SpankyMcFarland

Some of this relative decline must be due to our lifestyle which we share with the Americans, eg a diet too high in sugar and saturated fat? Our people are thinly spread out over a cold country which doesn’t help either; in many communities, fresh fruit and vegetables are prohibitively expensive. In addition, our First Nations have particularly severe health problems.

Ukraine may have to make painful compromises regarding territory already taken by the invader but must receive credible protection from further Russian aggression in return. The Russians will take what they can no matter what they promise.

Each country involved needs to have a coherent approach where one person is the principal negotiator. We saw a lot of confusion on the US side in the last few weeks. What Rubio says should be the intent of the US but we have to be realistic about the other side. Putin would dearly like to repeat what North Vietnam did after negotiating a peace deal with the US.

On the war, I want to see it end immediately for multiple reasons which I explained before. But there are several serious impediments to a lasting peace. Firstly, Putin doesn’t seem to regard Ukraine as a legitimate independent state. Secondly, nothing Russia signs on to can be trusted. Thus the security guarantees for Ukraine would have to be absolutely explicit. Otherwise Russia is likely to try to take much more of the country when it thinks it can. The two parties that really matter here are Ukraine and Russia. I merely believe that the Witkoff proposal would not work for Ukraine. I also believe that Rubio should control the process. Neither Witkoff nor Kushner are experts in this area and Witkoff has caused considerable confusion already. However, it is good that negotiations are ongoing. Let’s see where they go.

NATO was set up to deter the Soviet Union. All the other European empires had long since seen sense and stopped threatening their neighbours. If Russia became a normal European country, NATO could either disappear or change its focus to defending Europe, including Russia, from China and other threats. Russia fearing NATO is like a mugger complaining about a victim arming themselves. It’s just backwards.

I’ve seen a claim that Ukrainian and Russian share only 60% of their vocabulary, less than the overlap between Ukrainian and Belarusian or Polish and similar to the distance between English and Dutch. I can’t follow spoken Dutch and I would hope that Acadian and Quebec French share more than that. This distance reflects the history. For centuries, Ukraine has struggled to assert its independence from Poland, the Ottomans and, in particular, Russia as it relentlessly expanded. The nations are clearly distinct, not least in their tolerance of authoritarian rule.

Of course not, no, but there’s no reason to do Russia’s dirty work and campaign to drop the war crimes charges. The thousands of atrocities committed by Russians in Ukraine are Putin’s problem. Let him deal with it. Where the line is drawn between the two sides and other details should be separate from the war crimes matter. What leaders like Putin hate about this is that their foreign travel is restricted.

Are you equating those American adoptions with what has happened in Ukraine?

In fairness, the Americans didn’t invade in the literal Russian sense, eg missiles, tanks, child kidnapping, sundry atrocities.

Zelensky isn’t Napoleon and he certainly isn’t Hitler. Who is invading whom here? Germany and France (and Britain and Austria for that matter) have seen the error of their ways and changed for the better. Their neighbours don’t live in fear any more. In the 21st century, there’s no justification for a European country invading another one. Russia has extraordinary achievements in science, technology, literature and music. Is it too much to expect that this great nation might behave in a civilized way?

So Mr Putin, just to confirm, you want to keep what you’ve stolen, steal a lot more while you’re at it, resume business with the West, cancel all the war crimes malarkey and ensure you can steal the rest of the country down the road? Sounds reasonable. Where do we sign?

One European country still acts like the six empires did back then. It has been given every possible accommodation but prefers the path of violence against its neighbours.

Trump is in trouble. He’s struggling to summon the energy to deal with the mess he has created with Epstein and tariffs. Meanwhile his hitherto slavishly silent troops in the House are beginning to wonder whether he’s leading them over an electoral cliff next year.

Someone like Andrew could easily have been first in line. Look how long it took for them to take away his titles. Apparently, he is still in the line of succession. Pathetic. We cling to a foreign monarchy to show we’re not Americans but we don’t need to do that. The Trump fiasco has shown just how different we are.

So because there are even worse atrocities elsewhere Netanyahu gets a pass? Isn’t Carney doing what you want? You all seem very dissatisfied about that turn of events.

It’s a similar dilemma for PCs - why vote for PP when you can get similar policies without the snark etc.

Both sides are losing a great deal of blood and treasure on a daily basis. Only one side can choose to stop and go home.

It’s hard to see how the gap between Russia and Ukraine can be bridged by any negotiations at the moment. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/27/putin-insists-ukraine-surrender-territory-for-peace-deal-possible

Masha Gessen was onto Putin even before then, way back when I still hoped for reconciliation with Russia. https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2008/10/dead-soul

Understanding Russia is. Putin despises rule of law countries and sees treaties as temporary instruments that can be violated when convenient. Any agreement must have cast iron guarantees to assist Ukraine if, more likely when, Russia attacks them again. Ideally, false flag operations should be mentioned in the text because they are quite likely to be used by the Russian side as a pretext for more war.

Wilfred Owen was killed at the front seven days before the Armistice. He had returned to active service after suffering concussion and PTSD. His poems unsparingly describe the horrors of war. I think we have to remember that aspect too if we are to appreciate the sacrifice that has been made and may have to be again: Anthem for Doomed Youth What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle Can patter out their hasty orisons. No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells, Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, – The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; And bugles calling for them from sad shires. What candles may be held to speed them all? Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes. The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall; Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds.

Vaccines are one of the great achievements of medicine. Any critic who wants to be taken seriously should start by conceding that.

Here’s a worrying development. Chinese leaders are not famous for phoning foreigners on any subject. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/25/china-taiwan-xi-jinping-call-with-donald-trump

That White House love-in was so weird and must have sent some MAGA heads spinning at a mighty rate of knots. Trump loves mingling with successful people irrespective of their politics. He always has.

The only strong opinion I have on this is the trust issue. The next time Ambassador Hoekstra speaks about the F-35 and why we have no choice in the matter he should be just as bluntly confronted by somebody present on the credibility problem which has arisen between us and the US that is not of our making. One other opinion: let’s make our mind up soon and carry it through. Ditto all the other equipment we need to defend this country. All the major political parties should make such matters above politics and publicly support whatever decisions are advised by the experts. We have had too many political footballs along the way in defence procurement.