Anti-Russian rhetoric

[Digby]

Sergei Skripal now linked in fairly substantial fashion to Christopher Steele, Steele of course being a founding partner or Orbis and thus the author of the report on Trump and Russia that's much famed/cited.

[rowan]

The report he was paid to write by the Clinton team, you mean?

[Digby]

I understood Steele thought he was writing the report for a law firm or similar, though the end client was initially some Republicans and then once Trump won their primary the control of the work was taken up by the DNC, or certainly some Democrats. Any which way the end client wasn't it would seem pertinent to the contents of the report, though whilst I can understand a protection of sources I can understand others saying absent of citing sources it loses some credibility.

[rowan]

Would be a really smart move for Putin to do something like this just before elections, and less than a 100 days out from the FIFA World Cup. But the story is beginning to fall apart already. The detective involved was poisoned inside the Skripals' own home, while the doctor who treated them outside was not effected. So there was no drive-by spraying in the street, as reported. Only someone with access to the Skripals' house could have done this.

[Sandydragon]

Russiansecurity services don’t break into houses any more then?

The RT propaganda that this was an opioid overdose is laughable.

[rowan]

It's not a question of what Russiansecurity do. It's simply a question of how they managed to get the story completely wrong in the first place. This guy was in a Russian prison for 13 years. Actually, not that much for spying as a double agent. Then they released him and he goes and lives peacefully in Britain. No motive. Very dubious timing.

[Stones of granite]

Anyone who thinks that the timing of this, just before a Russian mock election, doesn’t understand anything about Putin and his relationship with his “electorate”. The mocking and sarcasm broadcast by the Russian media explains this exactly. He wants Russians to know that he his the kind of strong leader, merciless to Russia’s enemies, that they desire and worship.

Don’t confuse this with a democracy where a government pulling such a stunt would be brought down. On the contrary, it builds him up.

[rowan]

Only if you believe what you read in the warmongering Western propaganda aka mainstream media. Russians on average are a lot more politically astute than Westerners, and a great deal more cynical as well. Anyway, aside from the timing (which I'm not reading much into, personally), we have a confused narrative and total lack of motive. Putin himself pardoned the fellow.

[Sandydragon]

It's not a question of what Russiansecurity do. It's simply a question of how they managed to get the story completely wrong in the first place. This guy was in a Russian prison for 13 years. Actually, not that much for spying as a double agent. Then they released him and he goes and lives peacefully in Britain. No motive. Very dubious timing.

News stories change as facts emerge. That’s how these things break and the media don’t have all the Information. I know you CT lot love to make a big deal out of that but it’s always been a bit desperate.

No motive? Utter cock, and not so much of a release but a swap.

[rowan]

Well, they're now saying it happened at a pub & restaurant. Having sampled the food at more than a few such establishments in Britain, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out there was no nerve agent at all, but instead just a particularly severe case of the nation's diabolical cuisine . . .

[Stones of granite]

Only if you believe what you read in the warmongering Western propaganda aka mainstream media. Russians on average are a lot more politically astute than Westerners, and a great deal more cynical as well. Anyway, aside from the timing (which I'm not reading much into, personally), we have a confused narrative and total lack of motive. Putin himself pardoned the fellow.

I spend quite a lot of time with Russians, I’m perfectly well aware of their political attitudes, although, like other nationalities they don’t all agree. The colleague I pay most attention to studied at a Soviet Military Academy, speaks half a dozen languages fluently (including Portuguese and Mandarin) and describes his former career as a wireless operator in the Soviet Air Force. Wireless operator. Aye, right.

[Stones of granite]

Anyhow, Rowan, you don’t live in the region, so by your own logic you know feck all about this.

[Donny osmond]

Jesus I see we're feckin still feeding the chimp. Does a russian attack on British soil not warrant its own thread?

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

[Stones of granite]

Well, they're now saying it happened at a pub & restaurant. Having sampled the food at more than a few such establishments in Britain, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out there was no nerve agent at all, but instead just a particularly severe case of the nation's diabolical cuisine . . .

This highlights how little you actually know about this incident.

It was an Italian restaurant.

[rowan]

Sounds like being a little racist there, to be honest. The Pub was in Britain. Don't try to pin the blame on foreigners. You know what they call that kind of thinking

[morepork]

Maybe it was an authentic Italian pub.

[rowan]

Maybe it was an authentic Italian pub.

Zizzi is a chain of 40 British restaurants offering dishes inspired by Italian cuisine across the United Kingdom. The chain was founded in 1999. It was sold by Gondola Group along with ASK Italian for £250 million to Bridgepoint Capital in February 2015. - Wiki

Gee, you guys really know your stuff

How about the Mill Pub? Who are you going to blame that one on?

Stop blaming foreigners.

[morepork]

You are quite literally totally humourless. I can't believe you took a break from wanking to lady boys to search the corporate history of a British Italian themed restaurant chain.

I think you just biff the racism theme to have the option of more pointless dialogue in the future, when the point has been well and truly lost in the sands of irony.

[rowan]

Maybe it was an authentic Italian pub.

Zizzi is a chain of 40 British restaurants offering dishes inspired by Italian cuisine across the United Kingdom. The chain was founded in 1999. It was sold by Gondola Group along with ASK Italian for £250 million to Bridgepoint Capital in February 2015. - Wiki

Gee, you guys really know your stuff

How about the Mill Pub? Who are you going to blame that one on?

Stop blaming foreigners.

Bears all the hallmarks of a classic stitch-up, to be honest.

[Stones of granite]

Sounds like being a little racist there, to be honest. The Pub was in Britain. Don't try to pin the blame on foreigners. You know what they call that kind of thinking

You make me laugh. My response to your childish comments on British food was to point out that the restaurant serves Italian food, and this is somehow blaming foreigners for a chemical weapons attack.

Do you ever read what you write and get embarrassed by yourself?

[rowan]

Sounds like being a little racist there, to be honest. The Pub was in Britain. Don't try to pin the blame on foreigners. You know what they call that kind of thinking

You make me laugh. My response to your childish comments on British food was to point out that the restaurant serves Italian food, and this is somehow blaming foreigners for a chemical weapons attack.

Do you ever read what you write and get embarrassed by yourself?

Wow, & I'm the one whose being accuse of having no sense of humour

In fact, jokes about English cuisine abound, and there's a perfectly good reason for that, so don't be such a precious little cry baby.

You were blaming foreigners. You tried to make out a British-owned franchise was Italian, not British, and completely ignored the fact that the Mill Pub is also involved.

I clearly proved you wrong even as you were claiming I didn't know what I was talking about and that's why it is you who is embarrassed - & trying desperately to cover the fact.

As mentioned, this looks increasingly like a stitch-up to me, timed right before the Russian elections. & after all this nonsense about the Russians influencing the American elections, doesn't that look just a tad hypocritical

& guess what: local news sources are reporting that Syrian government forces have now located a chemical weapons depot in Eastern Ghouta that the US-backed terrorists had been using. Wonder if that's even going to make it into Western mainstream news . . .

[cashead]

This is you, rowan.




A sane person would see this:

It was an Italian restaurant.

and think something like "oh, spaghettis and pizzas," not rant about the nationality of the owners while steam shoots out of their ears.

[rowan]

Not when he did so explicitly to refute the comment about it being a restaurant in Britain, as anyone but a hapless idiot can see. Really clutching at straws now, aren't you.

[cashead]

Not when he did so explicitly to refute the comment about it being a restaurant in Britain, as anyone but a hapless idiot can see. Really clutching at straws now, aren't you.

It's pretty obvious you were having a go at British cuisine, to which he pointed out it was an Italian restaurant. Like, are you actually forgetting what you wrote?

Like, seriously. All you're proving right now is that you're out of your fucking mind.

[rowan]

Not when he did so explicitly to refute the comment about it being a restaurant in Britain, as anyone but a hapless idiot can see. Really clutching at straws now, aren't you.

It's pretty obvious you were having a go at British cuisine, to which he pointed out it was an Italian restaurant. Like, are you actually forgetting what you wrote?

Like, seriously. All you're proving right now is that you're out of your fucking mind.

It's a British franchise and the pub is in Britain. Stop blaming foreigners. You know what they call that, don't you

But it takes a big man to admit it when he's wrong, not a hapless infant with a massive chip on his shoulder...

Meanwhile, interesting read on rampant Russophobia: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/t ... nt-w517486