Ref Ukraine

[bigpaul]

Lightspeed, according to the met office the 1st of MARCH is the first day of spring, but your quite right the Spring Equinox is the 21st.

[Jonas]

If you all think "Uncle Vlad" gives a rat's fanny about Europe, the UK, or your problems heating your homes without Russian natural gas, you're delusional! Putin wants to be the next Stalin of a restored USSR, and a few hundred thousand widows and orphans freezing to death in the EU is not worth a drop of piss to him.

Vlad's talking about protecting "the Russian minority in the Ukraine"... remember the Sudetenland in 1938 folks? Protecting "the German minority"? Sound familiar?

Wake up kiddies... same script - different year!

[bigpaul]

I personally couldn't care less what happens in the Ukraine or in Russia, PROVIDED that our stupid UK government stays out of it, one or two sanctions are ok but NO BOOTS ON THE GROUND pleeese !!!

[ErikEst]

Tarrel Wrote:
Quote "Unlikely that Russia would cut off gas supplies to the EU. there would be limited benefit to them in doing so, and they need the income. If they had military ambitions beyond Ukraine, then cutting off the gas could be a military strategy to "soften up" the EU, but otherwise, why would they? I don't think Putin is stupid enough to just engage in a simple "tit for tat" sanctions war.
However, there are reports on BBC news this morning about gas prices to Ukraine for the next quarter being raised. The argument is that Ukraine has not been paying well, so the current low price can't be justified.
In a political climate where there is no love lost between the EU and Russia, and when the EU needs Russia's gas, putting the price up seems to be a more sensible move than cutting off the supply.
(By the way, apparently the Baltic pipeline has something like half the capacity of the Ukraine one)
We have had a mild winter and, as a result, our gas storage is in good shape compared to last year. Long range weather forecast is not suggesting a major late cold snap, so I think we're pretty safe from any immediate supply shocks in the UK. However, I would expect the uncertainty over supply to impact on future wholesale prices, so expect big energy price increases next Autumn.
If there's any prepping to bed one, I would suggest it is medium-term, in thinking about how to minimise one's dependence on the grid (both gas and electric) for next winter." unquote


the irony of the situation is the west is now paying to russia to bully its neighbors!
some years ago europe has an opportunity to build the gas pipe around the russia through the turkey (the nato member country), but no! putin's close friend berluscony agreed on "southstream", gas pipe laid through the russia.
did you know that russia sells more gas to europe than it produces? they buy gas from middle-asian republics and sells it to the west holding hand on the valve.

does sombody still remember when nationalistic anti-immigration party with mr Heider came to the power in austria about ten years ago and how "old" europe started to boycott them? may be you think europian socialists overthrew them? think again. russians closed the valve and soon the more obedient government was created.

now, when the russians have so potent leverage in ukraine as the gas, why they have to use military power at all? that is why:
first, they needed to achieve maximum humiliation for the ukraine for expelling their russian puppet president
and second, they still need cash flow from europe for maintaining somehow potent army, cause they actually don't have any source of income other than revenues from selling natural resources!

so i think it would be a good useful wake up call for europe when putin closes tha gas valve to europe! may be west starts to think how to live sustainable

[NorthernRaider]

Good summary erik

[bigpaul]

(3 March 2014, 19:01)ErikEst Wrote: i think it would be a good useful wake up call for europe when putin closes tha gas valve to europe! may be west starts to think how to live sustainable

trouble is its too late for that now-should have started long before now, I've been saying for years what happens when the imports stop? but of course people in govt aren't preppers and never will be, so they don't care and think they can just keep importing stuff.

[Tarrel]

I think governments are good preppers. They're always prepping for the next election!

[Devonian]

Don't worry everyone, all will be fine, the EU leaders are going to have a meeting on Thursday

[NorthernRaider]

Again folks I refer you to the point in question, As preppers what can you do to minimise any effects the Baltic crisis may have on you. What the Ruskies, Ukranians, EU, Brits and Merkins do we have no control over.

[Mortblanc]

Didn't we do this once already?

Memorializing Events in the Battle of Balaclava, October 25, 1854
Written 1854

Half a league half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred:
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd & thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack & Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,
Shatter'd & sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse & hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
- See more at: http://www.nationalcenter.org/Chargeofth...B8lhN.dpuf