The all things Political Topic - For who in this dark, dream-haunted Land dares Resist the righteous flame of Wrath And Doom themselves to despair and death?

[BruceVC]

21 minutes ago, ComradeYellow said:

...Way to strawman, if you read my post you will see that I was actually defending the idea of leaving the private sector alone and simply adding some government jobs into the mix, and creating a more balanced economy.

I don't think anyone with a properly screwed on head wants pure absolute socialism in the 21st century, where consumer goods flood the market en masse.  An employment safety net by the government is sufficient.

Yes but who pays for the employment net and other wide ranging socialist and liberal "panaceas " for all the woes in the world?

In SA  their are some in government who want to implement  a deeply flawed NHI ( National Health Insurance ) so everyone has access to the working private sector healthcare that only 20 % of the population has access to with the mandatory medical aid we pay

So they expect 80% of the population to somehow access these limited resources but they ignore the obvious solution " fix the public sector healthcare " so 80 % of the population has the services they are entitled to 

And the whole of government is automatically on private sector healthcare they dont have to use the public sector 

The point being some in government are expecting the 20 % to pay for this ill-conceived idea of NHI instead of addressing the problem on the ground 

Edited June 5, 2021 by BruceVC

[Skarpen]

1 hour ago, ComradeYellow said:

...Way to strawman, if you read my post you will see that I was actually defending the idea of leaving the private sector alone and simply adding some government jobs into the mix, and creating a more balanced economy.

I don't think anyone with a properly screwed on head wants pure absolute socialism in the 21st century, where consumer goods flood the market en masse.  An employment safety net by the government is sufficient.

Except it's nothing new. There were a private sectors in communist countries. Didn't end well.

[Raithe]

 

[ComradeYellow]

8 hours ago, Skarpen said:

Except it's nothing new. There were a private sectors in communist countries. Didn't end well.

Seems to be "ending well" in China  (well, besides their piss poor diplomacy in recent years).

[ComradeYellow]

12 hours ago, BruceVC said:

Yes but who pays for the employment net and other wide ranging socialist and liberal "panaceas " for all the woes in the world?

HOW YA GOONNA PAY FER IT

Biden has been dishing out massive unemployment checks since he's been inaugurated and we're still doing fine, not to mention almost a 3 quarters of a TRILLION dollars on military (really dumb).  I think we can manage a federal jobs program that covers those who want one, even if we have to raise taxes a little bit and maybe curb spending in other areas like, you know, bloated wasteful arms spending.

Edited June 5, 2021 by ComradeYellow

[Skarpen]

13 hours ago, ComradeYellow said:

Seems to be "ending well" in China  (well, besides their piss poor diplomacy in recent years).

Ask the Uyghurs... 

Edited June 6, 2021 by Skarpen

[Raithe]

[Guard Dog]

2 hours ago, Raithe said:

Neither of the two political parties in the United States is in favor of free speech. The only difference between them as one pretends to be in the other makes no pretense that they are not.

[Gromnir]

2 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

Neither of the two political parties in the United States is in favor of free speech. The only difference between them as one pretends to be in the other makes no pretense that they are not.

am not agreeing with the hasty generalization, though perhaps the mistake is not being broad enough with the generalization. today, americans is less in favor of free speech. more european. 

as we become more polarized here in the US, elements at both ends o' the political spectrum is more willing to accept the curiously euro view that some offensive speech is just too unpleasant to be endured, though the folks advocating for restrictions on speech rare describe in such terms. antifa tell themselves and others they is fighting white supremacists and fascists.  the new trumpian right is selling their censorship cloaked in the vernacular o' safety and security-- the right created disproportionate fear o' protests and protesters and now they use such fear to suppress the speech o' fellow americans. 

none o' this sh!te is new, but the degree to which the notions o' acceptable levels o' censorship has been normalized surprises us. every fifteen years or so there has been a serious push to enact flag burning legislation or an Amendment. and every few years there has been a push from europhile academics suggesting that there should be limits on offensive speech. outliers. the folks demanding a more restrictive reading o' the First Amendment has always been the outliers here in the US. although as with the flag burning amendments, there has been brief moments when it appeared support for such were increasing. nevertheless, Americans in general has always been more in favour o' free speech than they has been willing to indulge in arguments selling fear.

democrats is hardly the party o' antifa, no matter what a few obsidian board posters might suggest. nevertheless, the progressives, particularly the younger progressives, appear to be willing to distinguish between the value o' speech of good people v. bad, with themselves as arbiters as to which people is on the side o' the angels. have had to point out, more than once, how bernie, an old skool protester, has been quite vocal in his condemnation o' antifa and violence, but his example is a bit o' an outlier compared to the younger progressives. even so, suggest such folks speak for all democrats is a fail.

US republicans has, to a shocking degree, gone all-in on the trump fear campaign. is hardly all republicans, but is too many. fear o' foreigners. fear of muslims. fear of the rainbow flag. fear of minorities. republicans is willing to suppress speech if it helps advance their narrative o' fear. all too often a 2021 red state republican believes in peaceful free speech, and they will fight for the proud boys and their right to demonstrate, but "everybody knows" how dangerous are blm and antifa...

dunno 'bout the parties. we will admit americans, as we become increasing polarized, is more willing to prohibit offensive speech. fools and madmen. axiom: the only speech which needs protection is that which tends to offend. nevertheless, as our politics become more polarized and more similar to european examples, the willingness to suppress offensive and dangerous speech becomes much more widespread. is unfortunate. 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited June 6, 2021 by Gromnir

[Guard Dog]

There is a sickness in the human soul. Too many people say I don’t like X. Therefore nobody can have/do/say/think/read/write/eat/drink X. And since you can’t actually control peoples actions you vote for a government that will do it in your stead. People are unable to just leave each other alone. Live and let live. It’s why we can’t have nice things.

[ComradeYellow]

Nobody I know in real life waves the Flag of FREE SPEECH like a kingdom banner.

It's become a niche position.

Most people are gearing up for the ultimate cultural clash.  Will we go right or will we go left?

Simple, really.

[Guard Dog]

US Supreme Court to look into male only selective service

Conscription is slavery. And is a. s——y thing to do to the army. Professional service members is the only way to go. Volunteers. If the United States homeland were ever actually endanger the military will not want for volunteers. And if you can’t win a foreign war with the army you have maybe you shouldn’t fight it. Besides our defense budget is better invested in strategic rather than tactical  assets. 

[ComradeYellow]

19 hours ago, Skarpen said:

Ask the Uyghurs... 

Sorry to break this to you but the whole China question is leeeetle bit more complex than the (tragic) Uyghur situation.  You simply can't focus only on minutiae when the big picture is far bigger and more multifaceted. 

 

Edited June 6, 2021 by ComradeYellow

[Gorth]

Q&A session in the Danish parliament. Finally addressing the elephant in the room... (English subtitles)

 

[BruceVC]

3 hours ago, Gorth said:

Q&A session in the Danish parliament. Finally addressing the elephant in the room... (English subtitles)

 

I am not sure what is so funny about this particular story but people in the Danish parliament sure found it funny?

So an elephant has got an emotional\physical connection with a camel and had to be included in the animal transfer

Okay that makes sense, good news story.....just not funny 

 

[Gorth]

55 minutes ago, BruceVC said:

I am not sure what is so funny about this particular story but people in the Danish parliament sure found it funny?

I suppose it's a good thing if a parliament can all laugh together at some internal jokes at each others expense. Makes a bit more sense if you know the parties referenced, as one of them is an "alt right" type party, yet it still agreed to support the transaction (they are known for they anti immigration policy and still agreed to letting a camel named Ali move to Denmark, playing on some bad name stereotypes)

Edit: The debates used to be quite heated in the past when debating whether immigrants should be allowed to be united with family and to which degree of separation of relationship would qualify for immigration purposes. Yet this time, nobody argued against the poor elephant girl bringing her camel lover with her to Denmark.

[BruceVC]

32 minutes ago, Gorth said:

I suppose it's a good thing if a parliament can all laugh together at some internal jokes at each others expense. Makes a bit more sense if you know the parties referenced, as one of them is an "alt right" type party, yet it still agreed to support the transaction (they are known for they anti immigration policy and still agreed to letting a camel named Ali move to Denmark, playing on some bad name stereotypes)

Edit: The debates used to be quite heated in the past when debating whether immigrants should be allowed to be united with family and to which degree of separation of relationship would qualify for immigration purposes. Yet this time, nobody argued against the poor elephant girl bringing her camel lover with her to Denmark.

Okay I see the funny part, its linked to the anti-immigration party and the fact the camel is called Ali and the understandable concern is immigrants from the ME 

That is funny, I get it now 

[Darkpriest]

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/mach-30-wind-tunnel-propels-china-decades-ahead-global-hypersonic-race

 

 

 10 to 20years max when China will be a dominant superpower. Meanwhile in US, pronouns and math is racist. 

 

EDIT: how long did China take from landing on the darkside of the Moon to Mars landing? 

Edited June 7, 2021 by Darkpriest

[BruceVC]

1 hour ago, Darkpriest said:

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/mach-30-wind-tunnel-propels-china-decades-ahead-global-hypersonic-race

 

 

 10 to 20years max when China will be a dominant superpower. Meanwhile in US, pronouns and math is racist. 

 

EDIT: how long did China take from landing on the darkside of the Moon to Mars landing? 

Nah, you will never have a truly dominant superpower from any government that controls information and its media and doesnt understand the importance of basic human rights

China will always have a part to play in the world, especially around production and its exports but it wont become the dominant superpower in the world. So no need to learn Mandarin unless you are Australian....and  @Gorthhas already started on this so I dont think Australian citizens mind too much?

 

[BruceVC]

7 hours ago, Gorth said:

Q&A session in the Danish parliament. Finally addressing the elephant in the room... (English subtitles)

 

I must say Gorthfuscious now that I understand the context this is really funny and appropriate when it comes to the rhetoric of anti-immigration parties 

[Guard Dog]

5 hours ago, Darkpriest said:

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/mach-30-wind-tunnel-propels-china-decades-ahead-global-hypersonic-race

 

 

 10 to 20years max when China will be a dominant superpower. Meanwhile in US, pronouns and math is racist. 

 

EDIT: how long did China take from landing on the darkside of the Moon to Mars landing? 

In all fairness landing on the Darkside of the moon and landing on Mars China is trotting down a well paved road. The process and physics of doing these things has been worked out for over 50 years. Heck even longer. Even Galileo had a pretty good idea of what orbital mathematics would look like.

but you weren’t far off the mark on one thing. When it component of our society tells us that expecting children to get the right answer in math class is a instance of racist white supremacy you have to figure 50 years from now the ability to put things in orbit will be lost to us all in the US. 

[Guard Dog]

Sedition hunters use online tools to help FBI
 

must be nice to have hundreds  of people helping you do your job LOL. Well, if you do something criminal and stupid you deserve to go to jail. If you do something criminal and stupid and do it on camera then you’re just asking for it. 
 

The whole notion that this bunch of yahoos was some kind of attempt to take over the government is just absurd. Who breaks into a place then take selfie’s of them selves there and post it on the Internet? That is just weapons grade stupid.

I do like the comment in the article about how there will not be a 911 style congressional commission so we will never get an unbiased report of what actually happened. It’s cute that they think that was what they were going to get from a commission.

[Darkpriest]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-science-suggests-a-wuhan-lab-leak-11622995184

 

If WSJ is putting this, is it still just a fringe conspiracy theory? @Gromnir

 

[Darkpriest]

1 hour ago, Guard Dog said:

In all fairness landing on the Darkside of the moon and landing on Mars China is trotting down a well paved road. The process and physics of doing these things has been worked out for over 50 years. Heck even longer. Even Galileo had a pretty good idea of what orbital mathematics would look like.

but you weren’t far off the mark on one thing. When it component of our society tells us that expecting children to get the right answer in math class is a instance of racist white supremacy you have to figure 50 years from now the ability to put things in orbit will be lost to us all in the US. 

Knowing and doing are two different things. Physics can be known, but engineering and project coordination are not something you can replicate easily. 

 

Also, they were the first to land a vehicle on the far side of the moon. 

 

"The Apollo 8 astronauts were the first humans to see the far side in person when they orbited the Moon in 1968. All manned and unmanned soft landings had taken place on the near side of the Moon, until 3 January 2019 when the Chang'e 4 spacecraft made the first landing on the far side."

[BruceVC]

https://www.cnet.com/news/twitter-is-banned-in-nigeria-after-it-removes-presidents-tweet/

Guys here is a real example of the damage and problems created expecting SM companies to remove what they deem is hate speech and to somehow understand context of certain comments....you cant expect SM companies to do this effectively , people must take their own responsibility for what they say and stop asking for other people to police our comments

The  president of Nigeria was banned from Twitter for saying inarticulately , but truthfully, that secession  of a particular state wont be allowed. Its a historical and unreasonable secessionist request and it wont be allowed 

So he was direct but he shouldnt have been banned ?