mhaze,

Grab that chair.

" As far as I know no war or atmospheric disturbance has been affected by prayer."

Tell that to Jericho. <grin>

"One thing we agree on is that Zelensky is acting in the way a leader should act. He is a contrast to the head of Afghanistan who bugged out ..."

Or the PM of Canada.... http://twitter.com/ajzeigler/status/1497572492118007812

Hi David,

A word, and a small offering to Tawhirimatea, god of the weather, including rain, and Tumatauenga, god of war, may be in order. Its good to deal with a specialist, rather than a GP at these times to get results. Although I must say Tawhirimatea is not doing a great job in our neck of the woods at the moment. I just heard a clap of thunder, and its raining again, could it be the displeasure of Tawhirimatea?

It all could have been so different !
Imagine that Yeltsin had appointed a true democrat as Prime Minister.
Russia might have close relations with western Europe.
Trade could have benefited both east & west because their combined
GDP would be very large.
NATO would have withered on the vine, or Russia might even have joined NATO.
Then Russia would have support for when China claims Vladivostok.
China has not forgotten the eastern areas. They recently blamed the
poor maps of early times.

Let me make a prediction:
Russia will withdraw into itself and a few local satellites.
China may give up on Taiwan or come to understanding with it.
China will take the opportunity to reestablish its historical claim
to most of Siberia. Russia will oppose and ask for help from the west.

Most of us will not be here to see this.

The Atlantic has characterized Putin's reactions
thus far as "unhinged." And they say they are
reminiscent of "the worst Soviet-era propaganda
in which white is black and the aggressor is a victim."

They point out that Putin "proclaimed the independence
of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine held by
Kremlin-backed rebels. That he's negated Ukraine's
sovereignty, culture, and identity. He's discredited Ukraine's
government as an illegitimate junta and blamed the country's
turning away from Moscow as orchestrated by the West."

The Atlantic advises that the West should not follow in
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's footsteps
of appeasement from the 1930s. In the hope that Putin's
ambitions is limited to only Europe.

They feel that "ultimately it is the international liberal
order and its norms that he's after."

A frightening scenario.

Hi Bazz,

My prediction is that Putin will be removed
from office and will disappear.

Wishful thinking I guess.