Putin’s evil but we like his gas? Xi is evil but we like all the cheap ’made in China’ stuff? Who’s the hypocrite?

I do not know enough about Russia or Putin, to make any honest/informed statement about whether or not he is evil. Same for Xi of China. I do not know enough to sit in judgement.

But history will tell us that the times we have tried to remove supposedly ”evil” leaders, the result hasn’t been encouraging and the collateral damage remain till today: Saddam, Gaddafi etc. – yes, horrid folks, but what’s been the aftermath?

But seeing the likes of Macron of France, turning this into an ego-boosting Photo opportunity, smiling like a cheshire cat next to Putin, on his supposed trip to Moscow to sort the Ukraine stand-off, is stomach-churning! We do not want another war. And yes, various leaders wading in now, to pre-empt this needless conflict is good, but this is no photo-op moment!

It is fairly obvious that if the west can change the hypocritical and baseless narrative that always seek to paint Putin as a monster, he will also change his stance. I do not believe Russia want another war either – it is such a needless waste of life! But for Europe to depend so heavily on Russian gas – and willingly take it, but continue to make the guy out as this hairy monster, is clearly hypocritical. If you don’t like or trust the guy, stop supping-up his gas!!!

Almost every item you get from Amazon (an American giant by the way) is ’made in China’. It seems the rest of the world have downed tools and stopped production! So, while we are happy to consume their products, why disparage them?? Trump called Covid a Kung-flu and his audience cheered. But you visit each of their homes and you’ll find Amazon-delivered ’made in China’ products!

I am not for a minute saying Russia and China are faultless, quite frankly, I do not know. But what I do know, is that no country is faultless – we all have our demons. Be it prisons full of minorities (and their crime largely being supply of drugs that our posh university students consume!) or other stuff. But it is so easy to point at Russia or China…

Safe to say good & bad emanate from every country. Salisbury Novochok poisoning was horrid, but some will say that so is an allegation of weapons of mass destruction that were never found but the death toll piled up high. I am not sure what the solution is, after all we already have a United Nations (not sure what impact they have though…). How can countries make war an option that is NEVER taken up?

If the west change our approach and rhetoric, a great deal more will be achieved in getting Russia and China to perhaps re-assess their approach too. Hong Kong, Taiwan, Crimean, Ukraine…. there has to be a peaceful means of sorting these matters…

Maybe I am just too naive and the world simply can’t be at peace…