[brooksby]

Can someone please explain how the energy price cap works.

Specifically: in what way is it a “cap”?

I read that the price cap is increased, then will be increased again, and so on and so forth.

I also read that the energy companies’ profits have been increasing massively.

So, in what way is the energy price cap what the chap on the Clapham Omnibus would understand to be a cap (ie. a limit)?

Topic

[brooksby]

Roulereo wrote:

…always wearing that tight khaki army t-shirt despite the fact he’s never served? Best stolen valour moment since George W wearing his Top Gun jacket toi announce ‘winning’ the Iraq war. 

I own several khaki t-shirts.  I have also never ‘served’ (I presume you’re in the US, using that terminology).  Last time I checked, khaki t-shirts were not the exclusive preserve of the military…

[Roulereo]

Rich_cb wrote:

Rich_cb wrote:

The Ukrainian regime is a long way from perfect and most of the Western media seem to have conveniently forgotten about the Azov battalion…

Yes, a very long way from perfect. Hard to deal with, but not surprisingly the Mainstream Media has been running a strong fake narrative that bears no relationship to facts or decent investigative work. Just like during Covid, the MSM has been pushing the idea that the Ukranians are winning, to Putin’s got cancer, to Zelensky is Jesus himself. Plenty of stories on Russian Oligarchs but none on Zelensky’s mates doing the same. None on Zelensky banning Gay marriage, or banning opposition parties, or shutting down media (“consolidating”) or telling Western countries to ban all Russian entering their countries. Putin is a vile meglomaniac, but he’s not stupid, he needs to be dragged to the negotiating table too. Clearly Western sanctions and media narratives don’t work, especially when China steps up to help them and the West simper away.  

The media is all Leftie opinions and their pro-war stuff that has the Left all clapping happily and crowd funding assault rifles and grenade launchers (probably the same hypocrits who did the opposite when the US went into Iraq or whined about Kyle Whittenhouse using his semi-automatic to defend himself).

Anyone seen the Vogue photoshoot with his hot wife posing in front of a burning tank? What about Zelensky’s world PR tour including Glastonbury (?) always wearing that tight khaki army t-shirt despite the fact he’s never served? Best stolen valour moment since George W wearing his Top Gun jacket toi announce ‘winning’ the Iraq war. 

Peace talks should be pushed on the two countries, instead China keeps buying Russian oil and the West keeps arming the Ukrainans and ignoring the rebrankding of his various Nazi battalions. 

[David9694]

I’m one less user drawing

I’m one less user drawing from the grid when all the demand for aircon threatens us all with blackouts.  On sunny days, I put out 2-3 times what I use. If I generate 15 kWh, I cover that day’s energy standing charges – riches indeed. I started in February, so haven’t yet experienced the horror of December and January. 

[Rich_cb]

NATO already have borders
NATO already have borders with Russia, I’m not sure why one additional border should be the precursor to war. Is Finland next in that case?

The Ukrainian regime is a long way from perfect and most of the Western media seem to have conveniently forgotten about the Azov battalion including during the Mariupol siege but none of that comes close to excusing Russia’s actions either at state level ot the atrocities perpetrated by its troops.

Peace talks have been tried and have been running intermittently since Russia first attacked Ukraine in 2014.

[Roulereo]

Let’s just ask Klaus Schwab

Let’s just ask Klaus Schwab and his mates who run the Pharma and Big Tech, they run the world now anyway. Biden and Trudeau are just lieutenants really. Besides a few days at Davos is 10x more powerful than a year at UN HQ.  

[Roulereo]

Consider the Chinese parking

Consider the Chinese parking its Nukes off the coast of Dover to the long-warned off Nato effort. 

Amazng how the Left has jumped so quickly to war, as it did to Nazi style authoritarianism with Covid. It must be all the hypocrisy they eat for breakfast. 

How about not fuelling the war and lining the arms dealers pockets? Not giving a comedian millions for him to feed his Azov Nazi brigade or sell off arms to other arms dealers for quick profits to channel to his several BVI registered companies or for the renovation on his London properties in Regents Park etc.?

How about peace talks? Never have the Left, Biden, etc asked for them. Easier top virtue signal and wail on Twitter I guess.  

[NOtotheEU]

Agreed it’s a s**tshow. 

Agreed it’s a s**tshow. 

Lets hope that at least all parties involved don’t want WWIII.

[David9694]

Putin’s MO is similar to that

Putin’s MO is similar to that of Hitler, sure you’ve got the totalitarian regime at home, although I don’t think he’s surrounded himself with the idiots Hitler did and he’s no idiot himself.

The MO is to manufacture a concern or grievance nearby that somehow always justifies military action. The difference to the other conflicts you reference is the virtual certainty of rinse and repeat by Russia, if they’re allowed to win in Ukraine. I don’t know how we get out of this. Putin being seriously ill or assassinated are examples of wishful thinking. Meantime,you’ll notice the big gas valve that’s appeared on his desk where the red button used to be. 

[Rich_cb]

Peace talks had been ongoing
Peace talks had been ongoing intermittently since Russian backed ‘separatists’ waged war on Ukraine in 2014. Russia also illegally annexed Crimea at the same time.

I think we’ll end up with a stalemate in Ukraine. Russia won’t get much further West and is likely to be pushed out of Kherson in the coming months but getting them out of the Donbas and Crimea will be far more challenging and likely impossible.

Sacrificing the lost territory in exchange for NATO and EU membership is probably the best Ukraine can hope for now.

[NOtotheEU]

It’s too late now obviously

It’s too late now obviously but like I said, keeping Ukraine out of NATO and offering to work with the Russians to make Ukraine prosperous and independant would have been a start. They aren’t joining NATO anytime soon so what did they have to lose? Then the World Bank, the IMF and the European Commission would have had to write off the crippling debt to give the country a fresh start which would have been the payback for giving up NATO membership.

And why were peace talks held only after the start of the conflict that the whole world knew was coming? All I saw was posturing and threats from the leaders who could have at least tried to do something other than pour fuel onto the fire.

Sadly I don’t see any possible outcome that will leave Ukraine in a good place. If Russia wins then Ukraine will effectively cease to exist. If Ukraine wins then they will be left with little except death and poverty.

[chrisonabike]

Rich_cb wrote:

Rich_cb wrote:

… Would the US sit back and allow Canada to join the Russian Federation?…

I think I’ve seen a couple of documentaries on that subject.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109370/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158983/

[Rich_cb]

Russia shares a border with
Russia shares a border with multiple NATO countries already.

Ukraine joining the EU/NATO doesn’t really change much at all from the Russian perspective.

Given the hypersonic missiles now in existence I doubt proximity makes a blind bit of difference any more.

Cuba was a different era and the proximity of those missiles changed the security situation immensely. Using non lethal force to pressurise Cuba into changing tack was acceptable but the way the US has treated Cuba since isn’t.

I doubt NATO would do much if Canada or Mexico became hostile, Article 5 would obviously apply.

Would the US sit back and allow Canada to join the Russian Federation? I honestly don’t know.

I imagine they’d probably just sanction the Canadian economy into oblivion rather than roll the 101st northwards.

[chrisonabike]

Rendel Harris wrote:

So if Eire, or even a post-independence Scotland, allied with Russia and hosted Russian air bases and nuclear missiles, that would be fine? Cuba had every right to host Russian missiles and the US had no right to intervene?

Or – possibly more accurately – if an independent Scotland ditched the nukes (as is the plan I believe) what would the US / The United Kingdom of Two Thirds of Britain and a Few Bits Elsewhere have to say about it?

TBH I would have said that in an age of information / cyber warfare and hypersonic weapons a handful of missiles a bit closer wasn’t important.  Russia recently reminded everyone that these things still exist though.

[Rendel Harris]

Rich_cb wrote:

Rich_cb wrote:

If Ireland or Scotland wished to ally with Russia and host potentially threatening weapons they’d be within their rights to do so.

And would NATO just sit back and allow that? Would the US simply allow Mexico and Canada to ally with Russia and site troops and missiles on her border?

You didn’t say whether the US was out of order in the Cuban missile crisis?

I’m certainly not saying what the vile Putin is doing is in any way right or excusable, I’m just asking if we would react differently.

[chrisonabike]

Rich_cb wrote:

Rich_cb wrote:

The mere fact that media coverage of the Georgia annexations was fairly lacklustre and even the invasion of Crimea produced no serious talk of military action should indicate to you that Western powers favoured appeasement over any other approach.

Not disagreeing with the thrust of this but “not being bothered” fits better than “appeasement”.  “Complacency” maybe?  (I like Kipling’s “Dane-Geld” but I’m not sure it quite fits the West’s position.)  None of these places was “ours to give” nor were we really committed to regimes or people there.

Politicians don’t see any interest in these places, the public don’t really care.  Apart from us bingeing on cheap Russian energy / resources.  (Yourself possibly excepted if your solar’s doing well).  Good on us all for cycling!

Not sure what would talk of military action do?  The bluff is easy to call.  What “military action” would you have suggested?

In the case of Ukraine I believe there was a bit of training and possibly some supply for some years before the latest invasion and our current massive materiel assistance.

[Author]

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