20th+

Rishi Sunak (born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 25 October 2022 and Leader of the Conservative Party since 24 October 2022. Sunak served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022 and Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2019 to 2020, and he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond (Yorks) since 2015.

Sunak was born in Southampton to parents of Indian descent who migrated to Britain from East Africa in the 1960s. He was educated at Winchester College, studied philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) at Lincoln College, Oxford, and earned an MBA from Stanford University as a Fulbright Scholar. While at Stanford, he met his future wife Akshata Murty, the daughter of Indian billionaire N. R. Narayana Murthy of Infosys. After graduating, Sunak worked for Goldman Sachs and later as a partner at the hedge fund firms The Children's Investment Fund Management and Theleme Partners.

Sunak was elected to the House of Commons for Richmond in North Yorkshire at the 2015 general election, succeeding William Hague. Sunak supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum on EU membership. He was appointed to Theresa May's second government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government in the 2018 reshuffle. He voted three times in favour of May's Brexit withdrawal agreement. After May resigned, Sunak supported Boris Johnson's campaign to become Conservative leader. After Johnson became Prime Minister, Sunak was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Sunak replaced Sajid Javid as Chancellor of the Exchequer after Javid's resignation in the February 2020 cabinet reshuffle. As Chancellor, Sunak was prominent in the government's financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, including the Coronavirus Job Retention and Eat Out to Help Out schemes. He resigned as chancellor in July 2022, followed by Johnson's resignation amid a government crisis.

Sunak stood in the Conservative party leadership election to replace Johnson, and lost the members' vote to Liz Truss. After Truss's resignation amid a government crisis, Sunak was elected unopposed as Leader of the Conservative Party on 24 October 2022. He was appointed Prime Minister by King Charles III, the first to be appointed during his reign, a day later, becoming the first British Asian and Hindu to hold that position.

Sunday, October 16, 2022

Bear Traps

22-10-17 Traps for Putin | Galeotti's Times article (subs) - Katz > .

23-12-22 P00ti's War: Killer Instinct - NBC > .

23-11-4 Ruscia's Combat Compliance Problem - Icarus > .

23-11-1 [Cannon Fodder Blues: Desertion, Trauma, Civil Unrest] (subs) - Katz > .

23-9-15 Ordered Mobilized | P00ti's Ruscian Subclasses (subs) - Katz > .

23-9-2 When the Elites Will Topple P00ti (subs) - Katz > .

23-8-30 Fear is the new normal in Russian politics - Anders > .

23-8-29 Dictatorships: From Spin to Fear | Ruscist Regression (subs) - Katz > .

23-7-13 What's Next For Ruscia After Wagner's Mercenary Revolt - CNBC > .

23-7-2 Is Vladimir P00tin’s power coming to an end? | 60 Min Aus > .

23-5-13 [Ztupidity: P00, Babitchkas, Prickozhin, Fodder, nukes, Xi] - CBC > .

23-4-9 Galeotti: Ultra-nationalism versus P00ti - Times > .

23-3-15 Timothy Snyder on reasons for ICC "WAR CRIMES" decision > .

23-3-17 What makes the Wagner PMC effective - Def & Geo > .

23-3-5 Wagner Group, Russian PMCs & Ukraine - Hx, R-U - Perun > .

23-3-1 [Seven Losses of P00tin: How to Fail Ztupidly as Dicktator - Matters > .

23-2-22 How Ukraine Saved Kyiv: Ruscian Missteps, Ukrainian Ingenuity - Spaniel > .

22-12-16 3 reasons why Pootin started the ztupid war (subs) - Katz > .

22-10-20 The Russian war narrative after mobilization - Anders > .

22-10-30 Myth of "strong hand" in power | [Russia conned] (subs) - Katz > .

22-9-10 Mark Galeotti - Criminality, Conflict, Deception: Poo's Total War > .

Divisive Opportunism - Alētheiai >> .

Failing деспот - Chink in Armor >> .

Failing Regime - Compass >> .

Krumblin - αλλο >> .

Mobilization - могилизация - αλλο >> .

Поразка Росії - Defeat of Russia - Tense >> .

Pootin and the Presidents: Interviews | PBS >> .

Putin's Problems - Tense >> .

Russia Ukraine Analysis - Perun >> .

Thucidydean Imperialist Threat - Alter >> .

Traps - Political, Economic, Military - Guy Lewis >> .

Вторжение-Опір 5+ - Tense >> .

West v Runt - Guy >> .

Ztupidity - Mil >> .

Mark Galeotti's Twitter summary of Times article:

1: Battlefield

There's v little scope for Putin to win back momentum, even with the mobilised reservists. The missiles strikes on cities may assuage the hawks but has no strategic value. Indeed, burns through dwindling stocks that will be needed later.

23-6-2 [P00's Desperate Pyrrhic Bakhmut Gamble] - Spaniel > .

23-3-27 Wagner in Ukraine: Power Struggle on Ruscian Front - VisPol > .

23-3-5 Wagner Group, Russian PMCs & Ukraine - Hx, R-U - Perun > .

23-2-22 How Ukraine Saved Kyiv: Ruscian Missteps, Ukrainian Ingenuity - Spaniel > .

22-11-23 Kherson Retreat & Winter Prospects [War Mapped] - gtbt > .

22-11-22 Can Ruscia's [Press Gang] Mobilization Make a Difference? - T&P > .

2: Political

Putin used to be able to play hawks and technocrats against each other. Now, he is having to swing between them, pleasing neither.

23-9-12 P00’s threats to Britain = ‘political manoeuvring’ | Galeotti - Times > .

23-9-1 [Resistance Essential | Opposition Shouldn't be Duped] (subs) - Katz > .

23-8-14 Post-P00: Elites Flee; Opposition Rises (subs) - Katz > .

23-4-25 Mark Galeotti - P00 has Defied Predictions of Analysts and Media - SC > .

22-12-16 3 reasons why Pootin started the ztupid war (subs) - Katz > .

3: Social Contract

Putin established implicit social contracts over war with both masses ('we'll be at war but it won't really affect most of you') and elites. Now he's having to break both

23-9-15 Ordered Mobilized | P00ti's Ruscian Subclasses (subs) - Katz > .

23-9-1 [Resistance Essential | Opposition Shouldn't be Duped] (subs) - Katz > .

23-4-9 Galeotti: Ultra-nationalism versus P00ti - Times > .

23-3-15 Timothy Snyder on reasons for ICC "WAR CRIMES" decision > .

22-12-16 3 reasons why Pootin started the ztupid war (subs) - Katz > .

>> Sociopolitical Dysfunction >>>

Fear of Protests ..

4: Disengagement

Elites increasingly regard centre as a threat/problem and focus on own interests. Striking parallels to what happened in USSR with Afghan War. SledKom reporting increased embezzlement

5: Leverage

Centre needs regions, to keep masses in line, raise volunteer bns, rebuild conquered cities. Gives some leverage for own ends - tragedy is those out for own interests get more hearing from Kremlin than those trying to defend those of their regions

23-10-19 [R-U & NoXious XIR Axis behind Hamas atrocities] - DiD > .

6: Gangsterism

Increased signs of lateral competition, including these mysterious deaths, which are more likely business rivalries than anything to do with Kremlin. People hunkering down or getting aggressive, further degrading system effectiveness.

23-3-27 Wagner in Ukraine: Power Struggle on Ruscian Front - VisPol > .

23-3-5 Wagner Group, Russian PMCs & Ukraine - Hx, R-U - Perun > .

7: Systemic

Hard to tackle any of the above, especially as they connect and reinforce each other. Together, making system harder to manage but above all less effective.
Polit system deliberately unstable, gave Putin scope to retain control through divide and rule. Doesn't work well when boss distracted or weakened. And he is, both.

22-12-16 3 reasons why Pootin started the ztupid war (subs) - Katz > .

Fear of Protests ..

[I'd add 8. Misunderstanding and Underestimating the West.]

➾ 2022 ..

Bear Traps ..

Desperate Farce ..

Desperate Loser ..

Despicable Antics ..

Fodder Needed ..

Kerch Bridge Joins Moskva ..

Kharkiv Counteroffensive ..

Kherson Counteroffensive ..