I am very excited about the latest developments in Russia/Ukraine as the vile Wagner Group march into Russia to confront the even viler Putin with the intention of toppling him and his generals. It seems that a whole load of them were killed by some not-so-friendly fire the other day and they don't like it.
Perhaps this is not as good a development for Ukraine as it appears from this side, but at least it puts the invaders under even more stress as Ukraine concentrates on its counter offensive. If they force the Kremlin to oust Putin, the worry is who or what will take his place. There are rumours that worse people than him are lurking in the background.
Biden is becoming a liability too. Just after the U.S. sent some diplomats over to China to try and calm very troubled waters and re-build bridges that have been badly damaged over the last few years, Biden publicly described Xi Jinping as a 'dictator'. You don't have to be a diplomat to understand what an incredibly stupid thing this was to say, especially to China. It puts the whole world in danger and does yet more damage to the world economy.
There is a tourist family posing for photos by the river here at the moment. I think they are American. A woman - who I believe is the mother - is trying to take a photo of her 10 year-old daughter who is posing as she has seen her older sisters do, with one knee slightly bent and her right hand up toward her hair. The difference is that she has her middle finger defiantly extended upward. Her mother does not seem to like that so lowers her camera, reaches out and pulls the girls other fingers out to make a wave, then returns the camera up to her eye. The girl's middle finger pops up again...
Ever since our economy was pushed hard from behind and sent over the edge, people from all over the world have been flocking to Bath. There are literally twice as many visitors here as there were before the epidemic. I like them. I can wander around town like a tourist myself, or sit in the shade of a café parasol and pretend that I don't live here.
In case you begin to think that we in Bath have better dressed tourists than everywhere else, the photo is of a graduation day turnout from the Abbey...
ReplyDeleteYou don't even have the respite that we get here in West Wales of everyone heading to the beaches on sunny days.
ReplyDeleteI just head to the beach in West Wales.
DeleteThe Wagner Group rebellion against Putin is a real threat. Will they succeed? Internal unrest against Putin puts at least one nail in Putin's coffin. The US is moving more industry to India and not unstable China. Biden needs to watch his choice of words. Everyone slips once and again. The dollar is strong and Americans do love the UK.
ReplyDeleteThe short-lived rebellion was an embarrassment for Putin, but that's better than nothing.
DeleteI did not know about the Wagner mercenary people. But Putin seems to have left Moscow for his residence elsewhere. Civil war in Russia maybe but this from an article in the Guardian sums it up....
ReplyDelete"A distracted, weakened Russia is good news for everybody else. Prigozhin’s challenge to Moscow is a confrontation between a psychopath leading a gang of murderous criminals and a mafia boss sitting in the Kremlin and dividing Russia’s riches between his cronies. We should wish both sides good luck."
Prigozhin though is a terrible force, people will not be safe as he takes over towns.
There was speculation about Putin causing a diversion with a nuclear 'accident', but now that will not be necessary.
DeleteThe Russian coup was short lived but I fancy Prigozhin's life will also be short lived.
ReplyDeleteIt is said that Putin regretted not killing him much earlier.
DeleteThanks for the sartorial note. On the other hand, perhaps your town is that busy, irrespective of clothing.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is.
Delete