What's going on in *insert location here*
World's gone batshit. I can't keep up with everything that's going on.
Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Korea, France for a start.
Georgia going to shit too
There's an unknown flu like virus in the DRC that's killed about eighty people.
The military junta in Niger is seizing overseas assets
Chinese navy trying to sink a Filipino coast guard vessel
Revolution in Myanmar
Someone tried to assassinate the Bolivian president
Head of United Health are assassinated in New York
And Diageo is limiting the amount of Guinness pubs can order in the run up to Christmas.
Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Korea, France for a start.
Georgia going to shit too
There's an unknown flu like virus in the DRC that's killed about eighty people.
The military junta in Niger is seizing overseas assets
Chinese navy trying to sink a Filipino coast guard vessel
Revolution in Myanmar
Someone tried to assassinate the Bolivian president
Head of United Health are assassinated in New York
And Diageo is limiting the amount of Guinness pubs can order in the run up to Christmas.
And are there two g’s in Bugger Off?
There is no far left in the french parliament (none of the elected left are in that bracket).
There will not be a coalition between them and the far right.
What Macron attempted was a right / far right coalition though.
Romania just put a previously completely unknown far right, Russia supporting guy through to the final round for presidential elections. And now it's been found that Tiktok was boosting his videos (illegally presented videos) and suppressing his opponents.
Give a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Shockeroonie
And are there two g’s in Bugger Off?
CIA working overtime.
All jokes aside, as US power (and prestige*) declines the more unstable the world will become since a) the US will do desperate things to try and stay top dog and b) some bad actors will be emboldened to chance their arm.
* The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and US support of Israel in Gaza have pretty much destroyed this notion of rules based order that at least created this perception that the international system was orderly rather than anarchic.
All jokes aside, as US power (and prestige*) declines the more unstable the world will become since a) the US will do desperate things to try and stay top dog and b) some bad actors will be emboldened to chance their arm.
* The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and US support of Israel in Gaza have pretty much destroyed this notion of rules based order that at least created this perception that the international system was orderly rather than anarchic.
Pales into insignificance compared to the current Hooping cough outbreak in the Taree school system, Wife has immediately blamed the anti immunology crowd.Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:31 pm World's gone batshit. I can't keep up with everything that's going on.
Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Korea, France for a start.
Georgia going to shit too
There's an unknown flu like virus in the DRC that's killed about eighty people.
The military junta in Niger is seizing overseas assets
Chinese navy trying to sink a Filipino coast guard vessel
Revolution in Myanmar
Someone tried to assassinate the Bolivian president
Head of United Health are assassinated in New York
And Diageo is limiting the amount of Guinness pubs can order in the run up to Christmas.
- mat the expat
- Posts: 1448
- Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2020 11:12 pm
I was just thinking about this last night. I think historical precedent tells us that there is a kind of mass resetting at intervals, usually as a great empire starts to wane.
Was hoping to not live through that, but here we are.
Was hoping to not live through that, but here we are.
All the money you made will never buy back your soul
Bloody hell the world is going to hell in a handcart!!!!Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:31 pm World's gone batshit. I can't keep up with everything that's going on.
Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Korea, France for a start.
Georgia going to shit too
There's an unknown flu like virus in the DRC that's killed about eighty people.
The military junta in Niger is seizing overseas assets
Chinese navy trying to sink a Filipino coast guard vessel
Revolution in Myanmar
Someone tried to assassinate the Bolivian president
Head of United Health are assassinated in New York
And Diageo is limiting the amount of Guinness pubs can order in the run up to Christmas.
- Uncle fester
- Posts: 4152
- Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:42 pm
I maintain that the lies and deception in the run up to the second Iraq war were a key contributor to the lack of trust in authority that has fed into the rise of groups like qanon and conspiracy theories.Hugo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 12:10 am CIA working overtime.
All jokes aside, as US power (and prestige*) declines the more unstable the world will become since a) the US will do desperate things to try and stay top dog and b) some bad actors will be emboldened to chance their arm.
* The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and US support of Israel in Gaza have pretty much destroyed this notion of rules based order that at least created this perception that the international system was orderly rather than anarchic.
- fishfoodie
- Posts: 8184
- Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2020 8:25 pm
In the US, a lot of people draw the line at Watergate, or the Pentagon papers, because there in black & white they could see the lies that the "Elite" know for decades, but still sent kids go off to die, in an exercise they knew was doomed to fail. It completely destroyed any trust that a Generation had in their Government.Uncle fester wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:00 pmI maintain that the lies and deception in the run up to the second Iraq war were a key contributor to the lack of trust in authority that has fed into the rise of groups like qanon and conspiracy theories.Hugo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 12:10 am CIA working overtime.
All jokes aside, as US power (and prestige*) declines the more unstable the world will become since a) the US will do desperate things to try and stay top dog and b) some bad actors will be emboldened to chance their arm.
* The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and US support of Israel in Gaza have pretty much destroyed this notion of rules based order that at least created this perception that the international system was orderly rather than anarchic.
- Uncle fester
- Posts: 4152
- Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:42 pm
Others would lay the blame at the foot of the Reagan era which is when the ordinary Joes really started to struggle.fishfoodie wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:08 pmIn the US, a lot of people draw the line at Watergate, or the Pentagon papers, because there in black & white they could see the lies that the "Elite" know for decades, but still sent kids go off to die, in an exercise they knew was doomed to fail. It completely destroyed any trust that a Generation had in their Government.Uncle fester wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:00 pmI maintain that the lies and deception in the run up to the second Iraq war were a key contributor to the lack of trust in authority that has fed into the rise of groups like qanon and conspiracy theories.Hugo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 12:10 am CIA working overtime.
All jokes aside, as US power (and prestige*) declines the more unstable the world will become since a) the US will do desperate things to try and stay top dog and b) some bad actors will be emboldened to chance their arm.
* The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and US support of Israel in Gaza have pretty much destroyed this notion of rules based order that at least created this perception that the international system was orderly rather than anarchic.
I'd agree with this. They were lying, we knew they were lying, and they still did it.Uncle fester wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:00 pmI maintain that the lies and deception in the run up to the second Iraq war were a key contributor to the lack of trust in authority that has fed into the rise of groups like qanon and conspiracy theories.Hugo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 12:10 am CIA working overtime.
All jokes aside, as US power (and prestige*) declines the more unstable the world will become since a) the US will do desperate things to try and stay top dog and b) some bad actors will be emboldened to chance their arm.
* The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and US support of Israel in Gaza have pretty much destroyed this notion of rules based order that at least created this perception that the international system was orderly rather than anarchic.
All the money you made will never buy back your soul
-
- Posts: 8623
- Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:48 am
That's when whatever was left of the New Deal era social contract was torn up and ghouls like Milton Friedman were able to push their nightmarish vision of economics virtually unchallenged. Unfortunately for us, Thatcher *spit* was fully aboard that train.Uncle fester wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2024 9:20 amOthers would lay the blame at the foot of the Reagan era which is when the ordinary Joes really started to struggle.fishfoodie wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:08 pmIn the US, a lot of people draw the line at Watergate, or the Pentagon papers, because there in black & white they could see the lies that the "Elite" know for decades, but still sent kids go off to die, in an exercise they knew was doomed to fail. It completely destroyed any trust that a Generation had in their Government.Uncle fester wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:00 pm
I maintain that the lies and deception in the run up to the second Iraq war were a key contributor to the lack of trust in authority that has fed into the rise of groups like qanon and conspiracy theories.
- Paddington Bear
- Posts: 5907
- Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 3:29 pm
- Location: Hertfordshire
End of an era essentially. Things fall apart
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages, What feats he did that day
Saffers get humility, Dupont is crowned King of the World. That kind of thing.
All the money you made will never buy back your soul
- Uncle fester
- Posts: 4152
- Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:42 pm
I'll leave Laurent post the guillotine pic.
Things don’t always fall apart at the end of an era. E.g end of the Cold War.
It’s about having leaders with some vision to steer the world in a new direction, against those who want to rip it up for their own benefit. There are ideas and strategies out there that the West can pursue, but it seems no one is brave enough to actually do it, and instead they want to cling to the global rules based order, unipolar, unassailable west dominance of the last 30 or so years.
Things like
https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/wp-content/ ... -FINAL.pdf
https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/mult ... rld-order/
And other ways to address international relations in ways that you collaborate and compete at the same time (key to the Western relationship with China, and indeed Iran).
Revitalising western economies with things like Doughnut economics, novel societal growth models etc. We need to maintain ourselves as the most advanced societies in the world, and that doesn’t necessarily mean driving to be richer and richer, rather to be better and better. They’re not the same thing.
And are there two g’s in Bugger Off?
sure but you give it back We need it ...
- Paddington Bear
- Posts: 5907
- Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 3:29 pm
- Location: Hertfordshire
We were the victors of the Cold War, I dare say there are a lot of people not from the West who would strongly disagree that things did not fall apart!Biffer wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2024 11:58 amThings don’t always fall apart at the end of an era. E.g end of the Cold War.
It’s about having leaders with some vision to steer the world in a new direction, against those who want to rip it up for their own benefit. There are ideas and strategies out there that the West can pursue, but it seems no one is brave enough to actually do it, and instead they want to cling to the global rules based order, unipolar, unassailable west dominance of the last 30 or so years.
Things like
https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/wp-content/ ... -FINAL.pdf
https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/mult ... rld-order/
And other ways to address international relations in ways that you collaborate and compete at the same time (key to the Western relationship with China, and indeed Iran).
Revitalising western economies with things like Doughnut economics, novel societal growth models etc. We need to maintain ourselves as the most advanced societies in the world, and that doesn’t necessarily mean driving to be richer and richer, rather to be better and better. They’re not the same thing.
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages, What feats he did that day
-
- Posts: 2094
- Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:04 pm
For whom did things fall apart wherein they were previously together?
-
- Posts: 2094
- Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:04 pm
'tis interesting that if you go through UK papers from the time yes they wanted to support America, but too they wanted to cut off a need for migration to Europe and principally the UK from countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, and the thinking was they could help. things could hardly have worked out better for such ambitionSlick wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2024 9:43 amI'd agree with this. They were lying, we knew they were lying, and they still did it.Uncle fester wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:00 pmI maintain that the lies and deception in the run up to the second Iraq war were a key contributor to the lack of trust in authority that has fed into the rise of groups like qanon and conspiracy theories.Hugo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 12:10 am CIA working overtime.
All jokes aside, as US power (and prestige*) declines the more unstable the world will become since a) the US will do desperate things to try and stay top dog and b) some bad actors will be emboldened to chance their arm.
* The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and US support of Israel in Gaza have pretty much destroyed this notion of rules based order that at least created this perception that the international system was orderly rather than anarchic.
Western nation states have been hollowed out over the past thirty years due to globalisation.Biffer wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2024 11:58 amThings don’t always fall apart at the end of an era. E.g end of the Cold War.
It’s about having leaders with some vision to steer the world in a new direction, against those who want to rip it up for their own benefit. There are ideas and strategies out there that the West can pursue, but it seems no one is brave enough to actually do it, and instead they want to cling to the global rules based order, unipolar, unassailable west dominance of the last 30 or so years.
Things like
https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/wp-content/ ... -FINAL.pdf
https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/mult ... rld-order/
And other ways to address international relations in ways that you collaborate and compete at the same time (key to the Western relationship with China, and indeed Iran).
Revitalising western economies with things like Doughnut economics, novel societal growth models etc. We need to maintain ourselves as the most advanced societies in the world, and that doesn’t necessarily mean driving to be richer and richer, rather to be better and better. They’re not the same thing.
Neoliberalism, austerity, deindustrialisation and immigration have all degraded the nation state and the ability to organise and accomplish things on the basis of appeals to national sentiment.
- tabascoboy
- Posts: 6456
- Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:22 am
- Location: 曇りの街
Romania's constitutional court has annulled the result of the first round of voting in the presidential election just days before the second round was due to take place.
It means the process will be restarted from scratch, with the government due to decide a date for a new vote.
The first round was won by Calin Georgescu, an almost unknown far-right Nato-sceptic who has previously praised Vladimir Putin.
The court's decision comes after intelligence documents were declassified, suggesting Georgescu benefitted from a mass influence operation – conducted from abroad – to interfere with the result of the vote.
Outgoing Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said the court's decision to annul was "the only correct solution after the declassification of the documents... which show that the result of the Romanians' vote was blatantly distorted as a result of Russia's intervention".
The judges of the court met on Friday morning, despite having announced the previous night that they would not discuss new information regarding possible external influence on the elections until the second round of voting.
The law stipulates that, in the event of the annulment of the elections, they should resume on the second Sunday after the date of the annulment - which would have meant on 22 December.
However, the court has decided to ask the government to rerun the entire electoral process, and therefore the electoral campaign.
Last week, the court had ordered a recount of votes cast in Sunday's first round following allegations that social media platform TikTok gave "preferential treatment" to the surprise winner, Calin Georgescu.
Georgescu, a radical with no party of his own, campaigned mainly on TikTok. The platform said it was "categorically false to claim his account was treated differently to any other candidate".
He won 23% of the vote, with 19% for the runner-up, Elena Lasconi, of the opposition Save Romania Union and Ciolacu of the governing Social Democrats in third.
That doesn't disagree with anything I've posted so I'm not really sure what your point isHugo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2024 3:16 pmWestern nation states have been hollowed out over the past thirty years due to globalisation.Biffer wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2024 11:58 amThings don’t always fall apart at the end of an era. E.g end of the Cold War.
It’s about having leaders with some vision to steer the world in a new direction, against those who want to rip it up for their own benefit. There are ideas and strategies out there that the West can pursue, but it seems no one is brave enough to actually do it, and instead they want to cling to the global rules based order, unipolar, unassailable west dominance of the last 30 or so years.
Things like
https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/wp-content/ ... -FINAL.pdf
https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/mult ... rld-order/
And other ways to address international relations in ways that you collaborate and compete at the same time (key to the Western relationship with China, and indeed Iran).
Revitalising western economies with things like Doughnut economics, novel societal growth models etc. We need to maintain ourselves as the most advanced societies in the world, and that doesn’t necessarily mean driving to be richer and richer, rather to be better and better. They’re not the same thing.
Neoliberalism, austerity, deindustrialisation and immigration have all degraded the nation state and the ability to organise and accomplish things on the basis of appeals to national sentiment.
And are there two g’s in Bugger Off?