BruceVC

Yes, we call it the Government of National Unity There was this initial criticism from the parties not part of it that they cant call it a GNU for some obscure technical political reason but it was more about semantics Anyway that was ignored and we call it that One of the opposition parties even took the state owned broadcaster, SABC , to court to stop them referring to it as the GNU but they lost that case TimesLIVECourt dismisses application by MK Party to stop SABC from...The Johannesburg high court on Friday dismissed with costs an application by the MK Party and its leader Jacob Zuma which sought to prevent the SABC from using the term “government of national unity”"The Johannesburg high court on Friday dismissed with costs an application by the MK Party and its leader Jacob Zuma which sought to prevent the SABC from using the term “government of national unity” or “GNU” when describing the coalition government. Arguments on the application were heard on Monday. Counsel for the MK Party Dali Mpofu argued that the SABC, as a public broadcaster, had a responsibility to provide impartial reporting and that the use of the term was inaccurate. He said the SABC should refer to the current administration as an “ANC-DA coalition”. The SABC opposed the application and said the public broadcaster had not breached its editorial code by using the term."

Coalitions can bring stability and legitimacy to a country because they seen as a fair representation of voting outcomes, especially with a 50% majority required But they can also fail if the terms of the coalition are not clear and if its members dont put the country first and understand they now working with other parties to govern In South Africa's example we seeing real maturity with the GNU and success around several economic metrics and the running of public sector SOE since we created a GNU after our last election The GNU was formed in June 2024 and for at least the first 3-4 months the local media would run a weekly story about irreconcilable problems between the ANC and the DA and how the GNU would never last because of " ideological differences " And this was almost entirely geopolitical differences which as expected get sensationalized and exaggerated around there importance The GNU partners agree on the most significant things which are about our many domestic problems and they all respect the Constitution and they all realize we need a stable government even if it is a coalition Thats why our GNU has maintained and seen real success

I want to have this debate around "does voting matter " because it comes up often in many countries that have free and fair elections including South Africa where we have high levels of voting apathy and low levels of voter turnout compared to previous elections And lets use the US as an example because that's most of the focus on this thread But I just want to clarify that our foundational view is the same and the reason you need to vote in any Democracy Do you think there is a difference between the Dems and the GOP around many policies and also a difference in the presidential candidate around geopolitics? This might seem like an obvious answer and you would assume the response is " yes, of course" But many people believe it doesn't matter who wins US elections, the parties will act in the same way end of the day around policy outcomes and geopolitics but its done surreptitiously I obviously believe there are clear differences around the 2 parties Yes they have some common views but several stark ideological differences and what policies they will implement or try to implement This is the same as almost all Democracies where you find leadership change through free and fair elections

So how would you suggest political leadership gets decided in any country? Or are you only talking about the USA?

Sure but my point is there are people who question the importance of government accountability that only exists in Democracies where courts are independent Its not just in Russia or China where courts would never reverse this type of decision by the president or leadership In South Africa I sometimes hear support for more autocratic countries because there leaders are seen as "strong " but people dont realize what freedoms they lose under those same governments

Yes, he can do tariffs in another form and see how they work But for me thats not the significance of this ruling There are 2 main takeaways from this the majority Conservative SC will not always support his policies. There has always been a concern around this because its a 6-3 Conservative majority. Trump's overall ability to implement sweeping policies effectively has been undermined And I predict this will become worse after the Midterms where the GOP will lose control of either the House and or the Senate But end of day its a victory for US Democracy, and global Democracy, because its an example of the functional structure of the checks and balances that all US presidents must be accountable to Can you ever imagine the courts in Russia or China being able to reject and reverse something as significant as these tariffs that the state decided to implement and vociferously support

Supreme Court strikes down Trump's sweeping global tariffsThe ruling opens the door to potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in tariff refunds.Not a good day for Trump with the SC ruling against the reasons for many of his tariffs A good example of the SC Conservative majority not being controlled or aligned to everything he does

W3 is my 4th favorite RPG of all time I played Cyb2077 recently and it was fun but no where close to W3 for me I am not an active fan of the Cyberpunk genre so that was one reason, fantasy is always my favorite genre So the lore of Cyb2077 was lost on me but also I found the city relatively empty of things to do and then the combat becomes too easy But its an entertaining game and worth playing It also had some interesting mechanics like quick hacks and netrunning but I prefer my Witcher signs and potions 🐉 And the companions and several side quests were well done

I completed Dead Island 2 after about 50 hours I tried to do every side quest and slowdown finally finishing the game because I was having so much fun But its not a long game or maybe its the normal length for this type of game but Im still thinking of my recent LoreRim\Skyrim experience which was 400 hours I need to stop comparing any game to that type of game length Anyway Dead Island 2 is a highly recommended Zombie killing game for the reasons I have already mentioned in previous posts It gets a solid 70/100 on the highly respected " BruceVC game rating system "

Sure but what do you think the EU\UK should do going forward around its defense? Stay in NATO or create something new specific to its common defense or if the US leaves NATO keep NATO going without the US? I appreciate your analysis of the current reality but Im looking for what you think is best for the EU\UK in the future

Im breaking my normal 20 minute long video rule and posting this 30 minute video because its so interesting Its all about Canada's strategic tariffs on the US because of Trumps tariffs and the thinking behind them by Carney, you can see he has a deep understanding of financial markets and what tariffs should be used by Canada @Malcador and @rjshae we were just talking about this Only minor complaint is he repeats certain words and points like scalpel

Yes adequately means does the EU have a military union that could be deployed to deter any Russian invasion or participate in any EU military campaign That obviously exists with NATO but if the US left NATO, which is not going to happen, how effective would NATO be? This is about making the right decision for whats best for the EU\UK What do you think the EU\UK should do? Stay in NATO and commit to 5% or create its own defense union which might be more expensive and complicated? Unfortunately you cant ignore the threat a country like Russia poses especially towards former Soviet states that are part of the EU

I have been playing Dead Island 2 for about 25 hours and its still entertaining as a typical Zombie apocalypse killing game The crafting is excellent and well thought out and so are the weapons you find and use To use weapon mods and other improvements you need to constantly scavenge for resources but your weapons dont level with you so even a good weapon you like you will find it becomes ineffective and degrades quicker as you fight higher level Zombies You do have an option to level up your weapon but thats expensive So this creates a reality where you motivated to constantly explore and find new weapons on your level and then upgrade them with mods And then the game has a good balance between when you use guns\ranged weapons and melee weapons, certain apex Zombies I can only defeat using guns so you have to be strategic in many battles. You also encouraged to use the environment in combat, blowing up oil barrels to kill Zombies is very rewarding Finally the game gives you skills when you find these cards and there are several dozen combat cards so you can customize your slayer by using different cards These types of mechanics make Dead Island 2 a really fun game and well worth playing 🧟‍♂️

And these types of new trade deals are to be expected because it must be very frustrating for historical allies of the US like Canada and the EU to be constantly threatened with tariffs from Trump because of exaggerated economic imbalances like " its unfair to the USA that there exists this trade deficit with country x" or using tariffs because of geopolitical objectives like Greenland So you do what the Chinese did when they learnt last time when Trump was president and you insulate yourself by having other export markets You can also wait out Trumps presidency but thats still a few years off and having these types of deals established makes sense It wont change the reality of the US still being the worlds strongest consumer driven economy and an incredibly advantageous market to get access to but you should have other options Its not anti-Trump, its pro-Canada

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