The threat is always more effective than the act

Putin is a good chess player as are most Russians as I know to my cost. Threats are a very important chess tactic. There is an apocryphal story of a tournament chess game between  two Russian chess masters. Smoking was banned. One of these masters was known for smoking cigars,,the other hated cigar smoke. At the start of the game the smoker produced a large cigar and placed it by the side of the board but did not light it. The cigar phobe immediately sent for the tournament director and complained about his opponent’s action. The director pointed out the cigar phile was not actually smoking.The cigar phobe replied but  he is threatening to smoke!

Putin does this when he goes to see Merkel who is frightened of dogs, Putin takes his biggest hunting dog, sits it down well away from Merkel but makes sure Merkel can see it. .Merkel is unsettled and Putin is on the way to winning.

You get a similar sentiment in financial market where the phrase is buy the rumour, sell the fact.

Our FCO and our military have never understood or used this simple tactic to our country’s cost. It is time to rustle up a few threats to disturb Barnier’s immaculate hair style. BoJo is the obvious man to do this. We have to sharpen up our act in the Brexit negotiations. Learn from Putin and stop criticisiig him. Like Trump he is a crude but effective threat operator.Our  FCO/Army is polite but ineffective.. Trump and Putin are easily winning the diplomatic war because they are better tacticians than our FCO/Army.

Lets start threatening to do what the EU don’t’ want to give us. That’s why we still need UKIP. We got our referendum when UKIP terrified Cameron over the threat to Tory votes and seats.

No UKIP means the threat to the Tory and Labour seats disappears and and they can quietly forget our independence cause.  Our political elite and the BBC would love that to happen  and they could return to relatively safe non-issues  like Schools and Hospitals and doubtful Russian nerve agents.

We need UKIP extant.