Russian chemical attack on UK

Davesax1965 wrote: Steve, no criticism of you.  However, some people are suggesting that Stalin equals Hitler. Bong, wrong.  Most are displaying a lack of understanding about the way Russia (and the UK) works. Surprising when we're talking about the ex head of the KGB that a few would be so complimentary about him.

 Absolutely! This all ties back with what I said about the view that people have of politicians, that they are all absolutely the same. A very immature world view in my opinion.

Yep, the chosen one. In that instance, they are somewhat messianically similar. ;-)

A lot of early Communists were siezed with an almost proto-religious zeal - God was dead but the new ideology filled that gap. 

Trying to compare Stalin era Russia with Nazi Germany gets nobody anywhere. Trying to compare Stalin to Putin has much the same effect. It helps to understand the Russian mentality, but to quote Turgenev - "Russia cannot be understood with the mind alone". 

Non UK readers of this thread also seem to have some basic fundamental misconceptions about how things work here from a political viewpoint. And also the practical difficulties of manufacturing Novichok (and variants) outside of the three Russian plants in which it's made. It's not something you do using a Thomas Salter chemistry kit. 

Now some nit picker will come along and sieze on an absolute minor point, holding on to it like glue, ignoring the big picture *or* come up with some great conceptual leap by going 20 conclusions ahead because it's the internet, folks, and opinion is everything and knowledge is baaaad. 

Dunning - Kruger effect. 

Davesax1965 wrote: PS Old Uncle Adolf, what a great accent. ;-) I thought Bruno Ganz did a great impression of him.

Bruno Ganz is a great actor; he is not the current holder of the Iffland-ring for nothing.

the Iffland-ring is a diamond-studded ring with the picture of August Wilhelm Iffland, a prominent German actor, dramatist and theatre director of the late 18th and early 19th century. the holder of the Iffland-Ring is considered to be the "most significant and most worthy actor of the German-speaking theatre", in the opinion of the previous holder who has passed it to him by will

They both used to have long discussions in a library here in Manchester. Engels (rich family) was writing "condition of the working class in Manchester" at the time. They sat there and mainly spouted a load of old cobblers, Marx was mainly going on about Capital as the byproduct of labour in terms of profit (and who should own it). Engels was more "social" in nature. 

When you read what Engels has to say about the Irish population of Manchester, you'll be quite amazed at how utterly racist he was.

But I digress. 

Having actually read both books, that is. ;-)

I always distrust men (politicians, particularly) with  facial/head capillary oddities  - strange moustaches/beards/hairdos tend to light a red alarm, for me.
For this purpose  I would include Adolf,Josef and Donald in the same category, and leave out only Putin (what was the other option? ah, yes, Bush - well, he has to be out, too)

Hm, "facial hair as a potential indicator of dictatorship. "

There's a research grant in there somewhere. ;-)))))

Unorthodox hairdos remind me of televangelists for some reason, though I'm sure that's just a stereotype. And then there's the world of music in the 1980s...

Davesax1965 wrote: Hm, "facial hair as a potential indicator of dictatorship. " There's a research grant in there somewhere. ;-)))))

Possible working title for your paper: Decapitation and shaving rash : From the Guillotine to Gillette

I love how this thread has morphed more times than Cher's hair color.

^ he truly holds the record of being born in the middle of nowhere and rising up and conquering more territory than any empire since within a single life time. Probably all of Central Asia is his ancestry