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| Vladimir and Spotted Friend From Africa |
He's so proud; so happy that his billions are offshore in the UK, safe from home grown bankers; Bill Browders, Navalny's, Magnitskys, etc. His cronies also know that their ill-gotten gains are there, too. Pesky critics are prone to exaggerations and lies, so best to shield these assets from them and the few opponents still running around free. Who needs them , anyway?
Have a nice day.
Putin is surprised: Pres. Biden measured up: he called Putin's bluff. Ok Vlad- move on Ukraine, we take all the properties of the oligarchs in the UK-all 85,000 of them. Yours, too. No more money going into art and real estate from the Steppes. You'll have to send your money to Hong Kong, China. Ha,ha, ha, ha,ha ,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha.
The Mayor's Canadian relatives, those Blue Noses from Nova Scotia, are some distance from Ottawa, the capitol. However, because of modern media, they are fully aware of the shenanigans going on in Ottawa and Windsor, where a bunch of thugs have disrupted traffic on a few border-crossing bridges, disrupting business and lives for a couple of weeks. PM J. Trudeau, has declared a national emergency, invoking powers never used before. Arrestes have followed. Thugs have been removed from the bridges. Traffic is moving again. These anti-vaxxers and their brainless, spineless friends will now answer to a higher authority. And those copy cats in the US and other countries will duly note the actions.
Drive safely.
So, Since February 4th, the world has been treated to photos of the "new" EurAsian Bromance, or in this case the new BroComradeship-mance. Xi Jin Ping and Mr. Vladimir Vladimorovich Putin have embraced one another4, finally, for the cameras. The 2022 Olympic Games, held in snow-less Beijing, held opening ceremonies at which both dictators attended(a ribbon cutting?). Little Vlad stared directly into Xi JP's hazel eyes, a declaration of affection if there ever was one. NOw they've cemented their relationship after all this dancing around the perimeter of love.
It's only fitting: one is dictator for life of more Commies than Putin would ever hope to dictate as China's population stalls at about 1.457 billions(including those pesky Uyghurs out west), while Putin's former Commies have topped out at about 134.5 millions of cold vodka consumers hoping the Siberian Steppe doesn't become another province of China as the growing season creeps northward, affording Cinese farmers to advance on a broad front of agricultural opportunities. Next thing you know, Sochi beaches will be covered by Chines middle class workers getting a little tan to compliment their sallow faces. What can Vlad do ? Smile a lot.
Let's not forget that Vlad doesn't really care about China-yet. He's enjoying the ripple-affect in Ukraine and Western Europe where his goal is to extend Russyan influence over the former satellites of eastern Russyan captives. One wonders: does Putin pray at night to Josef Stalin, asking for guidance and inspiration? Maybe so, maybe not. Whoever he prays to hasn't been very forthcoming with advice he can use. So, Mad Vlad tumbles around the eastern Ukraine border, scaring a few old locals, but otherwise, it's business as usual there as winter's cold marches on toward spring and rebirth.
Joe Biden is doing his best to act presidential as world banks chat about what a shooting war might mean for loan rates, IPO's, stock valuations, vacations to the Black Sea beaches, availability of Russyan girls during those vacations, corporate board seating arrangements, and of course, compensation levels post war. Ahhhhh, bankers-enjoying the same reputations they have continued to warrant after all these years. Scum.
Did you give the appropriate gifts yesterday? Send in your personal efforts-we'll keep a list.
Have a nice winter's day. And Kamila: go back to the dacha and ask the coach: why was the drug discovered this time? I deserve better, Comrade Doktor.
Don't forget: have a partner? Today is the day you must show up- Bigly. No matter how small a gesture, it must be made, consciously. Or, suffer for the next 12 months.
Flowers-always good.
Chocolates-great effort.
Make dinner-superb.
Bottle of fave beverage- fine move.
Surprise outing- good, too.
Don't forget, Comrade.
Mercifully, it's over. My pick, the Bengals lost to the LA Rams. I watched the last few tortuous minutes which took f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Penalty after penalty, the Rams marched toward victory until they were just 7 yards shy of the touchdown needed to overcome a 3 point deficit. No matter what the Bengals did, it wasn't enough. QB Matt Stafford of LA, seemed in control while the Bengal defense melted under the pressure. QB Joe Burrow of the Bengals sat glumly on the bench and watched his dreams of glory fade to black. Next year, it will be different. Sure. Rams win: 23-20.
Half time show: Boring; but I only heard about it. Had to pull some weeds in the garden.
Have you ever looked through a telescope mounted on a rifle? I have. As the eye adjusts, the optical instrument focuses on a line between rifle and target, now appearing much closer to the rifle than without the scope. Instantly, the appearance of "crosshairs" or visible lines within the scope become obvious, indicating that a target is now inline with the "line of fire" or trajectory at an estimated distance depending on the setting or the optical power of the instrument. So, now we pundits apply this metaphor to the political situation on Ukraine's border with Russya and to the situation as it exists on the ground on that border. Estimates published by the US note about 130,000 Russyan soldiers and all the equipment they need to conduct operations against an "enemy" in Ukraine(where thousands of Russyan soldiers already occupy Crimea and the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. My, my, Mr. Putin: what will you do next? The world wonders.
Suitcase diplomacy, aka shuttle diplomacy, is at a high pitch: diplomats from the US, most of western Europe, and Canada, have been flying in and out of Ukraine(Kyiv), Moskova(kremlin), and Brussels(NATO and EU HQ), talking, talking, and more talking as they make a collective effort to avoid a violent conflict between Russya and Ukraine which would imperil thousands of innocent civilians caught in a crossfire. We've seen it all before(pick a place), and it gets ugly rather quickly. It's gone beyond just rhetoric as Pres. Joe Biden announces that "severe" penalties against Russya will be an immediate result. He has at his disposal numerous actions that will serve to isolate this "rogue" nation and its rogue leader-Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, sitting in the Kremlin pulling levers for the last 22 years. How does it feel to be the No. 1 lever puller in the largest country in the world(as we know it)? Only the Little Dictator knows.
Perhaps it's time for the International Court in the Hague to make a statement: Mr. Putin-any casualties as a result of this unprovoked act of aggression will result in an indictment for use of weapons of mass destruction, murder, and genocide. You will be tried in absentia in a court of law; if found guilty, you will be sentenced in absentia and banned forever from the world. Hmmm. Does the Little Dictator give a hoot about this? Recall, this is the individual who sends his assassins to many foreign countries to kill his opponents and his detractors wherever they can be found. His lapdog, Mr. Sergey Lavrov, continues to speak in roundabout sentences, offering little fodder for the observers and diplomats concerned with the situation. Old Vlad must find it interesting that He, and only he, can have the world shudder based on a few strategic moves he makes based on some perceived threat(see Stalin paranoia). He can then justify all his moves to the cowering minions as they go about their daily lives in Siberia and other cold climes familiar to the Rus.
All visas given to Russyans who now live and work abroad will probably be cancelled and withdrawn. I suspect many visa holders will apply for refugee status. I would if I was unfortunate enough to be one of the thousands who find themselves in that category. How about all those university students, quivering in their isolation from friends and families? Maybe the Russyan athletes stuck in Beijing will ask the Communists to give them refugee status so they can remain in China? What a laugh! Would there be 1? Ha. They already know what Communism looks like-they live it at home on the Steppe.
Happy Valentine's Day, especially to the 15 year old ice-skating doper from Russya in Beijing.
