Will Russia invade the Ukraine?

[Screwdriver]

No, he is not saying that.

What he is saying, as I would also, is that rather than having only one official source of information he accepts a plethora of information sources, warts and all, and trusts his abilities to sort the truth from the distortions and outright lies.

Well that is also my position. Gather intel from a disparate number of sources, see which stories sort of line up. Form an opinion based on the overwhelming preponderance of evidence.

It is a bloody minefield though...

[Felix]

Is that the guy we saw being yanked back off the pavement, to the right, not far up from the start?

I thought it might be cops or some sort of stewards. Was it public-spirited onlookers!

Yes. Personally thought the guy wanted a good slap but all they did was pull him to the ground. Was it really worth the effort to find them two and charge them, i doubt it

[Horse]

Anyone who protested at the Queen’s funeral should have been kicked hard in the balls.

Just do it out of sight

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... ew-3864263

It wasn't the funeral they were shouting about, though.

[wheelnut]

Dunno, I find that most organised governments leave you alone if you are a normal honest person, without fanciful ideas of regime change or nefarious activity supported by foreign powers. I prefer a place that is very strict on crime and street violence/aggressiveness, and where the press is very carefully controlled so they can't print lies, go through your rubbish bins, hack your phones, stir up hatred, etc.

90% of the UK only know what they think they know because the outrageously corrupt UK press told them what to think.

But this is way off topic...

There is merit in what you say (John Adams was probably right about democracy) but perhaps you would feel a bit differently if you were gay, or a woman who got pregnant outside marriage.

[JackyJoll]

Anyone who protested at the Queen’s funeral should have been kicked hard in the balls.

Just do it out of sight

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... ew-3864263

It wasn't the funeral they were shouting about, though.

Attending a memorial event and shouting at the deceased’s son is not wonderful behaviour.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Dunno, I find that most organised governments leave you alone if you are a normal honest person

Who gets to decide on that bit then?

I imagine life has always been pretty OK if you're a straight, white, reasonably well off man. Stray outside those lines though and it probably wasn't such fun for the last few centuries.

The way things are going, wimmin will be wanting the vote next!

[Count Steer]

Re the comments up there ^^^ about London and the mayor. I can think of lots of reasons why I wouldn't want to move back and quite a few why I would like to. Who the mayor is doesn't feature on either list - whether it's Sadiq Khan, the fat owl of the Remove, Ken Livingstone or even Horace Cutler nominally running the place. (In some ways, some of Livingstone's years as Leader of the GLC were probably the best time to be there).

[cheb]

Dunno, I find that most organised governments leave you alone if you are a normal honest person

Who gets to decide on that bit then?

I imagine life has always been pretty OK if you're a straight, white, reasonably well off man. Stray outside those lines though and it probably wasn't such fun for the last few centuries.

The way things are going, wimmin will be wanting the vote next!

Last few centuries? I'd say try back as far as Ancient Greece.

[Potter]

There is merit in what you say (John Adams was probably right about democracy) but perhaps you would feel a bit differently if you were gay, or a woman who got pregnant outside marriage.

I've never lived in a country where there weren't gay people, or women who get pregnant outside of marriage.
Some places don't shout about it, celebrate it or use pregnancy as a means of income and housing, but it happens.

I'd agree that in some countries they aren't very hospitable about it, where I live there are well known gay bars and it's very well tolerated, but when I lived in Jamaica there were three men killed by a mob just on suspicion of being gay. Being gay in many African countries will get you killed too.

But where are we going with this? Is this a slag off the whole of the Middle East session because I compared the western invasions of the ME to a smaller invasion that Russia are involved in? Or is it just good old fashioned racism where all the forum regulars can join in on calling all the brown people savages for not sharing their frame of mind on unmarried pregnant teenagers and gay pride marches?

Is anyone capable of understanding shades of grey or are we just going wild here?
I wish I hadn't commented now.

[Screwdriver]

The greatest genius of our time, Alan Turing, was hounded to death for being gay.

That was 1954 Britain.

[Mr. Dazzle]

And now we hound people to death for being dodgy on reality TV shows.

Look how far we've come!

[wheelnut]

The greatest genius of our time, Alan Turing, was hounded to death for being gay.

That was 1954 Britain.

Are we saying the UAE is similar to the UK in 1954?

[slowsider]

The greatest genius of our time, Alan Turing, was hounded to death for being gay.

That was 1954 Britain.

Are we saying the UAE is similar to the UK in 1954?

I think the Burj Khalifa probably trumps the Skylon...

[Screwdriver]

Are we saying the UAE is similar to the UK in 1954?

I said precisely what I said in the context of one countries rules and regulations being "better" than some other. Nowhere is perfect, either it suits your personal preference or it doesn't.

I think it is important to recognise those issues you may disagree with, perhaps even confront them but they certainly should not be ignored, denied or simply brushed under the carpet so that we can claim to be "holier than thou".

[Potter]

I always find it funny when Brits look at other countries and regard them as uncivilised or savages, the British have a very long and unpleasant history of killing anyone and anything on the planet that doesn't suit their agenda, and it's still going on, anyone that thinks they aren't currently meddling abroad and knocking people off is naive.

My original point was that at the bottom of all this is people, trying to go about their daily business, just as I do, and personally I prefer it in a place where law and order is tightly controlled, so you don't get swearing in the streets, you get less violence, family value are promoted, etc.

I agree with Screwd, nowhere is perfect, but to sit in the UK and point fingers at other nations shows little Endlanders and racists at their best/worst.

I'm no fan of the Russians, I have a lot of experience living with them and they're not my people, neither are the Ukrainians who are basically Russians under another flag, even though they will apparently fight to the death to argue otherwise, so I personally think the west should be meddling less in this particular skirmish.

[irie]

I always find it funny when Brits look at other countries and regard them as uncivilised or savages, the British have a very long and unpleasant history of killing anyone and anything on the planet that doesn't suit their agenda, and it's still going on, anyone that thinks they aren't currently meddling abroad and knocking people off is naive.

My original point was that at the bottom of all this is people, trying to go about their daily business, just as I do, and personally I prefer it in a place where law and order is tightly controlled, so you don't get swearing in the streets, you get less violence, family value are promoted, etc.

I agree with Screwd, nowhere is perfect, but to sit in the UK and point fingers at other nations shows little Endlanders and racists at their best/worst.

I'm no fan of the Russians, I have a lot of experience living with them and they're not my people, neither are the Ukrainians who are basically Russians under another flag, even though they will apparently fight to the death to argue otherwise, so I personally think the west should be meddling less in this particular skirmish.

The classic way of dismissing all criticism and discussion: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

[Hoonercat]

I agree with Screwd, nowhere is perfect, but to sit in the UK and point fingers at other nations shows little Endlanders and racists at their best/worst.

But sitting in the UAE and pointing fingers, while its military kills thousands of civilians in Yeman, is OK? Should we label you as a 'little Dubian?'

[Potter]

The classic way of dismissing all criticism and discussion: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

Pointing out massive hypocrisy over invasion, murder and occupation is not dismissing all discussion, but hopefully it will result in a little bit of reflection and perhaps some humility when pointing fingers. It's like when I see uproar in the UK newspapers because some halfwitted clown went to Ukraine thinking he was a Poundshop Rambo and got captured and apparently treated like a dog, then released within just a few weeks - I was like "Erm hello...Guantanamo...for years..."

[Potter]

Oh hello, the other gobshite is here now.
I'm not in the UAE.

How about Africa, I lived there once, so do you want to pick on Africa and denounce them as savages as well?

Shall I give you a list of all the countries I've lived/worked in so you can launch an attack on them as well in your attempt to demonise anyone that isn't from your town?

Shall I pick on Bulgaria? That won't be difficult.

[Potter]

It was Yoricks turn earlier and now it's mine.

Can't you two just go off and be wrong about geopolitics and finance somewhere else?