if it ain't BoZo

[svenrico]

Originally Posted by embee

I can't speak for Putin, but as has been said elsewhere, if I was contemplating invading another country I certainly wouldn't go waving the flags and blowing the horns saying look at all these troops everyone.
I feel that if he intended to invade then he would have done all the prep as much under cover as possible then just got on with it.

I think he would have a job hiding a build up of about 100,000 troops and all the military hardware on the Ukraine border !

[embee]

My point exactly. Why would you be so blatant unless it was for effect? Why would you give the rest of the world so much time to get themselves sorted out and to move troops and resources into position?
Putin might be many things but stupid isn't one of them (unlike some who spring to mind).

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by embee

Why would you be so blatant unless it was for effect? Why would you give the rest of the world so much time to get themselves sorted out and to move troops and resources into position?
Putin might be many things but stupid isn't one of them (unlike some who spring to mind).

1) He tests the resolve of the west and it offers the opportunity to sow division. (German reluctance to ship weapons to Ukraine for example) plus America/the west seemed weak after Afghanistan withdrawal.
2) He demands that Ukraine will never join NATO and NATO pulls back troops/weapons from the old Soviet Bloc countries. He knows Europe/NATO will never agree but just the act of world leaders beating a path to his door makes Russia look strong and the west, weak. Besides, maybe they will offer concessions - a win.
3) He is in a stronger position financially than when he took Crimea, now with large cash reserves maybe he can withstand any new sanctions. He knows that Europe needs gas, so what can they do? Although the US LNG supplies have blunted that weapon a little.
4) He has the firepower on hand if he decides to be bold and take more of Ukraine.
5) He has repeated a few times that he will not invade but has got everyone scurrying around like ants from a stepped on anthill. Propaganda wise, for home and world, a great success - who looks to be in the stronger position? He's ex KGB and is good at this.

On a side note, there's a video floating around of 12 Russian tanks stuck in the mud during the war games. Maybe it's mild weather that will thwart any potential invasion.

[embee]

[Seeker]

Meanwhile back with the long running farce that is our government:

BoZo has a police questionnaire to be filled out honestly.

He has lied in previous employment (and been caught)
He has lied to his wives/mistresses (and been caught)
He has lied to the British people (and been caught)

...so he will complete a questionnaire honestly?

What a joke.

[redtrummy]

Not a honest word in him!

[embee]

I assume we are not going to get to see what the responses are, confidentiality/data protection etc, so we'll have to take the Met's word for what's in them. Oh dear.

I suspect Johnson's defence is likely to be that he "believed" he was "working" at all the relevant occasions, probably the only way he can claim he considered he was not breaking any rules without overtly perjuring himself, difficult to "prove" he didn't believe he was working even if it appeared that he wasn't.

Maybe the Gray report will be published in full ...... eventually ..... but I'm not holding my breath.

[Biker Biggles]

I suspect that if Johnson gets a ticket he will contest it on the grounds that these minor misdemeaners are normally dealt with straight away or very soon after the event rather than months or even years later. I suspect he would be right about that in law as well. So it drags on and on. It suits him to let it drag on and to concentrate on specific events or "gatherings" rather than on the wider issue of whether he is an honourable man who tells the truth and is thus a fit and proper person to be Prime Minister-----or not. We all know the answer to that but whether he stays or goes depends on the integrity of his own MPs. Only they can oust him at the moment and they appear to be short on balls.

[garynortheast]

Maybe this is a new investigation technique for the Met - sending out questionnaires to suspected criminals about their law breaking, and prevailing upon their honesty to fill said questionnaire. "Did you ramraid that post office?". "Did you swindle the taxman out of a lot of money?". "Did you commit an act of genocide?". Did you hold a sh!tload of illegal parties during lockdown?".

[svenrico]

Originally Posted by garynortheast

Maybe this is a new investigation technique for the Met - sending out questionnaires to suspected criminals about their law breaking, and prevailing upon their honesty to fill said questionnaire. "Did you ramraid that post office?". "Did you swindle the taxman out of a lot of money?". "Did you commit an act of genocide?". Did you hold a sh!tload of illegal parties during lockdown?".

Very good It's all just a farce now, isn't it.