Perhaps a look at “Kiev’s Agenda” along with “Putin’s Agenda” might be considered now?
Putin is in power for another five years at least, has a popular mandate generally rubbished by western powers who like to pour doubt onto the validity of “Russian Elections”.
We have reached an impasse in the world these days where “anywhere that the Liberal Left cannot win - means there must have been something wrong with the ballot”. That is just the zero policy lot playing the “have have no policies but criticize the incumbent”. Actually, that is usually the opposition’s job to do fair enough, but when you as “opposition” are basically a load of rabble rousing criminals intent on driving your own country to civil war - perhaps it is time to look at other methods of keeping order.
In fact, Putin has been rather soft on the Left in Russia. Free speech is apparently supported by him, and some rather strange and absurd laws are enforced, if the Frankie programme on BBC Iplayer (Cheerleaders for the Left both) is anything to go by.
Back over in the West, we have Right-shifted-to-Center leaders like Merkel, May, and Rutte. The deserted Right have now surged with “proper” Right wingers however, and it is likely that the Right wing parties will conitnue to make gains in all three countries involved. Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands.
In Germany, AfD have gone from zero to 94 seats in one surge.
In Holland, Right Winger Geert Wilders has won 20 seats, the second largest number after incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Despite “second” - Geert Wilders was not invited into any coalition however, forcing the Right to win an overall majority before they will be taken seriously.
In Britain, our next election may well do the same kind of pattern. UKIP might win the most seats for example, but the Labour and Conservative losers, may well be able to command the magic 326 seats between them, and continue to sideline “winners” UKIP as a result, perhaps even by a handful of seats. Such a scenario might be
Conservative 167 seats (-150) Labour 162 seats (-100) UKIP 204 seats (+204) SNP 8 seats (-27) Libdem 0 seats (-12) DUP 9 seats (-1) Sinn Fein 9 seats (+2) Green Party 4 seats (+3) Plaid Cymru 2 (-2) and the prediction that the speaker will lose their seat to an independent in a similar manner to Neil Hamilton losing the supposedly safe seat of Tatton to Martin Bell in 1997. “Others” will make up the balance.
This, like in Germany - would put UKIP into the “Official Opposition” position, and would make them part of the privy council. That is actually quite a coup for UKIP, as they would be able to hold both Labour and Conservative’s “feet to the fire” as Farage once promised - without fear of having to be actually “responsible for anything” for now. Corbyn, of course - occupies that position at present, albeit having dropped the ball already by not being “Opposition to Cameron” when Cameron sided for Remain. If Corbyn had done the obvious thing, and campaigned for Vote Leave - he would have long since become Prime Minster by this point.
The electorate are becoming increasingly more difficult to “Lie to”. We all want proof these days, and many of us take the view “If you can’t show us it happening on full HD video - then it hasn’t happened!”
If we’re gonna buy this novichoc ■■■■■■■■, we are going to have to see
Named Suspects on CCTV
Proof that the footage has not been tampered with.
Named other suspects also on CCTV, with reasons why they are suspects
Proof that the footage has not been tampered with.
CCTV footage of these suspects coming through customs
Questions being asked as to why their baggage was not checked.
Inventories of Novichoc throughout the UK
Lists of laboratories capable of making Novichoc within the UK, within the wider EU.
…but most of all - an actual MOTIVE for why “Russia” would bother being an apparent “Rogue State” over a bunch of nobodies. If it had been a prominent VIP killed, a Rothschild banker, a sitting cabinet minister, etc. - then we might have been more inclined to believe that this whole thing “Slipped MI5’s Net”. As it stands though, it is hard to believe that MI5 are not actually in league with his lot, or at least “laughably fooled” by what should be a bunch of “Easy to Beat” Kiev agents punching above their weight, as they appear to be doing all the time these days, as does Erdogan’s Turkey.