BruceVC

And you're surprised? Whats your opinion on taking down of this type of statue? In South Africa there are these irritating movements called " Rhodes must fall " that want to remove all statues and or references to Colonialism or the history of the country. It makes no difference to me in the context of SA but Lee represents part of the history of the South, I can see how some people will see this as an attempt to erase history of white people and get upset And Im not in anyway supporting any kind of white supremacist ideology. I am just saying Lee is not seen by everyone as a symbol of racism or white superiority

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/12/542982015/home-to-university-of-virginia-prepares-for-violence-at-white-nationalist-rally Oh my hat...white nationalists, white supremacists ....neo-nazis !!! Its all happening in Virginia and over a statue of Robert E Lee ?

Is that a rhetoric question? Because the "we have to stand together or all is lost" symbolism was a bit on the nose and all. *shrug* I wonder what would have happened if the humans in those cave painting knew that the CotF created the White Wankers in the first place. Guys she doesnt look lethal because she is a 20 young women with a babyface....she is cute and its hard to change her to the point where now she becomes intimidating ? But in the books her appearance would be different and more lethal Also if we going debate the point around physics I would say we have no idea what she is capable of based on the narrative in the books. I will defer to the books on what she can or cant do

Eh, I have war fatigue. Unless they actually fire something at someone, just let them make noise. Dont get me wrong, I absolutely dont want a military intervention around NK, its the last thing most reasonable people want hence the last 30 years of failed attempts to negotiate with NK But Gfted1 I wish there was another option but if you look at the history of NK and how they have constantly ignored attempts to become part of the global community what is the USA suppose to do when there territories are directly threatened ? Yes China should be dealing with NK or at least allowing the Koreas to reunite. Thats what worries them the most IMO, they fear NK and SK uniting once Kim is removed. A united Korea they feel could threaten there hegemony in the region but China must stop being so insecure about there economic dominance

Guys it shouldnt be difficult to imagine Arya defeating someone like Brienne or most people in one on one combat. She was trained at the House of the Faceless Man, she has skills that are not normal and this makes her deadly to most people

*ahem* Cuba? China is still politically a communist country, though economically they've changed a bit. Vietnam and Laos (link goes to Vietnam) are also still politically communist. Though NK is more like a monarchy with communist gears. Come on China isnt Communist .....not in the historical sense at least. Its a one party state, doesnt really care about human rights, controls the media but it has embraced and benefited from a global world and how countries trade with each other. You could argue it has been able to gain all the benefits of Capitalism but has none of the responsibilities that other Western countries have in regards to the principles of a Democracy...like free press and a government beholden to a Constitution But I dont believe the Chinese economic and political model is sustainable so structural changes to how they run there economy are necessary

The whole NK issue is complex and to be fair to Trump he has inherited a problem that no US president in the last 30 years has been able to resolve The Kim dynasty and there rulership of NK is truly an anomaly, they should have ended their interpretation of Communism like every other country at the end of the Cold War. China allowed NK to survive in its truly anachronistic and cruel system of government And now we have this relic from the Cold War that has developed Nuclear technology and thinks its acceptable to constantly threaten the world Whatever happens I want to be unequivocal about who is to blame, its the Kim regime and there intransigence ....this is on them

I miss the left in 2001. Remember when they were all about that class warfare? Oh I remember class warfare. It was as divisive, antagonistic and misplaced back then as it is now You never want to be part of a narrative that can lead either intentionally or unintentionally to "us vs them " mentality. Its unhelpful to a more constructive and conducive positive social environment in any country or culture

Classic

Any evidence of Romance?

Guys can anyone provide confirmation on this question ? I think it was announced at one of last years gaming conventions that it must be mandatory for every RPG going forward to have an element of Romance in the interests of realism. It makes sense as Romance\Emotions is a normal aspect of our physiology so how can you claim its a RPG but not have feelings in your character IMO they should just make it obligatory as part of the character build phase, this way people will accept it and get use to it I love Romance

http://ribsandburgers.com/za/ Im going to this restaurant tomorrow, check the Ribs

Don't have an overly rosy view of military folk.Why is that? I'm curious. Well the idea that just because Kelly is a former Marine isn't going to mean he'll get Trump into shape. Soldiers can be as venal or kiss ass as everyone else, especially at high ranks I would imagine. Then there's the sheep dog and sheep style nonsense but that stuff comes from useless meshback types so not much to be done there No, Kelly won't whip Trump into shape. Only Trump can do that and he does not strike me as the kind of man who oozes self control. And without a doubt all kinds can be found in military uniform. Even the bad kinds. In my own experience they seem to top out at Major and Staff Sergent in the Officer and NCO ranks respectively. One thing the military does better than any other organization I've ever been part of is reward competence and weed out incompetence. If you can rise to the General ranks then you can find your ass with either hand and are probably free of serious character flaws. But I took your comment as more of a general one rather than specifically applying to the current administration. That is why I was curious. I dont expect Kelly to change Trumps behavior, thats not going to happen and Trump studiously continues to do things that are considered controversial But there seem to be many things that are inconsistent at the White House under the Trump presidency. Things like contradictory public comments from different people, the various factions and who has direct access to Trump could be improved I think Kelly will bring discipline and hopefully curtail the chaos and bedlam we sometimes see around certain messages that come from WH And my personal wish is for the Trump presidency to stop blaming and attacking the media ....its unnecessary and just creates hostility and this " us against them " mentality

So Scaramucci is gone ostensibly because of what Kelly requested Lets see how the White House is run under Kelly, he has 45 years service as a Marine and that can surely only improve things around general decorum ?

This is a very good post and again demonstrates your empathy around subjects that most people don't care to understand or would rather just insult You are very consistent and to be honest you don't understand transgender and you never will but that's normal for most people All my gay friends are men or lesbian women, none of them particularly like or associate with transgender, they don't understand some of the transgender views. I have spoken at various gay clubs on principle to transgender people but apart from a courteous hello we didnt chat long Anyway thanks for the military explanation, why would a gay man be threatened in the army in your era, what I mean is he would be physically the same as you and others ?

No transgender people in the military, not sure they were so much of a distraction to affect the combat performance. I think t was more of a cost savings move since gender reassignment surgery was becoming a covered benefit. As much as I abhor discrimination of any stripe the military is a different animal than the rest of society and the rules that apply are different. But I suspect the pols will make much more of this than the story deserves. I believe I read there were less than 10 "transgendered" service members in all four branches. This study from 2014 estimated over 15k, but can't say how accurate it is. "Our estimates suggest that approximately 15,500 transgender individuals are serving on active duty or in the Guard or Reserve forces. We also estimate that there are an estimated 134,300 transgender individuals who are veterans or are retired from Guard or Reserve service." https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Transgender-Military-Service-May-2014.pdf Another utterly unnecessary and deplorable decision by Trump so he is seen as " the greatest president the USA " has ever seen He cant pass tax reformation, build the wall or repeal Healthcare so lets attack the LGBT community ...the favorite target of bigots and people who are insecure and critical of people different to them And its not enough that someone can fight and die in hellholes like Syria and Iraq as they are patriot ...no now there sexual orientation is suddenly an issue. Its pathetic but at least his supporters now at 38% will continue to say how great he is

@ anyone who is Polish or can confirm this The article I posted about the veto says the Polish ruling believes the following....is this objective of "impossibilism " valid The attempt by Poland's Law and Justice party to take control of the judicial system should be seen as part of a wider campaign to dismantle democratic checks and balances on the government’s actions, from its takeover of state media to its capture of the country’s constitutional tribunal. Jarosław Kaczyński, PiS’s leader, has developed a theory known in Poland as ‘impossibilism’, the idea that no serious reform of Polish society and institutions is possible due to these checks and balances, and what he describes as the vested interests of liberal elites and foreigners intent on exploiting the country.

No, the Republican motto is "We're dumb as rocks, and we do whatever our corporate masters tell us." Isn't that to long of a motto for dumb as a rock party? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/24/poland-president-to-veto-controversial-laws-amid-protests Sharp_one whats wrong with your ruling party? Why do some members of your government think they should have the right to appoint members of the supreme court and judiciary....this was an unacceptable expectation that was set and would never be tolerated in a Democratic institution like the EU That wasn't the real problem Bruce. The real travesty was the idea that they would appoint all of the new judges. That went too far even for some of their own supporters. I cannot tell you how much better this veto decision was for the overall economic sustainability of Poland Well done people who took to the streets

Of course not, you're Volo, you defy classification. It's been like that for what, 16 years now? But even the definition of what constitutes " alt-right " is nebulous, Breitbart has many different types of people who frequent it and they definitely don't all share the same ideological view of things like SJ and the way overall white people are judged or criticised. Some people on Breitbart consider it a refuge from perceived SJ criticism For example what is your definition of someone who is "alt-right " Oh that's simple. The alt-right are the alpha males and their women and everyone else are beta males (lefties and libruhls) or cuckservatives (center/right not quite alt-right) and feminists. *sigh* You make me laugh I like your opinions on topics....I imagine most feminists would be horrified to be associated with the alt-right but you get people who claim to believe in a better world and SJ yet they are equally as divisive and offensive as your Milo type of personality

injurai Im glad you have been sticking around these forums, its always appreciated to read perspectives from different people I know the views around politics and similar subjects from all the regular members as I have been active on these forums for about 5 years. If you don't mind sharing can you summarize your opinion on SJ or perhaps how you feel about the state of politics in Western countries I always like to understand how members feel about things like populism or the state of Democracy in the world I have very liberal views on many topics but this is shaped by where I live and my commitment to addressing the Apartheid legacy in South Africa so I dont expect many people to understand where Im coming from around ideology from which is okay as we all have different life experiences

Of course not, you're Volo, you defy classification. It's been like that for what, 16 years now? But even the definition of what constitutes " alt-right " is nebulous, Breitbart has many different types of people who frequent it and they definitely don't all share the same ideological view of things like SJ and the way overall white people are judged or criticised. Some people on Breitbart consider it a refuge from perceived SJ criticism For example what is your definition of someone who is "alt-right "

WOD I have never considered you a hardcore Trump supporter, there arent any on this forum but I do value your opinion as someone who represents the US in more conservative circles from a Republican perspective You seem to be more critical or frustrated with Trump, what has he done or not done that has shaped your opinion lately on him? My view on Trump since he became president has improved but I am primarily concerned with US foreign policy. I am constantly surprised how the Trump strategy domestically just seems to be so counterproductive ....there are several things he does that surprise and or frustrate me as they not necessary For example, why do his supporters have to always make these sycophantic comments about him being " the best or the greatest at everything ...yes apparently he likes his surrogates to support him in that way but to me it just comes across as insecure and false

No, the Republican motto is "We're dumb as rocks, and we do whatever our corporate masters tell us." Isn't that to long of a motto for dumb as a rock party? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/24/poland-president-to-veto-controversial-laws-amid-protests Sharp_one whats wrong with your ruling party? Why do some members of your government think they should have the right to appoint members of the supreme court and judiciary....this was an unacceptable expectation that was set and would never be tolerated in a Democratic institution like the EU Well your president has prudently vetoed, I dont think he wanted to but he had no choice, these proposed laws. I imagine you must be feeling very embarrassed by what your government tried to do? EU cannot do jack, because to do anything they would need consensus of all the countries and Visegrad group would never allow to do anything to one of it's members. Polish ruling party as all socialistic parties just want more power for themselves and less for everybody else. President could of course just sign those, what do you mean he had no choice? He was widely criticizes for signing everything his party sent to him. That's why it was such a shocker home and abroad he did those two vetoes. Personally I think it was due to his private conversation with Donald Trump. There were thousands of people who took to the street in protest, I imagine the signing of these new laws would have been very bad for the popularity of the ruling party in the next election. So Andrzej Duda’s decision was about political expediency and survival rather than he cares personally if these laws are reasonable I do think Trump influenced this decision in some ways but the concern about populism sweeping through the world in Democratic countries is not much of a worry to me anymore. We can see from the local elections in Austria, Netherlands and France that the majority of people in the EU dont support this

No, the Republican motto is "We're dumb as rocks, and we do whatever our corporate masters tell us." Isn't that to long of a motto for dumb as a rock party? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/24/poland-president-to-veto-controversial-laws-amid-protests Sharp_one whats wrong with your ruling party? Why do some members of your government think they should have the right to appoint members of the supreme court and judiciary....this was an unacceptable expectation that was set and would never be tolerated in a Democratic institution like the EU Well your president has prudently vetoed, I dont think he wanted to but he had no choice, these proposed laws. I imagine you must be feeling very embarrassed by what your government tried to do?

I like Kushner but my verdict is definitely uncertain on Scaramucci ....he is nauseatingly obsequious to Trump but that may be part of his strategy to generally rebuild a better relationship with the media. In other words he has to pay the constant public homage to Trump that is expected from all Trump supporters but he will work behind the scenes to create a more robust and constructive working environment from the White House around communication strategy