A Political Thread pt. 2

[Bada-Bing!]

Russia banned from Paralympics in IPC reversal

Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Winter Paralympic Games, less than 24 hours after the IPC announced it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutral athletes.

www.espn.com

Finally! I Thought their decision not to before was just bizarre.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Finally! I Thought their decision not to before was just bizarre.

They explained it pretty well, I thought - basically the IPC had no rules about what to do if one nation invaded another so there was no precedent to kick Russia out....so they then went away and wrote a rule, and enacted it

 

[Which Tyler]

Trump participated in potential crimes to overturn 2020 election, Capitol attack panel claims

In a major filing, the House committee says it believes the former president was obstructing Congress and defrauding the US

www.theguardian.com

 

[General Melchett]

Trump participated in potential crimes to overturn 2020 election, Capitol attack panel claims

In a major filing, the House committee says it believes the former president was obstructing Congress and defrauding the US

www.theguardian.com

I can see them banning him from running again just before the nomination deadline so that there is no time for him to appeal or drum up support from his base. If they ban him now it just gives his lawyers more time to contest any decision.

Had a look at the latest betting odds and The Rock and Jeff Bezos are both in the top 8!

https://www.oddschecker.com/us/insight/specials/politics/20210525-2024-election-odds-who-will-be-the-next-us-president

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I can see them banning him from running again just before the nomination deadline so that there is no time for him to appeal or drum up support from his base. If they ban him now it just gives his lawyers more time to contest any decision.

Had a look at the latest betting odds and The Rock and Jeff Bezos are both in the top 8!

https://www.oddschecker.com/us/insight/specials/politics/20210525-2024-election-odds-who-will-be-the-next-us-president

Over half the names on that list are just depressing to even contemplate. Even someone I don't mind like the rock should be nowhere near the presidency.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

 

[Which Tyler]

Over half the names on that list are just depressing to even contemplate. Even someone I don't mind like the rock should be nowhere near the presidency.

Although, TBF, Zelenskyy is making me rethink my automatic distrust of a celebrity taking office (though of course, I want someone who's put in the time in pubic office)

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Although, TBF, Zelenskyy is making me rethink my automatic distrust of a celebrity taking office (though of course, I want someone who's put in the time in pubic office)

On this point actually - does anyone on here have any idea of his peacetime record and whether he was leading a good gov then? Tbh even if he was ****, the current situ redeems him but I'm just curious what he was like

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

On this point actually - does anyone on here have any idea of his peacetime record and whether he was leading a good gov then? Tbh even if he was ****, the current situ redeems him but I'm just curious what he was like

There are wartime leaders and peacetimes leaders. Thing is, ever since he came to power, he has had to face Russia playing stupid buggers either in Crimea or in the east. He's not had any time of just "normal" country running and always had the possibility of exactly what is happening now hanging over his head.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

28% approval pre war, to 91% now
I've no idea what his policies are/were, but I've seen a lot of Ukrainians say they didn't like him before but do now - a quick google seems most criticism was at him not pushing through anti-corruption bills and not being strong enough vs Russia
Can't really levy the 2nd one at him anymore

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

From what I gather from a few videos,
he was trying to realign Ukraine politically with the west and wasn't doing it massively effectively. Now, he had Russia being pricks around the border and the west giving far too much credibility to the "unsettled" Donbass allegations so it was no easy task but he wasn't doing very well regardless.

Exceptional in the past week and a bit though.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

When Putin is saying Ukraine shouldn’t really exist, and Zelenskyy being a war time leader standing up for Ukraine in the face of his aggression, it’s a very easy win in the polls.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Mystery as another oligarch is found dead in Surrey

Mikhail Watford, 66, was discovered in the garage of his luxury property on the exclusive Wentworth estate in Virginia Water, Surrey, , where homes fetch up to £20 million.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Hmmm

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Mystery as another oligarch is found dead in Surrey

Mikhail Watford, 66, was discovered in the garage of his luxury property on the exclusive Wentworth estate in Virginia Water, Surrey, , where homes fetch up to £20 million.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Hmmm

Speculating here, but Suicide? Rather than anything sinister like Russian operatives sending someone to kill him.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

On this point actually - does anyone on here have any idea of his peacetime record and whether he was leading a good gov then? Tbh even if he was ****, the current situ redeems him but I'm just curious what he was like

I'm no expert but would sum him up as a good man struggling in an incredibly complex and difficult situation. He had avoided any direct corruption rumours and appeared to allow a free press, putting him ahead of pretty much all non-EU post-USSR leaders in much of the old USSR. When a country is as poor and messy as Ukraine you have to take baby steps over the long term from mass corruption to rule of law, so an idealist can struggle to carry support when things inevitably go slowly. The suggestion is he was becoming more pragmatic (and less inspirational) as time went on.

The last two Ukrainian leaders had to rely on militias bankrolled by oligarchs to defend the front line in Donbass. So Zelensky may have associations on paper that don't appear great, but when you take into the account the scenario he has been governing in I'd say he has done decent. Like I said here before the war I think he is a man with his head and heart in the right place.

The very fact he was competent and incorruptible is probably the single largest reason for the invasion. He could have led Ukraine to the promised land of the EU and Putin desires feeble, corrupt and dirt poor administrations in neighbouring countries so that it can control them. Or at least limit their ambitions.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Speculating here, but Suicide? Rather than anything sinister like Russian operatives sending someone to kill him.

Yeah, the reports make it sound like suicide - and if he's one of the guys who lost billions due to the sanctions/economy tanking in Russia then it's definitely possible
But you never know with oligarchs - especially as he is from/made his billions in what is now Ukraine

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Apologies for being the resident merchant of doom, but the fall of Kherson is the third Ukrainian city of the past week (Berdyansk and Melitopol both having more than 100k) regardless of what the UK media insists on spinning. This means Russian forces may cross the Dnieper river and Ukraine will face a front many hundreds of miles across, just on their southern flank alone. In the coming weeks we must see what Ukraine can generate in terms of Guerilla activity behind enemy lines. I hope they have been given training on this.

Also Lukashenko has given a briefing (clip embedded in the article below) showing Russian forces are to strike into Transinistria (an unrecognised Russian enclave of Moldova that already has Russian troops). So I think any suggestion of Russia stopping short of Russia territory linking up with that enclave is probably wide of the mark (the West of Dnieper river puppet state theory).

Why capturing Kherson is important for Russia

The strategically located city has become the first major urban centre to be in Russian hands.

www.aljazeera.com

Moldova has the population of Wales, has been even worse run than Ukraine but recently elected a Zelesnky like woman who is pro-EU. They aren't in NATO (being constitutionally neutral) and are former USSR, so I think invasion there (beyond the enclave) is a possibility as it's a case of 'in for a kopek, in for a rouble'.

And a desperate opportunist move by Georgia (also same population as Wales) that may incur a military response from Putin in the longer term.

Georgia to submit bid to join EU on Thursday - TASS

Georgia plans on Thursday to submit an application to join the European Union, Russia's TASS news agency quoted the former Soviet republic's ruling party as saying on Wednesday.

www.reuters.com

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Apologies for being the resident merchant of doom

I thought that was my job?

 

[ncurd]

Is anyone actually think Ukraine will hold out? I thought general thinking is just how long they'll hold out for and how horrible they can the invasion and post invasion for Russia.

 

[General Melchett]

Is anyone actually think Ukraine will hold out? I thought general thinking is just how long they'll hold out for and how horrible they can the invasion and post invasion for Russia.

Sadly not. I think the longer it goes on and the more frustrated Putin gets the more chance he'll start indiscriminately bombing the **** out of everything from the air in cities like Kiev.

It's going to take the granddaddy of rigged elections to get his puppet re-installed as leader because I don't know who would vote for him if he got ousted during more peaceful times.