Current Affairs Ukraine

[RAFUH]

Could I ask that @Kev The Rat tones down the obvious Russian bias and obnoxious posts a bit, or could @roydo , @RAFUH or @GrandOldTeam have a quiet word with him/them

As a a right leaning person on a left leaning forum, you can surely see the problem with suppressing unpopular opinions/complete crap. I was not a mod at the time, but I’d guess someone requested something similar during Brexit…

 

[Aberblue]

That's because you've become too subjective. It's an emotional issue and people take sides - and anyone who isn't completely reading from the same hymn sheet is the enemy.

It's daft but understandable.

Anyway you can't read this so....

Oh, the irony.

 

[verreauxi]

Douglas MacGregor is about as skilled as our resident Putin bootlicker in making predictions, when he said this three days after the war began: “The battle in eastern Ukraine is really almost over," and predicted "If [Ukraine] don't surrender in the next 24 hours, I suspect Russia will ultimately annihilate them." (Via Wikipedia).

 

[davek]

Oh, the irony.

Where's the irony in that...

If someone doesn't agree with me I don't want them banned or ignored.

Are you sure you know what you're saying here...

 

[peteblue]

As a a right leaning person on a left leaning forum, you can surely see the problem with suppressing unpopular opinions/complete crap. I was not a mod at the time, but I’d guess someone requested something similar during Brexit…

I’ve not asked for suppression of opinion, merely an acceptable tone for debate. Nobody died because of the Brexit debate, innocents are being killed everyday during this debate and tone is everything. I’ll leave it there though……

 

[Martin Alvito]

I disagree with a lot of that second bit - there’s very little evidence that voters are opposed to foreign aid in “all its forms”; the amount of money raised privately via charities and by states is massive.

The fact that rags like the Mail and that other one devote years to slagging foreign aid off should tell you that they need to demonise it, which means it’s not demonised now.

I do think the West needs to do much more diplomatically, and we certainly need to get ahead of this movement for UN reform (personally I think advocating regional Security Council seats is the way to go there) but sayings it’s down to what Western electorates will tolerate is wrong imho.

By 'foreign aid' I mean funds paid from government coffers to other governments. That's the standard definition of the term. If we're talking Sally Struthers (and apologies if I'm speaking Greek across the Atlantic re: private contributions), that is not foreign aid. We call those funds private contributions to an NGO.

People in the US believe that they alone should decide where their money should go. This sounds appealing on the face of it, unless you understand the problem of public goods. If you like parks, student loans/paid higher education, three percent down payments on a house, food and medicine containing the ingredients on the label, air traffic controllers, highways, bridges, functional financial markets, health care in retirement/for all, not having runs on banks and national defense, then you need a government because private industry will undersupply or not supply all of these things. Foreign aid also falls into this category.

It may be the case that UK voters are more sophisticated than ours. Over here, foreign aid is a dirty word on both sides of the aisle.

 

[WA Toffee]

ermmm and is that likely? no.....

ok so by process of elimination, and with support being cut and evidence of a failed counter offensive, what do you think the RATIONAL course of action should be?

You are correct, it is not likely that Russia will just stop their war tomorrow.

It is also correct that Ukraine are not likely to just cede their land tomorrow.

Calling people evil just because they prefer option A over option B really doesn't do you any favours.

But suggesting the only plausible solution is option B is quite immature, the most likely outcome will be somewhere in between A and B, but neither side is in a sufficient position of strength to go to the negotiation table with a very strong hand.

 

[WA Toffee]

Assume then that NATO warships can go whereever they please in the Black Sea now?

NATO aren't involved in the fighting, why would their ships go into the Black Sea?

 

[Kev The Rat]

I’ve not asked for suppression of opinion, merely an acceptable tone for debate. Nobody died because of the Brexit debate, innocents are being killed everyday during this debate and tone is everything. I’ll leave it there though……

You will indeed leave it there mate. You and others have already been warned that if you don’t like what you read you can leave

 

[Kev The Rat]

NATO aren't involved in the fighting, why would their ships go into the Black Sea?

If you’d read the point made you’d understand why I responded in that manner

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

You will indeed leave it there mate. You and others have already been warned that if you don’t like what you read you can leave

Who the actual fck do you think you are?

 

[Kev The Rat]

You are correct, it is not likely that Russia will just stop their war tomorrow.

It is also correct that Ukraine are not likely to just cede their land tomorrow.

Calling people evil just because they prefer option A over option B really doesn't do you any favours.

But suggesting the only plausible solution is option B is quite immature, the most likely outcome will be somewhere in between A and B, but neither side is in a sufficient position of strength to go to the negotiation table with a very strong hand.

Their land has already been ceded while Russias hand is clearly getting stronger every day and Ukraine’s is getting weaker.

 

[Kev The Rat]

Who the actual fck do you think you are?

Just reminding him of a mods comments of a few days ago

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

Just reminding him of a mods comments of a few days ago

I'll repeat the question, who do you think you are? Apart from an absolute sick piece of work.

 

[Kev The Rat]

I'll repeat the question, who do you think you are? Apart from an absolute sick piece of work.

odd question