the EU can retaliate to any egregious UK manipulation c) Ireland.........that has always been a non problem created by the EU as a casus belli in which they can take the high moral ground.
    1
  14914. UN supports Hamas Guterres came out and said so
    1
  14915. Great Wall, nice reply. ' Do unto your neighbour as you would have them do to you'. Was first stated by Confucius many centuries before the New Testament purloined it. The Old Testament was invented in the Bronze Age and doesn't contain anything even close to human rights. It is full of Bronze Age brutality. Gender equality, racial equality...... al these concepts are never found in religious tracts. They developed from Humanist thinking during the Enlightenment.
    1
  14916. Great Wall, these are just a few examples of Bronze Age brutality :- In Genesis 7:21-23, God drowns the entire population of the earth: men, women, children, fetuses, and animals. In Exodus 12:29, God the baby-killer slaughters all Egyptian firstborn children and cattle because their king was stubborn. In Numbers 16:41-49, the Israelites complain that God is killing too many of them. So, God sends a plague that kills 14,000 more of them. In 1 Samuel 6:19, God kills 50,000 men for peeking into the ark of the covenant. In Numbers 31:7-18, the Israelites kill all the Midianites except for the virgins, whom they are allowed to rape as spoils of war. In 2 Kings 2:23-24, some kids tease the prophet Elisha, and God sends bears to dismember them.
    1
  14917. Mike & James, no I haven't read the Quran but ,like the bible, it is full of violence. It was invented in the early Middle Ages and reflects the values of that period :- Quran (2:244) - "Then fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah Heareth and knoweth all things." Quran (2:216) - "Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not." Not only does this verse establish that violence can be virtuous, but it also contradicts the myth that fighting is intended only in self-defense. Quran (3:56) - "As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help." The list is endless.
    1
  14918. UN supports Hamas Guterres came out and said so
    1
  14919. ICC = Left Wing Lunatics They have humiliated themselves with their pro-Hamas support
    1
  14920. 15:00 LOL "How does it matter India is India, India carries on.....&^%$%$%£$....... dogs bark the elephant goes on, right "
    1
  14921. Why does France promote capitulation ? Why did Macron declare French neutrality on TV ? In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarising the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarise the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
    1
  14922. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
    1
  14923. The answer is NO A WW2 type event is extremely unlikely to happen Modern warfare is :- a) economic sanctions b) casualty averse c) public /world opinion conscious d) alliance conscious Add to that that these hyper sonic missiles are blind ( oh yeah, there's no communicating with them or guiding them, not when they are surrounded by a blazing atmospheric plasma) In a nutshell they will never be used. You might as well invent a multi-warhead nuclear missile ( oh they have done) That won't be used either. It's the MAD deterrent : mutually assured destruction.
    1
  14924.  @zabdas83  , oh Matthew, you talk like someone from medieval times advocating Nostradamus. I'm a historian, an enlightened rationalist, a scientist, an autodidact, a bibliophile ; honestly I've no time to research crack-pot characters. I'm currently reading Hugh Trevor-Roper "Historical Essays" and his "Age of Expansion 1559-1660" and also Eric Hobsbawm's "Age of Extremes". These are proper, well researched, rationally constructed books not some whack-job Dan Brown bull$hit.
    1
  14925.  Bozo Clown  , you are quite right. But I think this missile will be like the British Dreadnoughts with 18" guns. They were sunk in an afternoon by Japanese planes launched from an aircraft carrier armed with torpedoes.
    1
  14926.  Bozo Clown  , my fault , let me elaborate (or try another simile). The missile is like more-of-the-same (ie the big gun dreadnought) whereas the future is actually going to be something new (aircraft carrier). To ditch the simile and get back to reality : the future of war is AI, intelligent drones, cyber warfare and I hate to say it but untraceable biological warfare. You are much more likely to have a reservoir poisoned than a hypersonic missile attack. Why ? Because a nuclear missile attack guarantees your own destruction whereas a biological attack could have come from anyone, it's deniable.
    1
  14927.  @georgehiotis  Naftali Bennett (Israel PM) "Two weeks after the invasion Russia wanted out. All they asked was that Ukraine don't join NATO" Moscow did NOT want a war It was supposed to be over for 2 March It was an opportunistic gamble that failed Russia is not "going all in" on a gamble. Russia can retreat and try again in 50yrs - when they've developed new weapons.
    1
  14928.  @martinoamello3017  I agree 15 July : The U.S. House of Representatives has approved $100 million for training Ukrainian pilots to fly U.S. fighter jets Almost certainly they are now fully licensed for F-16 combat I think there were around 100 pilots trained.
    1
  14929.  @billgibbard9449  That's true. But I'm talking about AFTER Russia has used nuclear weapons. Then, we are in a whole new ball-game. Russia would be definitely kicked out.....maybe kicked out of the UN all together.
    1
  14930.  @xavariusquest4603  I'm amazed how ill-informed you are a) Russia can't "carpet bomb" there planes would be shot down : even Russian TV knows that ! b) "pop off a few" you are clearly an adolescent, when you grow up you will realise that strategy is suicidal for Russia. 19 Oct Ben Wallace Washington signed off on nuclear response 21-24 Oct Shoigu & Gerasimov phoned the West 4 times ! Russia knows the danger
    1
  14931.  @DJTreviCSRecordings  I quite agree. Folk think Ferdinand wore the trousers but they were worn by Isabella (quite literally, when she apparently dressed as a man to attend their secret wedding). Isabella, of Castile , trusted Ferdinand who was an able soldier and statesman but he never had any power in Castile other than that he spoke and acted as HER agent.
    1
  14932. Polls show Israel supports the destruction of Hamas "Growing frustration" = from 1% to 3% are frustrated :but it HAS grown Very misleading from France24 again
    1
  14933. goodgulf, who can forget the Guinness share-trading fraud : it turned out most of the directors who had previously been running the company and re-appointed at AGMs were now unfit to stand trial. Of course Harley Street doctors testified that was true.
    1
  14934. J'adore, SMArt 155 and Excalibur 155 They are both magic
    1
  14935. Corbyn & Ukraine :- Who could doubt Corbyn would've supported the Kremlin, by advocating a peace-policy to deny Ukraine weapons. Everyone knows Corbyn is a foolish traitor.
    1
  14936. Yes. This "lawyer" reminds me of the BBC : they don't give information, they simply tell you how to think. This old goat is denying viewers info that he possesses, simply to tell them how to think. Most people like information, so they can decide for themselves.
    1
  14937.  @lizwishange3887  But some of the stones were huge, and looked just like quartz.
    1
  14938. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany acted as the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ? (I'll make a seperate post)
    1
  14939. Germany will always prioritize itself. A nation can change, but it cannot escape its culture : Russia is a prime example. Solzhenitsyn came to love his oppressors and died an imperialist lover of Mother Russia. Likewise Germany, though much changed, has a culture of always trading principles for success :- a) in 1848 : the revolutionaries abandoned democracy, offering the Imperial crown to FW IV, in return for national unification. b )in 1866 they absolved Bismarck of unconstitutional tax collection, because of the victory over Austria c) The same Faustian pact was made with Wilhelm II and Hitler : success for the nation in exchange for abandoning all principles.
    1
  14940. Si, he is one fat gringo.
    1
  14941. Hamas must release ALL hostages - then the war ends
    1
  14942. "The USA supports undemocratic regimes in the region" LOL - the Palestinians are SO democratic LOL That includes the PA who haven't had an election for 20 years ! The Palestinians and Hamas are utterly corrupt fascists
    1
  14943. I pity the Palestinian people they have had nothing but appalling leadership. Yasser Arafat was a multi-billionaire corrupt dictator who killed any opponents in Palestine. Hamas have ruled Gaza like tyrants, denying democracy and killing any critics. Fatah are corrupt thugs who beat any critics and refuse to allow multi-party democracy. When will Palestinians get good leadership ?
    1
  14944. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Shirley described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  14945. LOL the UN supports Hamas The UN has ordered unrestricted ARMS deliveries The UN wants weapons smuggled to Hamas
    1
  14946. Good work. God bless Ukraine. (And God bless the Yanks)
    1
  14947. Israeli strategy :- a) Occupy N Gaza (Golan Heights) b) Leave Hamas in southern Gaza as an impediment to a 2 state solution c) Even a liberal Israel cannot negotiate with Hamas d) West Bank settlements grow, Gaza shrinks An inevitable outcome
    1
  14948. Tarl + adynes + Master-Fushi, LOL you monumental wets. Mrs Romney didn't mind. She is Trumps peer there is no power relationship here. She just laughed it off.
    1
  14949. I wish you would all stop beating off in a bush, of course Trump goosed her. But it is no big deal : they are part of the cocktail-set, there is no power relationship, no exploitation. She was laughing at his audacity.
    1
  14950. Any news from the Reading terror attack ?
    1
  14951.  @jackassm9008  , why has the Turkish lira just nose-dived ? Turkey is heading for dictatorship. And Islamofascism.
    1
  14952. UN Liars ! "500 - 600 trucks per day" Most of that was consumer goods Food was only 100 trucks, Israel now allows 120 trucks An increase of 20% UN liars support Hamas
    1
  14953.  @amritpalsingh3293  Tony Judt : a disappointed socialist atheist AJP Taylor : a cynical socialist atheist Hugh Trevor-roper : a Conservative atheist Lytton Strachey : a cultured cynical atheist
    1
  14954.  @amritpalsingh3293  Thanks, I reviewed it online : it has headings lie "Get out of your comfort zone". It sounds like a self-help book. I like factual history books, by intellectual authors, not popular books from the NYT bestsellers list. LOL, his other books are about " power, and seduction". That guy is a jackass. I recommended genuine history books by intellectuals. But thanks anyway.
    1
  14955. The shop owner should get his shotgun out.
    1
  14956. The Vatican prayer is BLESSED ARE THE CHILD MOLESTERS
    1
  14957. 80% of the West agree with Israel The west tolerates Al Jazeera for 2 reasons a) to maintain good Gulf relations b) to diffuse radical Islam Al Jazeera stinks
    1
  14958. India is also pained. It is painful for India to sit with the Axis of Evil : Russia China North Korea Pakistan etc
    1
  14959. 0:30 look at the Palestinian Prime Minister. Why not replace him with Youman al Sayed (journalist) ? She is much more intelligent, honest and presentable. The Palestinians have been sold down the river by corrupt old men and Hamas savages.
    1
  14960. India's aircraft carrier Vikramaditya : how should it be used ? Remove all hazardous material, sail it into a bay, and use it for target practice. Modi hasn't a clue about modern warfare, his head is full of cobwebs, he looks like a haunted tennis ball. India should partner with Israel, not rag & bone junkyard Russia.
    1
  14961. The Palestinians are failures Compare Estonia - occupied by Hitler then Stalin - tens of thousands murdered, raped and exiled But Estonia is now a world leader in the cyber world Yasser Arafat stole $3 billion Gulf oil money The PLO were enriching themselves whilst children crawled around with wooden rifles at school Palestinians are permanent corrupt failures : they are autocratic and superstitious and have only themselves to blame
    1
  14962. Putin has already been overthrown - he now speaks at the behest of his advisors. The 16hr delay was caused by a dispute amongst his advisors, deciding what he should say. A similar thing happened Kaiser Wilhelm II (1908) when he gave a disastrous interview to the Daily Telegraph and was effectively removed from power.
    1
  14963. "500 killed in one Israeli air-strike" al-Ahli Arab Hospital That was shown to be a Hamas missile - this guy is repeating old lies "Anglican diocese that manages the hospital reported 200 people killed" 200 killed by a Hamas rocket misfire Please stop spreading propaganda which has been disproved !
    1
  14964. Palestine : After 4 centuries of Ottoman despotism, the Turks were defeated by Britain and Palestine was liberated. Not with any assistance from the Palestinian people who sided with their overlords (the Turks). Syrian despot Faisal said he would defect to the Ottoman side provided they would give him an empire to rule. To garner assistance from the Jewish communities Lord Balfour (1917) made a declaration of approval for a Jewish homeland. In 1947 the UN offered the Palestinians a 2-state solution which they rejected. Despite overwhelming superiority they lost the 1947 war with the Israelis. This was because Palestinians had no national identity (similar to Italians prior to Italy before 1870 or Germany before 1870 etc - nations were largely invented in the C19th ). Palestinians fought for their own villages and their neighbours, but had no interest in fighting for land they had never seen. The Palestinian land was claimed by Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Only after losing 3 disastrous wars (1947,67,73) did they recognise a Palestinian state : " Egypt was one of the first countries to support the Palestinian Declaration of Independence and officially recognized Palestine on 15 November 1988 " Since that disastrous start the Palestinians have been ruled by Arafat (a 40yr dictatorship during which he stole $3 billion ), have subsequently been governed by the corrupt despotic Palestinian Authority, and in recent times the fascist fanatics Hamas. Both the PA and Hamas are happy to do away with democracy and pursue their own agendas : for the PA corruption and encouraging youths to throw stones and attack the fence ; for Hamas to establish a fascist theocracy. The Palestinians are shunned on the world stage as corrupt losers, and anti-democratic fascists. But despite all this they never demand a change of leadership and will continue their losing streak for the rest of the century - until , like Poland in 1795 they are simply wiped off the map. And when that happens, of course, they will blame everyone but themselves.
    1
  14965. Embarrassing for Australia. In 1919 President Wilson laid the foundations for the "League of Nations" but the US never joined. Because Wilson included no Republicans in his Versailles team ; he should've taken William Taft (25yrs experience), instead he took Democrat rookies. Party division can often embarrass a nation on the world stage.
    1
  14966.  @toddb9313  Flip-flopping is embarrassing. In Darwinian evolution non-cooperation is negative for both players. Same applies in politics : both parties lose when the nation flip-flops.
    1
  14967.  @toddb9313  LOL good reply. I don't know how you extracted that from my comment but it made me laugh. Of course, you are right : conflict in Europe was essential for the dominance of western civilisation. I think HG Wells touched on this with his Morlocks and Eloi (Time machine)
    1
  14968. Timeline 16 sep : Xi misses the final feast of the SCO and asks Erdogan to take his place 17 sep : Xi is arrested as he leaves the plane from Samarkand. 21 sep : meeting of the Military reform commision. Both Xi and his defence minister Wang Fei are absent. Everyone else is there - navy, army, air force etc
    1
  14969. Ireland sent condolences to the Nazis when Hitler died That is historical fact The Irish are unhinged - they have developed a twisted morality based on being anti-British
    1
  14970. 300Km missiles - Russia has moved its fleet from Sevastopol. Maybe they know the long range missiles are coming ?
    1
  14971.  @user-ux8hg8bk3e  Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    1
  14972. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often joke about rape.
    1
  14973. Sir Francis, you are clearly a liar. If what you said were true then Madrid would have a publicity campaign going pointing to those fakes. The BBC video by Tom Burridge showed Spanish Police beating, kicking, dragging girls by the hair, throwing people down steps and stomping on people. Are you saying the BBC are producing fakes ?
    1
  14974.  @Strong70  NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
    1
  14975.  @ebb_  Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Also :- Germany blocks EUR 8 billion financial assistance to Ukraine
    1
  14976. LOL he's worse than Yaser Arafat. Arafat ruled as a dictator for 40yrs and stole $3 billion : he was sending his wife (in Paris) $1 million per month. Netanyahu's wife .......he's picked a right one there, she's as corrupt as him.
    1
  14977. Lebanon should be governed by the UN. An international administration should be appointed. Hezbollah (Iran) have destroyed Lebanon.
    1
  14978. 2009 Corbyn : "I consider myself a friend of Hamas & Hezbollah" The same Corbyn who called on the Kremlin to investigate the Skripal poisonings Corbyn trusts Russia more than British intelligence : he puts Terrorists before civilised democracy He is the lunatic Left
    1
  14979. Well done Biden. AUKUS are champing at the bit to blockade China. Recently, a Chinese ship fired a laser at an Australian plane. There is a pent-up fury in the West at China, just looking for a trigger.
    1
  14980. LOL and economic war ? That's where both sides are damaging each others economy. That's like the China trade war. Iran is just being wrecked. It's not a war. Iran are just sinking....where's the war ?
    1
  14981.  @farhadshahryarpoor9622  , I'm very serious. The US is imposing sanctions and crippling Iran's economy. Iran is enriching Uranium as its economy sinks. That's not a war. Where's the war ?
    1
  14982.  @donquixote1502  I come from a country not famed for its gastronomy. But a country unafraid of facing down tyranny. A country that gave parliamentary democracy to the world, spearheaded the industrial revolution and enlightenment. The last country to join the slave trade and the first to abolish slavery. A country respected throughout the world for its independent judicial system (internation contracts specify that disputes be settled in this country). Hope that helps.
    1
  14983. LOL as if the Kremlin could operate a legitimate business. A state owned company would last less than 6 months. Kremlin thieves only know how to steal. Their speciality is the Lubyanka torture camp and Gulags, the Russians can't run a business.
    1
  14984. American assistance to India totalled $10‐billion from 1950 to 1971, the largest amount of aid given to any country. The aid included 50 million, tons of emergency food, largely sent in the 1960s to avert famine. .....and India support Russia. Shame on India.
    1
  14985. Ninja, you wouldn't say that if there was some big hairy Jihadi bearing down on you.
    1
  14986. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP) John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  14987. What ludicrous conspiracy nonsense.
    1
  14988. jantonio, " Democrats want to always do it the right way. " Are you $hitting us. The DNC fixed the Primaries for Hillary, then lied about it and denied everything. They also rigged the vote in various states. Financially the Democrats are 100% corrupt : the Clinton legacy.
    1
  14989. Historically you shouldn't conflate wealthy people with establishment elites. (I'm no Trump supporter) The Victorian merchants fought the corn laws : they were wealthy but NOT the establishment. The establishment wanted protectionism for there agricultural produce. Go back to the Civil War (1640s) the wealthy wanted their rights & representation respected. They weren't the establishment. The Dutch republic 1600-1650 is probably an example of where the ruling oligarchy were the wealthy merchant class. But as Machiavelli pointed out : it is always fewer than 40-50 people who actually rule in any system ; so even being part of the 'establishment' generally leaves you disempowered.
    1
  14990. He never mentioned harvesting human organs. The CCP say they have stopped that now but there are no shortage of organs at the hospitals so one would assume it's still going on.
    1
  14991. Actually 135,000 miles is good going. The only things going wrong are water in the headlight and door handles ? I'd call that fricking good.......and I hate Elon Musk.
    1
  14992. India has essentially joined the Axis of Evil - N Korea, China, Iran, Russia, India etc
    1
  14993. Good analysis
    1
  14994. 2:50 "Stalin was pretty much out of the picture by the late 1950s" Stalin died in 1953. Khrushchev was ousted in 1964 and Brezhnev died in 1982.
    1
  14995. How do Trump supporters feel ? They think rapist Bill Clinton lied through his teeth and got away with it. Crooked Hillary lied through her teeth and got off. So why focus on Trump ?
    1
  14996. "Do bad things to each other". I think you must have been sleeping. ALL the violence has been by the Spanish Police. The world finds it repulsive. Look on social media.EVERYONE thinks Spain is a disgrace. What sort of propaganda are you trying to spread. Use your eyes and watch the sickening scenes !
    1
  14997. "It is not the first time Russia has made nuclear threats", said the expert. LOL One Russian minister had his plane delayed in Poland and said, "Next time I'll come back on a nuclear armed bomber" The Kremlin is full of disgusting thugs : this is how they speak.
    1
  14998. I didn't notice Britain's knees knocking. Compare India : Modi is fearful of China, and fearful of offending Russia. Fear is India foreign policy.
    1
  14999. Nonsense In the first 2 mins he's got it all wrong The "coup" was much bigger than Prigo renegotiating his deal Kindergarten analysis
    1
  15000.  @bramposthumus9300  Thanks for your reply a) The FSB, GRU etc all have agents in Wagner, they ALL knew abut the coup b) Rostov was taken without a shot being fired because Moscow sent plane loads of special forces to pacify Rostov before Wagner arrived c) Prigozhin doesn't have a dozen T-90s and tank transporters sitting in a shed It all has to be authorised by the Kremlin One can't simply pick up a Pantsir , missiles and technicians d) Everyone could see this coming for weeks but Putin did nothing - he was half in on it e) It is most likely a power clash - Siloviki v Duma Duma = Shoigu etc, constitutionalists Siloviki = Patrushev, Bortnikov etc They are all thinking postwar power The coup is much bigger than Prigo It is so obvious
    1
  15001.  @macmcleod1188  Very interesting, and good analysis. That was also my thinking, the minute I heard Ukraine had advanced 8km.
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  15002.  @anoopkl4u  Russia lost 5 ships taking Snake Island, they lost dozens of troops, helicopters and vehicles. NATO strategy for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. (Owing to 300km Himar threat) NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally', and Ukraine IS winning incrementally.
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  15003.  @johnnysgaminglab2126  Putin has the mentality of a KGB torturer : the attack is to unsettle you. Imagine Putin is interrogating you, and suddenly does something irrational to you. It leaves you wondering what else he might do without any provocation. These are classic KGB psychology tactics, to leave the victim unsettled - incapable of analysing what might happen next, Kafkaesque.
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  15004. In 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran from Paris AFTER the Shah had been overthrown by Socialists, Democrats, Trade-unionists etc and , using his ruthless jihadists took control. What happened to the other groups who had overthrown the Shah ? Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : more than the Shah killed in his whole life. When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran the press asked him what he'd do with the democrats in the Shah's parliament (oh yes the Shah had a parliament) Khomeini replied, "I'll kick their teeth in ".
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  15005. Miro, all I'm saying is that this psychiatric stuff is nonsense. What you should be interested in is who forced Trump to recant and out the the 'contrition theatre' statement about 'wouldn't instead of would'. It was humiliating for Trump but someone made him do it. who ? Who has that sort of clout. My guess is that it was a combination of people : Pompeo, Mattis, Kelly, Bolton.
    1
  15006. Ultimately China lose because the end of the road will always be a blockade of China. It almost certainly won't happen but that is the very final terminus to any dispute.
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  15007. Skip, Blockade of China.... a) by the USA b) in order to win a conflict c) simply by preventing merchant ships trading with China It would only take a couple of submarines in the Malacca Straights. China is totally dependent on trade for its food, fuel and GDP. I'm not saying it will happen, I'm just saying that the end of the road, the very final terminus of any conflict with China will always be blockade by the US. China are well aware of it : that's why they have militarised the South China sea.
    1
  15008. skip, " just like all the support the USA is getting on Iran sanctions." The US are not getting support but COMPLIANCE. The sanctions against Iran will work because companies cannot risk being blacklisted from the US dollar$$$ market. In the case of military blockade of China : the US navy is superior to every other navy in the world combined, it doesn't need support. Also blockade is so simple : the Malacca Straights are tiny and merchant ships put up no resistance.
    1
  15009. Skip, it is not my idea. It is what the US have plans in lace for, and it is what China are defending against. I thought everyone realised this, I thought it was common knowledge.
    1
  15010. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
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  15011. The Revolutionary Guard regularly rape female protestors, they consider it a perk of their job. @t @t @t @t This is the true face of Iran. Iran is a totalitarian Islamofascist state. There is no independent judiciary, no independent police force, if you are arrested they can do what they want with you.
    1
  15012. How will China cope with BLOCKADE by AUKUS ? There is no strategy China can employ. Blockade is a winning card and the CCP know it. That is why military drills by China are simply a performance for its own people.
    1
  15013.  @Person01234  Fair point. I always like to step back and take a geological look at the world - over centuries. The picture looks like this :- a) Mao killed 60 million b) Stalin killed 30 million. He killed 4 million Ukrainians in the Holodomor genocide alone. Kejove said, "Stalin turned the people into a jelly he could mould into any shape". Stalin's terror and Gulag system was electroshock therapy for the ignorant masses of Russia. Russia has never been normal and was certainly mentally deranged after Stalin. It has never recovered. On this large timescale view one can only say, "Thank God for the USA"
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  15014.  @Kavala76  In the last 30yrs ? That would be the US But let's take a look at the regimes :- a) The taliban used football stadiums for torture events - women were stoned to death, criminals hanged, and various victims tortured. b) Saddam : his sons committed crimes that are unmentionable. They defy decent conversation. Nobody can bear to hear the details - they were psychopathic savages. c) Gaddafi : his mass graves were full of victims wearing pyjamas. The secret police had obviously adopted the nighttime call tactic. The KGB did the same during Stalin's Terror. Spare a thought for the victims, then remember the USA in your prayers..... God bless the US defenders of freedom.
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  15015. "Manifestly not Saigon"
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  15016. "No true leaders" like Putin & Lula LOL This dumb old socialist has lost his marbles Thank God for the USA & Europe and NATO - to defend civilisation
    1
  15017.  @Sevan59  Submarines are THE strategy for conflict with China. Which is why the USA hurriedly built 19 Virginia class subs. They will immediately blockade China when war starts. China's ace card is the proximity to the mainland, where they have 2000 anti-ship missiles. So aircraft carriers will stay well out of range. Why do you think China went into such a flap ? Submarines are the tools will implement the blockade and wreck China.
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  15018. Well said. That is why AUKUS was such a good move.
    1
  15019.  @Larry777-v7x  China slaughtered 10,000 of its own citizens on Tienanmen Square. That is why strict censorship forbids anyone mentioning it. No newspaper is allowed to reference it, the internet articles are blocked and schools are forbidden to teach it. In fact, schools are forbidden to mention the Cultural Revolution, or the 60 million deaths that occurred under Chairman Mao. The civilized world needs to defend South East Asia against Chinese aggression.
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  15020. Numbers :- How many condemned Russia at the UN = 141 How many supported Russia = 5 How many gave Putin a nod & wink = 35 (including India Pakistan China) Modi has traded India's scruples for Russian military junk. India's Mig-21 shot down by Pak, Russia's SU-24 shot down by Turkey American Stingers and British NLAWs are wreaking havoc on Russian junk. Modi has made a huge mistake.
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  15021. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  15022. Don't knock France : that is what Putin wants. So France stole a few horses, it's not Vichy mark 2. Let's all focus on defeating Putin. Exocets would help. It would certainly cheer me up to see the Black Sea fleet destroyed.
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  15023.  @ezix3753  , interesting. So Saud 1953 - 64 was pan-arab nationalist Faisal 1964-75 was Islamist. " Following a 1954 attempt on his life by a Muslim Brotherhood member, he cracked down on the organization, put President Mohamed Naguib under house arrest and assumed executive office. He was formally elected president in June 1956. " So it was after Nasser cracked down on Islamists that Faisal replaced king Saud ?
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  15024. Mehdi is very entertaining - civil but also combative
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  15025. An Islamist ? The establishment always counter with "Non-denial denials"
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  15026.  @johnwoods7650  The most common first name in Britain is "Mohammed" that makes a lot of folks feel sick
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  15027. This is FAKE NEWS. China never said anything as stupid. It was published in a Chinese paper. No government official ever even hinted at it. It would be as daft as Iran closing the Hormuz Sts : it would never happen. I say would not could ; it could happen and China would lose those rare-earth mining operations in Africa and get no compensation.
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  15028. China are smart enough to only threaten what they can enforce.
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  15029. Biden said, "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" It was a jackass remark, and Blinken had to be dashed out to do damage limitations. Remember Obama revealing the exact time operations would begin to retake Mosul ? The Democrats don't know when to stop talking.
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  15030. Putin told Assad to pay his share. This is an old story.
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  15031.  @IvanPlayStation4LiFe  , okay I've added it to "watch later". I suppose I'd better check it out.
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  15032.  @arty5876  Do you mean Russia defeated "The sick man of Europe" ?
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  15033. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
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  15034. 0.10 God we're only ten seconds in and I'm asking what was Obama's most controversial foreign policy decision and everyone is chorusing "The Red Line". John Bolton is awful : he has no manners and everyone hates him. But when it comes to N Korea, China & Iran that might be useful. There are so many problems Obama kicked down the road that to have a hawkish administration may not be a bad thing. (Rumour has it Trump told Bolton, "Be as tough as you like but don't get us into any wars" )
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  15035. 52 - 48 % to leave. But you have to remember there is always a 'stick-it-to-the-politicians' factor. That is, a portion of the population vote in a way to stick it to the establishment. In a 2nd referendum that portion (maybe 7%) will vote remain.
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  15036.  @dennisdonovan2752  Ataturk (1920) fell back halfway across Anatolia, but then counter-attacked against the Greeks.
    1
  15037. Modi still supporting Russia. Shame on India. Mass graves - one corpse had both arms broken and a noose around his neck. India has no moral compass.
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  15038. Wrong The Turkish analyst got it right - Israel will flatten all the buildings (Of course Sky daren't say this, but that's what they'll do That's why it has been evacuated, Hamas will be buried there)
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  15039.  @joshuacondell1686  My dear chap, one has to phrase one's comments like that or they will be deleted. One has to use words like "obey" in order to get past the censors. I have posted numerous factual comments only to see them disappear.
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  15040.  @joshuacondell1686  ABC News " Qatar, an energy-rich Gulf country, has been providing $20 million to Gaza each month since 2018." Qatar funds Hamas. Therefore, any criticism of Hamas is removed from Al-Jazeera. (That's my experience, and my comments are all based on documented fact).
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  15041.  @axis2312  Thanks for asking. a) This year the end of Ramadan coincided with the Jewish Jerusalem Day, which is often attended by right wing Zionist types. About 200 young Palestinians decided to guard Al-Aqsa in case the Zionists attacked. b) Whilst they were guarding, they thought it might be fun to throw stones at Jews praying below. The Police arrived so the youths threw stones at them, then ran into Al-Aqsa to hide. The police went in after them. c) Hamas then demanded Israel remove all personnel from Temple Mount and release the youths who had been arrested for stone throwing. When Israel ignored the 6pm deadline, Hamas launched missiles at Israeli civilians at 6:01pm
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  15042.  @axis2312  Bloomberg "Air raid sirens sounded in the cities of Jerusalem and nearby Beit Shemesh, the military reported, around the deadline that the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers had given Israeli security forces to vacate a contested Jerusalem shrine and nearby neighborhood." Newsweek "The Al-Aqsa episode was used by Hamas to justify firing rockets close to Jerusalem after the terror group issued an ultimatum for Israeli forces (who were protecting Israelis and trying to quell riots) to withdraw from Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah. I heard one popular and influential British radio host scandalously ask her Israeli government interviewee why Israel didn't acquiesce to Hamas's deadline—as if Israel should have stopped protecting its citizens at the behest of a murderous jihadist organization." Al Jazeera " The barrage of rockets from Gaza came following the expiration of Hamas's deadline"
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  15043.  @JS-xh2lx  , dear oh dear, you are expecting Youtubers to know some history. Very naive. They don't know the history of their own country let alone an African one.
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  15044.  @lycanwarrior2137  , my point exactly. And when they expanded they took the daughters, cattle and land from the indigenous tribes.
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  15045. Makes very little difference Paul. The US are very serious about a military strike on N Korea. The repercussions will be disastrous for all countries in the region. But it will hardly effect the US. If China encourage N Korea to play hard-ball, and demand the US remove their base from S Korea, then the US will strike. If China tighten sanctions and pressure N Korea to denuclearise then it sours N Korea against them. There are no good options fore China.
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  15046. Vince, that political system stinks. It's Nietzschean. It is the Napoleonic, Hitler, Stalin philosophy of the great leader deciding what is best for the people. "Kings have been around since forever". Too true and civilisation only started developing once they'd been put in their place. Why do you think the West out developed the rest of the world ?
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  15047. General Ben Hodges (retired NATO commander) "hemingway's character says he went bankrupt in two ways slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation could collapse." The West should be prepared. Medvedev :"They are trying to disintegrate Russia for a 2nd time" Russia and America are in agreement.
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  15048. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries.
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  15049. 1) ignore the 'expert' he has huge investments in China 2) why would global investors be interested in China when wealthy Chinese are getting their money out as quick as possible (capital flight). 3) Don't believe China is too powerful to fail. In 1918 the USA was 75% of global production but when the stock market crashed it didn't emerge from recession until after WW2 (Roosevelt's new deal didn't work)
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  15050. There was absolutely no need for the dispatch sent from the UK ambassador. All he did was parrot information available in the media. He has a book deal coming up : so maybe that has something to do with it. If you can't add anything to what is ALREADY known , then simply use diplomatic euphemism to confirm the media assessment. In short : the ambassador is a bit of a loser , and with a bit more savvy wouldn't be in the boat he's in now.
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  15051. Interesting comparison. But inappropriate in many ways :_ a) the German issue was 90% about the injustice of the Versailles treaty. b) Alsace–Lorraine was reverted to French ownership in 1918 (it had been German since the 1871 Franco Prussian war). c) China is almost a super-power. It has no intention of ruining things by invading Taiwan. Also, China has a strategical weakness - it is easily blockaded. Hence, why the US have just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Also, the reason for Australia's AUKUS submarine program.
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  15052. Many years ago Eric Trump told a golf buddy, "We don't use American banks we get all the money we need from Russia". End of story. Trump has been laundering Russian money for decades. Incidentally Deutsche Bank have just been fined $600 million for money laundering. Do you know who Trump's European bankers are ? I'll let you guess.
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  15053. The first rockets were fired on Monday 10th May at 6:01 pm by Hamas. Israel ignored the 6pm Hamas deadline to remove all forces from Al-Aqsa.
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  15054. Saudi have no interest in it. Imagine the people of Turkey sacrificing themselves for it. Pakistan can't afford it......it is about to go bankrupt any minute now. You have to remember that in 1948 Egypt, Syria and Jordan all claimed Palestine. Nobody recognised a Palestinian state.
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  15055.  @tundejones274  Correct. John Bright was the equivalent of Macron.
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  15056.  @crazy_kure8509  If you want to look at sickness - read some reports of the Russian atrocities, the torture and rape. Russians have opened a new chapter in sickness.
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  15057. Christie demolished Marco Rubio. Sui generis = "of their own kind, in a class by itself" apropos Trump Apropos = with reference to; concerning.
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  15058. What's come over France ? 13 Oct Macron capitulated, declaring "nuclear neutrality" and leaving the US and UK to defend Ukraine. Which they did on 19 Oct in Washington (Thank God someone has some sand)
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  15059.  @francismusali676  "Had a go at Russia " ? Napoleon carved up Europe with Nicholas I at Tilsit (1807) then subsequently invaded. Hitler carved up Europe with Stalin (Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact 1939) then subsequently invaded. In both cases Russia had joined the aggressors, then come unstuck. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  15060.  @francismusali676  "If Russia was weak", then it would be struggling against Ukraine (which it is). Read Svetlana Alexiovich, she reports Russians in their own words and won a Nobel Prize for it. When the USSR collapsed (1990), one Russian said,"We would have beaten the Wet in any war, we had more tanks than all of them put together". Look where that has got them against only Ukraine - they couldn't even take Kyiv.
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  15061. China has never won a war They would be hammered by AUKUS
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  15062. Biden is campaigning He is not speaking as President, he is campaigning for 2024 That's the difference It's not a real criticism of Israel - definitely NOT a policy change
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  15063. 1:06 the Axis of Evil : might have known the Saudi would have a finger in the pie. The Saudi is indolent ignorant, bone idle, backwards, cowardly and cruel.
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  15064. P TH, you know the guy who wrote 'Wealth of Nations '. He coined the term 'division of labour' and was a champion of capitalist economics. He was often quoted by Marx. Anyway, Adam Smith had many more strings to his bow than simply economics : he put the boot into the Church for one thing.
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  15065. Pol, I simply quoted Adam Smith , who tackled the question of how the Church had remained so powerful for centuries. He came to the conclusion that the Church controlled the masses and were a necessity for the ruling class. Eg In Spain the Church income was 6million ducats a year. That's why the Church :- a) opposed education and progress for the working man. b) opposed printing c) opposed the bible being translated into the vernacular d) opposed any peasant protests etc, etc
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  15066. They both look very healthy for it.
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  15067. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
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  15068. It's not even Good Friday.
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  15069. "Halloween against the tradition of the Orthodox Church". The Russian Orthodox Church enjoyed the tradition of "Serfdom", the Church as the biggest owner of Serfs and opposed emancipation for decades.
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  15070. Wow , just look at the corruption on display. You have a totalitarian state lending money to corrupt incompetents . That is a recipe for disaster........and the international community will once again have to pick up the pieces.
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  15071. "the peaceful ones " that's most people. After the 30yrs war 1618-48 , which had devastated Europe with unbelievable brutality reducing the population in places by 25%. Frederick II said, "There is a deeper law than God's Law that obliges people to tolerate and help each other." That is Humanism : most people have that with a bit of nonsense religion on top.
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  15072. Remember when CNN (and the rest) accused Trump's campaign manger of pushing a female journalist and he had to resign. Even though we all saw the CCTV and nothing happened ? Well now CNN are getting a taste of their own medicine........and they don't like it.
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  15073. Chris Wallace is the Fox News anchor and he couldn't sum up his lunch.
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  15074. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
    1
  15075. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
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  15076. Peter, how quickly you forget about N Korea. Those talks will end in tears and a military solution is very likely. That will have severe repercussions on SE Asia and perversely strengthen the US.
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  15077. Russians hiding near a church for sanctuary. There can be no sanctuary for those heathen Mongols.
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  15078. The last election results were : 47 % independence 39% pro-spain 14% uncommitted. (After the Police violence expect independence to poll 55-60%) Rajoy thinks that flying military helicopters over Barcelona will intimidate them into voting for him. It is just the opposite. Remember Hillary Clinton ? Her team discovered that the less she appeared the more popular her adverts were. The same applies to Rajoy : he's revolting. Puigdemont is hardly charismatic with his pudding-basin hairstyle but ,come the election, that will be transformed into a Beatles mop-top and he will be mobbed like Ringo Starr. The EU think Rajoy is a total dunce and blame him for the chaos. Junker said ,“For some time now I asked the Spanish prime minister to take initiatives so that Catalonia wouldn’t run amok,” he said. “A lot of things were not done.” Rajoy's moronic brain and ugly mush will set the seal on Catalan independence.
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  15079. Elections : Mahmoud Abbas must be kicking himself. This is a great excuse to cancel democracy. If only he hadn't jumped the gun.
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  15080. Well done, magnificent.
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  15081. AUKUS = submarines
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  15082.  XYZ XXX  That was what I was hoping. But "No" it is not true. Jen Stoltenberg and Ben Wallace both said, "France has shown its hand", they were both disgusted. Also, it is a pattern of behaviour by Macron : Remember the Kyiv press conference, when macron jabbed his finger at Zelensky and said, "You asked me to phone Putin" One doesn't say that, even if it's true. Maybe Zelensky felt desperate. But France shouldn't then declare that episode to the world media. It was a disgraceful thing for Macron to do. He threw Zelensky under the bus to save himself. Macron is despicable. Google " Zelensky Macron hug" And look at the disgust on Zelensky's face
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  15083.  XYZ XXX  Made up what ? On 13 Oct in Brussels defence ministers from NATO discussed the nuclear response to Russia. That same evening on TV Macron announced "neutrality" 19 Oct Ben Wallace flies to Washington for conversations "beyond belief" That means a nuclear response to Russia 21 and 23 Oct Shoigu phoned Lloyd Austin Russia was desperate for talks with "No preconditions" All this is substantiated fact The US then suggested negotiations to Kyiv. It is all on the record. Russia realised its bluff had been called when Britain and the US prepared a nuclear response to any strike by Russia.
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  15084. What do African leaders prioritise :- a) armour plated limousines b) private jets c) offshore bank accounts d) sweetening the military whose generals are racketeers.
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  15085. You're kidding.
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  15086. Germany is like the Kremlin's 5th column in Europe. The Kremlin are bullying, boorish, and unbearable : all the traits Germany possessed in the early 20th Century. The Germans should be able to look to their former selves to understand Putin.
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  15087. I wonder how Trump would describe this country ?
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  15088. "Death" LOL you must be an Islamofascist.
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  15089. Hamas has released 40% of hostages "Eradicate Hamas" is now on the cards
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  15090. " Josep Rull i Andreu has Tweeted from his office", LOL He's campaigning for December already. Everyone knows independence was a strategy. Josep knows that : he's just Tweeted a photo to get his December campaign underway. Independence is a strategy NOT a realisable immediate objective. History will show it was declared in 2017 : that is a great milestone. December will bring another Independence parliament and negotiations for Full Autonomy. (that was the objective).
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  15091. Putin will not go nuclear. It is kindergarten psychology : the Kremlin elite will not sacrifice their wealth or lives on this war (schools can crowd-fund the army) Putin wants chaos to force international intervention Timeline (2022) 12 Oct NATO defence ministers (discuss nuclear) 12 Oct Macron declares nuclear neutrality on TV 19 Oct Ben Wallace MoD in Washington (nuclear response to Russia) 22 Oct Shoigu speaks to Lloyd Austin 23 Oct Shoigu speaks to France, Turkey & Britain Pressure may be building in Moscow to wrap this up ?
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  15092. Rayden, folks must see me coming. LOL I do tend to take people literally . I've never been a fan of sarcasm or practical jokes : but that's just me.
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  15093. Malaysia can only victimize migrant workers.
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  15094. "Britain had no rights in Palestine" What rights did the Ottomans have ? No mention of the 1948 war - when Arabs said they "Would drive Jews into the sea" This is pure propaganda So biased it is worthless
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  15095. Latest News : a deal has been reached that Russia has to pay for all the damage it has caused. MY guess : it will be around $1 trillion.
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  15096. The democratic free world is on a collision course with the Axis of Evil. (Russia, China, North Korea Iran etc = Axis of Evil) It will end with the blockade of the Malaccan Straits, and strangulation of China's economy.
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  15097. Frank, I'll tell you what I've done : watched a great many lectures on neurology and machine learning , lectures Musk would benefit from watching, he knows almost nothing. And while we're talking about how little Musk knows ,listen to David Stockman on Tesla which he describes as a giant Ponzi scheme. Tesla never makes a profit and just keeps raising capital. Even a moron knows that can't last. Stockman says it will be the biggest crash ever.
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  15098. Frank, let me give you a concrete example : I've just commented on Bertrand Russel's life's work (Principia Mathematica) being undone by Kurt Godel : Elon Musk wouldn't know who they were . If you mentioned Alfred North Whitehead his face would go blank. Musk isn't an intellectual he's an entrepreneur.
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  15099. A panel to fix predatory sexual assault should also include BILL CLINTON. I wonder why you forgot that name ? Oh yes, because the liberals are in denial over the Clintons : Hillary is not a crook and Bill isn't a rapist.
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  15100. 7:00 The US general is Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
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  15101.  @awangbelantara9644  Afghanistan was a dead loss from day 1 The government were corrupt, incompetent and shared the same ideology as the Taliban (they only disputed who should be in power) Despite all this, the US stayed there 20yrs and spent $3 trillion. Name one other country that would have shown that resolve ?
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  15102. Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
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  15103. Haftar : what a bloke to back. Haftar needs a kick up the ass : he's a clueless, corrupt warlord. A smart uniform and moustache convinced the French he was a general.
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  15104. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
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  15105. 5 months before the election But the 2nd Peace Summit is likely to be in October Zelensky "2nd summit will end the war" Biden knows a victory in October could seal the deal
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  15106.  Terry Tater  , it's similar but not really the same. The Greek government employed its cronies in well-paid jobs, with generous benefits and retirement at 45 year old. The Greeks were eating their jam today and simply borrowing money to eat jam again tomorrow.
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  15107.  @goldsilvervscrisiscollapse4320  , I suppose those Triad thugs were defending themselves. Remember , when they burst into a train station and started clubbing people ? You are a disgraceful totalitarian troll.
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  15108. @khayri nsibi , El-Sisi is elected in Egypt, Putin is elected in Russia, even the Ayatollah is elected, Hitler was elected ; it doesn't mean they're not 100% corrupt it just means some folk voted for 'em.
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  15109. "What consequences does Joe Biden mean ?" Look at Nordstream. The US has shown it means business. We are living through the defining event of the 21st century and the United States is not taking any prisoners.
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  15110. Very good deductions. I'd be surprised if you are wrong.
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  15111. "Money for our logistics". LOL They are an extortion racket. I've never known armed groups anywhere not get rich in the process. IRA, UDF, PLO, etc etc the list is endless. They all extort money.
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  15112.  @alfonsom8286  , but the leader just said, "If they give us voluntary contributions for logistics". That's what paramilitary groups do everywhere. They visit businesses and ask for protection money. It happened in Serbia, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Palestine, all over Africa - hells bells even African national armies extort money. I would be amazed if this group were actually like the Knights of the Round Table.
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  15113.  @amm287  , thanks. I'm slightly wrong with 1789 that was the revolution-fall of the Bastille. 1790 was consolidation : Mirabeau tried to establish a constitutional monarchy and the Jacobins (Marat, Robespierre, Danton) jostled for power. 1791 : Mirabeau dies leaving the monarchist party leaderless, and the King's flight in June leaves it baseless. Then in August the Pillnitz declaration threatens France (Aust/Prussia). 1792 France declares war on Austria. Prussia capture Verdun sparking the Sep massacres. France counter-attack with victory at Valmy and declare a republic 2 days later.
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  15114. God bless the USA In April the Pentagon met with CEOs of major companies, they were asked what it was about : "Increasing production", said John Kirby. Nobody can beat the Yanks at weapon production. They won two world wars with their production lines.
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  15115. Shame on India : Modi supports butchery in Ukraine.
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  15116.  @goenzoy712  Hardly "dreaming", the ammunition dumps hit by Ukraine light up the sky. Thousands of tons go up in flames. The Kremlin is obsessed by Himars, and for good reason. As Zelensky says,"Russia is being smacked in the face"
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  15117. Maybe it was Russia that sent in their thugs. Putin had a battalion of thugs ready to go into Belarus. "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists" Who described Russia like that ?
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  15118. Russia will NOT commit any atrocities : Putin is desperate for a deal. Russia has lost. The Kremlin either collapses or they salvage what they can. A salvaged peace deal is their best (and only) option.
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  15119. Macron says "We must not humiliate Russia" The Allies response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration. France wants to reward Russian atrocities by handing them Crimea - so as not to "humiliate Russia". Someone should speak for the humiliated victims of Russia : those who were tortured, raped and massacred.
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  15120. Why are the military dancing ? If they fought the rebels as well as they dance, there would be no need for a state of emergency.
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  15121.  @pkml6539  I am not doubting your story. But it is much more likely that corrupt Indian administrators sold the grain from USA and handed out inferior rubbish. Why would the USA disgrace itself in front of the world by disguising buckwheat for grain ? It is much more likely to be corruption in India. But I am not doubting your testimony.
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  15122.  sajid hossain  , Khomeini set the standard for the Ayatollahs he executed 7000 Iranians in his first year : they were Socialists, Trade-Unionists, Democrats, Feminists and anyone that might oppose a crackpot theocracy.
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  15123. NATO weapons are developed for "Force generation" Many platforms (air, land, intelligence, communications) generate a concentrated punch Ukraine is innovative & inventive, but NATO weapons systems are designed for the force generated punch. Ukraine must have jets.
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  15124. Hamas is the problem Even Qatar knows Hamas can no longer rule Gaza But Al Jazeera refuse to tackle Hamas
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  15125. .....and who would the EU windbags back ? They would probably protect their trade with China and stay neutral. No wonder Australia chose AUKUS.
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  15126. Peace may be close :- state-controlled Russian news agency RIA has reported. Leonid Slutsky added the delegations could soon reach draft agreements. Mr Slutsky said: "According to my personal expectations, this progress may grow in the coming days into a joint position of both delegations, into documents for signing."
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  15127.  @HingerlAlois  The US is sending 300 armoured personnel carriers. Britain has sent 100 Mastiffs, Australia has sent 20 Bushmasters. Everyone knows Germany has one foot in the Kremlin’s camp.
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  15128.  @Kartoffelsuppe_m_Wursteinlage  According to Papperger last Monday in an interview with Germany’s Handelsblatt business newspaper, the 1st batch of the decommissioned tanks could be delivered in 6 weeks, with the rest of the tanks to follow in three months. The transfer would also involve the company’s subsidiary, Rheinmetall Italia. I hope it is true.
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  15129. An expert said :"The Russians have the manpower to hold on in Ukraine" WRONG. Russia cannot defend against drones. Weeks and weeks of drone attacks will simply wear down Russian forces. Russia has lost.
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  15130. 78% in the USA demand a no-fly zone.
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  15131. "Non-retrogression is a foundational feature of the fundamental constitutional principles of which secularism is a core component. " That is very reassuring. Very well written. Much better than the Yankee constitution.
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  15132.  @zenoofcitium1894  You talk nonsense. Even the Kremlin admits most of its warheads are "non-operational". Lord Owen is on the 'Intelligence Committee' . I think he is better informed than a Russian supporting pleb. "The Americans have a massive, massive superiority".
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  15133.  Hahaha BenisXDD  I'm afraid you don't understand anything. Your comment is pure ill-informed nonsense. You are either ignorant or brainwashed. Lord Owen sits on the Intelligence Committee, he is speaking to a well-informed intelligent audience, and when he says, "a massive, massive superiority" he is speaking factually. You must be half-sloshed to believe Russia can match the USA
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  15134.  @CHALETARCADE  LOL
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  15135.  @jdb5961  , Everyone hates theocracies : even the Iranian people would prefer a constitutional democracy. Surely you hate the idea of a fanatical old religious fakir, making decisions for millions of Iranians. Whilst the Revolutionary Guard enjoy monopolizing the commercial market (they operate the most profitable 30% ). I support a return to the principles and philosophy of Muhammed Mossadegh. Do you support Iranian police snipers shooting protestors ?
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  15136.  @jdb5961  , your prejudice is clouding your judgement. The (1953) coup by the CIA and BP has been apologised for (Madeleine Albright). Why did Iranian police snipers shoot protestors ? Even Russia don't do that. The answer is : because the regime is weak. The Ayatollah knows he is disliked. Just a few more turns of the sanctions screw, and he will be gone. Let us observe the May elections and see how the tyrannical old duffer (Ayatollah) fares.
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  15137. LOL this isn't Chinese soft power : it's simple emigration. During the Irish famine (1846-49) 1.5 million emigrated to the USA. Those Chinese have emigrated to Senegal. They could be the very people to tear down the CCP one-party-state corrupt rule. It could be the émigrés that foment unrest in China bringing about democratic change.
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  15138. Notice how inspiring the you Hong Kong protestors are ? Why don't Palestine elect an inspiring young leader or elect a woman ! Why are the corrupt old men still in charge : ordering young people to attack the fence, throw stones & petrol bombs. Where is the vision ; where is the Nelson Mandela or Gandhi. What did 40yrs of Arafat corrupt despotism achieve ? What will anti-democratic, Islamofascist Hamas achieve ? Why is Abbas just sitting their building a $1.8 million mansion 10yrs after being elected for 4yrs ? No wonder the world eats popcorn.....it's like watching an old 1970s documentary : nothing changes in the Palestinian polity. Will Fatah's corrupt old men still be there in another 50yrs ? You bet.
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  15139.  @kaidi223  , you are in denial.
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  15140. @Soldat ᚦᚬᚩᛅᛄᚢᚠᚻᛈᛉᛋᛏᛒᛖᛗᛠᛢᛣᛥᚸ , In a nutshell - all democratic roads lead to the west. (China knows that, which is why it is destroying democracy in Hong Kong).
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  15141.  @kaidi223  , LOL I know Falun-Gong is a crackpot cult, just like the Boxer rebellion. I can also sympathise with the CCP trying to keep it in check, but the Harvesting Organs did occur :- "An independent tribunal sitting in London has concluded that the killing of detainees in China for organ transplants is continuing, and victims include imprisoned followers of the Falun Gong movement."
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  15142.  @yurrrgo8836  , interesting points. Seneca said, "audi alteram partem" Listen to the alternative speaker (hear the other side). I think there is a tendency for non-Western nations to glorify their past. I know every treaty the British signed in India or Afghanistan or Persia always had to include a clause to "return runaway slave-girls". The Shah of Sind or Dorst Muhammed, always wanted their runaway slave-girls returning. The Indians wanted to continue their tradition of suttee (burning widows). The Russians were forced into Iran because of all the slaves that had been taken from Russia (1830). So it isn't such a glorious non-western history.
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  15143. Merkel
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  15144. "US is a bully ?" I'll tell you what a bully looks like :- When Khomeini landed in Tehran (1979) and was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied "I'll kick their teeth in ". I didn't notice the UN doing anything when Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : more than the Shah killed in his whole life.
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  15145. Britain will deploy Sky Sabre missile defence system to aid Ukraine ? Ukraine or Poland or both ?
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  15146. All aid agencies in Gaza nee to approval of Hamas Also, they need the approval of Israel Now, Hamas may be suspicious that aid agencies are pro-Israel spies (But they needn't worry - all aid agencies are pro-Hamas)
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  15147. What a lot of lies The Speaker must resign Labour & Mr Speaker cooked up a deal - Mr Speaker now says "It was to save lives" (save lies more like)
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  15148. Ukraine against Russia
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  15149. 2 points :- a) The AK47 is useless : it's only merit is robustness, it can't shoot straight (notice how close to the target they are) it's a guerilla weapon, not for a modern army. b) oh actually b) was look how close to the target they are. I've thought of another b) :- b) War isn't won by jerks shooting AK47s : it is about economics and international support.
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  15150.  HalekSix  , thanks for that. But the point is the same : look how close to the target they are. It is NOT accurate, it's a reliable rapid fire gun that was designed 70yrs ago. It's crap.
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  15151. "Colonial DNA" Also - "Caliphate DNA" how does that manifest itself ? Caliphate countries are all autocratic and corrupt They have no debate, they never had a Reformation or Enlightenment 1515 Caliphate banned printing - this led to widespread illiteracy and ignorance Caliphate DNA is the reason Palestinians took until 1988 to declare statehood
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  15152. France, Germany and Italy : 3 shameless nations. History will record their ignominious perfidy. "We must not humiliate Russia" - the French position. Germany sabotaged weapons delivery in 3 ways : a) blocking airspace to weapon deliveries b) refusing 3rd party transfers (eg Estonian howitzers) c0 refusing direct sales. Italy is just being Italy.
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  15153. The Labour Leader (former) Jeremy Corbyn will be disappointed : he supports every terror group going. Hamas are fascists - anti-democratic fascists & terrorists.
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  15154.  @yvonnetomenga5726  When I wrote "silence" I meant that was the reply from the West. It is an non-starter. Russia will NEVER be as weak as it is now. If Ukraine don't liberate Crimea now it will not happen. Also Turkey wants Russia weak in the Black Sea, as does Europe and the US Russia has no allies Nobody recognises Russia's annexations.
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  15155. The Belgians were the worst.
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  15156. Video evidence - hostages taken to UNRWA schools I've seen it ! Naked bodies being beaten, children been brought out to watch One child appears to vomit You must have seen it ! (Or were you all in a safe room ?)
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  15157. 0:59 LOL they used to sit in that arrangement for the Spanish Inquisition. Look at some old paintings : the Spanish sadistic psychopathic clergy would sit in judgment over innocent victims. Talk about history repeating itself.
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  15158. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  15159. "N Korea had a different attitude after their meeting with China" I predicted that weeks ago. China want US bases out of S Korea and will pressure N Korea to insist on that as a condition of denuclearisation. This could all go horribly wrong (I predicted that as well).
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  15160.  Reck Fredreck  , nonsense, if you are implying Jews run America it is utter nonsense. Henry Ford was openly anti-Semitic. Obama was cold on Israel. You are just a lazy thinker. You've done no historical research and have adopted lazy prejudices.
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  15161. Thank God for the USA Europe is a damsel in distress. The European Defence Force was Macron's vanity project. Ironically its original incarnation was the European Defence Community (1950). France wanted to dominate , and make French the official language. The community decided to invite Britain and the USA to join......(quoted from their own history page) "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter. France’s position was met with considerable consternation in Western Europe and the United States, not least because this rejection came from the very architects of the EDC plan." Lord Salisbury PM (1890) "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
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  15162.  @neelshetty10  , this video is pure propaganda. The young man narrating it sounds about 25yr old and knows nothing. The script was written by half-wit with a head full of cliches. This is college-kid propaganda, I'm amazed anyone takes it seriously. Let's just analyse the first statements "" British policy led to the division of India". It was the last thing the British wanted or the Indians : only Jinnah et al wanted Partition. And Jinnah was educated in Britain and admired the British establishment ; so much so that he wanted Pakistan to be a secular democracy like Britain. It was the power the Imams exerted over their illiterate followers that turned Pakistan into an Islamic basket-case. In Pakistan politicians win votes by appealing to rabid Imams. In India Hindu nationalism gets the same result. Islamism and Hinduism are like opening Pandora's Box ....violence is sure to follow. I'm no apologist for British Imperialism , but to suggest the British whipped up the frenzy that led to the slaughter during Partition is moronic. Only some Al-Jazeera college trainee could dream up that historical account.
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  15163. He's totally wrong 2024 = 3 million artillery shells for Ukraine This is an artillery war : 80% casualties from artillery Ukraine don't NEED any success this year, they could simply out-gun Russia next year
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  15164. Boris needs to find a stooge to sign an AFFIDAVIT. Not a single minister will sign an affidavit for the government solicitor.
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  15165. Totally corrupt. Pity the South Africans : corruption is killing the country. (And political assassinations by the ANC : 485 so far) "The government had already budgeted around USD6.9m for the royal family during 2012, not for the first time prompting accusations of lavish spending; in 2008, opposition parties criticised King Zwelithini's wives for spending around USD24,000 on linen, designer clothes and expensive holidays."
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  15166. Interesting references by O'Neil regarding James VI I've made a terrific video on the subject if anyone cares to watch : "Scottish Reformation & Civil War "
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  15167. You've missed the story. Sam doesn't know Carter Page colluded, he just hates the guy. He doesn't know they have anything on Trump he's just speculating. But he does know about Roger Stone and his primary reason for withholding emails was to protect his mentor Stone (he said that) and he said Mueller wants to get Stone on perjury and that is something Sam DOES know about and he knows Bob Mueller has got Stone. That's the story.
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  15168. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is in trouble.
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  15169. Biden is back ! that was a dynamite performance
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  15170. Quite right Gary :- One Palestinian said, "This is the greatest nation on Earth". Why doesn't anyone fact check Palestinians ? Palestine has never been a nation : it was Roman, Byzantine, Umayyid, Abassid and Ottoman. And if it was a nation it wouldn't be the greatest : it would be a corrupt authoritarian pseudo democracy one-party state.
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  15171. 20 shell companies set up by Biden That took in $30 million whilst he was VP That smells like corruption
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  15172. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
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  15173. A few facts :- a) Every war has been started by Pakistan b) Jinnah et al were the driving force behind partition : both the British and the Indian Congress wanted unity. c) the slaughter that followed Partition was the responsibility of rabid fanatical Imams and genocidal Hindu nationalists : both of whom stoked hatred and fear into their illiterate supporters. d) Pakistan is a basket case and cannot compete with India economically : that's why Pakistan adopts a policy of violence, conflict and chaos. There are Islamofascist fanatics queueing up to murder innocent people. It is the one department in which Pakistan is top dog.
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  15174. Perhaps they could use the ammonium nitrate in fireworks, would that be safe ? In small quantities. In an isolated location ?
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  15175. And decayed minds ? What about Biden's mind ?
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  15176. LOL "We are Mujahideen " That will go down well with the West......it inspires confidence in Iraqi democracy I must say LOL
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  15177.  @CYRUS313  , well I don't notice a lot of positive press for the Mujahideen. Mujahideen = Hezbollah = murderous thugs. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs ? That's Hezbollah.
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  15178. @Dash AKOL , you are ill-informed and your love of the Ayatollah stems from your hatred of the US. I don't blame you for disliking the U.S. but you should read some history before jumping in bed with the Ayatollah. Read "The executioners deserve medals" Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. The Shah wasn't overthrown by the Ayatollah, there were Socialists, democrats, Trade Unionists etc. They all rebelled against the Shah. Then Ayatollah Khomeini exterminated all opposition : read about the Ayatollah's torture camps. You've a lot of reading to do.
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  15179. @Dash AKOL , how on Earth do you imagine you have won the debate ? You haven't said anything other than childish insults. Let me give you an observation to reflect on, as you walk to the library to get a book on Iranian history : what do the Ayatollah and Trump have in common ? (answer below) They are both ignorant morons that never read history or science books.
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  15180. Very emotional report. But no details or facts.
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  15181. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
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  15182. The French inspector is classed as "neutral" ; others are pro-Russia (Serbia) or pro-Ukraine (Poland and Lithuania). But France - which is also neutral when it comes to NATO, and neutral when it comes to action, or supplying weapons, France is still in dialogue with Moscow,looking after its own interests, and "monitoring Putin's mental health". Macron doesn't know whether he is running with the fox or the hounds.
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  15183. HIMARs isolated Kherson forcing Russian retreat One can't simply calculate casualties and say 80% are from artillery
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  15184. 5.45 LOL Shirvan is looking to renew the Ottoman Empire. As if Turkey would expand anywhere in Europe. LOL The preconditions for the New Ottoman Empire are the collapse of NATO & the EU. I like Shirvan but he talks absolute rubbish : these videos are like fantasy daydreams. Remember the last video when he predicted an infantry alliance between Saudi and Israel fighting a war of attrition against Iran. Surely everyone laughed at that ?
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  15185. Damascus, I totally agree : there is a strong link between Israel and Saudi. The joke is the Saudi infantry fighting Iran in Syria ( Shrivan's hypothesis) I'll tell you a stronger alliance : El Sisi and MBS (Saudi) both have no interest in Islam and are looking to a modern future. Now Egypt do have an infantry that can fight : don't be misled by the crushing 6 Day War , that was senior officers. Saudi cannot fight.
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  15186. Iranian drones for Russia : two Axis of Evil countries. Ukraine are getting 15 Leopard anti-aircraft tanks. They have a radar range of 15km, and a shooting range of 6km. They will make short work of the Ayatollah's drones.
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  15187. The terrible truth : The Russian people know their army is responsible for atrocities, and they don't care.
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  15188.  @alisheransari2454  LOL what nonsense a) who exactly are you talking about ? b) Jordan - Hussien was the sherif of Mecca you can't get much more authentic c) The Saudi defeated Hussein Hejaz kingdom 1924
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  15189. The consequences of military conflict with N Korea are much worse for China than the USA. It is China that should be worried. The US economy would probably be boosted as investors look for a safe haven. China's trade would take a big fall and in the ensuing chaos all the eastern economies (China, S Korea, Japan) would suffer considerably. China will be the losers.
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  15190. I've been told off for drawing an historical comparison between Kashmir and Bangladesh. Even though both are/were separatist regions and can be compared. In Bangladesh Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000 ; in Kashmir India have imposed restrictions.
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  15191. If India rises from its knees, it will find it can actually walk upright like a proud nation and condemn Russia. Stop acting like a Russian serf.
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  15192. Ha ha ha, don't wait for Europe - they are the damsel in distress. Europe looks to fighting nations for their protection (US and Britain)
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  15193. Good analysis by Saagar
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  15194. LOL
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  15195. Tell me which of China's neighbours would be putting millions of $ into reconstruction ? None of them ; they all fear and hate China. I like the Chinese people and admire Chinese culture. I'm talking about the One Party China CCP .Everyone would breath a sigh of relief to see it vanish. What does that tell you ?
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  15196. samada, what lovely countries : Russia a corrupt gangster state. Mexico a corrupt drug state. Muslim countries are all authoritarian corrupt and anti democracy and human rights. Western countries may not like Trump but they would invest $trillions to rebuild the USA. China would get humanitarian aid but nobody would help to recreate a corrupt one-party state.
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  15197. samada, I agree the USA have killed many people. But the biggest killers were :- Stalin 30 million (starvation & gulags) Mao Tse Tung 30 million (great leap forward starvation & prison) Hitler 19 million ( WW2) Democracy is fragile and can easily collapse. That is why the West would invest $trillions to rebuild the USA. China would find Russia taking Manchuria, Tibet declaring indepepndence. Xinjiang would go independent and Mongolia. Who would help China rebuild a corrupt one-party state ?
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  15198. Samada, I agree no empire lasts forever : Persian, Greek, Roman Abbasid ,Ottoman ,British, USA. But look at history :- after WW2 Europe was rebuilt with U.S. cash in the Marshall Plan. Japan was rebuilt using U.S. cash and modelled as a Western Democracy. Of course the USA would be rebuilt using Western finance. Samada, you are in denial. You don't want to accept China has NO friends. You cannot point to a single country that would like to rebuild a strong China. China is hated by its neighbours. That must tell you something. Tienanmen Square : 10,000 students were slaughtered because they asked for reform. The bodies were burnt and sluiced down the drains. This is the China you support.
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  15199. samada, consider this :- You could stand outside the Whitehouse and accusse the U.S. of everything you have just said quite safely and not be touched. But go to Turkey or Russia or Palestine and hold up a placard protesting against corruption and you will be arrested and beaten. And yet you hate the U.S. that offers freedom and you love dictatorships that imprison and beat you. You should always support human rights and freedom.
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  15200. Frankie Boyle “Not only will America go to your country and kill all your people, they’ll come back twenty years later and make a movie about how killing your people made their soldiers feel sad.”
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  15201. Look, there is a battle taking place between Asiatic Autocracy (Russia, China) and Western Civilization. Russian aggression in Ukraine is the defining event of the 21st century. Reform the UN later, right now countries must decide whether they want Civilization to succeed, or barbarism.
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  15202. Laziness is why he lost. Hannity asked him what his priorities were and Trump's jaw dropped : he'd never considered it.
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  15203. LOL Russia is scraping the barrel.
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  15204. Compare this mumbling Kremlin interview with NATO's masterful press conferences. NATO have taken control of the narrative - organized, civilized and strong : Canada, Spain , Denmark and France are on a victory lap. Putin is like the lion from Wizard of Oz, he has indelible egg on his face.
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  15205. Because Al Jazeera is a propaganda outfit
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  15206. 1:10 "Sow the seeds of discord" LOL. Saudi are fighting Iran in Yemen. Who do you think supply the Houthi with missiles (Iran) This guy is having a good laugh with us, I like how he keeps a straight face.
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  15207. Blinken is clearing up the confusion : Biden is causing confusion. A 2hr press conference is simply too long for a President whose mind is feeble. Biden should read statements not think on his feet. His mind may be bounded in a nutshell, but he counts himself a king of minimal space. He is like an old Grandpa talking with the kids.
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  15208. Wow a secret flight. Unknown to other attendees. Iran must be desperate. So would you be if your economy had crashed.
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  15209. “From an evolutionary standpoint, if it took and extra ten percent longer for conscious life to evolve on Earth, it wouldn't evolve at all" There is no scientific reference for this. What does he mean ? He assumes consciousness arose with the first brain 521 million years ago. The Universe is 14 billion years old. 10% of 13 .5 billion = 1.35 billion. Therefore if it had taken 1,350 million years longer to evolve, then the 521 million evolution would not have occurred. We would have to wait another 1350 - 521 = 829 million years. It sounds clever, but it is actually a daft observation, which could be applied to any aspect of evolution.
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  15210. WRONG Have you read how Egypt tortures Muslim brotherhood ? Egypt wants Hamas crushed This is a pantomime the US suggested
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  15211. Putin denounces oligarchs "who cannot survive without luxuries", whilst wearing an Italian puffer-jacket costing $12,000. Putin feels inadequate - culturally, intellectually, and socially. His little legs perform an under-the-table dance, as he speaks to Biden. Pity the Russian people. Russia has always been a dystopia, and has never had a respectable leader. (God save the Queen)
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  15212. Wow this guy is so moderate. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year. More than the Shah killed in his whole life. Read prisoners' testimony : under the Shah it was tedium, boredom, ennui ; under the Ayatollah it was torture, terror, fear. Read the records. Who did the Ayatollah kill : democrats, trade-unionists, feminists. When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran he was asked what he'd do with the democrats in parliament (the Shah did have a parliament) and he said, "Kick their teeth in".
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  15213. studmalexy, the relevance is this :- that after hundreds of years of inhumane, authoritarian intolerance and abuse the Catholic Church believes itself to be an ethical voice . With an hypocrisy which is only matched by their criminal child abuse they believe they can guide civil society in value judgements. It is time the humanists in Ireland dismantled that denizen of duncery and pursued investigations to criminal conviction. Starting with the mendacious Bishops that perverted the course of justice.
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  15214. Bear, Irish descent. My Grandad and Grandmother were both from County Cork. I went to catholic schools. The primary was very old style : the nuns had the full black outfit to the ankles and leather belts with rosary beads tucked in. They wore a silver ring and Sister Finbar would knuckle boys on the head with it saying, "You bold boy". I remember it fondly. At Easter we would all parade through the streets in Sunday best. It took me a long time to see the light.
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  15215. Bear, you have deliberately missed the whole point. The Church hierarchy covered it up : they put the reputation of the Church before the protection of young children. You are deliberately blinding yourself to the truth. You're brainwashed. You need to start thinking rationally.
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  15216. Bear, there is no comparison. The comparison would be if an organisation like Freemasons were running schools and covering up abuse. You can't compare individual abuse events with Catholic Church sanctioned by silence abuse events. I heard one old Irish lady say, "It is all invented by the media". She was totally brainwashed . But you are half brainwashed.
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  15217. Palestinians can only lose - Hamas insists on impossible terms Palestinians have been losing for 75 years : they never change tack Hamas refuse to go into exile, Israel will never allow Hamas rule in Gaza, the war goes on. Hamas will lose eventually - they've no access to weapons
    1
  15218. LOL Iran trying to win international support. Ha ha ha : that maniacal bunch of fanatics. They had a bearded psychopath from the Terrorist arm of the Revolutionary Guard deliver a homily about protecting "Iran's red-line borders" : the audience were passive and nonplussed ; frankly the Iranians would like the Revolutionary Guard (who are parasitic upon the economy, and are individual corrupt, filching swine) they would like them to eff-off.
    1
  15219. Biden is back ! that was a dynamite performance
    1
  15220. Let's be rational. The USA hasn't drawn up a 5 country invasion list like it did under W Bush, the markets have never been as optimistic, the tax give-away may not produce jobs (but Trump isn't the first to do that). On N Korea he's made China move : massive crippling sanctions, unheard of. When Trump says he's responsible for N Korea talking to the South he's right. You folk are as irrational as Trump.
    1
  15221. Imagine one of France's African colonies had developed nukes and the dictator is saying he'll bomb France. How do you think they'd react ? Remember they bombed the Rainbow Warrior just for protesting ! Anyone who doesn't think the N Korean talks are the result of fear (of Trump) is delusional.
    1
  15222. Reasons US did it :- a) to send a message to Moscow the US isn't messing around b) Russia will be revanchist for generations, and Germany will resume buying gas the minute Putin resigns - funding revanchist Russia. c) Nordstream was a bad idea from the start and needed destroying. d) It sends a message to Europe the US isn't messing around - with Russia threatening to go nuclear the last thing the US needs is a wobbly EU re-engaging with the Kremlin.
    1
  15223. India has made 3 mistakes :- a) It believes Russia is a super-power and has purchased Russian junk b) It thinks it can confront China alone. China would smash India. c) India thinks it can emerge with honour. It is currently wallowing in contempt.
    1
  15224.  @jyotiranjanmohanta8488  Two facts :- a) Even the US will keep its 11 aircraft carriers away from China's missiles. Which is why it built 19 nuclear subs. b) India's flagship aircraft carrier will be sunk within 24hrs. It is a floating target. The Indian people are totemistic and superstitious - they will see this as spelling doom. China will proclaim a great victory, and will press ahead with more attacks.
    1
  15225. @Doon Siddique was born in a toilet hole 1967 Sikkim Border, was half a century ago. In the 21st Century India is at the bottom of the 3rd division. Russia is near the top of the 3rd division. The US in a Premier League of its own. China is in division 2. India would be crushed by China. There is no doubt about it.
    1
  15226. @Doon Siddique was born in a toilet hole A million men need feeding every day - they are a drain on resources. Delhi would spend its entire budget transporting food. Allow me to explain 21st century warfare :- a) It isn't a million men fighting a million men.......those were the medieval days. b) It is about economics, infrastructure, information and intelligence, it is casualty averse : if one side kills huge numbers of civilians they will have the world against them (like Russia in Ukraine). c) 21st century warfare is targetted guided missiles and drones. India's aircraft carrier is a sitting duck.
    1
  15227. Le Penn is attempting a "charm offensive". That Kremlin hussy couldn't charm a smile out of de Gaulle, even after he'd said Non to Britain joining the Common Market (1967)
    1
  15228. Nonsense ! Russia sticks POWs on a coach, or in a cattle truck They never charter a plane, not even for their own elite troops Kremlin LIES
    1
  15229.  @nomanor7987  Why look out for France is the nation has no honour or pride ? France is a disgrace Even Jens Stoltenberg was amazed at Macron's perfidy
    1
  15230.  @zwcdamien  France is a disgrace Even Jens Stoltenberg was amazed at Macron's perfidy France stabbed NATO in the back
    1
  15231.  @johnadam2885  Turkey has introduced a leguslation to ban newspapers from "Alarming the public" That is a catch-all to intimidate them into silence. Turkey & Hungary are a disgrace : they have latched-on to a civilised community and are trying to meld in whilst being barbaric.
    1
  15232.  @zwcdamien  The US only needs to look at Turkey sideways for its economy to collapse. The Magyars have never believed in democracy, and must always be watched.
    1
  15233. Is this for real ? You could hand a camera to a Kindergarten class and do better.
    1
  15234. I'm no psychologist, but would imagine the police officer's attitude after the indecent exposure episode, was "In for a penny in for a pound". He recognized his career was over, that he was facing humiliation and a life-destroying prosecution, which then created a total disregard for the consequences of his actions. In essence, he believed things can't get worse than they are now. That is one of the reasons HR personnel insist people leave the premisses when they are fired : to prevent reckless behaviour.
    1
  15235. You will have encountered the imaginary scenario "What would you do if an asteroid was about to destroy the Earth in 48hrs ?" It often illicits reckless replies. In the case of the murder suspect, his reckless behaviour didn't begin after the indecent exposure, it began before. As he exposed himself in the restaurant he no longer cared about his police career : something had already snapped. For the police personnel department not to realise that is a monumental dereliction. The correct response would've been for his superiors jaws to drop. It is behaviour that is not only incompatible with the responsibilities and power of a police officer, but it is an act of abandonment : the officer has given up conventional restraint. In Freudian terms, he has given full vent to the impulses of the id.
    1
  15236. 5:30 "IDF hit a vehicle" Wrong - they hit a Hamas commander Why does France 24 push a pro-Hamas narrative Even Hamas has acknowledged it was one of their commanders !
    1
  15237. To supply weapons to Hezbollah ! That is why they want "An air-bridge"
    1
  15238.  @wavechapelle7896  The UN admits it The UN defence is that it was "only" 14 terrorists out of 14k staff But those caught were the tip of the iceberg And UNRWA staff teach extremism in schools Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  15239.  @Nozarks1  Wrong ! 14 UNRWA workers were sacked for terrorism The UN said it was only 14 out of 14,000 But they were the only ones caught - the tip of the iceberg
    1
  15240. Read Svetlana Alexievich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia"
    1
  15241. UN Secretary General Guterres "contextualised" Hamas rapes
    1
  15242. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  15243. LOL as if the Kremlin could operate a legitimate business. A state owned company would last less than 6 months. Kremlin thieves only know how to steal. Their speciality is the Lubyanka torture camp and Gulags, the Russians can't run a business.
    1
  15244. Russia can't build a civilisation : it can only destroy and conquer. Like Genghis Khan and the Mongols. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol".
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  15245. In a strange way we are all glad it has finally been done. Russia will be revanchist for generations. Europe cannot start giving Russia $350 billion a year as soon as Putin retires. France is champing at the bit to replace the Moskva (as soon as Putin goes) Washington will put the jankers on that as well, so Macron better keep his head down.
    1
  15246. Iran refuse to have the US sitting at the table Why ? Last time they totally hoodwinked Obama & Biden : remember Zafira laughing his head off at the signing ceremony. The Yanks then shipped $180 billion in cash to Tehran so they could fund a terror network (Hezbollah).
    1
  15247. The Orthodox Church :- The Ukrainian and Russian peoples came out of the Dnieper baptismal font, and war between these peoples is a repetition of Cain’s sin. . . Such a war has no justification for either God or man.” Putin is an irreligious communist KGB colonel. Someone will have to explain to that heathen who Cain is.
    1
  15248. Eddie, I'd like to echo Brad's sentiments and tell you to £uck off. You are a conspiracy moron with no morals. Do you think Iranians want to live in an Islamofascist state ? You dumb %wat.
    1
  15249. Hamas & Hezbollah are teacher-decapitating barbarians. There is no civilized country in the world that would want them as neighbours.
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  15250. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  15251. Hamas has a lot to answer for One Palestinian expert said,"Hamas has set back the Palestinian cause by 75 years"
    1
  15252. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
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  15253.  @fernfreeman1729  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" (The above is a letter sent to Richard Cobden MP)
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  15254.  Jack Richardson  , well said jack. Even with film showing the BUK missile being transported from Russia the Kremlin liars refuse to take responsibility. Gangsters in the Kremlin, armed drunken thugs on the streets : that's Russian foreign policy.
    1
  15255.  @binekmaurus55  , the Russian state (Kremlin) didn't film it (you dope) it was filmed on mobile phones. It isn't everyday you see a huge missile roll through your town. You really are a monumentally brainwashed fool (even though you have impeccable manners).
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  15256.  @fulconielsgawein  Also the bank of Amsterdam was established in 1609 and the Bank of England 1694. The Netherlands/Burgundy was always wealthy because of its location on the Rhine. Western Civilization recovered after the collapse of Rome, through the boot of Italy. Byzantium had trading colonies there. Trade spread up to England, and with it Cathedrals and universities. The French were crucial : the Normans built cathedrals and abolished slavery and England (and Ireland - Laudabiliter 1155) Eleanor of Aquitaine introduced refinement with words/concepts - honour, courtesy, chivalry. Also around this time the cult of the Virgin Mary began - another civilizing factor : Notre Dame, shrines etc The Dutch certainly contributed commerce : which was helped by their transport location. All commerce required trustworthy partners at both ends of the chain.
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  15257.  @fulconielsgawein  One can never get too far into history. The downfall of the Hanseatic League was a double whammy (according to AJP Taylor) :- a) the Age of Adventure opened up trade routes which crippled them. Bartholemew Diaz 1488 Columbus 1492 Vasco De Gama 1497 b) the Reformation (1519) divided them All through the 80yrs war (1568-1648) Spain and the Dutch kept trading : Wool and salt to Holland ; finished goods, grain, timber and herring to Spain. Spain also paid their mercenaries in gold, all of which went into the local economy. Christianity was crucial for civilization : a) Cyril & Co gave the Russians an alphabet. b) Eastern Mediterranean Christianity arrived in Ireland , thence to Scotland and Northumberland. It met Roman Catholicism at Whitby (664) to decide Easter. Before the Church became corrupt it spread learning : Alfred the Great realised the importance - handing "Pastoral Care." in English to his bishops. The French were unified as a nation with the treaty of Arras (1482) So, I'm really talking about Aquitaine : more specifically, Eleanor and her Troubadours. Her husband Henry II was Norman and one of our finest Kings - a tireless lawgiver, a nation builder. The first English king to speak his coronation oath in English was Henry V (1413). Everything we consider to be British virtues, comes from the French. Compare Beowulf : the hero is described with the same adjectives as the monster (power, force), with Robin Hood (first written down 1371, he is described as courteous, honourable, chivalrous ; all French words. Even "Virtue" is French. The Anglo Saxons were quite barbaric. They estimate 10-30% of the pop. could have been slaves.
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  15258.  @ChrisCrossClash  LOL Lord Salisbury "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  15259. Here's hoping.
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  15260. Moving Palestinians out f Gaza :- "It is the cornerstone of US strategy in the middle east" Steve Witkof NOT something Trump floated
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  15261. NATO is now on a victory lap.
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  15262.  @MrVioletpandora  you are totally brainwashed.
    1
  15263. One minute Xi retaliates (to soothe hard-liners) Then he reduces tariffs. 4 days ago Australia announced measures to handle a China debt collapse. http://www.afr.com/news/world/reserve-bank-worried-about-chinas-debt-bomb-20180404-h0ybk7 Oh yes, China is a huge sandcastle built......on sand.....and that sand is running through an hour-glass of.......debt. Phew.
    1
  15264. Guterres spoke to defend Hamas immediately after their massacre The UN is 100% pro-Hamas, they want a Hamas victory
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  15265. Two points :- a) Possession is 9/10ths of the law. b) China's navy is no match for the U.S. (They'd struggle against japan)
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  15266. Putin's Russia :- "A gaudy empire, more of a racket than a regime" "Sufficient motive for a pageant : but hollow within" "Something to be enjoyed rather than believed in" All said about Napoleon III who led France to total collapse (1870)
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  15267. The lawyer has mastered the laconic delivery. Very effective. Verbosity is not his style. The one word declamation gets them every time : they're hooked.
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  15268. Resign ! The Speaker must go
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  15269. Historically Catalonia and Bilbao were the first to industrialize. Also historically, Spain squandered all the silver from S America on luxury goods from the N. European countries (Amsterdam, London) Spain didn't invest in their own country and never has. Spain has suffered from an endless series of authoritarian, backwards leaders .
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  15270. Here's a thought : why not hold freely contested elections in Gaza and the West Bank. Allow any candidate to stand and prevent Hamas murdering them. Don't allow Fatah to intimidate opposition movements and allow the people to make a fresh start. For 70yrs the Palestinian Authority have achieved nothing for the people. Arafat stole $3 billion in his 40yr dictatorship. It's time for a fresh start with free elections.
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  15271. Marvellous. Macron has "the vision thing". I applaud him. A lot of thought has gone into this. Putin said, "Russia has the best prostitutes in the world", he also joked about "raping Ukraine". Then he praised the Israeli PM who had been sent to prison for rape, saying, "He turned out to be a strong man, raped 10 women," the Russian president was quoted by Russian media as saying at a meeting in Moscow with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. "I never would have expected it of him. He has surprised us all, we all envy him!"
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  15272. 4 reasons Putin will not go nuclear or use a dirty bomb a) Lose Security Council seat b) retaliation by NATO c) it will not prevent defeat d) Russia's elite are not going all in on this war : they haven't sacrificed any personal wealth. Their aim to stay in power and rich.
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  15273. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  15274. LOL Palestinians have finally found an ally - dumb teenagers LOL the PLO and teenage morons, what a combination This can only mean one thing - 75yrs of failure will soon be success LOL
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  15275. All around the world, folk going about their normal business, are suddenly exclaiming, "B@stards". That is because they have remembered the Russian invasion. Those words will become synonymous : so whenever anyone uses the word 'Russian' in a conversation, someone might mutter, "B@stards".
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  15276. BigNew, "..... not one bit of data has yet to confirm dark matter. Thus,,, Dark matter is dead!" You could say that about every discovery science has ever made. Before the "data" was discovered there wasn't any data , it doesn't mean atmons don't exist, or light doesn't exist, or distant galaxies. Obviously before the data is discovered you don't have the data, you can't then make some deduction about the hypothesis based on absence of data.
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  15277. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
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  15278. The Axis of Evil supporting one another. (India has one foot in that camp)
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  15279. The holdouts oppose his speakership on ideological and personal grounds, and have spent weeks negotiating Mr McCarthy to win concessions, such as changes to a procedure to oust a sitting speaker. BBC
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  15280. Whilst Liz Truss is Foreign Sec, the Kremlin won't get a moments' peace. Every statement she makes leaves them apoplectic.
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  15281. A Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face. That's China's vision for the future.
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  15282. 0:42 What lovely horses. It's a shame they have to be exposed to humans. The invention of religion was the saddest day of human evolution.
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  15283. Suspend Turkey from NATO !
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  15284. "Ideal President", should declare neutrality, buy cheap oil to profit from the misery of others, then plug-ears to annoying questions about human rights, stand there with a stupid smile, looking like a dotty old man from centuries past, and throw away your nation's good name.
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  15285.  @kirilld6206  Russia has been defeated on an open battlefield for the first time since 1942 That must hurt : utter humiliation. Ukraine's counter-offensive was a match for any in history. A magnificent victory.
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  15286.  @kirilld6206  But "1942" has a certain ring to it. It is a date that catches the eye.
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  15287. The panel - too many French people Bring back Alon Pinkas (someone who knows)
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  15288. Qatar funds Hamas Qatar is hand-in-glove with Hamas Everyone knows that
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  15289. In Bangladesh Pakistan killed 3 million and raped 250,000 women and girls :- " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
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  15290. Biden said, "Putin should stop making idle nuclear threats" Germany is a disgrace. I wish the west could simply dump that "ally". Ilya Ponomarev makes a great observation about how nicely Putin protects his own health - with the quarantine length table.
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  15291.  @lopezmt5  Catherine the Great (d.1796) Maria Theresa (d.1790) and Frederick the Great (d. 1786) I didn't want to go back that far. I've made a good video on the Ottomans if you'd care to watch it.
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  15292.  @lopezmt5  Tilsit (1807) and the Molotov - Ribbentrop pact (1939), were examples of Russian perfidy. The Kremlin believed in honour amongst thieves. Putin now believes in total lies. Deny everything, including enormous Russian casualties. Russia is fighting a 20th century war, Ukraine is using loitering drones, anti-tank missiles, and is fighting a 21st century war with great success.
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  15293.  @lopezmt5  Yale historian Tim Snyder voiced the consensus, "Peace with Putin is not possible, Russia must be defeated on the battlefield". Any paper signed by Putin's palsied hand is tarnished : it becomes a treaty inviting future blackmail. Russia is a medieval nation that never experienced the Enlightenment : the Orthodox Church had no Reformation - it too is essentially medieval. Rolex watch-wearing Kiril, the KGB informer (revealed through glasnost to have informed on his fellow clerics and parishioners.) parrots propaganda to the docile people. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
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  15294.  @lopezmt5  "Angel nations" are thin on the ground, but some incidents spring to mind :- a) when general Gordon conquered Sudan (1885) his first dispatch home included plans for a college at Khartoum. The PM Lord Salisbury agreed it "would advance civilization" b) General McArthur insisting women be represented in Japan's parliament (1945)
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  15295. Look at Jimmy laughing his head off LOL Now watch how they're suffering in Venezuela. The fat woman stuffing her face with food is a government minister. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veNREwUgcbY
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  15296. What nonsense it was Jinnah who wanted partition. It was rabid Imams and genocidal Hindu nationalists that stoked fear and hatred into illiterate peasants to slaughter women and children. The Indian Congress were Opposed to Partition. So were the British. Jinnah & Co hold the lion's share of blame.
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  15297.  @hamzamehmood1976  , well how do you explain 2.4 million Indians volunteering to fight for Britain in WW2 ? At the start of the war 1939 there were 400,000 Indian volunteers which increased as the war progressed. They weren't slaves ? Partition of India was the idea of Jinnah and the Muslim fanatics.
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  15298. Good luck India (but you are in for a pasting from China). India struggle with Pakistan (a 3rd world country) ; they have less than zero % chance against China.
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  15299. I thought Packman did okay. A bit like Nixon and Kennedy he had no make-up on so looked pale and the open necked shirt also detracted from what he said. Packman more than anyone knows appearance is everything.
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  15300. Jihad faces a cultural head-wind - it simply can't survive Eg Scotland - the Clan system : it was dying out long before Culloden 1746 Social and economic change : culture was against it Likewise with Jihad - it relies upon ignorance and poverty
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  15301. Moscow will target Von der Leyden and claim it was the Ukrainian army. Putin WANTS NATO to become involved. He has lost this war and needs to escalate. Putin can abide being beaten by NATO : he can sell that to the Russian people as part of a 'persecution complex'. But Putin CANNOT sell a defeat by Ukraine to the Russian people. So Moscow MUST escalte.
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  15302. Palestinian support = student nutcases and the Axis of Evil
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  15303. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
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  15304.  @plamy317  , The Chinese are horribly brainwashed. The soldiers who slaughtered civilians in Tienanmen Square couldn't read or write. They are indoctrinated, ignorant and illiterate.......all they know is violence against defenceless civilians.
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  15305. Couldn't Erdogan's thugs do something ? They were good at beating up peaceful protestors in the US. Couldn't Erdogan send his thugs to beat up speculators ?
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  15306.  @quebecome  I hope you are right. Do you have a source ?
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  15307.  @timknin  I simply read that 18 Himars are on the way, but are being upgraded before dispatch.
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  15308.  @ПоискПравды-й9я  LOL Russia will be the only one destroyed you schmuck Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
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  15309.  @mjosenino  "Spain’s former king Juan Carlos leaving country amid corruption scandal " That is a newspaper headline. He fled to an Arab country.
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  15310.  @0820-t8l  "Prosecutors must now determine if there is sufficient evidence to open an investigation into possible money laundering and tax evasion." To save Spain any further embarrassment, they decided NOT to prosecute him.
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  15311.  @Merry19ss  in 1820 Ferdinand II was restored as king of Spain and immediately establish "The Society of the Avenging Angels". Their job was to torture and kill Spanish people. That is symbolic for the history of Spain. At every stage of Spanish history, those in power were abusing their opponents. In 1910 the king's governors openly boasted about the tortures they were inflicting on trade-unionists.
    1
  15312.  @surajs5913  Good question. I'm reading a book about Napoleon in Syria : he had 3000 bayoneted to death after he'd promised them terms for surrender. So France is ruled out (moral compass). Britain has a moral compass :- a) 1940 standing alone against the Nazis. b) 1895 General Gordon : his first dispatch after defeating the Mahdi, included plans to open a college in Khartoum. Lord Salisbury said, "It will advance civilization".
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  15313.  @myowncorner767  India's rag-tag 1.5million man welfare army will be hiding behind AUKUS when the fighting kicks off against China. Think about that when you are making lousy foreign policy decisions.
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  15314.  @khosrowanushirwan7591  Good point. Warren Hastings was Governor general of India (1774-85) the first thing he did was establish a famine insurance policy for the regions. Every employee was allowed cargo space to bring home tea, spices, silk etc to sell at a huge profit. Hastings made money. But Parliament believed he was corrupt and violent : so he suffered an 8yr impeachment which left him bankrupt. The Bengal famine reminds me of the Irish famine 1846-49. They were both huge. And Britain must shoulder the blame.
    1
  15315. John Kippling WW1 Apparently witnesses reported seeing him bleeding from the head. Without his glasses he would've been practically blind :- "Last seen on the second day of the ill-fated attack, stumbling blindly through the mud, screaming in agony after an exploding shell had ripped his face apart, the failure to find John's remains fuelled the author's obsession that his son had survived."
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  15316. Ray, you sound like a super ill-informed person. A real liberal know-nothing.
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  15317.  @captainfingers1100  , I'm not a troll : I'm quoting from Tony Judt's classic book Postwar : "Khomeini landed in Tehran (1979) and was asked what he'd do with the democrats in Iran's parliament, he said, "I'll kick their teeth in ". The Ayatollah executed 7000 in his first year , more than the Shah had in his whole life. Prisoners under the Shah described tedium and boredom. Prisoners under the Ayatollah described terror, torture and death. The Islamists were hanging folk 6 at a time from forklift trucks. Read "The executioners deserve medals "
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  15318. !Collective punishment" ? But polls show 85% support Hamas So this is targeting Hamas infrastructure In the refugee camp they are almost ALL Hamas supporters
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  15319. Hardly "The Diplomatic Revolution" of 1756 When Britain ditched the corrupt and hopeless Habsburgs, to ally with the rising power Prussia.
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  15320. Let me explain Russia's collapse :- If Xi offered to swap China's 300 nukes for Russia's 6000 Putin would bite his hand off. Why ? Because all Russia's assets are rusty old junk. That is the Russian army in Ukraine : rusty, dysfunctional junk.
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  15321. Joe Biden defends Iran Trump is the only guarantee of security for Israel
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  15322. J'adore.
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  15323. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
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  15324. 12:29 "Weeee can't impeach him on this conversation : that's a perfect conversation " Nancy Pelosi ( Trump heard that was her reaction when she saw the actual transcript)
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  15325. Everyone wants to see democracy Now in Iran. And an end to the Ayatollah's corrupt totalitarian theo-fascist regime.
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  15326. The complacency. The Ukrainians are being savagely killed, and these Russians couldn't care less.
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  15327. "No democracy" : he advocates a unity PA - "That includes all the platforms" So they all get a slice of the corrupt cake Corruption and authoritarianism - the legacy of the Caliphate
    1
  15328. Meanwhile Europe prepares for a 1938 appeasement with Putin (That was 1938 Munich when Europe caved in to Hitler and got WW2 as a reward)
    1
  15329.  @Benny-zo3qh  "Is Ukraine going to be a stronger and less corrupt nation after all of this?" One would imagine so. I think there will be a grand reckoning. The oligarch who smuggled $24 million in a suitcase, and all the others, will be held to account. It is inevitable. This is a rejuvenated nation.
    1
  15330. Shirvan, you could have included the Saudi budget for 2018. It is the biggest spend ever : they are spending more than when oil was $100 Conclusion :- less cash for corrupt Palestinian politicians. Strangely this may re-engage their venal minds towards settling their differences with Israel.
    1
  15331. Historically "sought their fortunes in faraway continents", doesn't cut it. The voyages of discovery were a crusade. They were concurrent with the reconquista (1492). Portugal were continuing the crusade in North Africa, Europe was still reeling from the fall of Constantinople in (1453). I believe all the ships had the red cross on their sails.....that was the motivation (alongside profit, admittedly).
    1
  15332.  @TheRandalf90 , You are confusing it with the British Empire, which was built on trade. The reason that Spain (Philip II) inherited Portugal (1580) and it became part of Spain, was because the Portuguese king was on Crusade in Africa. Sebastian I :- "The Christian king, Sebastian I, had planned a crusade after Abu Abdallah asked him to help recover his throne". He died at the battle of Alcácer Quibir, without leaving an heir. Portugal rebelled in 1640 and regained its independence in 1668.
    1
  15333.  Terence T  Nice sarcasm. Surely it is better to have UN condemnation than not ! My point is directed at the Axis of Evil (Russia China Iran North Korea and the Myanmar military ! )
    1
  15334.  @respectothers9680  Myanmar military are beating medics with rifle butts. China and Russia veto condemnation at the UN. And you ask if I've ever taken a holiday in Russia.
    1
  15335.  @respectothers9680  LOL, I wouldn't know how.
    1
  15336. LOL I suppose 'regime' is a pejorative term for government. I suppose it implies illegitimacy, and that it lacks a mandate. ( mandate = authority to carry out a policy as given by the electorate ) I suppose Iran deserves those appellations with it being Islamofascist.
    1
  15337. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are filled with childish fiction.
    1
  15338. Those who shot down the MH17 passenger plane, I wonder whether they're dead ? No. They are hiding in Russia. The Kremlin always protects its war criminals.
    1
  15339. NATO strategy is for Ukraine to win "incrementally" :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  15340.  @ТимофейТимофеев-т9м  No. NATO will not allow it to reach that stage. This war is being conducted methodically. Ukraine will win 'incrementally'.
    1
  15341. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  15342. Poor sods : they looked scared to death.
    1
  15343. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways:- a) Denying airspace to weapons flights b) vetoing 3rd party weapons c) blocking direct sales Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  15344. In February many nations froze : Macron, Scholz, Biden Yes Biden said, "I don't want WW3" and "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Biden had to be taught to be tough. By whom ? Mark Milley and Lloyd Austin (History books will back me up) Germany blocked :- a) RAF weapons flights b) Estonia sending Howitzers c) direct sales NATO had to force Germany to do the right thing (Read Jens Stoltenberg's memoirs, when they come out) Macron "We must not humiliate Russia" wanted appeasement Sholz feared for German industry The muscle nations : Ukraine, Poland, Baltic states, Britain, and once Biden was calmed down, the USA Macron & Scholz dilemma : they could never persuade muscle nations to join them in appeasement, so they reluctantly joined the fight Trading 'land for peace' was dropped
    1
  15345. Gosh, finally in the C21st the folk in Thailand decide they want a civilized democracy.
    1
  15346. NATO should let Erdoğan do the negotiating. Turkey shot down 2 Russian jets and Putin had to take it. Russia are bullies, they respect someone who stands up to them and shoots down their planes.
    1
  15347. One Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf-girls Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow, he was exiled to Siberia. Girls were advertised as "having a pretty face and attractive figure". The Russian nobles were no better than ISIS with Yazidi girls. The KGB, in an internal memo, referred to themselves as "the new nobility" It gives us a significant insight into their mentality. Stalin's intelligence chief, 'Beria', was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he ordered them to. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine.
    1
  15348. Israel are going in to Rafah They are attending talks to show they tried everything These talks will fail - Hamas is delusional Hamas will be smashed in Rafah, everyone knows it
    1
  15349. 11 Jan Valery Gerasimov to replace Sergei Surovikin, who was appointed in October, 12 Jan Tiplinsky resigns
    1
  15350. Uncle smak, Google him as a young man.....Maj Gen Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah.........he's huge ! You would describe him as a young glutton. He has never done an assault course in his life. Even a big dish of sugary fancies couldn't inspire him to 10mins of exercise. He's no soldier ; more like a gourmet.
    1
  15351.  @kabamaru_Iga_No  , thanks, I'm a bit shaky on that period. But still my point remains valid. Also, take a look at Egypt, how their heritage is being destroyed, and you realise the significance and safety of the British Museum.
    1
  15352.  @adgeyuk9803  The EU is Europe. The Union was established to keep peace and prevent European conflict. That is why the EU are pacifist by nature : they are grande parleurs, mais pauvres combattants.
    1
  15353. I thought this would be toe-curling but actually it was quite moving.
    1
  15354. Israel, Putin and India are almost the same age :- a) 1947 Israel b) Putin I couldn't care less c) India 1947
    1
  15355.  @logic001  Israel dates back to Solomon 500BC and maybe earlier. India was a disparate group of warlords. India was never a nation until 1947. Also the Congress Party in India was founded by Freemasons. All the founding members were Masons. Freemasonry originated in Scotland around 1780s, it became remarkably popular, especially amongst the military.
    1
  15356. 13 Oct 2022 macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region NATO Stoltenberg "France has shown its hand" This was after Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" (21 Sep) France is a capitulating country Macron is talk and posture - he couldn't stop phoning Putin He needs to be centre stage
    1
  15357. LOL the African vote ($$$$,££££) would be expensive, but definitely for sale at the right price. The African Union is a confederation of corrupt dictators. It would be nice if they made the news for some activity that didn't make one wince.
    1
  15358.  @Psych0technic  Thanks. I had no idea. Nice to know it was a blunder.
    1
  15359. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. The Russians often joke about rape.
    1
  15360. Rio will NEVER resign : the Senate installed Rubio Rubio is untouchable - the Senate will not accept him being replaced Call it "Deepstate" but the patricians do worry about Trump
    1
  15361. Why did the Kurds and Palestinians end up with no state when the Ottoman Empire collapsed ? Because they believed the sultan/caliph was their "Lord on Earth" and they were first class citizens (Muslims). The Rayas (flocks) of non-Muslims were 2nd class : that is why Greeks, Bulgurs and Serbs fought for independence. So Kurds and Palestinians never fought for independence : they were happy to be first class citizens in the caliphate. Becoming a nation was 'plan B' for the Palestinians. 'Plan A' was to look for a Sultan or caliph. The last Sultan fled in a British ambulance (loaded with jewels from his palace) in 1922 The last caliph fled in 1924 to Switzerland.
    1
  15362. Is Trumpism a cult ? If you want it to be then it is. You can soon find examples to support your case. I don't think it is. A bloke in Florida summed it up : he said he knew Trump was an ass but couldn't vote for Hillary because by her own reckoning she was untrustworthy and had been corrupt since she did her first "cattle trade" for $100,000 in Arkansas when she was just the Governors wife.
    1
  15363.  @mrjerzheel  What a jackass comment. Nobody knows Ukraine casualties. The Kremlin are liars, and don't even acknowledge their own (35,000 dead) How many died when the Moskva (flagship) sank ? Nobody really knows. You would have to be very brainwashed to believe the Kremlin.
    1
  15364.  @mr.underhill8151  , I'm weeping. I just heard MSNBC blame Trump for the passenger plane catastrophe. They said the Iranians wouldn't have shot it down if Trump hadn't killed their killer. I think we're in for a lot of tears with arguments like that.
    1
  15365.  @mr.underhill8151  , Iran is a fanatical theocratic tyranny seeking nuclear weapons whilst believing in the 12th Imam ,that Armageddon brings paradise, a dangerous cocktail in anyone's book. Trump is a crooked half-wit. Hillary was a "wicked-smart" liar and crook. Who would you vote for. Most people (where it counted) chose the half-wit. But even half-wits can get it right.....on China, on Iran, not on Syria. But two out of three ain't bad.
    1
  15366.  @habeebbanji3710  the Mahdi is believed to be Muhammad al-Mahdi, son of the 11th Imam Hasan al-Askari, who is said to have been in occultation (ghayba) for over 1000 years. This is rejected by the Sunnis. who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice
    1
  15367. Historically :- there were 26 Ottoman Sultans and only half made it past 50yrs old. Some of them only just past. So don't look to historical diet as being perfection. Modern diet is far, far better than a 250kyr old diet. This guy is talking "Fad science"
    1
  15368. Oh dear, the EU windbags are living up to their reputation. No wonder Australia chose AUKUS. Australia needed fighting allies (the British and US ) The EU will wait for the US and Britain to save them (again).
    1
  15369. Turkey as imprisoned more journalists than China or Russia (two Axis of Evil countries). Erdoğan is a reminder of the old Ottoman centuries of injustice and corruption.
    1
  15370. 8 Oct Guterres defends Hamas Now Guterres urges funding for UNRWA terrorist The UN is 100% pro-Hamas It is a disgrace to fund UNRWA when they participated in the massacre
    1
  15371. Germany's wilful naivete paid for Russia's invasion The collective West breathed a sigh of relief when Nordstream went up.
    1
  15372. Well said. Hezbollah are threatening to kill any folk who protest against their corrupt incompetent government. In Iraq Iranian militia killed 450 protestors. Iran's idea of democracy and human rights is 'obedience to the Ayatollah'.
    1
  15373. I hope the European Court is an impartial arbitrator. I hope the EU don't simply back France irrespective of due process.
    1
  15374. Fake video. Google it. This has been proved to be fake. The first shot is TRUE. A drone dropped a small grenade. The rest is just edited nonsense.
    1
  15375. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  15376. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  15377.  @MilaPriima  I'm giving you an insight into the dystopia that is Russia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
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  15378. 1:30 very interesting : he's a knowledgeable guy. Venezuela should be self-sufficient in oil. This is the result of moronic governance by Chavez and Maduro.
    1
  15379. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nuclear weapons "in the region" So France has already capitulated France waved the white flag Nobody expects anything less from France
    1
  15380. Russia are reacting with a keen eye, a paternal eye, a KGB eye - the eye of Putin.
    1
  15381.  @piperafrica1150  The KGB simply transmuted into the FSB. Do you think they hired completely new staff ? They are the same people.
    1
  15382.  @piperafrica1150  , you forgot to add "with the same personnel". They are the same people, with a different name. That is simply a fact. The KGB may have been divided into the FSN and SVR, but the staff is the same continuation of the KGB.
    1
  15383. It's the USA in microcosm.
    1
  15384. It's tough to watch : one wonders what's gone wrong with society. Look at Jimmy's expression - it just says 'this is grim'.
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  15385.  @mankokennewick5802  , to gain ? Not much. To lose ? absolutely everything. If Kim develops multiple warhead ICBMs then the very existence of the US is at stake. (You can't shoot down a multiple warhead missile.)
    1
  15386.  @mankokennewick5802  , sorry I think one of us has the wrong end of the stick. Manko said, " What do we have to gain?" ie the USA. I replied 'nothing ' but you have everything to lose, ie annihilation if Kim develops multiple warhead ICBMs. Now you're asking what does KIm have to gain ? Simply staying in power is enough for him.
    1
  15387.  @mankokennewick5802  , sorry I think one of us has the wrong end of the stick. Manko said, " What do we have to gain?" ie the USA. I replied 'nothing ' but you have everything to lose, ie annihilation if Kim develops multiple warhead ICBMs. Now you're asking what does KIm have to gain ? Simply staying in power is enough for him.
    1
  15388. ....and have a book to sell ! Remember Donna Brazil revealing how corrupt the DNC was when she had a book to sell. She was part of the corruption but said nothing until there was a pay-day in it for her.
    1
  15389. My point exactly : this is lockdown as a form of martial-law to stop protests.
    1
  15390. India's S-400 system isn't worth tuppence. They can be easily destroyed by drones : the Ukrainians have proved it. INS Vikrant , the $3.2 billion Russian carrier is a pile of junk, which China will use for target practice. The USA has 11 carrier strike groups, and will keep them out of harms way in any conflict with China. Which is why the US just built 19 nuclear subs. Modi hasn't a clue about 21st century warfare.
    1
  15391. LOL Every nation in history has attempted to divide its enemies The US does it in Russia, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt (Muslim brotherhood, the west sat back and watched a coup to get rid of them) Imagine Israel sitting back to watch a coup get rid of Abbas Every nation does it for God's sake This guy is college kid debating
    1
  15392. Sam Ramani : good analysis
    1
  15393. The US spends as much on defence as the rest of the world combined It is simply inevitable the Yanks will do the heavy lifting
    1
  15394. Farage parrots Putin Putin threatened war - Farage repeated it Now Farage claims "Foresight" (effing traitor)
    1
  15395.  @Curt_Johnston  There has been shooting across the border with Bangladesh Right Two people were killed Who did the shooting ? It's a simple question I know about the conflict, but want to know who is shooting into Bangladesh : the rebels or government troops ? Is Bangladesh shooting back ? DW explains nothing - they are half-baked amateurs
    1
  15396.  user-mz2le5bk2j  I'm trying to teach DW the basics of journalism !
    1
  15397.  @bubshab  Thanks for that info The most obvious conclusion (Is the one you never mention) That Myanmar Junta forces are firing at rebels sheltering in Bangladesh Is that happening ? We don't know
    1
  15398.  @habiburrahman-tg7rm  Many thanks (DW should ask you to do their reporting)
    1
  15399. Nuclear is great :- a) Macron has just signed a $40 billion deal with the Saudis (for nuclear power) b) Nuclear gives France energy independence (relatively) c) It is clean and carbon-neutral. d) It is safe (if you dump the waste 'temporarily' underground)
    1
  15400. "The problem is ...." good intro. The problem is : Germany and France are two shaky nations, obviously they both think alike - neither of them want to provoke Russia. Macron is having a love-fest, Scholz is $hitting himself. Thanks God for the USA.
    1
  15401. Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  15402. 1:59 what a lovely shop. I don't even like cloth and can't sew ......but would be very tempted to buy something decorative. He is a credit to Afghanistan.
    1
  15403. Timeline 16 sep : Xi misses the final feast of the SCO and asks Erdogan to take his place 17 sep : Xi is arrested as he leaves the plane from Samarkand. 21 sep : meeting of the Military reform commision. Both Xi and his defence minister Wang Fei are absent. Everyone else is there - navy, army, air force etc
    1
  15404. Good video. 2 points vis-a-vis Pakistan :- a) Illiteracy : Jinnah et al wanted Pakistan to be a secular democracy like Britain.  But Imams had influence over so many illiterate Pakistanis they controlled their votes. So politicians had to include Islam to get elected. b) Oil a curse : the same was said of Silver for Spain in the 17th Century. Silver came into the country caused high inflation then went out again, leaving behind an ever impoverished population trading with an ever devalued copper currency. Economists at the time said, "It is silver that is making us poor".
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  15405. I hope they kill him when he attends the summit in Europe.
    1
  15406. Totally wrong ! King of Jordan virtually agreed with Trump !
    1
  15407. Trump warned Germany, and they laughed at him.
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  15408. Great analysis as always. Ceasefire A 3 act opera :- 1/ The Kremlin asks Erdogan to phone Putin suggesting a unilateral ceasefire which will lead to a 'fair peace' 2/ Kirill the Rolex watch wearing holy-man echoes the sentiment 3/ Putin orders it A curious pantomime : for what purpose ?
    1
  15409. Putin's "Rape Joke" about Ukraine :- President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. "Tough it out, beautiful" about Ukraine's alleged reluctance to comply " 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' They must be fulfilled. It won't work otherwise." Putin said of the comments :- ‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it’ The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ".
    1
  15410. Never trust Russia and Germany : that is the lesson from history.
    1
  15411. "Could it impact the nuclear deal negotiations ?" I hope so.
    1
  15412.  @sameersamuel5110  I'm not defending colonialism or the slave trade. I'm asking why he is apologizing to the International community. It is a Colombian citizen who has been violated (along with tens of thousands of others). Latin America was built from the top down (Catholic Church - ran education, censorship, postal service, hospitals, etc, and the aristocracy - governed, with corruption being a perquisite) North America was built from the bottom up (representative assemblies, church councils elected, town council elections, government elected). In North America the wealthiest folk were industrialists, manufacturers, railroad owners, newspaper men etc. In Latin America the wealthiest institution was the Church, the land- owners were Aristocrats demanding feudal respect. This easily segued into military generals demanding feudal respect. Culture is something which takes centuries to establish. Latin American culture comes straight from the Iberian peninsular and Vatican. The folk hero is the Picaro (the trickster who does no work and outwits the corrupt church and state - books banned by the Inquisition) North American culture comes straight from Northern Europe : British, Dutch, German, Swedish etc
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  15413. What price India's honour ? Answer :- A single shipment of cheep oil + Russian military junk Putin treats Modi with condescension (watch the sword incident) The Ukraine invasion is THE big event of the 21st century, Hand history will show India to be a contemptible nation.
    1
  15414.  @ghanvedsingh8946  Very good reply. I've given that a thumbs up. Britain feels shame for the way the partition (1947) was hurriedly conducted. Lord Mountbatten was in a hurry to take up his naval post. If I may apologise for that, and thank India for the largest (240,000) volunteer army ever to fight, and focus on the blunder I believe India is making today. The US is in a military league of its own.Russia is a 3rd division power. India gains nothing from allying with Russia. Russian equipment is junk. India should make deals with Israel and the US. It needs fighters which can launch missiles from 160km (F-35). It needs precision bombs and drones. India spends 68% of its defence budget on wages : it has far too many soldiers. India's aircraft carrier will be sunk within 24hrs in any war with China. It cost $3.2 billion : French frigates are $750 million, India should buy four and dump the carrier. America has 11 carriers, and won't use any in a war with China. That is why the US just built 19 Virginia class nuclear submarines. Warfare is changing, and India have picked a losing partnership (Russia).
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  15415. These 3 are quite dumb. The US doesn't want Europe joining a military task force. Much better for Iran to go down clutching at the straw of an EU sanctions bypass. Iran has repeatedly said it wants "To wipe Israel off the map" and can NEVER have nuclear weapons. Trump is working a superb good cop- bad-cop strategy with Europe and Iran's economy has crashed. Nobody wants war. Why would you ? Just sit back and watch the Ayatollah sink.
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  15416. 1860 Namik Kemal : Admired the British for ...... "their indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
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  15417. Hamas is employed by the WHO, UNRWA etc Israel has to identify Hamas terrorists who have infiltrated these organisations Well done Israel
    1
  15418. EDF = European Defence Force Macron's vanity project the EDF is dead It died on the evening of 13 Oct when France waved the white flag to Russia
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  15419. 5:20 you know who did the biggest cut to the military industrial complex ? Oh what's his name, Eisenhower. Look at the huge dip after WW2 https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi6mOm88NTgAhXZRhUIHXO6BBkQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fecon4.org%2Fmedia-library%2Fu-s-defense-department-budget-since-ww2&psig=AOvVaw34krCtoRbQJwt8v-PBwxIq&ust=1551115178381470
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  15420.  @jayschmidt6373  Stalin and Hitler were both dictators - fact. Stalin and Hitler were both fascists - fact. Stalin and Hitler were both psychopaths - fact. Stalin's wife left him, and his daughter committed suicide. Hitler never had a normal relationship : with Eva Braun, he never consummated the relationship. Both were abnormal. Both were psychologically damaged.
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  15421. The big mo. To use a Yankee term : which I believe means momentum.
    1
  15422. Historically :- Mustafa Ataturk established a secular Turkey (1923) The Turkish morons shouted "We are returning to the days of the first caliphs." They hadn't a clue what was going on. The ossified Caliphate had been extinguished and Ataturk (the young Turks) were embarking on a modernising program which had no room for old Fakirs. Unfortunately Erdogan is trying to reimpose Islam into government and make Turkey an Islamic state. Let's hope he is replaced quickly.
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  15423. Kemalists used to run the military and were a bulwark against Islam. But Erdogan is turning Turkey back into an Islamist state.
    1
  15424. Russian atrocities supported by India.
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  15425. Golan Heights is the key to understanding this dilemma Does anyone think the Golan Hts should be returned to despotic Syria ? No Why ? It is annexed after all ? Because Israel needs it for security Israel also needs the Jordan heights - Israel can never trust its neighbours They may be civilised today - and fanatical jihadist tomorrow
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  15426. Nonsense The British Royal Navy was converting from coal to oil Many more British MPs wanted amicable relations with the Arabs The Balfour document represents the view of one department Aljazera has no understanding of British history Britain blocked ships carrying refugees to Palestine
    1
  15427. Russia only understands FORCE
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  15428. The Saudi Is ignorant, indolent, bone-idle, bigoted, cowardly and cruel.
    1
  15429.  @oasis1282  Ukraine professionalism..... a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory NATO wants Ukraine to win 'incrementally'.
    1
  15430.  @oasis1282  No, not desperate. The Russian flagship Moskva was sunk. There is video of a Russian helicopter and crew being exterminated. Two tank-landing-craft were sunk. A modern tug was sunk. Then the island was bombarded with 50 Brimstone missiles, howitzers, drones, and aircraft. The Russians were annihilated. Remember Putin's motorcade with blue lights flashing, returning to the Kremlin at midnight ? That was the decision to evacuate Snake Island - it had become impossible to garrison.
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  15431. Hamas support = Youth culture + one or two odd-bods + transgender + LGBTQ It's not going to get you far
    1
  15432. @S N That money never leaves the USA. The Whitehouse hands the money to General Dynamics. In the same way the US Gov. subsidies Boeing and many other countries. When a war starts, these companies must be capable of pumping out weapons. When there is no war the companies must be subsidized. That money to Pakistan is simply an internal subsidy for a US company. Pakistan is like a puppet - totally dependent on the USA.
    1
  15433. Ouch.
    1
  15434. Precise : Theresa may is purblind, has no imagination or creative spirit , she is doggedly pursuing a deal nobody wants and offering the binary option of 'no deal' which nobody wants. Surrounded by rejection she has withdrawn into an already formidable shell. Act II To the rescue : Tony Blair. Discredited by his venality , duplicity and mendacity he has transmogrified and rebranded himself as an affable Cassandra . Beguiling us with good sense and reasonableness.
    1
  15435.  @Groverbennington  , no. I'm attempting humour. There's only really transmogrified that's big and in context it is self explanatory. Funnily enough I've just done 2 vocabulary tests at Mirriam -Webster. It keeps your mind active as you get older and refreshes your memory.
    1
  15436.  @Groverbennington  , you're confused because you want contradictory things :- a) you want control of borders and laws but you will be economically impoverished. b) you want to support Western values but the enemies of the West (Russia & China) are laughing as the West fragments : Trump isolates the US and the UK leave the EU.
    1
  15437.  @susanwestern6434  I think "Mannering's Mob" were guarding the pier, and at the end of the episode someone spotted a mine. Hodges bowled a leg-break and hit it bull's eye.
    1
  15438. Historically :- Poland was very tolerant. Often churches would be shared between Catholics Calvinists, Lutherans. (This is in 1640s) I should qualify that by saying the governing Poles were tolerant. Who were they ? A mixed bag of land-owners and aristocrats who formed the Sejm (parliament). Anyway, the Jesuits turned up and made Poland intolerant & bigoted. The Poles during WW2 were more anti-Semitic than the Nazis.
    1
  15439. Putin's "Rape Joke" about Ukraine :- President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. "Tough it out, beautiful" about Ukraine's alleged reluctance to comply " 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' They must be fulfilled. It won't work otherwise." Putin said of the comments :- ‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it’ The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ".
    1
  15440.  @stormshadow5283  Putin invited Tony Blair (British PM) to a 3hr Stravinsky concert in Moscow : a display of culture. But Putin doesn't listen to Stravinsky or Prokofiev, he listens to punk rock. Putin is an ill-educated peasant, who joined the KGB and became a successful thug. He isn't a statesman. Nicholas II was, as was Lenin : Stalin was a thug, and the rest were peasants. Gorbachev and his wife had salads and fruit juice, whilst the rest of the Politburo ate Caviar with Champagne. Russia, for the last century, has been mostly governed by thugs. Putin's humour gives the game away.
    1
  15441.  @stormshadow5283  Putin forced Tony Blair (British PM) to sit through 3hrs of Stravinsky. But Putin doesn't listen to Stravinsky or Prokofiev, he listens to punk rock. In a phone call with Macron he used Punk lyrics to describe how he intended to metaphorically "rape" Ukraine : 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' Macron was horrified. Putin is an ill-educated, uncultured, insecure thug, trying to pass himself off as a statesman.
    1
  15442.  @stormshadow5283  Putin forced Tony Blair (British PM) to sit through 3hrs of Stravinsky. But Putin doesn't listen to Stravinsky or Prokofiev, he listens to punk rock. In a phone call with Macron he used Punk lyrics to describe how he intended to metaphorically "rape" Ukraine : 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' Macron was horrified. Putin is an ill-educated, uncultured, insecure thug, trying to pass himself off as a statesman.
    1
  15443.  @stormshadow5283  "Opinion rejected" The Austrian Empress maria Theresa (1780) refused to have an Academy of Science because it would spread heresy. She condemned Austria to backwardness and ignorance. If you don't want the same to happen to India, then you would do well to listen to some facts before forming an opinion.
    1
  15444. Hamas is employed by the WHO, UNRWA etc Israel has to identify Hamas terrorists who have infiltrated these organisations Well done Israel
    1
  15445. Blockade is definitely on the horizon. Blockading the Malacca straits will collapse the CCP and the US can do it without firing a shot. The aircraft carriers can sit 2000km off the coast , blockade can be accomplished with submarines and frigates.
    1
  15446. Patriarch Kiril is the ungodly, Rolex-watch-wearing pontiff : Glasnost files exposed him as a KGB agent, informing on his clerics and parishioners.
    1
  15447. A few points :- a) this is a tabloid assessment designed to be provocative. b) it repeats the claim $45 trillion without explaining how it's arrived at. c) of course it, rightly, mentions the Amritsar massacre. It doesn't mention the routine deaths of 100,000s in the internecine Indian wars (before the British arrived) wars between rival rulers. It doesn't mention inhumane Indian practices - suttee, caste abuses, corruption, non-functioning justice system. Britain introduced accountability - financial, judicial and political. That didn't exist previously. All Indians (Hindu and Muslim) enjoyed a British eduction and wished to establish their state on the British model. Where would India be today, had it been left to evolve naturally ? It would be separated into many regions no better than the whackjob generals governing Myanmar. Or it would look like Latin America - a dysfunctional failure. Also remember, 500,000 Indians volunteered to fight the Nazis alongside Britain ( for which we are eternally grateful) so it can't have been that repulsive.
    1
  15448. Makes sense. China are backing the generals in Myanmar, vetoing UN condemnation, and then engaging in their own destruction of democracy as a side-show.
    1
  15449. @IsraHell the psycopath terrorist It is not just Egypt. It is all the countries that count : the EU, US, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Saudi, etc Hamas are a step backwards for Palestinians : Hamas are religious fanatics. The PLO/Fatah was founded (1964) as a secular nationalist organization, like the Young Turks. Hamas are like the Taliban or Islamic State, they are a religious organization, and are the antithesis of Fatah.
    1
  15450.  @barondra38  Egypt is very corrupt. The military is an imperium in imperio (a state within a state). They have their own roads, restaurants, cinemas, shopping malls. Morsi (Muslim Brotherhood) won an election (2012) to become president of Egypt. He was rather foolish. For example, he appointed as governor of Luxor the head of the group who had committed the Luxor massacre (1997). When al-Sisi staged a coup, the Western world said nothing. This is a delicious irony. Morsi (who hates western democracy) thought he was untouchable because he was elected. He believed the instituion (democracy) which he despises would protect him. One has to laugh at his naïveté.
    1
  15451.  Давай, До Свидания!  Egypt should be a parliamentary democracy. I would prefer the President to have a ceremonial role as guardian of the nation's moral values. Then a Prime Minister (elected for 4yrs), and a dynamic parliament. A Mr Speaker who robustly defends parliamentarians rights. Also, independent institutions : Universities, Trade Unions, Media organizations, Lawyers & Doctors societies. An independent middle-class who are able to denounce despotism and corruption. Of course, it should be secular. Religious leaders should stay inside the mosque and write the odd letter to the newspapers.
    1
  15452.  @jan22150  The problems with the Middle East go back 500yrs :- a) The Ulema ban printing 1515 This leads to 90% illiteracy. The failure of Middle-class development and no Enlightenment. b) Islamic Despotism. The Sultan's status was "Our Lord on Earth". Citizens were taught they shouldn't complain even if the Sultan appears to be corrupt. Abdul Aziz (1861) spent £2 million per year on his palace staffed by 3000 eunuchs and had little time to govern his indebted empire.
    1
  15453. Russian atrocities are literally "unspeakable", let me give you an example :- A 17yr old Chechen girl was abducted gang-raped and murdered. It was so horrendous even the Russians had to bring a prosecution. But Colonel Yuri Budanov, was only charged with murder, not gang rape (rape remains unmentionable) Because Russian depravity is so institutionally pervasive, it must remain unspoken. Read Svetlana Alexiovich : unspeakable atrocities in the Gulags went unpunished because Russia cannot confront its crimes.
    1
  15454. لسعودي لا يعرف كيف يخوض حربا. وهم يدفعون أشخاصا آخرين للقتال. إن المنطقة السعودية من الخبرة هي الحيل في جميع أنحاء أوروبا
    1
  15455. "UN staff" = Hamas The UN employs Hamas (they have admitted it and sacked some) Stop funding UNRWA
    1
  15456.  @pandibbarman  Read about Ottoman atrocities Read about Ottoman apartheid Read about savage Ottoman exploitation and abuse and slavery (You have a lot of catching up to do)
    1
  15457.  @pandibbarman  Mate, my apologies I totally misread your meaning (I'm poised to pounce on pro-Hamas)
    1
  15458. Legitimacy is the key to the Moscow power-struggle. Armed factions can fight for the Kremlin but they will end up doing 20yrs in prison without legitimacy. The Duma confers legitimacy The Duma can be threatened, but the people (sullen & silent) will demand a vote. It's a dangerous game for Kremlin thugs
    1
  15459. Macron & Scholz symbolise the EU - a damsel in distress. Don't be so fearful. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  15460. Well done our Jolly Jack-Tars
    1
  15461. The money Iran spends on TERROR Trump will put a stop to this
    1
  15462. Land ownership Palestine :- Under the Ottomans all land was owned by the Sultan. When he became a "Sick man" the Europeans encouraged the Tanzimat Reforms. Alongside human rights (which were never implemented) there was a commercial aspect of which encouraged land ownership. As one can imagine it was administered with maximum corruption : the Arab local governor and his family would register village communal land in their own name (or family). Also, Palestinians refused to register to avoid taxes and military service. However, Jewish groups, though forbidden to own land, purchased it through shell companies. After the 1948 war Jordan occupied the West Bank. They then allocated land to refugees. That is how the Palestinian families came to be living on Jewish land.
    1
  15463. Israel "Self Defence" Marwan would like the Golan Heights handed back to the butcher in Syria
    1
  15464. 0:50 "Russian troops in Ukraine are farting like heroes from Russia's previous wars" I'd like to hear that. I hadn't noticed. In the trenches, I suppose one can't blame them.
    1
  15465. Kevin, you must be very wrong-headed to support the despotism in Cuba. Cuban secret police thugs are beating folk in the street - and you support them. Always stand by the people. Don't side with violent dictators - call for democracy.
    1
  15466. Spineless India refuses to condemn Moscow. India abstained, and gave Putin a nod & wink of approval.
    1
  15467. So, China acting in its own interests - oil & trade No surprises
    1
  15468.  Joe Xavier  "Secular Jews make up 41.4% of the Jewish population, followed by the Traditional Jews accounting for 38.5% of the population, with the remaining 20% populated by the Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox." Those statistics are slightly misleading. Some Jews just attend social services like Bar-Mitzvah : they don't actually believe. So secularists are closer to 65% Like European Christians - most just go for the garden-party and jumble sale, they don't actually believe in all the nonsense.
    1
  15469.  Joe Xavier  , That is nonsense. Secularism is increasing even in the Muslim world. Ironically I think there is only the USA where religion is on the increase (which needs explaining).
    1
  15470.  Joe Xavier  I'm not calling you a liar. Have you seen "East is East" ? It is very funny : a Muslim father trying to get his kids to attend Mosque, and they're not a bit interested. I know two catholic families with 5 and 7 kids, not one of them goes to church, they think it's nonsense. It doesn't matter how large the family, if the children have a choice they choose secularism.
    1
  15471. Catalonia will join the EU within weeks of independence. Here is why :- All Spain's debt is sovereign ( in the name of the King). When Catalonia leave Spain's debt to GDP goes from 98% to 128%. Spains borrowing will leap by 4.5% as its tax raising ability falls by 20%. Putting it bluntly Spain is bust. Catalonia will take on a share of the debt in exchange for EU membership it is inevitable.
    1
  15472. Wrong : Lavrov is NOT part of Putin's inner circle.
    1
  15473. milk cream, you blank-brained dunce , learn some history before asking cretinous questions. All the issues raised in this discussion are common knowledge.
    1
  15474. Global warming : India will be uninhabitable (Let's hope Russia comes to the rescue, because the West will tell India to get stuffed !)
    1
  15475. Why ? 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" (capitulated) So Germany has no shield - Macron is the weak link
    1
  15476. The truth : Jordan & Egypt want to see Hamas crushed The USA, France,Germany, UK etc etc all want Hamas crushed Public statements do NOT represent real goals They are to placate the Muslim public
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  15477. Correct. Hungarian Magyars : History (1514) Sadistic Magyar aristocracy "I have seen multitudes of Hungarian rustics (Slavs) set fire to their cottages, and fly with their wives and children, their cattle and tools, to the Turkish territories, where they knew that, beside payment of the tenths, they would be subject to no imposts or vexations" The Hungarian Magyars were more sadistic and barbaric than the Turks. To know the Hungarians, research György Dózsa , and the peasant rebellion (1514) Ethnic cleansing by the Magyar nobility. In (1848) Kossuth pleaded in the newspaper Pesti Hírlap for rapid Magyarization, "Let us hurry, let us hurry to Magyarize the Croats, the Romanians, and the Saxons, for otherwise we shall perish" The Magyars are the reason civilized Europeans struggle to accept Hungarians.
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  15478. Somaliland and Puntland Also Morocco, they've all said yes - in exchange for recognition of their statehood or territorial claims
    1
  15479. When the far right speak of reconquest they actually mean Reconquista and are referring to the expulsion of the Moors. What was lost in 7yrs took 700 to regain (approx) I've made a few videos on Spain :- 30yrs war Spain's swan song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3wy7XbYkvA&t=1s Spain Rise & Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad8Gg73AnUs&t=3s
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  15480. Macron said, "NATO are brain-dead", it was a typical opportunistic statement. Macron wants his pet EU defence Force, and is using the Ukraine crisis for his own ambitions. France has never been a team player.
    1
  15481. Russian soldiers are shooting Ukrainians who surrender :- "These ... reports suggest that atrocities are not the result of rogue units or individuals; they rather reveal a deeply disturbing pattern of systematic abuse across all areas where Russia's forces are engaged."
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  15482. For 75 years Palestinians have been making wrong calls :- a) They supported Saddam Hussein b) support Ayatollah and the Axis of Evil c) they worshipped Yasser Arafat who was a disaster and robbed them of $3 billion The list is endless d) rejected 2 state solution 3 times 1948 UN, 2000 Bill Clinton 2020 Trump Deal of the Century
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  15483. Russians have no hesitation in bombing civilians. The Kremlin described the Moscow police as "The werewolves within" Russia is a barbaric country : Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been the rule of law in Russia"
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  15484. Why is Central America (and South) a disaster, and yet North America a success ? It is because North America was built by folks who believed in representative assemblies and distrusted government. They where North European protestant exiles. South America was founded by Spanish & Portuguese (& Catholic Church) they all preached obedience & respect for authority. The Catholic Church controlled censorship and education, to such a degree that the great liberation thinker Juan Alberdi said, "Let us be Catholic as our fathers were". Totally brainwashed and hardly Tom Paine.
    1
  15485. The Lunatic Left Jeremy Corbyn, George Galloway etc The same Leftists who support Moscow
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  15486. Al Jazeera lies Al Jazeera propaganda Hamas still demands Israel withdraw from Gaza Hamas wants Israel to surrender and pull out : they are delusional Al Jazeera never mention this !
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  15487. Biden said that : "We will defend every inch of NATO territory" Scholz is parroting Biden's rhetoric. Scholz is a schmuck : he promises Ukraine weapons, then finds a reason not to deliver. Germany also prevents other countries donating weapons. Scholz is a schmuck.
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  15488. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jack-boot stamping on a human face.
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  15489. Yun Fu, I agree , if you are talking about the Belgian Congo or the Italians in Abyssinia or the Germans. But they were colonial times , not that that excuses it. And I'm reminded of the great China armada to Africa ,India,Arabia (about 1425) when the Emperor sent gifts to everyone to show his magnificence. A stark contrast with the West who went abroad to loot and enslave. But all that being said the West also provided parliamentary democracy, human rights, transparent law, freedom of speech and equality. And abolition of slavery.
    1
  15490. Putin & Bismarck A British diplomat warned Bismarck about the disapproval of Europe. "What is Europe ?" replied Bismarck. "Many great nations", said the English diplomat. Putin thought European liberals were pacifists. Ursula von der Leyden has disabused him of that notion.
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  15491. Putin's intuition was for the Apartment Bombings i 1999 to bring him to power "Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers! "
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  15492.  @konanoobiemaster  What first drew my attention was the 'nose dive' : when I was at school , pictures of planes were always horizontal, so I thought "something is strange here". Then when it 'landed' in a ball of flames, I thought I'd share my observation for the benefit of others who hadn't noticed.
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  15493. The old man must have some connection with Hamas Probably his sons The IDF clearly believed he was in the possession of info Al Jazeera will never tell you this, they only give one biased side
    1
  15494. Blinken is on a damage limitations tour. After Biden said, "A small invasion will incur small sanctions" Biden's mind is for the knackers yard : he is like an old Grandpa talking with the children.
    1
  15495. Convicted of corruption following embezzlement charges in a party funding
    1
  15496. "Not seeing a conclusion to war - just a pause" Moscow wants a complete END Trump, when asked about guarantees "There isn't going to be another war" "Russia doesn't want another war" Trump on Fox : "I've had it - I'm getting him back all these cities which have been destroyed" That can only mean Mariupol etc Trump talks as though Putin is handing it all back - for a total end : foreign investment, future technologies etc
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  15497.  @ramonaj7567  , but Trump's behaviour is no defence for Biden ! You can't stand up in court and point to someone else's crimes to excuse your own ! Biden is the sort of privileged millionaire senator that is used to asking interns with "nice legs" to serve him and his fellow Senators drinks. That's who Biden is.
    1
  15498. Good analysis. It makes sense now : the Kremlin wants a militia established in Transnistria, duplicating the Donbas. Not that Russia believe they can reach it militarily, but just to add fuel to the international flames. Putin wants the conflict to spread. He wants to sit at the same table as the big boys (US, EU and NATO) and dictate terms "Which are acceptable to Russia". What Putin cannot abide, is having to deal with Zelensky.
    1
  15499.  @shayaan2354  , "The Islamic Republic" Is that the one where the Ayatollah executed 7000 Iranians in his first year ? All the groups who wouldn't kowtow to him : Communists, Socialists, Trade-unionists, democrats, feminists.......etc Where do you think all the other parties went ? Into the Ayatollah's torture camps : where they ingeniously hanged them 6 at a time off forklift truck pallets. Read "The Executioners deserve medals".
    1
  15500.  @shayaan2354  LOL, pull the other one. I suppose the Lebanese Hezbollah are a pro-democracy human-rights organisation ? You need to wake up. Hezbollah are a fascist, anti-democracy, pro-theocracy bunch of thugs. You must be living in dreamland.
    1
  15501.  @annia5732  "a student dormitory was raided by riot police that night during which a student was killed. The raid sparked six days of demonstrations and rioting throughout the country, during which at least three other people were killed and more than 200 injured " "The paramilitaries, thought to be Ansar-e-Hezbollah and Basij, began attacking students, kicking down doors and smashing through halls, grabbing female students by the hair and setting fire to rooms. Several students were thrown off of third story balconies "onto pavement below, their bones crushed," and one student paralyzed. According to students' accounts, uniformed police stood by and did nothing.[4] "Witnesses reported that at least one student was killed, 300 wounded, and thousands detained in the days that followed."
    1
  15502.  @doca8792  So, Palestine needs to change its approach. When Fatah send 14 policemen to beat one of their critics to death it send the wrong signal. When Hamas proclaim a theocratic, fascist, anti-democratic manifesto, it too sends the wrong message. Why not elect a charismatic woman leader - that would send the right message. World opinion (the civilised democratic world) is against Palestine, and in favour of democracy (Israel)
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  15503. Sadat
    1
  15504. Bodies in the street, Russians using human shields as they retreat. The news channels in the USA are using words like "Sickened" and "war crimes". There is international outrage. And India remains silent. It is an incredible blunder, which will have repercussions for decades. Shame on India.
    1
  15505. And worse :- India complains that "It is being bullied" Does India have any conception of how pathetic it sounds ? There are bodies in the street, atrocities being committed, and India complains of being bullied !
    1
  15506. No surprises that France are supporting the Kremlin. France collaborated with the Nazis in North Africa and fought against Britain and the US. France collaborated with the Nazis in Europe. France collaborated with the Japanese in Indochina. Every president post WW2 had been a collaborator. People have very low expectations for France. The only time France got tough was when the bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland killing a Green-Peace activist.
    1
  15507. 7:00 "Rebuilding Ukraine" This is what Germany excels at. In February Germany froze & panicked : they blocked RAF weapons flights, blocked Estonia from howitzer transfers, and blocked direct sales. Scholz is poor at action but great at reconstruction.
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  15508. james micheal  James, I applaud your more sensible though less historical analysis and agree that MBS is a corrupt tyrant trying to change Saudi. Unfortunately the Saudi is bone-idle, lazy,indolent, arrogant, bigoted, cowardly and cruel and there's little prospect of that changing any time soon.
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  15509. Macron "France will not respond to a nuclear attack on Ukraine" Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  15510. Bernie blew it in 2016 : when Hillary asked him to name an ocassion when she had lacked integrity - and Bernie shrugged. Hells bells , when your opponent hangs their chin out you have to land a blow not shrug your damned shoulders.
    1
  15511. kien, a) I didn't like my own comment (I just checked) b) It was $0.75 million. I just checked. ( way over-costed) c) you should learn from Trump :- look how he saved the Wollman rink https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irefZ6qqO9I
    1
  15512. A typical Facebook user is half-witted and ill-informed, how does the Metaverse help them ? I suppose they could wander around a virtual shopping mall and gawp at things to buy. What a shame Zuckerberg wastes his life on this.
    1
  15513. Chernobyl (1986) : conscripts cleaning up were given rifles, "To be prepared for an American invasion". After a month they stopped issuing them with rifles. Why would America invade ? And why land at Chernobyl ? The Pope described Putin's invasion as "infantile", because Russians are bred on childish history stories, feeding their paranoia. Russians are mentally-ill, no rational person could imagine American soldiers marching on the Chernobyl nuclear site - only a Russian. Europe has a lunatic neighbour on its northern border.
    1
  15514. LOL he should stick to supporting Islamofascism. This is the guy who wants the Kremlin to investigate the Skripal poisonings. He doesn't believe Russia used a BUK missile to shoot down MH17, Corbyn is simply off the reservation. He is a threat to national security. And I'm a lifelong Labour voter !
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  15515.  @didgeridoda863  LOL , sold to the drunken Russian separatists ? They wouldn't know how to take the cork out of a bottle of Vodka. It was fired by Russian personnel there's footage of it being transported. Do some research .
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  15516. Trump warned Germany, and they laughed at him.
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  15517. He's a damned Commie........what more do you need to know. He believes in totalitarian dictatorship. Imprisoning dissidents. Censorship and propaganda. Brainwashing and corruption.
    1
  15518. Wrong Hamas wants to stay in control of Gaza Israel wants ALL hostages released and an end to Hamas terror Civilians suffer because Hamas wants to remain in power It's simple
    1
  15519. Hezbollah (fascist thugs) run the Finance Ministry and have robbed the people blind. They refuse to relinquish the Finance Ministry as it is such a good source of revenue for them. Hezbollah are backed by the theocratic fascist dictatorship of the Ayatollah in Iran.
    1
  15520.  @shades3433  The Taliban arrested a comedian, tied his hands, slapped his face, started laughing, tortured him some more, then killed him. They denied it.....but it was all on film and posted on YouTube. The Taliban are liars, torturers, savages, and murderers.
    1
  15521. "I say that if my mistake is looking after members I am guilty.” The Speaker is hiding behind terrorist threats to keep his job This is appalling He MUST resign !
    1
  15522. Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" Scholz - sabotaging weapon supplies to Ukraine. Germany closed its air-space to flights of weapons from the UK. Germany refused to allow Estonia and Spain to send weapons. Germany behaves like the Kremlin's 5th column. (It almost makes one hope Russia cuts off the gas)
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  15523. UN doesn't care about hostages - they are mentioned as an after thought Guterres defends the Hamas massacre
    1
  15524. In the C20th, imagine having a bunch of half-baked clerics running the country. No wonder folk don't want to vote. Corruption : look to the Revolutionary Guard, they control 30% of the economy. (The most lucrative 30%, they are only interested in businesses that make an easy profit for them)
    1
  15525. BOS, Turkey are using a lot of propaganda. a) the Ambassador compares the Kurdish situation to "Manchester wanting independence" , that is ridiculous. It is more like Scotland or Wales wanting Devolution. But the Kurds are met with violence ,oppression and human rights violations. b) Erdogan wants Turkey to become an Islamofascist state. When his thugs attacked civilians in Washington Congress condemned them as animals and put sanctions on Turkish arms sales.
    1
  15526. BOS, "The report, by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, details how operations by the Turkish infantry, artillery, tanks and possibly aircraft drove up to half a million people from their homes over a 17-month period from July 2015 to the end of 2016." That sounds like human rights violation. The United Nations said on Friday in a report that listed summary killings, torture, rape and widespread destruction of property among an array of human rights abuses.
    1
  15527. "One woman’s family “was invited by the public prosecutor to collect her remains, which consisted of three small pieces of charred flesh, identified by means of a DNA match. The family did not receive an explanation as to how she was killed nor a forensic report. The victim’s sister, who called for accountability of those responsible for her death and attempted to pursue a legal process, was charged with terrorist offences.” http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21342
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  15528. According to a report published by an NGO in South East Turkey 23 torture and ill treatment methods include police beating and punching of detainees; sexual violence, including rape . http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/TR/OHCHR_South-East_TurkeyReport_10March2017.pdf
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  15529. I want Hillary to fail. Unfortunately the Bill & Hillary tour is a sell-out with tickets at $750.
    1
  15530. Sinai is quite a safe space Perhaps Gazans can move to Sinai "temporarily"
    1
  15531. Merkel's EU Commissioner said "Spain are planning a civil war". The use of inflammatory terms like 'civil war' and 'planning' was a devastating broadside at Madrid. Rajoy is like Mr Punch : his solution to all problems is violence. But the warning from Merkel will cool his choler and should lead to more civilised behaviour.
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  15532. Palestinians side with Autocracy (Russia, Iran, China, Islamism etc) The West supports democracy and freedom (Israel, Ukraine etc) There are shitpot countries (South Africa, Brazil, India etc) which sit on the fence
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  15533. I've made a video "Spanish America failure North America success why ?" If anyone would care to watch it :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACa4p9jhVPc
    1
  15534.  @landz2228  , search on Youtube or some other tube sight there are scores of home-made videos showing Saudi beating women servants. they are famous for it.
    1
  15535.  @muzaffarahmadbhat3160  , I wish I could : I'm as confused as you. Apparently there are 25 different separatist groups. The UAE apparently support the separatists. The Saudi support the united Yemen government , the one recognised by the UN.
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  15536.  @muzaffarahmadbhat3160  . well said. I'm just reading "Wallenstein" 30yrs war. What savagery against the ordinary people. Both armies extorting money and killing people, destroying homes and livestock and spreading disease. And that was in the 1630s....nothing has changed.
    1
  15537. Like a Caliphate country, Russia knows it is backwards, inferior and brutal, but believes it has a destiny (like the Islamic 12th Imam) the Imperial Russian supremacy.
    1
  15538. "Recall ambassadors" Why should Arab nations allow Hamas to dictate their foreign policy ? Hamas - a bunch of thugs, dictating what the Arab world MUST do Why should a bunch of thugs, murderers and rapists call the shots ?
    1
  15539. To allow pseudo-democracy in Palestine (Fatah, Hamas) and failing to criticise total corruption is to display the " bigotry of low expectation" . You are saying, "What do you expect : they're all corrupt over there" You're saying, " They beat anyone who challenges their authority but that's what those people are like". Why not treat Palestinians like Westerners : why not demand they have free and fair elections and financial transparency ?
    1
  15540. Macron is already "eating his words" LOL
    1
  15541. Al Jazeera = Hamas
    1
  15542. Hamas has destroyed Gaza Hamas think they will still be in power when the war ends - they are not serious
    1
  15543. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  15544. All aid agencies in Gaza nee to approval of Hamas Also, they need the approval of Israel Now, Hamas may be suspicious that aid agencies are pro-Israel spies (But they needn't worry - all aid agencies are pro-Hamas)
    1
  15545.  @diegoyuiop  "why are Russia doing this?" Good question. I wonder whether Putin has faced some internal challenge, which he has neutralized by mobilizing the army. Chairman Mao faced a similar challenge, which he circumvented it by mobilizing brainwashed you students in the "Cultural Revolution" (1966-76)
    1
  15546. Hamas has "toughened their demands" because of UN support The UN support Hamas, so Hamas now demands more concessions for hostage release Well done UN (supporters of terrorism) Stop funding UNRWA Stop funding terrorism
    1
  15547. Russia is rattled. Well done USA and Britain.
    1
  15548. Iran getting a taste of its own medicine. The Ayatollah thinks he can fund Hezbollah's reign of terror with impunity. Every strike against Iran's brutal theocracy brings Middle East peace a step closer.
    1
  15549. niko, you moron, the Spanish Police said 300,000
    1
  15550. Gene, you are a propagandist moron. The Spanish Police said the crowd was 300,00 Do some research you dumb moron.
    1
  15551. Casrv, you idiot. Spanish Police said it was 300,000. You are the sort of sponge that soaks up any lies you hear. Do some research and provide yourself with facts !
    1
  15552. frodorick, you twit ! The Spanish Police said 300,000.
    1
  15553. Alexander, go on then : in the spirit of rapprochement I'll agree.
    1
  15554. I hope this apparatus receives a whack-job from some drone. Maybe a Phoenix Ghost (that we hear so little about).
    1
  15555. 0:23 "Against the Iranian nation". Wrong. The sanctions are against the Ayatollah's fascist theocracy.
    1
  15556. There is a very clever way out of this crisis (and I think NATO saw it before I did) a) Russia's demands are rejected (which they have been) b) Now comes the compromise :- Ukraine aren't going to join NATO in the next decade (regardless of whether Russia climbs down) So NATO can offer Russia a 10yr guarantee, to be reviewed in a moratorium in 10yrs. All the West would be doing is turning the de facto non membership, into de jure non membership. The Ukraine won't join NATO in the next 10yrs regardless (the fact) So offer to make that legally binding (de jure) and Putin can climb down from his flag pole.
    1
  15557. Russians are taking revenge : leaving booby-traps to kill civilians. Looting and murder of civilians (as well as the customary offences against women) those are the hallmarks of a Russian invasion.
    1
  15558. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
    1
  15559. Well we know what happened to him, do you mean where exactly is he ? He could be in a few different locations. He was last seen being loaded into 15 diplomatic suitcases and flown to Riyadh.
    1
  15560. A failure LOL Look around you - Gaza is in ruins It will take 3 generations for Gaza to return to normal Is that failure ? It looks very much like success
    1
  15561. "Two aircraft carriers to do what ?" To keep Iran & Hezbollah out of the war, you idiot
    1
  15562. Wrong ! The last deal broke down because Hamas wanted to exchange "dead bodies" instead of live hostages So Israel wants to know that the hostages are alive Hamas are liars Israel is trying to establish the truth
    1
  15563. The BBC has the same mentality as Jeremy Corbyn (almost PM) They are pro Hamas, and pro Hezbollah
    1
  15564. The Yanks started the revolutionary Wars 1775-83 and won. The French started the Revolutionary wars 1792-1802 and won The Japanese started the Russo Japan war 1905 and won Britain and France started the Crimean war 1853-56 and won etc
    1
  15565. LOL "Blessed be the meek for they shall be Iranian" This is the weakest response Iran could think of LOL
    1
  15566. Very corrosive for the Russian army. Regular soldiers become overseers of cannon fodder Nobody wants to attack because it is demeaning - not heroic Status is maintained by forcing others to do the fighting, it is extremely corrosive No "esprit de corps", no pride, no regimental loyalty : Russia is rushing towards mutiny at 100mph
    1
  15567. Putin knows ? So do the Russian soldiers - they are being fed dog food. (relabelled to make it palatable beef)
    1
  15568. Nonsense. Netanyahu accepted plans for a Rafah incursion. They are going to Cairo simply to show they tried everything before destroying Hamas in Rafah
    1
  15569. India is in for a shock. The US means business, it has :- a) Humbled Russia b) faced down Putin's nuclear threat c) demolished NordStream 1 and 2 e) and is remaking the 21st century. Saudi is not the only country in the cross-hairs.....India is too.
    1
  15570.  @AJ-ek7ht  , Wot ! The whole ISIL state started when the Iraqi army fled. The officers were the first to flee and then the troops followed. There were only about 300 ISIL fighters in pick-up trucks ! Finally, when Iran had sent well-trained , highly motivated militia fighters into Iraq, then ISIL were defeated. But at the very start it was the IRAQI ARMY which allowed them to become established !
    1
  15571. Farage parrots Putin Putin threatened war - Farage repeated it Now Farage claims "Foresight" (effing traitor)
    1
  15572. CNN showed a protrestor being arrested by 4 police : two hold him, one beats him over the head and the other grabs his genitals. Also, in Egypt the police sexually assault protestors. Can anyone explain this ?
    1
  15573. Those injured were shot in the legs. They are "wounded" Those who were killed died in a stampede Hamas are spreading lies as usual and Western media repeats Hamas propaganda
    1
  15574. They say media is biased against progressives but this is like a hagiography.
    1
  15575.  @JP-fb8ni  Thanks for that in-depth revelation Unfortunately UN Sec Gen Guterres, immediately after the massacre, starts defending Hamas, telling the world that the massacre, murders and rapes "Didn't happen in a vacuum" Now I always thought the UN was there to speak for the victims Bear in mind this was BEFORE Israel went into Gaza, so the only victims at this stage are Jews. But that doesn't bother the UN, they are still going to defend Hamas Now if you don't find that outrageous then I'm afraid there is little I can do for you. Perhaps you could try to find a moral compass somewhere.
    1
  15576. Biden says "Hamas demands are over the top" Israel will never accept this Hamas victory deal
    1
  15577. Look at him hiding behind microphones : that's what corrupt politicians do. This bloke makes me sick : his verbiage is entirely devoted to exculpating the Prime Minister. This bloke is an @ss-wipe. Corrupt, grovelling, venal @ss-wipe.
    1
  15578. All aid agencies in Gaza nee to approval of Hamas Also, they need the approval of Israel Now, Hamas may be suspicious that aid agencies are pro-Israel spies (But they needn't worry - all aid agencies are pro-Hamas)
    1
  15579.  @Wandrative  , Oh, thanks. I'm not up to speed on Korea.
    1
  15580. LOL , I wouldn't trust Wilson James as far as I could throw him LOL Don't tell me, he's based in Nigeria LOL
    1
  15581. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists". That was 150yrs ago, around the time Russia abolished serfdom (1861) - now there's an insight into the Russian mind. A Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf girls (who would be advertised as 'having a pretty face and attractive figure') the nobleman was exiled to Siberia. (See Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow). Having documented abuse of girls by the nobility, it is instructive to note that the KGB described themselves in an internal memorandum as "The new nobility" The Russian state has never had any morals : Putin came to power after "The Apartment Bombings", in which 4 FSB officers were arrested for planting a bomb only to be released by the Kremlin..... Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  15582. Ahmed, ( Hi ) the turnout was 41% and ...... "The election commission said the vote was held according to the “highest international standards of integrity and transparency” The 2014 election had a 47% turnout so the numbers were down. But Sisi won 97% As a comparison : turnout in the UK is usually around 60%
    1
  15583. Ro man, are you saying Hezbollah weren't beating students ? Or Are you saying they were.......but it was a job Iranians could have done for themselves ? The historical fact is :- Hezbollah were beating students with clubs. You do know about the Iranian constitution don't you ? You know the Police can't enter the University campus ? Do you need me to spell it out to you why they used Hezbollah ?
    1
  15584.  @petersinclair3997  Well said. "How can Russia protect India ?" Over a "Galwan" type clash, India is on its own. But if a real war started, Russia could supply heavy weapons and share satellite intelligence etc Geographically, India needs a strong Russia. "Does India plan to sit it out against China ?" In WW2 Britain wanted to play a role in the Pacific to justify holding on to its colonies. US Admiral King said, "Britain is a dead weight, they need supplying with food and fuel, and we can do without them" That would be India's position. The war with China will be a naval blockade, and India hasn't got the goods. Australia will have 9 nuclear subs through AUKUS. and Britain has 11 ; added to the US 19 subs and 11 aircraft carrier strike groups, India would simply be getting in the way.
    1
  15585. Doctors knew where hostages were Doctors treated hostages Hospitals were complicit in concealing hostages (video evidence) There is EVERY reason to interrogate doctors
    1
  15586. "Forced displacement" Nobody said "forced" : even Trump & Kushner never said "forced" You may as well say TRUMP REJECTS FORCED DISPLACEMENT Which is true Gazans will be offered apartments, first to go get the best pick
    1
  15587. The US wants "Blockade of China" That is a war the US will WIN
    1
  15588. A Lebanese minister reported that "A fire crew that was in attendance has disappeared". That leads one to think there was a fire being attended to and then the explosion occurred. It sounds like an industrial catastrophe in the dock warehouse complex.
    1
  15589. It is already over : Russia are backing down :- a) Tass announced they had extracted concessions on missiles, Biden's team denied it and said those concessions were part of an agreement made years ago. b) One Russian diplomat said, "The US should meet us halfway" The Kremlin are looking for a way out.
    1
  15590. Oh dear, Putin hates to be belittled : calling the war "absurd" can only do harm. You must call it "A great patriotic war for the defence of Mother Russia". Also, the brainwashed Russian plebs will not take kindly to patronizing words from the UN. Trump had the right idea, it was a continuation of the Theodore Roosevelt philosophy : "speak softly and carry a big stick". This would never be happening if Trump were in the Whitehouse :- a) He warned Germany about Nord Stream 2 Russian dependence. b) He got tough on China : a policy being continued by Biden c) He encouraged Europe to increase defence spending (which Germany has just doubled) We miss you Donald, and your prescient good sense.
    1
  15591. The Middle East have never known democracy - they've had 600yrs of Ottoman despotism, hand-in-glove with the authoritarian caliphate. Which is why the Palestinians cancelled democracy 15yrs ago, it simply isn't important. Fatah have revived democracy simply to curry favour with the West, but their heart isn't in it.
    1
  15592. When Khomeini landed in Tehran (1979) and was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied "I'll kick their teeth in ". I didn't notice the UN doing anything when Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : more than the Shah killed in his whole life.
    1
  15593. Good cop bad cop. Merkel says maybe macron says no-way. You say tomato I say tomato let's call the whole thing off. Actually a deal will be all wrapped up in the last few days , EU style.
    1
  15594. US State Department's strategy for Russia's nuclear threat :- a) Make public Russian plans or movements b) to interdict (destroy) WMD weapons in Russia if detected c) use NATO troops to assist and join the war. d) hunt down those responsible in the field and those who ordered it
    1
  15595. 2:40 "They stood aside as Serb forces separated the men ". The Dutch have to bear that shame - indelible shame. It must be awful to be Dutch : branded with cowardice.
    1
  15596. Is this what Trump meant by shithole country : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/video/video-19945/BBC-investigation-Afghan-police-sell-weapons-Taliba-rape-young-boys.html Afghan Police rape young boys while Western Powers look the other way.
    1
  15597. Ayatollah ice cream - that theo-fascist flavour that has you coming back for more.
    1
  15598.  Fady Al qaisy  , Shlomo Sand would agree with you on "imported stock". (Invention of the Jewish People). Iran is also multi-ethnic, and probably (Mesopotamia) has deeper historical roots (just). However, it certainly is a fascist Theocracy. When you see Iranian police snipers shooting protestors from rooftops you know it's a fascist country.
    1
  15599. Ha ha ha, nice shoulder slap.......LOL ....the Fox News turds.
    1
  15600.  @BrayaanRayan  When Lavrov started to speak, 146 delegates walked out of the UN. That left the Axis of Evil countries and their lackeys (India). Nobody expected any better of India : if the West offered Delhi nuclear submarines, they would also have walked out. India is always kowtowing to someone. If India acted independently on sound moral principles, they would get much more respect.
    1
  15601. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a gangster, a KGB thug, with the concomitant morality of a savage.
    1
  15602. "He's a religious nut" : Trump's accurate assessment of Pence.
    1
  15603. Trump has lost 2020. He threw it away : injecting disinfectant and tear-gassing peaceful protestors for a photo-op.
    1
  15604.  @ge2719  , good joke. But Trump's first Secretary of State - Rex Tilison said, "Trump is a £ucking moron". So when Trump suggested injecting disinfectant he was just displaying the monumental stupidity everyone knew he possessed. Coronavirus, the economic crash and the BLM protests are simply a perfect storm for Trump. And I supported Trump over Hillary.
    1
  15605.  @ge2719  , gosh you're as daft as Trump. Trump suggested "injecting disinfectant.....getting it inside the body somehow". That is lethal madness. Even toddlers are taught that ! Of course Trump's stupidity runs deeper than that, and folk who have worked with him all agree with Rex Tilison : "He's a £ucking moron".
    1
  15606.  @mbsjr8679  Vasari asked himself why C15th Florence had been the birth of the Renaissance. "The spirit of criticism ; the air of Florence making minds naturally free, and not content with mediocrity". Was his conclusion. Compare Russia : beating women protestors, and sexually abusing them in police stations. Russian barbarism, and the Florentine Renaissance : there is a thesis there for some bright Moscow student.
    1
  15607. The Kremlin are lying turds. The Moskva cruiser sank YESTERDAY : it listed to port, then rolled over and sank. The Kremlin said, "The fire was contained, then it sank whilst being towed" Lying turds.
    1
  15608. Oh dear.
    1
  15609. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  15610. Because you are too thick to understand.
    1
  15611. MBS he's a boy. He sure knows how to get up the Imams nostrils.
    1
  15612. Of course there will be a deal. Sir Ivan Rogers (top civil service negotiator) said this is a good deal for the EU. It will go to the 11th hour but the EU are very pleased with themselves. They have to deter others so are making the UK sweat.
    1
  15613. The 19th Century saw the collapse of dynasties (Habsburg, Ottoman etc) and the rise of nationalism. Greece had been occupied since 146BC by Romans, Byzantine, Ottoman, then struck for nationhood 1828 Italy broke from the Habsburg 1871 Germany 1871. So how did folk manage for 2000yrs without a nation ? Well if they had freedoms, prosperity and justice they were quite happy. So why don't people settle for those things now ? Well its the zeitgeist of the times : everyone wants to be a nation. Never mind that if Palestine got their wish they'd be a corrupt dictatorship in minutes : all dissent would be punished ( it would be like Putin's Russia).
    1
  15614. Ironically the Quran rejects nationalism and so do the Haredi Jews. A Caliphate is not a nation. The Haredi Jews believe the Jewish nation is blasphemous and can only happen when the messiah returns.
    1
  15615. Scot, you are falling for the insubstantial tittle-tattle. Legionary is looking deeper , at the big picture : Trump gives tax breaks to the super-rich and corporations, hands out state money to unaudited military complex (which Eisenhower warned against back in 1961 when he slashed postwar military spending, it never happened again : lobbyists made sure every President keeps the tap fully open). Scot, with all due respect it might be you that misunderstands.
    1
  15616. Al, that's a fair question. Just consider the alternative. What is Saudi started investing in itself or worse in other Islamic countries. Imagine it opened factories in Pakistan to manufacture the goods it gets from the West. What happens at the moment is the West gets everything and the Saudi lives in luxury. Everyone is happy. Best not to stir the pot.
    1
  15617. Oh dear....poor old Warren. Expect her to drop another 5 points. The yanks don't like discourteous y. She slumped 10 points after supporting Trumps withdrawal from Syria ; when the whole country, the Senate and Congress opposed it. God knows why she supported Trump. Why not stay neutral, be evasive anything but support.
    1
  15618. Europe has a WOKE agenda It follows a WOKE economic model and falls behind badly
    1
  15619. Quiz : Who's the only person ever to tell Prince Philip to shut his mouth ? David Mellor It was after the Cumbria mass shooting (Derrick Bird), there were calls to ban firearms or tighten restrictions. Prince Philip said that a cricket bat was also a deadly weapon and asked whether campaigners intended to ban cricket. David Mellor appeared on Radio 4 and said (I'm paraphrasing) ""If he can't contribute.........he should have the sense and courtesy to keep his mouth shut"
    1
  15620. Tara Reade's allegation against Joe Biden is totally credible. The conversation couldn't be invented : it captures Biden's mannerisms, it shows him flipping from apology to outrage at rejection. Anyone who doesn't believe it would have to explain how she invented such credible dialogue. Try it yourself, try inventing a fictional sex assault. It is very difficult to invent that dialogue......even professional scriptwriters would struggle. And yet, miraculously , she just 'invents' word-perfect dialogue.
    1
  15621. ICC arrest warrant for - "Abducting Children from Ukraine" A crime which has been admitted to by the Russians, who boast about it.
    1
  15622. Well done to that brave lady. The Russian state never puts the people first. Stalin killed 30 million of them. Putin's father was KGB , he was poor but still had a phone (so he could inform on his friends and neighbours). It's never a good idea to elect KGB as President. As deputy mayor of St Petersburg Putin was part of an administration that stole $98 million. he didn't get ll of it, just his share.
    1
  15623. Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  15624.  @For_TheExhale  Please explain how they were beat by Chechnya ? The first Chechen war ended with Russia suing for peace. That is why it was necessary for the FSB to launch the Apartment Bombs, to terrify the public into supporting a 2nd war....... Apartment Bombings (1999) Following a phone call from a vigilant citizen on the night of 22nd September 1999, police found bags containing 200kg of explosives in the basement of a residential building in Ryazan. As the job of disposing of the bags was left to the local police, de-activating the explosives was carried out by Ryazan police’s engineering department. Their detectors showed that the bags contained hexogen. The detonating fuse was made with an electric clock set to set off at 5.30am and contained a shell from a shotgun filled with gunpowder. That same day, local FSB officers created and published composite pictures of the suspects and soon identified and arrested them. But those who planted the bombs turned out to be... Moscow FSB officers!
    1
  15625.  @blockbastermovies3155  "better than what NATO did in Afghanistan against a group of people with ak47" The US was there for 22yrs and spent $4 trillion. Finally they gave it up as a bad job. The Afghan 'good guys' are 50% Taliban supporters, the government are 100% corrupt. Afghan society is medieval like Russia, there is no hope for it.
    1
  15626.  @beslanintruder2077  Exactly. Russia imagines it is a warlike nation - a Sparta manqué. Louis XIV changed the nature of warfare (~ 1680 to 1700) Armies became huge, had uniforms, muskets and hundreds of cannon, also huge well drilled cavalry. At this stage barbaric armies (The Turks) become 3rd rate. Don't be fooled by the siege of Vienna (1683) : the Turks only got that far because the Habsburgs were also 3rd rate. Russia has only had success against 3rd rate nations, it has never been a premier nation. Not even in WW2 Stalin admitted he couldn't have won without the Yanks : 15,000 planes 7,000 tanks 51,000 jeeps 376,000 trucks 132,000 machine guns 4.5 million tons of food 107 million tons of cotton 15 million pairs of boots
    1
  15627.  @Kim-yt2rz  You must have been brainwashed in a Russian school.
    1
  15628.  @therrick9416  Correct 15,000 planes 7,000 tanks 51,000 jeeps 376,000 trucks 132,000 machine guns 4.5 million tons of food 107 million tons of cotton 15 million pairs of boots
    1
  15629.  @Kim-yt2rz  1905 - Russia sailed a fleet around the world and as soon as it arrived it was sunk by the British trained Japanese. 1914 Tannenberg - Russians were slaughtered by German artillery :- 122,000–170,000: 30,000–78,000 killed or wounded 92,000 POW Don't read Russian propaganda, read academic history books.
    1
  15630.  @Kim-yt2rz  Crimean War (1853-56) :- Russia seized the mouth of the Danube Europe replied by defeating Russia and neutralising the Black Sea. 1856 Treaty of Paris : Russia had to remove all its warships from the Black Sea Russia has been humiliated many times Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" If he knew any history he would know Russia is used to it.
    1
  15631.  ABC 123  , do you live under a rock ? Look at the news : in Israel Netanyahu has been questioned 7 times because he accepted cigars & wine as gifts. Use your loaf ! Just because Russia is a totally corrupt $hithole don't simply satisfy yourself that all countries are the same. It is your attitude that leads to the election of a KGB man as President. You've got no standards.
    1
  15632.  @alicebaker3935  , I agree Yeltsin was a disgrace and the West took full advantage of him. Even a KGB corrupt thug is better for Russia than Yeltsin. But you are not saying a one-party-state dictatorship is the only solution. Why not have experienced, educated, quality opposition holding the government to account ? Why a dictatorship ?
    1
  15633.  Lili Rose  , allow me to give you an example : the Kremlin asked school children to inform on their parents : one boy said his Dad listened to a foreign radio station so Dad went to the Gulags for 10yrs. What sort of sick Kremlin does that ? Well the sort that has KGB men like Putin in there. The Godfather to Putin's daughter sent many people to the Gulags, including a famous poet. Putin's father was KGB. He was poor but still had a phone so he could inform on his neighbours. It's a sick country : happy to have a KGB president.
    1
  15634. Russian history :- Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  15635. He's got this wrong. Most folk have it wrong. Position and momentum are canonical conjugates. By definition the accuracy of one requires an inaccuracy in the other.
    1
  15636. ERdogan proposes law to pardon child rapists :- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkey-child-rape-protest-thousands-law-men-freed-marry-victim-istanbul-ankara-izmir-akp-erdogan-a7428166.html https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/18/turkey-bill-to-pardon-statutory-rape-if-perpetrators-marry-victi/ https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/733913/Turkey-Recep-Erdogan-government-legalise-child-rape The Truth, I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it because you don't have a free press in Turkey. You are very ill-informed. I think you have been educated on a diet of propaganda which you have grown up to believe is true.
    1
  15637. The Truth, you are quite right :- In medieval Europe women married between 12 and 15 years of age (coinciding with puberty). You are right that Turkey is secular and the UK has an established Church and the Head of state is head of the Church. But nobody is interested in the C of E , even those who attend do it for social reasons and don't actually believe. Erdogan is different : he believes and went to prison for it. Erdogan is a danger and the West recognise this. The future looks bleak for Turkey and if they go anywhere near Manbij they will be hit like the Russians at Al-Tabiyeh where a whole battalion was massacred by the US who displayed awesome firepower.
    1
  15638. The Truth, do you know why the US have taken the land east of the Euphrates ? Remember the attempted coup , Erdogan shut of the electric supply to the US base in Turkey ; it was a message that 'We have you by the b@lls'. The US know they can't rely on keeping the Turkish base so are setting up a base east of the Euphrates. The US are there for keeps. It's perfectly placed for strikes on Iran and central Asia and Russia. Do you know what the US policy is ? Use overwhelming firepower to discourage any threat. When Al-Nusra and the Turkish thugs make a move expect an Al-Tabyeh type massacre.
    1
  15639. The Truth, what hysterical nonsense. Israel have got all-on controlling the West Bank : there are no plans for a greater Israel. They won't give the Golan Heights back I'll grant you that. You are wrong about US bases. You confuse a base with an air-base. Air-bases are crucial. If you take out the 2 air-bases in Turkey the nearest one is Kuwait. That's no good ; the US will expand the one they've just acquired in Syria. Turkey are funding Al-Nusra who are worse than Al-Qaeda. Did you see those savages dismembering a female Kurdish fighter ? Those savages are funded by Turkish thugs.
    1
  15640. The Truth, I agree : I'd prefer dead bodies desecrated than living people killed. Enlarge Israel ? Obama stopped speaking to Netanyahu over Israeli settlements in the West Bank . I don't call that blind support. "Trump has recognised Jerusalem" : he's a reality TV star. He knows £uck all. Surely you are not going to quote him and say he represents US policy ? "Air base in Qatar", yes that's handy ; so is the one in Kuwait. But the Euphrates air-base completes the circle round Iran. Iran is an Islamofascist dictatorship with fanatical leaders and the savages in the Republican Guard. The US recognise them as a real threat.
    1
  15641. The Truth , allow me to summarise the things we agree on :- a) we want Turkey to be a prosperous democracy. I see Erdogan as a danger, you are giving him the benefit of the doubt. b) we condemn Iran for being an Islamofascist dictatorship, and Hezbollah for beating student protestors in Tehran and the Iranian Guard for arresting and raping students in Tehran https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8102358/Rape-in-Irans-prisons-the-cruellest-torture.html https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html c) we condemn Israel for building settlements in the West Bank and Yaser Arafat for looting $3 billion of Gulf oil money and Hamas and Fatah for corruption and beating journalists who investigate them. d) and finally we condemn Trump for his ignorance, narcissism, corruption and treasonous collusion with Russia.
    1
  15642. 1867 the dual monarchy Aust/Hungary Magyar rule determined policy That continues to this day : maintaining Magyar identity and power is key.
    1
  15643. South Africa's case began with a huge LIE "The only way to get aid to Palestinians is for Israel to stop fighting" Wrong : Hamas could stop fighting and release all hostages South Africa are pro-Hamas liars !
    1
  15644. Fidel, the $$$ manipulators would be the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates making investors pull out of emerging markets and buy dollar bonds. You can't have zero interest rates forever. The emerging markets should have factored that in. It's like taking on a mortgage at 0.5% ; you have to budget for the rates to go up in the next few years.
    1
  15645. Fear, Confidence and Civilisation. Russia is fearful of invasion, sanctions, and "being cancelled" by LGBT and modernization. By contrast, the Western civilisation is confident - it mocks itself. When the war started, Australians declared "Toxic masculinity comes to the rescue". The west sees its faults and allows criticism and humour. Putin jokes, in a phone call with Macron, about "raping" Ukraine. Russia has no humour and no tolerance : it is a civilisation of fear. Confidence indicates a thriving culture and fear signifies a culture which knows it is doomed.
    1
  15646. Why does the Left support Islamofascist Iran ? Why did the Left support fascist dictator Saddam Hussein ? An interesting book to read is Nick Cohen's "What's Left ?" It would be an epiphany for you morons that watch Democracy Now.
    1
  15647. Trump offered Palestinians "The Deal of the Century" they said NO 1948 the UN offered Palestinians 2 -states they said NO 2000 Bill Clinton offered 2-states they said NO After 75 years one wonders when will Palestinians say Yes
    1
  15648.  @xTruncz  Better late than never - if Germany is happy to tarnish itself in the history books. Personally I'd prefer to be British - immediately sending weapons.
    1
  15649. LOL Iran is keeping us laughing Iran has fired their shot and must now wait for the reply LOL
    1
  15650. Very pro-Hamas by France24 Biden & Blinken both said, "Hamas demands are unrealistic" But France24 blames Israel as being equally responsible Amazing !
    1
  15651. Great long-view analysis.
    1
  15652. Wrong - not hard line, but 78% of Israelis support radicalised Palestinians being moved out of Gaza In the UK 68% support the idea (the same number who approve of Trump)
    1
  15653.  @babblo1389  Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  15654. Well done Al Jazeera - they never say "Hamas" Because that is a dirty word Al Jazeera are the best at propaganda - never mention "Hamas"
    1
  15655. cleodontina, If African people had zero tolerance for corruption they would get rid of the ANC and ZANU. Unfortunately ' loyalty ' means they stick with the same party regardless of there corruption or incompetence.
    1
  15656. 'There is no such thing as a Hong Kong government ' But there is such a thing as a Chinese jackboot. And if you want a vision of the future picture that jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  15657. South Africa's case began with a huge LIE "The only way to get aid to Palestinians is for Israel to stop fighting" Wrong : Hamas could stop fighting and release all hostages South Africa are pro-Hamas liars !
    1
  15658.  TrueAryans  "buries 500+ iraqi soldiers alive " What on earth are you talking about ? You must stop reading whackjob conspiracy blogs. Stick to rational ideas and reality. (Or folk will think you are a nutjob)
    1
  15659. "Palestinian land" ? How did it become "Palestinian land" Till 1922 it was Ottoman land There has been a Caliphate and a Sultanate But there has NEVER been a Palestinian state 1948 war : Jordan seized the West Bank 1967 war : Israel evicted Jordan Israel needs the Golan and Jordan heights for security
    1
  15660. Mal, could you give us a really brief synopsis (of "The Cult of...")? If you haven't read Atlas Shrugged go to IMDB and watch the trailer it tells you evrything you need to know in 3mins
    1
  15661. Rest in peace, Ma'am.
    1
  15662.  @stephenhill545  "eventually emerge which wants to normalise relations with the world." It's a nice thought. However, read Svetlana Alexiovich : she records Russians in their own words, and won a Nobel Prize for it. Russia will certainly be at it again. Think of Solzhenitsyn, he spent 10yrs tortured in the Gulags, came out loving Mother Russia and became Putin's guru. Putin, a KGB man who sent folk to the Gulags. Only by studying Russians will you grow to never trust them.
    1
  15663.  @jamesneilsongrahamloveinth1301  There are definitely winners. Let me give you an example :- Russia lost 5 ships taking Snake Island, including their flagship (Moskva). They also lost helicopters, vehicles and dozens of soldiers. They were driven off using howitzers, Brimstones (air attack), Himars, MLRS and drones. A great success - many Orcs killed but no good guys died. That was a significant "incremental" victory. The Kremlin didn't go into hysterics, they said they'd left as "a goodwill gesture". Perfect, that's just what NATO hoped for. More progress like that, and the Orcs will be back in Russia where they can behave how they like - Gulags, serfdom, assassination, imprisonment, beatings and brainwashing. Let them terrorize their own people and leave the civilized world alone.
    1
  15664.  @republica843  Russia's invasion is the defining event of the 21st century. One cannot personalise that. It is a global historical event - like Stalinism or Maoism (which killed 30 and 60 million respectively) One cannot personalise Stalin's internecine genocide, it encompassed millions of tragedies. Russia must simply be defeated. This should be done so as not to precipitate an hysterical (nuclear) response from the Kremlin, and so as not to collapse Russia into anarchy. (Macron's warning not to humiliate Russia)
    1
  15665.  @chrisperrins8082  Mark Milley (US chief of staff) said, "Ukraine are employing very intelligent strategy". I would have called out "Yes you are" Gen Keane said, "The US is supplying Ukraine with exquisite intelligence" Two recent developments point to the coming strategy :- a) US is supplying "Anti-radar missiles" b) Ukrainians are being trained to fly F-15 and F-16 fighters Next year Ukraine will have air-superiority. Anti-radar missiles take out S-300 and S-400 Russian air defences. And the F-15/16s will patrol and attack at will.
    1
  15666. The Argentinians remind me of Russians : they are totally brainwashed. They only know schoolbook history. (Argentinian propaganda) The Falklands have never been populated by Argentinians. They have been legally British by occupation, settlement and treaty since 1765.
    1
  15667.  @jojodio9851  You know more about it than I do. I only know " The British, in 1765, were the first to settle West Falkland, but they were driven off in 1770 by the Spanish, who had bought out the French settlement about 1767." To my knowledge, the Argentinians have never lived on the Island. Also, imagine if the population were Argentinian, and imagine a British government wanted to take ownership, and imagine the British had a history of drunken savage military Juntas. Would you hand your population over to a country which may revert to a barbaric sadistic torturing Junta ?
    1
  15668.  @jojodio9851  Interesting. I remember a US historian saying, "In North America, towns had a sewage system but no opera house ; in South America towns had an opera house but no sewage system" It is a very perceptive observation. Latin-America was governed by the nobility for the nobility (and Church). Whereas N.America was governed by elected town councils. I only add that apropos American history. Also, Argentina's version of Tom Paine was Juan Alberdi : he famously said,"Let us be Catholic as our fathers were, as is proper for our race" Failure to see Catholicism as an authoritarian force, hand-in-glove with the nobility, was quite a failing on Alberdi's part. One couldn't imagine Tom Paine saying anything so crass.
    1
  15669. "Synergistic" = cooperation of two or more organizations
    1
  15670. .....and drove to Barnard Castle to test his eyes.
    1
  15671.  @edouardmontfort7816  Exactly the opposite :- As soon as any conflict begins, the Allies will blockade China (with submarines). It is hard to see what China can do in response. If China then invade Taiwan, the Allies will target China's infrastructure with cruise missiles : power stations, telecommunication hubs, transport hubs, ports, etc. Both strategies will cripple China. There is no strategy China can adapt to avoid getting a good hiding. China may have 10 million soldiers, but they can't march to Australia, the USA or Britain.
    1
  15672. Russian TV hosted a retired colonel, who said, "Don't send missiles to Finland's border, quite honestly that is amusing". Shortly afterwards, the Kremlin stopped its hysterical threats. Putin's threats are a strategy - he knows he can't overuse them. When Westerners make his threats for him, Putin is laughing in his hat.
    1
  15673. "Victory for Hamas" - an Arab plan, UN resolution backed by the USA LOL what a lot of nonsense Notice Marwan never mentions Israel Israel calls the shots - Biden has to back Israel or he loses the election !
    1
  15674.  @lennartgosman3640  Biden told Zelensky to stay in Kiev and "guard the house". Zelensky made a jackass of himself : the joke about his headphones being sabotaged by Russia, OMG : it wasn't funny and it was almost disinformation. One doesn't make jokes like that. I support Ukraine, but Zelensky should've stayed in Kiev. Also, earlier this month Zelensky had a bust up with Biden....... Zelensky urged his American counterpart to "calm down the messaging," Zelensky has some nerve.
    1
  15675.  @littleredhen3354  Yes, but 2 weeks ago Zelensky was saying "Stay calm and stop ruining our economy with scare stories". There was no reason for Zelensky to attend, Biden told him to stay in Kiev.
    1
  15676.  @lennartgosman3640  Apparently his speech went down really well in Ukraine, even opposition politicians applauded him. However, the Germans said, "He did himself no favours by demanding a date for entry to the EU".
    1
  15677. Iran talking about "terror groups" - the pot calling the kettle black
    1
  15678. Tariff man. He has the full support of the West. Everyone fears those rabid Ayatollahs developing nukes.
    1
  15679. Alexander Herzen : "One cannot make homes for free people using bricks from a prison" That means : Russian institutions (justice, security, education etc) which served Stalin's terror and the Gulag system, cannot create a liberal democracy. Russia is rotten to the core.
    1
  15680. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  15681. LOL the UN supports Hamas The UN has ordered unrestricted ARMS deliveries The UN wants weapons smuggled to Hamas
    1
  15682. 1860 Namik Kemal : Admired the British for :- "their indomitable power of public opinion against authority"
    1
  15683. Hamas support = Youth culture + one or two odd-bods + transgender + LGBTQ It's not going to get you far
    1
  15684. Also probably the most successful serial killers.
    1
  15685. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
    1
  15686. Do people still listen to Merkel ? She wrecked Germany and Europe
    1
  15687. Where is Pope Francis ? Living in luxury in Rome. He was very vocal in support of the Argentine drunken-Junta's invasion of the Falklands. Now he is suspiciously silent.
    1
  15688. I only came here to look at the comments : vacuous
    1
  15689. What nonsense. Firstly Mexico is a corrupt country BUT :- What do you expect them to do with Cartel gang members , they're not going to talk. They have money to hire the best corrupt Mexican lawyers. You torture a suspect and he tells you where the bodies are , so how did he know ? Because he's guilty. Then you torture the rest and they all tell the same story ; because they're all guilty. Trust the UN : the organisation that appoints dictators to human rights councils, the organisation which is utterly corrupt. The UN have officials who have been raping women on their staff and threatening to sack them if they complain. The UN should take a look at themselves.
    1
  15690. @ToniProductions , I'm afraid Wisconsin is now Biden's (10) and Nevada (6). Which means he only needs Michigan (16) to reach 270. “Show me a man that gets rich by being a politician, and I'll show you a crook.”
    1
  15691. @ToniProductions LOL
    1
  15692. 2:00 "We are determined to take Haftar's stronghold " That is how one speaks when one is on a victory roll. Haftar's mercenaries look as though they've given up the ghost.
    1
  15693.  @DgurlSunshine  Correct. But the odious gangsters in the Kremlin have been looting nature reserves to build luxury dachas.
    1
  15694.  Internet Research Agency  You sound as deluded as the fanatics in Hitler's bunker.
    1
  15695.  @jessepacheco6020  The $46 billion was approved by the Senate and Congress, almost unanimously. 10,000 rockets were sent for Himars and MLRS, when they are used another 10k will be sent. I don't think Russia can tolerate the attrition.
    1
  15696.  @stuartbeard966  I agree with you. That is the clever thing about the idea. Russia has to be given a way out. Zelensky said, "We will make Crimea a nature reserve" : that is Putin's way out. Macron, Scholz and Draghi presented a 4 pint peace plan many months ago :- a) It included - SEvastopol to be leased to Russia on a 99yr rolling contract. b) A Kyiv minister just said the Kerchen Bridge is a damage to "The Ecology" of Crimea. What an odd thing to say - unless it is the foundation for a peace plan ?
    1
  15697. Modi has found his moral compass.
    1
  15698. The protesters are brave. Because Iran are totally brutal Islamofascist thugs. They usually call in Hezbollah to torture & kill unarmed protesters. Hezbollah are Islamofascist thugs who will kill anyone who doesn't follow their ideology.
    1
  15699. Thank goodness. Russia's savage war has made the civilized world feel like vomiting. Modi is hoping for an end to his painful fence-sitting. He has been up on his insouciant perch for 3 weeks
    1
  15700. @Laika24102007 Everyone dislikes greed and corruption - worldwide. The difference is that in the Civilized world folk can do something about it : they can vote for a party that taxes the super-rich heavily. In the 1960s Labour's top tax rate was 90%. It didn't work ; the wealthy will always avoid tax and leave the country. Stalin killed 30 million citizens with relocation, starvation, collectivisation and Gulags. Unless you've read a book you will find it incomprehensible. Mao killed 60 million Chinese : peasants were tortured for holding back a small bag of rice, once again one would have to read a book to grasp it. Today, China has camps in Xinjiang, re-educating a million Uyghurs. Russian journalists are thrown from windows, politicians poisoned, imprisoned, assassinated and branded as terrorists. Any rational person can identify the Axis of Evil countries, and India has one foot in their camp.
    1
  15701. @Laika24102007 I agree, you are quite right. Nobody ever said the West was perfect. Consider the alternatives : despotism, tyranny, authoritarianism, religious fanaticism. There is no alternative to liberal democracy (at the moment). Imperialism :- when general Gordon conquered Sudan (1885) his first dispatch included plans for a college at Khartoum. To which Lord Salisbury (PM) replied, "A good idea, it will advance civilization" (I'm paraphrasing). Imperialism replaced barbaric (read about the Mad Mahdi's regime in Sudan, they make the Taliban look tame) cultures, with education and good governance. Don't be fooled into thinking Africa was an Idyll, each chief had a dozen wives and maybe 80 concubines, who he would sell as they got older and replace with teenage girls. In India, every treaty the British signed with a warlord included a clause to return Kashmiri slave girls. Young liberals have no idea what the world was like before western civilization arrived.
    1
  15702. Israel is at war with Hamas Gaza is a war zone Civilians have been told to flee the war zone They are repeatedly told to flee south The UN advise them to stay put, by defiantly stating that "Forced relocation is against international law" The UN is endangering lives
    1
  15703. Very biased reporting. Because Qatar are an undemocratic despotic state. A shame for Qatar to ruin the good name of Aljazeera by forcing their editorial will on an otherwise praiseworthy media-network.
    1
  15704. Spare a thought for Putin : he has cancer and is losing his mind. He knows failure means a cup of polonium tea. And statistically Russia are failing : "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" MOD
    1
  15705. Russian separatist thugs shot down MH17, with a BUK missile supplied by the Kremlin. I hope they are not planning on shooting any more civilians.
    1
  15706. 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" After Putin said, "This time I'm not bluffing" 21 Sep Stoltenberg : "France has shown its hand" (capitulated) So Germany has no shield - Macron is the weak link
    1
  15707. Under the Shah there was a parliament. There was opposition to the Shah from many groups : I'm calling those groups "democrats" for brevity and because that is what they were largely standing for. The Ayatollah, when he landed in Tehran from exile in Paris, was asked what he would do with them and he said, "I will kick their teeth in".
    1
  15708. Under the Shah there was a parliament. There was opposition to the Shah from many groups : I'm calling those groups "democrats" for brevity and because that is what they were largely standing for. The Ayatollah, when he landed in Tehran from exile in Paris, was asked what he would do with them and he said, "I will kick their teeth in".
    1
  15709. Thug, When he made the comment the Shah had been ovethrown. The question was what would the Ayatollah do with the people who had removed the Shah but who were NOT Ayatollah supporters. Ayatollah Khomeini said, "I will kick their teeth in". The Ayotallah's supporters then arrested all opposition parties tortured, raped and killed many. Why do you think there are no Iranian opposition parties ?
    1
  15710. Strawberry, you can support the Palestinian people without supporting Fatah, Hamas and Abbas, all of whom are undemocratic, authoritarian corrupt opportunists. By negotiating with (the above) you legitimise them. You negotiate with Fatah and increase Palestinian oppression. The best way to support palestine is insist Abbas stands down after extending his 4yr term to 12yrs illegally. Insist Fatah hand over the money they looted from the people. Insist dictator Abbas stands down.
    1
  15711. Latest News : the PNV (Basques) have turned against Rajoy . He's going, he's out (in disgrace) , good riddance.
    1
  15712. Don't count on him being convicted. His health will mean he doesn't get punished. And he won't have to pay anything back. The ANC are totally corrupt : S Africa is a one-party state.
    1
  15713. Russia is a barbaric, medieval country. The Orthodox Church never had a Reformation, and Russia never experienced the Enlightenment. They are a benighted people. They live on state propaganda, and queue for seconds. Solzhenitsyn did 10yrs in the Gulags and came out believing in Mother Russia more fanatically than a Kremlin fascist. Conscripts are brutalized, the military lacks all humanity and law, they are like Genghis Khan's hordes. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile Mongol"
    1
  15714. That guy is 100% Hamas Fire had been coming from that house Why would an "old man" be in a house with NO furniture ?
    1
  15715.  @scratchy996  I've given your comment a thumbs up (even if it is ill-informed on the facts) at least you have some fighting spirit.
    1
  15716.  @mkodyglobalsouthsoldier  Interesting. The Russian children are raised on propaganda. There used to be "Bravery lessons" teaching children to die for the Motherland. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  15717. It isn't going to be nuclear, just a "bloody business" (Boris Johnson)
    1
  15718. Wow this guy is cool....to say Iran's economy has just crashed he's displaying remarkable sang-froid. The Islamic dictatorship was powerful when it was executing 7000 Iranians per year but those days are long gone. Ayatollah Khomeini's psychopathy can only get you so far. The Persian people have had a belly-full of Islam and would like prosperity.
    1
  15719. Nick Holdsworth is one of the best analysts. Very good insights.
    1
  15720. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  15721. The first rockets were fired on Monday 10th May at 6:01 pm by Hamas. Israel had ignored the 6pm Hamas deadline to remove all forces from Al-Aqsa.
    1
  15722.  @DhanyShaf  I agree. But that is NOT an act of war. Hamas fired rockets at 6:01pm, that IS an act of war. What did Hamas think Israel would do in response ? World opinion has now shifted from the evictions to Hamas terror Jihadis. Every civilized country hates Hamas and Hezbollah : they are a disaster for the Palestinians.
    1
  15723. Bernie loves to talk........but he needs an editor, what he takes 10mins to say can be said artfully (by an Obama) in 2mins. Why waste 8mins. I had to FFW he is so boring.
    1
  15724. Lord Owen (UK intelligence committee) "Russians know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability"
    1
  15725. Public opinion is fickle : Eg, Islamists in Nigeria have just kidnapped schoolgirls to rape There will always be terrorist outrages and they will quickly take "Public opinion" away from Israel and against Islamism
    1
  15726. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was pro-Russian, and replied (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  15727. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  15728. Why not simply make him a despot for life. He will certainly get the backing of the African Union : the brotherhood of corrupt despots.
    1
  15729. This is a none story : consider "marriage" - the working class rejected it and the ruling class followed them Language - the ruling class have adopted the speech of the majority (Listen to the Queen over 50yrs) 1692 The Lord Mayor of London attended an event preceded by his Sword of Office bearer, he had entered a borough where his writ no longer ran, so the local apprentices pelted the sword bearer to lower his sword. There is no crisis (other than the perpetual crisis) Propaganda didn't produce Brexit 1865 Namik Kemal (Young Ottoman) admired the British for "Their indomitable power of public opinion against authority" 1782 George III wanted to trade Gibraltar in peace talks : the government told him it was impossible, "The people wouldn't stand for it" (cf Gordon riots 1780)
    1
  15730. Wow she is comparing Weinstein to her husband Bill Clinton. I am very surprised. I thought she supported Bill's rapes and sexual assaults. She was his enabler , why has she changed her mind ?
    1
  15731. I'll answer this.....and I haven't even watched it. NO. He'd be a mug if he did because the US is full of half-witted, creationists and he'd lose a huge chunk of audience. Oh yeah, even Democrats are bog-brained believers.
    1
  15732.  @hisservants8003  , Too true. It keeps flicking from absorbing carbon from the atmosphere to wildlife habitation. Leaving one to believe they have an agenda to ram down one's throat whether one like its or not.
    1
  15733. ​ @raverdeath100  , one feels the BBC are 'tuning the pulpit ' on this one. Why keep jumping between topics : wildlife, carbon ? Why not present all the facts on carbon and then we can judge whether carbon reduction outweighs loss of habitat. I'll tell you why :because the BBC will judge for you.
    1
  15734.  @raverdeath100  , imagine the equation is like this :- northern new-forest balances tropical jungle loss with 5% reduction in tropical habitat. You might think that's equitable given the economic needs of developing countries. But we don't know the equation because the BBC has judged for you. Your job it to soak up BBC propaganda not analyse data and decide for yourself.
    1
  15735. Hallelujah. Count me in.
    1
  15736.  @n.g.h.calmarena7013  , thanks for that comment. You're a man after my own heart : a stickler for grammar. Unfortunately you're (understandably) mistaken :- President Macron is very smart unlike Trump who doesn't think before he talks........(my comment edited) " .....who doesn't think before he tweets" You'll notice there was no question mark. I wasn't asking 'whom' ? I was editing , in a jocund way, the original comment. Having said that the distinction who-whom is dying out ; as with less and fewer. Even on the BBC presenters ignore it now.
    1
  15737.  @B.D.E.  AJP Taylor was scathing about German history. German liberals made a pact to sacrifice liberty for success. 1866 Prussian/Austria war 1870 Franco/Prussian war Then the industrial revolution of the 1870s saw German industry triumph. Germany conquered world markets using subsidisation to keep export prices low. Bismarck gave voting rights to workers, knowing peasants would vote conservative Junkers into office. Bismarck gave workers insurance. All these were ploys to keep real power in the hands of the Kaiser. In short : the Germans have never done the right thing.
    1
  15738. @Viva La Kekistan , Yorkshire, greetings. I suspect you're middle-eastern.
    1
  15739.  @Redbridge-  The Hamas video showed hostage girls covered in blood
    1
  15740.  @theshieldhero7062  King Hussein did NOT attend Raisi's funeral Jordan has arrested the King's half brother for an alleged coup That is backed by Hamas/Hebollah/Iran etc "Jordan's former Crown Prince Hamzah bin al-Hussein said in a video recording Saturday that he was under house arrest and had been told not to contact anyone. Hamzah issued the recording after the country's military had told him to halt actions used to target the country's "stability and security." Army chief Yousef Huneiti did not specify what such actions were and denied reports that Hamzah had been arrested.
    1
  15741. Reasons US did it :- a) to send a message to Moscow the US isn't messing around b) Russia will be revanchist for generations, and Germany will resume buying gas the minute Putin resigns - funding revanchist Russia. c) Nordstream was a bad idea from the start and needed destroying. d) It sends a message to Europe the US isn't messing around - with Russia threatening to go nuclear the last thing the US needs is a wobbly EU re-engaging with the Kremlin.
    1
  15742. LOL the rabid Ayatollahs have the worst of both worlds : they have to stick to the deal but are getting no 'real' investment. When Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran he was asked about the democrats, "I'll kick their teeth in ", he said. True to his word he executed 7000 in his first year.
    1
  15743.  @mesmariland  , try using Google and do some research : it's called history.
    1
  15744.  @sissy-_-fnyc  Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families" The US can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins : "a massive, massive superiority" No other nation on Earth has that power.
    1
  15745. If Russia goes nuclear it will happen within the next few weeks It makes no sense for Russia to wait until it only possesses Crimea Putin wants international mediation A deniable nuclear strike will freeze the conflict with Russian possessions secured
    1
  15746. Russian state TV :- “If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us". With allies like China and India, the Axis of Evil is looking good.
    1
  15747. Perhaps they are actually Democrats who just think "Hillary bad". Perhaps they are Bernie Sanders supporters who have now had it confirmed that Hillary is a corrupt liar and has been her whole life.
    1
  15748. Joe Sosa, what if they don't worship Trump but correctly believe Hillary Clinton is a corrupt liar and has been her whole life. What if they believe the DNC hasn't changed since it handed control to the Clinton Foundation and rigged the Primary for her. What if they are actually quite savvy and think : "As dumb as Trump is at least he is visibly hopeless , ill-informed and childish. At least his ineptitude allows us to see his ties with Russia and at least he is TRYING to do the best for America and become a great President". Perhaps some people still can't stomach the Clintons and think the DNC is still corrupt.
    1
  15749. Kano, that obscenity is puerile propaganda believed by nobody but yourself and propagated to your discredit.
    1
  15750. Labour claim they were responding to threats of terrorism That encourages terrorists to try something more Labour's message - "Terrorism works" Shame on Labour The Speaker must resign
    1
  15751. Germany has sabotaged the war effort in 3 ways :- a) Russia's invasion was the defining event of the 21st century , and Germany closed its airspace to weapon shipments b) Germany refused 3rd party permission to transfer German howitzers ( from Estonia) C) Germany refused to sell or send armaments
    1
  15752. Joe, you are quite right but the US has intangible (that you can't hold) assets that are worth trillion$ :- a) People want to live in the US (wealthy Asians & Chinese) b) The US is stable and secure. c) The US is huge , has every type of natural resource, is self-sufficient and has an educated, skilled, industrious workforce. I could go on but you get the picture. Compared to China or Russia the US exudes soft-power. What does that mean ? It means they don't harvest human organs or throw journalists out of windows.
    1
  15753. Well done India. Modi has found his moral compass at last.
    1
  15754. I hope the West wakes up soon to the Axis of Evil countries which threatened civilization.
    1
  15755. 1922 Ottoman collapse :- The Palestinians were shell-shocked Britain appointed them a Grad Mufti who looked to Damascus for leadership Palestinians had no notion of land ownership or statehood In the Caliphate the Sultan owned all land, he was "Our Lord on earth" C19th the West introduced land ownership (Tanzimat) so the Ottomans could pay their debts Palestinians were swindled by corrupt governors who bought most land for a pittance and sold it to Jews Palestinians had no notion of statehood they only knew the Caliphate 1988 Palestine declares itself a state That's how long it took for the penny to drop
    1
  15756. Good propaganda No wonder Al Jazeera gets banned
    1
  15757. Nuclear War : if push comes to shove. The US would be rebuilt by Europe (and many others), who would donate billions to rebuild it. Who would help China ? All China's neighbours fear and hate China. China would go back to the Third World.
    1
  15758. Spanish-America's problems date back centuries, right back to Spain. (I've made a video on this topic and intend to add part II) Spain was the fanatic of Europe , crippled by rank and faith. The Church (fantastically wealthy) and nobles paid no tax. The Church took charge of education and shut down independent intellectual movements. Juan Alberdi (Spanish-America's Tom Paine) said, "Let us be Catholic as our fathers were as is proper to our race" That is more an example of Nicholas Bernaud's (1577) voluntary servitude. Of course Juan Alberdi was educated by Jesuits and his radicalism couldn't see beyond his own intellectual shackles.
    1
  15759.  @exploreandunravel5773  I don't doubt you. But you are looking at a small picture. The big picture is the future of the 21st century. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians, look at the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  15760. One could deduct the Gulf money from the MEP's expenses Then when he's paid it off he can rejoin the rest of the crooks in the Euro-parliament.
    1
  15761. Hostages were hidden in hospitals (video evidence) Hospital staff worked hand in glove with Hamas
    1
  15762. 12:15 Jews buy land :- In the Ottoman empire all land belonged to the Sultan "Our Lord on earth" Europe forced the Tanzimat reforms on the Ottomans (1839-79) so they could pay their huge debts Palestinians didn't know what land ownership was, or what Deeds were They were swindled by Ottoman governors who transferred deeds to their relatives That why Palestinians had no title to their land : Caliphate legacy
    1
  15763. "NATO is bran-dead" said Macron (2019) France does not want NATO to dominate Europe. So when Russia invaded, Macron's immediate response was NOT weapons for Ukraine, but the resurrection of his vanity project : The European Defence Force. Who would the EDF be opposing : Russia, China or ISIS ? Wrong, none of those. The EDF would be opposing NATO : France has always disliked NATO. Macron then rushed to Moscow, after warning the world "We must not humiliate Russia" Why is France such a poor ally ? Why the backstabbing behaviour ? Well it goes back to the 1840 crisis, when France was humiliated, (or maybe earlier) In 1885 Lord Salisbury (PM) said, "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling"
    1
  15764. 1:30 that looked like "Badass Belorussian".
    1
  15765. Modi's foreign policy formula :- Cheap oil + Russian military junk = zero morality Turkey condemned Russia at the UN, and is hosting peace talks. Why can't Modi be a statesman like Erdoğan ?
    1
  15766. Classic totalitarianism : carrot & stick. You arrest the most active protestors & torture or kill them, poison or assassinate them, throw journalists from windows and kill others in 'robberies'. Then you improve the social conditions for the majority to divert their attention from the Gangsters in the Kremlin who are robbing the country blind.
    1
  15767. Jorge, allow me to elaborate those points for the benefit of less well informed viewers. a) Guantanamo : is taking the most disruptive elements (terrorists) b) Iraq invasion was a cash machine for corruption c) The Federal Reserve issues 'fiat money' , it simply prints money by decree. d) Ponzi : the whole dollar economy has keep getting fed or it collapses. Like China who keep pumping debt into their inflated economy which is built on sand.
    1
  15768. "How far will the Kremlin go ?" How many missiles have they got left ?
    1
  15769.  @rubengonzalez620  MoD "Russia has a dwindling stockpile of modern weapons" Putin is using S-300 air missiles for ground attack. Russia has shot its bolt. Ukraine's advance is inexorable. At Lyman Russia was prepared, it had fantastic defences and top class troops. Ukraine encircled it then captured it. Putin has no cards left to play.
    1
  15770. "Instigators" ? The instigators are ANC, those arresting them are ANC. It is an ANC tiff. The ANC have ruined South Africa.
    1
  15771. Great News. Meanwhile Modi is trying to emulate Russia and turn India into a Hindu dystopia. Gangs of young Hindu males can be seen shouting at Muslim girls wearing Hijab. It reminds everyone of the fascist Russian thugs. Well done Modi - taking India down the Russian road to dystopia.
    1
  15772. Another African success story.
    1
  15773. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  15774. 125 yr old ? According to legend. He is probably about 79.
    1
  15775. China & Russia support the generals and veto UN condemnation. The Axis of Evil.
    1
  15776. Shameless.......that's the African Union. They have been a corrupt disgrace from day one. Thieves like Zuma, dictators like Mugabe (Zanu) ......coupled to incompetence and stupidity ........the ANC Health Minister saying garlic & honey cures AIDS.... the AU makes Western leaders despair.
    1
  15777. Farage parrots Putin Putin threatened war - Farage repeated it Now Farage claims "Foresight" (effing traitor)
    1
  15778. Biden : "I'm reluctant to respond to anything Putin says. I found it interesting that he was ready to bomb hospitals, nurseries, and churches on the 25th and New Year's Eve".
    1
  15779.  @BothHands1  , that's a fair suggestion but let's consider what it would require :- a) the Saudis get an Iranian boat and dress mercenaries in Iranian uniforms. b) Attack the tankers c) remove a mine and then take drive the boat to Iran ! How do they get away with that ? The Iranians acknowledge their boat removed a mine but won't let anyone see the mine or photograph it.. Your suggestion is simply highly improbable.
    1
  15780.  @BothHands1  , It didn't HAVE to dock in Iran but it was tracked on radar returning there. Which would be strange if it were a mercenary false flag. I can't find a source that Iran acknowledged they removed 'a mine' ; it's possible I extrapolated that information from Iran's declaration that it would close the Straits, from the colour photo of Iranian revolutionary Guard removing the mine and from the fact that only Iran stand to gain. (The US are winning hands down and don't want anything resembling a conflict. Iran's economy is in free-fall).
    1
  15781. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ". The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " They dodged the question and left civilized folk to form their own opinions.
    1
  15782. China is a totalitarian corrupt one-party state. It has built internment camps for 1 million people in Xinjiang and had only recently stopped the practice of harvesting human organs from prisoners. The West should unite against China.
    1
  15783. Nonsense ! Russia sticks POWs on a coach, or in a cattle truck They never charter a plane, not even for their own elite troops Kremlin LIES
    1
  15784. Great analysis And congratulations for another successful liberation.
    1
  15785. Of course they will change the backstop. A hard border is desired by neither London, Dublin nor Brussels. So what if 200million euros id filched in border crossing ; the EU gives Ireland 1.2 billion euros so just make it 1billion. Mark my word this is nonsense. Sir Ivan Rogers said this is a good deal for the EU. They will not sit and watch a hard Brexit when they've negotiated a good deal for the EU. The EU will "cave" at the 11th hour. (Of course it's only a faux cave because they have just what they want).
    1
  15786. 2,389 children have been 'abducted' by Russia in forced deportations from occupied regions, claims Ukraine. In Spain Franco's fascists would take children from Socialist families and hand them over to Loyalist families looking to adopt. In Russia there are no state institutions to investigate : the police are thugs who arrest and sexually abuse women protestors, and all other institutions are simply tentacles of the Kremlin. Everything in Russia leads back to the Lubyanka torture camp of the FSB
    1
  15787.  @Sabundy  "West will happily look the other way on almost any issue" You are thinking about Morsi in Egypt. Yes the WEst did turn a blind eye to the coup by el Sisi, .....why ? Because he was an Islamist fanatic, eg :- a) he appointed as governor of Luxor the leader of the group responsible for the Luxor massacre. b) Coptic Christians murdered : the numbers sky-rocketed. Look at the statistics.
    1
  15788. Rosa Luxemburg (d. 1919), murdered by the German state, which didn't have the courage to put her on trial : that's just one example of Germany lacking courage. Twice they lacked the courage to resist despots : Wilhelm II (1914) and Big H (1939) Don't look to Germany for courage in opposing Russian atrocities in Ukraine. NATO, the EU and the Allies will have to cajole Germany into doing the right thing.
    1
  15789. Ron, the FBI did it immediately with Clarence Thomas over the Anita Hill accusation. Of course the FBI do this. Have you been listening to Trump ? Surely you realise by now that he knows sweet FA. You must know Trump is a moron........unless you're one too.
    1
  15790. Joel, that was good of you : all that information for the benefit of Ron. But you could have saved your time Ron is as thick as two short planks.
    1
  15791. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  15792. Russia said it would NOT invade Russia said it did NOT commit atrocities in Bucha The Pope called Russia's invasion "infantile" Russian lies are infantile.
    1
  15793.  @jsledge8557  Partition ? Never. Boris said, "Russia must fail, and must be seen to fail" Biden, when asked about Ukraine surrendering territory said, "That is their decision, but I wouldn't" Zelensky said, "Not one inch of Ukraine will be surrendered without a referendum" Russia will become a puppet of China, they are finished.
    1
  15794. Zelensky looks more at ease meeting Boris. That is because Ursula von der Leyden deports herself like a countess. She is a courteous countess, but Boris's bumbling bonhomie is simply indomitable. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin joked about 'raping' Ukraine in a telephone call with Macron. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  15795. I didn't know it had a wee engine.
    1
  15796. Why didn't Bernie say the same about Hillary ? There is no pint being nice. Nice guys never win.
    1
  15797. The US proposed a ceasefire which also criticized Hamas "rapes" The Muslim countries refused to vote for it
    1
  15798. It is written ........ it is the will of Allah.
    1
  15799. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  15800. China will always lose because the US have the 'blockade' card to play. It will almost certainly not happen. But the very last stop on this trade-war journey, the terminus, is blockade.
    1
  15801. A Russian "referendum" is a chimps' tea-party. Catherine II publicised her Commission (1767) for European approval, which ambassador Spalding described as a "sham" She also created 400,000 serfs for her lovers. Russia has always aped Europe and made a mockery of civilised values.
    1
  15802. A special jail-cell ? Has it got a cash-machine in it so he can access his loot ?
    1
  15803. Trump is an awful human being.
    1
  15804. Turkey has a "secret" embargo imposed upon it. Secret, because hardly anyone mentions it. But that is the reason for Erdoğan's position - he is chasing a cherry.
    1
  15805.  @tobiaslundqvist.71  Correct. I didn't know about the Swedish angle, I thought it was primarily USA.
    1
  15806.  @bruhbruh2290  Correct. Historically, Islamic countries are intolerant when weak : Ottoman massacres of Armenians 1892-97, the Armenian Genocide 1917, the Greek Massacres 1820s. Whereas when the Islamic countries are strong they welcome others : Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror (1453 Constantinople) welcomed Greeks, Jews, Europeans etc Saladin (1187 captured Jerusalem, allowed anyone to enter). Islamic countries today are weak and feel humiliated by the West, hence they are very intolerant. Which makes the West despise them even more, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
    1
  15807. LOL the port manager is a PATSY. He can't move 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate without the permission of Hezbollah. Hezbollah control the port but never take responsibility for anything, including their numerous assassinations. Hezbollah are anti-democratic fascists. They are the ruin of Lebanon.
    1
  15808. WRONG ! Not "crash", you mean hard landing LOL
    1
  15809. Falling support ? How about some numbers. There was an independent polling organisation not controlled by the Moscow mafia ; it was allowed to operate because it was useful for the corrupt elite to have genuine figures. Russia closed it down about 2.5yrs ago. So I'm not sure where you stats are from , although they sound entirely plausible.
    1
  15810.  @finnfigure  Even the UK get their nuclear power stations built by France and Iran are hand-in-glove with France so why not let France build your reactor ? Why all the centrifuges ? Why process weapons grade Uranium ? I think you are trying to pull the wool over our eyes with all that "religiously illegal nonsense" : Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran in 1979 and was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied "I'll kick their teeth in ", is that religiously legal ? Khomeini then executed 7000 Iranians in his first year : they were Socialists, Trade-Unionists, Secularists, democrats and Feminists : was that religiously legal ?
    1
  15811. Ukraine counter-offensive begins in July. Mid-August will be the turning point (Major General Kyrylo Budanov ) Kherson and izyum (one would imagine) will be the first to fall. Putin (one would imagine) will fall shortly after that.
    1
  15812. He's the Elon Musk of of research, development,vision and chutzpa.
    1
  15813. Andrea Loathsome.
    1
  15814. Who can you trust when 2 liars give evidence ? I'm reminded of Loretta Lynch (attorney general) and Bill Clinton meeting on a plane, dismissing all staff and security and then talking in secret about "golf and grand-children". Who can you believe ?
    1
  15815. Russia has lost. This is all over, the ceasefire has been negotiated and will soon be signed. These are all Putin's Parthian shots. The irony is that Russia must pay reparations for all the damge.
    1
  15816.  @vladimirhome8051  State-controlled Russian news agency RIA has reported. Leonid Slutsky added the delegations could soon reach draft agreements. Mr Slutsky said: "According to my personal expectations, this progress may grow in the coming days into a joint position of both delegations, into documents for signing."
    1
  15817. Well done France 24 he owes it all to you. From now until the election, you will not hear a bad story about Macron on France 24. France 24 is worse than RT for propaganda.
    1
  15818. 1:00 surely when he asks about recent developments he's talking about the Saudi blockade ? I'll answer that for you : it will go on until there is a change in Presidency in the USA.
    1
  15819.  @dirkdupont5004  "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" After Fashoda (1898), the garrison trekked over dessert to avoid using the 'British' Nile. But it also applies to Macron - the hysteria over AUKUS, and France's inability to be a team player.
    1
  15820.  @dirkdupont5004  Guizot (1830) "Opposition becomes insurrection, and insurrection revolution" Commenting on France's inability to display equanimity. Every event becomes a crisis. Macron cannot keep a cool head, he thinks a nuclear exchange is inevitable.
    1
  15821.  @dirkdupont5004  Good reply, I enjoyed that. The first quote was Lord Salisbury - British PM 1885 - 1902 (with a slight interruption)
    1
  15822.  @sergeymelnik1689  NATO strategy : for Ukraine to win incrementally, is a complete success :- a) Battle of Kyiv - victory b) Battle of Kharkiv - victory c) Sinking flagship Moskva - victory d) Snake Island - victory e) Russian fleet withdrawn from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk Russia. NATO wants Ukraine to win 'gradually', to avoid Kremlin hysteria.
    1
  15823. Magic. Please supply anti-ship missiles to Ukraine (Exocets preferably) Destroy Russia's Black Sea fleet and Putin's fascist rule will end.
    1
  15824.  @prabhuraaj101  Medvedev's predictions for 2023 made everyone laugh : Russia is living in a fantasy world. Hitler was the same. When Roosevelt died (April 1945) Hitler thought the Allies would now offer him a Peace deal. Fascist dictators live in fantasy land.
    1
  15825.  @prabhuraaj101  Putin had a plan - a Victory parade in Kyiv on March 2 28 Feb 2022 Andrei Fedorov : "the next few days are key in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin’s initial order was to “complete the military operation with a victory by March 2”
    1
  15826.  @prabhuraaj101  watch at 20mins "Can you think of one single benefit this war has brought to Russia ?" "At this moment no, I don't see any benefits myself" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h19HFztTScQ&t=1231s
    1
  15827. Erdoğan blocking Finland and Sweden is a good joke. No way could that happen, and everyone knows it. The old curmudgeon is looking for a cherry.
    1
  15828. Let the UN dig a hole for themselves - by declaring UNRWA innocent Then Israel will present evidence BOOM, the UN is tarred with the same terrorist brush
    1
  15829.  @karimlol9072  , I'm sorry : the military was always corrupt . Nasser purged it in 1952, then it slowly went back to corruption. The military has always been hand-in-glove with the ruling dictator.
    1
  15830. This tanker is irrelevant. Iran's economy is crashing : inflation 50% and GDP down -6% Iran are sinking fast and this tanker seizure is an act of desperation.
    1
  15831. Iran is being played. The West is calling the shots : seizing Grace 1 , so Iran have to retaliate. Consequence : the agenda has the release of Britain's tanker at the top. Nobody is talking abut the US leaving the nuclear deal, nobody is talking about the EU mechanism to avoid sanctions. The West is dictating the agenda. Iran is being played ( and sinking fast).
    1
  15832. Wrong ! "What does Hezbollah want ?" They want to be as powerful as possible in Lebanon They support Hamas simply as a face-saver : they don't exist to support Hamas They will NOT be the whipping boys for Iran Iran has to respond itself - the proxies are saying, "Iran should've responded sooner"
    1
  15833. Just one question :- a) Do you believe she invested in Cattle Futures in Arkansas and made $100,000 If you do then you're a moron and I can't help you. If you don't then she's been corrupt for 25yrs.
    1
  15834. Too little too late. The Jordanian people want democracy and accountability. They want an dependent judiciary and an independent police force. They want a military that is subject to the constitution and can'r be used against the people to support a dictator.
    1
  15835. 1780 Gordon Rights : John Bull and his thugs certainly intimidated politicians The Englanders duffed up members of the House of Lords, who had to flee for their lives Lord Mansfield's house in Bloomsbury Square was burnt to the ground John Bull and his Englanders rioted for 7 days They army had to quell the patriotic rioters Ironic (PS Lord Mansfield refused compensation for his house) Why ? Because he was a man of principle and was prepared to be a martyr for Justice
    1
  15836. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug, he has the morality of a gangster.
    1
  15837. Jeremy Corbyn believes the CIA shot down MH17 and assassinated Boris Nemtsov. Corbyn thinks the Gazprom billions were just sitting in Putin's offshore account for safe keeping. He thinks Russian journalists throw themselves out of windows and that Litvenenko put Polonium in his own tea. That the Ukrainian and Montenegrin politicians poisoned themselves and Russian anti-corruption campaigners torture themselves to death in prison.. Corbyn has been simple-minded for decades.
    1
  15838. Dog, obviously I'm using exaggeration to emphasis Corbyn's stupidity. Corbyn was told that France have evidence Syria launched the gas attack and that UK intelligence have evidence but he doesn't believe Western sources : Corbyn prefers to read propaganda from the Kremlin. Imagine a British politician, of whatever party, siding with the Kremlin and casting doubt on NATO sources. Corbyn is an effing disgrace. Dianne Abbott was aked ,"Who is the bigger threat to world peace , Russia or the US ?" And she couldn't answer. What an effing disgrace.
    1
  15839. barrieboy, it isn't lying......it is exaggerating for effect.....it's rhetorical. I'm lumping Corbyn in with conspiracy whack-jobs to show that he really is quite close to them. It's only a small step from dismissing French ,US and UK intelligence in favour of a statement from the Kremlin, it's only a small step from that to being a total loony.
    1
  15840. @ConfusedGoshawk-qm7rd What is Ramanda ?
    1
  15841.  @DADA_._  , there was much trouble amongst the Ottomans regarding sects. The janissaries were Baktashi Sufis The fundamentalists Kadizadelis condemned all religious innovation 'Bidah'. It was the cause of much internal discord. In essence the religious factions were fiddling as Rome burned. Nothing much has changed. If one looks at the Middle east today.
    1
  15842. 0.38 look how Rocketman sits. He looks ridiculous in that suit. He walks like a fat slob and sits like a man with giant gonads.
    1
  15843. Macron said, "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" AUKUS is a fighting alliance. Any group which includes France (and India) will never actually get stuck in. Both nations have a history of disappointing performance.
    1
  15844. 9:00 Good interview;she hammers him on CHina providing weapons to Russia and repeatedly asks "Why ?" He dodges the question The fact is China wouldn't touch Russia with a barge-pole Russia has lost : Putin knew that when he met Naftali Bennett (5 March)
    1
  15845. xMoggey  , what is there in Islam to "not understand" ? Islam is a failure. Point to one functioning democracy in a Muslim country. Correct there aren't any. Now ask yourself why : I'll tell you, it's because Islam is totalitarian, bigoted and cruel. The followers buy into the Islamofascism and take strength from it. Oh yes, it's a great feeling to be part of a fascist movement (look at history). Unfortunately it stagnates , it bears no fruits, it produces no innovation or independence of thought ; it stifles debate. In a word it stinks.
    1
  15846.  @AstroGremlinAmerican  In a phone call with Macron, Putin joked about "raping" Ukraine. The Kremlin also described Ukrainians as "Nazi scum" which gave the green light for the Bucha atrocities.
    1
  15847. Indian cricketers will receive a harsh reception in England and Australia. The Commonwealth has a low opinion of collaborators.
    1
  15848. "Revolutionary Guard obtained the appropriate documents" Gosh, look at the Hezbollah thugs judicially applying the law. LOL The RGC are an imperium in imperio (state within a state) they filch billions from the Iranian GDP and act independently. Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs : that was the RGC. 100% murderous fascist thugs.
    1
  15849.  @kanchanjha3003  "did their vote against Russia stopped the war ?" Of course not : Russia is hell-bent on expansionism. China & India are the contemptible nations who are supporting Russia by abstaining from condemnation. And by abstaining from joining sanctions. And abstaining from moral condemnation. India must live with the shame. It is held in contempt by the civilized world.
    1
  15850. "An armed instarection" ??? And Biden is worse. What is America coming to ? Trump's first Secretary of State said Trump was "An effing moron". The next president will be demented and Pelosi is only firing on one cylinder. Well done the Yanks.
    1
  15851. Lindsay Graham's red-faced rant summed it up : you have a ruddy-cheeked boozer who some say is a liar. I mean what about his $200,000 debt which vanished over one year mysteriously and Kavanaugh says "I was buying baseball tickets for me mates". Okay the guy is dodgy and a bit of a liar and boozer and he's as partisan as £uck but who's to say he won't be a good judge ?
    1
  15852. China (The Axis of Evil) supporting despotism and destroying democracy.
    1
  15853. @human being LOL Bots and trolls can't concoct humour like this. One needs a certain je ne sais quoi.
    1
  15854. Doping and cheating is the host's prerogative.
    1
  15855. How much does Max get wrong :- a)"You can see it (the effects of printing money) in your purchasing power, inflation" But inflation is under control. Look at the 1970s inflation at 13% for a long time. All economies are run with inflation targets. b) "It has never happened in history" (that wealth is separated from state control) Well gold, silver, diamonds, silk, they weren't fiat currency. c) "Housing has gone up incredibly" yes, but that happened before bitcoin as well. There have always been housing bubbles based on supply and demand. I like max but there are two things to consider : a) he has a big stake in bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) b) he works for RT (the biggest propaganda channel)
    1
  15856. @Stacy Lynn Sutherland , all the early Presidents were slave owners. Jefferson had children with his female slaves. I just find US hypocrisy unpalatable. And the sight of a President pardoning a turkey reminds me of the lynching parties the Yanks used to enjoy.
    1
  15857.  @wenchai5923  , Trump should pardon one turkey and lynch the other. That would be a fitting parody to the Yanks grotesque hypocrisy.
    1
  15858.  Jewhis [I want my] Suprimecy [4skin back]  , Gore Vidal coined a nice expression for U.S. hypocrisy and propaganda : he referred to it as "The United States of Amnesia".
    1
  15859.  Jewhis [I want my] Suprimecy [4skin back]  , The C16th and C17th were the centuries of witch burning : folk believed in witchcraft. In the C18th and C19th centuries they believed in slavery. In the C20th and C21st century they believed in cruelty to animals. That is how our epoch will be judged. All you morons are on the wrong side of history be too dumb and indoctrinated to realise it.
    1
  15860.  Jewhis [I want my] Suprimecy [4skin back]  LOL Tibet has never been free. Under the Dali lama there was no education or health care : peasants were forced to pay tax to the monasteries and beaten by monks if they didn't. There is little freedom under theocracy.
    1
  15861.  @ChordsBoy  , I don't even know what that means.
    1
  15862. Count, you don't understand the situation. Turkey have been DENIED air-space over AFRIN. That means they CANNOT go in. The invasion is OFF, and Erdogan must eat humble pie.
    1
  15863. Trump doesn't need to : he said "There isn't going to be another war" Why ? Because the "engine move" for Russia is to get right out of Ukraine In 10 years all wars will be fought by intelligent machines The race is half run and Russia hasn't even got itself into the blocks
    1
  15864. 2:55 Where do you buy tickets for that rally : they're having a great time. But seriously, let's hope Iran's murderous regime collapses soon and the Persian people can be free. Free to live peaceful lives without rabid Ayatollah's and their fascism.
    1
  15865.  @angelene990  , The Shah of Iran was overthrown by the people of Iran : socialists, trade-unionists, democrats, secularists etc The Ayatollah was in Paris. When the Ayatollah landed in Tehran (1979) he was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied, "I'll Kick their teeth in ". He executed 7000 in his first year. So I think it's safe to say the Ayatollah's murderous regime are the killers.
    1
  15866. These allegations would have much more credibility if the CLINTONS hadn't been utterly corrupt Democrats. Why did the DNC turn a blind eye to the CLINTONS ?
    1
  15867.  @memr5690  Actually I didn't mind when it was Turkey shooting down Russian planes : the truth is Russia represents a threat to humanity. I really don't care who beats Russia. I would be happy for China to invade Siberia. Russia is a dystopia that needs crushing.
    1
  15868.  @jerrynaga5917  Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  15869. Al Jazeera employs Hamas fighters :- IDF revealed a trove of images and documents it said prove that another Al Jazeera reporter, Mohamed Washah, was a commander in Hamas's military wing
    1
  15870. North Korea is a creation of China. China like to use North Korea as an attack dog. It is a Chinese cultural gift to the world : a psychopathic, deranged despot.
    1
  15871. The terrible truth is that Russian people already know their army is responsible - they simply don't care. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  15872. There are 2 camps :- a) For resolute defence of democracy : Biden, Boris, Trudeau, Von Der Leyden and Charles Michel (which is victory for Ukraine) b) For capitulation : Macron Schulz and Draghi propose peace (which is victory for Russia)
    1
  15873. @Hagrid Yes (LOL) here is your history lesson. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
    1
  15874. India is passing this off as charity LOL The fact is Modi had a wheat mountain - which he why he wanted to reduce the Punjab farmers state allowance. The Ukraine crisis has enabled Modi to get rid of his mountain, and Punjab can continue producing unwanted wheat because suddenly there is a market. Modi isn't fooling me (or anyone in the know)
    1
  15875. 14 Palestinian policemen burst into the home of a Palestinian and beat him to death. Why ? He had criticised the Palestinian leadership.
    1
  15876. If the corrupt Myanmar generals can't get dollars they can always get Yuan (China) The Axis of Evil will come to the rescue of any despots.
    1
  15877.  @agent3268  " What about India in 1855, mister?" Good question, I'm not sure. But I can give you two facts to consider :- a) 1874 was the start of the British Raj and the end of the East India Co. The Company boasted it had handed over "The finest civil and military administration the world has ever seen" It only ever controlled 55% of India, and prided itself on just administration, which was the basis for the democratic India of today. b) Governor of India Warren Hastings was accused of violence and corruption and impeached on his return to Britain : the case dragged on for 8yrs and left him penniless. Many British parliamentarians supported Indian independence. In fact it was Freemasonry - exported from Scotland with the army, which laid the foundation for the Indian Congress party.
    1
  15878. I can't watch this video : that bearded Chechen is repulsive. He is beyond comedy and not worth hating : he is a zero, a cipher.
    1
  15879. Russia has committed atrocities in every war, going back centuries. "The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a brave lad" Thus spoke general Suvorov responsible for massacres at (1794) Prague and Ismail (1790) The Russians were ruled by Genghis Khan's Mongols fro 250yrs till 1487. They have been Asiatic Autocrats ever since. Karl Marx described them as "The immobile mongol" One can only expect barbarism and inhumanity from the Russians.
    1
  15880. .......and the Ayatollah hanged them 6 at a time off a forklift.
    1
  15881.  @jkashmir4519  , I'm referring to the 7000 executions of Iranian opposition activists by Ayatollah Khomeini. He executed them off forklift trucks (to save time) They were hanged 6 at a time. It must have been a grim queue waiting to be loaded on to a forklift. What a way to go........like simply stacking pallets. It takes a religious man to dream up that method.
    1
  15882.  @jkashmir4519  , no, but it makes supporting a ruthless, totalitarian, murderous, Islamic state questionable.
    1
  15883. What a refreshingly informed presentation. You might guess I've just come here from Jimmy Dore.
    1
  15884. LOL China harvest human organs from prisoners. What did you expect them to do to animals. You are living in dreamland if you think China is going to treat animals with dignity.
    1
  15885. Watch Putin's legs : thy are twitching with delight whenever he gets the attention of a Western leader. Russia don't hate the West, they are simply envious of Ukraine joining the EU and NATO. The Kremlin want to kick us in the street and kiss us in the cupboard.
    1
  15886. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  15887. Ukraine refused a request by the German President to visit Kyiv, why ? Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  15888.  @1waypastcool  Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days.
    1
  15889.  @1waypastcool  Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. The Orthodox Church opposed Emancipation for decades because they were the biggest serf owners. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalin's internecine genocide was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  15890. ​ @1waypastcool One Russian noble wrote a book exposing the abuse of serf-girls Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow), he was exiled to Siberia. Girls were advertised as "having a pretty face and attractive figure". The Russian nobles were no better than ISIS with Yazidi girls. The KGB, in an internal memo, referred to themselves as "the new nobility" It gives us a significant insight into their mentality. Stalin's intelligence chief, 'Beria', was a serial rapist : the KGB would arrest any woman he ordered them to. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine.
    1
  15891.  @1waypastcool  Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  15892.  @1waypastcool  Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights said she had recorded horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops in Bucha and elsewhere, including a case in which women and girls were kept in a basement for 25 days, the New York Times reported. Nine of those victims are now pregnant, according to the ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova.
    1
  15893.  @iszaLe  Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
    1
  15894. Eat your heart out India ! If only Modi had as much courage Ursula fires a salvo at China, just before she and Macron go for a visit She promised Xi "Frank dialogue" Modi would wake up sweating if he even dreamt about that
    1
  15895. Zoom out. This isn't about Republicans, this is about RELIGION period. All religious people are fascist . The garden-party-Christians just don't realise it because they let their natural humanist values rule their beiefs. Likewise for half-hearted-cultural-family Muslims : they're not interested in Islam's fascist dogma they just let their natural humanist values do the talking. Zoom out Pakman and you will see this hypocrisy applies to RELIGION in general.
    1
  15896. Most nice religious folk you meet are actually humanists : genuine religious people who follow the dogma of their faith are unbearable fascists. Jesus believed in all the dogma of Judaism and advocated that for his followers. It was St Paul who diluted that position to include Gentiles. The main point is : if you believe in some spurious dogma and force that on others that is fascism.
    1
  15897. 14 Palestinian police beat a man to death on CCTV they have all been released. Why does nobody investigate that ? Nizar Banat was his name, they killed him for criticising Fatah corruption.
    1
  15898. Very in-depth analysis : I've subscribed !
    1
  15899. "More than half the presidents of the Indian National Congress between 1885 and 1906 were actually Freemasons" The foundations of the Indian National Congress were based on the fraternal brotherhood of Freemasonry, not Hinduism. If Modi had been invited to join a Lodge, India wouldn't be sliding backwards.
    1
  15900. Lord Owen "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability"
    1
  15901. I don't like Sarkozy but he's turning this into a real thruppeny opera and I applaud him for that.
    1
  15902. China = Axis of Evil
    1
  15903. Versace, there might be truth in what you say but $370,000 is hardly insignificant even to an idiot like Ronaldo. As to how serious the charge is , well, let's just say his sponsors are running a mile. They're queuing up to cancel their sponsorship deals. When Ronaldo posted that Tweet calling it "Fake news" it must have been just about the worst PR move he could have made.
    1
  15904. Versace, again you could be right......but I suppose corroborating witnesses would make the case. If someone saw her distressed, like the local Police when she reported the case. Or people at the party or in the hotel. I'm no expert but I think Ronaldo is in a lot of trouble. That podcast he did, with the drooping eye-lids saying, "It's fake news", is exactly how not to deal with it.
    1
  15905. Hamas, founded in 1987, is the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt hates Hamas. Israel saved the King of Jordan in 1971 as the PLO/Fatah tried to oust the Royal family. Jordan also hates Hamas. Fatah hates Hamas. Why do the Palestinians support Hamas ? Answer : Education. The caliphate banned printing in 1515, and when the Ottomans collapsed in the 1920s Palestine was 95% illiterate. It wasn't until the western educated PLO (Arafat) in the 1960s that the idea of nationalism took hold. This is shockingly late in the day. Compare America : in 1640 the settlers decreed every 50 man colony had to have a teacher, so children could read and write. In 1775 America was overwhelmingly literate. Almost everyone knew what a constitution was.
    1
  15906. Propaganda ! That lady says to the camera "I hit the policeman on the head to attract his attention" Al Jazeera NEVER show this She admits hitting a cop on the head
    1
  15907. Jeff, you don't have to go spying around penitentiaries to discover the grizzly secret : simply phone a hospital and ask for an organ transplant. They will book you straight in. How ? Well they get organs to match yours on demand. How ? Well how do you think you numbskull. Where do you think you can get organs on demand ?
    1
  15908. Jeff, China have admitted harvesting organs from Falun Gong prisdoners but say they've stopped. You say they never did it, they say they did and if you go to any hospital they book you straight in , leading one to believe they still do. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_harvesting_from_Falun_Gong_practitioners_in_China
    1
  15909. Islamist extremism - it's speels doom for Palestinins
    1
  15910. Ukrainian soldiers : fighting to defend democratic civilization. Russian Asiatic Autocracy has invaded Europe many times since the Vienna Congress (1815) a) Sweden 1809 b) Hungary 1849 c) Moldova 1853 d) Turkey 1855 e) Germany 1914 f) Poland 1921 g) Hungary 1956 h) Czechoslovakia 1968
    1
  15911. UN double standards - their staff participated in the 7 Oct massacre That is double standards Stop funding the UN, stop funding terrorists, murderers and rapists
    1
  15912. Guterres : "This is an evil war" The Kremlin thugs have unleashed the barbaric Russian army, destroyed cities, tortured civilians, raped women, murdered and mutilated thousands. The Orthodox Patriarch, Rolex-watch-wearing Kiril has called it a holy war, and he is the most ungodly man in Russia : a KGB informer exposed by Glasnost files in 1990, who informed on his fellow clerics and parishioners. Russia is a dystopia : rotten to the core.
    1
  15913. Agent Provocateur. The Tsar used them in Russia, the USSR used them in Eastern Europe, The Habsburgs used them in their dominions......... it is a well established strategy. Who can forget the FSB's "bag of rice" that took an expert 2hrs to defuse.
    1
  15914. Mugabe has the goods on everyone : the Judge is corrupt , the accusers are corrupt and Mugabe has all the details. Everyone is tainted and nobody wants it to come out. The Impeachment will have to be held in Camera.
    1
  15915. India is in for a shock. The US means business, it has :- a) Humbled Russia b) faced down Putin's nuclear threat c) demolished NordStream 1 and 2 d) faced down China e) and is remaking the 21st century. Saudi is not the only country in the cross-hairs.....India is too.
    1
  15916.  @Ozgur72  , when do they celebrate the Armenian Genocide ?
    1
  15917. Israel must remain to safeguard its border That is all the evidence it needed to justify staying put
    1
  15918. Don't worry about Hannity having egg on his face : he just shrugs his shoulders and continues. Hannity is a duplicitous @sshole.
    1
  15919. General Ben Hodges (retired NATO commander) "hemingway's character says he went bankrupt in two ways slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation could collapse." The West should be prepared. Medvedev :"They are trying to disintegrate Russia for a 2nd time" Russia and America are in agreement.
    1
  15920. Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn supports Iran.
    1
  15921. WANTED : Russian prisoners who enlisted have absconded with weapons and vehicles : Mercedes, Peugeot etc and a BMP They will be indistinguishable from normal looting Russian troops. Also, they have no intention of going back to jail. Russia will collapse before Christmas.
    1
  15922. LOL I've been waiting for this, I predicted it would be a Fatah list. There are 3 lists - all of them Fatah. Ha ha ha. They have such a record of success. Incidentally, for those who don't know, Fatah = PLO = Yasser Arafat (the guy who ruled as a dictator for 35yrs and stole $3 billion). There can be only one winner : Fatah. And one loser : the Palestinian people. Why not have a charismatic, well-educated (honest) young woman ? Like New Zealand.
    1
  15923.  @SerenityM54L2SAM5L5N1  , The Palestinians have 3 choices :- a) Fatah & chips b) Fatah and rice or c) Fatah bolognese. What's the dessert ? Hamas, if you still have an appetite. Yasser Arafat was sending his wife in Paris $1 million per month in the 1970s : that's when one could retire in luxury on a million dollars. Education ? Arafat didn't waste money on that. Children were taught to crawl around in the dust with wooden rifles. (There's plenty of footage) One historian said, "Arafat never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity". Of course, Arafat's goal was never to improve the lot of the Palestinians, it was always to stay in power. By that metric he was a great success.
    1
  15924.  @rajeshrai6293  I hope you are correct. The Afghan forces haven't really played their hand yet, and the Taliban (as you say) have many weaknesses. Winter is coming and the Taliban haven't taken a major town.
    1
  15925. I think starvation was caused when 'war-veterans' took over farms and then started getting drunk and inviting prostitutes round to party. Show me a farm run by war-veterans that is a success. Also, when the war-veterans took over the farms they beat the black farm workers. But war-veterans don't want to work the farm, they just want to loot it.
    1
  15926.  @johnkesich8696  One might ask whether your optics are faulty : Russia has an invasion force in place in North, East and South of Ukraine. Putin & Lavrov laugh about the situation : the gallows humour of the KGB when they tortured Russians in Lubyanka before sending them to the Gulags.
    1
  15927. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with the Mongols of Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (8161) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  15928. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column.
    1
  15929. In February Scholz froze. Should he side with big business and Russia or support Ukraine ? Scholz still hasn't decided. That's why the Yanks bombed Nordstream (Germany is an extremely unreliable partner and a strategic weakness)
    1
  15930.  @paladro  Maybe. All players at looking to the postwar situation : a) Russia has taken all Belarus military assets and sent in its own tanks. Belarus is occupied and will never regain its freedom. Belarus is Putin's consolation prize. b) The US and Britain are training Ukraine to fly F-15 and F-16 fighters, and to crew naval vessels. c) The US has destroyed Nordstream to prevent Germany funding a revanchist Russia d) Turkey will promote its new drone industry and re-establish its close ties with Crimean Tartars
    1
  15931. EU "chattering classes" support Islamism Ordinary folk want to see Hamas defeated Ordinary folk think Palestine should have its 2-states when it elects a female PM
    1
  15932. Germany did NOT call for a "ceasefire" Good propaganda Al Jazeera - once again not backed up by facts
    1
  15933. Ban Al Jazeera ! Al Jazeera is 100% Hamas propaganda Al Jazeera is NOT news, it is terrorist propaganda
    1
  15934.  @cocofluff  Al Jazeera employs Hamas terrorists to do their reporting
    1
  15935. China needs to prove its friendship with Russia - so instead of sending arms, they are giving the US some verbals. Russia may have lost half its army, but China is putting a flea in Blinken's ear Russian casualties ? What about China's diplomats - they had high blood pressure after one heated exchange.
    1
  15936.  @garriejackson9551  There are photos of the Al Jazeera reporter showing him in Hamas garb with weapons Al Jazeera does NOT deny it Why are you ?
    1
  15937.  @Stephanie-zd5im  There are photos of the Al Jazeera reporter showing him in Hamas garb with weapons Al Jazeera does NOT deny it
    1
  15938.  @garriejackson9551  Al Jazeera has never denied it Why do you deny it There is photographic evidence - go look at it !
    1
  15939.  @Stephanie-zd5im  Al Jazeera has never denied it Why do you deny it There is photographic evidence - go look at it !
    1
  15940. Good luck to him. Even if he's a puppet history is full of examples of people who behaved very unpredictably towards the marionettist.
    1
  15941. Jimi Hendrix described his drummer as "Bob Dylan's Grandma". Mahmoud Abbas would be Saddam Hussein's Grandma. He's a petty tyrant and half-heartedly corrupt. Where is Mahmoud Abbas - where is the Palestinian leadership ?
    1
  15942. Peter the Great (d.1725) and Putin. Both bequeathed a succession problem : Peter tortured his son to death (1718) Putin assassinated and imprisoned the opposition. Also ,Lenin (d.1924) left a vacuum which Stalin filled with 30 million corpses : Holodomor genocide (1932/33) in Ukraine killed 4 million.
    1
  15943. In 1848 Tsar Nicholas I marched into a ballroom and declared, "Saddle-up gentlemen France has just declared a republic". Russia believed it had a God-given duty to crush liberalism in Europe. Tsar Alexander I had prepared an army in 1822 to crush the Trienio Liberal in Spain (forcing France to do the job instead). As a consequence Europeans developed a very deep hatred of Russian despots. Putin's invasion is an opportunity to drive Russia back into its own squalid lands, then isolate it and leave it to fester. The brainwashed ill-educated Russians wonder where the Russophobia comes from. Their history books are filled with childish fiction.
    1
  15944.  @davidnoelfranks1124  More like out of his study - helping folk to understand why Russia is, and has always been, a dystopia. The actual reason is that Russia has no liberal middle-class, it never has had. In Europe the middle-class were responsible for almost all wealth and progress. The KGB cannot create wealth or establish civilized institutions : Putin is a deluded thug, an ill-informed barbarian.
    1
  15945. Very brave. In the 1990s they would have been taken to a football stadium. For the Taliban's recreation.
    1
  15946. IDF revealed a trove of images and documents it said prove that another Al Jazeera reporter, Mohamed Washah, was a commander in Hamas's military wing
    1
  15947. The hostages looked like Holocaust camp survivors
    1
  15948.  @chessdominos  I am only stating historical facts. You are insulting, but not giving any facts. The Mufti in Jerusalem (1920) wanted Palestine to be southern Syria with the Capital at Damascus. It wasn't until the PLO took the stage that nationalism arrived. The PLO were like the Young Turks, they removed the old leaders and replaced their Pan-Arab ideas with Palestinian nationalism. And in 1988 the State of Palestine was recognized by Egypt, Syria, Jordan etc.
    1
  15949.  @chessdominos  "the size of your ego." LOL I did know what an order of magnitude is BTW. I'm trying to think of a witty response but can't stop laughing at your comment.
    1
  15950. LOL everyone is having a right laugh at Islam LOL This is brilliant LOL Islam is still in the Dark Ages and us lot in the West are busting a gut laughing.
    1
  15951. Quiz : Who's the only person ever to tell Prince Philip to shut his mouth ? David Mellor It was after the Cumbria mass shooting (Derrick Bird), there were calls to ban firearms or tighten restrictions. Prince Philip said that a cricket bat was also a deadly weapon and asked whether campaigners intended to ban cricket. David Mellor appeared on Radio 4 and said (I'm paraphrasing) ""If he can't contribute.........he should have the sense and courtesy to keep his mouth shut"
    1
  15952. 3:00 The exasperation. Even the greatest actor couldn't deliver that expression. It comes spontaneously from the heart. It's when your own side is stabbing you in the back.
    1
  15953.  @friendlyatheist9589  I was just joking about the old sailing Dhow - the Arab ship of medieval times.
    1
  15954. Ukraine counter-offensive begins in July. Mid-August will be the turning point (Major General Kyrylo Budanov ) Kherson and izyum (one would imagine) will be the first to fall. Putin (one would imagine) will fall shortly after that.
    1
  15955. Why isn't anyone talking about Biden's endorsements.......they just fell flat. LOL Bernie backed him (it was like the old men from the Muppet show) The Obama endorsed Biden. Now nobody even mentions it. Poor old sleepy Joe.
    1
  15956.  @joshuddin897  The Khan of the Golden Horde rules Russia until 1480. 1480-1505: Ivan III—known as Ivan the Great—rules, freeing Russia from the Mongols. The Tsar of Russia took over from the Asiatic Mongols. The Tsar continued Asiatic Autocracy.
    1
  15957.  @meaningGPT  The Khan of the Golden Horde rules Russia until 1480. 1480-1505: Ivan III—known as Ivan the Great—rules, freeing Russia from the Mongols. The Tsar continued Asiatic Autocracy. Communism is like religion : it moulds itself to the environment it is in.
    1
  15958. Iran are up to their neck in quicksand. Why would anyone want to stage a 'false flag' attack ? Inflation is 50% and GDP set to fall by 6% : all the allies have to do is watch. Whereas , put yourself in Tehran's shoes : you have got to act. Ask yourself this : why did Tehran news report the tanker had been sunk ? Because it wants the Iranians to believe it is hitting back against the West.
    1
  15959. Truly magic. A magnificent victory for democracy. Rarely does one see the personification of evil convincingly, and dramatically destroyed. It is worthy of Milton's Paradise Lost. Amazing.
    1
  15960.  @natewhite4667  La France besoin de joindre la bataille, et ne pas de recule.
    1
  15961. Russian barbarian propaganda.
    1
  15962.  @billcallahan9303  Thanks Bill. Since you've shown an interest.... In 1559 Elizabeth I issued the "Religious Settlement" This was after Bloody Mary (1553-58) a Catholic, had executed many protestants. Elizabeth said, "I refuse to make windows into men's souls", and demanded folk outwardly conform, but didn't pry into what they believed at home. The Venetian ambassador (around 1580s) reported, "In England they are neither Catholic nor Protestant". Henry VIII died (1547) believing himself Catholic. Edward VII (1547-1553) was a fully committed protestant, which came from his tutors. The Scots were Calvinist : it was a theocracy - the Kirk governed like the Ayatollah in Iran. It was Cromwell that ended theocratic fascism in Scotland. Walter Scott said, "Cromwell did much to civilize Scotland"
    1
  15963. Russian liars : prepare for a plethora of lies
    1
  15964. A vision of the future : picture a Chinese jackboot stamping on a human face.
    1
  15965. Hezbollah control the Finance Ministry and refuse to move. That is the root of the problem. Of course Iran support Hezbollah (the Axis of Evil) and the people have to suffer in silence, or face a violent backlash from Hezbollah's 10,000 man armed Lebanese militia.
    1
  15966. Civilization can be destroyed by barbarians - the fall of the Roam Empire (476), which almost extinguished Western Civilization. But it recovered and blossomed in the C12th spring. Russia envies Europe and would like to stamp a jackboot on European culture. The West must fight ferociously to keep Russians in their own benighted lands.
    1
  15967. NATO strategy :- Imagine a scale of involvement ranging from 0% (no support) to 100% (full support land, sea and air) The chances of nuclear escalation range from 0% to let's say 50% (ie 100% NATO involvement, crushing Russia, would lead to a ~50% chance of things going nuclear) NATO has wisely decided to give just enough support for Ukraine to win incrementally. If Russia is doing too well, NATO turn up the supplies, and if Ukraine are "humiliating Russia" NATO slows up the supplies. But either way Ukraine wins, and the nuclear risk is kept close to zero. Boris just confirmed my analysis, saying,"If Ukraine is struggling we'll ramp up the dial"
    1
  15968. Why has Germany no moral compass ? In March 1848 Frederick William IV capitulated to the revolution. In April 1849 the revolution capitulated to Fredrick William : offering him the Imperial crown. He said he "wouldn't pick up a crown from the gutter". In 1861 Bismarck unconstitutionally raised taxes for the army, and after the victory of 1866 Parliament exonerated him of all crimes. This was the Faustian Pact Germany's middle class made with their rulers : success in exchange for principles. The whole of German history follows : success in exchange for abandoning principles (Wilhelm II, and Big H) Germany's perfidy regarding Ukraine is simply explained by the above :- Russian trade & gas (the success) in exchange for defending a democracy (principles)
    1
  15969.  @Mr_Rabbit  "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. It is impossible for Russia to reform- it would take at least 3 generations. Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (8161) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  15970. UNRWA worker jokes and laughs about capturing a Jewish sex slave He is a Palestinian UNRWA worker teaching in an elementary school It is quite sickening https://youtu.be/Ly8bGudP7uk
    1
  15971. Liz Truss is magnificent. The Kremlin consider her enemy no.1 She has voiced the resolve of the British nation. (I think you have a personal axe to grind, because her war conduct has been irreproachable)
    1
  15972.  @L.C.Sweeney  Exactly the opposite : the Kremlin banned her from ever entering Russia again. She really rattled them.
    1
  15973.  @poppyaustin7315  LOL Russia is famous for its ignorance. Russia never experienced the Enlightenment : they are still a benighted people. Why do you think Russia is so brainwashed and backwards ? The Patriarch Kiril was exposed in 1990 as a KGB informer : he informed on his fellow clerics and his flock. That Rolex watch-wearing thug is the most ungodly specimen in an ungodly country.
    1
  15974. Gosh when you see a political heavy-weight it makes you realise what a bunch of fly-weights today's mediocrities are.
    1
  15975.  @Teetea2973  Because some folk haven't seen it. Here is something historical for you :- Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries.
    1
  15976. Palestinians support Putin Beware - the Axis of Evil
    1
  15977. Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  15978.  @anixes  I deliberately compared Modi to Lukashenko to expose the moral bankruptcy of India's position.
    1
  15979.  @madrigale6396  Correct. India's position is untenable in the long term, and despicable in the short term.
    1
  15980. Obama pardoned all the Hillary crooks for crimes they may have committed. Not specific, just anything illegal up to a certain date. Democrats are a bunch of crooked thugs. Look at rapist Bill meeting the Attorney general Loretta Lynch on a plane.......by accident. With no witnesses present (everyone told to leave). Bunch of crooks.
    1
  15981.  @mikelimo2478  , well of course you are quite right : I saw an educated young lady in Israel being asked about Netanyahu and saying, "I vote for whoever my Rabbi tells me to". Then you look at the Partition of India and the slaughter committed by illiterate peasants coerced into fear and frenzy by religious/nationalist leaders. Religion, illiteracy, ignorance : all these things have to be overcome to establish civilized society.
    1
  15982.  @bobrail2647  , what nonsense , what utter nonsense. How can anyone listen to Lady Hale's simple statement and conclude they are wicked corrupt judges. She deliberately and marvellously simplified the judgement so that even boozers in the pub would understand it. Of course you never even listened to it. That's why you are talking daft.
    1
  15983.  @rising593  , well where is the democracy in the middle east ? (Other than Israel)
    1
  15984.  @forevertheaii  , God never buttered a parsnip.
    1
  15985. What a pair of know-nothing idiots What is the world coming to ?
    1
  15986. What a daft conversation.
    1
  15987. HRW didn't get there till weeks later (after Hamas clear away all evidence)
    1
  15988. Israel is still the only democracy in the middle east Even after the 2011 Arab Spring Israel are not fascist It is Caliphate countries which are ALL fascist, all antidemocratic despotic
    1
  15989. Very curious comment : "EU policies have advantaged northern countries". I wonder whether it harks back to the Reformation. Max Weber speculated there was a protestant work ethic. Then there's the industrial revolution which spread from Britain. Certainly Greece with it's slack attitude of spend today and borrow tomorrow is worlds away from Mutti (Merkel) and her sound house-keeping.
    1
  15990. When the attack started, the officers should've immediately punched the prisoner unconscious.
    1
  15991. Russia has always been a dystopia. Until Emancipation (1861) 37% of the population were bought and sold as slaves. Feudal imperialism segued into Soviet tyranny, Stalinism was followed by despotic stagnation, a brief period of pseudo liberal gangsterism followed, and now Putin's deranged irredentism. Queen Victoria described the Russians as "The great barbarians, destroyers of liberty and civilization wherever it exists"
    1
  15992. Hamas are delusional Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blinken : "Hamas demands are clear non-starters"
    1
  15993.  @aeolianharp1363  Palestinians turned down 1948 UN two-state
    1
  15994. Prince, curses went out with the Enlightenment (unless you're an unenlightened religious moron, which I suspect you are ).
    1
  15995. 0:38 is something still moving inside ? Gosh, those Orcs can sure take a pummelling.
    1
  15996. More money goes to MIGRANTS than goes to UKRAINE God help us all
    1
  15997.  Netta A.  , I wish that were true. But we both know Trump was trying to talk tough. When the country needed calm he talked tough.
    1
  15998.  Paul Peery  , Trump was talking tough, he thought it was a good one-liner. Trump isn't trying to calm or unite. He phoned the family of Floyd and wouldn't let them get a word in : he just kept praising the Police and saying this incident reflected badly on the Police. You have to admit Trump finds it very hard to sympathise or try to reconcile. Trump is like a self obsessed toddler.
    1
  15999.  Kevin Begley  LOL that's an interesting take on the situation. Name one person Trump has been loyal to (other than family) ? Trump is the no.1 betrayer. He will throw anyone under the bus. Remember Trump getting off the phone with Erdogan and saying "We're pulling all troops out of Syria", well I said at the time Trump is a jackass, and look what's happened : the US troops are going nowhere. Trump is an imbecile.
    1
  16000.  @russellmcafee9412  , have you seen the latest fuel rationing in Syria ? The economy has ground to a halt : they used to be oil exporters, that oil is no longer available : the Yanks are sitting on it. That's why Trumps comment about troop withdrawal was so quickly reversed. Jackass Trump hasn't a clue about geopolitics.
    1
  16001. The white cloud : did it remind anyone of Quatermass and the Pit ? Hobbs Lane, scratch marks on the wall : "Kids sir" says the police sergeant mopping his brow.
    1
  16002. Well done to the brave person who targeted the nuclear bomb-factory, to secure peace for the Middle East.
    1
  16003.  @kenbitph  "those convoys are the easiest target." Correct : that is the mystery, that has everyone thinking something is afoot. Have you ever seen a convoy advance so slowly ? There is a strangeness about this. As if both sides are awaiting developments in Moscow. I think Putin is about to be dethroned.
    1
  16004. "Without a fight" LOL ha ha ha. What did they expect when they are up against the Saudi. Never expect the Saudi to fight. They are bigoted, bone-idle, ignorant, indolent, cowardly and cruel.
    1
  16005. Lula supports Moscow & Hamas Brazil supports Russian aggression and Hamas massacre Shame on Brazil
    1
  16006. Lion600, you are allowing your prejudice to addle your mind. I've no time to demolish your nonsense. I just hope other people see you for the deluded Jester you are.
    1
  16007. 3lrancho, I feel terrible when someone like yourself points that out. But I heard a woman explain why she voted for Mugabe " Because he has the experience". And inflation was 10,000% and unemployment 90%. The people of Zimbabwe are probably nice natured and would make great neighbours ......but the fact is almost half of them were still voting for Mugabe when he'd ruined the country. So any sentiment on here that appears to be denigrating Zimbabweans is doing so out of frustration. When you see people tolerant of corruption and incompetence it is always tempting to have a go at them. (That's what people on here are doing)
    1
  16008. ALX, I agree BRAVO SSH-40. There have been some great posts on here ; Pennicky was excellent. Just a question : is there some denial on the part of Africans ? In the same way communist academics ( eg WH Auden) refused to accept the existence of Soviet Gulags , are some Africans refusing to see the despotism of liberation leaders ? (eg ZANU , ANC, Mugabe, Jacob Zuma etc ) Archbishop Tutu said, "The ANC stopped the gravy train just long enough to get on ".
    1
  16009. LOL, Trump skipped the other speeches and left Larry Kudlow to listen. What did he miss ? Nothing.
    1
  16010. What lovely countryside.
    1
  16011. Ukraine becomes a S Korea is wrong Russia then becomes N Korea Moscow wants a TOTAL END - sanctions ended and everything That why 2014 border works Trump : "I've had it : I'm getting him back all these cities that have been destroyed" What does that mean ? It can only mean Mariupol etc The Trump deal is much better than Ferguson thinks
    1
  16012. @Ilia channel Russia always conspired with its opponents :- a) In 1807 Russia carved up Europe with Napoleon b) In 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Russia again carved up Europe with Hitler. One could say Russia got its just desserts on both occasions.
    1
  16013. 25 down only 19 up This sucks
    1
  16014. "A reformed Russia" is impossible. Over centuries all nations develop a culture or personality. Russian culture begins with Genghis Khan :- Ivan III was the bagman for the Mongols. He acquired enough power to break free (1480) but still governed in an Asiatic manner. Peter I (d.1725) modernised Russia, but vastly increased serfdom and autocracy. Catherine the Great (d. 1796) created 400k serfs to give to her lovers, and she was "enlightened". The Orthodox church isolated itself from western ideas, remained medieval & mystical, and opposed the emancipation of serfs (1861) because they were the biggest land owners. The Russian revolution (1917) was more anticipated than the French (1789) - everyone could see the horror of Russia was unsustainable. Russia segued into fanatical totalitarianism (Bolshevism), which became Stalinist terror, and is now KGB gangsterism. In the 1930s an internal KGB memo said, "We are the new aristocracy" ; and by implication the Russian people are the new serfs. Beria, Stalin's intelligence chief was a serial rapist and the KGB would arrest any woman he took a fancy to. Solzhenitsyn said, "There has never been any law in Russia".
    1
  16015. Putin, in a phone call with Macron, joked about "raping" Ukraine. Russian humour : it was developed in Lubyanka - the KGB HQ, which specialized in torturing civilians before sending them to the Gulags. Humour was used to dehumanize the victims. Putin's 'rape' of Ukraine joke was based on a popular rhyme - making Macron wince. Lavrov laughed when asked if Russia intended to invade Ukraine. Russian soldiers ask young mothers if they "know how to give a blow-job". Negotiators report Russian insults and threats : the entire Russian nation is twisted by its own savage history - laughing at Lubyanka jokes and inflicting the brutalization they have experienced on others.
    1
  16016. Germany are sabotaging Ukraine :- Rhineweld offered to send tanks immediately and the German government vetoed it ! They said the vehicles would take too long to be prepared, but never even inspected them ! Germany is trying to retain a beneficial relationship with Russia. Shame on Scholz.
    1
  16017. But what Greg describes : rural support for Maduro : urban support for the Opposition, is just the same as Zimbabwe. ZANU pf are very popular in the rural regions. But they are still dictators. Greg should go to Zimbabwe he'd tell you ZANU have great support. Ask yourself why Maduro changed the constitution ? Why has Maduro promoted 2000 corrupt generals ?
    1
  16018. Nick Holdsworth is one of the best reporters on France 24. He's no oil painting, and reports as though he's been following developments until the early hours. He's imperturbable, and his reporting is proportionate. He knows his brief and has a weather-eye for nuanced statements.
    1
  16019. Good ! He supported the Taliban - "They have thrown off the shackles of slavery" Said Imran Khan The Taliban then used football stadiums as torture theatres
    1
  16020.  @shehzadahmed829  , what did the UN say when Khomeini landed in Tehran (1979) and was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied "I'll kick their teeth in ". I didn't notice the UN doing anything when Khomeini executed 7000 in his first year : more than the Shah killed in his whole life.
    1
  16021. @Mohammad Joshan , also, you fail to realise what has happened. a) after the Obama deal Iran's GDP grew 12% b) since Trump pulled out it has shrunk -6% and inflation is 50% c) historically most revolutions occur when expectations are dashed. Not when poor peasants are struggling to survive. It's the middle class aspiration that starts the revolution. The Ayatollah is right to be worried.
    1
  16022. The International Olympic Committee :- They are more corrupt than the Kremlin more authoritarian than Beijing and bigger liars than the Whitehouse.
    1
  16023. This is bullshit : the Quran specifically states there is no need to fast if you are old, young, ill or at war or participating in Jihad
    1
  16024. Any Police violence is to be condemned. But to put things in perspective......... Pakistan killed 3,000,000 in Bangladesh and raped 250,000. " Forty years after the war, two sisters who had been raped were interviewed by Deutsche Welle. Aleya stated she had been taken by the Pakistani army when she was thirteen, and was gang raped repeatedly for seven months. "
    1
  16025. Even pro-Palestine activist acknowledge the 2-state solution is dead in the water. Everyone knows that. Only folk who aren't up to speed with history and current affairs still talk about it.
    1
  16026. Guterres : "The Hamas massacre on Oct 7th didn't happen in a vacuum" He speaks for Hamas, to exonerate them The UN denied there had been rapes, until presented with evidence The UN supports terrorists : UNRWA schools encourage jihad (The UN is a disgrace)
    1
  16027.  @ianb9028  Thanks for your reply. Verdun was a fight for France's survival. It had enormous cultural significance for France, and morale would've plummeted if it had been lost. France remembered the shame of losing Alsace & Lorraine in 1871. Verdun was an existential stance for France.
    1
  16028. France MUST supply Exocets.
    1
  16029. The Palestinian family are reimbursed by the Palestinian Authority, who pay a lifetime pension to the terrorists family and also pay for new accommodation and furniture.
    1
  16030. Snow storm , you total moron : you ill-informed half-wit. Try Google "Wipe Israel off the map" you will find every politician and military leader in Iran has said it several times. And you're backing Iran to become nuclear armed ?
    1
  16031.  @ghayourmajid  I sympathise : the Yanks killed 18 British soldiers because of their unprofessional trigger-happy attitude. The US military is a disgrace : Google " US captain shower video." However, it is no justification for Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
    1
  16032.  Average viewer  , so now you are supporting Japanese Imperialism ? Read something about the Shogunate : how peasants were taxed into subsistence and torture and executed when they complained. Are you a college student because the US is famous for half-witted college kids ?
    1
  16033.  Average viewer  , the Israelis fought the British : research Irgun and the Stern gang :- " The letter went on to state that Irgun and the Stern gang "inaugurated a reign of terror in the Palestine Jewish community. Teachers were beaten up for speaking against them, adults were shot for not letting their children join them. By gangster methods, beatings, window-smashing, and widespread robberies, the terrorists intimidated the population and exacted a heavy tribute." Even Israelis didn't support the Zionist fanatics. History is always more complicate than college-kid-slogans. Research "Iran : the executioners deserve medals" : you'll discover what happened to the Socialist party and all the democratic groups(trade unions etc) that overthrew the Shah (1979). Research "Ayatollah torture camps"
    1
  16034.  @snowstorm9428  , you monumentally , ill-informed half-wit. Imagine you're the 4th man being loaded onto a forklift pallet to be hanged six-at-a-time by the Revolutionary Guard , how would you feel to know some brainless Yank is impressed by the suavity of Zarif ?
    1
  16035. Lies ! Hamas leaders could never be corrupt LOL
    1
  16036.  stillness God  , well said. Arafat blew $3 billion over 40yrs (Gulf oil money) ; imagine what could have been achieved. The Palestinians bemoan not having natural resources, yet they overlook their greatest treasure : young people. Instead of investing in education they have kindergarten children crawling around with wooden rifles, and college age kids are told to throw stones. The PLO (Fatah) and Hamas, have totally failed the people.
    1
  16037. Russia has said it is banking on China's help to withstand the crippling economic. LOL Putin is on his knees. He has humiliated the great Russian army and is now begging China.
    1
  16038. I wish Hamas weren't an antidemocratic, fanatically-Islamist, bunch of tyrants. I wish they would hold a democratic election once in a while. Even though they are ideologically opposed to it.
    1
  16039. Belt and Road is also known as "If we apply the brakes to our economy it will collapse". Hence China are running up record breaking exponential debt (corporate), have a stock market fuelled by lending and the creation of more debt and can't slow the economy down for fear it collapses.
    1
  16040. God bless Wes Clarke. (I wish he was still in command) He has consistently predicted Putin's duplicity, aggression and atrocities. General Clarke has also, repeatedly called for more heavy weapons to be sent. Tanks, Mig jets, anti-ship missiles, S-300 systems, and drones. Well done USA. Boris said, "The Americans are sending extraordinary amounts"
    1
  16041. Shame on Labour - unable to stand up to Islamist threats Mr Speaker must resign !
    1
  16042.  @pcpolice2314  I suspect you are only a young man. When you become older and wiser, you will understand SG's position. He is expressing disdain for Biden's pusillanimity. He is disgusted at the ill-informed Yanks' half-witted apology for a president. An old-timer who has seen it all is able to judge.
    1
  16043. Sa'd gave his verdict that "the men should be killed, the property divided, and the women and children taken as captives". Muhammad approved of the ruling, calling it similar to God's judgment, after which nearly all male members of the tribe who had reached puberty were beheaded.
    1
  16044.  Abishek  Good point. I've heard Indian analysts say that China had "Just as many casualties". Now use common sense : it is possible for two boxers to knock each other out simultaneously - but very unlikely. India was totally knocked out : it didn't know how many had died or where they were, it was total chaos. There were soldiers dying of exposure that couldn't be found. Now it's possible China were running around with torches trying to find their injured. But it is much more likely China outnumbered India, had the element of surprise and dealt them a fatal blow.
    1
  16045. At last, the Axis of Evil is being called out. I'd hate to be a country voting with the Axis of Evil at the UN. Surely India doesn't associate with those cut-throats ?
    1
  16046. "Unnecessarily anti-Iran" Everyone should be against a theocratic fascist dictatorship. (Oh except the Left)
    1
  16047.  Plo Koon  , take a look at collapsing Lebanon : that is how the Ayatollah spreads Islamic fascism......through Hezbollah. And Obama handed the Ayatollah $15 billion in cash to be able to fund them (Hezbollah). Remember the Tehran student protests 1999 ? Remember the thugs beating them with clubs and throwing students from windows ? That was Hezbollah.
    1
  16048. "Shameful" - that's the Arab League. They support Hamas rape, murder and abduction
    1
  16049. Handy hock, handy hock.
    1
  16050. Well done India. Modi has found his moral compass at last.
    1
  16051. Solidarity minister ? Boris can show solidarity with Macron. He has a groping minister, and now France has gone one worse.
    1
  16052. "One Palestinian young man" You mean a terrorist Either Hamas, or Al Aqusa or some other Jihadist group
    1
  16053. Dostoyevsky was writing a final novel when he died (1881). A Russian general had set his hounds on a peasant boy and killed him : Ivan Karamazov asks his saintly brother whether he'd like to see the Russian general killed. After an agonised silence Alesha says, " Yes". "Bravo", said Ivan. The moral of the story - that the Russians have been sadistic savages for centuries.
    1
  16054.  @casteretpollux  The UN called it "An evil war" Pope Francis described Russia as "Infantile". Referring to the war, the lies, the denials, and the unthinking evil. Russia is actually mentally disturbed : with a persecution complex, paranoia, delusions of grandeur, an amnesiac ability to reject Russian atrocities which are an exact repeat of previous Russian atrocities, and which are the inevitable consequence of an army which is based upon the brutalization of conscripts, lacking food, warm clothing and equipment, whose officer corp exhibits and encourages unrestrained depravity.
    1
  16055. LOL I said India should do nothing in response to Kashmir. Now look where it has got them. You know why India didn't shoot down the Pakistani planes ? They didn't want to escalate tension : so they scrambled jets to chase Pakistanis off. Every Indo-Pakistan war has been started by Pakistan. I told India to do nothing. Just keep growing economically, educationally, socially and politically and let Pakistan fester in Islamofascism.
    1
  16056. Russian gangsters using blackmail. Kremlin thugs attempted extortion against the Ukrainians but have had their ass kicked. Snake Island cost the Russians :- 5 ships, including their flagship 340 men killed 4 helicopters destroyed numerous armoured and other vehicles. At the end Russia simply walked away, and said Snake Island was of no strategic importance. Russia is about to collapse.
    1
  16057. LOL what an idiot ! Macron : "Countries shouldn't gang up on China" (2018) Macron : "Australia is causing a nuclear confrontation with China" Macron : "We must not humiliate Russia" 13 Oct 2022 Macron declares "Nuclear neutrality" if Russia uses nukes in the region Stloltenberg : "France has shown its hand" Macron is like a vindictive schoolgirl Remember the press conference in Kyiv when he threw Zelensky under the bus - saying "You asked me to phone Putin" and jabbing his finger at Zelensky That was an unforgivable indiscretion Then he jabbed a finger at Scholz and referenced Germany in WW2 Macron is a vindictive schoolgirl
    1
  16058. Post AUKUS Macron sided with China He accused Australia of stoking "nuclear conflict" Macron is a vindictive schoolgirl
    1
  16059.  Aaron Khan  Afghanistan have recalled their ambassador, so you are obviously wrong. Strange that you feel you have to invent some nonsense.
    1
  16060.  Aaron Khan  I'm just stating 2 facts :- a) the Afghan envoy's daughter was kidnapped and beaten in Pakistan, after a telephone dispute between the Afghan and Pakistan governments. b) It is obvious the Pakistan security/intelligence were involved. (Who else would know who she was, or be able to execute the abduction ?) c) Afghanistan have now withdrawn their ambassador. The world looks on, wondering what is the next uncivilized move by Pakistan.
    1
  16061. Hamas fighters moving north Hostage negotiations include "Return to northern Gaza" If fol move north WITHOUT releasing hostages then what is the point of negotiating Hamas wins ! ALL hostages must be released, then folk can return to the north These Hamas fighters were legitimately killed
    1
  16062. Brazil is pro-Hamas and pro-Moscow
    1
  16063. Good luck. India didn't do too well with their Mig-21 jets against Pakistan Russian jets easily shot down by Turkey's F-16s. Why does Modi want Russian junk ?
    1
  16064. Congratulations Joe !
    1
  16065. Kindergarten psychology :- The Kremlin elite have hoarded their wealth and not spent a penny on this war. Schools crowd-fund the military, but not the elites. If they won't spend their fortunes, they are not going to sacrifice their lives. The elites plan to stay in power win or lose. This is a gigantic bluff.
    1
  16066. A Palestinian state would be Iran's 5th column
    1
  16067. 7yr old daughter missing. For the Taliban that is called "Spoils of war".
    1
  16068. Russian cannon fodder.
    1
  16069. UNIFIL was a failure from day 1 They are effectively defending Hezbollah
    1
  16070. " Accelerated EU’s collective agenda ". Gosh, that is fighting talk. Very undiplomatic : Macron must tone it down, that sort of rhetoric is very provocative. The Kremlin will be shaking in their boots.
    1
  16071. EU "chattering classes" support Islamism Ordinary folk want to see Hamas defeated Ordinary folk think Palestine should have its 2-states when it elects a female PM
    1
  16072. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour" (Exodus 20:16) 8th commandment
    1
  16073.  @dillikumar856  I'm from Yorkshire, and if I may I'll explain Ireland's neutrality (abstaining at the UN). Ireland would sooner share a sofa with Stalin, than find itself in Britain's shadow. It's the tragedy of the small neighbour desperately seeking acknowledgement of its independent status. It is quite sad : morality goes out of the window. All that matters is to be seen to be independent.
    1
  16074.  JJ LongeMann  I am so sorry. I do wish I'd researched that. I condemned India for being a bedfellow of Russia, and a chap said "What about Ireland ?" I am dying of shame as I write this....Oh, I won't sleep a wink tonight.
    1
  16075. Madrid's finance minister has said Police violence was "Fake news". Madrid are using propaganda : they want to control TV3 in Catalonia and force them to broadcast propaganda. The world are disgusted with Spain's brutality and repression.
    1
  16076. Putin wants to revive the Axis of Evil. Xi isn't interested - he's pegged Putin as a loser.
    1
  16077. Germany's contribution won't arrive until July. Well done Germany : sabotaging Ukraine at every opportunity.
    1
  16078. "A transitional period for Gaza" ie the Golan Heights Northern Gaza is lost, Israel is never leaving and Hamas are never returning Northern Gaza is the price paid
    1
  16079. Lord Owen was asked about Russia's nuclear threat on Radio 4 :- "Russian generals know the Americans have a massive, massive superiority in nuclear capability : they know what would happen to their families"
    1
  16080.  @Dude-yd2vz  Most of Russia's old junk is decommissioned (Russia admits that). The warheads are stored separate from the rocket. It would take weeks for Russia to assemble them, and even then they might not work. Supersonic missiles : Russia has 15.
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  16081. Putin's "Rape Joke" about Ukraine :- President Vladimir Putin quoted Soviet-era punk-rock lyrics about rape and necrophilia to demonstrate what Russia wants from Ukraine. "Tough it out, beautiful" about Ukraine's alleged reluctance to comply " 'Like it or don't like it, it's your duty, my beauty.' They must be fulfilled. It won't work otherwise." Putin said of the comments :- ‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it’ The Whitehouse was asked : "The other day. Putin made what many Russian speakers interpreted as a rape joke directed at Ukraine. Given that diplomacy is all about talking, how does the administration view talk like this? " The joke rhymes in Russian :-“‘Like it or not, my beauty, you have to put up with it ".
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  16082. Turkey will have to eat humble pie over Manbij because the Yanks are not leaving. Erdogan has said that is next. What's the point of taking Afrin when 60% of the rest of the border is under Kurdish control.
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  16083. roachy, nice propaganda. Of course if you started presenting facts in Turkey you could be thrown in jail with the other 269 journalists who are imprisoned.
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  16084. The US is the only guarantor of safety for democratic values. The EU is like a damsel in distress - it will cave in to Moscow or Tehran. Europe always needs rescuing, if it isn't energy it will be Russian aggression. We should all show unity and support the US.
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  16085. Beto was born for this. He is confronting Trump. I hope to hear some more effing from Beto is he becomes emotional ; it could get him to the Whitehouse.
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  16086. Labour claim they were responding to threats of terrorism That encourages terrorists to try something more Labour's message - "Terrorism works" Shame on Labour The Speaker must resign
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  16087. Sha, you great schmuck. Are you still defending the Clintons you deluded moron ? You know Bill is a rapist and Hillary did her first crooked $100,000 "cattle deal" back in Arkansas 20yrs ago (and has been a crook ever since) and yet you still support them. Benghazi : Hillary lied through her teeth. Forget the conspiracy crap the right-wing morons come out with. Just deal with the lies. Hillary said it was a riot caused by a video when it was a major armed, well planned assault. That is a proven lie and yet you are such a Hillary half-wit you continue to defend her. Sha, you have got no standards. If you accept liars you might as well go the whole hog and accept crooks ........oh I forgot you have done.
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  16088. 1:08 just as an historical point "The New Deal" was a failure. It was WW2 that pulled the US out of the depression.
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  16089. Regrets ? Bannon will only regret it if Mueller has no case. If Trump & Co fall like ten-pins then Bannon looks good.
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  16090. Idiotic. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the defining event of the 21st Century, and these morons are doing the Kremlin's work for them. Give them 3 yrs in prison, and make them pay the damages.
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  16091.  @devilsdouble.3433  , you can always spot a religious whack-job because they ignore what everyone else considers to be plain facts. They will say the Taliban or Hezbollah are democratic humanists. It is because from a young age they have been brainwashed in some madrasa or religious dunce school. While the Enlightened world moves ahead they move backwards to a barbaric Medieval savagery that they crave.....the world of Muhammed........beheadings , slaughter and tyranny.
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  16092. Axis of Evil
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  16093. Samuel, whether he used them wasn't the question. Whether he was responsible or not the air strikes make it much less likely that he will use them. (You have to agree with that) Also, "Is Assad capable of using Chemical/biological weapons on his own people ?" You would also have to agree the answer is yes.
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  16094. LOL That lady is a crackpot She's like Noam Chomsky, she supports every radical fascist cause going
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  16095. "500 dead at hospital" lies ! "The Anglican diocese that manages the hospital reported 200 people killed" Al Ahli hospital was a Hamas rocket that misfired Al Jazeera please stop propaganda and lies
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  16096. Phoenix ghost drones will have arrived in Ukraine. (I watched them loaded onto a C17) Nobody knows what they do, but one suspects it's something lethal.
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  16097. Why is Russia backwards ? Peter I (d.1725) opened Rus but increased serfdom & autocracy Alex I (d.1825) post Rev (1789) isolated and censored Rus Nicholas I (d.1855) post Dec rebellion 1825 created a police state Russia : a police state till 1917 Then under Stalin (1924) Russia became a Gulag. The Orthodox Church,mystical & medieval, isolated itself from ideas and from the 17th C believed the West degenerate and decadent Stalin invested in "wrong" science : Lysenkoism They substituted paranoia and psychosis for culture
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  16098. Hamas rockets : if any nation had those rockets in their arsenal they would pay the garbage man to collect them. The rockets serve two functions :- a) they keep world opinion firmly on the side of Israel b) they satisfy Arab machismo World opinion is fickle : you can have it one minute, then it slips through your fingers. The Palestinians had it in the 1970s : the hijackers were like romantic Robin Hood freedom fighters. Then the Ayatollah taught us about Fatwa, Arafat gave us a lesson in Intifada, and psychopaths demonstrated Jihad. The world was revolted.
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  16099. Hamas has certainly doomed Gaza If Hamas releases the hostages then the war ends Shame on Hamas
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  16100. Submarines will be the main player against China. That is why Australia have ordered 9 nuclear. And why the USA have built an additional 19 Virginia class.
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  16101. It's a good idea : Russian literature is top notch : Boris Pasternach, Gogol, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, I've hit a blank. Also, there are trade & employment opportunities. There's nothing wrong with Russia, it's the corrupt gangsters in the Kremlin that are the problem.
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  16102.  @BLMVDV  Sino-Soviet border conflict 1969. Brezhnev wanted to drop a nuclear bomb on China and Nixon told him the US would retaliate. The USA saved China's bacon. President Xi is well aware of this history, and is simply playing his Russian alliance, to watch Russia weaken itself : then Xi will economically control Siberia.
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  16103. Taliban savages.
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  16104. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  16105.  @DerekWilliamsMusic  "NATO was not formed until 1949" The proposal for what was known as the European Defence Community (EDC) was submitted by French Prime Minister René Pleven to the National Assembly in October 1950. It called for the creation of a European Army to be placed under supranational authority and to be funded by a common budget. Now when the USA and Britain were invited to join France refused to even discus it. That is unusual : it needs explaining. That is why I gave some historical context. "However, a devastating blow was dealt to the European Defence Community in August 1954 when the French National Assembly rejected the Treaty, refusing even to discuss the matter."
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  16106.  @ahmadrama9802  , I'm speaking historically : it takes 500yrs to create a democracy. Look at Russia : half the people were bought and sold as slaves until (1861) 150yrs ago. Drunken Russian nobles would gamble entire families at the card table, and abuse any serf they wanted. That isn't a basis for democracy. Stalin slaughtered 30 million Russians. Colin Thubron (travel writer) described the cultural shift as he travelled from Russia to the Mediterranean. Now let's look at the Middle East :- for 600yrs the twin pillars of Despotism and Islam condemned them to stagnation. Like Latin America (compare & contrast N America), the people always looked to authority for solutions : the Imam or Pasha/Sultan. Ataturk's mother believed the Sultan to be "Our Lord on Earth". That is no basis for democracy.
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  16107.  @ahmadrama9802  , Let's look at Myanmar. Burma fought for independence from Britain and took the Chinese root to totalitarianism. Ne Win was a complete savage :- "When warned of a bloodbath, he was advised stand in front of the mirror and trample on dog entrails or in a bowl of pig’s blood to simulate the carnage. The use of dog entrails was no coincidence either, whenever he travelled the country (whether in a fleet of helicopter or vast armoured motorcade of jeeps and limos) he would have all the stray dogs in the location slaughtered by his men prior to his arrival. His soothsayer had told him to steer clear of dogs, especially ones with crooked tails." Ne Win is the product of Burmese culture. That is no basis for democracy. All the young folk in Myanmar protesting, are all infused with Western Civilization - not Burmese tradition. Burmese culture produced Ne Win, Western Civilization has produced the young protestors.
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  16108. 13:36 Byzantine double-headed eagle. It was the cause of many wars. Ivan III in 1440 married a Byzantine heiress and when Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453 Russia assumed they had inherited the Byzantium empire for Christendom. Peter the Great ~ 1700 started expanding to the south. The baton was taken up by Catherine the Great ~1770 and ~1790 The Crimean war (1853) was fought to keep Russia from the Dardanelles. And finally WW1 was precipitated by Russian mobilisation in defence of Serbia - again with an eye on the collapsing Ottoman Empire.
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  16109. Liars ! Al Jazeera and Hamas lies ! "Exchange all the prisoners" is wrong The UN said, "Unconditional release of ALL hostages" Of course Al Jazeera simply broadcast lies
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  16110. Biden's nuclear message to China :- " Do not fall for the fantasy scenario that China emerges as the world's only super-power after Russia and USA suffer a nuclear exchange. China is only minutes away from being wiped off the globe. US submarines in the Pacific possess awesome destructive power, and China will take a total hit as soon as the balloon goes up." That should be Biden's warning to China.
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  16111. My sympathy to France. But Macron did speed his way to Saudi and seal a $40 billion nuclear power deal with MBS (Sweeney Todd) So France can't complain the Germany is behaving badly by speeding to China to congratulate Xi on becoming a 3 term despot.
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  16112. 10:15 examine that scene. The police woman is about 6" shorter and 2 stone lighter than the journalist and is being dragged around like a rag doll.
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  16113.  @samhartford8677  , wouldn't a good "security consideration" be to take his EU passport off him, so he can't travel around killing people ?
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  16114. And the Ayatollah lies repeatedly : remember the passenger plane they shot down ?
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  16115.  @oddyse2  , good point. I saw a video about a young Spanish lady discovering she had Muslim ancestors who were brutally expelled in 1609. Apropos Ataturk (1923) : the American ambassador said he wasn't an ethnic Turk but a blue-eyed Circassian. I think it only matters if one is being discriminated against.....or ethnically cleansed.
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  16116. @Kubilay X Well said, very interesting. I'm just reading how Mehmed II (Constantinople 1453) invited the Greek Orthodox Patriarch back, and the Grand Rabbi ; he gave tax breaks to merchants and settlers, invited scholars in Greek, Latin and Persian, and tried to re-establish a multi-ethnic Roman Empire. By contrast, Europe (Catholic) was extremely intolerant and bigoted. For example :- Poland was partition 3 times (1772,1793 and finally eliminated in 1795). Partly due to catholic intolerance of Eastern orthodox (Ukraine) and Lutheran populations which were incorporated into Russia and Prussia respectively. Polish nationalists then identified themselves with Catholicism and today they are 93% Catholic. Bigotry and intolerance was directed at all other faiths especially Jews.
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  16117. I hope Biden gave that shaky old duffer the hard word.
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  16118. "Cultural erasure" : research the destruction of Mecca and Medina by Saudis They bulldozed all the medieval heritage to make a car park They believed old building shouldn't become icons for worship
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  16119. Russia = state sponsor of terrorism (India supports Russia) India = Axis of Evil country
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  16120. Biden phoned the king of Saudi. That must have been a ripper : like a crossed line in a nursing home. The Saudi King is completely demented and Biden is 50% compos mentis. The Saudi Dragoman must have double translated into kindergarten patois for his monarch, then simply invented some platitude to deliver back to Biden.
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  16121.  @Depression_journey  Many folk look at the number of missiles and get confused. Russia acknowledges that most of its missiles are decommissioned - the warhead is stored separately for safety, and the missiles need fuelling. Less than 10% of Russia's missiles are available for immediate launch. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. That is why the US has "a massive, massive, superiority" over any other nation. The Yanks don't spend $800 billion a year for nothing.
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  16122.  @rosreaviemore727  Let me explain the USA's massive, massive superiority. Russia has thousands of decommissioned missiles - the warheads are stored separately and the rockets need fuelling. The USA can destroy Russia and China and launch in 20 mins. No nation has ever had the instant firepower of the US.
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  16123. SNAKE ISLAND He already has done. Russia has a good history of being defeated : they're used to it. Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  16124. "How dare the UN not condemn Hamas murder & rape ?"
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  16125. The Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby almost wept when asked a question on Ukraine. He is a hardened former Vice Admiral, and was asked why he got upset. He said the question brought to mind photos he'd seen of children who had been raped and abused by Russian soldiers : the sort of images one cannot get out of one's mind. That is why he became upset. Russian soldiers did some terrible things in Bucha - things that cannot be described on TV. That is why the EU, and US Congress, and NATO, Biden and Boris, all say Russia must fail. However many years it takes, Russia must fail and be seen to fail.
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  16126. What a marvellous demonstration of democracy. Personally I oppose the new law but just look at everyone demonstrating and not being tortured for it ! Name one Muslim country where a Jew can demonstrate without being tortured to death ?
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  16127. Well done Qatar. I'd like to present you with the gold medal for bare faced gall. You've successfully lectured the West on Liberal value, Judicial oversight and freedom of the press. Now take a look at your own stinking authoritarian $hithole and shut the £uck up.
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  16128. The files released by Assange may have enabled despotic regimes to identify activists and arrest them. Assange was warned about this - but released the files anyway. Read the Guardian article by Nick Cohen : "The treachery of Julian Assange"
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  16129. Al Jazeera = Hamas
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  16130.  @teresavarghese1177  Hamas and Russia - it is impossible to negotiate with fanatical barbarians
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  16131. LOL the Saudi is a liar. A military leader he is not : the Saudi military is the best comedy in town. The Saudi is ignorant, indolent, bigoted, bone-idle, cowardly and cruel.
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  16132. Gerasimov isn't new - he's an old administrator. He's not a battlefield general. Surovikin was demoted because he didn't push back against Prigozhin's criticism of the High Command. This is simple Kremlin politics
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  16133. Historical analysis : how defeat is victory. In 1848 there were revolutions across Europe. Protesters fell into 3 camps a) Liberals (for parliaments and voting) b) Nationalists ( for united independent nation ) c) radicals (communists, anarchists ) Almost all were crushed by Royal despots and it looked like defeat. ( eg Catalonia Independence ) But : - THINGS WERE NEVER THE SAME AGAIN. In 1848 all the monarchs were walking on eggshells, fearful of the people. (That is the situation in Spain. They are using violence and imprisonment precisely because they are fearful ). Catalonia is a nation in embryo tethered to Spain through violence, repression and the imprisonment of elected politicians.
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  16134. Add to that "He's never kicked ass". You have to have a President who can confront N Korea.
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  16135.  @Chrisander90  Watch the final performance - Zelensky scratches his head, then when WW1 is brought up, Schulz scratches his head. I'm no psychologist, but they both use the arm nearest Macron, as if to distance themselves, or place a barrier between them and him. Macron's performance makes one think he is mentally ill.
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  16136. Kamala is Hillary MkII On that same trip Harris stayed in D.C.’s upscale St. Regis hotel, billing her campaign $3,434.74 for a four-night stay, a nightly rate of $858.69.
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  16137. Latest News : Russian cruiser Moskva has rolled over and sunk. The Indian flagship INS Vikrant is also a Russian rust-bucket, China will target it and sink it within 24hrs of any conflict.
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  16138.  @daakudaddy5453  LOL, maybe you are right. I was simply so overjoyed that the Russian flagship has sunk. Oh yes, it has rolled over to port-side and sunk. Rejoice !!! On a serious note. Aircraft carriers are passé : I should know, Britain just spent $8 billion on one. They must be kept away from the action at all cost. Frigates are the ships to buy - the French ones, radar-smooth, with 8 cruise missiles.
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  16139. Interesting. I made a video on historical reason for Spanish-America's failings. It includes a very good comparison of Venice and the Papal states. In a nutshell :- North America embraced representative assemblies in religion and politics. Spanish-America embraced the leviathans of Spanish society : the Church and nobility. In other words, embraced authoritarianism which easily segued into military dictatorship.
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  16140. ​ Apeman Commeth  , In the late eighteenth century, some mixed-race persons sought legal "certificates of  whiteness" (cédulas de gracias al sacar), in order to rise socially and practice professions.  American-born Spaniards (criollos) sought to prevent the approval of such petitions, since the "purity" of their own whiteness would be in jeopardy.  They asserted their "purity of blood (limpieza de sangre) as white persons who had "always been known, held and commonly reputed to be white persons. Spain was obsessed by limpieza de sangre. (Bloodline) " Spain was obsessed by the twin fanaticisms of rank and faith" (Henry Karmen)
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  16141.  @pepeargento1327  , I've been studying Spanish history for years. You could watch "Spain : rise and fall" Or "30yrs war : Spain's swan song" Or my latest video " Spanish-America failure North America success why ? "
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  16142. 9 Nov 2022 NY economics club mark Milley : "Right now Russia is on its back"
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  16143. Putin's "rape" joke about Ukraine. In a phone call with macron, Putin joked :- “Whether you like it or not my beauty, you will need to put up with all I do to you.” (It rhymes in Russian.) It is based upon a Russian joke regarding Sleeping Beauty. Putin is a KGB thug, he has the morality of a gangster.
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  16144. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  16145. Al Jazeera propaganda Hamas is resupplying fighters in Gaza city The hostage deal is all about allowing Hamas to re-occupy Gaza city Civilians in Gaza city are being used as shields by Hamas fighters
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  16146. A marvellous presentation of unity and strength. Addressing world issues - climate change and food security : democratic supremacy. Compare the corrupt Kremlin : unfathomable ignorance, unhealthy barbarity, and banal lies.
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  16147. Lethal, it tells us he feels secure in power.
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  16148. The Ukrainian and Russian peoples came out of the Dnieper baptismal font, and war between these peoples is a repetition of Cain’s sin. . . Such a war has no justification for either God or man.”
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  16149. Rafael, that's a fair question. It's because the Islamofascist Ayatollahs believe in the 12th Imam who comes at Armageddon. The Fascist Ayatollahs have said they will exterminate Israel and they long for Armageddon. They must never get nuclear weapons.
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  16150. True believer, what are you writing an essay on ? Don't tell me it's religious clap-trap.
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  16151. General Ben Hodges (retired NATO commander) "hemingway's character says he went bankrupt in two ways slowly then suddenly. That is how the Russian Federation could collapse." The West should be prepared. Medvedev :"They are trying to disintegrate Russia for a 2nd time" Russia and America are in agreement.
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  16152. But what Greg describes : rural support for Maduro : urban support for the Opposition, is just the same as Zimbabwe. ZANU pf are very popular in the rural regions. But they are still dictators. Greg should go to Zimbabwe he'd tell you ZANU have great support. Ask yourself why Maduro changed the constitution ? Why has Maduro promoted 2000 corrupt generals ?
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  16153.  @slow-mo_moonbuggy  , I've looked twice : I can't find any questions. Let me guess what they are :- a) the US only wants the oil b) It is US sanctions that have economically crippled Venezuela c) Chavez/Maduro have raised folk out of poverty Answers : a) well there's some truth to that b) that's nonsense ; Chavez began the mismanagement and the economy was already wrecked when Maduro took over. c) true, but they sold all the nation's assets and wrecked the economy doing it.
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  16154.  @slow-mo_moonbuggy  , that's nonsense. Venezuela's economy was made totally dependent on oil by Chavez. When oil went from $100 to $40 Venezuela were goosed. It's that simple. Now Maduro can flog all the gold assets and sell future oil reserves at knock down prices but he's only ruining the country further.
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  16155.  @slow-mo_moonbuggy  ,I'm actually a Radical and would like to invite you to watch my video "Reformation Radicals Secularism" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pPcAPBBXR8&t=3s
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  16156.  @IMSiegfried  ,oh I didn't know I was repeating myself. My point is the simple comparison : Zimbabwe is a dictatorship masquerading as democracy , just like Venezuela.
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  16157. Germany sabotaged Ukraine in 3 ways :- 1) Denying airspace to weapons flights 2) vetoing 3rd party weapons (eg Estonian howitzers) 3) blocking direct sales Germany became the Kremlin's 5th column. Only after much arm-twisting has Germany partially joined the Ukraine cause. Why has Germany no moral compass ?
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  16158.  @urbansenicar81  You are correct. But I was using "sabotage" in a provocative, hyperbolic way, to emphasize German pusillanimity.
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  16159.  @she825  "Entitled" ? Ukraine is being invaded by barbarians ! Western civilization is finally confronting Asiatic Autocracy. Written in 1855 (Crimean War) "This then is my creed. I look upon Russia as the personification of despotism : in the present state of Poland and Hungary we see her work. Such a power can be curbed only by war, and must be curbed sooner or later, if Europe is to remain free. If we believe that God wills the liberty and happiness of mankind, how can we doubt that we are doing God's work in fighting for liberty against aggression" John Bright MP was anti-war, and stated (1855) :- "I go against fighting for Hungary or any other country.....by perfecting our own institutions, by promoting intelligence, morality and health......we shall do more for humanity" John Bright also acknowledged - "It is a delusion to think you can take guarantees from Russia", and suggesting that "The Russian power was a phantom". 170yrs later, and Russia is still at it.
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  16160. Resign ! The Speaker must go
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  16161. Why have Germany and France switched sides ? When Russia invaded they both decided on appeasement - Germany sabotaged weapons deliver from Britain and Estonia, Macron said, "We must not humiliate Russia". They both considered Crimea to be de facto Russian territory. Why have they now sided with Ukraine ? Because by offering a carrot to Moscow France & Germany were prolonging the war.
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  16162. Rubbish Gallant has just given Hezbollah a 48hr deadline to stop shelling or Israel invades It is not a bluff ! a) Israel always intended to take out Hez and remake the middle east b) it takes attention from Gaza and allows Israel more time c) Egypt must allow refugees
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  16163. This is an uplifting video : "The Industrial Revolution why Britain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PsZmnVqqQ England benefited greatly from the Dutch Connection ( see my Charles I, Charles,II and William III trilogy)
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  16164.  @Ali_Al_Abdu  Yeah, that's just a tiny sample that happened to crop up in an unrelated-toFatah event, the Panama papers.
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  16165. Ayatollah Khomeini executed 7000 Iranians in his first year. Prisoners of the Shah recorded in their memoirs the boredom of prison life. Prisoners of the Ayatollah reported horror, torture, screaming and death. The Ayatollah is the worst thing to ever happen to Iran.
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  16166.  @RebeccaTurner-ny1xx  I was shocked actually to hear an imprisoned Palestinian terrorist say, "We have to remember we've got to live together as neighbours when this is all over" (It may have been Marwan Barghouti, who said it ten years ago)
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  16167. The Civilized world condemns India : calling it "shaky" India is held in contempt by the civilized world. Only China & Russia "Woos India" : they are "The Axis of Evil" The Axis of Evil Woos India (That should be the title)
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  16168. "Both sides' unwillingness to come to a deal" ? Israel agreed to the Paris proposal It was Hamas that added delusional demands Biden : "Hamas demands are over the top" Blikebn : "Hamas demands are clear non-starters"
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  16169. Those injured were shot in the legs. They are "wounded" Those who were killed died in a stampede Hamas are spreading lies as usual and Western media repeats Hamas propaganda
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  16170.  @josew9438  When Ayatollah Khomeini landed in Tehran from Paris (1979) He was asked what he'd do with the democrats and replied , "I'll kick their teeth in ". He executed 7000 opposition supporters in his first year. The Socialist party was huge in Iran, they overthrew the Shah, what do you think happened to them ? They were slaughtered in the Ayatollah's death camps. Read "The executioners deserve medals". They hanged them six at a time from forklift trucks.
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  16171. "500 dead at hospital" lies ! "The Anglican diocese that manages the hospital reported 200 people killed" Al Ahli hospital was a Hamas rocket that misfired Al Jazeera please stop propaganda and lies
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  16172. "Bourgeoisie revolutions" That's a handy phrase to skip over a whole junk of history. Let me try running with that ball :- France, UK and Netherlands English Civil War 1642 followed by Glorious Revolution 1688 French Revolution 1789 and the Netherlands war of independence (from Spain) 1568-1648 Prussia deserves a defence : a visiting diplomat was amazed to see school children never beaten (Frederick had followed the advice of Bohemian Comenius) All children were educated and Prussia had one of the highest literacy rates. Prussia was traumatised by the French (Napoleon) invasion with many violations being inflicted on the people by troops. After Sedan 1870 many wanted to destroy France completely. Prussia accepted dissenters when Catholic Austria was persecuting them. Churchill is the man who gassed the Kurds 1920 and had suffragettes force fed in prison which involved breaking their jaw. His WW2 chief of staff Alan Brooke said he would be obsessed by a topic for 48hrs then forget all about it. Which is how the Gallipoli catastrophe happened.
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  16173. Uuurgh, doesn't it make you sick. Dictators & Despots, Africa and Latin America. Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown.
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  16174.  @LarzGustafsson  Well that's true. But where would the Middle East be without the Western push for reform ? There would be no Arab Spring.
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  16175. Trump is a liar and a moron. Putin is a liar and a KGB gangster , he's no bright spark : his invasion of Crimea and Ukraine crippled Russia's economy for a decade. It blew a $480 billion sovereign fund and lack of investment today means less output for the next 10yrs. Xi Jinping is a liar and a corrupt apparatchik, maybe the smartest of the three but that's no great boast
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  16176. Biden is such a coward. Russia strike 12km from the Polish border killing 35. If NATO had simply switched on their radar it would've prevented the strike. But Biden has insisted all systems remain cold. Biden is a yellow striped coward.
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  16177.  @enjoyesk8978  Tell that to former NATO commander General Wesley Clarke. Wes is incandescent at the pusillanimous response from Biden. Western powers still have embassies in Lviv, and Putin is striking it with impunity (missiles & planes). At the very least NATO could supply surface to sea missiles and allow Ukraine to strike Putin's Black Sea fleet.
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  16178.  @juliantrott3835  There is no such thing as a "surface to sea" missile. LOL Any missile which is launched from land and hits a ship at sea is a surface to sea missile. I don't care what anyone says.
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  16179. When Chinese premier Zhou Enlai famously said it was “too early” to assess the implications of the French revolution, he was referring to turmoil in France in 1968 and not — as is commonly thought — to the more distant political upheaval of 1789.
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  16180. UN demands "Unconditional release of hostages" Hamas MUST release ALL hostages unconditionally Will Hamas comply ?
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  16181. 1:00 "he likes to be loved" good observation. Trump admitted it at a rally ", I just want to be loved.....is that weird ?" You can read the big dope like a book. But he's right on China and Iran . He's 100% right on those Axis of Evil countries.
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  16182. Plan B : Iran's nuclear facilities are destroyed. That has always been on the table.
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  16183. More money goes to MIGRANTS than goes to UKRAINE God help us all
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  16184. China = Axis of Evil For Pakistan this brings back memories of Bangladesh, where they established industrialized rape camps. Human rights groups estimate the number of victims to be 245,000 women and girls. (1971)
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  16185. Too little too late. In February Germany froze. RAF weapons flights had to fly around German airspace. Germany froze - it was sickening to watch. Any assistance given by Germany has been under duress. NATO has forced Germany into doing something.
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  16186. Russia has a transcendental belief in its superiority. It regards itself as the successor of the Roman Empire. (After the fall of Constantinople 1453, the last Byzantine Emperor's daughter married a Tsar : which is why Russia employs the double-headed Byzantine eagle) Deep down the Russians know this is a farce - that they were governed by Mongols for 250yrs (till 1487), and that they adopted Asiatic Autocracy as their model of governance. Karl Marx described the Russians as "The immobile Mongol" Which is also why Russians make a great parade about being 'European'. Every tsar (after Peter the Great) married a German princess, because they recognised the barbarity of their own kind. That is why the Kremlin spoke French for two centuries. Russia actually need therapy.
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  16187. 1:55 the gearbox guy : I'd like to ask him why they clunk into 1st.
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  16188. Northern Ireland is one story. NATO is another. How did France acquire the sobriquet "Perfidious" ? 13 Oct : NATO met to discuss Russia's nuclear threat 13 Oct (evening) Macron on TV declares "Nuclear neutrality" Jens Stoltenberg , "France has revealed its hand" He meant "Perfidious France has stabbed NATO in the back"
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  16189.  @alekseyalekseev7084  in 1905 the Russian admiral wasn't laughing : he had sailed his fleet halfway round the world, and the moment he met the Japanese they sank his ships the same afternoon.
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  16190.  @alekseyalekseev7084  The admiral didn't want to go. Most officers knew it was suicidal - they claimed to be sick or refused. Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky couldn't get out of it, Tsar Nicholas II insisted he go. He died like a mug. Just like the Orcs are dying in Ukraine - like mugs.
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  16191. In April 1849 Hungarians surrendered to Russian troops, and were incorporated back into the Austrian Empire. What were Russians doing fighting for the Habsburgs ? Good question. Russia have always believed they had a right to be consulted and to dictate Europeans affairs. They invaded Hungary again in 1956 They invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 Russians are feared and hated by all their neighbours.
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  16192. Whatever you do DON'T have an FBI investigation of that ruddy-cheeked boozer : who knows what fake news they'll uncover.
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  16193. Yes, he did say CAA. I had to Google it to see if that was the cyber unit acronym. LOL I should have known it was moron Trump mincing his words.
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  16194. The DILEMMA Putin will be more popular once he is forced out (nostalgia). Those who removed him will become scapegoats to exonerate the rest. Those who remove Putin lose all wealth and power. There is no rational motivation to remove Putin.
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  16195. From Khan Younis one can now see the sea (A good news story in the middle of a tragedy)
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  16196.  @fofocollinsyekplowodo3220  Putin's missile strike was a response to Lyman not Kerch bridge. (This is an observation by an Oxford expert) Kerch can be repaired. Lyman is a catastrophe. The Kharkiv counter-offensive can be excused o Russian TV as "probing for weak points", but at Lyman the Russians prepared superb defences, so good Ukraine had to go round the back. Lyman shows that Russia CANNOT resist Ukraine even when it knows what is coming. When Svetove and Kremina fall Putin will be toppled.
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  16197. Qatar should send some money, Instead of bribing politicians in the EU
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  16198.  @jasonmcroberts7994  I think the Russian generals know they will be annihilated first. The US (and NATO) has a massive, massive superiority in firepower. Annihilation for Russians is assured ; for the West there will simply be a lot of damage.
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  16199.  @jasonmcroberts7994  "The West would NEVER EVER EVER be the first to engage in a nuclear strike" The US is constantly monitoring Russia. As soon as Russia open the silo doors, the West would strike. Russia need to make preparations for a first strike. The west isn't going to watch those preparations and keep their fingers crossed. As Russia prepares for its strike the NATO phones will be buzzing, when they have ascertained Russia is serious, a first strike is inevitable.
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  16200.  @jasonmcroberts7994  Yes it will come from a sub - but Russian subs don't pack the punch for a killer blow. Only the US has that sort of punch. Russia would need to prepare and arm many hundreds of missiles. The Yanks would watch them doing it. Then they would make the logical decision to make a pre-emptive all-out strike. It would wipe Russia completely off the map.
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  16201.  @jasonmcroberts7994  Your comment is fantasy. I am quoting a member of the Intelligence Committee : Lord Owen. "A massive, massive superiority"
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  16202.  @jasonmcroberts7994  The reason everyone expects Putin to go nuclear is because Russia has such an appalling war record :- Russia's war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 2022 defeated by Ukraine In WW2 it was Stalin's NKVD that won the war : officers who wouldn't advance were shot or sent to the Gulags. Tens of thousands went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Russia's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1954 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Georgia 2008 d) Crimea 2014
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  16203. LOL Hamas lies - "The war started on Oct 9th" Ooops, he forgot the Hamas massacre
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  16204. How sad. When medieval savages take over a country, everyone suffers.
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  16205. Colonialism I wish people wouldn't talk about "colonialism" It is like talking about "science" : biological weapons may be bad, and telecommunications good. German, Belgian and Italian colonialism was bad. British and French colonialism was good. (by and large). Colonialism :- Consider England invaded by the Normans 1066. They built Cathedrals, instituted laws and abolished slavery. Which is why the Pope granted the Normans dominion over barbaric Ireland. Eleanor of Aquitaine (1154) introduced words like "courtesy, honour and chivalry" These had a lasting beneficial impact on England. Likewise, British parliamentary democracy had a lasting beneficial impact across the world.
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  16206. Remember when John McCain stumbled across the ignorant underbelly of America ? Campaigning against Obama, the bungled & botched expressed their fears of Obama the jihadist traitor, and McCain, horrified, had to reassure them Obama was an American patriot. It was an ugly scene. Nobody realised how much ignorant bigotry was dormant in the US. Anyway, Trump realised........and tapped into it.
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  16207. "anonymous" has removed his comment criticising me for the 'Civic Virtue' remark. I only made it because I'm reading 'John Milton and the Civil War' ; and that elitist believed in government by an educated Oligarchy possessed of Civic virtue imbibed whilst they were studying in Italy (as Milton had done ; in fact the oligarchy were Milton manques )
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  16208. Macron's European Defence Force is designed to oppose NATO. Why does France dislike NATO ? (It's a long story) In 1840 France backed the Egyptian usurper against the Sultan and were humiliated when they had to back down. They retaliated by militarizing the Rhineland which empowered Prussia who.... In 1870 humiliated France. In 1898 France was humiliated when it tried to militarize the Nile and had to retreat. "It is impossible to fathom the eccentric depths of French feeling" wrote Lord Salisbury. In 1906 Moroccan Crisis France was humiliated : only support by Britain and the USA saved France from capitulation. In 1911 Agadir Crisis Germany dictated which ministers could be in the French government. Support from Britain and the USA forced Germany to eat humble pie. The Germans vowed never to back down again, which caused them to start....... 1914 WW1 : France was humiliated. 1939 WW2 : France was humiliated General de Gaulle said, "France cannot be France without greatness" Therein lies the problem.
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  16209. What a rough bunch : one wouldn't want to be a Russian.
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  16210. US General Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
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  16211. Spain are sending 40 Leopard Tanks and Aspid air-defence missile systems. Well done Spain. The Aspid air-defence missile system, looks like an M270 only with 3 missiles.
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  16212. Erdogan is an Islamofascist. He is anti-democratic. Erdogan said, "Democracy is like a bus : you ride it to your stop and get off".
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  16213. alperen, are you saying Erogan is a democrat ? Well what did he mean when he said " "Democracy is like a bus : you ride it to your stop and get off". ? It sounds like he's more of a fascist.
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  16214. Correct : Putin is paranoid delusional.
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  16215. S-300 will be Biden's big announcement this week at Brussels or in Poland. Any bets ?
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  16216. 7:00 The US general is Mark Milley, speaking on Nov 9 at the NY Economics Club He said :- ""Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back." That's right, Russia is "on its back"
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  16217.  @polarstorm5986  Well done Germany We want the Alliance to be successful at repelling Russian aggression. Germany showed its heart wasn't in it initially. (Maybe it is still uncertain ?)
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  16218. 2:30 "Macron says we must not humiliate Russia" Watch the response : exasperation. Everyone is exasperated with Macron's cowardice, appeasement, and collaboration.
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  16219. Samuel Ramani : good analysis, but speak more slowly on Skype and enunciate your words more clearly.
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  16220. "I actually wonder whether the Chinese would think it was worth bothering with" The UK isn't worth the candle.
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