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Why wouldn’t they? Best chance in years to topple Putin.

Prigozhin has nothing to lose now Putin wants him arrested. He overthrows the Kremlin or he rots in prison for the rest of his life.

Putin immediately looks weak, another strongman individual is usurping his authority. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the military switching allegiance to Prigozhin if it means they don’t have to go and die in a war that no one wants and has no obvious end

"This war is my idea" hasn't been looking so good for him either. But at the moment it looks as if the last 20 hours have weakened his image and authority so much that he wasn't the one behind the drama, no.

Watching Russia's descent into political farce, popcorn isn't the thing I'm tempted to reach for.

My day. I'm looking forward to guns and roses but will Russia decend in civil war.

Boris' latest columns are so feeble that they destroy any shred of credibility that he might have had for a future in politics or the media. 'My weight loss hell' and 'only lefties are scared of suicidal submarine trips'....both are so weak that the Mail would reject them if a professional writer submitted them. And these are his best ideas. He can only get worse. Adrian Chiles now has serious competition for Most Embarrassing Famous Columnist.

My good day keeps getting better.

Remember when BJ did that stupid bus painting thing.
I'm sure these Hate Mail columns are the beginnings of BJ to rehabilitate himself. Don't talk about Covid or the enquirey at all. Don't remind people of his failings, just ignor as he has done with so many of his mistakes and push the he's just a jolly nice chap who loves his country, appeals to the base and would be nice to have a drink with.

Later he can lie about the Commons equiry being a Lefty stitch up etc.

Bet the Hate Mail must be pissed off, cos they're not getting the red meat for from the money spent. Wonder if they feel cheated by him? Wonder if the'll be an acrimonious split sooner than planned?

Ha fuck Ha!

They are my supplier, I'm not sure what they think we are doing on the days we wfh!

The fact we have a shared supply and no meter and won't fit one unless we pay could be a wider factor where I am.

That and when i reported a burst main (about 10 times) and it took about 3 months for someone to come out.

Why wouldn’t they?

Because they would risk installing someone less stable than Putin as the leader of a nuclear power?

^ this.

Always worth a quick look on a map in these times.

If Putin is replaced what next? Peace and democracy, or a potential civil war as regions try and break away? What is the knock-on effect for all those supper stable surrounding regions?

Ideal US outcome is Putin stays, Russia withdraws, Ukraine accepts current annexation in some sort of DMZ compromise and Russia is brought back into the world economy. Not the total implosion Russia and all the surrounding regions followed up with a Chinese expansion toward Europe.

Why is Ukraine accepting ceding some of its territory, an ideal US outcome?

Chinese expansion toward Europe.

China couldn't give two fucks about expanding into Europe, they only want to extract resource into Chinese territory. In the same way that US expansion is about freeing up trade to expand corporate interest the Chinese what to maximise relationships in their favour to improve their own interest.

They don't want territory in the same way as Russia or any traditional empire.

I don't mean China annexing Poland using troops. I mean expanding their sphere of influence to control Russian resources and the regions south of Russia.

OK. Maybe not ideal - I mean I'm sure they'd love an open low-crime stable democracy run by a happy go lucky pro US leader.

But realpolitik, yes.

1. It would wrap up the conflict faster
   
2. Reduce cost
   
3. Limit humiliation for Putin and get back to the status quo
   
   

The amount Zelenskyy brings up taking all territory back, tells you how concerned they are that the West will (or probably is) pressuring them to accept some territory loss. The fact that there were zero fucks by the international community after Crimea tells you how readily the west will take some territory loss in someone else's country.

Also re-reading my post it makes it sound as though I mean the current state of territory control. I mean pre-2022 boarders.

But their sphere of influence is already massive in the the region without the instability of fragmentation from Russian control. It would be a massive problem for them if there was a mass independent movement in the region caused by a a collapse of Russia.

I feel like you're picking a part of my post that wasn't the substance of the original point.

I was giving reasons why the CIA isn't trying to get rid of Putin, not saying China is trying to get rid of him to destabilise the region. IMO one potential outcome of a weakened Russian is China increasing their influence in the region. I don't think nationalist states look at the power they wield and say "nah, we're cool now. This is enough." However, I recognise the point that mass fragmentation of Russia is probably not what the Chinese are aiming for.

In any event instability is not imo what the US would be after. As we saw with Isis you never know where the fallout is going to end up.

Always worth a quick look on a map in these times.

It's a different picture if you consider that most of it is empty.

American cops have a system for helping friends and family get preferential treatment when they get busted https://twitter.com/VICE/status/1673451329958625281

I was going to say I was sure that has already been publicised before and then realised the story was 3 years old and I'd read it when it was released.

Can't imagine anything has actually changed though

Oh. So Vice is recyling its old stories. A sort of last hurrah?

Hancock has said he's very, very sorry for killing all your grandparents.

So that's alright now.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/covid-inquiry-matt-hancock-blame-local-authorities-civil-servants-world-health-organisation/

This cunt should be in prison. Scum of the earth.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jun/28/contingency-plans-reportedly-being-drawn-up-for-thames-water-collapse

The previous owner, Macquarie Bank accused of asset stripping the company for over a decade. What use exactly is OFWAT? I mean, Thames Water only supplies water to 15million people.

The utilities in this country are just a complete shitshow.

The regulators are equally culpable.

One of the two interim CEO's for Thames Water
is Cathryn Ross a previous Head of OfWat.

Why 'interim'?
Previous CEO 'surprisingly' resigned.

The utilities in this country are running just as they were designed to when privatised

FTFY

Also only a decade? Amateurs...