Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

My question with this kind of wanton destruction is - what kind of occupation do they have in mind?? There is no way there will be a compliant local population when the territory is secured. Good question. It is one thing to govern your own people using repressive measures to quell opposition (impr...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

Been following this discussion with interest. I would add that discussing Russian actions in Ukraine while deflecting questions about NATO’s actions in the Balkans in the 90s without clarifying why NATO were there is tantamount to genocide denial! Its been 30+ years? Why the denial? Can you expect ...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

This post makes absolutely no sense what is their agenda? :sarcastic: No agenda, only the inconvenient truth about the GOP. Ask Trump about his agenda with his BFF Putin….. That seems pretty easy. Avoid getting drawn into unwinnable foreign wars. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq x2, Afghanistan. It's funny how...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

When I heard the following statement from Johnson today: “I want to be crystal clear on that point: We will not fight Russian forces in Ukraine,” Johnson said. https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-01-22/h_68b68872491e6d65e5b3e333795472de It sounded exactly the oppos...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

Very interesting thread about intelligence and surveillance. Almost sounds surreal when you read it and listen to the audio. https://twitter.com/sbreakintl/status/1498619303717142529?s=20&t=sz1Oq8Sh9PH8bteBYUv6FQ If these reports are factual, there are basically two alternative explanations: 1....

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

Another example of cognitive dissonance. I will volunteer that I am a second amendment supporter. I believe that people have a right to protect themselves and their personal property. And I believe in personal property. Many people who talk about freedom talk about drug legalization and free tuitio...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

The Russian state media RIA apparently prematurely published an editors piece on feb 26 celebrating the Russian victory in Ukraine. It's a really interesting read, as it outlines Putins reasoning for the war (presumably in his own words handed over to the editor). https://web.archive.org/web/202202...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

The Russian state media RIA apparently prematurely published an editors piece on feb 26 celebrating the Russian victory in Ukraine. The article is no longer available, but was saved by web.archive.com It's a really interesting read, as it outlines Putins ideological reasoning for the war (presumabl...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - *Discussion* Thread

Ukraine is a sovereign nation. It’s citizens decide who they want to align with. See? That wasn’t hard? That such a thing as self-determination could even exist has never occurred to Vladimir Putin, except in his deepest nightmares. (The original argument is nonsense anyway – the claimed "docu...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - News and Discussion Thread

FIFA (international football governing body) has suspended Russia - BBC TV news. About time. They got hammered pretty hard for the initial decision. I'm sure the sponsors intervened as logos of FIFA supporting business started to circulate social media aggressively. I think FIFA knows that as a wor...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - News and Discussion Thread

With the ruble sinking, maybe their pay went down so much that they're out looking for a real job? The SWIFT uncoupling may indeed have contributed to at least their paid foreign operations being hobbled unexpectedly. How unfortunate! :mischievous: And the Russia-based trolls can't really work beca...

Re: Russian Invasion of Ukraine - News and Discussion Thread

Is this why the usial trolling hasn't been going on here, so far? Too preoccupied with standing in line to take out their own savings, rather than trolling for Putin? :stirthepot: The absence of the troll bots has been noticeable. With the ruble sinking, maybe their pay went down so much that they'...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

3. She was specifically talking about the complete ban being problematic, not the removal of problematic or outright illegal posts which would actually be mandatory in Germany. I fully understand her point there, but in Twitter's defense, every single tweet he made since after the election was eith...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

My phone has Google Maps installed, I suspect most phones do. That shows me where I am to within 10-20M. I have always assumed that there is some way to access that information. With Google Maps that is actually possible because Google will track you on their servers. With Apple Maps your position ...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

Says the leader of a country which severely restricts the "fundamental right to free speech" in oh so many ways... Especially nazi propaganda is banned in Germany for obvious reasons. If you feel "restricted in oh so many ways" by that, then it may be time for some serious intro...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

Angela Merkel, German chancellor, has sharply criticised Twitter’s decision to ban US president Donald Trump, calling it a “problematic” breach of the “fundamental right to free speech”. She should rather read the US Constitution. A private company banning a person from their platform is not a viol...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

casinterest wrote:

It is amazing how Right wing pundits keep claiming Antifa was responsible.

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

Oh I completely agree, Im just saying in my post that this is the first time to me that hes actually come across in an address as Presidential rather than a raving freaking loon - if you took this video in isolation and out of context, he wouldn't look all that out of place next to Obama etc. Coher...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

So Trump is back on Twitter with a address in which he actually comes across fairly well - very little of his normal bluster and accusations, toned down considerably and some emphasis on a transition now to the next administration (which he doesnt actually acknowledge is not his, but you can see th...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

The whole point here is that one leader and also his party told their supporters that if they fail on the democratic way, they can always push through anyway by sheer force, disregarding what is true and disregarding any democratic rules. That is massively corrosive to any democracy, and that only o...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

You give too much credit to the party, in big part they just moved to the direction where most voters are, as proven by Trump receiving more votes than anyone before him 4 after years of getting to know him. A president only has a small influence on the people: Trump didn’t create Trumpists, they a...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

This is the most recent culmination of the Republican Party devolving into effectively a fascist party over the last several decades. The only reason the GOP has stepped back from the brink is because the coup they had been pushing for just fizzled out; Other than that they would have been fine with...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

The way the result was split perfectly half and half in this election is almost like a statistical anomaly. The Senate results in Georgia are a perfect reflection of that. Nonsense. Tight elections are quite ordinary, and a split of 7 millions is not even close to "split perfectly half in half...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

I'm seeing lots of urges for the 25th amendment to be invoked in order to remove Trump. I want your opinion: For the sake of preventing violence - Is this a good idea or not? If this happens, will Trump supporters lose it and go into full-on war rage? or will they just give up and go home? Oh hell ...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

Karl Rove: What happened at the U.S.Capitol on Wednesday afternoon – what we saw on our screens – should sicken anyone who loves America. [...] Those who defiled the chambers of the United States House and Senate, parading with Confederate flags and defying lawful orders to stop and disperse are no...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

OA260 wrote:

ArcticSEA wrote:

It only took them 4 years, but Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, et al. are removing Donald Trump's posts.

Just seen that both his earlier video and tweet removed. Thats very humiliating for a President.

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

And Trump is pouring further fuel into the fire at full blast with more seditious tweets. I won't even link to them under these circumstances. Twitter should have suspended his account hours ago already.

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

Did they certify the EC votes. If the votes cannot be certified, what happens next. As far as I'm aware republican members have succeeded in delaying certification until their mob could invade the Capitol. Unfortunately for them, however, their mob couldn't gain hold of the votes, so certification ...

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

Pi7472000 wrote:

We are a failed state under Republicans!!! This will hurt our reputation and economy.

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

Trump's mission was to destroy any shred of Obama's legacy and it seems he's indeed hell-bent on leaving nothing but scorched earth.

America "great" enough, yet?

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

It's not as if Trump or the republicans supporting him were ever shy about where this would go if democracy shouldn't suit them any more.

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

petertenthije wrote:

The trump mob has gone mad. Not just at the capitol, they also plced a pipe bomb at the RNC offices. The bomb disposal squad took it elsewhere to blow up. (dutch NOS TV news)

Re: Pro-Trump Riot in US Capital Building

Trump had started out as having been defeated in an election. That was unpleasant for sure, but in a democracy that is not dishonourable at all. But since then he has done his absolute worst to tear down his own country and to prove himself being an embarrassingly pathetic loser, which only he himse...

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

With UK outside EU EU will probably either break up in two or pretty fast become a union of Europe like USA is the next generations. I believe to give answers to the big questions like climate change, crisis handling and military defense post NATO (The Atlantic alliance seems to be about to break)....

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

Two days in and all is well. No issues at the Border. No issues with stuff in the stores. The economy hasn’t tanked. "The water hasn't reached the upper decks yet, so opening the flood valves was totally the right choice!" :hypnotized: If there had been chaos right away at the lowest ebb ...

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

Yes I was hoping for Klaus to respond to the link I provided and why he came to that opinion about the claims he made. It seems a point is made its then challenged with facts and then its never answered. Just the same old stuff about empires and Englanders. Its like a series of Allo Allo ! In Germa...

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

I am still awaiting for Klaus to explain why they are non essential items. I fear a long wait. Yes I was hoping for Klaus to respond to the link I provided and why he came to that opinion about the claims he made. It seems a point is made its then challenged with facts and then its never answered. ...

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

What I do expect to happen though is they will be subject to the Copenhagen Criteria for EU accession just like any other candidate country such as those already in the process. How long it would take to satisfy that criteria is an interesting question. Of course – as I said it's not a walk in the ...

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

Aldi to boost annual spending on UK-made food and drink by £3.5bn More than 1,000 small firms in grocer’s supply chain expected to benefit from cash injection Aldi is boosting its support for British suppliers by announcing it aims to spend £3.5bn more on UK-produced food and drink annually within ...

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

New air bridge established between BHX and OST, said to bypass the expected problems at the ports: https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/jota-aviation/jota-aviations-sets-up-brexit-air-bridge-between-birmingham-uk-and-ostend-belgium/ Evoking memories of the soviet Berlin blockade – just this time it's...

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

Woman in the UK already better off with the removal of VAT on sanitary products. Not sure why the EU class these as non-essential. You can put your straw woman away again: The UK is actually late to this party, and it's got little to do with the EU, as usual with brexiter claims: https://en.wikiped...

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

It’s done. No, it has only started a few hours ago! How long will these threads go on for? For as long as the consequences of this monumental blunder last? Scotland can leave the UK but can’t join the EU. There are no serious objections on the EU side, not even from Spain any more, now that the UK ...

Re: Brexit part XI: 2021

Well no matter what people on here think of Brexit and the agreements passed it is done and dusted, time to move on I cant change any of the agreements so just have to live with them now This will be my last post on the matter And just for the recorded I still believe the WA should be rescinded and...

Re: Brexit Part X: dark days before Christmas

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-55348994?__twitter_impression=true For people who are struggling UK brexiteer: "Say that you're missing us, madly and desperately! Just say it already!!! " EU: "Haven't we been through this? Your stuff is outside on the lawn. Now stop harassing us befo...

Re: Brexit Part X: dark days before Christmas

´That’s the whole point of a treaty or contract; if its not in black and white it does not exist. Wrong. Both violations of the spirit and of preconditions of a treaty can have similar consequences as outright violating the letter. What you are presenting here is a ficitious view of such agreements...

Re: Brexit Part X: dark days before Christmas

It’s only a summary so its quite literally open to interpretation. I’m not sure how it works either UKGov is saying w control the waters but where does the quotas actually come from? Is it existing CFP quota for overall catch or is it that the UK decision for catch year in year out and the quota ba...

Re: Brexit Part X: dark days before Christmas

So in short: [...] This is not a failure of Brexit, it is Brexit itself which has always been an inherent failure all along. Okay, now britons (and scots) will need to come to terms with this catastrophic self-inflicted failure but for us in the European Union life just goes on. So why are you comp...

Re: Brexit Part X: dark days before Christmas

Nope more like common sense was applied at the Joint committee in relation to the NIP, and both side can use Article 16 if any disputes arise in the future, Yes, it is common sense to prevent the Troubles from returning, that's why the EU insisted on it in the WA. You, on the other hand, wanted the...

Re: Brexit Part X: dark days before Christmas

I put my bet on that there is too much invested in the 'conservative EU UK war' . Within 12 month uk government will request tobrenogiatevthis deal. I doubt that the fundamentals will change beyond some tweaks on the fringes. This is armistace 1918 not end of wars. It's not a war at all. If it were...

Re: Brexit Part X: dark days before Christmas

But if what you are saying is correct and pending the outcome of the FTA, the Tories have just lost my vote if they capitulate to the EU. But look on the bright side. Brexit has given the UK control of its own laws, control of immigration, the freedom to strike trade deals on its own terms, and a f...