General News Thread

[leicsmac]

3 hours ago, Sly said:

I could see them taking Cuba by force if they had to. 

Or simply if they wanted to, from how it appears now.

 

2 hours ago, danny. said:

We’re really not 

It's certainly a matter of debate, hence me using the word "if" there.

 

The point there though being that the UK could possibly (only possibly, mind you) do more than sit on their hands while a "friend" (really really heavy on the quotation marks there) acts like a bullying douchebag. 

[CornwallFox]

12 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Or simply if they wanted to, from how it appears now.

 

It's certainly a matter of debate, hence me using the word "if" there.

 

The point there though being that the UK could possibly (only possibly, mind you) do more than sit on their hands while a "friend" (really really heavy on the quotation marks there) acts like a bullying douchebag. 

It would be quite a thing in the US if the UK, one of its closest allies, told them straight that their behaviour is akin to a rogue state.

Edited 4 January by CornwallFox

[bovril]

It's very important that British politicians are diplomatic to avoid upsetting a foreign government that describes the UK as a communist Islamist state that imprisons people for criticising the regime. 

[Tommy G]

4 hours ago, leicsmac said:

All the more reason for Starmer to do what @StanSP suggested above. It's deeply frustrating that, if the UK really is that well respected, that they're not using some of that diplomatic capital to tell the US that, quite frankly, that they're a bunch of fvcknuts right now. 

Starmer is completely shit scared of Trump is the issue - just look at his simping body language around him, and his pick me words and actions. 
 

We don’t have strong leadership and that’s the issue. 

[foxy boxing]

The Greenland next, soon tweets by Maga supporters tongue in cheek meant to rile people or a genuine threat!. 

[leicsmac]

35 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

It would be quite a thing in the US if the UK, one of its closest allies, told them straight that their behaviour is akin to a rogue state.

Wouldn't that be the day...

 

23 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Starmer is completely shit scared of Trump is the issue - just look at his simping body language around him, and his pick me words and actions. 
 

We don’t have strong leadership and that’s the issue. 

And thus we arrive at the conundrum. If Starmer won't tell Trump that he's acting like a shite, then what leader will?

 

Neither Badenoch nor Farage will - they simp over him more than Starmer does. I think the same is true for anyone in their parties, come to that. 

 

Another one for Burnham, maybe?

 

6 minutes ago, foxy boxing said:

The Greenland next, soon tweets by Maga supporters tongue in cheek meant to rile people or a genuine threat!. 

I've long since stopped thinking practically anything those people say and do is tongue in cheek, given what real and genuiney negative events they've wrought so far. Treat what they say seriously until absolutely proven otherwise, I think. 

[danny.]

How do you take all the videos of Venezuelan people celebrating the recent actions? I don’t know much about the situation as I really haven’t had the energy to do a load of research but presume they are all fake etc?

[leicsmac]

9 minutes ago, danny. said:

How do you take all the videos of Venezuelan people celebrating the recent actions? I don’t know much about the situation as I really haven’t had the energy to do a load of research but presume they are all fake etc?

I'm pretty sure that he pissed off a lot of people being the autocratic bad hombre he no doubt was (and you'd get similar videos of people celebrating after the leaving of practically any world leader in any nation, given you can't please all or even most of the people all the time as a leader), so it's a safe bet at least a lot of that footage is genuine.

 

However, if being a bad hombre of that type justifies this kind of surgical action on the part of the US, they'd better get their schedule in order for similar behaviour in at least half or maybe more of the nations on the planet (or they're just fvcking hypocrites). Or, alternatively, it doesn't justify such extraordinary and extracurricular action and they've been self interested bombastic sacks of shit violating international law to their own ends when the job is deposing a leader remains, for the most part, that of its own citizens (when such a leader isn't waging an external war, that is). 

 

Either way, it doesn't look great. 

Edited 4 January by leicsmac

[Trav Le Bleu]

34 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

 

However, if being a bad hombre of that type justifies this kind of surgical action on the part of the US, they'd better get their schedule in order for similar behaviour in at least half or maybe more of the nations on the planet (or they're just fvcking hypocrites). . 

But do they have valuable natural resources?

[leicsmac]

14 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

But do they have valuable natural resources?

That shouldn't be a relevant question if the real objective is making a better world for the people of those nations, and not being nationalistic, self interested and bullying hypocrites throwing their weight around for their own personal gain, giving our species a bad name...

 

... that first objective is the right one of the two, right?

[leicsmac]

On topic:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0zg974v1o

 

Denmark's prime minister has told Donald Trump to "stop the threats" about taking over Greenland.

Mette Frederiksen said "it makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the United States to take over Greenland", adding: "The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom".

Her remarks come after Katie Miller - the wife of one of Trump's aides, Stephen Miller - tweeted a map of Greenland in the colours of the American flag alongside the word "SOON".

 

It may take more than words, Fr. Frederiksen.

[bovril]

2 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

On topic:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0zg974v1o

 

Denmark's prime minister has told Donald Trump to "stop the threats" about taking over Greenland.

Mette Frederiksen said "it makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the United States to take over Greenland", adding: "The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom".

Her remarks come after Katie Miller - the wife of one of Trump's aides, Stephen Miller - tweeted a map of Greenland in the colours of the American flag alongside the word "SOON".

 

It may take more than words, Fr. Frederiksen.

I think basically the American right, like Americans in general, are very very online and have totally internalized the belief that America is mocked and disrespected by the rest of the world, especially smug free healthcare obsessed Euros who need to be put back in their box. Unfortunately these people are now in charge and dictating foreign policy. Fun times!

[Trav Le Bleu]

Israel 

 

 

Sorry, I was just testing something 

 

Ok to criticise one sovereign state, but not another

 

Edited 4 January by Trav Le Bleu

[Lionator]

49 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

On topic:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0zg974v1o

 

Denmark's prime minister has told Donald Trump to "stop the threats" about taking over Greenland.

Mette Frederiksen said "it makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the United States to take over Greenland", adding: "The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom".

Her remarks come after Katie Miller - the wife of one of Trump's aides, Stephen Miller - tweeted a map of Greenland in the colours of the American flag alongside the word "SOON".

 

It may take more than words, Fr. Frederiksen.

For her to be saying that there must be quite a lot of concern that it’s actually going to happen

[danny.]

1 minute ago, Lionator said:

For her to be saying that there must be quite a lot of concern that it’s actually going to happen

Any sovereign country would be obligated to put a marker down else they look weak. The USA is not going to invade Greenland or Canada. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 minutes ago, Lionator said:

For her to be saying that there must be quite a lot of concern that it’s actually going to happen

If he thinks that US can do that and no one will bat an eyelid, then he's crazy.

 

Oh, wait...

 

Re: Venezuela and US running the show - surely the answer is to have a coalition UN force on the ground? Sod off, we'll run it from here. Makes far more sense.

[Lionator]

2 minutes ago, danny. said:

Any sovereign country would be obligated to put a marker down else they look weak. The USA is not going to invade Greenland or Canada. 

They don’t need to invade Greenland, they can make Denmark an offer they literally can’t refuse. 

[Lionator]

Just now, Trav Le Bleu said:

If he thinks that US can do that and no one will bat an eyelid, then he's crazy.

 

Oh, wait...

 

Re: Venezuela and US running the show - surely the answer is to have a coalition UN force on the ground? Sod off, we'll run it from here. Makes far more sense.

What is anyone gonna do? Go to war against the USA? 

[Trav Le Bleu]

Just now, Lionator said:

What is anyone gonna do? Go to war against the USA? 

I think a combined European force, yes.

 

They struggled to hold off the Taliban, let's face it. I also think they would suffer far more war fatigue and protests at home as I'm sure many Americans would hugely disagree with this. Since Russia wouldn't want the US to hold that ground, they would probably covertly aid that coalition too.

[Mike Oxlong]

Given the suggestion that the Trump administration may be contemplating attacking one of its allies you have to conclude that a US security guarantee is worth five fifths of fvck all. Poor Ukraine ! 

 

[Blarmy]

21 minutes ago, danny. said:

Any sovereign country would be obligated to put a marker down else they look weak. The USA is not going to invade Greenland or Canada. 

The guy who used to command the US armed forces in Europe is taking the Greenland threats seriously. 

[Mike Oxlong]

I'm pretty sure US maps will be showing the new state of Trump Greenland in the not too distant future. Wouldn't surprise me if Venezuela and Cuba are being used as sounding boards for any adverse reaction to US colonial expansion before it takes action on Greenland 

[Zear0]

Just now, Mike Oxlong said:

I'm pretty sure US maps will be showing the new state of Trump Greenland in the not too distant future. Wouldn't surprise me if Venezuela and Cuba are being used as sounding boards for any adverse reaction to US colonial expansion before it takes action on Greenland 

Red, white and Blue Land

[Will1981]

2 hours ago, danny. said:

How do you take all the videos of Venezuelan people celebrating the recent actions? I don’t know much about the situation as I really haven’t had the energy to do a load of research but presume they are all fake etc?

My sister-in-law is Venezuelan and has a lot of family still in Venezuela and the vast majority are over the moon that Maduro is gone, he was voted out recently but fixed the election results. Venezuela has the biggest oil reserve in the world and should be one of the richest countries in the world but years of corruption has led to most of the people living in poverty.

[MC Prussian]

45 minutes ago, Mike Oxlong said:

Given the suggestion that the Trump administration may be contemplating attacking one of its allies you have to conclude that a US security guarantee is worth five fifths of fvck all. Poor Ukraine ! 

 

Poor Ukraine, indeed. What has the UK, the EU or the UN achieved since the war started? Pretty much zilch.

 

I find this anti-US reflex quite tedious, it's a bizarre love-hate relationship. For some, they're seemingly the root of all evil – can't do nothing right. If they act swiftly and directly, they're the bogeyman. If they don't come and help others, they're the bogeyman, too.

What a pathetic attitude.

 

Ever since WWII, Europe has failed to display unity and strength. The EU is just a bureaucracy molokh par excellence, heavy, slow, over-saturated.

How about we strengthen our own position? This dependency on the US can't go on forever, it makes one sloppy.

Edited 4 January by MC Prussian