As to the WTF question, I think he's vying for the Labour Party leadership. We all know that being "strong on foreign policy" is necessary to appear statesmanlike. A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
I recognise that Milliband is vying for the leadership of the Labour Party, but he's doing it in the Blair-ite way of never allowing himself to be outflanked on the right by the conservative party. If Cameron can go and make an arse of himself in Tblisi, Milliband must go to Kiev. What next ? Picking up a rifle and fighting with the chechens.
And I go back to my earlier question, what has this got to do with Britain's interests ? Blair's ideology is a busted flush for the Labour party, the more he indulges in this neocon lunacy, the less likely it is that most Labourites will support him.
Now, on a personal basis, watching Milliband cut his own throat is fine by me, but he's there as the Foreign Secretary. We get our gas from Russia, how is pissing them off going to help fuel prices this winter ? keep to the Fen Causeway
holding talks ... with international partners and [is] visiting Ukraine [today] to ensure the widest possible coalition against Russian aggression in Georgia
And, to quote a page linked to by ceebs this morning...
In the first half of the [nineteenth] century France as the British bogeyman gave way to Russia, leading finally to the Crimean War in 1854. In 1839 the obsession in British India was that the Russians, extending the Tsar's empire east into Asia, would invade India through Afghanistan.
Why are you surprised? A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
I'll pull a Jerome and claim that unless Ukraine or Poland decide to close the pipelines, Gazprom will still deliver the contracted amounts of gas. A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
I'm not saying they would. In this I side very much with you and JaP that Russia have a lot to lose and little to gain if they took such shenanigans too far. But we are not a reliable customer, we are not a good partner and they have no reason to do us any favours if we keep pissing them off. keep to the Fen Causeway
