How would it make any difference?russia should be stripped of its veto powers, they were the powers of the Soviet Union but the Soviet Union ceased to exist, so should their veto which they abuse.
MSN
www.msn.com
Then you are an idiot in this as in other matters... I don't 'preach' kit, and you using the word 'preach' in a pejorative sense is predictable and boring.
It would, now follow me closely, prevent Russian vetos...
How would that affect what goes on in Ukraine?It would, now follow me closely, prevent Russian vetos...
How long is a piece of string?
Well yes, that's why i am saying "so what"!!!How long is a piece of string?
Remove Russia as a totalitarian block at the UK and only China would be left; China is totalitarian, yet it is also - almost always - pragmatic in its own self-interest. The UNSC could promote an idea that is damaging to Russia but not damaging - perhaps even beneficial to China - and it would get through...
After that it's perfectly fair to ask 'so what?' in re the UN itself, unless a vote is backed by action.
Not really, I was there from the beginning, being a long-term critic of the UN.
They are all talking about the threats of war but doing absolutely nothing. I read our stocks of ammunition is massively depleted and won't be replaced for 2 years. Russia has the whole country on a war footing. Its unbelievable incompetence.Lord Dannatt, who occasionally says very intelligent things, made a few points in an interview the other day. Most were pretty arbitrary, however one thing really hit home regarding what is happening in Ukraine and a warning from history.
In 1935, following previously high levels of military spending, the UK spent less than 3% of its GDP on defence; by 1939 on the outbreak of war that shot up to 18%, by mid 1940 it had rocketed to 46%, it later peaked at 53% of GDP...
The parallels with the current situation are clear; the Cold War ended with the opposition broken, literally. The West then, quite reasonably, reduced defence spending; the opposition noted this, bided its time and then acted - and nothing happened. And that was repeated in Ukraine and the West has done relatively little.
Had defence been taken more seriously in the early 1930s, and had spending been increased to 4% or 5%, it is very probable that Germany would have been deterred to a greater or lesser degree from its intended actions. But even if Germany had not been deterred, it would have left us in a far, far better position for what was to come.
We all know about insurance premiums, what a pain they are etc. etc., but also that they are nothing compared to the cost of sorting out problems when things happen and you aren't insured. It is worrying, to say the least, that neither the Conservatives nor Labour are proposing a significant and sustained increase to our defence 'premium'.
Yes, it can be filed under meaningless feelgood actions along with sanctions, etc
evergreen ?Do you know what the capital debt of just one state-underwritten Chinese company is...
No, something that take away one of its fig-leaves of legitimacy and embarrass it in front of the 'Global South' audience it constantly tries to impress...
There is an evergreen thread
Western hedge funds that saw a killing in billions of Evergrande bonds stunned when government handed out 99% haircut instead, sources say
Evergrande's liquidation and 1-cent-on-the-dollar bond price was a first-hand education for many global money managers.fortune.com
www.defenseone.com
www.pravda.com.ua
Yes, they could smash their whole energy industry and we could have oil at $500 a barrel
