Three Towns Forum

Members' Lounge => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: Ian on November 09, 2016, 08:46:56 am

Title: International politics
Post by: Ian on November 09, 2016, 08:46:56 am
So, once again the pollsters were wrong. Trump played the Race Hate card, is a thoroughly unpleasant individual and might have a very tricky relationship with even his own party in Congress but the people have spoken and shown they dislike politicians in particular.  I suspect they will learn a hard lesson,
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on November 09, 2016, 08:51:05 am
The world has now entered a new dark age.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Dwyforite on November 09, 2016, 11:09:41 am
God Help America
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Blongb on November 09, 2016, 11:47:20 am
Beware the harvest yea sow and ignore the little people at your peril 
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on November 09, 2016, 12:17:28 pm
As with Brexit, it illustrates yet again how large swathes of the worlds population feel like they have no stake in society as it stands.
They have little to lose, so let's vote for change.  Any kind of change.
It's the thin end of a rapidly thickening wedge.
Those with juicy pensions, share portfolios, investments, savings etc.... the world becomes a less predictable place these days.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on November 09, 2016, 03:56:22 pm
They make a good pair of cowboys
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: snowcap on November 09, 2016, 11:00:24 pm
I would only trust the horse
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: DaveR on November 10, 2016, 09:21:31 am
As with Brexit, it illustrates yet again how large swathes of the worlds population feel like they have no stake in society as it stands.
They have little to lose, so let's vote for change.  Any kind of change.
It's the thin end of a rapidly thickening wedge.
Those with juicy pensions, share portfolios, investments, savings etc.... the world becomes a less predictable place these days.
At risk of sounding like Jeremy Corbyn, the rich Liberal elite in the US have brought this upon themselves. The Democrats could not have a picked a worse candidate to go up against Trump, she symbolises everything that the majority of people in America despise.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on November 10, 2016, 09:54:39 am
By the reports of the 'protests' in many places in the USA, it appears that everyone in the USA is content with the thought of Trump being inaugurated.

However, a chum sent me this:  https://medium.com/@theonlytoby/history-tells-us-what-will-happen-next-with-brexit-trump-a3fefd154714#.9gk4gotl6

Most interesting.... it dovetails 'Prisoners of Geography' by Tim Marshall.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: PhilMick on November 10, 2016, 10:32:08 am
Just waiting for Nicola Sturgeon to complain that Scotland didn't vote for Brexit plus plus plus plus  >>> >>>
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on November 11, 2016, 01:06:47 pm
Scotland didn't vote for Brexit. Why should they have to suffer because of our stupidity?
Brexit is a bit like the Landlord of a block of flats asking his tenants to decide what improvements they want him to do to the place. two of his four tenants have decided for reasons of their own that they want the whole block of flats burned to the ground, perhaps they though there was too many visitors from other blocks of flats coming into their tenement, who knows! Because these tenants have the bigger flats their votes rule and the decision is made to burn down the whole block of flats. of course the landlord was very silly for allowing his tenants an open vote on such a serious issue so of course the first thing he does after the votes are counted is resign. His career as a landlord is over. However they have a new landlord now and in order to please her two biggest tenants she says the decision they voted for, to burn their houses to the ground, still stands - hooray!

But not hooray for the two families in the smaller flats who voted for the house to 'remain' standing.

The moral of the story is reverse this idiotic decision now before it does us more harm. $good$
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Blongb on November 11, 2016, 08:37:36 pm
Just food for thought; I wonder if Scotland would have voted the same way if Nicola Sturgeon and her Nationalist Party with their independence agenda had not been gifted power by the ineffectual and failed policies of previous Labour administrations. England makes up 83.9% of the population of the UK where as Scotland makes up only 8.4%. The tail never wags the dog.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: mull on November 11, 2016, 11:30:20 pm
No it does not.
The tail oil kept the UK afloat in the 1970/80s only for ot to be squandered by Thatcher and Co.
Just remember if Scotland had not got the oil you would be a lot poorer than you are  now. It kept the UK afloat and do not forget that fact.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: PhilMick on November 12, 2016, 05:44:23 pm
Scotland didn't vote for Brexit. Why should they have to suffer because of our stupidity?
Brexit is a bit like the Landlord of a block of flats asking his tenants to decide what improvements they want him to do to the place. two of his four tenants have decided for reasons of their own that they want the whole block of flats burned to the ground, perhaps they though there was too many visitors from other blocks of flats coming into their tenement, who knows! Because these tenants have the bigger flats their votes rule and the decision is made to burn down the whole block of flats. of course the landlord was very silly for allowing his tenants an open vote on such a serious issue so of course the first thing he does after the votes are counted is resign. His career as a landlord is over. However they have a new landlord now and in order to please her two biggest tenants she says the decision they voted for, to burn their houses to the ground, still stands - hooray!

But not hooray for the two families in the smaller flats who voted for the house to 'remain' standing.

The moral of the story is reverse this idiotic decision now before it does us more harm. $good$

We have a system called democracy in the United Kingdom - it applies to all of the UK - together.



Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on November 20, 2016, 08:57:28 am
The problem is that 'democracy' don't always mean what you might imagine. The US knows that rather well, facing the prospect of a president who got fewer votes than the opposer. In the UK governments are frequently elected with far fewer than half the votes.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Blongb on November 20, 2016, 01:29:13 pm
The problem is that 'democracy' don't always mean what you might imagine. The US knows that rather well, facing the prospect of a president who got fewer votes than the opposer. In the UK governments are frequently elected with far fewer than half the votes.

That's why parliamentary boundary's have to be redrawn so that each constituency is roughly equal to the next at present the typical size of constituencies differs between parts of the UK. The Office for National Statistics gives the median total parliamentary electorate across constituencies of about 72,400 in England, 69,000 in Scotland, 66,800 in Northern Ireland and 56,800 in Wales.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: PhilMick on November 20, 2016, 02:40:23 pm
Just food for thought; I wonder if Scotland would have voted the same way if Nicola Sturgeon and her Nationalist Party with their independence agenda had not been gifted power by the ineffectual and failed policies of previous Labour administrations. England makes up 83.9% of the population of the UK where as Scotland makes up only 8.4%. The tail never wags the dog.

Blongb - just arrived back from a couple of days in Llandudno. Bit disappointed with the xmas fair - wasn't much of the Christmas atmosphere evident.

extending your fine point - England is the most under represented of the four UK home countries. That is, Scotland, Wales and NI all have their regional assemblies. Using the figure you've provided above for Scotland, England should have approximately 10 regional assemblies. If they all got the same TV exposure as Scotland on TV in England there would be no time left for any other programmes.

I wonder what the ratio is for Wales and NI?

I often wish that we could have a referendum in England about independence from the UK - the response might surprise a few of the regional extremities!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on November 20, 2016, 03:44:50 pm
Just food for thought; I wonder if Scotland would have voted the same way if Nicola Sturgeon and her Nationalist Party with their independence agenda had not been gifted power by the ineffectual and failed policies of previous Labour administrations. England makes up 83.9% of the population of the UK where as Scotland makes up only 8.4%. The tail never wags the dog.

I often wish that we could have a referendum in England about independence from the UK - the response might surprise a few of the regional extremities!

If you give that vote to all the EU,  Asian and African migrants living there then you might find that you  have regional extremities there anyway.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: PhilMick on November 20, 2016, 04:13:35 pm
 :D
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: mull on November 20, 2016, 08:45:23 pm
Just remember how SCOTLANDS oil got everyone in the UK out of the S---e in the 1970/80s and turn down the volume.
We voted to remain in the UK, so accept that fact.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: PhilMick on November 21, 2016, 10:33:43 am
Just remember how SCOTLANDS oil got everyone in the UK out of the S---e in the 1970/80s and turn down the volume.
We voted to remain in the UK, so accept that fact.

Could you could pass that message onto the SNP timewasters at Westminster?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on November 29, 2016, 10:14:25 am
http://m.imgur.com/6ueVt3I?r (http://m.imgur.com/6ueVt3I?r)

Well, If this is anything to go by, President Trump is going to need a much, much higher wall!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Quiggs on November 29, 2016, 03:57:19 pm
Brilliant, I love it. L0L L0L
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on December 03, 2016, 12:20:00 am
Trump isn't even President yet, but he's already angered the Chinese!
This does not auger well at all.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38191711 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38191711)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on December 08, 2016, 10:13:42 pm
President Trump continues to assemble a really dodgy set of officials to run vast and crucial government departments.
What he needs more urgently than anything, is a strong advisor to close his Twitter account, before it gets us all KILLED!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on December 22, 2016, 05:26:47 pm
He's been Tweeting again.... and this time he wants to GREATLY EXPAND the US nuclear arsenal!
Just what this world needs, a further escalation in nuclear weapons.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38410027 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38410027)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on December 22, 2016, 07:02:12 pm
We watch HIGNFY and I was struck the way Paul Merton, in one of his rare but discernible bouts of seriousness, observed that Trump won't last the full term. It's not the first time he's done that, either.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on December 23, 2016, 02:02:16 pm
We watch HIGNFY and I was struck the way Paul Merton, in one of his rare but discernible bouts of seriousness, observed that Trump won't last the full term. It's not the first time he's done that, either.

Ian, I'm slightly more worried that NONE of us will survive his term of office, seriously!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on December 23, 2016, 02:48:52 pm
At least the Brickies will have work in the short term!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on January 12, 2017, 09:49:24 am
Recently in Asia I met an American who was working in Vietnam. We didn't directly discuss USA politics, but he stated quite firmly that he was not, under any circumstances, going to go home to the USA for the next 4 years. I totally understood.

This sums up the current position, just when you thought that it couldn't get any worse, you start realising that it can. 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/11/trumps-trainwreck-press-conference-ushers-in-a-clueless-presidency (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/11/trumps-trainwreck-press-conference-ushers-in-a-clueless-presidency)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on January 12, 2017, 03:12:41 pm
And he's not in power yet!

A week is a long time in Politics  but four years OMG .   
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on January 13, 2017, 02:15:59 pm
An article in yesterday's Daily Mirror said that Donald Trump's big problem is that nobody knows when he tells the truth.He's fibbed so often it became a second nature for him.

Either Trump was correct when, for instance, he claimed to have met Russian President Vladimir Putin or correct when he subsequently insisted he had never met him.         ???
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: DaveR on January 16, 2017, 01:06:23 pm
"Asked whether he would press ahead with a trade deal with the UK that would come into force after Brexit, Trump told the former justice secretary: “Absolutely, very quickly. I’m a big fan of the UK. We’re gonna work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides.”"

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/15/trumps-first-uk-post-election-interview-brexit-a-great-thing (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/15/trumps-first-uk-post-election-interview-brexit-a-great-thing)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on January 16, 2017, 02:48:01 pm
Pity it's got nothing to do with him directly. Macbeth meets Falstaff: Trump and Gove...
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: DaveR on January 16, 2017, 03:00:06 pm
Pity it's got nothing to do with him directly. Macbeth meets Falstaff: Trump and Gove...
So why did Obama say that the UK would go to the back of the queue when it came to negotiating a trade deal?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SDQ on January 16, 2017, 03:29:00 pm
Pity it's got nothing to do with him directly. Macbeth meets Falstaff: Trump and Gove...
So why did Obama say that the UK would go to the back of the queue when it came to negotiating a trade deal?


I think it was an idle threat to try and ensure the country voted to remain, as the USA tended to use the UK (their biggest ally) as a sort of bridge to Europe.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on January 16, 2017, 03:46:45 pm
Well, Obama was talking in the third person; he could only hope Congress and the Senate saw it in the same way. But they negotiate trade deals - not US presidents.  And I agree with SDQ.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on January 17, 2017, 12:41:10 am
Whilst everyone talks about forging trade links, (as if they don't already globally already)  ... China is using words such as,,, 'we are now taking the gloves off, if President Trump persists in interfering in our affairs'

Am I the only one who sees a situation emerging here?
I'll put it this way, I've now decided that I'm not going to waste my middle years earning any more money, (just numbers really), whilst the major powers in this world are squaring up for catastrophic conflict which none of us will survive. 
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on January 17, 2017, 07:33:09 am
That's the really worrying part: the US president controls the armed forces. It's like putting Boris Johnson in charge of Science.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on January 17, 2017, 10:12:24 am
 I am old enough to remember the tension, the anxiety, fear and concern of my parents during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. I have those same feelings now Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States, a racist megalomaniac with a tendency to incite violence who is a pathological liar and serial sex offender.

I am still actually in shock that he was actually elected, and what it says about the population of the USA.

Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on January 19, 2017, 11:40:09 pm
A delicious point made by an audience member on BBC Question time tonight.
In response to Piers Morgan saying 'Donald Trump is ok, he's a smart businessman',
She replied,
'So is Sir Philip Green, and look what a trail of destruction he left behind him'
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on January 22, 2017, 03:03:09 pm
This is a brilliant, if worrying, piece on the election and inauguration  of Trump.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/22/observer-view-donald-trump-inauguration (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/22/observer-view-donald-trump-inauguration)

The second paragraph especially, rings frighteningly true.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on January 22, 2017, 04:09:31 pm
Interesting. He's pro-Israel, Pro-Russian and anti-just-about-everyone-else. There seems to be no start to his intellect and his arrogance is breathtaking. But it's happening everywhere. Brexit, far-right leaders in Europe - the strangest things are happening in politics and I wonder how much it all has to do with the ubiquity of social media? We know, all too well, how people lie and cheat on social media, penning blogs without having the courage or honesty to put their own names to them. But if it were confined to the illiterate it might not be so bad.  However, there are also highly literate liars - Breitbart to name but one - and they spin webs of deceit, lies and corruption that can draw the gullible or overly trusting in, exactly the way scams do. 

These are not good times. Trump is CIC the US armed forces, so despite advisers urging caution, once he gives an order it will happen. And here - what do we have? TM, a smattering of Liberals and an imploding Labour Party.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on January 23, 2017, 06:16:11 pm
So Mr Trump's entourage are spending massive amounts of time arguing about (and lying about) the number of people attending his inauguration.
Well, one of the theories put forward is, there were more people at Pres Obama's inauguration because he was the first black president.
But that can't be right?  There should have been more turning out for Trump then seeing as he is the first ORANGE president!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on January 24, 2017, 12:57:22 pm

So Donald Trump telephones Queen Elizabeth II and says, “Look Queenie, I'm now US President but I want to change the title. What do you think about me being a King?”

“That’s not possible,” says the Queen. “To be a king, you have to be in a kingdom!”

 “Oh,” says Trump, “well, how about a Prince?” “No,” says the Queen, “to be a prince, you have to be in a principality!”

 “Okay,” says Trump, “Then I’ll be a Duke.” “You can’t do that,” says the Queen, “To be a duke, you have to live in a dukedom.”

Trump, now getting frustrated, says to the Queen, “Okay, then what do you suggest?” “Well,” replies the Queen, “given what I know of you, and your policies, I think you should stay as a country....
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SteveH on January 24, 2017, 01:28:53 pm
He is working his way up........

Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on January 24, 2017, 04:03:18 pm
I saw something on TV last night and it was a workshop in China where they were mass producing little Trump porcelain figures complete with the hair, the lips and hand gestures.
Much better than the original and they should sell well in the US providing no embargo is put on them by the man himself.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: norman08 on January 24, 2017, 06:05:30 pm
Evidently the caps they all wore were made in China,god help us with that nutter in charge.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on January 26, 2017, 01:01:58 am
It's pretty obvious where this Donald Trump circus is heading.
He's alienating Republicans and Democrats alike, he's unnerving powerful businessman both American and foreign.  He's also disloyal to his own CIA and FBI connections.
They WILL find a way to impeach him, very soon, before it costs them too much money or status, or they will organise an assassination which will appear to be some disaffected Mexican guy or maverick North Korean agent, but whatever it is, he's getting close to being history.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on January 26, 2017, 09:06:58 am
Yes - he makes for gruesome yet enthralling watching. Like watching someone cut their own throat...
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on January 26, 2017, 09:19:16 am
, or they will organise an assassination which will appear to be some disaffected Mexican guy or maverick North Korean agent, but whatever it is, he's getting close to being history.

"I am just a patsy"
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on January 29, 2017, 01:28:25 am
What the hell has this world come to when this clown is actually sat in the Oval Office calling world leaders on the phone, and talking about issues such as the Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine situation, of which he knows NOTHING about.
This picture would have been just a photoshopped parody a few months ago, now it's real!!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on January 29, 2017, 08:19:42 am
http://rochdaleherald.co.uk/2017/01/27/canada-and-mexico-to-build-border-walls-if-world-bank-will-fund-a-lid/ (http://rochdaleherald.co.uk/2017/01/27/canada-and-mexico-to-build-border-walls-if-world-bank-will-fund-a-lid/)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on January 29, 2017, 03:25:18 pm
A leading US psychologist has broken the code of ethics in order to confirm and announce his diagnosis of Donald Trump.   
He is certain that he has a serious mental illness called 'malignant narcissism'
Google it, its frightening, but it suits Trump to a tee.
Surely this makes him unfit for office, and the impeachment process can begin even sooner than I expected?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on January 29, 2017, 03:50:09 pm
Chatting to a chum who, until this latest edict from Trump, (he's now sworn not to go back to the US until Trump is out of power) spent a lot of time there on business, told me that the two major reasons Trump got as many votes as he did was because despite him being obnoxious,  firstly the Clinton's are so despised in the US some would rather vote for anyone other than Clinton, and, having just had a black President, there was no way that they would now have a female President, that would just be step too far.

It says a lot about both the US electoral system and the US electorate.

One can only pray that he won't last the term and is quickly removed.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SDQ on January 29, 2017, 09:49:50 pm
They've fitted a new switch to deter Trump now he has the Nuclear Launch Codes.

https://youtu.be/aqAUmgE3WyM
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on January 30, 2017, 12:04:00 pm
A leading US psychologist has broken the code of ethics in order to confirm and announce his diagnosis of Donald Trump.   
He is certain that he has a serious mental illness called 'malignant narcissism'
Google it, its frightening, but it suits Trump to a tee.
Surely this makes him unfit for office, and the impeachment process can begin even sooner than I expected?

I have to disagree with you there. That would be disability discrimination, let's just make reasonable adjustments for the President instead. Tying his hands together so he can't hit the red button would be my first one
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on February 10, 2017, 02:29:52 am
The peevish child that is Donald Trump lost again in the Federal court tonight, to bring back his ban on visitors from 7 mainly Muslim countries.
He lost 3-0, and one of those judges was a Republican appointee!
He resorted to tweeting in Capitals.....   'SEE YOU IN COURT'
What a great man this is, oh, and he has spent the rest of his 3rd week in office lambasting a private retail company for dropping his daughters range!

Will someone please escort this idiot out of the Whitehouse, before he embarrasses himself and the USA any further.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on February 10, 2017, 02:41:11 am
The standards chief of the US Congress says a senior Trump aide was "wrong, wrong, wrong" to promote Ivanka Trump products on live television.
Kellyanne Conway told Fox News on Thursday: "Go buy Ivanka's stuff."
Retailer Nordstrom earlier this month dropped the US first daughter's clothing line, citing a lack of sales.
The White House said President Donald Trump "absolutely" continued to support Ms Conway, despite intense criticism of her remarks by politicians.
Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who heads the oversight committee in Congress, said the promotion was "clearly over the line, unacceptable".

It beggars belief.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 10, 2017, 08:16:26 am
I'm waiting for the movie :-)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on February 10, 2017, 10:55:05 am
Amazingly his support is and continues to be massive. Even in this country, he doesn't have charisma, he is not pleasant to look at (Two reasons often cited for Blair's success) so it must be his policies that all these people are supporting and THAT is the thing that is truly terrifying. Donald Trump is just one person on his own he is nothing. Hitler was just one person on his own he was nothing. However they both have millions of 'oridnary' people supporting them and support for the far right continues to rise in europe.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: DaveR on February 10, 2017, 11:01:25 am
Its quite simple, people are sick of career politicians and their lies. If anyone other than Clinton had been running against Trump, then I dont believe he would have won. Clinton typified the career politician with excuses for everything that even many Democrats hated.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 12, 2017, 03:38:01 pm
A Psychiatrist pal suggested the following: watch and listen to Trump next time he's on the news and, instead of thinking of him as a demented Human, think of him as a Robot. I've not tried it, yet, but I'd be interested to hear what others think if they do.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on February 12, 2017, 03:52:14 pm
25 years ago,  Donald Trump on the Oprah Show saying what will happen. 
This is very interesting.   It is just a short video
Do not forget that this interview was 25 years ago!
VIDEO recently uncovered a Trump interview on the Oprah Show from over 25 Years Ago. 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=MOKi5YeNtRI (https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=MOKi5YeNtRI)



Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on February 15, 2017, 06:19:12 pm
President Trump angrily promised a new Executive Order to deal with his 7 country travel ban, he said it would be Monday or Tuesday latest.
Wednesday has passed by, and nothing from Trump other than vicious tweets against his own security services.
It seems like nothing is getting done by this 'all change', energetic president.
What a joke he's turning out to be.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on February 15, 2017, 06:24:32 pm
It would be a joke Fester if it wasn't so serious.    He hasn't got a clue about politics, I bet the Russians and others can't believe their luck.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 15, 2017, 06:36:29 pm
Maybe my pal is right? He could be an alien...  WWW WWW WWW WWW

On a more serious note a lot of evidence is emerging that Hitler was far from the evil demagogue we've all thought. What's emerging is starting to suggest he was used by those around him - who certainly were evil. He was an excellent orator, but it seems it probably ended there. He was indolent - rarely rose  before lunchtime and spent most of the day playing with his dogs and then watching films. But because he wasn't that bright the nasty bunch around him used him for their own ends. Towards the end he was, apparently, drugged up all the time.

The reason that is worth knowing is that it's uncannily like what's now happening in the US - and elsewhere.  Trump is far from bright, but he's a resonable orator.  Those around him with their hands on the levers of power, however, might well be cut from different cloth.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on February 16, 2017, 10:03:59 am
Ian, I take that you meant ' far from the evil demagogue'...

Is your post a suggestion of 'alternative history'? Because like 'alternative truths', it doesn't work. 

Hitler went from a penniless, virtually vagrant, angry youth who joined a political party of 60 to the despotic leader of Germany, writing Mien Kamf along the way (partly whilst in prison) espousing his rabid theories and taking Germany from a war ravaged country to the most powerful in Europe in less than a decade, rousing the German people with maniacal speeches. You do not achieve that without a great deal of terrible ability. He was ruthless and certainly evil, besides creating and controlling a regime that killed 11 million people including 6 million Jews, he enjoyed watching the films of the executions of those he ordered to be murdered. In the final two years of WW2 as Germany fell, so did Hitler's mental and physical state. Goebbels, Goering, and Hess etc. were a pretty rancid bunch of hangers-on to Hitler's coat-tails.   

Apart from megalomania, lies and arrogance, common enough human traits, I don't see a connection with Trump; Trump was born into a wealthy family, inherited the family business and is a pretty poor orator and those around him come and go at his whim. And, the political process to remove him is in place should it ever be needed - or is not rescinded...........,.   
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 16, 2017, 11:16:46 am
No, I'm not attempting to rewrite history, Boson. The parallel with Trump, I suspect, lies in the ineptness which seems to have characterised Hitler's 'leadership' strategies.

All the detailed research into Hitler's rise and rule is tending towards an image of  - as you say - a "penniless, virtually vagrant, angry youth", but whose gift for oratory far exceeded his ability in virtually every other arena. Through the gift he was able to persuade, charm, and incite (see the similarities?) but once he'd become the total ruler of Germany those who'd gone along for the ride started to vie with each for his favour. They were also a manipulative, poisonous bunch and possibly much worse, in fact, than Hitler, but they lacked the direct "appeal to the common man" which characterised Hitler, (again, similarities.  Trump supporters almost seem mesmerised when asked why they voted for him.).

But the detailed research is uncovering some truly horrific aspects of the culture over which he presided. For a start Hitler would assign the same jobs to two or more people, who then competed to try to win his approbation in the most heinous ways imaginable. He didn't stay on top of things, preferring to swan around in the limelight while his subordinates fought amongst themselves. He created four offices for himself, instead of one, so it was never clear what was happening. The appalling policy of eliminating the disabled was one consequence of this rampant mismanagement. A letter arrived at one of his offices from a father asking permission to allow his severely disabled baby to die. This was put to Hitler by a subordinate, but only as a passing comment.  When Hitler seemed to agree, it became policy and extended to all disabled children, where the murders were carried out by the staff on what amounted to a whim.

Hitler's main thrust was anti-semitic. He blamed the Jews for everything, and an often quoted comment that out of 4200 lawyers in Berlin, almost 3700 were Jewish forgot to note that many professions were in fact closed to Jewish citizens.

So yes; the result of Hitler's dominance was pure evil but although I don't doubt he was an unhinged and possibly psychotic individual I suspect a lot of what happened was more because of his subordinates, who saw his lack of effective management and simply took advantage of Hitler's incompetence. I don't see Trump as competent but I do see a lot of hangers-on, and if the management is poor Hitler's rule shows what can happen.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on February 16, 2017, 12:18:13 pm
I doubt if anyone can argue with your comment 'The parallel with Trump, I suspect, lies in the ineptness which seems to have characterised Hitler's 'leadership' strategies.' but I am at a total loss (note the 'I', because although just because I don't understand, many million Americans actually did fall for his charms and vote for him) to understand why anyone could think that Trump actually has the ability to pursuade, charm and incite; to me he is simply a vain, arrogant megalomaniac who inherited the family firm and bullied his way through life treading on people and contributing nothing to society, not even  his taxes. He is quickly proving to be a complete disaster for the USA; and the USA has worldwide influence; his arrogance and ineptitude has already rattled the Middle East and his latest comments make it unimaginable as to what is to come.

However, I tend to agree with your explained hypothesis about subordinates and acolytes, although Churchill had the same qualities you cite - the ability to persuade, charm and incite, however as Prime Minister during the war he had decent thinking subordinates, for example, Eden, Atlee and Butler, and CIGS Brooke, who kerbed his worse excesses. 

One comment of Churchill's that I have always remembered is "The British form of Government is the worst in the world - except for any other". Hopefully it will remain so, although I have my doubts regarding the future of the House of Lords.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: hollins on February 17, 2017, 09:26:13 am
This is a first, Hollins posting in the politics section!

I heard an interview on the BBC news the other day with I think a Norwegian citizen.
He said he was more worried about Trump than Putin because he thought that Putin was a controlled maniac but that Trump was an uncontrolled maniac.

Not a good prospect wondering what those two will get up to.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on February 17, 2017, 11:13:06 pm
The very definition of....
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on February 18, 2017, 02:28:45 pm
Mr Trump, in his latest Tweet, has labelled the media 'the enemy of the people'
This conjures up comparisons with the words used by some of the most dangerous dictators the world has ever seen.
See here...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39015559 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39015559)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on February 21, 2017, 06:40:52 pm
Mr Trump, apart from embarrassing himself with his comments about a non existent Terror outrage in Sweden, has been strangely quiet again.
In effect he's achieved precisely NOTHING since his inauguration.
If this 'force for change' falls short in his promises, then there really is no hope for beleaguered voters who were clamouring for real change.

Along with Brexit, it reminds me of the old axiom, 'When everything changes, everything just remains the same'
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on February 22, 2017, 12:23:10 am
I used to have a boss, and for 12 years he ranted and raved, shouted at weaker staff and women.  He used to demand the most outlandish projects got done, using up loads of resource and had his lackeys who did his bidding and supported him for fear of not being 'in' with him.  His vindictiveness and unreasonable behaviour seemed to know no bounds.  His name was Adrian, but the parallels with Donald Trump have recently become apparent to me.  I had never seen his like.
Then,  one particular day, he demanded that my colleagues and I set about some horrible, political project... with a ridiculous deadline, that seemed to add zero value to our company.  The stress it created was off the scale.
A very wise comment was made by a colleague of mine. He left the office, and said 'just forget it and go home.....because when did anyone ever do what Adrian demanded?'

That comment was such a powerful phrase, because it cleared all our thoughts and made us realise that there was actually nothing to fear.  In fact ignoring 'hurricane Adrian' had no consequences, and it always quickly blew itself out.
He had indeed wasted 12 years with this negative behaviour, wasted much energy and achieved precisely nothing.
This is where Trump is heading, he'll have his 'yes men', he'll still hold rousing rallies (which is very odd for a sitting president) but he will never, ever achieve any of the things he rants on about.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 22, 2017, 08:01:38 am
That's a strong message, F, and very apt. If the manager doesn't actually manage, then the subordinates can simply ignore them. Trust he came to a sticky end?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on February 22, 2017, 11:34:25 am
That's a strong message, F, and very apt. If the manager doesn't actually manage, then the subordinates can simply ignore them. Trust he came to a sticky end?

Well, in a way yes.  The company came to a sticky end, partly due to not focusing on the correct things (his fault)
We all got very nice redundancy deals, but he being one below Director level, got the best of all.
However in later years, I know that one of his children was killed in a skiing accident and the other is battling a terminal illness. I am being genuine when I say I wouldn't wish THOSE things on ANYONE!!
The parallel with Trump is more apparent the more I think about it.
The inertia that America is facing for the next 4 years, is down to the fact that Trump will assemble around him a team that CANNOT do what he recruited them to do.  Because no one can.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Blongb on February 25, 2017, 01:14:58 pm

The inertia that America is facing for the next 4 years, is down to the fact that Trump will assemble around him a team that CANNOT do what he recruited them to do.  Because no one can.

In actual fact it really doesn't matter what Trump tries to do, the American system has built in checks and balances, put there by the Founding Fathers, just to deal with idiots like Donald. It takes all 3 branches of the American system of Government to agree for anything to get done and as already been shown sometimes they don't agree with him and stop his idiotic schemes.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 25, 2017, 01:19:08 pm
But...it does afford him significant amounts of sheer power as Commander in Chief...

Mind you, you have to laugh at his latest faux pas. Banning some of the most respected news organisations from the White House means he cannot condemn any country in the world for censorship now.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on February 25, 2017, 01:36:39 pm
I've just read that on the news Ian, it's an incredibly childish act of stupidity.

It's obvious that his Advisors are either doing a terrible job, or are being ignored.
Whichever it is, it's a waste of time and money employing them!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 25, 2017, 02:01:32 pm
I think it's the latter. He simply seems to do whatever he fancies as soon as the thought enters his head and before he forgets.  And you're right: he's behaving like a spoilt child. He has a photographic memory which was never developed.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on March 01, 2017, 06:20:06 pm
President Trump said.... NATO is obsolete, and must be dismantled or swept away during his campaign and early weeks in power.
Today he announced to Congress,  'we strongly support NATO...'

Nice to see him sticking to his principles and not back peddling in any way.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on March 04, 2017, 04:31:01 pm
In case anyone's interested, the expertly produced and scrupulously researched BBC 4 show - The Nazis - a warning from history - continues with some astonishing material. This week the Final Solution was again the topic and it examined the executions of Jews in Lithuania by Lithuanian volunteers.

They managed to interview one of the volunteers on camera and asked him how he'd felt about shooting children to death at point blank range. His responses were utterly chilling and demonstrated two things: that there are still those who would take pleasure out of heinous acts of mass slaughter both alive and well and that the Germans were far from the only people who seemed to relish genocide.

The series thus far has proved both compulsive watching and gripping viewing.  The most disturbing aspect for me, has been the simple fact that this was very far from the deranged actions of a single madman. This was concerted evil, carried out by very large numbers of people, either prepared to look the other way or to actively assist in the extermination of anyone not obviously and apparently from their own country or of their own religion.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SteveH on March 04, 2017, 04:56:13 pm
I believe I might be able to get it on  iplayer, will have a go, sounds interesting, I agree it cañnot all be blamed on one man, also that a christian country could resort to such methods, difficult to understand.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on March 07, 2017, 09:08:10 am
If you haven't seen this, I can assure you that it's both hilarious and sickening at the same time - and if it wasn't Evan Davis (who can hardly manage to keep a straight face) it could possibly be from a comedy programme....

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39186644 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39186644)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on March 23, 2017, 09:56:11 am
In the wake of yesterdays atrocities comes another disgraceful manipulation of the truth by Trump's team -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39361079 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39361079)

It beggars belief as to how low they can get.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on March 23, 2017, 11:30:44 am
Sadly this terror attack is Christmas come early for some people. I'm not talking about the people who support the terrorists but the people using this as a stick to to 'prove' the point they have been correct all along with their warped right wing agendas. &shake&
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on March 23, 2017, 05:20:02 pm
Sadly this terror attack is Christmas come early for some people. I'm not talking about the people who support the terrorists but the people using this as a stick to to 'prove' the point they have been correct all along with their warped right wing agendas. &shake&

I wholly agree. Very sadly, it's in this manner that the terrorists with these atrocities are having success.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on April 10, 2017, 09:18:02 pm
This is wholly sickening, an Asian doctor being dragged off an aircraft in the USA because the flight company had overbooked seats and wanted their own personnel on the flight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39554421 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39554421)

In my opinion, this type of behaviour has been tacitly endorsed by Trump and his rhetoric.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on April 11, 2017, 11:23:23 am
The story is a bit misleading as it says "No one volunteered, so United decided to choose for us. They chose an Asian doctor and his wife."

As I understand it - four passengers were chosen at random - this quote suggests they were colour coded!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on April 11, 2017, 01:20:27 pm
The story is a bit misleading as it says "No one volunteered, so United decided to choose for us. They chose an Asian doctor and his wife."

As I understand it - four passengers were chosen at random - this quote suggests they were colour coded!

I do not under any circumstances believe that passengers were chosen wholly and completely at random, someone would have run a finger down the passenger list and chosen the names, and they selected a 'foreign' name.  Would the security have treated a white person like this, I think not. The airline could have done what they normally do in these circumstances,  offered an increasing level of inducement to find a volunteer, hotel accommodation, expenses, upgraded following flight etc. This passenger and his wife were doctors, and had to be at work the following day and I can understand them being unwilling to leave. However, they were Asian, and the staff thought that they could get away with a wholly unwarranted degree of force.

The conduct of United Airlines in this case is completely and utterly unacceptable, and as I said in my original post, tacitly endorsed by Trump and his rhetoric because the passenger was Asian.     
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: DaveR on April 11, 2017, 01:28:46 pm
someone would have run a finger down the passenger list and chosen the names, and they selected a 'foreign' name.
How do you know he has a 'foreign name' when he hasn't been named?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on April 11, 2017, 02:17:16 pm
The story is a bit misleading as it says "No one volunteered, so United decided to choose for us. They chose an Asian doctor and his wife."

As I understand it - four passengers were chosen at random - this quote suggests they were colour coded!

I do not under any circumstances believe that passengers were chosen wholly and completely at random, someone would have run a finger down the passenger list and chosen the names, and they selected a 'foreign' name.  Would the security have treated a white person like this, I think not. The airline could have done what they normally do in these circumstances,  offered an increasing level of inducement to find a volunteer, hotel accommodation, expenses, upgraded following flight etc. This passenger and his wife were doctors, and had to be at work the following day and I can understand them being unwilling to leave. However, they were Asian, and the staff thought that they could get away with a wholly unwarranted degree of force.

The conduct of United Airlines in this case is completely and utterly unacceptable, and as I said in my original post, tacitly endorsed by Trump and his rhetoric because the passenger was Asian.   

They did - they offered everyone $800 but it was still declined
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SDQ on April 11, 2017, 03:29:09 pm
The story is a bit misleading as it says "No one volunteered, so United decided to choose for us. They chose an Asian doctor and his wife."

As I understand it - four passengers were chosen at random - this quote suggests they were colour coded!

I do not under any circumstances believe that passengers were chosen wholly and completely at random, someone would have run a finger down the passenger list and chosen the names, and they selected a 'foreign' name.  Would the security have treated a white person like this, I think not. The airline could have done what they normally do in these circumstances,  offered an increasing level of inducement to find a volunteer, hotel accommodation, expenses, upgraded following flight etc. This passenger and his wife were doctors, and had to be at work the following day and I can understand them being unwilling to leave. However, they were Asian, and the staff thought that they could get away with a wholly unwarranted degree of force.

The conduct of United Airlines in this case is completely and utterly unacceptable, and as I said in my original post, tacitly endorsed by Trump and his rhetoric because the passenger was Asian.   

They did - they offered everyone $800 but it was still declined


So they should raise it to $1200 and try again!
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on April 11, 2017, 03:50:06 pm
someone would have run a finger down the passenger list and chosen the names, and they selected a 'foreign' name.
How do you know he has a 'foreign name' when he hasn't been named?

How many Vietnamese do you know called Jones?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on April 11, 2017, 04:08:53 pm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4401980/Dr-dragged-United-swapped-drugs-secret-gay-sex.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4401980/Dr-dragged-United-swapped-drugs-secret-gay-sex.html)

Funnily the Daily Heil have a different outlook on it  _))*
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: TheMedz on April 11, 2017, 06:35:49 pm
I was really surprised they let anyone on the plane before getting 4 people willing to get a price that was acceptable to them before they would be willing to volunteer. It's a lot easier to persuade people not to get on the plane than it is to persuade them to get off.

A while ago I was regularly flying  between Manchester, Edinburgh and London and there were plenty of times when before we got on the plane the announcement would come out asking people who would be willing to go on a later flight.

It got to the stage where you expected it to happen and played a game of volunteer roulette with the other passengers to see who could hold there nerve long enough for the airline to up their price but for there still to no takers.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on April 11, 2017, 06:59:08 pm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4401980/Dr-dragged-United-swapped-drugs-secret-gay-sex.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4401980/Dr-dragged-United-swapped-drugs-secret-gay-sex.html)

Funnily the Daily Heil have a different outlook on it  _))*

Ah, that makes it all right then. All thanks to your beloved Daily Heil for putting us right.....,. WWW
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: TheMedz on April 11, 2017, 10:05:14 pm
Doing  the rounds on social media.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on April 12, 2017, 08:22:38 am
I hadn't seen anything about the incident, which is why I didn't comment yesterday. But assuming there's any validity in the material garnered by the DFM it does tend to confirm my initial impression that the person concerned appear to be suffering from some sort of psychiatric issue. I was astonished to discover he'd actually been the US equivalent of a GP.

None of that, of course, excuses the deplorable actions taken by the airline staff who, far from ameliorating the situation, created a crisis which will cost them dearly. What's of greater concern, now the White House has been forced to apologise for stating yesterday that Hitler never used chemical weapons, the entire holocaust having apparently slipped whatever passes for their minds, is whether that individual in particular was targeted because of the implicit Presidential sympathy towards those of a racist proclivity.     
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: DaveR on April 12, 2017, 10:18:04 am
someone would have run a finger down the passenger list and chosen the names, and they selected a 'foreign' name.
How do you know he has a 'foreign name' when he hasn't been named?

How many Vietnamese do you know called Jones?
The point is you didn't know his name, you just made an assumption, just as you made an assumption that all the staff involved on the plane had a racist motive in selecting the particular passenger, rather than just pointing randomly at a passenger list. It may have been the case, it may not have been the case, we just don't know, yet you portrayed it as a fact.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on April 12, 2017, 01:44:05 pm
someone would have run a finger down the passenger list and chosen the names, and they selected a 'foreign' name.
How do you know he has a 'foreign name' when he hasn't been named?

How many Vietnamese do you know called Jones?
The point is you didn't know his name, you just made an assumption, just as you made an assumption that all the staff involved on the plane had a racist motive in selecting the particular passenger, rather than just pointing randomly at a passenger list. It may have been the case, it may not have been the case, we just don't know, yet you portrayed it as a fact.

.....I really don't think that you have read or understood my post....... Try again.....
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on April 12, 2017, 01:46:52 pm

.....because of the implicit Presidential sympathy towards those of a racist proclivity.     


Possibly the finest words written about the situation caused by Trumps racist rhetoric to date. Simply excellent. 



Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SDQ on April 12, 2017, 02:59:08 pm
I hadn't seen anything about the incident, which is why I didn't comment yesterday. But assuming there's any validity in the material garnered by the DFM it does tend to confirm my initial impression that the person concerned appear to be suffering from some sort of psychiatric issue. I was astonished to discover he'd actually been the US equivalent of a GP.

None of that, of course, excuses the deplorable actions taken by the airline staff who, far from ameliorating the situation, created a crisis which will cost them dearly. What's of greater concern, now the White House has been forced to apologise for stating yesterday that Hitler never used chemical weapons, the entire holocaust having apparently slipped whatever passes for their minds, is whether that individual in particular was targeted because of the implicit Presidential sympathy towards those of a racist proclivity.     


When they dragged him out of his seat his head struck an arm-rest so his demeanour could be put down to a head injury and the subsequent shock he would be suffering from so I think you're being a bit unfair saying you're shocked that he is/was a GP.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on April 12, 2017, 03:11:11 pm
In fact I was 'astonished'; little shocks me, and in any case I was referring to the documents the DFM had published on their website.  If those are even remotely accurate I would have major concerns.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on April 12, 2017, 03:49:19 pm
To be fair even if he was a basket case they were still absolutely and completely out of line in his removal. I don't think it has anything to do with race, mental problems or anything else but big corporations thinking they can do what they want without fear of retribution.

This is a good article

http://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/04/11/united-airlines-debacle-isnt-about-customer-service-its-about-morality (http://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/04/11/united-airlines-debacle-isnt-about-customer-service-its-about-morality)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on April 12, 2017, 04:43:36 pm
To be fair even if he was a basket case they were still absolutely and completely out of line in his removal. I don't think it has anything to do with race, mental problems or anything else but big corporations thinking they can do what they want without fear of retribution.

This is a good article

http://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/04/11/united-airlines-debacle-isnt-about-customer-service-its-about-morality (http://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/04/11/united-airlines-debacle-isnt-about-customer-service-its-about-morality)

I agree, well put B2R, but I am not sure that they would have dealt with a Caucasian in the same way and strongly suspect that race was the choosing factor, but of course, it will never be proven.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on April 25, 2017, 03:35:45 pm
I see Mr Trump has given a nice invite to Kim Jung Un to visit him to discuss the crisis... and sent him a plane ticket!  :laugh:

Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on April 28, 2017, 10:23:47 pm

An excellent piece by Jonathan Freedland in the Guardian on Trump's Presidency. 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/28/donald-trump-first-100-days-resistance (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/28/donald-trump-first-100-days-resistance)

Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on April 29, 2017, 07:49:44 am
...and a list of the 450+ lies he's told

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.e0d2d5754033 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.e0d2d5754033)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on April 29, 2017, 08:25:52 am
It seems there's no beginning to his ability...

http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/donald-trump-claimed-be-great-friends-pavarotti?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Enewsletter%20April%2029%202017&utm_content=Enewsletter%20April%2029%202017%20Version%20A%20CID_9fc7f41e1fad26abde4da7fa6e12b04b&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Donald%20Trump%20claims%20to%20be%20great%20friends%20with%20Pavarotti (http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/donald-trump-claimed-be-great-friends-pavarotti?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Enewsletter%20April%2029%202017&utm_content=Enewsletter%20April%2029%202017%20Version%20A%20CID_9fc7f41e1fad26abde4da7fa6e12b04b&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Donald%20Trump%20claims%20to%20be%20great%20friends%20with%20Pavarotti)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SDQ on April 29, 2017, 05:17:06 pm
...and a list of the 450+ lies he's told

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.e0d2d5754033 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.e0d2d5754033)


https://youtu.be/qUuHDOq58XU (https://youtu.be/qUuHDOq58XU)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on June 02, 2017, 05:35:38 pm
I needs to be said.... that even NORTH KOREA have signed up to the Paris climate treaty.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on June 05, 2017, 05:35:05 am
As if any more evidence was needed that Trump is a moronic cretin...

 https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/04/trump-berates-london-mayor-sadiq-khan-terror-attacks (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/04/trump-berates-london-mayor-sadiq-khan-terror-attacks)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on July 08, 2017, 07:10:41 pm
The NY Times list of Trump's lies. During his first 40 days in office he lied every single day. Here’s list of some of his most egregious lies (you can check all this with any reputable sources):

Jan. 21 “I wasn’t a fan of Iraq. I didn’t want to go into Iraq.” (He was for an invasion before he was against it.)

Jan. 21 “A reporter for Time magazine — and I have been on their cover 14 or 15 times. I think we have the all-time record in the history of Time magazine.” (Trump was on the cover 11 times and Nixon appeared 55 times.)

Jan. 25 The Inauguration. “Now, the audience was the biggest ever. But this crowd was massive. Look how far back it goes. This crowd was massive.” (Official aerial photos show Obama’s 2009 inauguration was much more heavily attended.)

Jan. 25 “So, look, when President Obama was there two weeks ago making a speech, very nice speech. Two people were shot and killed during his speech. You can’t have that.” (There were no gun homicide victims in Chicago that day.)

Jan. 28 “The coverage about me in the @nytimes and the @washingtonpost has been so false and angry that the Times actually apologized to its dwindling subscribers and readers.”(It never apologized.)

Feb. 4 “After being forced to apologize for its bad and inaccurate coverage of me after winning the election, the FAKE NEWS @nytimes is still lost!” (It never apologized.)

Feb. 6 “I have already saved more than $700 million when I got involved in the negotiation on the F-35.” (Much of the price drop was projected before Trump took office.)

Feb. 6 “The failing @nytimes was forced to apologize to its subscribers for the poor reporting it did on my election win. Now they are worse!” (It didn’t apologize.)

Feb. 7 “And yet the murder rate in our country is the highest it’s been in 47 years, right? Did you know that? Forty-seven years.” (It was higher in the 1980s and ’90s.)

Feb. 7 “I saved more than $600 million. I got involved in negotiation on a fighter jet, the F-35.” (The Defense Department projected this price drop before Trump took office.)

Feb. 10 On the Flynn issue. “I don’t know about it. I haven’t seen it. What report is that?” (Trump knew about Flynn’s actions for weeks.)

Feb. 16 “We got 306 because people came out and voted like they’ve never seen before so that’s the way it goes. I guess it was the biggest Electoral College win since Ronald Reagan.” (George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all won bigger margins in the Electoral College.)

Feb. 16 “Walmart announced it will create 10,000 jobs in the United States just this year because of our various plans and initiatives.” (The jobs are a result of its investment plans announced in October 2016.)

Feb. 24 “Obamacare covers very few people — and remember, deduct from the number all of the people that had great health care that they loved that was taken away from them — it was taken away from them.” (Obamacare increased coverage by a net of about 20 million.)

March 7 “122 vicious prisoners, released by the Obama Administration from Gitmo, have returned to the battlefield. Just another terrible decision!” (113 of them were released by President George W. Bush.)

April 11 “I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late. I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn’t know Steve.” (He knew Steve Bannon since 2011.)

April 12 I have people — hundreds of people that we’re trying to get through. I mean you have — you see the backlog. We can’t get them through.” (At this point, he had not nominated anyone for hundreds of positions.)

April 21 “When WikiLeaks came out … never heard of WikiLeaks, never heard of it.” (He criticized it as early as 2010.)April 27 “I want to help our miners while the Democrats are blocking their healthcare.” ((The bill to extend health benefits for certain coal miners was introduced by a Democrat and was co-sponsored by mostly Democrats.)

May 4 “We’re the highest-taxed nation in the world.” (The US is not.)

June 21 “They all say [The Paris climate agreement] is ‘nonbinding.’ Like hell it’s nonbinding.” (The Paris climate agreement is nonbinding — and Trump said so in his speech announcing the withdrawal.)

He’s even changing his lies over time:

When Trump said China stopped manipulating its currency

April 21
“from the time I took office”

April 29
“during the election”

April 30
“as soon as I got elected”

May 1
“since I started running”

MAY 4
“since I’ve been talking about currency manipulation”
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on July 24, 2017, 04:52:11 pm
Worrying.

And yet another reason that I won't be visiting the USA again.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2017/jul/20/trump-supporters-northampton-county-pennsylvania-video (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2017/jul/20/trump-supporters-northampton-county-pennsylvania-video)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on August 08, 2017, 08:46:34 am
Further to Ian's post on 8th July, here's the NYT definitive list:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/23/opinion/trumps-lies.html?smid=tw-share (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/23/opinion/trumps-lies.html?smid=tw-share)

If you can wade through it, it makes fascinating reading. The fact is, the man is a pathological liar.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on August 09, 2017, 12:29:26 am
I think I posted back at the time of his election that Trump was highly likely to get yes all killed.
Even I never thought it could be so soon, but these accelerated threats of war and destruction seem to have reached a point of no return.

How many Americans voted for World War 3 ?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on August 09, 2017, 08:51:33 am
Indeed;  the major problem is that the US military is composed of all types of people and Trump will be advised by them all.  The real issue is that he might only listen to those his insanity permits.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on August 09, 2017, 10:54:17 am
He won't listen to anyone Ian, that's the problem.
He'll have an uncontrollable urge to 'solve the problem' his way, and just give the order.
He's playing fast and loose with 7 billion lives.
They need to remove him from office, urgently.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on August 09, 2017, 11:25:58 pm
It says it all...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40879544 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40879544)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on August 09, 2017, 11:45:17 pm
Apparently, North Korea now has a missile that can hit New York, which is a bit scary.

If it can make it there, it can make it anywhere...   :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on August 13, 2017, 03:53:48 pm
First example of probable  State-sponsored GPS spoofing:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2143499-ships-fooled-in-gps-spoofing-attack-suggest-russian-cyberweapon/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2143499-ships-fooled-in-gps-spoofing-attack-suggest-russian-cyberweapon/)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SteveH on August 13, 2017, 05:56:38 pm
First example of probable  State-sponsored GPS spoofing:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2143499-ships-fooled-in-gps-spoofing-attack-suggest-russian-cyberweapon/ (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2143499-ships-fooled-in-gps-spoofing-attack-suggest-russian-cyberweapon/)

 Z@@   :(
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on August 13, 2017, 11:17:15 pm
If I threaten someone with violence on Twitter I'd get my account closed. So is it ok for Trump to threaten nuclear war and kill us all?  It seems like someone agrees with me!
Come on Twitter, shut him down before he gets us all killed!
Surely a violation of their terms of service.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on August 14, 2017, 07:42:59 am
Not just that but the Charlottesville issue (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40919181) and the loner who killed the young woman (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/13/us/james-alex-fields-charlottesville-driver-.html) seem inextricably linked to Trump's campaigning and his reluctance to specifically condemn violence by White supremacists and neo-nazis.

What is even odder is that the White House bigot-in-chief can't see any connection between Islamic terrorism (which he's berated others for not condemning by name) and the home-grown variety. We have to hope - somewhat desperately - that there are sufficient numbers of normal human beings in the US administration to stop Trump before the US becomes the fourth Reich. 
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: born2run on August 14, 2017, 10:48:26 am
Apparently, North Korea now has a missile that can hit New York, which is a bit scary.

If it can make it there, it can make it anywhere...   :laugh: :laugh:

As long as Craig Y Don park is safe that's all I care about. I don't want any nuclear missiles destroying our flower beds  $angry$
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on August 14, 2017, 12:07:20 pm
Apparently, North Korea now has a missile that can hit New York, which is a bit scary.

If it can make it there, it can make it anywhere...   :laugh: :laugh:

As long as Craig Y Don park is safe that's all I care about. I don't want any nuclear missiles destroying our flower beds  $angry$

 :laugh:  :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on August 23, 2017, 02:07:43 pm
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/art-of-the-deal-donald-trump-resign-us-president-predict-tony-schwartz-a7898526.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/art-of-the-deal-donald-trump-resign-us-president-predict-tony-schwartz-a7898526.html)

The world can only hope.

How on earth this idiot can continue is beyond me; he has now threatened to close down the US Government if it does not approve the funding of his wall. His blatant lies and threats, both national and international and continuing bizarre behaviour - yet some people still support him! But, thereagain, even the Monster Racing Looney Party got some votes....
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on August 23, 2017, 02:19:07 pm
If only there'd been some clue about him during his campaign...
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on August 23, 2017, 03:01:39 pm
If only there'd been some clue about him during his campaign...

 :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on September 22, 2017, 01:38:06 pm
Finally Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump have said something I agree with!

They are both making speeches calling each other a madman. 
This is undoubtedly true.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41356836 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41356836)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on September 22, 2017, 02:01:17 pm
Trump, certainly. KJU - not sure.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on September 24, 2017, 11:06:26 am
A very specific threat tweeted by Donald Trump,
If I tweeted something like that I'd be banned instantly.

'Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!'

Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on September 24, 2017, 11:23:11 am
Apparently, when the General is around he's not allowed to tweet, but when the General has a day off all the madness emerges...
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on September 24, 2017, 01:08:11 pm
I've reported him to Twitter, although I expect a few million have done the same.

Violation of term of service.

Why is he different?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on September 24, 2017, 01:50:31 pm
He's not different, F;  he's...special.

Seriously, it would be good if Twitter eliminated some of his tweets.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on September 25, 2017, 09:01:12 am
Trump's a Twit to Tweet on Twitter.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on September 26, 2017, 09:17:03 am
If you do nothing else today, watch this:

http://www.wfaa.com/sports/nfl/dale-hansen-unplugged-national-anthem-protests-flag-nfl/478596561 (http://www.wfaa.com/sports/nfl/dale-hansen-unplugged-national-anthem-protests-flag-nfl/478596561)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: squigglev2 on September 27, 2017, 12:08:15 am
Tis scary that a reasonable gesture of peaceful protest should be condemned as unpatriotic. It's the stuff of a totalitarian regime, not of a democracy.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on September 27, 2017, 07:59:47 am
Not to mention that it proves Trump isn't conversant with the US Constitution. Or sanity.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on September 27, 2017, 09:35:46 am
When Trump was elected, I was derided for saying that it echoed the feelings I had in response to my parents concerns over the Cuban missile crisis. I actually think that it is possibly worse than then.

Now, the deranged Roy Moore has joined the asylum and AfD are gaining prominence. 

Just when you think that it cannot get any worse....
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: squigglev2 on September 27, 2017, 12:41:57 pm
Not to mention that it proves Trump isn't conversant with the US Constitution. Or sanity.
Perhaps the only thing Trump is conversant in is getting his own way as a privileged, powerful (and I think suspect) businessman. I believe he is a self serving  narcissist with a fragile ego and do not believe he is fit for any public office, let alone that of POTUS.

On the other hand, a sizeable portion of the US (many of whom probably consider Breitbart to offer the unbiased “real news”) seem to see him as an unfairly maligned type of hero...
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on September 27, 2017, 02:04:55 pm
Worrying, isn't it?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on September 27, 2017, 08:07:36 pm
He's getting worse, he's even found time to go back and delete all his tweets where he endorsed a senator who was defeated in the Alabama election last night.
He's pretending it never happened!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41417279 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41417279)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on October 09, 2017, 01:58:16 pm
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/09/spain-catalonia-northern-ireland-gerry-adams-europe-conflict (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/09/spain-catalonia-northern-ireland-gerry-adams-europe-conflict)

Unbelievable and atrocious hypocrisy.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on October 09, 2017, 02:44:29 pm
Also wilfully ignorant and dangerously uninformed.
Quote
The campaign for independence by the people of Catalonia from the Spanish state goes back many generations. It has always been peaceful. It has always been non-violent.
That's simply untrue. Terra Lliure, sometimes referred to as TLL, was an armed Catalan nationalist terrorist separatist organisation. Formed in 1978, the group carried out dozens of attacks that left many people injured and one person dead. But then - I suppose an ex-terrorist might have different concepts of 'peaceful' from most of humanity.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on October 19, 2017, 02:31:18 am
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/18/us/politics/trump-widow-johnson-call.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/18/us/politics/trump-widow-johnson-call.html)

I've worked out how to tell when Trump is lying. His lips move.

Did anyone else watch Channel 4's 'Dispatches' last night? If I was worried before, I'm now officially termed 'scared'.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SDQ on November 07, 2017, 03:37:19 pm
Sorry, was trying to post something but can’t get the link to work and can’t seem to delete the post.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on November 07, 2017, 11:01:32 pm
I saw some of the Panorama Programme on BBC last night about tax avoidance and for too long the companies and individuals have been getting away without paying their fair share of tax.
It's not illegal but it's unfair to the ordinary working person and it's time the various countries united together to stop this practise. 

Even three members of the cast of Mrs Brown's Boys were involved in the scheme,  " that's nice"  they're saying to the rest of us


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-41880153 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-41880153)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: DaveR on November 22, 2017, 10:23:26 am
Could I just say a quick 'Good Riddance' to Robert Mugabe, a murdering terrorist and racist, who has made life in Zimbabwe hell for millions of his own people for many years.  &shake&
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SteveH on November 22, 2017, 10:48:18 am
Could I just say a quick 'Good Riddance' to Robert Mugabe, a murdering terrorist and racist, who has made life in Zimbabwe hell for millions of his own people for many years.  &shake&

Agreed, but this quote says a lot    * Prominent opposition politician David Coltart tweeted: "We have removed a tyrant but not yet a tyranny.*       but we can hope for a better future for the country.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on November 22, 2017, 10:56:10 am
Sadly, Emmerson Mnangagwa appears much in the same mould as Mugabe, and Zimbabwe may well be swopping one despot for another.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on November 22, 2017, 12:44:43 pm
I never realised that Mugabe was from Yorkshire, until I read his name backwards. 
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bri Roberts on November 22, 2017, 05:43:14 pm
 _))* _))*
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Bosun on November 23, 2017, 11:14:31 am
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/22/federal-court-judicial-nominations-donald-trump (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/22/federal-court-judicial-nominations-donald-trump)

This is disturbing in the extreme. The appointment of Brett Talley and Thomas Farr beggars belief but is part of Trump's social engineering plan to mould USA society in his image, of ultra right wing bigotry.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: squigglev2 on November 28, 2017, 10:24:43 am
I never realised that Mugabe was from Yorkshire, until I read his name backwards.

Well E Ba Gum!  I guess it’s an old one but I don’t remember reading it before, thanks.

Perhaps there was a time I could have demanded  (at least it seems to work on paper when I try to come up with one now) "Embargo Brute" but he's gone now.

I can only hope things do work out for Zimbabwe.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on January 08, 2018, 02:48:40 pm
"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." —Einstein


Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on February 16, 2018, 06:43:58 pm
More fake news?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43092085 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43092085)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on March 16, 2018, 04:18:38 pm
Police launch investigation into the murder of a Russian business man,  It seems that Russia is in the news a lot nowadays


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43433552 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43433552)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Fester on March 16, 2018, 08:00:36 pm
Police launch investigation into the murder of a Russian business man,  It seems that Russia is in the news a lot nowadays


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43433552 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43433552)

The murdered guy was an outspoken opponent of Putin.
It seems his bumping off those who oppose him, irrespective of where they live.
A bit like that McMafia drama on telly recently.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on May 31, 2018, 07:36:48 pm
Denmark is the latest country to put a ban on wearing burkas


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44319921 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44319921)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: DaveR on February 20, 2019, 10:08:07 am
I was pleased to see that the Goverment plans to strip Shamima Begum of her British citizenship. She is an enemy of this country and she can rot in Syria for the rest of her life, as far as I am concerned.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 20, 2019, 10:38:36 am
This is about as far from simple as you can get.  I'm glad the Times reporter found her and got this out into the open but it's a horrendously complex issue.

I agree the gut reaction (fuelled by the tabloids) is to make her stateless, but that of course is illegal under the treaties to which we not only signed but of which we were the instigators.  So I suspect that's a non-starter. Previous attempts by the government to try the same tactic have been defeated by the courts.

Naturally, the right-wing press are having a field day and the popular choice is to make her stateless and leave her where she is. The question being posed here, however, is whether that's the moral thing to do.

I would favour allowing her to return, then taking her child into care before charging her with membership of a proscribed organisation.  That way we have her where we can keep an eye on her, and we might even learn something, although it has to be said she doesn't seem that bright.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on February 20, 2019, 11:35:33 am
It's not a gut reaction to make her stateless because the Government knows full well that to do that is illegal under the law.   As both her parents are of Bangladeshi origin she may have dual nationality so therefore the British citizenship has been taken away and she will now be Bangladeshi, although she alleges that she has never been there.
She chose to go there in the first place and has no remorse whatsoever about her actions so why should the UK help her in any way.

It's very complicated but her parents have said that they will appeal against the UK decision but I wonder who will pay for the appeal?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: DaveR on February 20, 2019, 02:21:37 pm
her parents have said that they will appeal against the UK decision
They are welcome to join her in Syria for a permanent family reunion....  ;D
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on February 20, 2019, 03:00:21 pm
Shamima Begum: IS teenager says losing UK citizenship 'unjust'


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47301623 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47301623)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: mull on February 20, 2019, 06:07:52 pm
Another question is does the childs Dutch father have any rights over what happens to the child.
Who will pay the lawyers on this one ? they are always the winners everyone else pick up the bill.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on February 20, 2019, 07:07:48 pm
LET HER BACK   The Shadow Home Secretary the Rt Hon  Diane Abbott claims stripping jihadi teen Shamima Begum’s passport is a breach of her human rights
You don't need any Tory propaganda when they already have an asset like her to promote the Tory Party


https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8468136/diane-abbott-claims-stripping-jihadi-teen-shamima-begums-passport-is-a-breach-of-her-human (https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8468136/diane-abbott-claims-stripping-jihadi-teen-shamima-begums-passport-is-a-breach-of-her-human)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 20, 2019, 07:54:52 pm
Abbott could be technically correct, however. The ECHR was set up by us at the end of WWII and the treaty we signed up to stipulated no nation could make someone stateless.  I realise they're trying to say she has Bangladeshi citizenship through her mother but it's far from clear cut. And refusing her re-entry could create a lot of unrest among the Tower Hamlets Muslim population.

As a side issue, those who voted Brexit to cut down immigration never bothered to find out that most of our immigration comes from India and Pakistan. But then, they never let the facts get in the way of a good argument.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on February 20, 2019, 10:54:51 pm
What is going on?   It seems that no one wants her now and it's hardly surprising


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47312207 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47312207)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on February 21, 2019, 08:39:38 am
I find that statement from the Bangladeshi ministry of foreign affairs to be rather ironic, giving they've always been a net exporter of their citizens to the UK.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on February 21, 2019, 05:22:20 pm
If we have a General election any time soon then at least we know that the UK will be safe in Jeremy's hands    ???

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47319763 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47319763)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on September 24, 2019, 10:24:06 pm
 Democrats launch formal Trump impeachment inquiry


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49814927 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49814927)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on October 28, 2019, 02:32:20 pm
And even better - Trump is booed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR4WxNQO9EA)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on December 12, 2019, 05:22:01 pm
This from a man who doesn't believe in the climate change



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50762373 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50762373)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SteveH on March 06, 2020, 05:59:38 pm
I do find some strange things searching on Google................  &shake&

"The first Saudi citizen who tested positive for COVID-19 must receive "severe punishment" for "using his body" to carry coronavirus to the kingdom after visiting Iran, a prominent Saudi journalist said on Monday.

It comes hours after the kingdom announced its first case of the novel coronavirus, a potentially deadly disease which is thought to have originated from China.

The man, who the health ministry said has been "isolated in a hospital", must receive the same punishment as an Islamic State group militant, according to Mohamed alShaikh, who writes for the Saudi-based Al-Jazirah."
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/3/3/saudis-call-for-severe-punishment-of-first-coronavirus-patient (https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/3/3/saudis-call-for-severe-punishment-of-first-coronavirus-patient)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on March 06, 2020, 06:41:41 pm
Yep; that's religion for you.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on March 29, 2020, 06:55:46 pm
For any followers of the US President:

From the Oxford English Dictionary:

trumpery /ˈtrʌmp(ə)ri/ ♫ archaic

▶ noun (plural trumperies) [mass noun] attractive articles of little value or use: None of your woollen drapery, nor linen drapery, nor any of your frippery or trumpery. I hate ostentation.
• practices or beliefs that are superficially or visually appealing but have little real value or worth: he exposed their ideals as trumpery | theatrical trumpery | [as modifier] that trumpery hope which lets us dupe ourselves.

adjective sshowy but worthless: trumpery jewellery.
• delusive or shallow: that trumpery hope which lets us dupe ourselves.
origin late Middle English (denoting trickery): from Old French tromperie, from tromper ‘deceive’

Who knew?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on April 25, 2020, 10:47:49 am
This is very much worth watching. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkU1ob_lHCw&feature=youtu.be) Superbly done and incredibly funny.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on August 29, 2020, 07:03:02 pm
Facebook - the anti-social network, is at it again. Jacob Blake, 29, was shot in the back seven times on Sunday in front of his children by police attempting to arrest him as he got into his car, making no attempt to deescalate the situation. Blake is now paralysed from the waist down. Protests and riots followed in Kenosha and elsewhere in the US. Amid this unrest, the following call to arms was posted on Facebook by the so-called Kenosha Guard on Tuesday:

Any patriots willing to take up arms and defend our city tonight from the evil thugs? No doubt they are currently planning on the next part of the city to burn tonight.

That night a teen gunman crossed state borders armed with a rifle, a med pack, and latex gloves to reach Kenosha, shooting two people dead and injuring another. A 17-year-old was later arrested and charged with multiple first-degree murders.

Zuckerberg said that he was really, truly, very sorry that he had, once again, let his social network become a platform for hate.

"I think that's painful, that's really discouraging," said Zuck, "and it is just another reminder that there is a lot more to do."

Zuckerberg admitted that the group's page "violated this policy that we put in place a couple weeks ago ... we were worried [people] could be trying to organize violence." He went on to say that the failed takedown was "largely an operational mistake."

"It's because the team that enforces our policy against dangerous organisations is a specialised team," Zuck tried to explain. "The contractors and reviewers who the initial complaints were funnelled to didn't pick this up."

Well, I suppose it is difficult to tell it’s aimed at stirring up violence…
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SteveH on November 07, 2020, 05:25:54 pm
Interesting BBC side article ....US election result: What Biden's victory means for rest of world

"some analysts have suggested that the Chinese leadership may now be feeling secretly disappointed. Not because they have any lasting fondness for Mr Trump, but because another four years of him in the White House held out the tantalising prospect of a bigger prize. Divisive at home, isolationist abroad - Mr Trump seemed to Beijing the very embodiment of the long-anticipated and hoped for decline in US power."

cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2020-54801409 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2020-54801409)
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Ian on November 07, 2020, 05:54:10 pm
It's why Russia secretly worked to swing the Brexit vote.
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on December 08, 2020, 12:39:18 pm
What's changed over the years?
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SteveH on December 08, 2020, 02:52:01 pm
I'd be laughing, if I wasn't crying.............. :(
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Robbie G on December 09, 2020, 02:07:21 pm
Ian I didn't know you had direct access to the Kremlin
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on June 11, 2022, 12:47:34 pm
Putin and Peter the Great: Russian leader likens himself to 18th Century tsar

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61767191
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on August 11, 2022, 11:40:41 am
The Russian billionaire daring to speak out about Putin.       It's a good job he's in the UK and not in Russia but it hasn't stopped Russian assassins from operating in the UK before



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62037169
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on January 27, 2024, 02:10:20 pm
Boris Nadezhdin: Putin's would-be opponent vows to end Ukraine war
Boris Nadezhdin told the BBC he was unlikely to win 17 March elections but Mr Putin would not last six more years.     I wonder if Boris will still be there by the 17th March 2024




https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68095968
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SteveH on January 28, 2024, 10:20:49 am
You would think a population of over 140 million people would have got him out by now...........  :-\
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: Hugo on March 10, 2024, 10:56:04 am
Russian student jailed for pro-Ukraine wi-fi name

It makes you realise how lucky we are to be living in the UK


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68526111
Title: Re: International politics
Post by: SteveH on March 11, 2024, 09:36:38 am
We can only hope for a change, to a more democratic government.