The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by 2Fingers »

Strangelove wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 2:04 pm
2Fingers wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:45 am And nothing will be done about it, in reality there is little anyone can do about it except start a war.

Same as the meddling of China and Russia AND AMERICA in other countries politics.
Fixed.
Yeah I was going to say that, it is not like Britain, France and the USA don't do it. But at least they are on our side, right :look:
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Per »

Putin is having problems...

Protests in Belarus ever since the sham elections. People marching in the streets demanding that Lukashenko And apart from the Russia backed insurgents in eastern Ukraine, Lukashenko is the only really loyal ally Russia has in Europe.

Protests in Siberia. After a governor in one of the far east regions was arrested on murdercharges, people have taken to the streets and demanded his release. The locals are convinced of his innocence and claim it’s a coupe orchestrayed from the Kremlin.

The failed murder of Navalny. The opposition leader was given a neurotoxin before boarding a four hour flight to Moscow. As he started to fall ill, the pilot requested to make an emergency landing. The request was denied, and he was instructed to continue to Moscow where an ambulance would meet up. The pilot ignored the orders and made an emergency landing anyway. Navalny was brought to a hospital, given the proper antidotes and placed in intensive care. Because of the pilot and hospital staff, the murder attempt failed, and Navalny was later, after several days of diplomacy transferred to a German hospital.

Interestingly, the journal from the Russian hospital denies he was poisoned, but states he collapsed from a combinatopn of sleep deprivation, too much alcohol and a lack of food. Yet the treatment they gave him was to combat the effects of neurotoxins... :roll:
Obviously the hospital staff did what was necessary to save his life, but then doctored the journals according to instructions...

Oil prices are too low for Russia to make a profit, and the sanctions imposed because of his invasion of Crimea and e Donetsk region are also hurting the .

And finally, his candidate in the US presidential elections is trailing in the Polls.

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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Per »

So... Russia’s Emegencies Minister(?) Yevgeny Zinichev just fell off a cliff. Literally.
https://www.bbc.com/news/58486791

Originally (as in the linked article) it was spoken off as an accident during an ”Arctic drill”. Later it has become clear thst the drill was already over, but Zinichev used a government helicopter to fly a personal friend, film director Alexander Melnik (and a bunch of other people), to a spectacular waterfall in the Norilsk area where Melnik was planning to shoot a film. They landed on a plateau above the waterfall and then, supposedly, Melnik and Zinichev walked out onto the slippery cliffs and then tumbled and fell 27 meters to their death. Officially Melnik slipped and Zinichev then jumped into the water to save him, but - no. Even a former body guard would not deliberately jump into a waterfall of that magnitude. More likely they both slipped. It is not allowed to approach the waterfall without safety equipment, like harnesses secured in life lines, but no such measures had been taken.

Zinichev has posthumously been declared a hero for attempting to save Melnik.

He was a close friend of Putin and used to be his body guard before becoming head of the FSB (ie formerly known as KGB) in the Kaliningrad area, then Governor of Kaliningrad, then assistant head of the entire FSB and now Emergencies Minister. So, kind of like head for FEMA?

Most likely this was just a stupid accident caused by a machismo attitude towards safety measures, but you think a FSB trained body guard should know better. As always when prominent people in Russia die there is of course also speculation that there may be something political behind this, but I’m leaning towards stupidity as the better explanation here.

Thoughts, Topper?
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Topper »

Reefer's co-workers? Makes me think Reefer is a Russian agent
Over the Internet, you can pretend to be anyone or anything.

I'm amazed that so many people choose to be complete twats.
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Per »

Increasing repression in the Sovie... er... I mean, Russia. :(

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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Megaterio Llamas »

Per wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:37 am Increasing repression in the Sovie... er... I mean, Russia. :(

The Soviets are over here on this side of the Atlantic now Per.

Get your regimes right ;)
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Megaterio Llamas »

Per wrote: Sun Sep 20, 2020 9:22 am Putin is having problems...

Protests in Belarus ever since the sham elections. People marching in the streets demanding that Lukashenko And apart from the Russia backed insurgents in eastern Ukraine, Lukashenko is the only really loyal ally Russia has in Europe.

Protests in Siberia. After a governor in one of the far east regions was arrested on murdercharges, people have taken to the streets and demanded his release. The locals are convinced of his innocence and claim it’s a coupe orchestrayed from the Kremlin.

The failed murder of Navalny. The opposition leader was given a neurotoxin before boarding a four hour flight to Moscow. As he started to fall ill, the pilot requested to make an emergency landing. The request was denied, and he was instructed to continue to Moscow where an ambulance would meet up. The pilot ignored the orders and made an emergency landing anyway. Navalny was brought to a hospital, given the proper antidotes and placed in intensive care. Because of the pilot and hospital staff, the murder attempt failed, and Navalny was later, after several days of diplomacy transferred to a German hospital.

Interestingly, the journal from the Russian hospital denies he was poisoned, but states he collapsed from a combinatopn of sleep deprivation, too much alcohol and a lack of food. Yet the treatment they gave him was to combat the effects of neurotoxins... :roll:
Obviously the hospital staff did what was necessary to save his life, but then doctored the journals according to instructions...

Oil prices are too low for Russia to make a profit, and the sanctions imposed because of his invasion of Crimea and e Donetsk region are also hurting the .

And finally, his candidate in the US presidential elections is trailing in the Polls.

The EU and NATO need to find a reverse gear and end this drive to Russia's border. This push to assimilate places like Georgia, Ukraine and Belarus will end in disaster. If you keep up the pressure you will start WW3 and Europe will be destroyed. Ukraine and Belarus should be buffer states, as should the Baltics really. NATO cannot defend the Baltic states, that is a disaster waiting to happen. You really need to stop antagonizing a much more powerful foe and start to respect their red lines before it's too late. It seems incredible to me the the Europeans can't sense the impending doom but the hour is drawing near. Watch out.
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Per »

On that note... apart from the mess on the Belarus-Polish border, there are some 100,000 Russian troops stationed at their border with Ukraine. In a show of solidarity the EU is discussing having a joint military exercise with Ukrainian forces in Ukraine. Poland and the Baltic states are especially keen to do this.

And, no, Russia has no business invading or bullying neighbours. That can never be accepted.
During WW2 they tried to swallow Finland as well.

And appeasing a bully is never the answer. Europe went along and let Hitler have Sudetenland. Did that work out?
No, it just increased his appetite.

I personally think the correct answer to Russia insisting thst Crimea has traditionally been Russian and then invading it would have been to point out that Königsberg (aka Kaliningrad) has traditionally been an integrated part of Pomerania, which typically is part of Germany and/or Poland, and then annex it. I’m sure the people living there would enjoy becoming EU citizens.
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Per »

Anyway, if Putin wants to go by ancient borders, I prefer 1658.

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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Putin says the Ukes are way too bitter about Crimea river?
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Megaterio Llamas »

Per wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:54 pm On that note... apart from the mess on the Belarus-Polish border, there are some 100,000 Russian troops stationed at their border with Ukraine. In a show of solidarity the EU is discussing having a joint military exercise with Ukrainian forces in Ukraine. Poland and the Baltic states are especially keen to do this.

And, no, Russia has no business invading or bullying neighbours. That can never be accepted.
During WW2 they tried to swallow Finland as well.

And appeasing a bully is never the answer. Europe went along and let Hitler have Sudetenland. Did that work out?
No, it just increased his appetite.

I personally think the correct answer to Russia insisting thst Crimea has traditionally been Russian and then invading it would have been to point out that Königsberg (aka Kaliningrad) has traditionally been an integrated part of Pomerania, which typically is part of Germany and/or Poland, and then annex it. I’m sure the people living there would enjoy becoming EU citizens.
What do you mean 'show of solidarity' Per? Ukraine isn't part of the EU. Ukraine will never be part of the EU or NATO, there will be a war before that happens and Ukraine will cease to exist, That is Russia's promise to the US and NATO. Your joint military exercise will bring things to a boil. You have no power to project in Ukraine, you're living in a fantasy world.

The 'troop build up' number is more like 10,000 Russian troops and they're stationed in a city 150 miles north of the Ukraine border. Of course Russia can send it's troops anywhere it wants in it's territory but for now, there is no buildup on the Ukraine border. And of course we already have a road map to settle this problem, the Minsk Agreement of which Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France are signatories. This is the only way out of this problem that doesn't involve war. The authorities in Kiev should be urged to implement the agreement that they themselves signed in 2014.

Kaliningrad is actually Old Prussia if you want to talk about tradition why not go all the way back. Hey, if the people living there now wanted to leave Russia as much as the Crimean people wanted to join Russia I would be all for it. However we have those stubborn realities on the ground to consider, which would tend to mitigate strongly against such a move anytime soon :)


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*fun fact - half as many migrants cross the Channel from France to Britain every day as are camped on the Polish/Belarussian border right now...
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Per »

Megaterio Llamas wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 6:09 am Ukraine and Belarus should be buffer states, as should the Baltics really.
So, you’re not a great fan of democracy or self determination? :hmmm:

The Ukrainians have repeatedly elected political parties that want closer ties with Western Europe.
Why should the Russians have a veto, or even a say, in Ukrainian politics? :eh:

The Baltic states and Poland have joined Nato and the EU based on their own preference and their experience that the Russians cannot be trusted. Once again, why should Russia have a veto, or even a say, in these matters? :eh:
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Megaterio Llamas »

Per wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 1:02 pm
Megaterio Llamas wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 6:09 am Ukraine and Belarus should be buffer states, as should the Baltics really.
So, you’re not a great fan of democracy or self determination? :hmmm:

The Ukrainians have repeatedly elected political parties that want closer ties with Western Europe.
Why should the Russians have a veto, or even a say, in Ukrainian politics? :eh:

The Baltic states and Poland have joined Nato and the EU based on their own preference and their experience that the Russians cannot be trusted. Once again, why should Russia have a veto, or even a say, in these matters? :eh:
What I'm 'not a great fan of' is pushing the EU and NATO to the Russian border and starting a super power war. Russia has already told the Americans and the relevant European players like Macron and Merkel that Ukraine is a red line for them and that it will never be part of NATO or the EU. These are the Russian's words not mine. The issue with the Donbass republics can be resolved by implementing the Minsk Agreement which the authorities in Kiev have so far refused to do.

I guess I'm just not willing to start the great war to bring 'freedom and democracy' to Ukraine. Ukraine is not a vital interest of mine.
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Per »

Megaterio Llamas wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 3:53 pm
Per wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 1:02 pm
Megaterio Llamas wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 6:09 am Ukraine and Belarus should be buffer states, as should the Baltics really.
So, you’re not a great fan of democracy or self determination? :hmmm:

The Ukrainians have repeatedly elected political parties that want closer ties with Western Europe.
Why should the Russians have a veto, or even a say, in Ukrainian politics? :eh:

The Baltic states and Poland have joined Nato and the EU based on their own preference and their experience that the Russians cannot be trusted. Once again, why should Russia have a veto, or even a say, in these matters? :eh:
What I'm 'not a great fan of' is pushing the EU and NATO to the Russian border and starting a super power war. Russia has already told the Americans and the relevant European players like Macron and Merkel that Ukraine is a red line for them and that it will never be part of NATO or the EU. These are the Russian's words not mine. The issue with the Donbass republics can be resolved by implementing the Minsk Agreement which the authorities in Kiev have so far refused to do.

I guess I'm just not willing to start the great war to bring 'freedom and democracy' to Ukraine. Ukraine is not a vital interest of mine.
Russia respecting international law and the integrity of its neighbours is a vital interest of mine.

Chamberlain’s willingness to sacrifice Czechoslovakia didn’t work out so well, did it?
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Re: The Absurd and Whimsical Humour of Vladimir "Dobby" Putin

Post by Megaterio Llamas »

Per wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:23 pm
Megaterio Llamas wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 3:53 pm
Per wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 1:02 pm
Megaterio Llamas wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 6:09 am Ukraine and Belarus should be buffer states, as should the Baltics really.
So, you’re not a great fan of democracy or self determination? :hmmm:

The Ukrainians have repeatedly elected political parties that want closer ties with Western Europe.
Why should the Russians have a veto, or even a say, in Ukrainian politics? :eh:

The Baltic states and Poland have joined Nato and the EU based on their own preference and their experience that the Russians cannot be trusted. Once again, why should Russia have a veto, or even a say, in these matters? :eh:
What I'm 'not a great fan of' is pushing the EU and NATO to the Russian border and starting a super power war. Russia has already told the Americans and the relevant European players like Macron and Merkel that Ukraine is a red line for them and that it will never be part of NATO or the EU. These are the Russian's words not mine. The issue with the Donbass republics can be resolved by implementing the Minsk Agreement which the authorities in Kiev have so far refused to do.

I guess I'm just not willing to start the great war to bring 'freedom and democracy' to Ukraine. Ukraine is not a vital interest of mine.
Russia respecting international law and the integrity of its neighbours is a vital interest of mine.

Chamberlain’s willingness to sacrifice Czechoslovakia didn’t work out so well, did it?
Are you personally prepared to fight a war with Russia for Ukraine? Britain for one seems to be spoiling for a fight. If they're not sailing their warships to the Black Sea and the Taiwan Strait they're sending troops to the Polish border with Belarus over the migrant issue. This despite their apparent disregard for the one thousand refugees entering their own country from France every day. Apparently those thousands of migrants are of no concern to the British authorities in their own country, but somehow the two thousand on the Polish border constitute some kind of a crisis. The way to solve that problem, by the way, is to pick up the phone and work something out with Lukashenko, not mass troops on the border and make threats.

As far as Ukraine goes, we have the Minsk Agreement that all of the pertinent parties have signed up to. Zelensky must be persuaded to negotiate with the authorities in the breakaway Donbass republics, it is the only way out of that crisis short of war, Unless it is war that you want. It seems to me we are closer to a global war right now than we have been since the Cuban Missile Crisis yet there seems to be precious little concern or even awareness of this fact in Western Europe and North America. Taiwan and Ukraine are the two likely flashpoints and you seem keen to make it Ukraine.

By the way I think you have your nazi analogy backward. It is NATO that has been pushing ever eastward to Russia's doorstep, despite US assurances following the breakup of the Soviet Union that it wouldn't absorb the Warsaw Pact countries, much less former Soviet Republics like the Baltic states, Ukraine and Georgia. This expansion was possible because the US was strong enough and treacherous enough to to make it happen, it was purely might makes right. Well today the balance of power has shifted in Russia's favor and they are in a position to block further eastward expansion, which they will definitely do.
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