When you’re a tyrant, you make up the rules as you go along. That’s one of the privileges. You say; people do. The downside is that generally you’re hated. And can trust no-one. So I’m not going to apply for that job today. Though you do get to adopt the most astounding double standards and when questioned about it, you only have to lie, which most tyrants seem to find ridiculously easy to do, however transparent those lies may be.

We spoke of Iran, run by a tyrannical regime which has morality police who murder. That’s funny enough (unless you’re the one getting murdered) but pails into insignificance compared to the Big Boss. The Tyrant’s Tyrant. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The only person alive who would send in 200,000 troops, call up the reserve, send thousands of tanks and heavy artillery and run an endless missile and bomb campaign for 6 months but deny that ‘its a war’. “It is a special action to protect Russian people”. Particularly those Russian people who’ve invaded Ukraine in a decidedly warlike manner. And this weekend was the ultimate statement, after Ukrainians bombed out the bridge connecting Russia to Crimea, across which come all of Russias supplies and munitions. Although Ukraine, as yet, have not accepted responsibility for the bombing, but really, who else would do it? The Welsh?? In a war you cut supply lines, if you can, and they did.

Yet to Putin, this was ‘an act of terrorism’. Which, obviously, must be punished, blah, blah, blah. Damaging a bridge is ‘terrorism’ whilst bombing schools and hospitals, sending missiles into residential areas and levelling entire cities is what, exactly?

Yet somehow the man retains the support of a ridiculously high number of Russians. When, really, 5 would be too high a number considering Ukraine and Russia were and are brethren peoples. You have to assume, correctly, that ‘the news they read ain’t the same as wot we do’.

And Putin’s entire modus is to portray Russia as the persecuted underdog. Hence no declarations of war whilst declaring war. He is ‘responding’, ‘acts of terrorism’, persecution by the West, by NATO, Europe, America. It all feeds the narrative which, if the shit really does hit the fan, would enable him to fire a nuke. With the support of the Russian people who he is ‘protecting’. He’s threatened it numerous times and now Ukraine has a real upper hand and Russia is amazingly running out of missiles (though not soldiers, they’ve always been good at sending kids to die for the cause), the time may be approaching when that is Putin’s only option to save face. And saving that horrible, ugly face is his number one concern.

Never mind, Spurs are playing in the Champions League tomorrow and, if London’s still standing, I’m going!!!

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx