Politics/Slapfights - Ancient history to modern day!

[Vol]

China seems so similar to the US, but without "consumer protections." Setting up a bank that's actually a direct deposit to some investors' accounts is cartoonish. But I've been waiting on the paper tiger to collapse for years now, and they keep holding on, sadly.

[Vol]

So Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, and third in line to the presidency, is doing an east Asia tour. It was rumored she would visit Taiwan, and China threatened to shoot down the military plane she's in if she did. It's been confirmed she will stop there.

Now, she is a horrid person, a ghoul, a tone-deaf oligarch, who just recently was caught out, yet again, for having her husband make millions off insider trading because our Congress allows its members to do that. That said, China would start WW3 if they shot down her plane.

Obviously, nothing will happen but saber rattling, but it does make you realize how a single mechanical fault could kick off WW3 so easily.

[Vol]

https://notthebee.com/article/trump-say ... ded-by-fbi

Gosh. Mar-A-Lago, Trump's main residence in Florida, is being raided by the fed. To do that to a former, and potential future, president requires a significant level of reason to suspect evidence of a major crime is contained therein. And if not, then the reasons to remain a union of states frays significantly.

[Mazder]

https://notthebee.com/article/trump-says-mar-a-lago-raided-by-fbi

Gosh. Mar-A-Lago, Trump's main residence in Florida, is being raided by the fed. To do that to a former, and potential future, president requires a significant level of reason to suspect evidence of a major crime is contained therein. And if not, then the reasons to remain a union of states frays significantly.

It turns out when a former president takes documents from the white house he's not supposed to they com back for them, who knew?!
Considering there are already testimonies of White House staff told to destroy documents they all know shouldn't be, and reports of him doing it himself to the point of having to have people reconstruct them form the rubbish, yeah there was only going to be the conclusion that he may have taken some.

He's not above the rules that have been in place for every other president, he doesn't get to say "executive privilege" when he's no longer the executive.

Mind you his influence is so shit that even Boris Johnson when leaving said that the "deep state" was responsible. Not his multiple scandals and lies, but the deep state.
H was he state, he doesn't get to use that rhetoric.

[Vol]

It turns out when a former president takes documents from the white house he's not supposed to they com back for them, who knew?!
Considering there are already testimonies of White House staff told to destroy documents they all know shouldn't be, and reports of him doing it himself to the point of having to have people reconstruct them form the rubbish, yeah there was only going to be the conclusion that he may have taken some.

He's not above the rules that have been in place for every other president, he doesn't get to say "executive privilege" when he's no longer the executive.

A friend has insisted I listen to around 8 different left wing podcasts covering the topic, so I've got a good perspective on this one.

Everything is contingent on what the feds told the courts Trump had and what they actually found. The raid itself is justified by Trump's history of refusing to hand over documents in a timely manner. But _what_ they said he had is, again, the critical point. There are reports that Trump lawyers and surveillance cameras were forbidden from observing the FBI, which could taint any potential evidence. Melania's clothes were searched, a safe was cracked, and Judicial Watch has found a judge willing to demand the DoJ reveal what the raid warrant was based on. So we're all holding our breath until that happens, because obviously a *technical* violation of the law, such as a note from Kim Jong Un to Trump, would make this raid unforgiveable, whereas the opposite, nuclear secrets, would have demanded this raid occur far sooner. Also the fact that information classification stems from presidential authority. The wild card is that in theory, conviction on a relatively petty charge of possessing even an irrelevant classified document could result in inability to hold office.

The left's response has been to assume there was good reason, and that everyone involved was honest and forthright, and thus Trump has done something very bad and can/should be prosecuted. The right, the opposite. I find it a little odd to ascribe that kind of trust to government intelligence agencies and courts, given the last...70 odd years and specifically the BLM riots of the last few, but we live in interesting times. So, we wait and see.

Mind you his influence is so shit that even Boris Johnson when leaving said that the "deep state" was responsible. Not his multiple scandals and lies, but the deep state.
H was he state, he doesn't get to use that rhetoric.

"Deep state" carries a lot of connotations. Another way to think of it is more agreeable. Power has inertia. Bureaucracy has interia. A powerful bureaucracy has great inertia. Newton tells us that for every action, there is an opposite, but equal, reaction. What happens when someone challenges the inertia?

It doesn't require a complicated, thorough theory to believe that the post-WW2 order has become self-sustaining, and that the nature of the system would resist intrusion by a transient office holder.

[Mazder]

A friend has insisted I listen to around 8 different left wing podcasts covering the topic, so I've got a good perspective on this one.

Everything is contingent on what the feds told the courts Trump had and what they actually found. The raid itself is justified by Trump's history of refusing to hand over documents in a timely manner. But _what_ they said he had is, again, the critical point. There are reports that Trump lawyers and surveillance cameras were forbidden from observing the FBI, which could taint any potential evidence. Melania's clothes were searched, a safe was cracked, and Judicial Watch has found a judge willing to demand the DoJ reveal what the raid warrant was based on. So we're all holding our breath until that happens, because obviously a *technical* violation of the law, such as a note from Kim Jong Un to Trump, would make this raid unforgiveable, whereas the opposite, nuclear secrets, would have demanded this raid occur far sooner. Also the fact that information classification stems from presidential authority. The wild card is that in theory, conviction on a relatively petty charge of possessing even an irrelevant classified document could result in inability to hold office.

The left's response has been to assume there was good reason, and that everyone involved was honest and forthright, and thus Trump has done something very bad and can/should be prosecuted. The right, the opposite. I find it a little odd to ascribe that kind of trust to government intelligence agencies and courts, given the last...70 odd years and specifically the BLM riots of the last few, but we live in interesting times. So, we wait and see.

I mean, Trump has a copy of the warrant as they have to issue him a copy. He could 100% post it and have all the questions answered of what they were looking for.
So for him to not show it only seems to indicate that it's over something really fucking important. Otherwise there'd be a massive win for the Republicans to use it as ammo of the left using their power improperly. They could spin that so very easily, way more easily than they could now with the outrage of the FBI doing their jobs as some sort of left wing attack squad (because the FBI prefers to appear impartial).

I still find it odd how the right seems to 100% ignore the fact that these raids happen to people all across the country and yet if it happens to an ex-president (who is now just a citizen) it's 1000000% unjust now.
Also I hate how they keep spinning it as an injustice that Trump and his family is investigated yet Hunter Biden isn't. It's almost as if Biden didn't put his family in positions of power and influence like donny did.

"Deep state" carries a lot of connotations. Another way to think of it is more agreeable. Power has inertia. Bureaucracy has interia. A powerful bureaucracy has great inertia. Newton tells us that for every action, there is an opposite, but equal, reaction. What happens when someone challenges the inertia?

It doesn't require a complicated, thorough theory to believe that the post-WW2 order has become self-sustaining, and that the nature of the system would resist intrusion by a transient office holder.

True but it's usually the case that the part of the bureaucracy in charge has the most power considering they usually do.

[Vol]

I mean, Trump has a copy of the warrant as they have to issue him a copy. He could 100% post it and have all the questions answered of what they were looking for.
So for him to not show it only seems to indicate that it's over something really fucking important. Otherwise there'd be a massive win for the Republicans to use it as ammo of the left using their power improperly. They could spin that so very easily, way more easily than they could now with the outrage of the FBI doing their jobs as some sort of left wing attack squad (because the FBI prefers to appear impartial).

I still find it odd how the right seems to 100% ignore the fact that these raids happen to people all across the country and yet if it happens to an ex-president (who is now just a citizen) it's 1000000% unjust now.
Also I hate how they keep spinning it as an injustice that Trump and his family is investigated yet Hunter Biden isn't. It's almost as if Biden didn't put his family in positions of power and influence like donny did.

A bit's happened since then, so to update:
Garland announced the warrant would be released. Followed by Trump encouraging them to do so. However, now the DoJ is asking a judge to keep it sealed, as per the ongoing investigation. So it's a weird situation. There was a rumor there were nuclear secrets in the alleged files, which is a terrifying thought, for many reasons, one of which is that it's been 2 years since Trump left DC. But otherwise, still in the holding pattern of waiting to see what on earth the feds thought he had and what they actually got. And now Trump's team is claiming whatever he had was declassified by him before leaving office.

I mean, realpolitik, Dems and GOP are going to spin this regardless. Even an indictment before the midterms will rile up each base, and there's zero chance of a trial before then.

"The right," is starting to shed the "Back the Blue," concept. At least in principle, tons of people still have those black and white flags with the blue stripes and stuff. But the realization they have roughly zero power in government institutions (at the practical level, obviously elected officials change), and that the cops/feds absolutely will not be on their side if shit goes down, is causing a realignment. Which is good insofar as government raids on citizens is generally a very bad thing, and occasionally ends with innocents murdered.

True but it's usually the case that the part of the bureaucracy in charge has the most power considering they usually do.

Wasn't there and English king who forced his way into Parliament, but as a result, soon after he lost the last real monarchal power? I think of political appointees trying to reverse the inertia of bureaucracy like that.

[Mazder]

Wasn't there and English king who forced his way into Parliament, but as a result, soon after he lost the last real monarchal power? I think of political appointees trying to reverse the inertia of bureaucracy like that.

Charles the 1st.
Kinda kicked off the whole English Civil War about it against Oliver Cromwell. Ended up with no Monarchy for a while after they executed the king, his son escaping to France.
But after Cromwell rule for a while the Loyalists brought Charles 2nd back from France and we had a Monarchy again babiiiiiie!

[Vol]

Charles the 1st.
Kinda kicked off the whole English Civil War about it against Oliver Cromwell. Ended up with no Monarchy for a while after they executed the king, his son escaping to France.
But after Cromwell rule for a while the Loyalists brought Charles 2nd back from France and we had a Monarchy again babiiiiiie!

Ah, knew it was a Charles at least.

So what do we wager on which happens first, America will have a proper dictator/king, or the Brits will restore the monarchy? Wild card option: France submits to the Vatican. Heh.

Had some more primaries. Liz Cheney got shellacked out of Wyoming, though her political career is far from done. Her speech was a bit odd, cited Abe Lincoln, which could be a veiled allusion to running for president. That makes 8/10 GOP members who voted for Trump's second impeachment who've either vacated their seat or were voted out. The 2 remaining survived their primaries.

[Vol]

Philosophy babble:
Reading over the old determinism debate that set me off reading about philosophy and theology. Being marginally better acquainted with the concepts is interesting.

The determinism side makes the presuppositions that nature _is_ mechanical, that we _know_ this, and that humans _cannot_ be distinct from it. Logically, that would entail it's impossible to actually know anything, because everything you do or don't know is determined, so if premise 1 is correct, so are 2 and 3, but it'd be completely up to the chance movement of atoms if someone is correct or not about it, and through no agency of their own.

The trap that pro-free will arguments fall into is validating the first premise, then trying to mountain a defense, usually on the third point. An easier defense, at least in my midwit opinion, would be dispute the first premise. Nature is not mechanical, we have created mechanical models that _seem_ to _estimate_ nature decently well, sometimes, in very controlled situations. But there is no reason at all to think our models are identical to the actual systems, or that any natural system is reducible to mechanical parts.

There certainly is regularity in nature, but so what? A child might see the same postman come to his house every single day for years, he could be justified in thinking the postman is mechanically part of his life, until the postman retires and someone new comes. Which would come back down to the problem of induction. It seems like a conflation of "our models work pretty well" and "reality must reflect our models."

[Someone With Mass]

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkrainianConfl ... eg_made_a/

This is just fucking disgusting. Also another reason why we should destroy Russia as a nation and make sure it never comes back.

[Vol]

Assuming that's what the guy is actually saying, and not a grungy version of Hamlet, it's not surprising how fast we return to the Bronze Age barbarism. American GIs had a known habit of collecting "war trophies" in the Pacific, which included body parts, skulls, not just flags and sidearms. We're all only human, and that can be a very unpleasant thing.

On the plus side, that guy's got a name and a face now, he's going to be a target for the rest of his life, which probably won't be too long. How's the war going from your perspective?

[TTTX]

Assuming that's what the guy is actually saying, and not a grungy version of Hamlet, it's not surprising how fast we return to the Bronze Age barbarism. American GIs had a known habit of collecting "war trophies" in the Pacific, which included body parts, skulls, not just flags and sidearms. We're all only human, and that can be a very unpleasant thing.

war brings the worst out in people, hell some nazis even made stuff out of human skin, like a lamb.

[Someone With Mass]

How's the war going from your perspective?

Well, the Russians are not hesitating to show who the real Nazis are, what with their open talks about genocide, displacement of thousands of Ukrainian children and proudly chanting stuff that's almost word for word from Nazi Germany's book.

I'm convinced that Russia (as a government, important distinction) doesn't have anything against Nazis from a philosophical and ethical viewpoint, but are still butthurt about Hitler's violation of the non-aggression pact in 1939 because those witless neanderthals don't have anything besides war to celebrate.

From a pure strategic point of view of this war, I'll say that while the Ukrainians are taking losses, they're inflicting almost ten times as much damage upon the Russians. The frontlines have barely moved in Russia's favor ever since the Ukrainians got the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) from the US and started to blowing up dozens of ammo depots and command posts completely uncontested, since the Russians' radar systems can't tell the difference between HIMARS rockets and regular artillery shells.

They have also isolated 30 000-something Russian soldiers in one of the annexed regions by blowing up important bridges and started a huge offensive today in the south.

Russia is getting desperate, because they're running low on people (because Putin's too afraid to let the ethnic Russians fight their own fights, so he's taking people from the poor regions of Russia) and supplies. All their modern tanks are effectively gone, their airforce can't inflict decent damage without getting shot down or crashing staying below the radar and there's a lot of infighting within their ranks.

Then there are constant reports of Russian soldiers getting stabbed, poisoned, the whole Rasputin package in the occupied areas.

Russia has suffered more losses in half a year than the US did during its entire time in the Vietnam war.

They have also allegedly moved nuclear weapons into Crimea to stave off attacks, but they've threatened to use nukes so much now that no one's buying it.

In short, this war is one big fuck-up that'll take Russia decades to recover from.

[Mazder]

Looks like the Ukrainians have begun their Kherson offensive.
Reports in OSINT are alluding to the Ukrainians have made a tiny bit of headway already, main city of Kherson itself reports explosions (allegedly) and Liveuamap has a widget saying they have begun an offensive.

[Vol]

war brings the worst out in people, hell some nazis even made stuff out of human skin, like a lamb.

Good to keep in mind, this is entirely natural to humans. All people, everywhere, did stuff like this until forced to stop. Big danger of post-modernism, the gate holding the "natural human state" can fall too.

Well, the Russians are not hesitating to show who the real Nazis are, what with their open talks about genocide, displacement of thousands of Ukrainian children and proudly chanting stuff that's almost word for word from Nazi Germany's book.

The wild part is that Russians are claiming the Ukrainians are Nazis too. It's like that meme of Spiderman pointing at himself, but shouting "Nazi," only horrible because this is a war. Suppose we'll find out who the Nazi was when someone gives up.

From a pure strategic point of view of this war, I'll say that while the Ukrainians are taking losses, they're inflicting almost ten times as much damage upon the Russians. The frontlines have barely moved in Russia's favor ever since the Ukrainians got the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) from the US and started to blowing up dozens of ammo depots and command posts completely uncontested, since the Russians' radar systems can't tell the difference between HIMARS rockets and regular artillery shells.

Yeah, haven't heard much of anything about breakthroughs/routs in a good while, and then some strike _within_ Russia and ammo dumps getting lit up, plus a famous woman was assassinated by a car bomb. Ruskies still using their old, crappy weapons and vehicles? Heard they fielded some of their brand new tanks, a few of which got taken out.

Then there are constant reports of Russian soldiers getting stabbed, poisoned, the whole Rasputin package in the occupied areas.

Happened in Afghanistan too, Russian troops discovered the native resistance was far, far more cruel than they could be. Some real horror stories then.

In short, this war is one big fuck-up that'll take Russia decades to recover from.

On that note, I keep hearing that the cost of energy is through the fucking roof in Europe. Five, seven, ten times what is used to be, and people showing bills for like $60k+ for running cafes for a month.

1) Is that actually true for the average person in your countries?
2) If so, how is _anything_ functional right now?
3) What's the plan to accelerate the timeline for mass renewables/nuclear?

I can't imagine a $150 monthly bill turning into $750, much less indefinitely, so I don't fully believe the claims yet.

Looks like the Ukrainians have begun their Kherson offensive.
Reports in OSINT are alluding to the Ukrainians have made a tiny bit of headway already, main city of Kherson itself reports explosions (allegedly) and Liveuamap has a widget saying they have begun an offensive.

Any updates?

[Mazder]

Any updates?

None from Ukrainians for obvious security reasons.
but the ruskies gave out this image of a supposed Ukraine offensive made.



But these were the supposed gains 2 days ago.

[Someone With Mass]

On that note, I keep hearing that the cost of energy is through the fucking roof in Europe. Five, seven, ten times what is used to be, and people showing bills for like $60k+ for running cafes for a month.

1) Is that actually true for the average person in your countries?
2) If so, how is _anything_ functional right now?
3) What's the plan to accelerate the timeline for mass renewables/nuclear?

I can't imagine a $150 monthly bill turning into $750, much less indefinitely, so I don't fully believe the claims yet.

Not going to comment much on the war, because it genuinely upsets me, so I'll focus on this.

I can't speak for German politics on the account that I'm not German, but it sounds like they're slowly getting their heads out of Putin's ass when it comes to their ridiculous dependence on Russian gas. Their gas reserves are almost full, so a shortage is unlikely to happen.

As for my country, pretty much everything's getting more expensive, but the gas hit a peak (not too familiar with economics, so don't ask me how) so it's not too bad. I'm honestly more worried about the electricity bill come winter, considering that last year around Christmas, we got hit with a $1200 electricity bill and that was apparently modest compared to what other people had to pay up.

Everyone's getting more into renewable energy and establishing new gas lines, if only to end Europe's dependence on Russia, so it's getting there.

Speaking of nuclear, I do hope that the UN delegates can manage to secure the power plant in Ukraine from the people that are too stupid to not dig in irradiated soil.

[Vol]

None from Ukrainians for obvious security reasons.
but the ruskies gave out this image of a supposed Ukraine offensive made.

Easy to forget how relatively small the scale of the war is. We're raised on infantry formations and human wave attacks. If I'm reading those maps right, the goal is to push through, creative pockets, and push the Russians to the river?

Not going to comment much on the war, because it genuinely upsets me, so I'll focus on this.

I can't speak for German politics on the account that I'm not German, but it sounds like they're slowly getting their heads out of Putin's ass when it comes to their ridiculous dependence on Russian gas. Their gas reserves are almost full, so a shortage is unlikely to happen.

As for my country, pretty much everything's getting more expensive, but the gas hit a peak (not too familiar with economics, so don't ask me how) so it's not too bad. I'm honestly more worried about the electricity bill come winter, considering that last year around Christmas, we got hit with a $1200 electricity bill and that was apparently modest compared to what other people had to pay up.

Everyone's getting more into renewable energy and establishing new gas lines, if only to end Europe's dependence on Russia, so it's getting there.

Speaking of nuclear, I do hope that the UN delegates can manage to secure the power plant in Ukraine from the people that are too stupid to not dig in irradiated soil.

I must point out, Trump brought this up at the UN and was laughed at by the German delegation. Glad to see they've come around on the wisdom of not being dependent on Russian gas.

Yeah, reading that other than small businesses, and especially pubs, taking the punch on the chin (What else is new?), people are making due. But winter is going to be the real problem, since it's already far more deadly than summer, and I fairly assume most places people live aren't equipped with wood burning stoves, or wood.

A nuke plant was given a (short) stay of execution in California, who're going hardest on the green energy plan. Though they're also warning people not to charge their electric cars at night, so there's an inherent problem with not having built anything sufficient to replace what's being gotten rid of, while also pushing for far more energy consumption. I'm noticing that on the houses I work on, far more people have personal generators now, so the bourgeois are certainly spooked, though solar panels are getting very common thankfully.

Paper had an article about the UN inspectors being allowed to visit, how would they "secure" it in a warzone?

[Vol]

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukrai ... ce=Twitter

Speak of the devil. G7 announces plans to cap Russian oil costs, Russia goes, "Whoa, you'll never believe what just happened to our pipeline!"

[Someone With Mass]

If there's anything to take away from these last six months, it's that the Russians are bloated sacks of semi-sentient pig shit. If you assume that everything they say is a lie, you'll never be taken by surprise when they try to (poorly) stab you in the back.

That and the hippies that tried to shut down all nuclear programs should be firmly punched in the face.

[Vol]

Whatever happened to the NATO votes for Sweden, on that note?

[Someone With Mass]

Whatever happened to the NATO votes for Sweden, on that note?

I don't know the latest progress, but it sounds like there are still some NATO countries that need to ratify the accession protocols according to their national procedures, which will take time.

It could be that they haven't updated their site, but Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey still need to sign.

Some of them are looking for political favors to wring out of this whole thing, because they're assholes. Like Turkey.

[Vol]

I don't know the latest progress, but it sounds like there are still some NATO countries that need to ratify the accession protocols according to their national procedures, which will take time.

It could be that they haven't updated their site, but Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey still need to sign.

Some of them are looking for political favors to wring out of this whole thing, because they're assholes. Like Turkey.

Ah. Last I heard, it breezed through our Congress, but Turkey was expected to be the designated holdout if it came down to it. Sort of like how both our political parties have a few "moderates" whose job is to take the blame for failing to pass legislation. Though with Turkey, could be malicious too. Really hope I live to see them booted back to Asia Minor.

Otherwise, hearing the Ukranian counteroffensive nearly encircled the Russians, who then counterattack themselves, and they're back to status quo, or something close to it. Biden's going to ask for yet another aid package, this time $12b+, which is ballsy given the breakdown of domestic economics and the midterms.

[Mazder]

Liz Truss is the new PM of the UK.
Back to Victorian values....

[Someone With Mass]

Liz Truss is the new PM of the UK.
Back to Victorian values....

Googled her name because I don't know politics and the first thing I see is that she's conservative.

Yeah, that's a hard blow in of itself.

[Mazder]

Liz Truss is the new PM of the UK.
Back to Victorian values....

Googled her name because I don't know politics and the first thing I see is that she's conservative.

Yeah, that's a hard blow in of itself.

She's a lite version of Thatcher.
During the greatest crisis the UK is under we have her now at the helm and she is just sooo shit.

And there is already calls for Boris to get back into power by doing a vote of no confidence on Truss.


THE UK DOENS'T NEED THIS RIGHT NOW!!!
Urgh.
Fucking Conservatives fuck shit up all the time and just want the peasantry to sit by and accept it for the "good of the money" despite the money never seeing their pockets.

[Vol]

Liz Truss is the new PM of the UK.
Back to Victorian values....

Won't there be an election fairly soon, and the Tories get booted out for all this? Recall you guys have them fairly often, and the party has to be exceptionally weak right now after all this nonsense.

Victorian if you're lucky, can always go older!

Urgh.
Fucking Conservatives fuck shit up all the time and just want the peasantry to sit by and accept it for the "good of the money" despite the money never seeing their pockets.

Neoconservatives. Different philosophy, same archetype as the robber baron, but without any ties to the land or moral scruples about worshipping money. Difference between keeping your peasants poor, dumb, but able to toil the land, and working them to death, then importing new peasants.

Googled her name because I don't know politics and the first thing I see is that she's conservative.

Yeah, that's a hard blow in of itself.

I was talking to a friend of mine about something like this, and I got her to conclude she'd rather live in a (left-wing) authoritarian place than anything, democratic to autocratic, that is right-wing. I think we're seeing people come to the realization en masse right now.

[Mazder]

Won't there be an election fairly soon, and the Tories get booted out for all this? Recall you guys have them fairly often, and the party has to be exceptionally weak right now after all this nonsense.

Victorian if you're lucky, can always go older!

Next scheduled election is in 2024.
BUT there could always be a mess up for a general election. But even then the UK seriously doesn't need it right now, despite very much needing it. It's a catch 22, we need a government in place (which we've effectively not had in the past month because recess and the party in power has been pissing about with a leadership contest while shit piles up) but we also don't need to waste any more time because of the time wasted by the current party.

The party is in a weird place but Labour has also not been in a strong place either.
The whole shit's fucked.

Neoconservatives. Different philosophy, same archetype as the robber baron, but without any ties to the land or moral scruples about worshipping money. Difference between keeping your peasants poor, dumb, but able to toil the land, and working them to death, then importing new peasants.

Neo or not, they always seem to be fucking up as of late.
All they do is look out for themselves and fuck the general populace, all under the guise of individual "freedom" without realising that most don't have the same freedoms because of a lack of money and safety nets that the conservatives got rid of, in the name of freedom.
All shit. Really just not seeing any actual good for a general population under their schemes. Especially the Tory party right now under Truss.
She's very much for the exploitation of the masses for the business to maybe get investment.
I mean when the energy companies right now are seeing record breaking profits, and the poorest literally are unable to pay the bills and buy groceries (this is before the bills double in October and triple in January) she says "profits isn't a dirty word" and she "doesn't think it's unfair that the rich get more tax cuts/breaks than the poor", the lowest getting £7.66 off their National Insurance (which is kinda like your Federal Tax I guess) and the richest getting over £1801.89 off theirs. Every Month/paycheck.

[Vol]

The party is in a weird place but Labour has also not been in a strong place either.
The whole shit's fucked.

Interesting. From what I hear of the Tories from the right, they're scumbag neocons who conserve nothing. Obviously, the left will dislike them for different reasons, and having this giant cockup with Boris, among all the other pressing issues, seemed to me like an easy extra point for Labour or whoever.

All they do is look out for themselves and fuck the general populace, all under the guise of individual "freedom" without realising that most don't have the same freedoms because of a lack of money and safety nets that the conservatives got rid of, in the name of freedom.

This is where I've noticed a lot of political debate breaks down, because everyone is using different meanings for the same words. I think of a freedom as an innate right, something natural to mankind, and that our governments must respect and not violate. Which would mean money and safety nets have nothing whatsoever to do with them, you don't pay for your freedoms, and safety net is "the sovereign will not impugn on these without great cause." Whereas, other people see "freedoms" as getting to do what you want to, having access to things you want (via earning and spending money), and some baseline, minimum standard of living to enable all that.

As you can imagine, they're complete philosophical opposites, but use the same word. So it's easy to see why this breakdowns so badly when people try to talk. It sounds insane if someone using the other definition tries to explain their policy.

All shit. Really just not seeing any actual good for a general population under their schemes. Especially the Tory party right now under Truss.
She's very much for the exploitation of the masses for the business to maybe get investment.

Replacing local economies with a global, self-optimizing nightmare has been a disaster for the human race.

I mean when the energy companies right now are seeing record breaking profits, and the poorest literally are unable to pay the bills and buy groceries (this is before the bills double in October and triple in January) she says "profits isn't a dirty word" and she "doesn't think it's unfair that the rich get more tax cuts/breaks than the poor", the lowest getting £7.66 off their National Insurance (which is kinda like your Federal Tax I guess) and the richest getting over £1801.89 off theirs. Every Month/paycheck.

Yeah, that's neocon to the core. Trickle-down economics, or whatever you guys call it. If the rich are enabled to chase wealth, they'll spend an invest to make more, which comes down to use peasants. Which is technically true, unless they dump their money in assets that in no way ever touch our filthy, poor hands. Like high finance bullshit, real estate, interest bearing accounts, oversea banks, stocks, and so on. As opposed to a businessman who builds a factory in a town, then uses the profits to build a diner, apartments, and maybe a nice library with a statue of himself. Or in simpler terms, "What the fuck did you expect to happen when you rely on the greediest, most cutthroat people to be the most benevolent?"

[Vol]

It appears the Queen of England might be on her way out of this world. Royals gathering at the castle she's at, under constant medical supervision, hearing the BBC is getting ready for the necessary protocols if she passes. She'd be the last of the living WW2 leadership, no?

[Mazder]

The Queen is dead.

[Vol]

Whatever her goods, whatever her evils, that all rulers come to the same end as us, and possibly face the same judgement, is a kind of equality we never see anywhere else. She seemed like a very dignified, dutiful woman, and although as a yankee I'm not remotely qualified to comment on her life, I'm glad she passed peacefully with her family, at a ripe old age. We should all be so lucky.

[Someone With Mass]

Just to further empathize how much of a mess Russia's "special operation" is, Ukraine has taken more territory in four days than Russia has in three months. While destroying the Russian frontlines, wiping out over three battalions and two brigades worth of combat power in less than 72 hours and they have no reserves left to deploy. Their naval force is down to three missile ships and they are afraid of getting anywhere near the Ukrainian coast.

There are Russian officials that are debating on whenever they should just overthrow Putin or charge him with high treason as well.

Putin would have gotten more done in terms of progressing his retarded imperialist agenda if he had done nothing at all from the very start.

[Vol]

https://twitter.com/DeuNachrichten/stat ... 1840443392

Animated map of the offensive. I'm hearing both the Ukrainians are wiping out the Russians, and the Russians are baiting them into a trap. Suppose we'll find out soon.

Though I still fully believe we're in the twilight of "rule by the people," so I would not be at all surprised if Putin declares himself, or more wisely a Romanov descendant, tsar or something.

[Someone With Mass]

I would not be at all surprised if Putin declares himself, or more wisely a Romanov descendant, tsar or something.

Oh, he's already done that. Too bad that he's the only one to think that.

Also, the Ukrainians took an important city overnight. Last week, it was 60 km behind the frontline.

[Vol]

Oh, he's already done that. Too bad that he's the only one to think that.

Also, the Ukrainians took an important city overnight. Last week, it was 60 km behind the frontline.

Yeah, seems like the Russian front there was wide open, so the offensive immediately collapsed them. Heard Russian artillery and planes are pounding them, but it's mandatory conscription, old school style, and you need infantry to hold positions. Russians can't do that, so even if they take a heavy toll, there's new men waiting in line to take his place. The idea of a feint is a bit harder to swallow after giving up a city too. Can't imagine what the plan was, hope the Ukrainians never noticed you don't have the men to hold your line?

[Vol]

https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking- ... ll-s-phone

I have no idea of that site is a real source or not, but Lindell himself announced something he would personally be privy to. But the growing schism between right-wing Americans and their intelligence agencies is, uh, a worrying concept for numerous historical reasons.

[Vol]

https://www.dw.com/en/sweden-election-p ... a-63117673

Huh. Didn't see that one coming. They the type to actually do anything with the power, or the usual waffling conservatives who sit on their hands?

[Someone With Mass]

https://www.dw.com/en/sweden-election-pm-magdalena-andersson-concedes-victory-to-right-wing-opposition/a-63117673

Huh. Didn't see that one coming. They the type to actually do anything with the power, or the usual waffling conservatives who sit on their hands?

They're the kind that are way too obsessed with immigrants.

I voted for Magdalena Andersson because she was going to try to do something about the coming electricity bill crisis, but now we'll have a bunch of witless shitheads with retarded priorities instead.

[Vol]

They're the kind that are way too obsessed with immigrants.

I voted for Magdalena Andersson because she was going to try to do something about the coming electricity bill crisis, but now we'll have a bunch of witless shitheads with retarded priorities instead.

Have they ever held power like this before? Our GOP is, at their very best, useful for briefly slowing the rate of decay, but they haven't attempted to do anything productive, outside neocon oversea adventures, in a long time now.

That said, has any European nation found a solution to the coming winter?

[Someone With Mass]

Have they ever held power like this before? Our GOP is, at their very best, useful for briefly slowing the rate of decay, but they haven't attempted to do anything productive, outside neocon oversea adventures, in a long time now.

That said, has any European nation found a solution to the coming winter?

I doubt it'll be nearly as dramatic as it'd be if a right-winged party in the states took over, but we could have certainly done better.

As for the winter, a lot of new pipelines are being built to other countries to compensate for Russia's ineptitude and the gas reserves are practically full.

Not that it matters to me beyond the kilowatt price, since I can't remember the last time I used gas for anything that wasn't a car.

[Someone With Mass]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2kWndBtLDU&ab_channel=VolunteerInfoN

And this is what I felt like I wanted to do to that fucking corner store whore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-5pPy7zuyc&ab_channel=Movieclips

[Vol]

I doubt it'll be nearly as dramatic as it'd be if a right-winged party in the states took over, but we could have certainly done better.

As for the winter, a lot of new pipelines are being built to other countries to compensate for Russia's ineptitude and the gas reserves are practically full.

Not that it matters to me beyond the kilowatt price, since I can't remember the last time I used gas for anything that wasn't a car.

Can't speak to what your previous ruling party did, but it clearly wasn't enough. Over in Japan, the Liberal Democratic (conservative) party has ruled nearly entirely since WW2, but for a brief period in the Obama years. When Shinzo Abe got assassinated, they took a supermajority in both houses of the Diet. Meaning in theory, they would have the votes to repeal the part of their constitution that prevents them from militarizing again.

"Whale fall," is a fun term.

So you folks up in Sweden are well prepared then?

[Someone With Mass]

So you folks up in Sweden are well prepared then?

Yes and no. The food prices getting higher isn't something we can do much about aside from growing our own stuff, but we're going to sign up with another electrical company so that the prices will be measured in a different manner.

[Vol]

Yes and no. The food prices getting higher isn't something we can do much about aside from growing our own stuff, but we're going to sign up with another electrical company so that the prices will be measured in a different manner.

On a related note, apparently Putin is supposed to give a public address very soon, and rumor is obviously it'll be about mobilizing more heavily for Ukraine. Which would be a good thing, in the sense that he needs a deeper well of manpower, and a bad thing, because of everything that comes with it. But endless NATO dollars and equipment is apparently fairly effective against Ruskies.

[Someone With Mass]

On a related note, apparently Putin is supposed to give a public address very soon, and rumor is obviously it'll be about mobilizing more heavily for Ukraine. Which would be a good thing, in the sense that he needs a deeper well of manpower, and a bad thing, because of everything that comes with it. But endless NATO dollars and equipment is apparently fairly effective against Ruskies.

And here's that announcement by Putler the Pussy.

https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1 ... EMndcVNbQw

Only "partial" mobilization, while wasting no time to threaten us with nukes.
Meanwhile, the trending Google search in Russia becomes "how to break arm" and "how to escape Russian/military service"

Only shows that he's still too stupid to comprehend logistics. Then again, when a country is too stupid/corrupt/cheap to even use forklifts, one's expectations goes into the dirt.

[Vol]

Well, there it is. The worst possible outcome for the Ukrainians too. Means their country is going to be a bombed out hellhole as the violence escalates.

Hearing plane tickets out of Russia have skyrocketed in cost, and there's some sort of ban on military age males leaving at all. Doesn't seem like anyone knows what percentage of their equipment has been used or captured, or what their industrial capacity is like. Suppose the big worry is if China starts supplying them, even if their gear sucks. What an awful mess.

[Vol]

The DOW closed down over 500 points today (yesterday). Below 30k, all of the gains during Trump + Biden are gone. Though it seems more volatile lately, big wings, and increasingly less pegged to the actual economy so much as the machinations of the financial caste. But it's still a symbolic moment, dropping into the twenty thousands again.

[Alienmorph]

Aaaand we elected a borderline neo-fascist exactly 100 years after Mussolini's original takeover.

Lovely... not.

Bleeh, doubt she's gonna stay in power for more than one or two years, things here are a fucking circus. But she could, and probably will, cause a lot of damage during her stay in command.

Also I fucking hate that a literal homophobic far-right person is our first major female leader. Like, what the fuck.