PieFacE Posted March 1, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted March 1, 2022 Surprised a drone hasn't taken out that convoy considering they've been releasing footage of other drone strikes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 40 miles of military hardware is insane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panto_Villan Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 33 minutes ago, romavillan said: Russian backed Brexit tanking the economy just in time for a pandemic. The problem is the media still does not call out the insane profits that have been made during this period, and the longer period since privatisation of gas and electric etc. and it does not link these profits to the price you pay for energy. If shareholders are getting enormous dividends over the last 10-15 years that's money that comes from your bill and goes into their pockets. The fact that these profits have increased in a crisis is criminal, it's pure greed and at the worst possible time. If even the nurses and the NHS didn't get significant investment in real terms (above inflation) then what chance has anyone else got after all they've done during the pandemic? The EU is hooking Ukraine up to it's grid via Poland and Slovakia to ease it's energy pressures, as far as UK bills are concerned it needs legislation but the people in power are the mates of the people making all the money. If an energy crisis is such a great way for energy suppliers to make money, how come it forced so many out of business? And are the energy price caps not set by an independent body here? Also, the EU is hooking Ukraine up to its grid because they don’t want the only way it can get electricity / gas to be from the country it’s at war with. It’ll just reduce wholesale prices there to the European level, which are the same as here. The UK is already hooked up the EU grid and uses very little Russian gas (less than 5%) but the price of Russian gas going up raises the price of the gas we buy too because again we’re part of the European market and has is expensive right now. The only way legislation on prices would work is if you lowered prices through law and then put a major tax on UK oil/gas producers benefitting from high prices like BP and Shell. That’s certainly a feasible course of action. But that’s got very little to do with privatisation, as Shell for example was always privately owned. The average profit margin for the energy suppliers (not oil majors) was 1% in 2009 and is 4% now. It’s hardly insane profit margins even if you think privatisation brings absolutely zero benefits. Temporarily removing VAT on energy bills would do more for households than nationalising them and giving their profits back to citizens. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 (edited) Just waiting for it to kick of in Bosnia again now. Serbia looking as Russia thinking they can take a leaf from their book. Edited March 1, 2022 by sne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow1988 Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 7 hours ago, Zatman said: the same Rod Liddle You started it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 As always take twitter with a pinch of salt and not 100% the truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnkarl Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 32 minutes ago, Mic09 said: I hope my theory is wrong, but it's entirely possible Russia wanted to go in, make a mess, start a war, end enter yesterday's negotiations with "you have not seen anything just yet". Doubtful, the pre-prepared articles in Russian media published 26.2 shows that propaganda was already prepped for Russia winning in a day. They've severely underestimated Ukraine and are now paying a dear price in life, material and sanctions. The longer Ukraine holds out the more bankrupt Russia will get. I bet Putin did not think that even Switzerland would sanction them, that Turkey would close Bosporos, that China would turn their back and that Russian armor would be this useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicho Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Watched a good video yesterday about the natural gas reserves found in Ukraine late 2000s. These reserves were enough to allow Ukraine to become the second largest exporter after Russia, geographically it would be cheaper for the EU states to buy Ukrainian natuaral resources. Russias economy is only slightly bigger than Spain with the majority from Gas and Oil. Its these resourses that give it its wealth and importantly power in the region. Conidentally, these reserves were found mainly around Crimea and the Donbass region. Count me shocked. Also another note, there are 2 million people in Crimea with hardly any natural water supplies. The water came from a canal in Ukraine which was dammed after the annexation. Russia spent billions on a bridge to link it to the mainland and ships in water daily at the cost of billions, all to keep these resourses and the strategic ports. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnkarl Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 3 minutes ago, sne said: As always take twitter with a pinch of salt and not 100% the truth. 'No Russian weapons are being used against civilians' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 (edited) 6 minutes ago, magnkarl said: 'No Russian weapons are being used against civilians' Never been a war where civilians have not been caught in the crossfire or "acceptable casualties" War is always hell. Edit: Fwiw this strike seem to be more in line with the rumors that Russia are targeting the leading government figures trying to take them out. The 400 Wagner Group mercenaries that supposedly are in Kiev sabotaging stuff and with orders to assassinate Zelenskyy is bad news if true. Edited March 1, 2022 by sne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Follyfoot Posted March 1, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted March 1, 2022 9 hours ago, chrisp65 said: …and I still wouldn’t go to Margate. Forget the Costa brava. I tellin you mate I’d ravva ave a day down Margate with all me family, better watch yer self Granddad or you won’t be goin dawn ta Margate.,…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 25 minutes ago, Genie said: 40 miles of military hardware is insane To does sit slightly oddly with the pictures of Ukraine’s drones picking stuff off. The fog of war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 1, 2022 Moderator Share Posted March 1, 2022 21 minutes ago, Panto_Villan said: If an energy crisis is such a great way for energy suppliers to make money, how come it forced so many out of business? They weren't energy suppliers. They were energy resellers. They were middlemen who played the commodity markets. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awol Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 1 hour ago, romavillan said: LOL, no mention of the Tory's treatment of Ukrainian refugees, and some dubious interpretations of reality yourself here. If you think Brexit has not damaged the UK on the world stage you are a total fantasist. This crisis, far from making the EU crumble as Putin wanted (he expected the same kind of reaction to the Crimea annexation by the look of it) has created a stronger and more united EU with the UK in a very much more minor role than pre Brexit. Agree on refugees, but of course the Tories will do the wrong thing before being dragged kicking and screaming to the right place. I can’t identity this damage on the world stage in any reluctance of other major states to work with the UK on various issues. Could you point it out? Far as I can tell the only place this disaster exists is at the bottom of the FBPE rabbit hole some folks went down years ago. In that extreme worldview the UK should be irrelevant, and the reality of that not being the case has driven some quite mad. The conversion of Germany from a mercantilistic amorality to a desire to play a serious role is fantastic. Hopefully they will join the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force of 10 North European states, that unlike NATO includes Finland and Sweden. A cohesive N European defence arrangement is a great compliment to NATO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Dogg Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 38 minutes ago, sne said: Just waiting for it to kick of in Bosnia again now. Serbia looking as Russia thinking they can take a leaf from their book. Doesn't help that the Serbs view Russia as brothers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaglint Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 30 minutes ago, Nicho said: Watched a good video yesterday about the natural gas reserves found in Ukraine late 2000s. These reserves were enough to allow Ukraine to become the second largest exporter after Russia, geographically it would be cheaper for the EU states to buy Ukrainian natuaral resources. Russias economy is only slightly bigger than Spain with the majority from Gas and Oil. Its these resourses that give it its wealth and importantly power in the region. Conidentally, these reserves were found mainly around Crimea and the Donbass region. Count me shocked. Also another note, there are 2 million people in Crimea with hardly any natural water supplies. The water came from a canal in Ukraine which was dammed after the annexation. Russia spent billions on a bridge to link it to the mainland and ships in water daily at the cost of billions, all to keep these resourses and the strategic ports. Could you put a link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Just now, Mr_Dogg said: Doesn't help that the Serbs view Russia as brothers Yeah exactly. Bosnia is in a scary place atm. But maybe Russia being frozen out and shunned will make Serbia think twice before they kick it off in Bosnia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted March 1, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted March 1, 2022 55 minutes ago, AXD said: I catch myself thinking every morning when opening news websites 'I hope Kiev hasn't fallen last night'. With the images of the convoy heading that way, I think tonight might be the night. Yes, I was thinking this. It's going to be brutal there tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 44 minutes ago, sne said: Just waiting for it to kick of in Bosnia again now. Serbia looking as Russia thinking they can take a leaf from their book. Except it's a complete catastrophe for Russia. I think Serbia will stay put. It's the Bosnian Serbs who are angling to break away from BiH. But their sponsor is getting battered at the moment so they might just decide to cool it for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Just now, maqroll said: Except it's a complete catastrophe for Russia. I think Serbia will stay put. It's the Bosnian Serbs who are angling to break away from BiH. But their sponsor is getting battered at the moment so they might just decide to cool it for now. That is the hope. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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