elspeth sinclair

I think he meant that they weren't allowed to take part in a parade.

HBG

That’s very close to how I feel about Spain. I love it to bits, but know that there is a limit to my integration. That limit might be imagined on my part, aided by my obvious guiri appearance.

I met an expat a few weeks ago who had lost his wife recently. I naturally asked him if he was considering a return to the UK.. He was appalled by my question. ‘I scattered her ashes at La Mata, why on earth would I want to return to the UK?’

It’s difficult to reply to absolute logic, especially if you agree with it. Being an optimist, I’ve also asked that my ashes be scattered in the Mediterranean in 50 years time, but I want the telegram first, the lady owes me.

reggiedh

Actually the USSR just screwed countries that weren't democracies in the first place. The USSR did more screwing than the US ever did IMO.

bil

Really? Care to list those countries please? The US *****ed with the vast majority of countries in South America, grenada, iraq, Iran. I think it's at least 20 at the last count.

How many have the USSR screwed? They aren't angels, but I think they lacked the scope of the US.

HBG

Well, you can’t get away from WW2, the biggest ever. Spain took no part in it and has not suffered its consequences, the same as Ireland.

Injustices after 1945? The list is endless, Poles, Cossacks, Yugoslaviens, Hungarians, and most of all, Germans. If you dig too deep, the horrors will overwhelm you.

It was all over 65 years ago, few of us were around then, but some reminders will last another thousand years and should.

9/11 was yesterday, compared to WW2 it was just a silly attempt by Islamists to highlight their cause. Iraq and Afghanistan are nothing compared to WW2, silly blips caused by silly people.

There’s a big one coming up, it’s inevitable. We walked out of the caves with clubs to kill the opposition, we’re going to do the same soon with nuclear bombs.

I’m hoping that the radiation levels will miss Spain and that Iran will not point missiles at a neutral country that doesn’t want to fight anyone.

bil

Great idea to avoid wars. If two countries are considering war, take all the pro war politicians, give them a bread knife each and let them fight it out in Wembly stadium on prime time TV.

Last one standing wins.

Why is another big war unavoidable?

steviedeluxe

It could be argued that Spain was involved from the start - the Spanish civil war was a testing ground for army tactics and dive-bombers. As for "not suffering its consequences" read up on the "years of hunger". I'm not sure which European country was the best to wait out the second world war in (Switzerland? Ireland?) but I don't think Spain with the 1000s of regime sponsored murders would have been top of the list. Of course the competition for bottom of the list was particularly strong - Russia, Germany, Poland.

HBG

I suspect you know the answer and are merely fishing, but I’m in the mood for answering anyway.

Iran is extremely close to manufacturing nuclear bombs and already has the capabilities to transport them as far as Israel. Their stated aim is to destroy Israel.

Israel has no choice but to defend itself and has the capability to destroy the Iranian nuclear sites. Unfortunately, the fall-out will be horrendous., Iranian bombs will get through and their scattered peoples across the world will join in the mayhem.

It will be Islam versus Christianity on a massive scale, with weapons undreamt of in the crusades.

It’s unstoppable, the differences are too great.

rugbymatt

Afghanistan, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary, korea, most of Eastern Europe, the estimated 11 million slaughtered by Stalin, Gulags, China, Cuba, Angola, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ethiopia.... the list is endless I'm afraid Bil.. and while I'm no massive fan of US foreign policy it doesn't even closely compare with the hand the USSR have had in world conflict.

willmore

Well said mattie. My paternal side of the family escaped from poland because they felt that "living anywhere had to be better than living until russian rule".

Estonia only obtained its independence in 1991.

Both countries have horrific records of the slaughtering of human beings....

Visit russia one day and you can feel the tension.....

VFR

Did you read what I wrote about the CH4 program ?

VFR

Bil has a valid point re the American administration over the years.
Difference is they just pump millions into the freedom fighters/guerrillas/terrorists pockets to bring down administrations that do not toe the Washington line. They will of course have to buy all they need from them especially weapons & when in power will spend vast amounts on even more.
Saddam was their creation & was encouraged to invade Iran & later Kuwait, this achieved the long term goal of getting US troops based in Saudi.
The evidence is on-line if you care to look & you can then see why they lied about the reason to invade Iraq.
BTW the reality was this was a systematic destruction of a country (Iraq) to further their own interests & more importantly of the benefit of the administrations backers.
Bin Laden was their creation as was the Taliban.

9/11 & just a few known facts.
The pilot of the plane that hit the Pentagon (so we are told) trained on a small light aircraft & was one of the worst trainees that the school had ever seen (reported by the school) To do what was alleged would take a great deal of skill using an airliner.
Bin Ladens family was flown out of the states (over 30 of them) back to Saudi when no other plane was allowed to fly (apart from military)
If you can remember at the time (I can) it was reported on the day, that the day before there was massive share dealing/put options traded on American Airlines etc, unprecedented dealing in fact & this would of course lead directly to those who knew what was about happen. (this issue was quietly forgotten about)

So where we right to quietly cross ourselves while looking east every day for the great Russian bear to come bounding out of the mist over the past 50 years ?
Looking back now with the benefit of hindsight & the help of on-line info .... I very much doubt it, but that did keep a lot of people in jobs as the west spent untold billions, upon billions (think bigger) on arms.

The string pullers are taking the piss as they have always done, its just that they can now use the media to help them in the quest for profits & as always at the expense of the simple man.

bil

Is that 20 countries? I thought Vietnam was the chinese communists? I agree that Russia was a pretty foul stirrer, but my point is that the US comes over as a protector of democracy while supporting terrorism and destabilising elected governments whenever they did not suit.

jackytoo

So is Russia or the USA the outsider and where does Poland stand with guiris

bil

I think that if you trust the USA you are being a fool. Almost as bad as if you trusted Russia.

We have a special relationship with America.

We send our troops to die backing up their plans in the Middle East.

Less those soldiers who died in Ireland from bullets paid for by Americans.