-TSS-

Russia is a shithole but it is not a hopeless shithole like most other shitholes are. Namely, given their vast resources it is quite remarkable that Russia is a shithole in the first place. In fact it should be the world's richest nation with the highest standard of living and where everybody would want to live in. Yet the reality is exactly the opposite. Russia has been cursed with being governed by corrupt crooks. First the communists and now the Putinists. I can't imagine what Russia could be like if it were ruled by sensible people.

Putin probably believed in Blitzkrieg. An invasion on Thursday and a victory-parade in Kiev on Sunday. Some sort of condemnation from other countries but soon it would be forgotten. Didn't quite work that way.

As the sanctions will begin to bite in full force and will also affect the circles around him at least he can find out the level of loyalty among his lackies. Ukraine is some sort of an obsession for Putin. The ordinary Russian doesn't give two fucks about Ukraine but now everybody will suffer in form of economic sanctions because the little man is obsessed with Ukraine.

30 years ago the failed coup attempt by the Janajev-junta precipitated the disintegration of the Soviet Union. It could well be that this adventure will not only be the end of Putin, that is 100% certain that his days as Russian-leader are numbered, but the end of the whole regime as well.

A bank run has begun Russia. People are despretaly emptying their accounts and changing their money into a foreign currency before the rouble becomes worthless.

I think that as a big country with vast resources Russia could stand even a long period of international isolation and boycott and the Russian people have resilience to stand hard times if need be but all that requires that there is some worthy cause to go through such hard times and I doubt it very much that Putin's obsession with Ukraine would be seen as such.

When the oligarchs' foreign assets are frozen and their businesses go bankrupt because of the sanctions I wouldn't be surprised that Putin will have a heart-attack.

A lot of Finnish politicians have looked very foolish during the past couple days as people remember their earlier statements about Putin being a guy you can trust and how they have critisized the Baltic countries for their Russophobia. The Baltic countries have had 50 years of experience of the Soviet Union. That is a lesson you don't unlearn very soon.

Putin may be facing his Ceausescu-moment soon. A true leader would die for his country but not expect his country would die for him.

Not outside Canada any more. It's all about Ukraine elsewhere.

I expect the support for the Green-party in Germany to collapse because it is mainly because of them Germany has become energy-dependant on Russian gas.

Yeah, I guess there is no such thing as a retired dictator.

I wonder what is going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. Putin could have lived a very comfortable life with all the billions he has stolen but instead he started a chain of events which will ultimately lead to him being deposed from power. After all, even if he insists on jumping off a cliff not everybody is willing to follow him and do the same.

This is like a reverse version of the Cuban missile-crisis. Imagine if Mexico and Russia signed a military-deal and Russia could have its military bases right across the border to the USA. Do you think the USA would allow that? Actually, wasn't the invasion of Grenada in 1983 about overthrowing a government which would have been pro-Soviet? The overthrow of the Chilean government in the 1970s most certainly was.

At my place of work we have quite a few Russian workers. Unlike usually they have been noticeably quiet with a very low profile during the past couple of days. As if they are embarrassed or ashamed. Ridiculous really as they have nothing to apologize for.

Have a lot of people in Canada emptied their bank-accounts during the past few days fearing about their accounts being frozen as a punishment for attending the protests?

One day I was watching the meeting of the Canadian parliament. They are trying to make it similar to the meetings of the British parliament but they aren't as good at it. Better and more entertaining though than reading your speeches from a paper with a dull monotonous voice which is how our parliament in Finland operates.

Canada hasn't received this much international attention since, hmmm, perhaps ever. Whatever you think about the convoy nobody can deny that Trudeau is a coward and shit-weasel.

There might be a destructive WW 3 at some point in the future but it will surely be sparked off from something much more important than Ukraine.

Science is not about saying this is science and now shut up. Science is open for perusal. I'm sure science in the Middle Ages told that the Earth is flat and the Sun goes around the Earth.

In Australia he would have already been kicked out. They seem to have a different political culture whereby being PM doesn't protect you from being kicked out as party-leader, which means you are no longer PM. Good or bad, I don't know, but a different political culture. Even though in parliamentarism PMs are not elected there should be a high threshold to throw out a leader who has led a party to an election-victory.

By the way, how come that you in Canada don't drive on the wrong side of the road like almost all other Commonwealth countries do? Perhaps something to do with your neighbour. Driving on the wrong side is not dangerous as long as everybody else does the same.

It's a bit embarrassing that we here in Finland have our own convoy. We don't seem to be able to think of anything original of our own. We have to copy everything from abroad. This time from you in Canada.

I have to say that I have not heard of a single incident not to mention that I would have witness myself of one here in Finland that people would argue in public about not wearing masks. In England that happens every day all the time everywhere. Tells you something doesnt it?. If you see someone not wearing a mask and you think he may be carrying the disease, what would you do? Keep as much distance as possible? On the contrary, you go in front of his face and yell that why aren't you wearing a mask. Makes sense, doesnt it?

Do you think when she becomes PM she is going to be as internationally well-known as Trudeau is?