Scotland squad announcement - Eight additions

I'm not sure what you think Putin is going to do. He'll probably conquer Ukraine, but its taken him a long time, and cost him a lot of soldiers. Hitler overran France in a matter of weeks and then started bombing Britain. At this rate Putin might make it to Paris by 2080? I think he'll give up long before then!

I don't see what Stalinist language policy has to do with any of what we're talking about. De-Ukrainization took place in the 1930s, but the genocide of Palestine is taking place in 2025. If your argument is that the invasion of Ukraine is part of a longer history of Russian suppression of Ukraine then you might have a point, but that really just underlines the key difference between Hitler and Putin; Hitler wanted to dominate as much area as possible and so posed a threat to all of Europe, whereas Putin wants to force the assimilation of those who have historically been within the Russian sphere of influence, so only poses a threat to eastern europe and central asia.

"Read and think for yourself."

What would you recommend I read? On the genocide of Palestine I've found Patrick Wolfe's "Settler Colonialism and the Elimination of the Native" and Sai Englert's "Settlers, Workers, and the Logic of Accumulation by Dispossession" especially useful - they might disabuse you of the notion that what we are witnessing is an "authoritarian criminal syndicate" fighting a nation! - rather Zionist genocide is a largely democratic process, arising from a structure of settler colonialism which has no analogue in Ukraine.

Also:

Absolutely agree that Willis should be included for the 6N, but let's see if he can replicate his Prem form for England first before we start tasking him with chewing gum at the same time.

What is very clear is Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane have poor chemistry and do not compliment each other's skill set. One or both needs to be dropped from the starting midfield permanently.

Jordie has demonstrated he has the skills to be a world class playmaking 12 but he will never be Ma'a Nonu or Tana Umaga or Nganai Laumape, who could break the line with power almost at will.

Therefore, a big power runner at 13 like Fainga'anuka to play with Barrett at 12 seems like a possible world class combo.