Martin2005

Open mouthed at the stupid and crass comparison he made today, suggesting that Putin is treating the World Cup the same way that Hitler did for the 1936 Olympics.

For good sake man, how does that help?

dpb

Still thinks he's on hignfy

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

Not his finest moment that's for sure.

Putin is a major PITA for the west but he sure as hell isn't another Hitler and the comparison made today is an absolute shocker.

However the press has blown it out of proportion as usual and has implied that Boris has directly compared Putin to Hitler which he hasn't. He just said Putin is doing the same with the World Cup as Hitler did in relation to the Olympics of 1936.

That's definitely not saying Putin is another Hitler.

But the silly bugger has done himself no favours today his comments are certainly reckless and has added fuel to the fire.

Martin2005

If you think our media have blown it out of proportion, just wait for the Russian media to get hold of it!

The guy is supposed to be our chief diplomat for gods sake! Does he not consider the fact that tens of millions of Russians died at the hands of Hitler would make any kind of reference highly incengery?

I really don't get why he's in that job.

An0n0m0us

What he has said is correct, Putin will be using it as a massive PR exercise to detract from all the internationally illegal things he gets up to whether that be a chemical weapons attack in Salisbury or annexing Crimea (which still grates me he got away with it) and it's the same as what Hitler did with the Olympics.

The press and all anti tories plus the Russians have massively twisted what he said and made it into something it wasn't so those who are stupid enough to listen to those idiots then more fool them.

I am very anti Putin and find it disgraceful the rest of the World are too scared to stand up to him. This will be no different, what are they going to do over this poisoning? Absolutely nothing that counts for anything, expelling 23 spies and a few sanctions yeah that will teach him

Martin2005

The Russians are bound to twist this, which is why it was such a stupid thing to say. Why hand them such an easy propaganda bonus?
As for our press, I really haven't seen any 'twisted' reporting.

The daft sod was talking about the safety of England fans travelling to the WC, then goes on to say something that makes the safety situation worse!

If he really believes what he says (which is always questionable with Boris), then he'd be advocating a boycott of the WC.

EddScott

I don't mean to pick out specifics from posts but the Crimea issue isn't as clear cut as one might think.

One a recent program (think it was the Railway Journey program) he asked Crimeans if they were Ukrainian or Russian and they all said Russian. Even the boats in the harbour all carried Russian flags and the Ukrainian government cut off the water supply out of spite. That conflict isn't has cut and dried as the west make it out to be. Don't get me wrong though, I love Ukraine and go every year.

Also, we can't really do much other than foot stamping as most of central London is owned by Russians and we've turned a blind eye to dirty money coming into the UK for years from Russia.

And finally, doesn't anyone think it's odd that this spy who was killed. The one who was a spy in Russia for years, spent time in prison for being a spy, gets handed over in some kind of deal to the UK. Gets debriefed before he is let loose and again once in UK. Is surrounded by opportunity to be killed for years and then the Russian government makes a very ham fisted attempted to kill him some years later. It doesn't sound right.

More like the guy upset Russian mafia and some are bound to be ex government and have form for this type of execution so carry out some kind of honour killing, or upset the wrong criminals or something of that ilk.

dpb

Where is the nerve agent coming from ?!

Martin2005

I saw an interview with a Russian dissident who lives here now.

He said that the mafia and the Russian government were indistinguishable, and Putin is in many ways just a front man for criminal gangs.

hodgy0_2

Russia/Putin is clearly a mafia state - gangsta capitalism at its worst

but as you say Boris is a genuine moron - i have never understood peoples admiration of him, I suspect it comes from a deep sense of "inferiority" that runs through our national psyche - a deference culture that sees Rees Morgue as having "gravitas" - I mean wow!!!!!

but comparing Russia to **** Germany is literally insane - to put things into perspective

Putin's elder brother died at the siege of Leningrad - the siege lasted over 3 years and saw 100's of thousand starved to death by the *****

dpb

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/wo...-ceremony.html

hodgy0_2

Well indeed, I am not a Putin apologist, but ironically was in Moscow over the Brexit vote

And saw the memorial to the "Great patriotic War" at the Kremlin - they list the "Hero Cities" like Leningrad, Stalingrad and Smolensk in stone plinths

It is very emotional tbh

An0n0m0us

Hodgy who has compared Russia to **** Germany? Certainly wasn't Boris.

legb4rsk

Quote :'but comparing Russia to **** Germany is literally insane - to put things into perspective.



Putin's elder brother died at the siege of Leningrad - the siege lasted over 3 years and saw 100's of thousand starved to death by the *****.'


Stalin killed at least 25 million of his own people.Putin is a dictator who systematically kills his opponents to put things into perspective.

Martin2005

The Russian leadership from the Tsars through to Putin have treated their people as expendable.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

How many Russians died at the hands of Stalin and his team at Stalingrad? Have a read of Anthony Beevor's book, you maybe surprised. I think you will find that Mother Russia is a bit of a bitch to her own people. Official records show that 800,000 were shot in the Soviet Union between 1930 and 1952, although a larger number died during torture or as a result of poor conditions in labour camps. Many more died as a result of famines and starvation; particularly during the 1932–33 famine (rumoured to be engineered by the state against Ukraine). But estimates in the 10's of millions have also been been researched.
Ideology and politics are both killers if you do not follow them in the Russia of today and throughout it's past.

Putin was KGB then FSB, a leopards like him will not change it's spots. Sochi was a gem in the crown of Russia but look what happened there. The World Cup will be the same but with rampant football thuggery but State sponsored by Russia (no change there though for football thuggery).

Whilst we decry the West, do not mistake how brutal Russia, it's forebears and current regime are.

neil-h

That's the joys of communism for you, the majority of the population are just resources which the state can chew up and spit out as they please.

Martin2005

We have to thank unimaginable sacrifice of the Russian people during WW2. It was Russia that defeated Nazism not the US/UK. Which is why Boris's comments are so mind-numbingly inappropriate.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

So the Western Front, the invasion in 1944, North African Campaign, The advance through Italy did nothing to defeat the ****'s?
I dispair!
We must also remember how poorly those fighting for Russia were treated, as well as all those who never fought but were systematically murdered by the Communists during the same period.

WW2 masked a number of unsavoury aspects of Russian brutality. Two wrongs do not make a right but stay focussed on the underlying issues in Russia today.

Suppression of sexuality.
Monetary elitism - oligarchs.
Suppression of political/religious/native opposition.
State run media.
Military expansionism.
A dictatorial lead of the country.
The only thing missing is a hatred of jews.
Sound familiar?

And FFS don't mention Religious wars!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Wow!

Here's all the socialist/liberal apologists having a go at Russia?

Sounds like turkeys voting for Christmas to me, LOL

Martin2005

Not sure why you 'despair', history is history.


I'm not disagreeing with you, and I'm not belittling the sacrifice of the other Allies. But the cold hard facts are that the German army was defeated predominantly by the Russians.


D Day, Italy etc couldn't of happened if we were faced with the full might of the German Army, something like 70% of all German divisions were facing the Russians.


Stalin was as much of a monster as Hitler, I'm not even arguing that, and Russia has slipped into ugly nationalism fuelled by Putin and his cabal, again no disagreement from me there either.

dpb

Free education for all mind !

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Nope.

You might find that there are fees charged for pre-school and although basic general education in Russia is free, there may be costs to parents for uniforms, transport and school materials. If you don't choose the state system and decide to find a private international school, the costs are likely to be high.

dpb

Thats weird , friend / associate Russian ( british passport now ) went back specific to study - something do with beauty therapy /botox i think

Reinhold

It makes a pleasant change to see one of your politicians standing up to someone of Putin's stature rather than whinging and wringing his hands impotently.

pacenote

I think you will find that the Russian Winter was one of the main reasons that the German Army was defeated.

Reinhold

I believe you are belittling the sacrife of the Allies, in particular Great Britain that stood entirely alone against Germany until 1941 when the Russians were forced into the conflict. And you seem to ignore the importance of the Arctic convoys that supplied the Russians and kept them in the war, at great cost to British ships and personnel right up to 1945. The value of the supplies was only admitted by the Russians many years after the war. Russians raped, robbed and killed their own countrymen to force Russian troops to remain on the front line. They succeeded, largely thanks to massive internal oppression and the Russian winter, but they were far from admirable.

Martin2005

Like I said, I'm not belitthing the sacrice of the Allies.
It doesnt change the facts that it was the Russians that smashed the German army. This isn't opinion its just a historical fact.

Martin2005

It was certainly a factor

Just as the English Channel saved us, without it we'd of been beaten in days, in 1939

Reinhold

What an odd attitude, constantly playing down your own country's great achievements. The reason the Russians defeated the Germans is because they were constantly supplied by British sailors, which even they eventually admitted, but you choose to ignore that. It's fortunate for you that your countrymen had a lot more grit and self-belief than you seem to possess. Strange that a foreigner should think more highly of Great Britain than a Brit.