I think these people outline the dangers of wishful thinking. Archived Message Posted by Ken Waldron on July 17, 2023, 8:13 pm, in reply to "The asylums are empty and the lunatics are here" There's the psychological attack... Putin is all "bleak despair" "sullen", "fey"...and oh.."...the shadow is upon him." & physiognomy "surgically enhanced cheekbones" seriously? but no matter apparently " Putin, who understands the psychology of fear better than most men..." clearly "...feels his authority flooding away." At this point Hannan is clearly having a "Being John Malkovitch" moment...as he undergoes metamorphosis into Vladimir Vladimirovich...just in time to see the bleakness of the latters situation...because Ukraine (obviously...) holds all the cards and " ...The best Russia can hope for is an eventual referendum under international supervision in a demilitarised Crimea following Kyiv’s reabsorption of the Donbas" Because, well, they are "probing" apparently...and "grinding Russia down"...and we jump here to Once Upon a Time in America because Ukrainian soldiers are grinding down the Russian machine kinda like Max grinds down that garbage crusher by jumping into it. And then we move into an "October: Ten Days That Shook the World" rewrite where "The only question is whether there will be regime change in Moscow first, or whether there will be a 1917-style Russian collapse along a section of the front." There are even "Boyars"apparently waiting to depose Putin too, just in case you didn't get the reverse picture. And then somehow like magic: "Ukraine will break through, cut off Crimea and kettle the large Russian garrison there" With that done we then travelled further back in time to opera and Ivan Susanin ...the "bloody interregnum, a Time of Troubles like that which preceded the accession of the Romanovs in 1613." So...anyway, on big bad Ivan: once they all start squabbling we take the bad toys away and ahemm... of course, the land, and can shrink Russia into a happy mini state called "Muscovy" and maybe let them play with a czar again? All this scenario... movie...opera...whatever it is seems based on the Prigozhin episode: the collapse of Russia predicated on his every move..which even promps a quote from "Where Eagles Dare..." just to make sure you know its Alistair Maclean fiction. Of course I'm as puzzled by that episode as the next man but he appears to me to be a minor player with a very big mouth. If he killed any Russians during his little stunt which seems likely it would seem best to just take him out so I'm really not sure why he is still alive, but these journalists clearly know their stuff. It's clearly all in those Russian runes which Telegraph "journalists" like Hannan can read like the back of their hand... Message Thread: "Putin Finished" yet again. - Ken Waldron July 17, 2023, 4:59 pm The asylums are empty and the lunatics are here - t July 17, 2023, 6:49 pm Re: The asylums are empty and the lunatics are here - Dovetail Joint July 17, 2023, 7:11 pm I think these people outline the dangers of wishful thinking. - Ken Waldron July 17, 2023, 8:13 pm That's more than just coke talking. Proper Burroughs Acid Land 5th Bardot experience. - dan July 17, 2023, 7:15 pm I keep coming back to that charismatic Russian soldier at the end of Simplicius last post - dan July 17, 2023, 7:19 pm The thoughts of an old man, me, please read and comment if you can - John Monro July 18, 2023, 12:16 am Re: The thoughts of an old man, me, please read and comment if you can - Ken Waldron July 18, 2023, 3:37 am Re: The thoughts of an old man, me, please read and comment if you can - johnlilburne July 18, 2023, 1:09 pm   Searching