Francis Foster

Because if you say, we should have done something else, I don't know what.

Well, I agree with your point about respecting different cultures and their many achievements.

The reason I'm not picking on you specifically, I have heard this argument a lot about how the reason we've ended up in conflict with Russia is that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West mistreated Russia.

And I'm sure you can find plenty of individual examples of where that's absolutely the case.

But overall, my contention is that Russia is a separate civilization that doesn't want to be part of our civilization, doesn't see itself as part of our civilization.

And the only viable, friendly relationship with Russia is one of alliance, right?

Now, was that achievable?

Maybe, but it would have been achievable at cost in the same way that the alliance with the Soviet Union during World War II was necessary for the West and unavoidable if we were going to win that war collectively.

But the cost was tremendous.

The cost was the subjugation of all of Eastern Europe.

And what I'm saying is, unless we took the position that we took, we would have ended up allowing Russia to overrun not just half of Ukraine as it now has, but all of Eastern Europe is the inevitable destination of that for the very geographical reasons that you lay out.

So what is the British software?

If you watch or listen to Trigonometry regularly, this won't surprise you.

The cost of everyday life has crept up to the point where even sensible people are feeling the squeeze.

You do the right things.

You work, you budget, and somehow the money still doesn't go as far as it used to.

Food costs more.

Insurance costs more.

Everything costs more.

And more people than you think are quietly filling the gap with credit cards charging 20 or 30% interest.