Ukraine: Invasion Imminent?

[trastrick]

21 hours ago, Anna B said:

Our 'Public sector' is being rolled back considerably, and we are all the poorer for it.  

However that doesn't mean that I don't think the money (our taxes) couldn't be much better spent. Our taxes continue to increase yet we seem to get less and less for it. 

'Value for money' seems to be an alien concept.

Value for money, or CBA (Cost benefit analysis) exists only in the world's business and trading community.

 

Gocernments tend to be run by folks who never had a real job, outside of government, where the money you spend is not yours, nor are you accountable for inneficiency or incompetence.

 

I built a successful  career in Project Management Consulting to such people, in all levels of government. There's still a huge market for delivering a project, product or service on time, and under budget, based on common sense, that is not subject to committees, and outdated and inefficient policies that bogs them down and gives them all the excuses they need, for failing.

 

My advice to the Uke's would be to face the reality of geopolitics. NATO or the U.S. will NOT come to their aid, and  so make the best deal they can, to end the slaughter.

 

The fallacy "narrative" that is currently popular, is that the Mad Tyrant next door can be "shamed" by international "moral spremacists pearl cluchers",  into turning tail and running away, and realizing the error of his ways

 

That is a non starter.

 

 

[hauxwell]

22 hours ago, crazyhorse said:

It is impossible to totally avoid Chinese made stuff...but there are still many things made in the UK, America and Europe if you want to try and avoid China as much as you can.

Spent an hour looking at precision screwdrivers the other day...and went for the German made ones, although they were twice the price.

I like Germany and they like us.

Not the only thing I have got from Germany recently either. They seem good for tools, washing machines etc.

Also Taiwan is a better bet than China...at least Taiwan is a democracy and aligned with the West.

Having said that we do still make good stuff in the UK as well.

If you hunt around, you would be surprised how much stuff we still make.

A fair bit of the stuff on my bike is manufactured over in Lancashire for example.

Not sure where the aluminium comes from...but it does at least support some UK manufacturing jobs.

You are right it is hard to avoid Chinese made goods.
 I also don’t mind buying things that are made in Germany.  Just over a year ago I had to buy a new fridge freezer when mine broke down.  There was a Bosch fridge freezer in the sale which is German made I think, it’s much better than my old one.

[Padders]

8 minutes ago, hauxwell said:

Just caught something on the news that she’s been sent to prisons for 15 years and lawyers for her defence haven’t been allowed to talk to her. A very brave lady indeed.

 

I’m aware that a large majority of the Russian population don’t know what is happening with regards to the war but when Russian soldiers are killed surely families will start to wonder what is happening? 

Once Putins defeated, she will be released, and become a hero.....which she is.

[hauxwell]

Just now, Padders said:

Once Putins defeated, she will be released, and become a hero.....which she is.

I hope you are right.  She has left a recorded message in case she was arrested.

[Jim117]

55 minutes ago, trastrick said:

Value for money, or CBA (Cost benefit analysis) exists only in the world's business and trading community.

 

Gocernments tend to be run by folks who never had a real job, outside of government, where the money you spend is not yours, nor are you accountable for inneficiency or incompetence.

 

I built a successful  career in Project Management Consulting to such people, in all levels of government. There's still a huge market for delivering a project, product or service on time, and under budget, based on common sense, that is not subject to committees, and outdated and inefficient policies that bogs them down and gives them all the excuses they need, for failing.

 

My advice to the Uke's would be to face the reality of geopolitics. NATO or the U.S. will NOT come to their aid, and  so make the best deal they can, to end the slaughter.

 

The fallacy "narrative" that is currently popular, is that the Mad Tyrant next door can be "shamed" by international "moral spremacists pearl cluchers",  into turning tail and running away, and realizing the error of his ways

 

That is a non starter.

 

 

Putins deal is complete and utter servility to Russia, can’t see him selling that one tbh.

[L00b]

1 hour ago, hauxwell said:

Just caught something on the news that she’s been sent to prisons for 15 years and lawyers for her defence haven’t been allowed to talk to her. A very brave lady indeed.

 

I’m aware that a large majority of the Russian population don’t know what is happening with regards to the war but when Russian soldiers are killed surely families will start to wonder what is happening? 

I raised that point earlier in the thread.

 

Putin can run however much propaganda he can, and suppress the truth however harshly he wants: he won’t be able to silence Babushkas whose sons return shell-shocked or maimed from ‘exercises’, still less those whose sons do not return.

 

The Russian casualty estimates  (KIA, wounded, captured) are currently running at up to 10% of forces in-theatre. That would make it 20.000 (!)

 

Russian local press shall play a major role here, as it is far closer to communities and far less controlled by the Kremlin.

 

The Spring Conscription is also just around the corner in Russia. Interesting times ahead for Vlad.

 

1 hour ago, trastrick said:

(…)

 

The fallacy "narrative" that is currently popular, is that the Mad Tyrant next door can be "shamed" by international "moral spremacists pearl cluchers",  into turning tail and running away, and realizing the error of his ways

 

That is a non starter.

You forgot about that CBA from the Russian perspective, which makes your “narrative” ‘point’ redundant (not that it is a point to begin with): the @ss is falling out of Russia’s economy right now.

Edited March 15, 2022 by L00b

[cgksheff]

2 hours ago, hauxwell said:

Just caught something on the news that she’s been sent to prisons for 15 years and lawyers for her defence haven’t been allowed to talk to her. A very brave lady indeed.

 

I believe that, as of now, she is still under arrest undergoing pre-prosecution investigation.

None of her supporters/lawyers have been able to ascertain where she is being held. Nor have they been able to contact her or those involved in her prosecution.

You probably heard that her "offence" carries a possible sentence of 15years. 

[hauxwell]

30 minutes ago, cgksheff said:

I believe that, as of now, she is still under arrest undergoing pre-prosecution investigation.

None of her supporters/lawyers have been able to ascertain where she is being held. Nor have they been able to contact her or those involved in her prosecution.

You probably heard that her "offence" carries a possible sentence of 15years. 

You could be right about the possible 15 year sentence.  Just hope she is okay.

 

[trastrick]

2 hours ago, Jim117 said:

Putins deal is complete and utter servility to Russia, can’t see him selling that one tbh.

I think he'd be happy with a client state, with mutual defense treaties.

 

That is not unreasonable given the reality of the  geopolitical divisions that exist in the world today.

[Dromedary]

IMHO I think that Putin has wanted to form Russia's own trading block of Russian and ex-Soviet states and that is why he is against any individual state becoming a member of the EU. He has certainly shown he does not want Ukraine being part of the EU.