My wife is from Truro, her family are still there.

Unfortunately when I first visited (2010's) I made the mistake of wearing headphones (long journey), and was chased with pitchforks and torches for trying to communicate with extra-terrestrial beings.

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

I don't believe that is true at government level. Among a beleaguered population, maybe, but not in those who lead them.

I think it was made abundantly clear a long time before the conflict ever became hot that Nato would not, whatever the provocation, get directly involved in any way.

So why is Zelensky making repeated requests for a no-fly-zone he knows cannot be delivered? The answer may be in a theory I heard a day or two ago. It's part of the settlement strategy that enables him to establish a belief in the minds of his people that Ukraine cannot rely on Nato, so needs another way of ensuring their security. It's Zelensky preparing the ground. The commentator was praising him as an astute thinker. Obtaining the ground based air defence systems fits with this.

For sure the Ukrainians have artillery and drones and any army is capable of almost anything, but why would they be doing anything widespread now? With the obvious onslaught that is going on there is just no need.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

When I am, I do. As I haven't been, why on earth would I?

That one speech made at a particular moment in time by an esteemed orator received widespread acclaim doesn't prove anything about the people's general beliefs at the time.

It merely proves he caught the moment. Nothing else.

There was widespread ignorance back then about diversity and inclusion. Indeed, such concepts were virtually unknown. Powell's speech was made just a year after homosexuality stopped being illegal.

No-one denies that widespread ignorance remains, but it is not quite so wide and much shallower. We have moved. Some think it's backwards, others, like me, forwards.

Whilst you can forgive ignorance in people who weren't given an opportunity to understand more, you cannot in people who have, but cling to outdated and divisive ideas.

You simply cannot look at people's attitudes without also looking at the context in which they arise. My parents supported Powell. They were good people. If they were around now, I am 100% sure they would no longer support such ideas.

The key lesson every marketeer needs to learn is you need to deliver what your customer needs, and not what they want. You need to know them better than they know themselves. Politics is little different.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

That is tosh. It’s needs AND wants. Actually look around shopping and you’ll realise this. Many of the improvements and changes for convenience aren’t needed whatsoever. And if it was just needs we’d all be driving Lada’s and wearing blue overalls. People are manipulated by marketing and advertising. Best to turn off ads off on your phone, unless you aim to spend unnecessarily all the time.

COYP

A need doesn't have to be functional. It can just as easily be emotional. The key is to understand what is really needed by the customer and not what they think they need, or want.

Which doesn't have a lot to do with the war in Ukraine, does it?

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Yesterday, it was suggested here that Zelensky is trying to force Nato into the war, an idea I refuted.

The west is though already at war with Russia. It has declared an economic war, having decided, finally, that it can tolerate Putin's behaviour no longer.

With the hot war now 3 weeks old, I sense interest already waning. It's not always the headline in the news each day. Peace talks seem to be grinding slowly towards common positions. The refugee crisis remains huge and the bombing of civilians continues, but have become repetitive stories. There hasn't even been a comment here on the war itself for a day!

With us already facing huge economic problems caused by the pandemic (and dare I say it, Brexit), with very high and rising energy costs, will the public have the stomach and fortitude needed to sustain the economic war, once the hot war is over? Or will pragmaticism take over again, and allow Putin off the hook?

There may be the political will in government to keep the pressure on, but democratic government's depend on votes and economic pain is not a vote winner.

My hope is that we don't just go back to where we were, but work with our friends to ensure both energy and food security within an achievable time frame. Maybe we need a new umbrella organisation to manage this in the same way Nato manages security? It would be a difficult sell to the public, but I think a very necessary one.

At the same time, we should try not to isolate Russia, but make it clear to them that it is Putin's style of authoritarianism and confrontation that holds them back. If they democratised, allowed a free press and demonstrated a commitment to agreed standards then the door could be opened.

Too soon I guess, whilst people are still being bombed, but then again I bet this is already being thought about.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.