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From RT article about former British PM Boris Johnson

‘It’s over for Russia’ – ex-UK PM

Russia must understand that “it’s over,” and that Ukraine will not concede any territory for peace, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has argued. For this goal to be achieved, however, Kiev will need long-range weapons, NATO membership, and half a trillion dollars, Johnson added.

In an op-ed published in The Spectator on Saturday, Johnson argued that Ukrainian forces still have the “ability to win,” if only the West would cave to every single one of Kiev’s demands. These include, he wrote, permission to strike deep inside Russian territory with Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles, and immediate invitation to NATO with Article 5 security guarantees, and “half a trillion dollars… or even a trillion.”

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aka Pragmatist_in_another_guise

Johnson illustrates the thesis expounded by the late Terry Pratchett in his comic novel “Small Gods”.

The gist is that proto-gods pop up constantly; from whence cannot be known. In each case, a god’s continuing existence depends entirely upon finding at least one person willing to acknowledge it, best of all to worship it.

By accreting worshippers, ‘small gods’ can begin actively to influence the fabric of reality. In essence, gods, when their existence becomes longer than that of an elementary particle popping out of vacuum, are in fierce competition among themselves for survival. Some such may rise to the status of potent deities; they may aspire to being recognised as ‘the one true god’; yet, even these, can collapse into non-existence should fickle humans lose interest.

Beyond a threshold number of believers, the aspirant god can exert powers to impress worshippers and place fear in the hearts of agnostics and atheists: everyone enjoys witnessing miracles, and hearing rolling thunder accompanied by some smiting of the unworthy. Plaques of locusts, frogs, and genital herpes, provide amusement for the righteous whilst also strengthening their belief and commitment.

Surprisingly, theologians have yet to propound a theory of Natural Selection applicable to gods.

In a parallel to the foregoing, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson was born with just sufficient nous to grasp that only by drawing attention to himself could he aspire to more than his fair share (i.e. circa zero) of the bounty life has to offer. The present day route to material ‘success’ of other talentless people (e.g. pop-stars, sportsmen, TV hosts, and Internet ‘influencers’) was closed to Johnson because, for instance, unlike other plebeians, he could not make pretence of any kind of singing even with electronic enhancement.

Oddly, Johnson set upon Latin as his road to success. University entrance to study Classics had minimal requirements because the associated disciplines had been displaced by more popular pursuits such as ‘Feminist studies’, Sociology, Oxford’s shallow ‘PPE’, ‘Sports management’, ‘Tourism’, and ‘Journalism’.

Johnson’s choice of Latin was the only flash of brilliance in his entire life. By learning how to pronounce a collection of Latin phrases, he could impress other simpletons at cocktail and dinner parties. This ersatz profundity was complemented by Johnson’s gift-of-the gab for trivial insights. Converted into writing, with immense help from editors and sub-editors, Johnson’s nonsense took on the mantle of political wisdom for readers of rags like the Daily Telegraph, and the Economist.

Thereafter, onwards and upwards for Johnson in a society which had lost all powers of discrimination. Perhaps, ‘Private Eye Magazine’ was the only medium to see through Johnson’s bluff.

https://www.rt.com/russia/604441-boris-johnson-over-russia/