Politican relations with Russia - Potential problems ?
 

Political relations between the USA & UK with Russia are really heating up over Syria.

I know this goes on around the world every day but in this case it feels more serious with the usual squabbling.

What are the chances of Brits being given limited VISAS or having them rejected all together over the next coupe of years ?

The world still goes on...or should we all stop and wait?

If you're planning on visiting Russia any time soon, I would worry. Then again we might end up with more serious concerns like a full on confrontation between the West and Russia if the current situation escalates further.

Best to just twiddle your ring antenna and drink copious amounts of lager.

British Russian relations have been frosty for a long time (since at least Litvinenko's death in 2006). And don't forget Russia is already being heavily sanctioned by the US and the EU over the annexation of Crimea. So if they are still happy to give you a visa now I doubt the situation in Syria will affect it.

It's interesting what the screenshot button can or can't achieve (PrtSc, to the right of F12 of most traditional qwerty keyboards or menu/power on Samsung cell phones) prior to content being deleted. :D

WTF?
 

The super moderator just deleted the posts that he did not like? WTF? :thumbdown:

mika

I fully and sadly agree Mika.

I'm sure Timothy will be along shortly to delete your post too :-(

I'll take a screen shot of your and my post before he does. Just for posterity.

What the :censored: post was saying, I just missed....:blushing::oops2::innocent:

I was not the moderator who intervened in this thread. However, I fully support the mod who did remove posts--including, notably, his own. I also support one member who removed his own post.

Posters were insulting one another, which violates forum rules. That much seems pretty straightforward, from where I sit. The unfortunate fact is that once members start hurling insults at each other, posts and (often enough) whole threads start vanishing. That's just the way it works here. You don't have to like it, but it's always wise to live in the real world--not the world you wish existed, but doesn't.

I'm not sure what purpose getting all snide towards moderators serves, but I suppose that it must be important to some members or they'd not bother. I assume that we all recognize there's a fine line involved, and that its location may differ from one mod to another.

Personally, I don't mind a member expressing reasonable dissatisfaction with a moderator's actions; when that expression turns to personal insults or attributions of foul intent, you can probably guess where it's going to lead.

Choose wisely, sez I, based on where you want to end up.

Best,

Mark

Mark
I have no issue with your moderation. I have an issue with the heavy handed, some might say bullyboy attitude of your colleague Mr Timothy.

Getting rid of the USA/Russia bashing posts is reasonable and correct. Mr Timothy wading in to belittle the op is not okay.

Again, screenshot taken, should my post be deleted.

Best
Chris

One of the 'Super' moderators was having another bad day and decided to insult every member on this forum. Sadly, he has a lot of bad days.

Like usual, he hi-jacked a legitimate thread, started an argument and then tried to delete all the evidence after the inevitable backlash.

Moderators on this forum are generally EXCELLENT and work hard and selflessly for nothing but the good of the community. I applaud them.

Sadly, you always get one or two who get carried away with their 'Prefect badge' leading to some excellent threads being deleted.

In a perfect world we wouldn't start threads about politics, religion or even more controversial threads such as 'Hard vs soft luggage' & ''Is my GS going to make it to the ferry terminal without a software update'' :innocent:

But as international travellers these are THE ISSUES that are relevant and important to our lifestyle.

If every thread is deleted which doesn't start with ''What's the best way to transfer my savings to Touratech'' then this forum will disappear into obscurity due to sterilisation and irrelevance.

And that would be a tragedy...

This post will probably be deleted or the whole thread deleted.

George Orwell would have a field day. :rofl:

I reported the post of a member, because this member heavily offended me.

It was just because of starting a political discussion and he blamed russia for war, but when you write that not just Russia also USA is in war then he got really bad words and I do not accept that a person starts offending me in a very personal way.

And in my thinking, it is ok that a moderator deletes a political discussion, because this does not work in a motorcycle forum and only causes fights....

And it had nothing to do with the question.

I agree. Personal attacks have no place on any forum.

I also agree that politics are irrelevant on a motorcycle forum. But this is a travel forum and the on-going political situations in the world are massively relevant in many ways which I dont need to point out.

Let's all play nicely eh !! :)

I dont think it is a problem to discuss that a problem in political relations can cause a problem with traveling.

But it should not come to the point where someone starts this "Russia is bad and america is good " discussion.

There is no black and white.
In this politics there is a lot of grey in between.
And this has nothing to do with the original discussion.

And when you start reading western and eastern media stuff, you can find a truth in the middle somewhere.
Nut this also has nothing to do with traveling....

I absolutely agree..

Anyway Ted
Try and get yourself a Russian Visa and if it all goes Pete Tong and you are stuck in the country then just think of the time you will have on your hands to travel Russia


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah. An extended Vodka training course. bier

Missed all the fun
 

Missed all the fun and games ... always happy to chime in when it comes to geopolitics.

Getting back to your OP Ted, I wouldn't worry too much ... yet. Russia operates strictly on a policy of reciprocity with visas. Russia gets on worse with the USA than any other country, yet US citizens automatically get 3 year multi entry tourist visas to Russia - as a minimum ... because thats what the US gives Russians. UK citizens get maximum 1 year visas, and they cost an arm and a leg and are difficult to get .... because UK visas are expensive and difficult to get for Russians. Russia is far more wary of the US than it is of little old Britain, yet the visa regime is far stricter for Britain than for the US.

Russia's visa regime is (as a general rule) not driven by geopolitics, but rather by reciprocity. They treat us like we treat them. Even within the UK, Russian visas vary greatly in price, dependent on what passport you apply with.

Therefore the biggest risk to change to the ease (or otherwise) of UK citizens getting Russian visas, is if the UK itself changes its policy of issuance of Russian visas.

Having said that, BoJo is not making it easier.

I try and avoid political comment, however WTF are we Brits doing with BoJo in charge of foreign relations, the mans a total lunatic. I'll need a visa to travel from Manchester to London soon.

Bojo needs well and truly Super Moderating

Good news about reciprocity.

I suppose it could get better too. After all the banks jump ship to the continent and we turn into a 3rd world nation we might be asking good old Putin for Overseas AID.

I can see it now. Russian Pavlovs dropping food parcels in London. :smartass:

Umm, now that conjures up some images of fine dining.

What sort of food parcels would those be ? Let's see, an economy about 1/2 the size of California's with a population about 4 times greater. Maybe some goodies left over from 'Lend Lease' ? :)

It would seem that there maybe larger issues regarding travel within Russia given the devolution into the "hunker in the bunker" state-sponsored paranoia AND the declining economic conditions due to oil price collapse, falling ruble and the lack of jobs due to property and mineral rights sales in the places that many, if not most HUBB'ers would like to traverse (eg, Altai, Siberia, etc).

Really a sad time. Other than fairly common experiences with Soviet-era "customer service", I've always enjoyed my trips to Russia, even the day I happened to fly from Ekaterinburg to Istanbul when a particular Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down. As is usually the case, people are good, governments somewhat more of a mixed bag.

The most trouble I've ever had at a Russian border crossing (Tashanta) was a LONG examination of my very FAT passport because the official was somewhat skeptical that a Business Visa could have been issued from some place named BKK (Bangkok). While I waited for multiple phone calls to be made and returned they let me sit by the wood stove and served me tea.

These days, even in the LOS (Land of Smiles, aka Thailand) there's a growing sense of economic stress and junta-sponsored paranoia. A shocking progression after nearly 30 years of visiting and living there. Things can go sideways anywhere, for many reasons.

I miss the Russians from and living east of the Urals.

Hey Kurt
It sounds you haven't yet recovered from your experiences of getting overtaken by that Lada near Tynda in 2013 :D

That's what it "sounds" like.

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of a small mind." :)

They do Hobgoblin at Aldi and Lidl these days...

http://britishbeers.uk/wp-content/up...nglish-Ale.jpg

I believe the said Lada was towing a caravan.... :Beach:

You probably believe Trump is a Billionaire, too.

So you're denying the caravan, but admit the Lada... :blushing:

Chris, nothing wrong with looking back, but try not to stare.

Chara to Khani, Yuktali, Lopcha & Tynda | littletinyplanet

"Just a few KM before Tynda a Lada overtakes us . . . we were going no faster than 70kmph (indicated). The Lada was drifting about, sometimes with 3-wheels in the air. Stopped on tarmac BamBam exclaimed – “we got passed by a Lada !”. And I should care, why ? BamBam is a guy who really believes in the importance of achievements that are rightfully un-noticed by the whole of humanity."

Satisfied ? Things must be woefully un-interesting in someone's life.

Russia
 

If you apply for a visa today by the time you get it we will all be dead so it won't matter.

dohdohdohdohdohdohdohdohdohdohdoh

Loving your optimism :)

I must have really left an impression on you Kurt. You speak so highly of me in your posts about the BAM.