Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Limpy]

I don't think any of "those who have memories .........." would say it was good or OK to go to war.  It is right that they are shown respect for what they went through.

The only people who think it's good or OK to go to war are the pompous arrogant idiots in governments who start the wars in the first place. Secure in the knowledge it's not them in the firing line.

[Christine]

My DIL is Russian speaking Ukrainian...she speaks Russian as does all of her family, as that was the language only allowed in school under the old regime (which looks like it may return if they get no help) BUT she is Ukrainian...she says she doesn't need Putin to save her or her family from anyone. He keeps going on about saving/protecting Russian speakers...erm that's most of the Ukraine!!

Her grandma lives just outside Crimea...Russians have been in her town last couple of days trying to convert them...they shouldn't be in Crimea or eastern Ukraine...its not Russia....if he gets away with this he will move into the rest of Ukraine,....10 yrs time when they are about to cross the channel we may not worry so much then about how much its costing to cook the Sunday roast with our more expensive non Russian gas.

Hitler had the same delusions...I can rule the world....

[CLKD]

   Christine ..... I agree.  Hitler rattled his sabres  and the World stood back or tried appeasement ....... is your son there too?

[Christine]

Hi

No they are both here at the moment (blessing)...she is beside herself for her family & her people.

I know we would feel the bite of doing without the gas initially, but a stand needs to be made...its scary of how tyranny could spread. A lot of people now don't think that someone of Hitler's ilk could be real as it was all so long ago...its all history in books. But he was real, very, very real & Putin is so much the same...the way he was smirking on tv was very unsettling I think.

Its the reason he keeps giving that he is protecting Russian speakers!!! they all mostly speak Russian in Ukraine, but don't say they are Russian. Before the 'iron curtain' came up Ukraine was under Russian rule, so Russian was all they were allowed to speak.

UN & EU etc are all so concerned about the effect on the economy...it could all get so much worse if its left to carry on, not just for Ukraine but for all of us.

[honeybun]

Great posts Christine. It really helps to get an insight from someone who is close to it.
It has really made me sit back and see it from a different angle.

I hope your DILs family remain safe and that the threat they are under does not take a turn for the worse.

Honeyb
x

[Christine]

Hi HB

Its just scary that someone in this day & age thinks they can just trample over the rest of us, not just Ukraine but anyone he fancies....he wants to establish the old empire, which is bad news for the world as a whole....and if he buddies up with China...game over in my opinion.

Yes, I am close to it with this one, but apart from that none of us should be dictated to ever. After all the losses in the wars over the years, not just WW1 & WW2 it needs to stop.

[Limpy]

Christine the situation there really is, potentially horrible. Many sympathies to your son's in laws.
However what do you think should be done?

Where I'me coming from is I know young blokes who are in the army. They would be happy to go and fight anywhere they are needed, they've been in Afghanistan and felt it was the right thing to do. Equally they've seen their mates killed by their "Afghan allies"

I'me not sure it's worth it. Are you happy for your son to go and fight?

None of it is easy.

[Joyce]

This situation is building some momentum. Putin is a dangerous man, I fear. They say the Crimeans want to be with Russia. Wonder what pressure they were put under.

[CLKD]

I think the Crimean people want to remain there.  They want Russians out of their land space.  Putin is using the 'russian speaking' idea as an excuse ……...

[oldsheep]

very interesting Christine. There were some interviews on R4 this morning with younger Crimean residents, who all seemed to want to be part of the Ukraine. Is there an age dynamic in the Putin support?
The 'myth' of Crimea is that Khrushchev gave the Crimea away to Ukraine when he was drunk...vodka politics! This is a brief summary http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954crimea&Year=1954

I'm concerned about the power that both Russia and China have over us - that we have allowed to happen. Sleep walking into it. The old Cold War spooks and historians must be delighted that their skills aren't redundant after all I suppose. Putin is arguing that what he's proposing is what the intl community backed with Kosovo.
His referendum is really why I've always deeply mistrusted referenda of any description. They are never decided on pure facts and are always swayed by emotion and blatant misinformation (I did a whole term on referenda when I studied politics at Uni in the dinosaur era)

[CLKD]

I can't understand where Kosovo comes into it all.  That's in the past.  Not relevant 

[Limpy]

"Those who are unaware of history are destined to repeat it." 

"It is said that history repeats itself, but we are only doomed to relive our past if we fail to learn from it."

We need to be aware of the past.

[CLKD]

I think we are aware.  But Putin has sited that Kosovo is one of his reasons for his actions ..........

[honeybun]

But CLKD, you said that was in the past and not relevant 

You have me confused again.


Honeyb
x

[CLKD]

Kosovo is being quoted by Putin - but it's an excuse to justify his methods  .........

Sadly the Great War was supposed to be the one that ended all Wars