On Russia, Europe, and the Ukraine

Well, my colleague Liz, now in the UK informs me, the price for a litre of gasoline is now, in the UK, in Australia Dollars, $3.75.

Which is what we can expect here as time goes past the 6 month of the Federal Government excise subsidy here.

So, that's a lot!

As for how this will play out across Europe...and the UK, it will get higher in price, as will travelled food etc, and a lot higher.

This is the European Summer so no great pressure on heating oil/gas fuel etc yet...but that will come as the seasons change towards winter there.

Without Russian oil/gas, Europe will freeze and also have to pay exorbitant amounts for a bit of fuel from other countries, who will, wow, certainly make a killing profit.

So, what does this mean to the Moral Decision regarding the Ukraine?

1: Will the West/European Governments allow and make stricter the current embargoes on Russian stuff, or do they wish to actually stay in power? These are real politicians, not the Ethical Masters of the Universe.

2: Will there be a massive world recession without Russian gas, or a big but managed one, with it? Will more dodgy democracies fall, as Sri Lanka has already?

How much money will Europe keep pouring into the Ukraine, for weapons, rebuilding etc...when even under its current populist Zelensky Government, it remains still the most corrupt state/government in Europe, and yet our heroes?

Prior to winter, I would suggest that the EU will make a gesture of acknowledgment that Russia has/owns/controls/moderates the Eastern Provinces of Ukraine as their own, and Europe will put the brakes on the Ukrainian military, and Russia in response will enable the export of grains etc from the South sea ports, & turn on the gas to Europe, thus preventing the collapse of Europe and a further grain/famine decimation of the nations of Africa and Asia, etc.

I doubt Mr Putin will suddenly become a nice guy...as it hasn't happened so far...nor can he be in any way 'contained' by the West regarding his changes to the wobbly/plasticine Ukrainian Eastern provinces and borders, mostly full of Russians anyway.

So, I would expect a reasonable resolution, all Ethics aside, certainly before the snows of winter in Europe.

Australia Federal Election approaching

I thought a good Federal Labor ticket would be Penny Wong as PM with Sally McManus as Deputy, and I still think Ms Wong would be best, but Sally McManus has lost a lot of credibility over the past few years doing nothing to progress salary increases for ACTU members in a whole decade, whilst happy to kowtow with the Morrison regime, and, basically, 'corporatising' the ACTU elite...so I'd have to look away from her as being a 'hopeful'. A waste. Sally would have to show some mettle that she hasn't yet displayed at all. A decade is a long time to just hang around building your power base and not delivering anything.

and not delivering anything.

With the subjugation of Mariupol, the Russia will be looking towards both incorporating the Eastern provinces, Donesk etc, and also swinging around to take Odessa, I would expect.

By taking Odessa, the Russians would then control part of the pathway into Transnistria, which is very important. Transnistria is that place without passports or any national control where all the things that shouldn't happen in Europe happen in Europe. The Great Conduit for spies, weapons, trafficking, terror etc from all sides make free use of Transnistria. To off-load the weapons pouring into Ukraine, you use Transnistria to get them out to Africa for sale.

Since my last post in early March about The Ukraine, well, the war continues, as wars tend to do.

Most of the news reports we get here are more like advertising than anything else.

Define the bad guy, dehumanise him, and keep saying we are winning and he is losing, even when he is doing just fine.

That's the Free Media, that's what it does.

UKRAINE & RUSSIA

I think the big problem for Ukraine at the moment is that it probably won't exist soon. Many calls for EURO membership, as usual, and even NATO membership, as always expected. 

Ukraine has tried to use its critical position, and it is certainly in a critical position, to draw funds from both Russia and Europe over the decades and sometimes, like now, everyone gets sick of it. Ukraine needs to restructure its economy so that most of the economy is not bled away in corruption. The 'system' must change.

There is corruption in all states, but Ukraine really has 'made a meal' of it for a long time, playing on Russia's fear of the West, and on the West's fear of Russia to get every bit of money possible to give away to important people through corruption, rather than to actually run a country. It can't pay its Gas Bill to Russia. Germany can. Everyone else can, and Ukraine gets the cheapest gas of anyone. But both Ukraine and Germany still get masses of Russian gas. The Russians haven't turned off the gas...but they do expect Ukraine to pay the debt, and the debt is huge.

Not that I'm judging, but...

I read an article in a today's Melbourne Newspaper by an Andrew Bolt who apparently types up stuff for them on Mondays, and he wrote about us taking the initiative now, and how we should be waging war on China.

He writes with the genius of a 59 year old boy who hasnt learned how to masturbate properly yet. No, Andrew, not your own dick in your own arse, no. No, don't do that. Well, at least try not to.

Not judging at all, just noticing his tremulous vibrant excitement with the sexual-hubritic theme in middle age. Is that a wig? A 'piece'...Just a little one? Just in the centre there? Looks like one to me.

Goodness me, he does stand out from the crowd, even with someone else's hair. Mind you, you hope there aren't many in that crowd, but still, he is a worry.

He looks like many others of his ilk, but he is different. He's mad as fuck. He's even madder than that. He's mad as fucking fuck.

I guess that it's good that profound mental illness has totally lost its stigma at least in Melbourne on Mondays. Well done Newspaper Editors...Yep, THAT'S real diversity.

February, 23rd , 2022

January Meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Xie.

Putin:

"I'm going to take Ukraine. I have to. They won't pay their gas bill."

Xie:

"Oh, Duh! It's pretty obvious you guys are on the move. Look Vlad, can you do it after the Winter Olympics?"

Putin:

"Sure, but it has to be February, or the Thaw slows everything down. Too muddy then. Awful trudging."

Xie:

"Can you hold off til, say, have you got a calendar, ah, let's see...can you not invade before Wednesday the 23rd?"

Putin: "The 23rd it is. Early AM. Shock and Awe. Ukraine time."

Xie: "As needs be. I bet you're shittin' your pants worried about Australia's response."

Putin: "Who? Hahahahaha. Oh, yeah, the Fat Lobster People."

Xie: "How long do you think it'll take?"

Putin: "Oh, about 3 days, I reckon."

Xie: "What then?"

Putin: "Pax Russia. Peace in our time, for a long time. I'll go horse riding. It's what I do."