World, Writing, Wealth discussion
World & Current Events
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If you're not in the U.S., what's up in your part of the world?
NZ now has a new government, and their basic policy seems to be to undo everything the previous government tried to do. There was never a ban on cigs; but there was a ban on the number of outlets that could sell them. That sort of control is against the "free market" attitude for the new right wing politicians. This is a trivial act.Mor4e interesting will be the intention to reduce salaries paid to the public service by about 15% - to be achieved by firing a whole lot of them.
Ireland is simmering.Conor McGregor Saying Ireland 'at War' Sparks Outrage
https://www.newsweek.com/conor-mcgreg...
Today, he chimed in on X, attacking the Irish PM for saying that an Irish hostage of Hamas had gotten lost.
https://twitter.com/thenotoriousmma/s...
I've also been seeing posts of an Irish politician promoting an anti "hate speech" law in 2022 with the statement that they're restricting rights for the "public good".
Ian, the description in the article reads as a nanny state type ban, complete with a statement about how it's for the greater good. I really wish people would stop building roads out of good intentions. They always seem to go to bad places.
That is why the Labour government lost the election.
J. wrote: "....Today, he chimed in on X, attacking the Irish PM for saying that an Irish hostage of Hamas had gotten lost.https://twitter.com/thenotoriousmma/s......"
Respect to Conor, disgrace to the PM
Here is a case for an independently monitored referendum of the local population.
J. wrote: "Venezuela prepares for possible invasion into Guyanahttps://defence-blog.com/venezuela-pr..."
Just saw this.
Given Maduro has a deal with Biden to supply cheap oil to the US into 2024 in support of Biden's re-election*, he now feels empowered to invade and annex territory of another country.
If it was wrong for Putin to invade Ukraine and annex territory, what makes it right for Maduro to do the same?
*Noting that this is spun in the corporate media (Wapo, etc) as a reward for Maduro promising a presidential election in Venezuela ... as if the US State Dept has ever cared about 'democracy, and free and fair elections,' in South America...
No, the real reason sanctions were eased was to get access to cheap oil to foster** lower inflation and bring up Brandon's terrible poll numbers.
Guyana is expendable.
**This strategy may not even work.
It's not the double standards that makes one feel sick, Graeme, it's the fact that they're always coated in faux virtue...
Freedom, democracy, getting rid of the 'bad guys'. It's laughable..
Freedom, democracy, getting rid of the 'bad guys'. It's laughable..
I want to ask you something - putler is by now responsible for 400-500k russians and Ukrainians dead. Is Sunak too, Macron, Biden? Faux or fox 🦊
Putin is partially responsible. Along with Biden, some of his predecessors, and all of his current puppets. In terms of Russia, Ukraine and NATO, the only innocent party is Ukraine.
Except Ukraine could have told Putin it would remain neutral as per Austria after WW 2, and would behave as Austria did.
You can give the same advice to Fin and Swed , I guess
Graeme,The Deep State has puppet, and they'll make the most of him. It isn't the first time.
Back in the 1950s, Guatemala elected a progressive president who decided to pursue a course of land reform straight out of Caesar's playbook. Essentially, buying land from foreign fruit plantations. Then allocating that land to farmers. Unfortunately for him, one of the largest land holders was United Fruit Company (now known as Chiquita Banana). And one of United Fruit's board members was Allen Dulles of the CIA. A military coup resulted in mass casualties and record profits for United Fruit. After resigning, the Guatemalan president mysteriously drowned. FOIA requests got several damning documents released in the 1990s.
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSA...
Curiously, shortly after an American president fired Dulles from CIA, that American president was riding in his convertible when his head suddenly exploded. I'm sure it was just a coincidence.
I wonder why some think that Trump is the worst thing in American politics.
Τhe difference between Finland and Sweden and Ukraine is who had an army perched on its border? And what is wrong with that proposal? Austria became very prosperous, while Germany was cut in quarters. East Germany was not very prosperous.
J. wrote: "Graeme,The Deep State has puppet, and they'll make the most of him. It isn't the first time.
Back in the 1950s, Guatemala elected a progressive president who decided to pursue a course of land r..."
Yes, military force is used by the US to make money, at least for some of them. Note they overthrew a democratically elected government and replaced it with a brutal military dictatorship. The CIA used the excuse that the country was under communist influence, but like weapons of mass destruction, no evidence could be produced. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_Gu....)
Superpigs are invading: REF (CBS) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-pi...Image: https://www.reddit.com/r/midjourney/c...
J. wrote: "Graeme,The Deep State has puppet, and they'll make the most of him. It isn't the first time.
Back in the 1950s, Guatemala elected a progressive president who decided to pursue a course of land r..."
Indeed, J.
Cui Bono.
You might be interested in nearby Nicaragua https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ContrasThe Sandanistas were doing awful things, like improving health and education or the masses - the US couldn't have that! There is a TV seri8es based on the CIA in Nicaragua - I think they called it "Snowfall". Basically, at least part of the CIA funding was obtained by introducing crack cocaine into the US. What price is too high when the dreaded socialism has to be stopped elsewhere?
Ian, read War is a Racket by General Smedley Butler.https://ratical.org/ratville/CAH/wari...
Now, perhaps you could address the last three sentences of my previous post. Just remember the forrest is dark and full of monsters, including the Commies.
J. wrote: "Ian, read War is a Racket by General Smedley Butler.https://ratical.org/ratville/CAH/wari...
Now, perhaps you could address the last three sentences of my previous post. Just remember t..."
That is a seriously disturbing link, J.
As for your last three sentences, with no evidence to link the JFK assassination I prefer not to comment. As for Trump, it is too early to say how good or bad a Pesident he was, but from my point of view he is a somewhat detestable man.
Ian,The JFK assassination is one of those American obsessions. No matter what one thinks, you cannot truly eliminate the feeling there is more.
Papa, I tend to agree. I got the feeling there was so much incompetence in the following investigation that there is more to it, and I feel Oswald was shot to shut him up.
Do you ever get the feeling that the same solution might be applied to shut someone up today if people/institutions thought they could get away with it, as they may have in Oswald's case?
I think it depends on the honesty of the Chief Investigator, and how efficient his underlings are. I think such evil can be uncovered, but it takes a lot of determination sometimes.
I second, J.Assassination is a common tool of statecraft.
Don't forget incompetence at all levels - we all claim it in multiple threads but we are all quick to look for conspiracies when incompetence is far more common.
Scout wrote: "Do you ever get the feeling that the same solution might be applied to shut someone up today if people/institutions thought they could get away with it, as they may have in Oswald's case?"I cannot say no, but I do remain a bit skeptical. With all of the surveillance, forensics, chain of custody and better policing in general, I am hard pressed to say there is much information, hiding ti becomes damn near impossible. Do I think it can happen, sure. Do I think if someone could get away with it would they try, of course, human nature. Yet, I am still hard pressed.
I think Phillip has a good deal of it right with the incompetence. There is still bad policing. I tend to see it a bit more of government entropy than truly bad policing. It is the nature of government to be mediocre.
10M+ Venezuelans vote 95% 'Yes,' to annex oil-rich territory in Guyana."All questions passed with more than 95% approval, according to electoral authority president Elvis Amoroso, who said at least 10.5 million votes were cast for 'yes' but did not confirm the number of voters.
REF: Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/america..."
Free and fair elections in action. 😆😉😎
On a more serious note, is an oil war about to erupt in South America?
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."-Benjamin Franklin
Hence, the USA is a constitutional republic with a Bill of Rights
Graeme wrote: "10M+ Venezuelans vote 95% 'Yes,' to annex oil-rich territory in Guyana."All questions passed with more than 95% approval, according to electoral authority president Elvis Amoroso, who said at lea..."
Presumably Guyana's did not vote.
For those who have followed multiple phone hacking trials, cases and so on today Murdoch Corp (not a subsidiary newspaper, TV station or journalist) reached an out of court 6 figure settlement plus legal costs with former MP Chris Humehttps://hackinginquiry.org/wp-content...
His statement states that executives knew and ordered illegal phone and other intercepts. He also brings up Fox news and other media companies globally
Multiple other cases are still in progress against Murdoch newspapers as well as Associated Press and others. Some always mention Prince Harry and Meghan to ensure ad revenue on sites outweighs cost of eventual settlements.
For those interested look at some other victims like the family of murdered school girl Milly Dower.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/j...
The newspapers and owners are now trying to claim cases are too late even as new evidence comes to light. So far the courts have ruled against them.
U.S. announces military drills with Guyana amid dispute over oil-rich region with Venezuelahttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/guyana-v...
That should deter Venezuela. Attacking the US miolitary is a re3ally bad idea.
Why? In a conflict between the US and Venezuela, who do you think gets bombed?
Do you think Biden has the guts to bomb Venezuela?
I hate to say this, but I don't think it will have much to do with guts. I am not convinced he actually thinks out his decisions any longer.
:-) Finally, someone states the obvious. Biden should not be president again, and if you know it, the Democrats obviously do. Yet half the country would vote for him. How's that for insanity?
Torquay palm trees felled by council:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023...
I last visited Torquay about 1 1/2 years ago and the trees showed no signs of decay. Residents' comments back this up.
The town itself, on the other hand, showed plenty of signs of decay, but that's clearly not of any real concern to the council.
Readers from outside the UK might think this is a trivial story, but it is yet another little example of those in power's determination to suck every little bit of pleasure out of life in the UK and to replace all the little things that have brought joy to generations of people (to quote one resident, 'the symbolic images') with newfangled ideas. Our country is being reimagined by a bunch of imbeciles.
Apparently, the council is replacing the trees with some 'low maintenance' trees or shrubs - probably made of effing plastic. They'll undoubtedly have commissioned a 'study' too, telling us how the replacement is better for CO2 emissions, which the halfwits will then latch onto as cast iron 'proof' that the trees had to go.
Don't know how other Westerners feel about their own countries but I am sat here shaking my head at how much I've come to dislike something that I used to love so much.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023...
I last visited Torquay about 1 1/2 years ago and the trees showed no signs of decay. Residents' comments back this up.
The town itself, on the other hand, showed plenty of signs of decay, but that's clearly not of any real concern to the council.
Readers from outside the UK might think this is a trivial story, but it is yet another little example of those in power's determination to suck every little bit of pleasure out of life in the UK and to replace all the little things that have brought joy to generations of people (to quote one resident, 'the symbolic images') with newfangled ideas. Our country is being reimagined by a bunch of imbeciles.
Apparently, the council is replacing the trees with some 'low maintenance' trees or shrubs - probably made of effing plastic. They'll undoubtedly have commissioned a 'study' too, telling us how the replacement is better for CO2 emissions, which the halfwits will then latch onto as cast iron 'proof' that the trees had to go.
Don't know how other Westerners feel about their own countries but I am sat here shaking my head at how much I've come to dislike something that I used to love so much.
Good to my word, I'll stay off the covid thread, but here's some news footage from the UK:
https://twitter.com/ProfKarolSikora/s...
Our PM shut down by a jumped up PoS, as he tries to give evidence to an expensive enquiry, supposedly designed to uncover the truth to arguably the most extraordinary event of our lifetimes.
But this is clearly an enquiry that does not allow that truth to be seen, heard or spoken. An absolute farce, designed to exonerate a status quo that deserves Madam Guillotine.
https://twitter.com/ProfKarolSikora/s...
Our PM shut down by a jumped up PoS, as he tries to give evidence to an expensive enquiry, supposedly designed to uncover the truth to arguably the most extraordinary event of our lifetimes.
But this is clearly an enquiry that does not allow that truth to be seen, heard or spoken. An absolute farce, designed to exonerate a status quo that deserves Madam Guillotine.
Ha ha, great find, J!
Might of been aimed at the producer but, let's be honest, most of those in power and their media lackies, clearly do hate us plebs. The feeling's mutual.
Might of been aimed at the producer but, let's be honest, most of those in power and their media lackies, clearly do hate us plebs. The feeling's mutual.
The new government here has just axed the previous government's Cook Strait ferry replacements, The new ferries, commissioned by a state-owned organization, would cost about $500 million, which is probably fair enough. Like all government organizations here they hired consultants to get the details right. So why cancel this deal? Because the new designs do not fit onto any pre-existing infrastructure, and new harbour facilities would have to be built, which would cost about 5 times the cost of the ferries. So much for private sector consultants - surely they must recognize that when a ship comes into harbour, there has to be a way to unload the cargo?
Ian wrote: "So much for private sector consultants - surely they must recognize that when a ship comes into harbour, there has to be a way to unload the cargo?..."They intended to be consulted on the additional work too.
The name of game for consultants is too extract as much money from the mark as possible, which is why the name starts with 'con.'
I know I have become 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' on this platform (look the saying up non Brits) but, my God, this is an outrage. They're trolling us now:
https://twitter.com/ProfKarolSikora/s...
I am endeavouring not to become a grumpy middle-aged man, away from this platform. An attractive Mrs and successful football team are helping me avoid it at the mo but if the Villa start losing games...well, I daren't think about it.
https://twitter.com/ProfKarolSikora/s...
I am endeavouring not to become a grumpy middle-aged man, away from this platform. An attractive Mrs and successful football team are helping me avoid it at the mo but if the Villa start losing games...well, I daren't think about it.
World, Writing, Wealth
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