I've seen a question from
@MCFC1993 while I've been composing this post. This should answer your question.
Hello from Mordor. Just checking in with a quick evening bulletin. There wasn't one yesterday as I'm not sleeping well at the moment, and after a long day's work fell asleep immediately afterwards. I'm knackered today as well but have at least been able to stay awake.
Anyway, the repression here tightens. The last two independent media outlets, the radio station Echo of Moscow and the Rain TV channel, have been taken off air. They're talking about tightening up the laws on treason as well. And teachers have been issued with detailed instructions of what to tell kids about current events. There'll be a live lesson to kick off with, screened live tomorrow and given by the Ministry of Education.
At the moment, I don't feel a threat if I continue to supply up[dates from within Russia. I'm afraid I can't guarantee that I'll always feel the same if they continue to turn the screw. But let's worry about that when it happens.
I can't follow this thread - there are too many posts for me to read even a third of them and still do everything else I have to. Apologies if I therefore go over old ground.
However, I saw a discussion about it being futile to hope Russians will turn against Putin. The estimates here from the sources I regard as the most reliable put the split at about two thirds to one third in favour of the government. To some, I suppose that might sound grim, BUT:
1. that's in fact an astonishingly high proportion against the President given the security and information resources at his disposal;
2. the people who are in favour of the "special operation" don't express nationalistic joy, in contrast with the annexation of Crimea eight years ago, but admit they support this with a heavy heart; and
3. it's worth remembering that the people who are in favour support an operation to protect Russians in the Donbass - which is what they're told is happening - rather than what's actually happening.
In other words, people currently supporting the official line could definitely turn IF they were to find out what Russia is perpetrating now in Ukraine and how unprepared Russian kids are being sacrificed their for a greater aim that doesn't correspond to the objectives proclaimed by the Kremlin. I know that's a fucking humungous 'if', but there's your key. Get the facts before the people and there's your key. Over to you, information warfare specialists.
Before I stop, I must thank all the people who, here and privately, have contacted me with good wishes and offers of help. Please forgive me for being tardy in expressing my gratitude: I'm afraid my nerves and emotions are all over the place right now. But rest assured that I deeply appreciate every comment and expression of good wishes.
I'll respond to people who contacted me privately using those same private channels. To those who expressed positive sentiments on here, please know that I read all of them and was so grateful. I'll directly answer a couple of points in this thread from two nights ago (seems like so much longer):
To
@tolmie's hairdoo - thanks so much for your kind words. At the moment, my mother's biggest problem is loneliness, but if there are more practical things to help her with, I may well bear your words in mind.
To
@Chris in London - they seem also to have closed off the Baltic ferries to Tallinn, Stockholm and Helsinki; as long as there are buses or trains into Finland, I'll be OK but if I hear those are closing, I may make a run for it.
I'm off now. My wife should be in from work soon and I, after having been in on my own all day, need to make the place look vaguely respectable before she gets here. It's her birthday tomorrow, so depending on what we decide to do to celebrate in the evening and how my work goes before that, I may not have much time to post.
I wish everyone a good and peaceful evening. And, impotent though we are to act in a way that matters here, let's at least keep the poor souls in the Ukrainian war zone in our thoughts and prayers tonight.
www.chelseafc.com
