st albans fox Posted 5 January 2020 Share Posted 5 January 2020 Some of the stuff I’m reading about putin is amazing ..... if he wasn’t a dictator he would allow free and fair elections ......he doesn’t. Russia is virtually the same as China ......would you defend their ‘democracy’? no issue with saying he isn’t a truly bad guy but to pretend he is anything other than a dictator (and only when he is gone will you discover just how brutal he is) is just plain weird ....... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somebum Posted 5 January 2020 Share Posted 5 January 2020 (edited) 17 minutes ago, st albans fox said: Some of the stuff I’m reading about putin is amazing ..... if he wasn’t a dictator he would allow free and fair elections ......he doesn’t. Russia is virtually the same as China ......would you defend their ‘democracy’? no issue with saying he isn’t a truly bad guy but to pretend he is anything other than a dictator (and only when he is gone will you discover just how brutal he is) is just plain weird ....... Ive lived in his country mate. I have family there, friends. How many times have you actually been to Russia and spoken to Russian people about Russia or experienced life there? ... sorry ive edited this. I sound very pretentious here. Just because you haven't experienced life under Putin doesn't mean to say your opinion is any less valid. I apologize. Edited 5 January 2020 by somebum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st albans fox Posted 5 January 2020 Share Posted 5 January 2020 1 minute ago, somebum said: Ive lived in his country mate. I have family there, friends. How many times have you actually been to Russia and spoken to Russian people about Russia or experienced life there? Once .... how many free elections have there been since putin came to power? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm1 Posted 5 January 2020 Share Posted 5 January 2020 59 minutes ago, somebum said: Ive lived in his country mate. I have family there, friends. How many times have you actually been to Russia and spoken to Russian people about Russia or experienced life there? ... sorry ive edited this. I sound very pretentious here. Just because you haven't experienced life under Putin doesn't mean to say your opinion is any less valid. I apologize. Would be really interested to know what actual Russians think of Putin. Only ever met one native Russian and he loved him. He thought the only reason he gets so much negative press here is because he takes no shit from Europe or the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoleftfeet Posted 5 January 2020 Share Posted 5 January 2020 56 minutes ago, st albans fox said: Once .... how many free elections have there been since putin came to power? Putin could have argued just one month ago that the one democratic nation in europe held free and fare votes then ignored them so why does he need to bother. Havent they developed a new super intercontinental missile https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6341692/russia-supersonic-weapon-operational/amp/&ved=2ahUKEwjg6prMqe3mAhUVRxUIHXWhBSMQFjAQegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw10cDJEGTi8C96v63yRFHzm&cf=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 8 hours ago, Kopfkino said: Or is it that you like the hypocrisy argument when you have very little of any value to say but don't like it when you think you've got lots of valuable tidbits to add that makes it an inconvenience. And I only say that because even in that post you've decided to act as gatekeeper, deciding its a fair to draw attention to hypocrisy at specific times conveniently aligned to your interest. I think fair to draw attention to it all the time personally, but its as much a nonsense in FP discussion as it is in the grand scheme of things with CC (though pertinent for individuals), it just takes a modicum of dexterity to overcome rather than whinge about it. I don't really know why this has veered so much into the personal as I would never dream of insulting your considerable intelligence (that you clearly possess) beyond a few throwaway remarks regarding economics and economists that I was hoping were taken in the light-hearted spirit with which they were intended. I do try to qualify my remarks as much as possible as goodness knows how annoying people (including myself) stating opinion as fact is and I'm bloody sure I'm just as much a hypocrite as anyone else - including when talking about hypocrisy itself. I honestly don't claim any kind of special knowledge on matters outside my specialist field and if you think that I do, then you are mistaken (and I think we've talked about this before). Anyhow, the latest: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50996602 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WigstonWanderer Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 (edited) Some of the pitiful scenes involving badly burnt koalas, including one trying to pick its way amongst burning embers, are quite heartbreaking. Thousands killed apparently. Huge loss of animals generally. Just heard on the news a figure of half a billion! Surely that can’t be right? We’ve been fortunate here in Perth so far to have avoided this catastrophe. Even so, there seemed an unusually high number of days before Christmas with temps around 40c. Thankfully that seemed to pass. Edited 6 January 2020 by WigstonWanderer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WigstonWanderer Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 21 minutes ago, leicsmac said: I don't really know why this has veered so much into the personal as I would never dream of insulting your considerable intelligence (that you clearly possess) beyond a few throwaway remarks regarding economics and economists that I was hoping were taken in the light-hearted spirit with which they were intended. I do try to qualify my remarks as much as possible as goodness knows how annoying people (including myself) stating opinion as fact is and I'm bloody sure I'm just as much a hypocrite as anyone else - including when talking about hypocrisy itself. I honestly don't claim any kind of special knowledge on matters outside my specialist field and if you think that I do, then you are mistaken (and I think we've talked about this before). Anyhow, the latest: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50996602 I must be pretty thick because I rarely seem to understand what @Kopfkino is saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 7 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said: Some of the pitiful scenes involving badly burnt koalas, including one trying to pick its way amongst burning embers, are quite heartbreaking. Thousands killed apparently. Huge loss of animals generally. Just heard on the news a figure of half a billion! Surely that can’t be right? We’ve been fortunate here in Perth so far to have avoided this catastrophe. Even so, there seemed an unusually high number of days before Christmas with temps around 40c. Thankfully that seemed to pass. The WWF guy included the insects in his 500 million deal animals figure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WigstonWanderer Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 (edited) 12 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said: The WWF guy included the insects in his 500 million deal animals figure. Are you sure about that? I’d expect the figure to be larger if that were the case. There must be half a billion ants in my garden Edited 6 January 2020 by WigstonWanderer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 2 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said: Are you sure about that? I’d expect the figure to be larger if that were the case. There must be half a billion ants in my garden He certainly mentioned insects in the press release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban.spaceman Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51003159 ...weren't the US forces still there only with the permission and consent of the Iraqi government anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innovindil Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 31 minutes ago, leicsmac said: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51003159 ...weren't the US forces still there only with the permission and consent of the Iraqi government anyway? Yup and he's saying if they are asked/forced to leave he'll put sanctions on them to cover the costs of the bases built there. Seems fair enough from an American pov imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 5 minutes ago, Innovindil said: Yup and he's saying if they are asked/forced to leave he'll put sanctions on them to cover the costs of the bases built there. Seems fair enough from an American pov imo. No, he's saying that if they're not paid back for it, they won't leave, no matter what the Iraqis say or do. Putting sanctions on to get the money back is a bit dickish given the wealth disparity (think Scrooge charging Oliver Twist for a favour he did for him) but probably justifiable in some way, but not leaving entirely - occupying, in point of fact - has a rather different effect on the landscape IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innovindil Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 14 minutes ago, leicsmac said: No, he's saying that if they're not paid back for it, they won't leave, no matter what the Iraqis say or do. Putting sanctions on to get the money back is a bit dickish given the wealth disparity (think Scrooge charging Oliver Twist for a favour he did for him) but probably justifiable in some way, but not leaving entirely - occupying, in point of fact - has a rather different effect on the landscape IMO. Of course it's dickish. It's literally the murican way. Either way, the muricans will get their dough, and they'll be able to save face and walk away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiberalFox Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 Trump's dangerously incompetent. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 5 minutes ago, Innovindil said: Of course it's dickish. It's literally the murican way. Either way, the muricans will get their dough, and they'll be able to save face and walk away. You're probably right, though I'd be intrigued to see what happens if the Iraqis decide to test if they really would not leave if they don't get paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiberalFox Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 Really it seems to be becoming clear that this was simply done as a retaliation for an Iranian backed militia attacking the US embassy. But this is likely to backfire and end up costing the west political capital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FerrisBueller Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/04/cambridge-analytica-data-leak-global-election-manipulation?__twitter_impression=true 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 Well, all the media hyping up Trump as a warmonger now, talking about a crisis with Iran? Have these people seen the military strength of Iran vs. the US? Do they know Iran are surrounded by US bases? Do they also know that Iran have never (officially) started a war? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 (edited) 7 hours ago, FerrisBueller said: https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/04/cambridge-analytica-data-leak-global-election-manipulation?__twitter_impression=true Ok, go on then. Reveal once and for all whom manipulated which election. I'm sick and tired of hearing about "election fraud" and "manipulation" and "Russia", with nothing proper to show for. Give us proof, disclose the bad actors. Names, places, dates. All of it. Stop beating around the bush with these seemingly endless, vague fillers. Edited 6 January 2020 by MC Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanSP Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 This is upsetting 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopfkino Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 18 minutes ago, StanSP said: This is upsetting Many a top night there, one of my favourites. Met a now really close friend on the balcony smoking area. Beautiful building as well and a lot of history in there so it's proper sad, hopefully they can salvage most of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 6 January 2020 Share Posted 6 January 2020 (edited) On 03/01/2020 at 23:34, WigstonWanderer said: I think @ozleicester summed things up much more eloquently and knowledgeably than I could have a couple of pages back. Just to add, Morrison’s little stunt with coal in parliament showed his attitude to the issue of climate change. He sees it as a joke and/or a hoax. He does not consider it a threat to people’s jobs and futures to balance possible short term costs of remediation. Any leader who takes the climate change issue seriously would do 2 things. Firstly they would support international efforts to reduce emissions to at least try to lessen the scope of climatic changes. A relatively rich country like Australia with a high per capita carbon footprint, large exports of coal, and plenty of scope for renewable energy expansion, should actually show leadership (as was the previous Labour government). He seems to do his best to undermine any such efforts. Secondly, a responsible leader would make sure that as far as possible preparations were made to mitigate the effect of prospective changes. Once again he has failed spectacularly as @ozleicester has already noted. He is being heavily criticised here by people directly affected for his lack of preparation. Maybe you and/or @ozleicester can shed some more light on this theory here - a comment made by an Aussie someplace else: Quote Australia is on fire due to private companies building structures that redirect water so agriculture can grow cotton. You read that right, Australia is trying to grow a crop that takes tons of water to grow, in one of the driest countries on the planet. This is illegal because in our constitution, you cannot redirect water, but the government is getting kickbacks, so they are looking the other way. We are also fracking, which takes millions of gallons of water. AND the government is no longer managing the underbrush. This is ALL due to government mismanagement. Not global warming. Thoughts? I'm not saying global warming isn't in parts responsible, but making it look as if it's the sole cause is not doing the situation enough justice. Environmentalists are allegedly also to blame for stopping burning off the fires in the winter season. I also heard that the temperatures and average rain fall in NSW right now are NOT by any means any different compared to other Australian Summers. Also, no arsonists around, literally playing with fire? Edited 7 January 2020 by MC Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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