Just fuck off with this fucking war shit.

[NaiceHamAndHugs]

Why as humans do we never ever learn? It’s always about testosterone and power and oil.

Fuck off with. Why was it possible for so many countries to pull together when COVID kicked off and now it’s back to slapping their balls on the table to see who has the biggest set.

It just all so unbelievably depressing.

I agree with PPs about willy waving.

Britain is largest exporter of weapons in the world and needs them to be used so they can sell more.

The UK accounted for 3.3 per cent of total arms exports in 2016–20.*

The thing is almost all normal common folks don't want this. People just want to live their lives. Why do the willy wavers always rise to the top. They are all bat shit and stupid.

@Staffy1

I agree. Sick of a few idiots in power deciding everyone’s fate.

It would be better if they sorted things out in a boxing match between themselves (or an arm wrestle).

@TheSillyMastiff

I mean Russia are escalating this, we've gone from 100,000 troops on the border to 170,000 - 190,000

I feel so genuinely worried and sorry for the people of Ukraine. I mean we're all sat here in the safety of the UK feeling concerned, can you imagine what it must feel like for a family about 10miles south of the border or something. I'd be absolutely petrified. Poor people.

Yep, I'd hope if we were in the same situation, on the cusp of being invaded that other countries would have our back to be honest.

@ollehto

Britain is largest exporter of weapons in the world and needs them to be used so they can sell more.

The UK accounted for 3.3 per cent of total arms exports in 2016–20.*

Don't let facts get in the way of a good old blighty bashing. There's only one person/country 'willy waving' and for once it isn't the US.

To pp, re arms exports, US is number one, followed by Russia, then China, Germany and France. The UK is not a major arms exporter.

it would be better if they sorted things out in a boxing match between themselves (or an arm wrestle).

You mean Russia and Ukraine as the rest of the world looks on doing fuck all? Nice.

This is a man thing.

Sorry, but it absolutely is.

And if you try to counter with, well, Thatcher went to war in the Falklands, then that’s the one, single exception that absolutely confirms the rule: it’s a man thing.

YANBU, by the way.

@Starwreck

it would be better if they sorted things out in a boxing match between themselves (or an arm wrestle).

You mean Russia and Ukraine as the rest of the world looks on doing fuck all? Nice.

No I mean all the leaders. There would be preliminaries, quarter finals, semis, and then the grand final. Better than actual war.

But in this scenario it's about supporting a country that's already been subjected to a tonne of shite retain their way of life and not lose goodness knows how many of their citizens to Russia. Do you not think other countries should be doing that?

This is about more than just two countries - Russia and Ukraine. And it's a complex geopolitical issue (re land, power, money, resources, and more) that goes back many many years. Centuries, in fact.

But still... the majority of people, wherever they are, like pp say, don't want war or hostilities. They just want to get on with their everyday lives.

And if you try to counter with, well, Thatcher went to war in the Falklands, then that’s the one, single exception that absolutely confirms the rule: it’s a man thing.

Somebody did a study of world rulers between 1480 and 1913.

Queens were 27% more likely to take their country to war than kings.

However, women leaders were in the minority 18% and some wars were in response to aggression from other countries.

Being of Hungarian parentage I have very little respect for the Russians and their bully boy tactics. Putin has small man syndrome and is using his men as muscle as he couldn't fight his own way out of a paper bag if his life depended on it. Little twerp!

YANBU. It's all MEN innit! Power crazy cunts.

I’m not sure what I’d do. But I’d probably make the penises step back and see if that made any difference to how things ran.

I suspect that things would still be shit, but men really don’t seem to care for burning children since the dawn of humanity and since women have never had the opportunity to lead massively on a global scale we can’t really say if it would be any better.

But I suspect it would be. Or at least it would be much different.

It’s just so sad. I can’t imagine how the poor innocent people who will be immediately staged into this must be feeling.

Catherine the Great’s military campaigns extended the borders of Russia by 520,000 square km.

Maybe it’s a Russian thing.

Always money for war it really annoys me. If the nuclear bomb goes up I’ll slit my throat I’m not living in a post nuclear world and it will be much bigger than Hiroshima this time.

I don't understand news alerts on phones. Why does anyone need a willy waving alert? That's all they are. You could power the national grid if you plugged in the willy wavers.

Covid was an excellent example of how dreadful global organisations can be, how hysteria fuels willy waving and how much leaders enjoy drama with no care for ordinary people.

@Ahhbiscuits

I got a BBC news alert on my phone saying “Russia plans biggest war in Europe since 1945” and it shook me tbh. Then I saw it was from Boris who you can’t believe anything he says anyway. Personally think it’s quite a reckless scaremongering thing to say if they aren’t absolutely sure that Russia are planning that, but nevertheless it is in the back of my mind and it is worrying.

I think Johnson is talking it up to distract from Partygate and whatever new minor scandal is currently brewing.

But Putin is a mentalist, so anything is possible.

@TheSillyMastiff

I mean Russia are escalating this, we've gone from 100,000 troops on the border to 170,000 - 190,000

I feel so genuinely worried and sorry for the people of Ukraine. I mean we're all sat here in the safety of the UK feeling concerned, can you imagine what it must feel like for a family about 10miles south of the border or something. I'd be absolutely petrified. Poor people.

Before I carry on, I am no fan of Putin, clearly a thuggish autocrat, but I don’t think it’s as simple as Putin escalating this. Some questionable choices by Western Hemisphere/NATO members as well up to this point.

I found this talk informative, although appreciate other academics will have different views

Agree though the war rhetoric on both sides is awful. War would be terrible.

@FourChimneys

Anyone else wish more women were in charge of the world? There would be far less willy waving for a start.

No thanks I think it’d be worse ! aLL the women I’ve known in positions of power were hateful

@Tealightsandd

This is about more than just two countries - Russia and Ukraine. And it's a complex geopolitical issue (re land, power, money, resources, and more) that goes back many many years. Centuries, in fact.

But still... the majority of people, wherever they are, like pp say, don't want war or hostilities. They just want to get on with their everyday lives.

Well of course, that'd be nice wouldn't it, i can't imagine many people want war or hostilities .

Russia wants to coerce Ukraine back into its orbit and away from NATO/EU. They have already taken Ukrainian territory by force.
The Ukrainians have so far stood firm against this, defending their sovereignty as best they can.
I think that the Western strategy of publicising intel showing Russian plans is clever and puts the emphasis on Russian aggression and denies them the exclusive narrative which they have got used to having.