Ukraine

[eighthobstruction]

....has anyone done a search for - who coined the phrase : "the ends justifying the means".... sounds very much like "what's done is done"....also sounds very Shylockish....

Of course with Rump we have neverending ends which don't end (or do end) when they need to end or should never have started....Churchillian - not beginning of end blaa end of beginning...

Rump very (tremendously) lucky that he does not have to appear in debates or account for himself on a regular Weds....as is happening at this moment in Westminster...(as am I - lucky not to have to debate....)

[vinteuil]

The ends justifying the means? It's ironic that the would-be Nobel-winning Man of Peace picks fights more or less indiscriminately (mostly with friends, less so with enemies).

" [...] had been a tyrant, and the revolts his misrule provoked sparked a series of civil wars that for a time threatened the survival of the [...] and caused widespread misery."

... in the case of Nero, neither ends nor means : I feel the same about 'King' DT

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[french frank]

If there is a good outcome I'll congratulate him [DJT]

The ends justifying the means? It's ironic that the would-be Nobel-winning Man of Peace picks fights more or less indiscriminately (mostly with friends, less so with enemies).

" [...] had been a tyrant, and the revolts his misrule provoked sparked a series of civil wars that for a time threatened the survival of the [...] and caused widespread misery."

[Dave2002]

He's keeping everyone guessing. My own thought is that he is attempting to force a peace, perhaps with that Nobel Peace Prize in mind, but without much interest in what comes after as that will be Europe's problem.

I don't know whether he's keeping everyone guessing, but I am certainly completely fooled. Is this a master plan, or is it a random walk which might just happen to hit a path worth following? It is possible he doesn't have a detailed plan or know what's going on, but something good might come out of it ..... or not!

I have seen this kind of behavour lead to good outcomes before - though rarely, but one participant had no clear idea what he was doing even though it turned out well for him in the end. Others thought he played a very smart game, but as far as I could tell he vacillated and didn't know what to do until finally the better offer turned up.

If there is a good outcome I'll congratulate him [DJT], though there isn't too much to suggest that things are really going to work out. It's far to early to tell.

[Petrushka]

The Cunning Plan is to keep Putin guessing

He's keeping everyone guessing. My own thought is that he is attempting to force a peace, perhaps with that Nobel Peace Prize in mind, but without much interest in what comes after as that will be Europe's problem.

[eighthobstruction]

....Yes this time with 37.5 % special offer with a free crystal palace ....a double half hitch and two round twists....
....Rubio successful today.... (but constantly touching/readjusting his suit in press conference....as if he is wired up....[as if])

[french frank]

Trump restarts Ukraine intelligence sharing and military assistance........... on/off...

The Cunning Plan is to keep Putin guessing

[eighthobstruction]

Trump restarts Ukraine intelligence sharing and military assistance........... on/off...

[french frank]

Carney made a lot of Canada's not being America. Not so sure about that - US culture is pretty deeply embedded in Canadian, says my long lasting Canadian ex-pat Hungarian friend married to an American (likewise ex-pat Hungarian). Certainly more deeply than in Britain's.

'Not being America'? Well, it is part of North America but that doesn't make it part of the United States of America. My brother's wife was Canadian and he's in touch with many of the Canadian members of the family. Anecdotes are anecdotes, but the view we hear is that the answer to Trump's 'many people want to join with the US' is "Well, we don't know one." Then there's today's Greenland election where the last thing they want is to exchange their break with Denmark for union with the US.

[eighthobstruction]

25 mins of Lawrence Freedman on Times Radio today.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjKltk33Yf8

[vinteuil]

Carney made a lot of Canada's not being America. Not so sure about that - US culture is pretty deeply embedded in Canadian

... ah, der Narzissmus der kleinen Differenzen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism_of_small_differences

But following that, some will argue that Ukraine isn't that different from Russia...


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[Serial_Apologist]

“The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear,” says He. And which national boundaries were not 'artificially drawn - the majority of them many years ago. Be afraid, be very afraid! The Man also says he intends to buy a Tesla as sales have slumped.

Carney made a lot of Canada's not being America. Not so sure about that - US culture is pretty deeply embedded in Canadian, says my long lasting Canadian ex-pat Hungarian friend married to an American (likewise ex-pat Hungarian). Certainly more deeply than in Britain's.

[french frank]

Yet more on Canada ...Now wants 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium.

“The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear,” says He. And which national boundaries were not 'artificially drawn - the majority of them many years ago. Be afraid, be very afraid! The Man also says he intends to buy a Tesla as sales have slumped.

[Dave2002]

Yet more on Canada ...

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/11/us/trump-news

Now wants 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium.

[Serial_Apologist]

And while we're on the subject of Canada: Mark Carney to succeed Justin Trudeau - since it's the economy, stupid?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7eyz3yn5do

Losing Mark Carney as Head of the Bank of England was one of the worst disasters Britain has experienced over the past few years. I say that as someone who does not support our economic system (as if you didn't know!) - but at the very least Carney brought some balanced judgement to the job, which certainly cannot be said of the current misery guts in charge there.