BruceVC

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/525270/justice-minister-signs-kim-dotcom-s-extradition-order @Zoraptor This is a good step for NZ, the last thing you want is your country to become a refuge for international and global criminals fleeing the law in another country

I thought the US was responsible because they wanted to control the EU through replacing the gas lost with there own gas resources and supply chain contracts ? Are we now saying it wasnt the US...that works for me. I never thought the US was behind it anyway

@Gfted1 Im sure you will remember we use to talk about American Horror Story and how we both use to watch it and then we stopped for various reasons But I noticed they making a S13, its been going for 13 years and I decided to watch the latest seasons s11&12 because I had stopped watching after s6 Anyway s11 is good, its set in the 1980s in NY and its about the beginning of the AIDS pandemic and there is a serial killer and its all about the gay community so its not recommended for those uncomfortable with LGBT themes But its well done and evocative and highlights the terrible reality and tragedy of the early days of AIDS and how it wasnt understood and then they include the horror aspect in different ways I have just started watching s12 so I cant comment on that yet But the point Im making the AHS series seems better than when I stopped watching and it might be worthwhile for you to watch s11?

True, he very seldom apologizes but he has sometimes like when he offended many women in 2016 in the videotape scandal https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37594918

Well yes, normal is not the right word. Cultural or ideological racism like a white supremacist is a more accurate framing of this group There are people where bigotry is inculcated into them from childhood, through families or lived experience. They dont apologize or see anything wrong with it, its what they believe But then there are people who might say something offensive or racist or maybe they lack sensitivity but they might not realize they being racist and they dont want to be thought of as racist. And they would apologize if they say something offensive They not the same as first group

Lets just agree to disagree I appreciate the effort and examples you using but you basically doing the same thing you did with the 7-8 points in a previous post. Each of these examples you have quoted can and should be discussed separately to interpret what Trump meant and include context and then in several examples I know thats not what he really meant But that doesn't mean everything in this post is inaccurate. The reality is I dont think either of us has the interest to now start unpacking every statement that Trump had made in your list because I am not disputing he has said offensive things and made racist comments Im saying I cant say he is definitely a normal racist like a Neo-Nazi or white supremacist

https://theconversation.com/mali-is-still-unsafe-under-the-military-why-it-hasnt-made-progress-against-rebels-and-terrorists-236252 This is good read from African analysts about the insurgencies in the Sahel and specifically Mali He clarifies the different groups involved and raises how the primary "justification" for the military coups was about security and somehow kicking Frances military out and bringing in Russia\Wagner was going to change this security reality and they raise the various military shortfalls in the current Mali strategy . But also as I mentioned in a previous post it has had no real difference because if you dont improve the social and economic conditions you wont end the insurgencies @Malcador @Mamoulian War @Zoraptor you should find this analysis interesting

Excellent Olympics and very well supported around global media attention and fans of these prestigious sports event. The only real " criticism " for me was some of the opening ceremony and parts of it being controversial but that was a small part of the success of this French Olympics I watched some real achievements and examples of sports excellence Final medal count was exciting and very close between the US and China with both countries getting 40 gold medals but the US winning overall with 126 total medals vs Chinas 91 And nice to see the host country winning 16 gold medals and 64 total medals so well done to France as well https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/medals

But my original point wasnt anything about the things you mentioned in this post My point is its not clear to me if Trump is racist in the traditional definition of racism when it manifests itself amongst white people and that for me means ideological views like Neo-Nazi, KKK or white supremacist . I dont think Trump is anything like these groups. But he can be offensive and he sometimes generalizes in a derogatory way about ethnic groups when he makes certain points and sometimes these points are real concerns to Americans, like illegal migration and the border crisis, but he ends up making the argument badly or inaccurately But I can answer your post and questions but that wasnt my original point and also can you more specific about which one you want me to respond to, you have at least 8-9 points? Personally I would prefer to respond to these " white supremacist propaganda on college campuses tripled, hate groups increased by 4% and hate crimes by 17"?

But my original point wasnt anything about the things you mentioned in this post My point is its not clear to me if Trump is racist in the traditional definition of racism when it manifests itself amongst white people and that for me means ideological views like Neo-Nazi, KKK or white supremacist . I dont think Trump is anything like these groups. But he can be offensive and he sometimes generalizes in a derogatory way about ethnic groups when he makes certain points and sometimes these points are real concerns to Americans, like illegal migration and the border crisis, but he ends up making the argument badly or inaccurately But I can answer your post and questions but that wasnt my original point and also can you more specific about which one you want me to respond to, you have at least 8-9 points? Personally I would prefer to respond to these " white supremacist propaganda on college campuses tripled, hate groups increased by 4% and hate crimes by 17"?

I generally dont like to get into debates on the Internet where as a white person I assume to know why people of colour vote and why they should vote for party x or party y Because there are a myriad of reasons why someone would vote for a particular candidate and these reasons vary from person to person, as I mentioned I dont subscribe to identity politics as a good reason why people vote because IMO that represents only about 20% of total votes in countries like the US or South Africa. Its a voting factor but its not the main reason, the main reason people vote in the US is around Conservative and Leftie\Liberal views and policies and that cuts across all races I can and do comment around how white people vote because I have more affinity and understanding of my own ethnic group but of course I dont generalize about white people either because we vote for different reasons So what I am saying is its not a convincing point for me to say " black people wont vote for Trump because he is racist " Thats a reason for some black people but its not the main or only reason for most black people and which party they vote for

Great story, nice one Dan I love how these blogs demonstrate the reality and humanity of peoples lives and how gaming became a positive influence I am glad you didnt end up corrupted and a Satanist because of RPG, I always suspected it wasn't likely And MoB, what a gem. An iconic game for sure and a " must play" for all fans of party based RPG

Yes but the point is countries like Niger and Mali dont represent the views of the " global south " which is sometimes used in a type of generalised and selective way. For example here is an AJ article that also seems to think Niger and Mali have significance in the " global south " https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/7/russia-accuses-ukraine-of-opening-african-front-as-niger-cuts-kyiv-ties#:~:text=The claim by Moscow followed,West to turn to Russia. "The spat is viewed as a significant hit to Ukraine’s efforts to win global support as it defends itself against Russia’s invasion, and, in particular, to broaden its appeal in the Global South." But what does the global south represent? Its definitely not suppose to be about military coups overthrowing democratically elected governments and then these same states being suspended from the AU because of these coups And of course these countries would align with Russia because they know there wont be any condemnation around the undemocratic way they have seized power and will stay in power. All these military leaders in these coups said they would restore democratic rule at a certain date and both Mali and Burkina Faso lied and backtracked on that initial commitment and I guarantee you Niger will do the same thing https://apnews.com/article/mali-presidential-election-coup-democracy-fecca4add800eeec12ea2fab14dd2209 https://issafrica.org/iss-today/burkina-faso-progress-and-problems-after-two-years-of-transition

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/5-things-to-know-about-tim-walz-kamala-harris-vp-pick I had never even heard of Walz until this nomination but thats normal for someone who hasn't been in the typical media limelight and what the international media focuses on He seems like a good choice and I look forward to his VP debate with Vance, he should win that one comfortably

The Ukrainian military influence in African conflicts is only something I have really heard about on forums like this Every serious African analyst talks about Islamic extremist groups, tribal warfare, and then groups like the Tuareg nationalists destabilizing certain countries You can remove all and any Ukrainian military presence from any current African conflict and its not going change anything around the specific war ending But Wagner\Russia is actively involved in about 5-6 conflicts working with one side or another but they also not the reason for these conflicts and they also cant change the outcomes of these conflicts unless you can be specific and give examples on what conflict they are making a significant difference in ?

Do you think the likes of Mali and Niger matter when it comes to whatever the Global South thinks? There is no such thing as a united Global South, thats basically a BRICS term that gets selectively used depending on the topic and geopolitical development What really matters is regional seats of power that are functional and efficient and as far as Africa is concerned that is suppose to be the African Union which is intended to speak on behalf of a united Africa like the EU but the AU is not united on a myriad of issues both on the continent and internationally and countries like Mali, Niger and Burkina Fuso have been suspended from the AU because the AU doesnt accept military coups as a type of leadership change and never will So these 3 countries now represent there own regional group united by military Juntas but they dont speak on behalf of the AU or whatever the " Global South " is suppose to mean

https://sports.yahoo.com/paris-olympics-novak-djokovic-fills-the-only-hole-on-his-resume--olympic-gold-150227223.html And this is the type of post I was expecting on this thread, its about the sports achievement that the Olympics creates Well done Novak, your place in sports history is guaranteed

Its disappointing that this boxing incident has become the point of focus and interest in a thread that is about the Olympics, the greatest sports event of all time Is anyone actually watching the Olympics, the achievements and medal wins? I have watched multiple events and I tend to watch athletics, swimming, gymnastics and then events that I consider exciting but unusual like judo, mountain biking and archery. We have multiple channels to watch the variety of events and the hardest part is what to watch. This week and weekend are final stages and its the best time to watch

Yes, I think so. I would imagine that would be a factor if you compare Tokyo to France I am very unlikely to watch any international sports event if its after midnight

Despite some of the criticism around the opening ceremony from a viewership perspective globally its become very popular and the predicated success it would be https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/2024-olympics-tv-ratings-opening-weekend-1235961393/ " Through the first three full days of the games, NBCU is averaging 34.5 million viewers across all of its linear networks and digital platforms for its primary telecasts. The ratings figures include both what it calls “Paris Prime” — 2-5 p.m. ET in the United States, when a host of medal events air live — and the U.S. primetime telecasts. "The 34.5 million viewer average over the first three days is up 79 percent (from 19.3 million viewers) over the same period for the last Summer Olympics three years ago in Tokyo."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-russia-prisoner-swap-frees-americans-evan-gershkovich-paul-whelan/ Interesting prisoner swop between the US and Russia. Its a skewed swop because the Russians being released are murderers and real criminals and the Americans were basically journalists tried and sentenced in Russian kangaroo courts but at least people like Paul Whelan will finally get home back to the US

Yes and thats the strange thing about the insurgency and wars in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and the temporary global "attention " it received Most people dont know anything about these countries or the conflicts and they considered some of the most poorest and underdeveloped countries in Africa. But suddenly French flags get burnt and the French military leave and Russian and anti-Western SM propaganda creates interest for a week or 2 and then people move on Yet the insurgencies have been going on since 2012 and only with the French leaving did it create any temporary interest or activism. Its an example of the misplaced and fleeting interest that SM creates and encourages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamist_insurgency_in_the_Sahel

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/31/hamass-political-chief-ismail-haniyeh-assassinated-in-iran-state-media Im not surprised by the assassination of Hamas leaders, thats a given if you understand how Israel responds to the killing of its citizens. Im just surprised they were able to do it within the borders of Iran. Its been a while since we have seen Israel do that within Iran

How is this incredible photo of a Brazilian who won the surfing event https://people.com/surfer-gabriel-medina-appears-to-float-mid-air-in-viral-photo-snapped-at-2024-summer-olympics-8685786

Wagner gets paid money as mercenaries and they have numerous contracts in Africa And sometimes its about mineral rights concession which sometimes benefits Russia directly https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/17/what-is-the-wagner-groups-role-in-sudan And either way its about reestablishing a Russian presence in Africa in unstable countries that have minerals and other resources But you wont find them in stable African that provide there own security