Poking the Bear

IN DAYS OF OLD, bear baiting was a sure way of drawing the crowds to watch the spectacle of a chained bear battle it out against ferocious dogs and betting on the outcome in pits that rivalled theatres in popularity in Shakespeare’s day. Spectators sometimes got hurt when the stands collapsed, but most of the suffering was endured by the hapless bears and dogs.
     Happily, we’ve moved on from those days with bear baiting banned, along with most other blood sports, in 1835. But it seems that the imperialists have discovered another new game to divert the masses – and this time the consequences could go far beyond an accident in the arena.
     Last week’s clash between a Royal Navy vessel and Russian coastal defences along the Black Sea fortunately didn’t go beyond the warning shots that fended off HMS Defender.
     But it could easily have escalated into a shooting match that could have sparked off a wider conflict in the region.
     If one is to believe the “secret documents” apparently dumped at a bus stop in Kent, the provocation was intended to underline NATO’s support for their puppet regime in Ukraine and its claim over the autonomous Crimean republic that seceded in 2014 and is now part of the Russian Federation.
     Although the documents, marked “FOR UK EYES ONLY” imply that this was an entirely British initiative, it is inconceivable that it could have taken place without the approval of the White House. In fact, it is more than likely that the operation was entirely conceived by the Americans, who have started to use the “freedom of navigation” to provoke incidents at sea with Russia and People’s China.
     The USA claims to be enforcing the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea – but it’s never actually ratified the document itself.
     Poking the bear is a dangerous game and Britain should keep well out of it. The stakes are high and the outcome is entirely unpredictable.

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