Westminstenders: From Russia with Love

[RedToothBrush]

Things just got scary.

The colony of US puppet state or a vassel state of the EU?

Why not just let market forces take their course and let Russia buy the UK?

How did we get to stories of spies and mafia who buy politicians?

Just who are our enemies and allies?

Won't someone think of the effect on house prices in Salisbury?

Try not to don your foil hat, brace yourself and resist shouting 'money laundering too loud'.

More turbulence ahead.

Brexit still seems like such a cracking idea doesn't it?

Indeed, Susan.

No the laugh of the day has got to be Hammond's speech. After hearing it I thought I really must be living in a parallel universe. As someone who is naturally optimistic most of the time and a strong believer in ' light at the end of a tunnel' theorem I think I may have to go drown myself in to end it all.

.

I think we ought to give Boris Johnson to the Russians, that'll teach em!

I thought we were already committed to giving Johnson to the Iranians.

They can have shared residence, or maybe Farage could go to Russia?

sos 🥃

The Democrats release their memo laying out why the GOP were premature in shutting down the Hoise Intelligence Committee Russia investigation.

Tis a good way to recap why Trump is so reluctant to act against Russia

lawfareblog.com/document-house-intelligence-committee-minority-russia-investigation-status-report

Rachel Maddow MSNBC
@maddow
Democrats on Intel Committee release their own "Status Report" on the Russia investigation, after Republican majority yesterday announced they were shutting it down.

"the Committee has learned... candidate Trump’s private business was actively negotiating a business deal in Moscow with a sanctioned Russian bank during the election period"

"Avraham (Avi) Berkowitz, served as Assistant Director of Data Analytics on the Trump Campaign... The Committee has reason to believe that Mr. Kushner may have dispatched Mr. Berkowitz to meet with Russian Ambassador Kislyak in December 2016."

"The Committee... has reason to believe that Peter Smith was, in fact, in contact with the Trump campaign."

Lordy.

"The Minority has a good faith reason to believe that the White House does in fact possess such documentation memorializing President Trump’s conversations with Director Comey."

I thought Farage was already an 'honorary citizen'?

Guardian take on the Skripal incident. The closing paragraphs touch on why seizing assets/restricting assets is problematic.

History suggests that the line between favoured oligarch/Putin ally and forced to flee Russia/detractors of the regime/accused of fraud and assets freezed is quite a fine one - which is, of course, one of the reasons so many prominent Russians (both pro and anti-Putin) choose to invest abroad - and the UK (with its friendly investment and property laws) is such a favourite.

So, the last paragraph makes the point that closing that bolt-hole potentially has a reinforcing effect on Putin's power-base. Not sure that can be wholly the case - there seems to have been quite a lot of opposition to the Magnitsky Act.

I'm not sure I wouldn't like to see some restrictions on money-laundering investment. I do wonder how this will play out. I don't see the Conservatives having much of an appetite for it. I wonder if an incoming Labour government would impose restrictions?

twitter.com/TemperanceNuan1/status/973485985609764864
Temperance Nuance @TemperanceNuan1
THREAD: Given that the main UK-based alt-right social media accounts claim to be motivated only by patriotism, I was curious to see what they had to say about the alleged Russian use of nerve agents on UK soil...

Spoiler: tumbleweeds

I don't see the Conservatives having much of an appetite for it.
Nope.

I wonder if an incoming Labour government would impose restrictions?
And that's also a nope.

Hammond "proudly" upgrades the UK's growth forecast from 1.4% to 1.5% this year and 1.3% next year and the year after.

Meanwhile the "failing" EU's growth is forecast to be 2.3% this year and 2.0% next year.

Why oh why does no-one on the MSM challenge the UK Government and the other Brexiters, including Corbyn about this . It's not as if it is difficult information to find

https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-performance-and-forecasts/economic-forecasts/winter-2018-economic-forecast_en

Really just a plaice 🐠 place mat king 🎣 Thanks as ever Red

These threads are a lifesaver.

Well I'm not quite sure about that but...

How do I protect myself from nerve agents?
If you are exposed to a nerve agent attack, move away from the impacted area quickly without passing through the contaminated area. It may be necessary to "shelter-in-place" if you can’t get out of a building or if the nearest place with clean air is indoors.

If available, a good way to protect yourself from nerve agents is to wear appropriate chemical protective clothing and respiratory protection. However, protective equipment does not always work against nerve agents.

What does it mean to "shelter in place?"
"Shelter in place" means to go indoors, close up the building, and wait for the danger to pass. If you are advised to shelter in place, close all doors and windows; turn off fans, air conditioners, and forced-air heating units that bring in fresh air from the outside; only recirculate air that is already in the building; move to an inner room or basement; and keep your radio turned to the emergency response network or local news to find out what else you need to do.

What should I do if I have been exposed to a nerve agent?
If you have been exposed to a nerve agent, remove all clothing immediately and wash with copious amounts of soap and water. Seek emergency medical attention.

I've got to be honest. I'm more worried about the upcoming cyber attack rather than a nerve attack or a nuclear attack.

I figure i'd be dead bored rather than just dead.

Thanks, red

Sad to hear your family might later even need food banks, sos
If you want to post for advice, MN Legal Matters looks the right place, as there is a tax credit thread there
The AIBU vipers are best avoided on benefit matters

Thanks big choc

Red

Thank you RTB, and thank you for the Hannah Arendt link on the last thread.

Sos - sounds very bleak, but I wish you all the best.

🐟 mat 🤴🏽

Eternal thanks for this thread - it has replaced real life support, although thank goodness DH and I are of like mind on all things EU.

Sad about Stephen Hawking.

What a life.

He was also a strong supporter of the NHS. And staying in the EU.

In other news...

Parliament has decided to debate this petition, as it has nearly 107,000 signatures. On 23 April.

Parliament's vote on the Brexit deal must include an option to remain in the EU.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/205169

Let's see what they say about that...

So Tillerson said that Trump was a moron for not being concerned about Putin..........We have a spy poisoned on UK soil, and Tillerson condemns in the strongest possible terms and supports the UK. This forces Trump to also do the same in a half arsed way. Then he sacks Tillerson and his deputy almost immediately, and an insider is saying that Trump 'didn't trust Tillerson'.

My naive but hopefully logical thoughts are:

1. More recent evidence (along with the pre decided steel tariffs) that there is no special relationship. It's a meaningless phrase borne of the fact we happen to speak the same similar language.

1. We are still just about important enough to be a factor in a high level row in the US. Clearly whilst some policy makers there are on our side, others and Trump are not.

( As an aside many years ago at Uni I briefly had a US boyf. He was of Scottish descent a couple of generations I think.His father had developed rather polarised, superficial and entrenched anti English and pro Scotland views. I know Trump has some kind of borderline personality disorder but do we know what his hidden influences are? Was his Mother pro Scotland only? Did he really love his Mom?! Also does Melania have any subtle influence? I know Trump probably doesn't rate any female opinion but his closet relationship is with a former Slovenian. Slovenia and Putin have a warm relationship.

My back of an envelope analysis is that Trump likes Scotland for golf and nostalgia,but really isn't bothered about the unity of the U.K. or little England really. He is impressed by Putin. He also probably thinks that eliminating individuals who defect is something he'd like to do himself.