Mandy Lifeboats

You need some context to understand this. Now is the time of year when government departments agree their funding for the next tax year. The military/MOD is outlining what would happen if there was a major conflict. They could conscript the general public OR they could expand. The British Army is presently around 75,000 strong and we spend 2% of GDP. The aim is to increase spending to 3% and increase the size of our forces. That will PREVENT conscription in the future and is therefore more palatable to the general public. We can't just blame the Tories on this one. Labour decided that we needed 2 aircraft carriers. Some would say that decision was more about protecting jobs in the ship building industry than our defense requirements.

In other news...... Air defences are being set up around St Petersburg. I wonder where these came from? It's a big country to defend with finite air defences. Putin recently passed a law that cancels any land purchases or land treaties made between Russia and "unfriendly" countries. This means Russia now considers Alaska to be part of Russia. There was a very humerous press briefing at the Whitehouse. Fast forward to 2.10 in the briefing.

Another Russia plane down. Russia claims it contained Ukrainian prisoners of war. Ukraine claims it contained Russian soldiers and supplies.

The mysterious fires continue. This one was probably caused by not keeping fireworks in an old biscuit tin.

Regarding my post above. If you don't know the full story >> This is a massive warehouse that was raided by Russian Police and Army. Many of the poorly paid migrant workers were taken away to serve in Ukraine. Then the factory developed a wiring fault and burnt to the ground. Oooops.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/russia-ap-associated-press-b2478172.html

1. Is a failure to do something an action or a lack of action. 2. I was only joking. 3. I am an ex- civil servant. In the service a conscious decision to do nothing is referred to as "proactive non-intervention". This distinguishes it from truly doing nothing.

I just looked this up again. The salesman was from a firm in the Jewellery Quarter called "Blinks & Blinks" Has anyone heard of them?

I think the title thread is wrong. The people listed have not necessarily done significant things. Some have done inignificant things that have had significant results. For example - Stanislav Petrov What he didn't do prevented a significant event. You're welcome.

The Brummy Button Salesman at Waterloo. This is someone who is well documented in history but I think is still unidentified. During the heat of the battle Wellington spotted a crucial problem in his formation. He turned to his last remaining messenger who immediately took a bullet. Wellington spotted a civilian on a horse nearby. He called him over. The man presented Wellington with a business card. He was a button salesman from a Birmingham firm. Wellington asked him to take a message for him. The man took the message, delivered it and was never seen again.

Liz Truss. A British Member of Parliament She stabbed the serving Prime Minister in the back before seizing power. The Queen died in very mysterious circumstances shortly after meeting her. She then crashed the economy, stated that she would not resign and then resigned. Today, still wanted by the Police, she survives as a soldier of fortune in the Los Angeles underground.

Wiltold Pilecki A Polish resistance fighter in WW2. He allowed himself to be captured and sent to a concentration camp. Using smuggled radio parts to build a radio he reported what he saw and named those responsible. He managed to escape and went back to fighting with the Polish resistance.

Err.......not quite sure what to say....... https://www.motor1.com/news/702066/amber-russian-electric-vehicle-prototype/

I'd say its more embarrassing. Being shot down by your enemy is war. Being shot down by your friend is an administrative error.

There are lots of seemingly reliable Russia sources saying the Russia shot down at least one of the planes @LondonLax mentions above. One Russia blogger claims that someone has already been shot for their mistake.

1. If true, the destruction of 2 support aircraft is massive. Russia can't get air supremacy against a country with no real airforce. Nor can they defend their fleet against a country with no real navy. 2. Ukraine's electronic warfare is improving. Rumours suggest that Finland and Sweden have played a big part in this development. (Saab and Nokia). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_Surveillanc https://www.nokia.com/networks/industries/defense/

Russian Tank Reserves Everything below is obviously guesswork. But I have taken these figures from various credible sources which seem to be producing similar figures. Tank reserve = 8000 Estimated number actually salvagable = 3300 Real reserve available = 3300 New tanks built = 500 The number of tanks destroyed/captured is at least 2616 Estimated Tanks lost = 3000 Russia is maintaining its number of tanks at the moment so they must have replaced the 3,000 loses. 500 were newly built 2500 came from the 3300 reserve. That makes the remaining reserve around 800 from a starting figure of 8000. This is why Russia is being very cautious. It simply cannot sustain the loss of 1500 tanks a year.

Ah.......we he have a misunderstanding. Russia had a large amount of tanks and armoured vehicles in storage. That reserve has fallen by 90% as they have replaced vehicles that were in service. That's very different to only have 10% of its tanks left. A lot of that reserve are immobile and being used as pillboxes or are without their main gun and are being used as mobile machine gun platforms. Much of the reserve stock have been cannibalised for spares. India still hasn't received tanks it returned for servicing before the war began.

I find it very hard to reconcile statements like "Russia is stronger now than at any time during the war" with reality. The Russian exchange rate has been stabilised by spending high amounts of foreign currency reserves and compelling big business to convert foreign currency reserves into rubles. The ruble is still the worst performing currency in the world. The economy is OK. The unemployment rate has been helped by slaughtering the unemployed. Spending on prisons has reduced by slaughtering the inmates. Russia stole western assets and/or compelled businesses to sell their assets for a tiny percentage of the true value. All of these measures are very "one off" measures. Russia has lost 40% of its Black Sea fleet, expended 90% of its armoured reserves and has lost billions worth of aircraft. The Russian border with NATO has increased massively and its all undefended. Ukraine is better armed than ever before and the whole of Crimea is under fire. The Baltic Sea is now completely surrounded. St Petersburg is within shell range of NATO borders. Murmansk is supplied by 1 road and 1 rail track which runs along the Finish border. NATO has expended a lot of its surplus stores. But its modern weapons haven't entered the fray. Russia will not be capable of opposition NATO for a decade. Russia has drawn many red lines that would supposedly prompt unprecedented action. NATO have stepped over all of them. Who can forget Putin's threat of "Immediate action never seen before in history if anyone hindered the SMO". Despite our cruise missiles destroying Russian warships the worst consequence I can see is that we had to host Eurovision. In summary - Russia's not stronger than 2 years ago. Its just reached a military stalemate and hasn't collapsed economically. Its weaker financially, militarily and strategically.

Things may seem bleak @leighavfc but remember the following - Lots of people beat drug addiction and turn their life around. It's not easy but lots of people have shown its possible. Lots of people beat or live good lives with a mental illness (including me). Its not easy but it's definitely possible. Whatever problems you face I can guarantee that people have beaten them. @Rugeley Villa @TheAuthority and I don't know you other than in this forum. If we are offering help just think how much help is out there waiting for you.

OK........let's talk.....either in public or send me a private message. What are you doing about your drug problem? Are you getting professional help? What are you doing about your mental health problem? Are you getting professional help?

The USSR let up on repression and started to open up BECAUSE it was on the verge of collapse. It was on the verge of collapse because of the sanctions. The USSR never hid the better living standards of the West from their population. But they portrayed the western lifestyle as being the lifestyle of a few. The majority were portrayed as being drug addicts, living in poverty. Russia isn't going to be able to do the same.

The USSR was bigger than Russia. It had more land, more resources, more people and more military allies. Do you see it on a map today? Russia isn't Cuba. Cuba is tiny in comparison. Its economy was propped up by the USSR and China. Russia isn't Iran or North Korea. Its population can still flee the country with ease. Russia is.....a tiny bit of the USSR. Sanctions work. They don't stop imorts or prevent exports. They make imports very expensive and exports dirt cheap. That's why the ruble is now worth 100 to the £ when it was only 33 to the £ a decade ago. The UK was hardly an economic success story in the last decade.

I have 3 moments of childhood that still cause me hilarity. The Wombles I loved the Wombles. To promote their Christmas song they appeared at the Mander shopping centre in Wolverhampton. I persuaded my dad to take me. In my childish mind I envisaged being hugged by Orinocho, having a chat with Uncle Bulgaria and then popping to their burrow for tea. Instead I saw a man in a bad hairy suit at a distance of 150m with every single child in Wolverhampton blocking my way. Every time the Wombles song came on the radio - I cried. Take Hart I did a really good** picture of Eskimos. They were sitting outside their igloo fishing in a hole in the ice. I chose this scene because you don't need to colour in snow. It was easy, quick and used very few of my best felt tip pens. I posted it to Take Hart. A few days later I watched the show and my picture didn't appear. What a travesty. I ever lied about my age. Tony Hart became my sworn enemy and nemesis from that day. Mr Benn He lived alone. He would watch the children play in the street. He'd then go to a mystery shop, put on a costume and have an adventure in a small room at the back of the shop with the shop keeper. Pure filth. ** In retrospect it was a steaming pile of carp

I am a few months older.