Bloody Fools

The headline above is not a reference to the outcome of the recent referendum concerning the Untied Kingdom's membership of the European Union; I made my views clear in my previous post here and I have not changed my mind.

 

No, I am referring to events last weekend in Turkey.

 

First I must make clear that the deaths of several hundred people is tragic.  Equally I must say that had the people ignored President Erdogan's request to come out into the streets and instead remained at home, perhaps there would have been less bloodshed.  Of course, there is in Turkey a long tradition of military coups and perhaps collective memory inspired the popular support for the president.

 

We are informed that this is a triumph for "democracy" that much over-used concept used to justify all sorts of rubbish - if in doubt consider e.g. the late and unlamented German Democratic Republic, or the appalling Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

Can the Turkish people not see what Erdogan is doing? 

 

He is destroying Mustapha Kemal's (Ataturk's) brilliant modernisation and secularisation of the country.  And he is doing his best to become a new Putin - or even worse, possibly aping some of those bandits who rule a sea of corruption in such countries as Kazakhstan, Azerbijan or Belarus, with iron hands.

 

Moral?  Get democratic and cut your own throat - why not ask some of the journalists currently imprisoned in Turkey?

 

Very sad, and I am certain that the great Ataturk is spinning in his grave.

 

Until the next time

645: Ukraine VIII - Force Majeure

This BBC photograph says it all; the photographer is a true artist.

Force Majeure - "might is right;"  who is going to stop these bastards?

No-one I suppose.

Until the next time

635: Ukraine VI: Putin's Anchlüss

Source

I have changed the flag since the previous one doesn't work any more and is thus embarrassing.

Putin really needs to read a history book, but only as far back as September 1939.  What he should do is have some of his thugs dress up in Ukrainian uniforms and then have them blow up a Russian radio station near the border.  Then, like his spiritual predecessor Hitler, he could go to war which is what, quite obviously he wants.

Instead we have a bunch of third-rate Russian oiks swaggering about and insulting the country in which they have no business at all.  Ironically, some of them raided a Ukrainian TV station and stole some equipment.

Veritably a triumph for Russian arms eh?

Putin, who could stop all this crap with a word, is quite obviously a criminally-irresponsible shit.

Until the next time

633: Unbuttered Parsnips - Ukraine V

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Well there have been plenty of fine words expressed on the subject of Putin's blatant aggressive stance and actions in a country other than his own: Ukraine.

I am ashamed of the behaviour of the United Kingdom government; yes there have been a few stern words, but the breathtaking incompetence - the carrying of a document in public view, showing apparently this country's lily-livered position, is profoundly embarrassing and indeed, pathetic.

So far - as is always the case - only the US has actually done anything and as usual, Europe sleepwalks, wringing its powerless hands.  Pathetic.  And I doubt if NATO would ever actually do anything; I wonder how much NATO costs us? What's the point of it? And the UN is a talking-shop every bit as impotent as was the League of Nations in the 1930s.

The Tsar declares that the Ukrainian government is one of "fascists and anti-semites (rubbish);" he describes the Ukrainians as having carried out an "armed coup."  He is a liar, a bully and a fascist/NKVD/Chekist thug.  It was his puppet then in Kiev who ordered snipers to shoot down unarmed protestors.  Now he is metaphorically goose-stepping around, allowing his invading soldiers, and more sinisterly, some half-uniformed thugs, to attempt to provoke the Ukrainian soldiers WHO ARE ON THEIR OWN TERRITORY, into defending that territory.

Last night, I saw on the television, an interview with American senator Mr John McCain; I was pleased to hear him refer to the events of the 1930s in  Central Europe just as I did on this blog a few days ago; perhaps he is one of my readers?  And US Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry was fairly robust today. 

I should add that I groaned in despair at the sight of Russian-speaking Ukrainian citizens, gathered around a statue of that murdering tyrant Lenin, carrying Soviet flags; how stupid are these proles?  Have they never read a book? Have they never heard of the starving to death (by Stalin) of millions - yes millions - of their countrymen in the 1930s, all in the name of "progress" under that self-same flag?

Amongst the books I am currently reading is Sir Winston Churchill's first volume of his history of the Second World War, The Gathering Storm.  I now appreciate to the fullest extent that no-one ever seems to learn  the so-called "lessons of history." The book (written in 1947) is full of nicely-expressed (and apposite) sentiments, and I shall end this post with the following quote:

"Virtuous motives, trammelled by inertia and timidity, are no match for armed and resolute wickedness."*

Amen to that.

Until the next time.

*Sir Winston Churchill The Gathering Storm, Cassell 1949 p.171

631: A Short Break: Some Art

Putin's chest-beating is getting so much on my tits, that I have decided to offer as a break to any readers I may have left, a couple of examples of English art.

The first was done by my heroine, Carrington, who though respected these days, still in my view is not accorded the esteem she so richly deserves.  This one, which demonstrates perfectly her talent for painting flowers is simply titled "Orchid."

 

Carrington

And the second item today is a most striking and fascinating image of Queen Victoria, a lithograph from Sir William Nicholson, done in 1899:

Honestly! The talent of these people...

Until the next time

630: Ukraine IV

 

The unfolding crisis in Ukraine appears to be the sort of thing that breeds nightmares; why is Russia living in the 19th century - or at least acting in 19th century style?

Certain "tweeters" have observed the irony of these events occurring 100 years since 1914, a rather obvious parallel to draw perhaps.

 

I am more uneasy when I think of the events of 76 years ago, and shall be even more uneasy should a "summit" conference be held at Munich.

It is essential that the megalomaniac Russian president not be appeased and indeed be forced one way or the other to bring his troops back within Russia's borders, where they belong.

Until the next time.

629: SIGINT & COMINT

The terms in the title refer of course to the raison d'être of such allegedly sinister organisations as the NSA in the US and GCHQ here in the UK.

I imagine that with the crisis in Ukraine caused by the corruption and incompetence of Yanukovich, the enthusiasm of thousands of ordinary Ukrainians, and finally the absurd and megalomaniac empire-building efforts of Tsar Valdimir, the SIGINT and COMINT merchants must be very busy indeed - and actually I think that that is a very good and necessary thing.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it Mr Clever-Dick Snowdon and your sandal-wearing pals at the Guardian, after all every dog has his day doesn't he?

Until the next time

628: Ukraine III

It is somewhat curious that over the last few days, the number of visits to this blog has plunged dramatically.  Could it be that with my 627th post concerning the two ghastly "holy warriors" who have been sent to gaol for a jolly long time, I have put people off?  Well I state here and now that I have no intention of moderating my opinions in order to make recognisance of their "(in)human rights."

So, on to today's rant.  This one concerns that megalomaniac, President Putin. 

What a neck this bastard has!  Does he imagine that we are so stupid as to believe that the Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine are in such danger as to justify the invasion of a sovereign state by 6000 soldiers and their associated armoured vehicles? 

I wrote recently on this subject in speculative mode, suggesting that Putin might be grinding his teeth in the face of the Ukrainians daring to throw out their president, whose personal corruption would appear to be sufficient even to discountenance an African politician.

Being well aware of President Obama's weakness and lack of resolve, decent bloke though he is (think about the Syrian "red line" poison-gas farce for example) and the remarkable ineptitude of the European Union, Putin probably feels that he can get away with this just as he did in Georgia in 2008; after all nobody did anything about that did they?

I was wondering today how it is that Russia with a GDP roughly the same as Italy's, and therefore about 20% smaller than that of the UK can afford her enormous armed forces.  I suppose that this is achieved by the simple expedient of keeping most of the population poor.

Give that man a Nobel Peace Prize!

Until the next time.

625: Ukraine II

 

 

It is reported today that Russian Prime minister (and sometime president) M. Dimitri Medvedev has questioned the legitimacy of the current rulers in Ukraine following last week's upheaval; "an armed mutiny" he calls it.  It is a typically one-sided statement - so common from the Russians (and indeed from the Chinese on occasion).  When the so-called democratically-elected president and his cronies choose to employ snipers to shoot dead unarmed (note that word) protestors, how are the people expected to react M. Medvedev? Another Russian commentator described the result as "mob rule," not bad shorthand for democracy eh!

And I expect that certain persons in the Russian ruling class are perhaps feeling a little uncomfortable at the revelations that on his reported modest salary, the erstwhile president of the Ukraine found himself in a position to acquire a remarkably luxurious country residence.

M. Yanukovich's Dining-Room (BBC Image)

And then there are the cars that have been uncovered!

I recall a news item about a year or so ago concerning a vast palace being constructed in Russia; I suppose that we can all guess who commissioned that one! (N.B. whilst they can sometimes be synonymous, there is a vast difference in modern usage at least, between the terms a "ruling class" and an "aristocracy"; the latter term will not be seen hereabouts in regard to Russia - ever - except of course in an historical context).

It is perhaps surprising to the Russian P.M. that the Ukrainian Parliament actually voted for these changes which were were not imposed by means of tanks and/or "Spetsnaz" forces...

Finally, I note with interest that the pro-Russian supporters in Kharkov have cordoned off the statue of Lenin that stands in the main square.  Good God! And I thought that I was a reactionary!

And on that point, I see that "they" are doing it again: Lvov is now Lviv and Kharkov is now Kharkiv; file with Beijing, Innuits, Myanmar, Mao Ze Dong, Mumbai, "Ken-ya" and all the rest of that revisionist crap, which I do my best to ignore.

Until the next time.

624: Ukraine

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One can only be awed by the determination of the Ukrainian populace to express themselves in the face of three months of freezing weather and the violent attempts by the Interior Ministry police to break up the protests.

Once again we have seen that a peaceful demonstration (as so many begin) has gradually become violent; the causes of course are 1) the obduracy of the government and 2) the probable influx of tougher elements amongst the protestors.

 

I'd be willing to bet that Tsar Putin, no doubt depressed by recent events, must have been grinding his teeth, reflecting on the glory days of the KGB, when those be-medalled thugs knew how to deal with protests - oh yes!  Tanks, tanks, tanks. In his present role, I suppose he has considered turning off the gas or at least applying one of his price rises!

Anyway it seems as though the protestors are gradually getting their way, with the President, Yanukovich, apparently in hiding somewhere in the east of the country and other high-rankers having sloped off carrying their suitcases of cash - rather like the sort of events that used to occur in certain South American republics.

Very heartwarming is the news that all over the country, statues of mass-murderer and tyrant Lenin have been pulled down.  One wonders why they remained upright so long.

My hope is that the protestors' organisation will have sufficient integrity and control to ensure that the extreme elements are not permitted to influence the outcome.

In the meantime, best wishes to them.

Cyprus - That is The Greek Bit

I feel obliged to comment on current events in Cyprus, since my hostility to the Euro project is long-established and probably well known here.

However, it's tricky.  I've been following discussion forums and there is a great deal of hysteria to wade through - and a lot of opprobrium directed at Germany.

It is true that there is a general election looming in Germany, which must be a consideration, but I suppose since that since Germany is more-or-less keeping the stupid Euro afloat then Frau Merkel is entitled to have a say.

Just recently Latvia signed up to the Euro; these people must be barking mad.

And Cyprus is a sort of Iceland writ large.  Iceland's recovery is progressing because they simply said "piss-off" to their creditors - or at least to their banks' creditors; when you're not in the EU you can do that sort of thing.  Cyprus's economy has been running a large deficit whilst the bloated banking sector is about eight times the size of the national GDP; worse, it is stuffed with Russian money about which there is said to be the whiff of the laundry.

All I can say is that I'm glad that I do not have the job of sorting out the mess; if Russia (i.e. Putin) is upset because the bank accounts of some of the president's pals have received a haircut, perhaps they'll turn off the gas tap?

A € for the meter anyone?

Until the next time

Pussy Riot & Tsar Valdimir

Tsar takes the salute

Picture source

Today I received an invitation from AVAAZ to sign a petition in support of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot whose members have been quite outrageously sentenced to two years' imprisonment for a protest made in a church.

Apparently there have been proposals in the European Parliament (that oh so unimpressive body) that sanctions be applied to the Russian elite; not a bad idea they appear to be a pretty dubious lot one way and the other - BP, never averse to making money gave up the Russian scheme as a bad job and I suppose that there may well have been many others who have experienced that peculiar poker-faced obstructionism that seems to flourish there.

Anyway Tsar Valdimir has continued to support the appalling Bashar Assad offering weasel words about "a political settlement" which puts him beyond the pale as far as this writer is concerned.

Here's a link if you feel inclined to offer your support to Pussy Riot.

Enemies of the State: Pussy Riot

Picture Source

Until the next time

Syria

[19/18]

Since his nepotic assumption of the reins of power, I have never liked the cut of Bashar al-Assad's jib.

As subsequent events have shown, he is a cunt.

Someone once shouted at General de Gaulle: "Mort aux cons!"  The wise general responded: "Gros travail."

Plus ca change: President Putin re-elected with, no doubt 99.9% of the vote,* is also a cunt for continuing to support Bashar.

Mort aux cons!

Until the next time

* The miscreants (0.1%) will of course, be brought to book for their "mistakes" and receive a suitable term of "re-education" at the Josef Stalin Memorial Academy at Novosibirsk.


[19/18]