From each according to his ability; to each according to his need.

Thus spake Karl Marx in his communist doctrine. And that’s how communism works. Everyone works as hard as they possibly can, 80 hour weeks in Siberian mines, flat out in a Moscow bank, laying bricks, selling derivatives, but only takes in return what is required to live on, feed the family, keep the home fire burning.

Because what’s the point of ‘more’? What do you need money in the bank for? It doesn’t do anything. Similarly a car. Why? When you can’t afford to fill it up nor go anywhere because you’re only going to work and back. Holidays? Phah! They’re for weaklings, gays and fascists. And of those three, only the first is in any way tolerated in Russia.

Unless you consider Putin a fascist.

Last week a long-term Putin spokesmen (and ‘long term’ is not a term often applied to people in contact with the ruthless Russian dictator; more common adjectives are ‘buried in the cement holding up the Leningrad bypass’, ‘disappeared’ or simply ‘brown bread’) married some ice-dancer half his age and was spotted in the photos wearing a watch that costs £379,000. About half a million dollars/euros. And probably 20 times the annual income of the average Russian.

But its his wedding gift from his bride, apparently. Ice-dancing must pay well over there. And what else would he do with 379 grand? Buy a couple of houses? How many do you need? And that would be very un-Russian, owning houses. They can only own what they need plus any football teams they can find. He could have given the money to Gay Pride to help remove the virtual death penalty his country has on homosexuality. He could invest it in some really serious drug programs for the athletes taking part in next year’s Olympics.

Lots of things he could do with that money other than stick it on his sodding wrist. A second-hand Bugatti Veyron would be nice. Something useful. Thoughtful. A gold plated Kalashnikov.

Hilary Clinton, pipped at the post 8 years ago by ‘upstart’ Barak Obama’ for Democrat presidential candidacy, looks like she might get cast aside again. By vice-president Joe Biden.
Hilary may have the experience, the intellect, the wit, (obviously not the looks but that would not be a nice thing to add) and all manner of brilliant qualifications. But Biden has 3 deaths in his immediate family. Wife and baby 40 years ago and son in May. Brain tumour. But the son was an Iraq war vet. Hilary should throw her cards in now. America loves a sob story. Death, war heroes, tragedy. Biden has it all. A blow job under the desk in the Oval Office sadly doesn’t count as a ‘family tragedy’.

Happy Monday

A xxxx