BruceVC

It was normal Trump demagoguery. I find much of what he says insincere, he had his normal crowds of clapping sycophants...most of those people would cheer and clap if Trump said " you people are all fools and I hate you " He is also trying really hard to mend the damage he has done with women in the USA so we have to listen to his daughter and other lady friends constantly sayings irritating things like " My Dad was the best dad and use to write me positive notes for school ....he was always so supportive of me and other women " Its theater for me and false , he has offended far to many women when it suited him and he will pay the price in the election ...his family cant save him and the sexist reputation he has

OK. What the hell is with police in USA? This is not the first time I read about police showing to a potential suicide and they straight up kill the guy. This is not how you help a suicidal person! They can't commit suicide if they're killed. Guys no need for outrage, the article clearly says " it was an accident " So lets move one about this one...accidents happen

Yep, and he effectively destroy Turkey right now. Westlings can't into strategic thinking. :lol: Well Bruce, he is currently the biggest pain in the ass for Europe... If EU will support him despite all of what is happening, then there will be even more anti EU sentiment rising, because this is direct pissing and ****ting in the face of the basic principles of democratic foundations of Europe... It also amuses me how are you defending the equality among people, but on other hand, we should just support Erdogan and his lackeys and overlook his purges, because Turkey is "important strategic partner" *mindblown* Okay lets unpack this because we clearly not looking at this Turkey importance in the same way Can you explain first, just summarize why you dont like Turkey and why they a pain for the EU? You have mentioned this before but I just want your latest opinion Do you really think, that after sacking 60000 civil servants around the country, because they have taught the children how real western democracy looks like, there is need to explain anymore? Also according some Turkish journalists, which are not yet gagged, the State of Emergency, which is currently in place, the biggest reason, is that these 60000 people would during normal days have pretty big chance according to Turkish law to get the jobs back in trials against the state. In the State of Emergency, Erdogan just can do issue decree and be gone with them. I would not be hesitant to say, that this State of Emergency will last much longer than 3 months, because Erdogan has now all the power, which he wanted as a president, but was unable to change the constitution... And Turkish importance my ass... Putin is big enemy of the West, and Erdogan is big friend... Where is the ****ing logic behind this, when Erdogan is much much worse than Putin ever was, especially to his own people... If you really think that a dictator like him, who has no problems with reinstating Death Penalty, so he can kill-off all of his opposition, is a good ally of EU or west, then there is absolutely no reason to discuss about it with you anymore. Because throwing away everything, what is sacred to the basic principles of Democracy, is the biggest reason why the EU project is losing more and more support among common folks... Mamie I like you and I appreciate the effort you put into your posts. I have learnt a lot from you about topics like Slovakia and your views on the EU. You are a sagacious and interesting person But if you want to debate with me please dont make points and then suggest if I dont agree with you on something then " you wont debate with me anymore " ....especially when you haven't heard what I may say. It comes across as irrational and contradicts the purpose of a debate which is the exchange of different views ...not telling the other person how they need to respond So now Turkey, I know some Turks who live in SA who are good fun and there are some good Turkish restaurants in SA but I dont really care about the social conditions of the Turkish people I dont really like Erdogan I cant get involved in moral outrage with how he is treating his citizens because as I mentioned I have no meaningful connection to Turkey and I dont want to have one. And to be honest Turkey doesnt care much about me either I care about the EU, UK and the citizens of the EU. I dont want the EU to be negatively impacted by instability in the ME So based on this view Turkey and Erdogan have strategic value, thats it ...its not emotional or personal.. Erdogan is using the EU on certain levels and the EU is using Erdogan, its a practical relationship I have to be honest I thought you said you never cared much for Turkey either but now you seem upset about how Erdogan is treating his citizens. Of course I respect your view but I dont share it. Erogan just needs to continue his business and military alliance with the West ...what he does domestically cant really be changed. I do believe in regime change but after Iraq and Libya and all the various complaints and criticism from people blaming the West for the failures of the new governments in those countries we only implement regime change when there is a credible and competent government that can manage the new political reality Erdogan may be disliked but he is inextricably linked to the stability of Turkey especially after the Coup so we need to work with him, he cannot be removed from power by the West even if it makes political sense like you suggesting So in summary Erdogan is not a real friend to the West but he is needed ....consider him a political acquaintance Putin is not an enemy of West, he has unintentionally created friction through his paranoia of the West and NATO and now he has over committed Russia on various military campaigns but Russia's economy has been neglected and is in a recession Putin and Russia have much greater long term importance than Turkey but Putin needs to fix the Russian economy before he embarks on more plans of hegemony. This is a journey only Russia can go on, the West cant help here either unless he pulls out of Ukraine

I just finished watching Wolf Hall, its a very good 6 part historical series ....its grows on you so dont get put off after the first 30 minutes

Except that is not what is happening among Republicans. Trump is garnering support from 85% of Republicans according to 538. So there might be a very vocal minority of Republicans in the #NeverTrump camp but it IS a minority Bruce. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/gop-voters-are-rallying-behind-trump-as-if-he-were-any-other-candidate/ That solid base in his party is giving Trump a foundation that will at the very least keep the election gap to single digits. Clinton is having her own problems getting Independents (ex-Sanderites) on board, which gives Trump a chance to win. What I mean is it normal for members of the Republican establishment, like we see now, to not endorse the final candidate

Can I ask you a serious question, do you like the Netherlands? Does the EU matter to you ?

Thats not really the point, its unprecedented to see this degree of people refusing to support the final Republican candidate ( So you can make the point " it doesnt mean much " but that would be a spurious view of just how controversial Trump is and this will be reflected in the actual presidential vote

Why? They are free to choose what they say and not say and they are free to give their support or not to give their support to people running president. It is after all meant to be free country where you can opposite majority's views. But maybe Turkey has it right and silencing everybody that speaks against president is they way to go in democracies. You right about freedom of choice but also this highlights just how divisive Trump is withing the GOP I stand to be corrected but normally everyone always supports the actual candidate at the end...the Republicans normally unite behind there chosen candidate because the greater good is seen as " beating Democrats " ....but understanding this is different

Do you still think Trump is going to win?

Only if Trump wins he is done, like really done. He wont live down the " lying Ted" comment .....apparently he is known to do things like this in Washington and thats one of the reason no one likes him?

Yes I get tired very quickly of the Republican convention because it just seems......cliched and misplaced. I watch for 20 minutes at a time I wont watch much of the Democratic convention either, I care about the voting polls and any serious events before the election but I plan to watch the entire election the whole night and I'll take a day off work the next day GD maybe we should all create a comment thread for those of us watching the US election on the actual day?

But Bruce, all sportsmen of the world using doping, without chemical help reaching such high results is just impossible! All difference is - western doping is democratic and good meanwhile russian doping so totalitarian and evil. Though this theme is not too interested for Russians, we prefer wars, sport is just surrogate of military domination. Oby some sportsman do dope and doping happens in all countries to a certain degree , look at Lance Armstrong But Russia took doping to the next level, the word " state sponsored " was used. The worst thing about it is Russia does care about its sport and there are Russian athletes who dont dope ...but now the entire athletics team has been banned http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/russias-track-field-stars-angered-rio-olympics-ban-40773405 And the IAAF didnt want to do this to Russia but they had no choice due to how severe the problem was

You seem to forget that this is Ted Cruz that you're talking about. Few people display such dishonest character traits such as he does. Which is why I included the word "appear". I was watching this whole Ted Cruz event, its weird but I seem to dislike Cruz more than Trump and I'm not sure why as he hasnt been nearly as offensive or divisive as Trump Cruz decided to bank on a Trump loss in November, he obviously hopes the party will then unite behind him with his " you see I told you not to follow Trump " Its a bold move but probably the best strategy under the circumstances...the thing is after the whole Trump circus the Republican party is going to be understandably under serious introspection and pressure going forward and the question will be asked "how do we win back the US public " And I dont think someone like Cruz represents a progressive new Republican party that they would want

It's not a question of technology, it's a question of will. Butter meet knife. Also remember the Roman Empire, America is not the only analogy. It's also not a matter of technology in a sense that they will not fight us with wooden sticks. assault rifles and bombs are deadly enough, and they MIGHT be ready to use bio/chem weapon. They do not need airforce to fight us in our cities if they will have similar numbers but greater will for sacrifices and combat readiness. Rome also fell and it was mainly due to economic issues, political corruption and inRome bickering, plus most of their military was made of auxiliaries, who were basically various populations on a Roman pay check. I wonder if we will have this forum and enough people alive in 50 years to discuss this. I'll be happy do admit "I was wrong" on my deathbed, but I doubt I will be. Yes this forum will be alive and the EU will still exist and I'll tell you the same thing I always say " the EU will be fine " Ironically its not Islamic extremism or some external domestic threat that has ever really threatened to collapse an institution like the EU....the only realistic threat will come from you guys. Actual citizens of the EU who may think right wing parties offer the best solution and you have the unlikely outcome of multiple countries leaving and then Germany decides to go back to being a separate country But the chance of that is so remote I wouldn't worry at all

So to explain in more detail, the worst crimes and unbelievable violence in SA is committed by a small percentage of black people who dont understand the reality of the country and have literally lost any sense of moral compass or compunction When these guys are interviewed after being caught they almost in all cases have the same background and reality Uneducated, unemployed and a complete lack of human emotions. This is not normal and Apartheid absolutely created or contributed towards this type of lack of humanity Its not an excuse, this is the result of 50 years of trying to mentally rewire people

lol, Bruce pretend be Black. P.S. From my personal Exp. most fitted to Russian people are Spaniards/Latin Americans, French, Italians. Shame poor Putin, having to smile and pretend he cares about black South Africans must have been tough for him Oby there is no need to tell people in SA the truth about Russia we rather let people believe Russia does consider SA a friend

I have to be honest that story sounds difficult to believe....how can murder be an accident ? And we have 50 murders a day in SA so its not a big deal to report on this type of event What probably really happened with them is there neighbors were murdered ....and that act alone made them decide to immigrate. I dont have issues with white people immigrating because of the high crime or low education levels but the reality is white people implemented Apartheid for 50 years and we all lived happily through that not but now as a country we have to deal with the social consequences of that 50 years and high crime is one consequence....crime and murder is much higher within the black community So I feel white people should at least try and fix things They were rural. My understanding is white farmers being murdered for their land is not as uncommon as it should be down there. Okay, farmers yes....are they Afrikaans or English Yes there have been incidents of what is known as farm murders, what exacerbates this crime is there has been no real land transformation so many black people have no job and also no land and its 22 years into the new SA So is some places in SA there is additional resentment towards farmers and then criminals act out by these brutal farm killings,..,..and they are very extreme like whole families been murdered

Not my problem. Lolwut? How i can compensate your lack of Russian cultural background? Just imagine, people live in Russian culture from the birth, it's their constant environment and they easily recognise (by reflexes/instincts) all these hidden messages/images/ in art/literature. You never can become such skillfull just because you are borned/raised/lived in different culture/society. Also other problems make your wish to understand Russian culture so impossible. 1. Language. You don't known Russian language => you don't understand their thinking patterns. Reading Russian literature in English translation is very stupid idea because these languages so alien to each other. 2. Cultural difference. WASP culture is totally different from Russian culture. We have different values, goals etc, English language can even don't have proper words for describe them. You just can't understand their motives and reasons what cause some Russian actions/reactions. It's some sort of blinds spot in your mind. Same thing vice versa, but i don't pretend to understanding Western culture. 3. Lifestyle. For understanding Russians you must live in Russia. Without this experience of survivalism and understanding Russian environment/society you never understand Russia. 4. You newer can understand melancholy/depression of Russians just because you can't have such girls what Russians have (Russians are satiated by their lifes so strongly, that their mortido/self-destructive behaviour grows enormously). You never take such life expirience what Russians have by default. In other words try to educate you about Russian culture is quite useless thing and i don't want waste time for such form of activity. Oby I am one of the few people on this forum who understands Russian culture perfectly...remember BRICS So explain it to me and then the other guys can read what you say?

I have to be honest that story sounds difficult to believe....how can murder be an accident ? And we have 50 murders a day in SA so its not a big deal to report on this type of event What probably really happened with them is there neighbors were murdered ....and that act alone made them decide to immigrate. I dont have issues with white people immigrating because of the high crime or low education levels but the reality is white people implemented Apartheid for 50 years and we all lived happily through that not but now as a country we have to deal with the social consequences of that 50 years and high crime is one consequence....crime and murder is much higher within the black community So I feel white people should at least try and fix things

You know what would be ideal, if I could come to the USA and make some minor structural changes to the US constitution...just to ensure better social cohesion Call it what you like, as long as we get you somewhere safe and away from that hellhole. BTW I'm currently working with a South African lady, are they all that pretty and funny or is she a rarity? Well I do think South African women are very attractive but I'm glad you meant someone who is additionally funny....what does she think about SA government or Trump? I don't know, politics isn't polite table talk and I rather only touch friendly topics. She wont get offended, its normal for us to debate politics I want to see her view of current SA....maybe just say something simple like " how are things in SA " ?She will appreciate the interest I will guess and say she will respond by saying something like " our government is very corrupt "

You know what would be ideal, if I could come to the USA and make some minor structural changes to the US constitution...just to ensure better social cohesion Call it what you like, as long as we get you somewhere safe and away from that hellhole. BTW I'm currently working with a South African lady, are they all that pretty and funny or is she a rarity? Well I do think South African women are very attractive but I'm glad you meant someone who is additionally funny....what does she think about SA government or Trump?

You know what would be ideal, if I could come to the USA and make some minor structural changes to the US constitution...just to ensure better social cohesion

This is a random post but its interesting, in response You dont want the majority of white South Africans moving to the USA, only people like me who have a more progressive view of society There are a percentage of white people in SA who play a critical role in the economy..you dont want these people leaving SA due to the negative economic impact You dont need to be a citizen of any country to have real ties to it, this could be historical or something like investment

Fighter whats the opinion of people you know about the credibility of the latest Russian sports doping scandal? On CNN they were interviewing people in Moscow on the street and most people seem to think this is a Western strategy to undermine the Russian people Whats your view?

You are very good like that and the funny thing is once I read your post I could see exactly where I was getting confused hat's not what you said in the post I responded to, you're moving the goalposts." (ATTEMPT TO REFOCUS: "Obama has suggested police need to be killed?" is not the same as "Obama has suggested that Police are trying to kill African-Americans")