tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post8711034199430728313..comments2024-03-20T12:03:26.126+00:00Comments on Thin Pinstriped Line: From Russia With Love?Sir Humphreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-64947182797762711702014-02-22T11:45:58.368+00:002014-02-22T11:45:58.368+00:00OP here. Sir H, it's sad that you seem incapa...OP here. Sir H, it's sad that you seem incapable of accepting the fact that you don't know everything about national security/foreign affairs. Just because you are knowledgeable about your country's military doesn't mean you know much about Russia. And given your dismissive nature towards people who raise legitimate concerns about the state of the UK's military, it is you who employ snark on a far greater scale. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-19478642201555936422014-02-03T17:22:55.303+00:002014-02-03T17:22:55.303+00:00" resident Russian-born population of the UK ..." resident Russian-born population of the UK was 32,000 in 2009" - And it's been ages since the mother country poisoned any of them (allegedly).WiseApenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-86509068828656110582014-02-02T00:29:49.554+00:002014-02-02T00:29:49.554+00:00Snarky? Not at all, I rather respect your blog and...Snarky? Not at all, I rather respect your blog and your efforts to rein in some of the idiocy that manifests at others but I find you view of Russia both ill-informed and alarming. Any interaction with Russia on military affairs will be used as an intelligence fishing exercise, it's security policy is borderline expansionist, and it's regime is almost a case study in modern tyranny. Contrary to what you stated in this post Russia's defence modernisation is rapidly gaining momentum- the days of half finished ships rusting away in shipyards are long gone, the Army is reorganising and re-equipping and the Air Force is doing much the same- and lets not forget the strategic nuclear forces modernisation. Ask the Georgian's about Russian assertiveness, they may have started the 2008 war but the Russian's did not hesitate to deploy their military with overwhelming force. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-16850308145070073852014-02-01T16:20:32.421+00:002014-02-01T16:20:32.421+00:00Thanks - your comment is really appreciated and al...Thanks - your comment is really appreciated and also completely off track about what was actually said which is that there are challenges ahead but they do have an opportunity too. Far easier to type a snarky comment though. Sir Humphreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-82937343397836658962014-02-01T16:20:14.060+00:002014-02-01T16:20:14.060+00:00Thanks - your comment is really appreciated and al...Thanks - your comment is really appreciated and also completely off track about what was actually said which is that there are challenges ahead but they do have an opportunity too. Far easier to type a snarky comment though. Sir Humphreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-81898432799043018802014-02-01T15:30:55.836+00:002014-02-01T15:30:55.836+00:00Correct. It is difficult to know where to start wi...Correct. It is difficult to know where to start with just how much nonsense Sir Humphrey has written here. The Russia of the Future is going to be a very challenging place- especially as the economy slows down which it is already doing.<br /><br />What SH is doing here is following the standard British ruling elite line on Russia which roughly equates to Russians being good because they inflate London property prices and therefore the net-worth of the ruling elite. <br /><br />The majority of the 300,000 Russians living in Britain are not here as part of patriotic effort to further anglo-Russian relations but because Russia sucks. It is a country ruled by tyranny, riddled with corruption, where human rights are a joke and which is on the edge of the economic precipice. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-73239387221924263662014-01-30T12:48:29.659+00:002014-01-30T12:48:29.659+00:00I am still optimistic long term about UK - Russian...I am still optimistic long term about UK - Russian relationships. I think at a personal level relationships are good, witness the approximately 300,000 Russians now living in the UK and I have met many Russians visiting the UK and they are not just the oligarchs. However those visitors are generally from the big Russian cities which tend to be more liberal.<br /><br />However I see no progress while Putin is in power which will be for another decade plus (he is only 61), he needs an external enemies in order to justify his internal control. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05421176401614983191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-815952249533973082014-01-29T21:14:30.483+00:002014-01-29T21:14:30.483+00:00"The Russia of the future is one where there ..."The Russia of the future is one where there is enormous potential, huge reserves of wealth and resource, and an increasingly rich population."<br /><br />Um, no. The Russia of the future (and present) is one ruled by a thin-skinned authoritarian sociopath, a one-trick economy (oil and gas) with little diversification, and a declining population with a low birthrate and suffering from rampant alcoholism (which has nothing to do with casualties from WW2). <br /><br />Are you getting your information about Russia from Russia Today? Come on, Humphrey. You should know better. <br /><br />The funny thing about UK/US/NATO-Russian relations is that people in the West seem to focus on what the UK/US/NATO should do and neglect what the Russians should do or are doing. <br /><br />Russia under Putin has taken a very antagonistic approach to pretty much anything the West does on most issues (Iran/Syria/Ukraine). They have become the country of No. NATO could send a press release saying they like Santa Claus and the next day, Putin would rant and rave about how Santa Claus is anti-Russian and engaged in a devious plot against peace-loving Russians. <br /><br />For just a glimpse into Russia, how about looking at the embarrassment that is the Sochi Olympics. $50 billion and counting. More expensive than any Olympics in history (Summer or Winter). You could learn alot about Russia under Putin by studying his approach to these games. Steven Lee Meyers does a great job of describing Sochi on the eve of the games.<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/magazine/putins-olympic-fever-dream.html<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-57974222263932731102014-01-29T21:09:04.509+00:002014-01-29T21:09:04.509+00:00Perhaps we can get some kit for an armoured amphib...Perhaps we can get some kit for an armoured amphibious assault capability:<br /><br />http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?prod=151162&shop=dae&modele=releaseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com