Completely agree.
They evidence constantly shows sanctions rarely work and mainly affect the poorest in society, yet politicians continue to use them in order to virtue signal , they are ‘doing something’…
Su Mac
1 year ago
I can feel the exasperation flowing from this author in waves as yet another load of rubbishy propaganda for the proles is shovelled onto the bonfire of Western Civ. I listened to a translation of Putin’s recent speech on the subject of inflation, grain export quantities, alternative routes from Ukraine etc…OMG, the man is like listening to an actual, logical informed adult rather than the petulant teenagers representing us!
And isn’t it weird that many people will think me weird for having listened to the words of a leader of one of the major nations. If you are thinking that… ask yourself why?
For a start, Russia is not a major nation apart from having nukes.
It is energy station run by gangsters.
Idea that listening to Putin will somehow provide guidance to “better” Western policies is complete bonkers.
Many people in the West liked Hitler and Stalin and Mao.
You think Putin logical, informed and reasonable.
For me he is genocidal, corrupt megalomaniac leading his country to penury.
Why don’t you clear off to Russia, Sue?
That is assuming you are not already there.
To be fair, this argument is based on the extremely common ‘all or nothing’ fallacy that says that people must be assessed as entirely bad or good on every measure. Or truthful / deceitful etc. Hitler might well have been kind to animals.
Putin is much more right than, say, Biden, on the essential biological difference between men and women. He might well have good reasons to be careful and analytic in certain if not all of his comments. After all – truth in some respects matters to him as to everyone, for example HOW much will Russia’s economy be impacted and HOW much revenue can the Russian state expect. He might also have a secondary goal of appearing reasonable to divide western opinion.
None of this means that Putin’s unprovoked invasion or his mass political repression can be justified.
I will tell you why from Putin’s own statements as reported elsewhere in Unherd and other newspapers.b “He has compared the war in Ukraine to Peter the Great’s conquests in the Baltic, arguing that in both conflicts Russia was recovering its own territory.” Also
“He has repeatedly sought to justify Russia’s actions in Ukraine, where his forces have devastated cities, killed thousands and put millions of people to flight, by promulgating a view of history that asserts Ukraine has no real national identity or tradition of statehood.* You russian apologists are simple minded if you think this little man would stop at Ukraine
Dermot O'Sullivan
1 year ago
I love ‘turn on and off like an office fan.’
Carlos Danger
1 year ago
Always interesting that politicians claim credit for anything good that happens and disclaim blame for anything bad.
polidori redux
1 year ago
“Western leaders are trying to deflect responsibility”
Of course they are. Their problems are self-inflicted. Putin is a heaven sent opportunity: A monster sent to save them from the wrath of the electors.
Brendan O'Leary
1 year ago
Hopefully you can edit out the double negative at the start of the 5th paragraph (under the inflation graph)
It’s a shame the comments so far have pursued, as all too often, a series of all too often repeated ‘woke’ and environmental talking points, and the specifics of this excellent analysis ignored!
The article isn’t about the war itself, sanctions, climate change, or identity politics. Come on people – keep to the point!
Nicola Farey
1 year ago
Climate change (droughts, flooding) has also had a major negative impact on food production in the US and China.
Instead of kicking off your statement with a P.C. trope why not just say that as usual in the history of man and agriculture some draughts and flooding may have some impact on the current supply of certain grains. Draughts and flooding have been with us forever as have periods of lesser draughts and floods. We deal with them.
And Australia and India have had record grain harvests. The Climate Change God giveth and taketh apparently.
Or, as steven points out, some places have droughts and floods; same as it ever was. Beware of believing the pervasive propaganda. One recent example: the Australian 2019/20 bush fires were widely presented as both unprecedented and the direct result of human induced climate change. Permanent drought (subsequently there has been abundant rain), the dams will never be filled, this is the new normal, we’re on the edge of Armageddon!
The twenty odd million hectares burned in that season were never compared to the 120 million burned in the ’74/75 season, a time when the worry of the day was an approaching ice age after thirty wears of global cooling. Could it be that we’re being actively lied to Nicola?
Completely agree.
They evidence constantly shows sanctions rarely work and mainly affect the poorest in society, yet politicians continue to use them in order to virtue signal , they are ‘doing something’…
I can feel the exasperation flowing from this author in waves as yet another load of rubbishy propaganda for the proles is shovelled onto the bonfire of Western Civ. I listened to a translation of Putin’s recent speech on the subject of inflation, grain export quantities, alternative routes from Ukraine etc…OMG, the man is like listening to an actual, logical informed adult rather than the petulant teenagers representing us!
And isn’t it weird that many people will think me weird for having listened to the words of a leader of one of the major nations. If you are thinking that… ask yourself why?
For a start, Russia is not a major nation apart from having nukes.
It is energy station run by gangsters.
Idea that listening to Putin will somehow provide guidance to “better” Western policies is complete bonkers.
Many people in the West liked Hitler and Stalin and Mao.
You think Putin logical, informed and reasonable.
For me he is genocidal, corrupt megalomaniac leading his country to penury.
Why don’t you clear off to Russia, Sue?
That is assuming you are not already there.
To be fair, this argument is based on the extremely common ‘all or nothing’ fallacy that says that people must be assessed as entirely bad or good on every measure. Or truthful / deceitful etc. Hitler might well have been kind to animals.
Putin is much more right than, say, Biden, on the essential biological difference between men and women. He might well have good reasons to be careful and analytic in certain if not all of his comments. After all – truth in some respects matters to him as to everyone, for example HOW much will Russia’s economy be impacted and HOW much revenue can the Russian state expect. He might also have a secondary goal of appearing reasonable to divide western opinion.
None of this means that Putin’s unprovoked invasion or his mass political repression can be justified.
I will tell you why from Putin’s own statements as reported elsewhere in Unherd and other newspapers.b “He has compared the war in Ukraine to Peter the Great’s conquests in the Baltic, arguing that in both conflicts Russia was recovering its own territory.” Also
“He has repeatedly sought to justify Russia’s actions in Ukraine, where his forces have devastated cities, killed thousands and put millions of people to flight, by promulgating a view of history that asserts Ukraine has no real national identity or tradition of statehood.* You russian apologists are simple minded if you think this little man would stop at Ukraine
I love ‘turn on and off like an office fan.’
Always interesting that politicians claim credit for anything good that happens and disclaim blame for anything bad.
“Western leaders are trying to deflect responsibility”
Of course they are. Their problems are self-inflicted. Putin is a heaven sent opportunity: A monster sent to save them from the wrath of the electors.
Hopefully you can edit out the double negative at the start of the 5th paragraph (under the inflation graph)
“This is obviously untrue”
Oh yeah?
https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/wheat
It’s a shame the comments so far have pursued, as all too often, a series of all too often repeated ‘woke’ and environmental talking points, and the specifics of this excellent analysis ignored!
The article isn’t about the war itself, sanctions, climate change, or identity politics. Come on people – keep to the point!
Climate change (droughts, flooding) has also had a major negative impact on food production in the US and China.
Instead of kicking off your statement with a P.C. trope why not just say that as usual in the history of man and agriculture some draughts and flooding may have some impact on the current supply of certain grains. Draughts and flooding have been with us forever as have periods of lesser draughts and floods. We deal with them.
do you mean “droughts”?
So are you saying the planet is not getting warmer over time and that human activity is not a factor?
Clue up mate:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/03/extreme-climate-change-history/617793/
And Australia and India have had record grain harvests. The Climate Change God giveth and taketh apparently.
Or, as steven points out, some places have droughts and floods; same as it ever was. Beware of believing the pervasive propaganda.
One recent example: the Australian 2019/20 bush fires were widely presented as both unprecedented and the direct result of human induced climate change. Permanent drought (subsequently there has been abundant rain), the dams will never be filled, this is the new normal, we’re on the edge of Armageddon!
The twenty odd million hectares burned in that season were never compared to the 120 million burned in the ’74/75 season, a time when the worry of the day was an approaching ice age after thirty wears of global cooling. Could it be that we’re being actively lied to Nicola?