Russia and Ukraine

[zebo-the-fat]

Russians board International Space Station in Ukrainian colours

Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station wearing Ukrainian colours, in what appears to be a statement opposing the invasion.
The three men were the first new arrivals since Russia attacked its eastern neighbour last month.
They were warmly welcomed on board, hugging and greeting their fellow American, Russian and German crew.

The three smiling men floated into the space station one by one wearing bright yellow space suits with blue accents.
The standard-issue Russian uniform is plain blue, and at least one of the men was seen wearing this before take-off.
The moment was live-streamed by both Nasa, the American space agency, and the Russian agency Roscosmos.

"It became our turn to pick a colour," Mr Artemyev said when he was asked about the suits in a live-streamed press conference.
"We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it," he joked. "That's why we had to wear yellow."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-...gn=KARANGA

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Russians board International Space Station in Ukrainian colours

Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station wearing Ukrainian colours, in what appears to be a statement opposing the invasion.
The three men were the first new arrivals since Russia attacked its eastern neighbour last month.
They were warmly welcomed on board, hugging and greeting their fellow American, Russian and German crew.

The three smiling men floated into the space station one by one wearing bright yellow space suits with blue accents.
The standard-issue Russian uniform is plain blue, and at least one of the men was seen wearing this before take-off.
The moment was live-streamed by both Nasa, the American space agency, and the Russian agency Roscosmos.

"It became our turn to pick a colour," Mr Artemyev said when he was asked about the suits in a live-streamed press conference.
"We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it," he joked. "That's why we had to wear yellow."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-...gn=KARANGA

While it’s nice to imagine that the cosmonauts wore those colours in support of Ukraine, a much more likely explanation is that they were wearing their university colours.



Boru

[The Architect Of Fate]

Behold the Anti-Tank Guided Cat (ATGC)

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Empty prams on Lviv’s main square to symbolise all the children killed so far in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 

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Border guards left toys for Ukrainian children so that every child passing could take a toy with them.

[The Valkyrie]

Russians board International Space Station in Ukrainian colours

Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station wearing Ukrainian colours, in what appears to be a statement opposing the invasion.
The three men were the first new arrivals since Russia attacked its eastern neighbour last month.
They were warmly welcomed on board, hugging and greeting their fellow American, Russian and German crew.

The three smiling men floated into the space station one by one wearing bright yellow space suits with blue accents.
The standard-issue Russian uniform is plain blue, and at least one of the men was seen wearing this before take-off.
The moment was live-streamed by both Nasa, the American space agency, and the Russian agency Roscosmos.

"It became our turn to pick a colour," Mr Artemyev said when he was asked about the suits in a live-streamed press conference.
"We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it," he joked. "That's why we had to wear yellow."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-...gn=KARANGA

While it’s nice to imagine that the cosmonauts wore those colours in support of Ukraine, a much more likely explanation is that they were wearing their university colours.



Boru

We'll know when they return to Earth.

If they all fall out windows...

[The Valkyrie]

I've been reading articles that try to explain the current war, and there are a few cultural and historical things at play.

* An idea that Kyiv is the birthplace of the first Rus empire, and is therefore part of Russia
* The fact that Russian has been an empire, ruled by autocrats for 1000 years.
* While the concept of Empire lost its moral foundation in the West, it is still present in Russia.
* The Soviet military doctrine that Russia must have client states as buffer zones in case the West invades like Hitler or Napoleon did.
* Russians see their culture and religion as superior. The Russian Orthodox Church is part of the state apparatus, declaring Western liberalism as evil.

These ideas will take generations to change. The problem isn't just Putin. It is history, religion, and a belief in Empire.

So, you're saying I should nuke Russia?

[zebo-the-fat]

Ukraine war: Boris Johnson sparks fury after comparison to Brexit

In a speech he said Britons, like Ukrainians, had the instinct "to choose freedom" and cited the 2016 vote to leave the EU as a "recent example".
The comments have caused anger among politicians both in the UK and Europe.
Donald Tusk, the former president of the European Council, called the comments offensive.
Conservative peer Lord Barwell said voting in a referendum was not "in any way comparable with risking your life" in a war, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said it was an "insult" to Ukrainians.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-6...gn=KARANGA

Yes, it was terrible, we are only just starting to rebuild the buildings destroyed by brexit, but most of the bodies have now been recovered

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Boris Johnson is a moron trying to upgrade to ‘idiot’, but he keeps failing the exam.

Boru

[Pat Mustard]

I've been reading articles that try to explain the current war, and there are a few cultural and historical things at play.

* An idea that Kyiv is the birthplace of the first Rus empire, and is therefore part of Russia
* The fact that Russian has been an empire, ruled by autocrats for 1000 years.
* While the concept of Empire lost its moral foundation in the West, it is still present in Russia.
* The Soviet military doctrine that Russia must have client states as buffer zones in case the West invades like Hitler or Napoleon did.
* Russians see their culture and religion as superior.  The Russian Orthodox Church is part of the state apparatus,  declaring Western liberalism as evil.

These ideas will take generations to change.  The problem isn't just Putin.  It is history, religion, and a belief in Empire.

1) Well there was Kievan Rus', but that was a Viking trading empire whis subsumed itself int the Slavic culture over hundreds of years. By the back end of the 11th century it was falling apart, and the Mongol invasions did it in completely.
2) The Russian empire didn't really exist until the mid 1700s. There was a Russia for about 150 years beforehand but it was much smaller and weaker. And autocratic government didn't appear in what is now Russia until the 1500s, before then east Slavic states were mostly aristocratic republics or, like Muscovy, kingdoms where the aristocrats were stronger than the kings.
3) Oh, the concep of Empire is still alive and kicking in the West, we just don't use the word.

The rest I'm not going to dispute, except to mention that they're among the hallmarks of autocratic power politics.

[Anomalocaris]

Boris Johnson is a moron trying to upgrade to ‘idiot’, but he keeps failing the exam.

Boru

A country gets the leader it deserves.

[Rev. Rye]

Boris Johnson is a moron trying to upgrade to ‘idiot’, but he keeps failing the exam.

Boru

That should have been obvious since he tried this: