BruceVC

True, good point But the military contribution towards NATO from member states makes the difference So in the highly unlikely scenario that the US leaves NATO how effective will NATO be? So I should have said " the EU needs to ensure NATO is adequately supported so it is effective " Because NATO is also about the defense of the EU, you don't need another military union

Well the first part of what Rubio said is partly true, he is talking about the effectiveness of the UNSC and the EU relying on NATO for defense This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone on this forum because I have lost count of the number of times I have heard people lament the " failure or inconsistency of the rules based order " and its almost entirely because of the veto at the UNSC But I support the veto despite the frustration of its use at times because the veto actually prevents conflict between the worlds superpowers and makes the UNSC seem less ineffective because without the veto " the UNSC must intervene in certain conflicts " because the UNSC has passed a resolution but who specifically must send troops or commit resources? UN military resolutions cant force any country to send its troops so this becomes difficult to manage So sometimes resolutions to conflicts can only be found outside of the UNSC and thats fine as well. Thats what happened in Gaza and the DRC vs Rwanda conflict where the US did play a fundamental role But this doesnt mean the UN and the UNSC is pointless or irrelevant. It still has a critical role in overall stability of the world and Rubio knows this. The US doesn't have the resources and influence to leave the UN and have the same impact in every conflict which is why Trump was insistent that the UN agrees to the Gaza peace plan. Iraq was an example of the failure of the US when it assumed it could do something without any UN support And the second paragraph is just unconvincing subjective and selective ideological rhetoric aimed at the EU and I don't agree with it But the EU should be more independent and less reliant on the US for its military defense And this takes time and requires budget changes from the EU members so its a long-term objective but a prudent one because this is in the best interests of the EU and I include the UK in this

ICE will be leaving Minnesota and ending its operation. Not a surprise considering how badly they handled the job This confirms how citizen activism on the streets, and not Internet activism, can change policy Im just sorry 2 Americans had to die to get to this point But Homan is clearly not stupid, he can see when ICE cant win AP NewsBorder czar says Minnesota immigration crackdown is over,...The Trump administration says it is ending its massive immigration crackdown in Minnesota after weeks of angry mass protests, thousands of arrests and two fatal shootings.

Yes but the point Im making is Trump is very unpopular around several of his policy decisions both domestically and internationally And @uuuhhii views are fairly common but most of the time its from people who have never liked the USA or resented the USA and now they feel vindicated because there is lots of material to criticize the US on In South Africa I have been hearing negative views of the USA for the last 25 years but in different degrees but its generally the same thing repeated, the common complaints are " the US is an imperialist nation, its trying to be the policeman of the world, its a racist country " and so on Then you get the issues around dollar hegemony which has been around for decades but thats a different type of reality And everyone is entitled to there opinion even if I disagree because of the selective and inconsistent outrage around some these points But did those same people feel that way when Biden was president? Or Obama And much of the current criticism is legitimate and its because of Trump and his policies. For example you cant dispute how ICE has been heavy handed and they are acting in a completely draconian way or Trumps constant antagonism towards Canada or the EU and other traditional allies But what happens if the Dems win the next election and we see someone like Newson becoming US president? He will reverse many of Trumps views and policies like Biden did in 2020 and suddenly we see a different US controlled by the Dems So will people still be saying " the US cant fix itself " ? I predict you will still find the original critiques but there will be much less because the US president obviously is a big influence on overall policy and how people see the US So thats what I mean by " only the US can fix itself "

Yes, I think its because the writing in on the wall for the GOP around the Midterms and these Congressmen are thinking of the future outside of Trump and legislation that is not what they believe in now will get opposed Trump can veto it of course but there position on it will matter in the future around consistency and integrity Also Trump's influence around get people primaried is much less so we starting to see some real resistance where relevant Massie has always been consistent with what he believes and stands for but its still good to see this kind voting decision from other GOP Congressman How else would you or anyone else think the US can " fix " itself " outside of how Congress works and what person is president? That is how policies and politics works in the USA It can only fix itself And who wins elections and who controls Congress is the foundation of this reality

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/6-republicans-cross-party-lines-to-offer-a-rare-rebuke-of-trumps-tariffs-on-canada-194347189.html @Malcador you must be happy " Opponents of President Trump’s tariffs on Capitol Hill scored a significant victory and opened the door to what are expected to be multiple votes targeting the president’s signature economic policy. First on Tuesday came a 217-214 vote to defeat a maneuver that would have kept tariff-related resolutions on hold until August. Then on Wednesday, Canada was up first in a follow vote that saw an even wider margin of 219-211. Six Republicans joined with nearly every Democrat to pass Joint Resolution 72, which seeks to terminate a national emergency that Trump declared last February imposing tariffs on Canada over the issue of illegal drugs." Now you dont have to worry so much about securing your border from all those vast amounts of illegal drugs coming into the USA

Average person in a corporate environment sends\receives 100-130 emails a day But you often get CC on distribution lists and or general communication so you end up receiving more than you send So its not uncommon to find high usage email users sending\receiving 150-200\day even if only 60 or so are directly relevant to them If you just take a low average of 100\day that 500\week and thats 2000-2500 Month The Epstein Files are not just emails but videos and documents and they over 300 GB of data And they go back decades so its understandable there would be millions of items

I was unaware that in 2002 Putin said Ukraine had the sovereign right to join NATO because of a security decision. That really changes the argument that " Russia had to invade Ukraine because it wanted to join NATO"

Thats definitely a concern and something I wasn't aware of I am very interested in how this unfolds, if you could post examples as time goes on of what sites get banned for " dangerous ideas" or other similar things that would be helpful I can see the anxiety because words like " dangerous ideas" are very subjective and open to abuse depending on the government and its ideological views I found this link specifically around how Denmark has implemented age verification, Im not sure how accurate it is but its similar to other countries Denmark To Set 15-Year Minimum Age for Social Media UseDenmark becomes the first EU country to set a 15-year minimum age for social media, aiming to protect youth well-being and regulate harmful online exposure. So basically "Under the agreement, individuals under 15 years old will be prohibited from self-registering on designated platforms. Children aged 13 and 14 may access social media only if a parent or guardian permits them. Complementing the age rule, the agreement includes measures to tighten digital “gate-keeping”: monitoring offensive content, preventing aggressive marketing to minors, and limiting the use of children in advertising. In practical terms, enforcement will lean on Denmark’s advanced digital infrastructure. The government plans to use its national electronic ID system and create or require age-verification tools for online platforms. In case of rules being violated, the regulated social platform may face liability for non-compliance with age checks up to 6% of its yearly turnover across the globe, as provided in the EU Digital Services Act (DSA)." So it all seems at the moment to be targeting under 16 only but I understand your concern because it can be extended to now include adults and websites government decides are problematic Personally I dont support any type of ID age verification for children or adults because of how it has to be implemented, its too invasive when you have to use your actual ID. I realized I actually dont normally give my ID but just my date of birth which is fine I think parents should be more involved and deciding what there kids can or cant see and I dont think the state should enforce these types of measures. But I also understand why we at this point, we have heard endless stories over the last 10 years of the negative impact SM has had on many kids so now governments are acting but they going about it in a way that is getting understandable criticism for the reasons we have discussed

Yes and you have mentioned you play GW2 and how entertaining it still is which is why I tagged you. Thats rare nowadays for most MMO . I really wanted to play Elder Scrolls Online because I bought it on Steam but I have heard many negative views about it because they made all these changes that have alienated many of the original fans But I love the lore and IP of Elder Scrolls so if I was going to play any MMO I was hoping ESO would be that choice

CBRThe Free-to-Play RPG With 21 Million Players and Very Pos...One of the best free games ever still has millions of players.@Gorth really positive endorsement of GW2, its continued to be a success story for MMO which is not a guarantee anymore

The US is still the worlds strongest consumer driven economy and its hard to replace that as an export market for countries Also Trump has flip-flopped on certain tariffs and cut deals so its hard to determine what has really been tariffed and what its impact is if any

After my epic LoreRim\Skyrim adventures I am having my normal break from this type of genre So I played 2 Fighting Fantasy (FF)CYOA PC games, Scorpion Swamp and Port of Peril As usual these provided great nostalgic experiences and especially Scorpion Swamp which was always one of my favorite books in the FF series Both quick games as usual, I finished each one in 4-5 hours Now Im playing Dead Island 2. Its a normal Zombie killing game and its lots of fun. These games typically follow the same model and it works hilarious and interesting NPCs who give you quests different types of zombies so you generally have to adopt different combat strategies interesting crafting around weapons lots of side quests so you can deviate from the main quest Its really not difficult, if you die you respawn immediately and the enemies are still wounded. So you can just keep dying and eventually you win every battle But its still entertaining, I never get bored of killing Zombies 🧟‍♂️

Can you or others just summarize what is the real issue around age verification? Its necessary to primarily ensure under 16 cant access SM and adult sites anymore Do you object to that development, so do you believe under 16 should be able to access SM ? Or do you object to the fact SM will now request your age? I dont mind confirming my age or other details, I already do this on dozens of other online services and I have been doing that for years Here is a link around the countries that now require age verification MashableAll the states and countries that have age-verification l...This list will likely grow longer. @rjshae @Zoraptor if you could also comment that would be helpful so I can understand what you fundamentally concerned about? How is this going to change your life in a negative way?

I have sadly reached the end of my LoreRim\Skyrim journey. I defeated Alduin last night so the main quest is completed I had some major script issues progressing the quest to fight him but it finally all worked and I could complete the Dragonslayer quest As I mentioned previously overall its been the best single character open-world RPG I have ever played. I got to level 73 and I spent about 430 hours on the game which is the most time I have ever spent on any single player game I still need to complete the final battle in Dawnguard because I had some bugs so I left it for later There are many quests I can still do but I will stop playing on a high note. Once the main quest ends in games its never the same for me to continue from a motivation perspective But excellent overall experience and the game gets a solid 92/100 on the globally respected "BruceVC game rating system " 🐉

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-03/xbox-studio-behind-grounded-outer-worlds-is-charting-new-path A good link summarizing Obsidians financial wins and disappointments from there 3 latest games and the failure to meet Microsoft targets They going to be making some real changes around development timelines

People.comJeffrey Epstein Was Vladimir Putin's Wealth Manager, FBI...Jeffrey Epstein managed money for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, among other powerful world leaders, one confidential source claimed in FBI testimony Now Putin and Mugabe have direct links to Epstein How deep will the rot go

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinese-speculators-set-stage-gold-120029836.html @Gorth you will find this interesting A good and interesting summary of the recent rise of gold and silver prices and then the crash on Friday In summary Chinese and other speculators pushed the price up over the last few months by buying. They decided after the Warsh announcement as Fed Chair to start selling because the dollar got a boost and these commodities are traded in dollars Mass selling started for profit and the price of gold and silver has crashed https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/gold

Why would believe for a second that NK would be honest about its total deaths? It has a obvious interest in reporting its total deaths low because then the military operation was not only a success but only a "100 " soldiers died You can argue its not 4000 but that point cant be based on the evidence of a NK memorial, thats like saying " Iran is a peaceful country that respects human rights" because the Iranian state says that Also how did you count 100, I didnt see a single photo where you can see all the pictures? CSIS has released a new report on the war and they say Russia has had 1.2 million casualties but this link has other interesting analysis on the war so its worth a read Russia’s Grinding War in UkraineDespite claims of success in Ukraine, new CSIS data shows that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains, with over 1.2 million casualties. Russia is also in decline as a major economi

Anyone planning on watching the Melania movie? It officially releases tomorrow. I wont be watching it I feel sorry for her because its hard to imagine the movie doing well considering who she is married to and the current levels of anger towards Trump

Only issue I had was the Light Mode setting and I have now set that back to Dark Mode So its all good so far

I think you misunderstanding me or Im not explaining my point properly The US is the worlds most powerful and influential country so even if you want to ignore what the US does it still has relevance through numerous geopolitical levels and its direct impact on the global economy. For example the entire worlds main financial markets follow US interest rates announcements because this has an impact on many currencies But Trump is just the US president for the next 3 years and after Midterms his ability to impact changes could be weakened if the GOP loses control of the House and Senate Thats not the same thing as being outraged and believing everything Trump says. He comments on Truth every few days and if you want you can be outraged 2-3/week for the next 3 years. Thats your choice I said from the beginning of Trumps presidency I was going to try very hard to not be influenced by Trumps SM comments, they often not the same as US official policy which does matter So the filter Im talking about is knowing the difference between " I want to create a Gaza Riviera " and " I will bomb Iran to stop them getting nukes " The latter was not only possible and understandable but the right decision by the US. Iran's nuclear program is no longer the global concern it use to be

Im about 400 hours into Skyrim\LoreRim and its time for another exciting update Im on level 67 and as I have previously mentioned slowing down XP gains is the best way to experience the hundreds of quests and force yourself to explore. It really makes you an active participant in everything LoreRim creates and provides There are too many events and developments to cover them all so I will just focus on the main things I have been playing the DLC with the main quest but completing quests at different stages and I have completed Dragonborn. I really enjoyed the whole Morrowind integration and Solstheim is a nice place to explore. I did make one " mistake ", I got to the final battle with Miraak without learning the Dragonrend shout. After being utterly defeated in minutes about 5 times I discovered you suppose to use Dragonrend to defeat his 2 dragons or he will basically restore himself twice which means you need to defeat him 3 times Just trying to defeat him once was almost impossible so I did what I hate doing and used Console Cheats to give myself endless Health and Stamina. I defeated him and took his very powerful Mask and Robes. The Mask seems overpowered and gives you 25 health regen/second so I only use it rarely even though its a legitimate item. I like the challenge and reward of strategy in tough battles and an item like this used with blocking means you can often be at full health in most battles I still have to defeat Vahlok a very powerful Dragon Priest on Solstheim, I tried and failed after defeating Miraak and I dont want to cheat to defeat Vahlok I have 5 companions but I only use 2 at a time unless its a very hard battle. I have Auri, Remeil, Katana, Gore and Serana. Each of them has unique side quests and different personalities but overall Serana is my favorite...I dont think I can Romance her so Im disappointed I have now joined all factions and Im in charge of the Mages and Thieves Guild after completing there main quests. I still do quests for the Dark Brotherhood, Companions and Bards guild The Companions have offered to make me a Werewolf which Im uncertain about and the Dark Brotherhood wants me to assassinate the Emperor which I doubt I will do even though I have progressed this quest As far as the main quest is concerned I have fought Alduin once and now Im busy with side quests around this and I decided to align with the Stormcloaks in the Civil War Im plodding along with Dawnguard and I have completed the Soul Cairn and found both Elder Scrolls you need and I now need to use moths to read them. I really like Dawnguard, the interaction and history of Serana is compelling Its feels like Im getting to the end of the overall game, Im probably about 120 hours away from that?

Its a good assessment and he covers much of the sequence of events and outcomes from Trumps rhetoric and comments around Greenland. I still think people jump to certain unnecessary levels of panic and drama around what Trump might do but the article specifically mentions this as well when he says things like "Donald Trump was threatening military invasion. That was quite clear. He was talking about it, and said "we can't rule it out." It came in the context of what happened in Venezuela." "Denmark showed that they would be ready to fight this out. It's afterwards come out that the Danish soldiers in Greenland actually did have orders to use lethal force against an American invasion. That's the level we were at. They had the ammunition and were prepared for any such things. It was not considered likely that this would happen. But if it did, the orders were there about how they should behave." I often encourage people to try to learn to filter the difference between what Trump is serious about and what is just driven by SM drama and outrage and how Trump loves to trigger the media and get them angry. Because this creates a distraction from other real political issues he is facing domestically like the Epstein files But in this case EU leaders were taking the threat of invasion as a possibility so there response was real. Of course Trump was never going to invade Greenland but it doesn't matter Good link overall

I see oil investment and rebuilding Venezuela's collapsed oil infrastructure is going ahead nicely, that revenue is the key to restoring the country and public\private sector partnerships are going to be implemented like it use to be before Chavez started nationalizing\stealing foreign oil assets https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2...nts-oil-law-reform-to-break-with-chavez-model " Caracas, Venezuela: Venezuela’s parliament has advanced a proposal to loosen the state’s control over its oil industry and boost the private sector’s role in the first major overhaul of the industry in years. The proposal to reform Venezuela’s Hydrocarbons Law was thrust upon the country after the abduction of former President Nicolas Maduro by the United States on January 3 and had generated significant interest across businesses and political parties. Approved in its first reading on Thursday, the reform breaks with several principles of the oil nationalisation carried out by former President Hugo Chavez in 2006, which reserved exclusive crude marketing rights for state-owned oil company PDVSA. The new text allows direct commercialisation by private companies, permits the opening of bank accounts in any currency and jurisdiction, and, while reaffirming PDVSA’s majority stake in joint ventures, allows minority partners to exercise technical and operational management. The bill also proposes repealing the law that reserves ancillary services related to primary oil activities for the state, allowing private companies to subcontract oil extraction, provided they assume the associated costs and risks." Also the whole concern about " utter chaos and further instability in Venezuela if Maduro is removed " is not happening. Its primarily because most Venezuelans just want a functional country and Maduro as a leader systematically destroyed that reality https://www.terra.com.br/noticias/mundo/quase-ninguem-mais-fala-de-nicolas-maduro-na-venezuela,c92d4d1f52fe6fcef2b6b519530cd4e1x7j68fio.html "Almost no one talks about Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela anymore People go about their lives amid high inflation and hopes for improvement Almost 20 days after Nicolás Maduro was captured by US special forces in Caracas, Venezuelans hardly talk about the deposed leader anymore. A partially contained economic crisis, which manifests itself in daily increases in food prices, coupled with expectations of improvement through oil exploration, are recurring themes in different social and family contexts. In various cafes and bakeries, conversations these days tend to revolve around promises of a revival in the oil sector. "Trump has announced the mass return of foreign companies to the sector," commented a group of office workers gathered around a shared table, referring to the US president, who maintains a kind of guardianship over the Venezuelan government following Maduro's arrest and his appearance before the courts in New York. Experts estimate that this return could involve giants such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, and other European multinationals, which would inject up to US$ 20 billion in the first two years, according to projections by the Venezuelan Chamber of Petroleum. The potential impact includes the creation of thousands of direct jobs in the Orinoco Belt fields, an increase in crude oil production from the current 1.2 million barrels per day to more than 2 million by 2027, and the stabilization of the national energy supply. In a country with a long history of oil-based economics, all of this is easily understood by Venezuelans. Even those who do not work directly in the hydrocarbon industry expect to benefit from crude oil production. Meanwhile, in homes, Maduro is rarely mentioned, as the high cost of living dominates family conversations. Prices for essential goods, from flour to medicine, are pegged to the dollar or the euro, meaning that daily fluctuations in the local currency market exacerbate inflation. "Buying a basic food basket for a family of four costs the equivalent of $600 a month, but our income is less than $150 when we add up what I earn and what my husband earns," explains María López (a fictitious name for fear of reprisals), a resident of Petare, one of the most populous neighborhoods in Caracas. This situation has forced many to reduce the number of meals they eat, take on multiple jobs, or accept temporary work, as informal jobs are known in Venezuela. In 20% of households, remittances sent by Venezuelans who have emigrated also help alleviate the crisis. Before his capture on January 3, Maduro had warned that his arrest would trigger a "major general strike" and national chaos. None of that happened. Ordinary people, exhausted by years of shortages and repression, seem to have moved on. "Maduro is history," said a taxi driver stuck in Caracas traffic. Memes and deepfakes are circulating on social media showing the former Venezuelan dictator wearing an orange jumpsuit in an American prison, but checks by specialized websites confirm that these are creations of artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, in the political sphere, the unicameral National Assembly, headed by Jorge Rodríguez, brother of interim president Delcy Rodríguez, has become the scene of disparate interventions. On the one hand, the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, is denounced as a "kidnapping," but without direct attacks on Trump. On the other hand, the same Parliament is preparing to carry out a profound reform of the laws, including the strategic Hydrocarbons Law, following guidelines from Washington. Initially, starting on January 5, supporters of Chavismo held marches in Caracas, but with low turnout, according to observers, under the slogans "Maduro will return" or "We want them back." This week, however, none of these demonstrations took place. According to independent records, civil servants often participate in these marches under duress. There was one such demonstration in the capital on Wednesday, with few participants. In practice, life goes on in Venezuela without Maduro. Children and teenagers attend school, the oil industry is preparing for what could be a qualitative leap driven by Trump, and Chavismo has not boycotted cooperation with the United States, although analysts point to the existence of internal friction and disagreements, as demonstrated by the slow release of political prisoners, a central demand in the White House's messages. For now, the echoes of Maduro and Flores' arrest are fading, although state television insists on highlighting them. What Venezuelans are whispering and debating is uncertainty about the future, as it is not known how long Rodríguez will remain in power as interim president, but there is hope in the face of expectations for economic growth.