Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Russia supports Syria because they make money from arms, but more importantly that is their only sphere of influence the in the ME. Increasingly, Russia is finding that countries are not interested in their help. If China are supporting Assad then I would guess it is for similar reasons as Russia.

This the BBBC's take on Russia/Syria

Foreign policy analysts usually tend to explain Moscow's inflexible stance on Syria by evoking arms sales to Damascus (Bashar al-Assad's regime is said to have placed orders for Russian hardware to the tune of $3.5bn) and the Russian naval station in the Syrian port of Tartous.

But this alone does not account for Russia's seeming indifference to the adverse effect that its international advocacy of the Assad government has on its relations with the United States, the European Union and the majority of the Arab states.

The explanation has a lot to do with Russia's domestic policies and the obsessions of the Russian political class.

By standing up for Damascus, the Kremlin is telling the world that neither the UN, nor any other body or group of countries has the right to decide who should or should not govern a sovereign state.

If one looks at the Syrian crisis from this angle, many of Moscow's previously inexplicable actions take on a new, clearer meaning.

Ever since the fall of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, but especially after the 2004 "Orange Revolution" in Ukraine, the Russian leadership has been obsessed with the idea of America and the EU engineering the overthrow of governments that, for whatever reason, they find unsuitable.

President Vladimir Putin and his team seem to be convinced that something like that could happen to Russia.

Russia's political class never accepted concepts like "responsibility to protect", which aim to limit the ability of authoritarian governments to repress their own people.

Sovereignty, to the Russian leadership, means an unlimited licence for governments to do as they please within their national borders.

There is more here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18462813

many thanks Hays - an interesting read indeed
of course none of the supporters of either side in these conflicts is ever working for altruistic or even humanitarian reasons - any more than the crusades had much or even anything to do with freeing jerusalem from the muslims for religious reasons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcEtlLOyBxs

has I have said many times the uk is now CESSPIT OF CORRUPTION
ever MP should now resign and call an election and have a fresh start
more MPS scandals to come out they are all at some form of scam .
if you are a MP you should work has a MP not making money for asking questions
or giving out insider info and being paid to do it
it is a scandal and corruption ..

and still a big scandal to come out this week big time

what about your 2 (or is it 3?) labour pals in house of lords, or have you managed to miss that little story?

if ukip had any let alone a decent number of mps, it is a racing certainty that much muck would be uncovered about them too
it's a fact of life, that where's there's money to be made or advantage to be gained by the offering of same, there'll be takers of all hues

==============

and in the interim, if we can shut up the village idiot for long enough, a purely hypothetical question .....

if there was a mayoral election tomorrow between boris and ken, for whom would you cast your vote?

Boris

Labour may put up Eddie Izzard as candidate for mayor next time. Ken has said he has retired. Boris is getting more and more popular.

Simply put.

Even Manuel should understand.

Not sure about the sleepwalker.

GENTS...... simple question..........do you beleive coppers
Should get a FULL pension after 30 years 0f service.????

Always aswel move onto a new full time job with a full pension at age 48.......Pathetic.

My money better spent on unemployed,

Yes, if it due to them under the contract they signed when entering their employment.

But, the contract and rights of the contracts for new members should be renegotiated.

Life expectancy is different and so are is the working environment.


I think the MPs contracts and pensions should also be renegotiated.

The majority retire at 50yrs of age and they pay into their pension - are you aware of that? They normally do 30yrs service but things may have changed in the last 13 yrs.

Oh! by the way if they move into another full time job then they are heavily taxed just like anyone else - I always say don't criticise what someone else has or does or has done, because everyone has the opportunity to do the like wise if they so wish.

well said 3m!

I wanted to grow 4 inches taller.

==========
Some, work in heavy industry or manual jobs for 45 years and then retire on much lower pensions.

In the UK are taxes heavy for what they provide, even if it is a police officer or an ambulance if you are in need one.

Priorities!

no fred - you just need to get off your high horse

Don't want to.

I enjoy riding you.

8-)

All down to career choice no?

As a labourer you are less likely to be murdered, assaulted, stabbed, spat on, run over, be a political pawn controlling riots in a crash helmet, body armour and carrying a plastic shield, work three shifts morning, nights and afternoons with short change overs. If called upon be a midwife, administer first aid, jump in the sea, river, canal to rescue anyone in difficulty. Inform next of kin of the death of their loved ones. Deal generally with the scum of the earth purporting to be human beings etc etc etc. Great job!

fred - please use ky and wear a condom (over your head!)

Cynic,

That might give you pleasure, but a little like Dreamer, you seem to me to be developing a fetish.

But, I suppose it is down to what gives you pleasure.

Cynic

If he does that he won't be able to get any air into his Welsh wind bag's

Fred is a national treasure and therefore should be kept in an air tight box.