It was 20 years ago today.... (almost)

[Ozzie Osmond]

"It was twenty years ago today,
Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play.
The singer's going to sing a song
And she wants you all to sing along.
So let me introduce to you
The one and lonely Britney Spears
and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Anyway, enough of that!

On 25 December 1991, President Gorbachev yielded to the inevitable and resigned as President of the USSR, declaring the office extinct. He turned the powers that had been vested in the presidency over to Boris Yeltsin, the President of Russia. [In 2008 "red Ken" Livingstone similarly handed over power to Boris Johnson. Spooky.]

The following day, the Supreme Soviet, the highest governmental body of the Soviet Union, dissolved itself. This is generally recognized as marking the official, final dissolution of the Soviet Union as a functioning state. [In London, on the South bank of the Thames, the 1986 dissolution of "red Ken's" first empire, the GLC, is engraved in large gold letters on the walls of the former County Hall building.]

The cover of the Beatles Sgt Pepper album is renowned for its montage of famous faces. Although Ringo Stalin appears, neither Britney Spears nor Ken Livingstone feature.



A very Happy Christmas to one and all! (Hic..)

Edited by Ozzie Osmond on Friday 23 December 14:50

[MX7]

It hasn't worked out too well. I don't think all that much has changed in the way the country is run, and even Gorby thinks it's a sham.

Same st, different era.

PS. Don't let Monbiot see that green Santa.

[crankedup]

MX7 said:

It hasn't worked out too well. I don't think all that much has changed in the way the country is run, and even Gorby thinks it's a sham.

Same st, different era.

PS. Don't let Monbiot see that green Santa.

Santa dressed in traditional RED would have looked the part, but as that's an American Company to come through with the red coat I guess its best not to use it.

[silvagod]

crankedup said:

Santa dressed in traditional RED would have looked the part, but as that's an American Company to come through with the red coat I guess its best not to use it.

Nope....Santa was traditionally in Red and White WAY before Coca-Cola.

[Ozzie Osmond]

MX7 said:

Don't let Monbiot see that green Santa.

Hmmmm, good point!!

OzOs

[MX7]

Ozzie Osmond said:

MX7 said:

Don't let Monbiot see that green Santa.

Hmmmm, good point!!

OzOs

Our least confrontational exchange this year?!

Have a good one, and I look forward to crossing swords in the New Year!

[AJS-]

The fall of the USSR is the most significant event in living memory, in my view. Even compared to the end of WW2 or any of the other momentous events of the 20th century. It was the ultimate defeat of a failed ideology, after nearly a century of it's ascendancy. It's just a shame I think it will historically be seen as a great missed opportunity.

[Ozzie Osmond]

It's a curious contrast,

1. Failure of cummunism. You'd think the leading proponents would be washed-up nowhere states. Like China and Russia. Hmmmm

2. Whereas capitalism triumphed, with private enterprise and a money-driven system proven to be the right way forward. No economic crisis or banking collapse for USA or Europe then. Hmmmm

Fascinating.

[AJS-]

Ozzie Osmond said:

It's a curious contrast,

1. Failure of cummunism. You'd think the leading proponents would be washed-up nowhere states. Like China and Russia. Hmmmm

2. Whereas capitalism triumphed, with private enterprise and a money-driven system proven to be the right way forward. No economic crisis or banking collapse for USA or Europe then. Hmmmm

Fascinating.

Straight from Wikipedia, so make of it what you will

1 Qatar 88,222
2 Luxembourg 81,466
3 Singapore 56,694
4 Norway 51,959
5 Brunei 48,333
6 United Arab Emirates 47,439
7 United States 46,860
— Hong Kong 45,944
8 Switzerland 41,950
9 Netherlands 40,973
10 Australia 39,764
11 Austria 39,761
12 Ireland 39,492
13 Canada 39,171
14 Kuwait 38,775
15 Sweden 38,204
16 Iceland 36,730
17 Denmark 36,443
18 Belgium 36,274
19 Germany 36,081
20 Taiwan (Republic of China) 35,604
21 United Kingdom 35,059
22 Finland 34,918
23 France 33,910
24 Japan 33,885
— European Union[6] 30,455
25 Bahamas, The 30,049
26 Korea, South 29,997
27 Spain 29,830
28 Israel 29,602
29 Italy 29,480
30 Cyprus 28,960
31 Greece 28,496
32 Slovenia 28,073
33 New Zealand 27,130
34 Bahrain 26,932
35 Oman 25,492
36 Czech Republic 24,950
37 Malta 24,833
38 Seychelles 23,308
39 Portugal 23,262
40 Barbados 22,776
41 Saudi Arabia 22,607
42 Slovakia 22,195
43 Antigua and Barbuda 21,460
44 Trinidad and Tobago 19,743
45 Poland 18,981
46 Hungary 18,841
47 Estonia 18,527
48 Equatorial Guinea[7] 18,209
49 Croatia 17,819
50 Lithuania 17,235
51 Saint Kitts and Nevis 16,192
52 Argentina 15,901
53 Russia 15,612

However those numbers represent the IMF's 2010 figures for GDP per capita down to Russia.

Boom town PRC is half as much as Russia again, on $7,554.

Impressive growth figures in any given quarter, year, or even decade do not prove or disprove the merits of an economic system. Upwards of a billion people are living in abject poverty and oppression in China, while a few middle class communists, or the worthies who pay them increase their wealth. However many indicators more reliable than the Chinese government point towards and impending collapse.

Ozzie, you're a funny guy and you make some interesting posts, but you are absolutely always and everywhere wrong. Happy Christmas, and I set you the challenge for 2012 of saying something that is right.

[powerstroke]

Ozzie Osmond said:

It's a curious contrast,

1. Failure of cummunism. You'd think the leading proponents would be washed-up nowhere states. Like China and Russia. Hmmmm

2. Whereas capitalism triumphed, with private enterprise and a money-driven system proven to be the right way forward. No economic crisis or banking collapse for USA or Europe then. Hmmmm

Fascinating.

what about the european union ?? that undemcratic edifice is starting to show cracks... will 2012 be the year it folds ???

[bigdog3]

powerstroke said:

what about the european union ?? that undemcratic edifice is starting to show cracks... will 2012 be the year it folds ???

United Kingdom held a referendum in 1975 to gauge support for continued membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) commonly known as the Common Market. Voters were asked:

Do you think the UK should stay in the European Community (Common Market)? Yes: 67.2% No: 32.8%

Nothing mentioned about polictical unity, loss of sovereignty, rule of Brussels, huge financial contributions to EU, etc. Maybe the electorate were naive but they were definitely conned. That fundamental deception is reason enough to disband the union. Now it's down to the will of the people/sheeple.