Monthly Archives: September 2022

A Right Wunch of…

Posted on September 27, 2022 by davidsberry

“I make no apology for attacking spivs and gamblers who did more to the British economy than Bob Crow (the RTM union leader) could achieve in his wildest Trotskyite fantasies, while paying themselves outrageous bonuses underwritten by the taxpayer”. —UK … Continue reading →

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Low Budget

Posted on September 24, 2022 by davidsberry

“I can’t be broke; I still have plenty of cheques.” —Eric Sykes in BBC’s Sykes,1972 Citing events of a half-century go is not as irrelevant to Friday’s “mini” budget as you might think. In a three-hour session in parliament when … Continue reading →

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C’est Magnifique, mais Ce n’est pas la Gloire

Posted on September 19, 2022 by davidsberry

With apologies to Le Maréchal Pierre Bosquet’s observation on the Charge of the Light Brigade, this seems an apt comment on today’s spectacle of the Queen’s funeral. There is no question that it was spectacular, nor that the Queen had … Continue reading →

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Ivan to Go Home—V

Posted on September 18, 2022 by davidsberry

I—Background and Russian Unit Organisation II—Russian Equipment and Personnel III—Russian Onslaught IV—Russian Inertia V—Russian Rout “The Russian Army is a boxer who has a great right hook and a glass jaw.” —Phillips O’Brien, Prof. of Strategic Studies, St Andrews University … Continue reading →

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Ivan to Go Home—IV

Posted on September 17, 2022 by davidsberry

By April, it was clear that, despite bumptious pronouncements on Russian TV that “The Ukraine Special Operation” against the fascists in Kiev was going to plan”, somebody in the Kremlin worked out they were getting nowhere. Casualties were far higher … Continue reading →

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Ivan to Go Home—III

Posted on September 16, 2022 by davidsberry

A five-part article on Russian military misjudgements in Ukraine I—Background and Russian Unit Organisation II—Russian Equipment and Personnel III—Russian Onslaught IV—Russian Inertia V—Russian Rout “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” ­ —Otto von Clausewitz Although the Russians stoically denied … Continue reading →

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Ivan to Go Home—II

Posted on September 15, 2022 by davidsberry

A five-part article on Russian military misjudgements in Ukraine I—Background and Russian Unit Organisation II—Russian Equipment and Personnel III—Russian Onslaught IV—Russian Inertia V—Russian Rout “Confusion amongst Russian soldiers over their mission and poor morale due to inadequate training and uneven … Continue reading →

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Ivan to Go Home—I

Posted on September 14, 2022 by davidsberry

A five-part article on Russian military misjudgements in Ukraine I—Background and Russian Unit Organisation II—Russian Equipment and Manpower III—Russian Onslaught IV—Russian Inertia V—Russian Rout “Our country is officially and directly declared the main threat to North Atlantic security. And Ukraine … Continue reading →

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Leadership vs Tyranny

Posted on September 5, 2022 by davidsberry

The remains of Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev were taken from Moscow’s Hall of Columns, where all Soviet leaders had once lain in state after their death. But all were buried with a State Funeral. Gorbachev was not. This, and Putin’s diary … Continue reading →

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