...The Panda in the Room....China

[EA01]

And what to do?....

We've sat back as they claim islands against international laws, we've allowed corporate greed disguised as Capitalism to ensure they make everything 'cos you know, the greatest profit can be made....

Now where are we?.....not in a great place I would suggest!

H & M shops mentioned Taiwan, and under threat buckled.....QF similarly will not acknowledge Taiwan (Understandable lack of balls leadership there), bit US carries do likewise I understand.

Ugly situation, now when & how will it be resolved? Putin seems to be great mates with Xi nowadays, and Trumps great friend Lil Fat one in NK, and the Mad Mullahs in Iran who now are closer to a bomb thanks to the orange one...

Joey's got a damned hard job ahead given Trumps Chamberlain like appeasement to authoritarian dictators.....

But its just not that. China needs be reeled in, and I don't know how....do you?

[tango15]

It is too late for China to be reeled in. The genie is out of the bottle, and the fun hasn't even begun yet. We are all to blame for buying goods from a communist dictatorship and putting money in their pockets. I shall be very surprised if Biden lasts for four years. It's clear that the man is unwell and can (just about) read from prepared statements. That Putin has moved tens of thousands of troops to the Ukrainian border is no coincidence, either. He knows Biden is weak and he's chosen the Christian Easter to do it because he knows nothing will happen. The toothless UN stands by and watches children being shot dead following the military coup in Myanmar and other countries will be watching this with interest.

No-one will want to take on China and China knows it. Watch their assertiveness grow over the coming years, with NK hanging onto its coat tails. While all that is going on, Putin will become bolder and bolder in Europe. What will happen if he takes Eastern Ukraine once and for all? The same as happened with Crimea presumably - absolutely nothing. And don't get me started on sanctions. The oligarchs own billions of pounds worth of property in the UK alone.

The US has extradited a North Korean from Malaysia for sanctions-breaking and money laundering, thus arranging for Kim to continue to get his luxury goods. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/as ... t-14467080

How else would he have a new Rolls-Royce in his collection? (Good luck with the servicing, btw!).

[EA01]

That Ukrainian build up continues doesn't it....Our Former Defence minister Christopher Pyne, a mincing little poodle if ever there was one, whilst delivering a graduation oration at the University of Adelaide explained that we were an ally of the USA.....for this he received an honorary doctorate. It was telling that whilst he mentioned that China promised the second Obama term they would not militarise the islands in dispute, conveniently he never mentioned Trumps failure to stop China either.

.......if you want peace you prepare for war?.....I fear maybe we are just preparing for war.....Putin over there Xi over here. You are correct about Crimea...Putin should rather expect the same result I would imagine in Ukraine. Dunno if Xi has the pluck just yet to invade Taiwan.....he does have the clout to make sure companies & airlines not refer to Taiwan as Taiwan it seems...

[tango15]

I have friends in Ukraine and they tell me that those who are able to, have moved to the western side of the country. I gather there are food shortages in the east, combined with regular power cuts and restrictions on movement. Little of this is ever reported in the west and the usual suspects appear not to have correspondents in Kiev, something I find rather strange. The area is under de facto Russian control anyway, with troops from both sides being killed every day in armed conflict.

https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politi ... bas-2.html

The fact that Yelensky is siding with Erdogan is not very comforting, either. I hope he took a long spoon with him when he went to Istanbul.

https://www.kyivpost.com/world/erdogan- ... -nato.html

Frankly I am amazed that so little of this is reported. I know we have other things closer to home to deal with at present, but Ukraine is one of the largest countries in Europe, just slightly smaller than France, with borders on four NATO countries; Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

A few aviation enthusiasts have pointed out that Eva Air flights to Europe are taking very different routings of late, apparently preferring Russian airspace to that of China.

[EA01]

Yeah...Thanks for that update Tango!...I'd read of the Russian troop build up here (Surprising!), but not of the EVA Air routings!

I somewhat embarrassingly confess to not being to sure what is meant by - The fact that Yelensky is siding with Erdogan is not very comforting, either. I hope he took a long spoon with him when he went to Istanbul.

[barkingmad]

A relevant article which may give some idea as to how we got to where we are now;

https://archive.ph/sj91d

Just how did we allow the WHO to become a puppet of China and where was the West’s intelligence and diplomatic communities?

Or did they do their jobs as specified, but BigCorp and globalisation managed to suppress the information and any proposed action?

[Boac]

I think we, the uninformed public, noticed when the WHO issued their report on the 'outbreak' in Wuhan. When the ??'clever'?? people noticed I know not.

[om15]

Here is another point of view, what do our New Zealand correspondents think of this bit of news

[tango15]

Yeah...Thanks for that update Tango!...I'd read of the Russian troop build up here (Surprising!), but not of the EVA Air routings!

I somewhat embarrassingly confess to not being to sure what is meant by - The fact that Yelensky is siding with Erdogan is not very comforting, either. I hope he took a long spoon with him when he went to Istanbul.

Well, Erdogan is a very tricky customer. (the old expression, if you're going to sup with the devil, take a long spoon comes to mind) Yelensky is trying to make friends with EU, but cosying up to Erdogan will not endear him to the EU Mafia.

[Karearea]

Here is another point of view, what do our New Zealand correspondents think of this bit of news ...

In my opinion: "Much ado about nothing".

Who was that person? Who does he represent?

[om15]

He is just a chap who posts snippets of news that don't make mainstream media in the UK. Is it correct that New Zealand is forming some sort of special relationship with China, or is it being taken the wrong way?

[John Hill]

Here is another point of view, what do our New Zealand correspondents think of this bit of news

There is an old principle which says either 'Invade the country or engage politically with their incumbent government' well get this, NZ is not going to invade Afghanistan.

[John Hill]

Is it correct that New Zealand is forming some sort of special relationship with China, or is it being taken the wrong way?

See my above post.

[Karearea]

He is just a chap who posts snippets of news that don't make mainstream media in the UK. Is it correct that New Zealand is forming some sort of special relationship with China, or is it being taken the wrong way?

I don't think NZ is forming any kind of special relationship, that fellow seems to me to be making insinuations that are incorrect.

That photo of the two leaders is from March/April 2019, a ten-hour visit by Ms Ardern to Beijing:

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meets with President Xi Jinping in Beijing


I bet that fellow doesn't really have a view of Big Ben from his studio either

[barkingmad]

It must be a matter of concern to all of us in the O-N community that what views and news previously posted by “nutters and conspiracy theorists”, subsequently turns out to have a factual basis.

So if anyone here knows of such individuals or groups, then perhaps holding fire before “piling-on” would be indicative of a cautious and open-minded approach by an assembly of former workers in a safety-critical industry from whom we hope for better than facetious, flippant and distractive comments as appears to have become the norm...

[TheGreenGoblin]

Ridely is a complacent, well educated bore. Just have a look at some of the drivel that he spouts in his popular science books. A complacent glorified right wing journalist with an opinion but no facts on the Wuhan matter, and not much of a scientist either, but you cling to him if you must BM. Any port in the conspiracy theory storm I guess! I know how you obsequious, or maybe deferential, English love a good lord, save for the Divine Manipulator who most seem to shun.

[AtomKraft]

So, the slitty-eyed twats have one of their own sniffing around the House of Commons?

What a surprise....

https://order-order.com/2022/01/13/read ... arliament/

These yellow gits should be kept no closer than the end of the nearest bargepole.

[llondel]

I thought that most of what Parliament does (as opposed to the government) is public anyway, couldn't they just use Hansard like everyone else does?

[AtomKraft]

Miss Lee has arranged for some Labour MP to receive about 400,000 quid- and of course they expect absolutely nothing in return.

[4mastacker]

Miss Lee has arranged for some Labour MP to receive about 400,000 quid- and of course they expect absolutely nothing in return.

And look who they chose...."Whispering" Barry. Well suited to having nothing to offer.