ALB
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I see that Boris just called Starmer in the House of a Commons “Sir Beer Korma”. Not bad, even if typical of his buffoonery.
That’s the exact opposite of what Zelensky claims in his nightly show. He claims that Russia wants to destroy everything and kill everybody in Ukraine. That’s so over the top that nobody can take it seriously. But no doubt it serves a purpose by stirring up hatred of Russians to mobilise workers to fight for the Ukrainian state.
I don’t think the French demographer has a case either. It would be a new cause for a state to go to war. In the 1930s Germany, Japan and Italy pleaded the opposite for their expansionism — that they were overpopulated and needed more “lebensraum”.
I suppose that in theory a desire to get control of more workers could be a reason for a state to go to war but I don’t think there are any historical examples (Japan perhaps in the 1930s?). The economic reasons that drive states to adopt war as a policy are more usually to acquire, defend or control sources of raw materials, trade routes, markets and investment outlets, and strategic points and places to protect these.
In the case of the Russian invasion of Ukraine it will be that the government there regarded Ukraine being incorporated into NATO as a threat to their security and wanted to pre-empt this.
A more realistic understanding than Truss of diplomacy from an old hand:
And here’s Lavrov’s direct reply to Truss:
“Lavrov said that Western politicians that say Russia should suffer defeat are bad at history.
“Once again, we are now living through such a period in our history. They say that Russia must “be defeated”, they must “defeat Russia”, make Russia “lose on the battlefield,” he said at an event entitled One Hundred Questions for a Leader. “I am sure that you know history better than the Western politicians who are casting these ‘spells.’”
“They must have done poorly in school,” Lavrov went on to say. “They have drawn the wrong conclusions from their understanding of the past and of Russia.”.“Liz Truss Retweeted
Gabrielius Landsbergis
@GLandsbergis
A great meeting with a true friend Liz Truss. Full agreement on the need to help Ukraine to achieve a complete victory.”At some point the US, let alone France and Germany, is going to have to restrain talk by Borys and Truss about “complete victory” and get them to fall in line with the US’s declared aim of weakening Russia so as to strengthen Ukraine’s hand in the inevitable negotiations to end the war.
Let’s see if Global Britain can organise this coalition of the warmongers on its own without the US.
The first problem would be to get British warships into the Black Sea as the answer to the question posed in this article appears to be none.
I believe Lithuania has a few patrol boats that they might be able to get there via the Danube.
I don’t understand that cartoon. It seems to be a pro-war anarchist criticising anti-war anarchists for saying “no war but the class war”. Is this a correct interpretation?
Here is a relevant point made (amongst others) in an article about the economic effects of the sanctions imposed on Russia:
“Over time, the economic sanctions imposed in support of Ukraine will have important economic consequences. The cost of living in virtually all countries of the world will rise, on top of the price inflation that was already taking off even before the war started. This will be blamed on the war, and declared by all right-thinking people to be part of the sacrifice that is necessary to defend democracy and peace against autocracy and war.”
“Right thinking people” such as politicians and the media might think this, but ordinary people may not. If they don’t, as would be understandable even normal, then they might use their votes to kick out the politicians who actions aggravated the cost of living crisis.
In fact, it would be poetic justice if, as a result of the extra pain they inflicted on ordinary people, Borys, Truss and the others should feel the pain of losing political office and being demoted to the opposition benches with scant chance of regaining their place on the greasy pole.
https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/the-ukrainian-war-and-the-end-of-globalization
Zelensky is talking about a negotiated settlement again. This of course is the only way out (and the sooner the better for the working class there) other than one side or the other capitulating, which is not going to happen.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61535353.amp
This goes against what Borys and Truss have been telling the Ukraine regime — that the only way out is to drive Russian and pro-Russian forces out of the whole of Ukraine, even including Crimea (which would involve massive ethnic cleaning) — and which members of the regime have believed. They haven’t yet cottoned on that Borys is a notorious bullshitter.
His “strategy” is even out of line with the US’s which is to supply arms to the Ukraine regime so as to strengthen its hand in the inevitable negotiations.
I wonder what they discussed — how to avoid a nuclear war breaking out by accident perhaps or breaking out at all?
That reminds me that about 20 years ago we were conned by a group of jokers in Ukraine (as were a number of other groups). Here are some leaflets they told us were distributed in Kiev (but would not have been). As can be seen, they did know how to win our confidence by showing that they were able to produce the sort of leaflets we would have done. It’s a pity they weren’t distributed (or that they didn’t sent us them in Ukrainian too) !
They seem an unsavoury lot, just like all Ukrainian nationalists. Not more a socialist party than was the “German National Socialist Workers Party”.
This is pathetic:
“UN food chief David Beasley appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin: “If you have any heart at all, please open these ports.” Mr Beasley heads the World Food Programme, which feeds some 125 million people and buys 50 per cent of its grain from Ukraine.”
It isn’t a question of having a heart. Those who are in charge of a capitalist state can’t have one. They have to decide and do what is in the best national capitalist interest. So why would the Russian state release Ukrainian grain, the proceeds of which will go to their enemy and help finance their war effort?
Now if he had said if you release them I will ask Biden to relax some of the economic sanctions on your state or told him Russia can keep the proceeds of their sale . . .
Here’s an odd thing:
Nuclear Free Local Authorities seek assurance that UK reactors are Russian uranium free
The Nuclear Free Local Authorities say they are a group of local councils opposed to nuclear energy. That’s a position, but shouldn’t they be opposed to nuclear energy irrespective of where it comes from? Why single out a particular source? Or are they saying that as it comes from Russia it is more dangerous?
This seems just to be crude Russophobia. Councillor Blackburn is a Green Party councillor in Leeds. It might be thought that the Green Party was above this sort of thing But, then, the German Green Party has gone even further and, as part of governing coalition there, is promoting the revival of German militarism.
Musk’s view of who’s in charge in the USA. Good point but who does control the teleprompter?
Spot the difference.
Kherson(under Russian control)
“The Russians were interested in who organised the [pro-Ukrainian] rallies in Kherson’ (…) They are still hunting the organisers. ‘The Russians went from house to house, asking them who lived where in the building.(…) Later they came to specific addresses, kidnapping people and taking them away.’” (Times, 16 May)
Odessa (under Ukrainian control)
“Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa has strong historical links to Russia. And many people there still identify as Russian.
Ukrainian officials say some local collaborators are helping the Kremlin’s war effort by supplying sensitive information.
Now, a hunt for alleged collaborators is under way in Odesa. Technology is playing a key role in this hunt as citizens use several apps and chatrooms to send information about suspicious people to the cybersecurity investigator. Once verified, they pass on the information to the SWAT police team deployed to find suspected collaborators and prosecute them for treason.“ (Al Jazeera video, 17 May https://massive.news/2022/05/17/ukraine-war-swat-police-hunt-for-russian-collaborators-in-odes/)Putin has confirmed that he doesn’t see Finland and Sweden joining NATO as such as a threat but only if NATO moved its troops or weapons there. A bit if shadow boxing going on here, then?
https://www.politico.eu/article/putin-russia-no-problem-finland-sweden-join-nato/amp/
I can understand the Finnish state wanting to join. It has a history of conflict and wars with the Russian state.
But the Swedish state. I can’t understand why. They don’t share a border with Russia and would be treated as just another US client state. No UN more peacekeeping roles, no more giving refuge to political opponents of other NATO states or of states NATO has attacked. In fact, the main victims of Sweden joining would seem to be Kurdish nationalists and other opponents of the Turkish state. Some are likely to have to be handed over to the Turkish state for imprisonment and torture before it lifts its veto on Sweden joining.
I am bit surprised that there isn’t quite a bit of opposition in Sweden to joining. Maybe there is and that’s why the government daren’t hold a referendum on the issue. Anybody know?
