Author Archives: davidsberry

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About davidsberry

Local ex-councillor, tour guide and database designer. Keen on wildlife, history, boats and music. Retired in 2017.

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

“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 The Ukrainian offensive that began around Kherson in the South at the end of August … 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 “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” ­ —Otto von Clausewitz Although the Russians stoically denied it, there was a blatant amount of warning before the attack on Ukraine actually happened … 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 “Confusion amongst Russian soldiers over their mission and poor morale due to inadequate training and uneven leadership explains their poor performance.” — Curtis Scaparrotti, US four-star general (rtd) Put simply, modern … 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 “Our country is officially and directly declared the main threat to North Atlantic security. And Ukraine will serve as a forward springboard for the strike.” —Vladimir Putin, February 24th 2022 The … 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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Union Myth-Take 6

Posted on August 26, 2022 by davidsberry

“Few nations are better placed to navigate the challenges ahead,” —Boris Johnson This typically bullish Boris Johnson assertion in the March 2021 Global Britain in a competitive age publication has yet to be realised 18 months later. The most cursory … Continue reading →

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Democracy for Sale

Posted on August 23, 2022 by davidsberry

This blogger subscribes to a number of sources regarded as reliable with the intention of presenting information and opinions here based on factual evidence. Occasionally, those sources present what Americans might call a “humdinger” of a scoop that demands wider … Continue reading →

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