The Ukraine

[FJRider]

I know what they're scared of.

They are, just as they knew the potential consequences of joining NATO might be the inviting of what they were trying to prevent.

That's silly.

Yawn.

No ... you don't know at all.. The "Potential" of joining NATO is the "potential" having their old Uncle (Sam) joining the (possible) fracas on their side.

Would Putin really need that threat if he was actually WAS seriously looking at crossing those borders .. ?? I doubt it.

The Soviets are having enough issues getting enough troops to deal with his current military movements.

If Putin starts another invasion somewhere else ... it doubles the required supply lines ... and troop numbers that are already stretched.

But I doubt an invasion elsewhere is on the cards.

The announcement of a partial mobilization of Russian citizens in September was the first time since the invasion of Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating had dipped significantly. According to a survey by the independent institute Levada Center, the approval of Putin in Russia rose once more in the following months, reaching 82 percent again in January. The invasion itself had boosted Putin’s popularity at home from around 70 percent to 83 percent in March 2022. The Russian president announced during his annual address yesterday that the country was exiting the New START nuclear non-proliferation treaty with the United States, the only pact on nuclear weapons regulation for the two countries.

The Russian state-controlled media pushing the narrative of a mission to "denazify" Ukraine and to return it to Russia where it historically belonged explains why Putin’s approval can stay so high despite the country now being extremely marginalized in the international community and enduring the hardships of sanctions and war mobilization. Despite the surveys carried out by an independent researcher, Russians might still feel pressured to give a favorable opinion of the head of state due to the oppressive system they live in.

Putin's popularity with the Soviet population ... maybe with some degree of uncertainty with what their non-support could lead to ... but it gives him the ability to continue with the returning of Soviet territory to Rodina.

If he achieves that ... the awarding on the title Hero of the Russian Federation awaits.

[mashman]

No ... you don't know at all..

Ok then. You're right.

[F5 Dave]

Jesus Krist. From FJs quote of mushed We can see the callous opinion of human life.

It's abhorrent. Fuck sake man. Can you not understand these people are being killed for trying to protect their own country? You are a nasty piece of shit. How fucking dare you?

[Dadpole]

I note that to show solidarity with Ukraine, Mr. Fothergill's Seeds is renaming the Giant Russian sunflower to Giant Single.

https://www.mrfothergills.co.nz/mrf-...nt-single.html

Shades of the idiocy of First World War renaming policy.


As an aside: My wife has been re-reading (since school days) Orwells '1984'. I keep hearing mutterings of "How could he know"

[mashman]

Jesus Krist. From FJs quote of mushed We can see the callous opinion of human life.

It's abhorrent. Fuck sake man. Can you not understand these people are being killed for trying to protect their own country? You are a nasty piece of shit. How fucking dare you?

Just read that out to my Wife and my 15 year old. They say that you're wrong on every count... after sitting there stunned that someone can not only be so utterly wrong about a human, but also be a total and utter cunt about just how sure they are.

I Will pray that God gives you the strength to stop drinking and posting utter bollocks... but I fear you're on your own in this one Dave. <3

[FJRider]

Jesus Krist. From FJs quote of mushed We can see the callous opinion of human life.

It's abhorrent. Fuck sake man. Can you not understand these people are being killed for trying to protect their own country? You are a nasty piece of shit. How fucking dare you?

Welcome to the real world.

BUT ... closer to YOUR world ...

Many New Zealander's are killing their own families ... or complete strangers on OUR roads. Just because they want to get where they're going a bit quicker. The scenes of the crash sites are in the Newspapers ... in TV ... and in the various Facebook "News" forums. Does anybody really give a toss ??? Nope ... they just ignore it. It couldn't happen to them.

Is the annual road toll dropping ... or at least staying constant each year .. ??? So far ... 22 people have died on the roads.

And it's only February.

What have YOU done (or said) to stop the needless deaths in this country.


Nothing ... ??

[Berries]

22?

Fake news you commie, it is in the mid 50's already.

I see dead people

[husaberg]

[TheDemonLord]

From the Graph then - the question becomes - what happened in 2012/2013?

[eldog]

From the Graph then - the question becomes - what happened in 2012/2013?

Imports? Or Exports.

really need to see the population total overlaid.

what would it look like if we took out the main population areas. Are more people killed in the country?

One of the guys at work witnessed a driver recently who lost his head, not driving to conditions.

i have been doing my bit keeping the road safe, staying off it as much as possible. Been seeing so many bad decisions and bad aggressive driving lately.....


who was it who who said Statistics, statistics, statistics, you could make anything out of statistics?

[husaberg]

Imports? Or Exports.

really need to see the population total overlaid.

what would it look like if we took out the main population areas. Are more people killed in the country?

One of the guys at work witnessed a driver recently who lost his head, not driving to conditions.

i have been doing my bit keeping the road safe, staying off it as much as possible. Been seeing so many bad decisions and bad aggressive driving lately.....


who was it who who said Statistics, statistics, statistics, you could make anything out of statistics?

Its deaths per capita so its expressed as a ratio to the total regardless of changes in population
The trend is downwards, the individual years are largely irrelevant.
At its then record low some years ago, the fuel price was very high so speeds and km were down, The give way rule changed interlocks and harsher drunk driver penalties.
You also likely have an effect from an increased driver license age zero alcohol tolerance on under 21's or whatever it was. which was at a similar time.
To be fair the vehicles are safer every year as well.
but from 1991 to now the rate that die per capita has halved.

[TheDemonLord]

Its deaths per capita so its expressed as a ratio to the total regardless of changes in population
The trend is downwards, the individual years are largely irrelevant.

Until after 2013, when the trend starts to tick upwards.

At its then record low some years ago, the fuel price was very high so speeds and km were down, The give way rule changed interlocks and harsher drunk driver penalties.
You also likely have an effect from an increased driver license age zero alcohol tolerance on under 21's or whatever it was. which was at a similar time.

Interesting possibilities - but it doesn't actually answer the question.

Certainly fuel costs and KM driven are a factor - if the fuel price is high, then the only people that can afford long trips are (generally) those who have sufficient disposable income, and they tend to be driving late-model cars with the latest and greatest safety features.

but the other things mentioned, appear to have negligible effect, since they have remained in place and the trend has gone upwards.

It seems that Government regulation has little to no impact.

One thing that I'd like to see overlaid would be road condition(s) - I suspect that some of the trend upwards has a causal relationship to the fact our roads are falling apart.

To be fair the vehicles are safer every year as well.

Indeed, but then that doesn't account for the upward trend since 2014 then.

[R650R]

Via WION news... Ukraine ally Poland along with Hungary have banned/placing tariffs on Ukraine food crops like wheat and sugar etc. apparently with Black Sea route buggered bulk export food crops are being dumped in Western Europe.
Who’d have though too much food was a problem, well the local farmers do as it’s smashing prices down. So Polish and Hungary govts taking action.
Quite bizarre during a time of war, giving away millions in weapons but won’t subsidise own farmers

[R650R]

Apparently Zelensky has been on the blower with the Chinese and he wasn’t ordering any sweet and sour pork either.
It seems like the Chinese are going to broker a peace deal with China offering to rebuild Ukraine infrastructure. The Chinese people like to do business and they need Ukraine fixed as a gateway to Europe for a high speed rail link in the one belt one road initiative.
If it all goes well it’s the end of American international power in terms of dictating outcomes.
Interesting times ahead.

[husaberg]

Apparently Zelensky has been on the blower with the Chinese and he wasn’t ordering any sweet and sour pork either.
It seems like the Chinese are going to broker a peace deal with China offering to rebuild Ukraine infrastructure. The Chinese people like to do business and they need Ukraine fixed as a gateway to Europe for a high speed rail link in the one belt one road initiative.
If it all goes well it’s the end of American international power in terms of dictating outcomes.
Interesting times ahead.

Did hat come form the same source that told you the "covid cures" and that russia wasn't going to invade Ukraine?