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Sep 25, 2009
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where does france really stand ?

can some france resident (frenchfry ?) make sense of the local elections ?

i scanned some main street french media and...came out confused. the media of course is having a field day with jokes, sarkozy tattoos etc, but the whiff of the serious comments i got were:

-france may be evolving from a traditional 2-party to a 3-party political animal
-the success of the far right, though less than predicted, is changing the political landscape. the crazy thing about the far-right voter base was that many traditional leftists switched to the far right. the germans (my sisters tell me) are suspicious of the flip-flop. the anglo saxons (my own view) interpreted, to put it mildly, the french left-right swings as not particularly unexpected.... the eastern europeans (if the polishs and czech reactions represent them) looked less than concerned.
-the sarkozy rise looks too little yet in terms of his presidential bid. his official declarations of a strict non-alliance with either the socialists or the le pen clan, sound disingenuous. at least that's how i interpreted him, b/c his other statements (as far as i could understand them) were betraying a right-leaning, the eu irritation stance...some statements (like about the crimea 'realities') would depart to the moon compared the eu/america official line...
----
among others important european news (only the Carnegie foundation picked up on it among the west's english-language media, iirc)...ukraine has just devolved into its usual oligarch fights for their ill-gotten riches...the oligarch billionaire president of ukraine (poroshenko) gave an ultimatum to the oligarch billionaire-governor of a large province (kolomoyski) -
'disarm your private army in 24h or else'.
 
Re: Re:

The Hitch said:
Hugh Januss said:
python said:
Glenn_Wilson said:
I guess those drunk Russians just want to stir up Europe. Embarrassed drunk russians?
i guess some drunk former marines have been trying to stir crap in the feedback forum and got their arses kicked ? embarrassed drunks posting idiotic content ?
When Russia does it it is an evil threat, when America does it we are making the World safe for democracy.

By the same token you are being hypocritical for only ever criticising America or Americans, for being arrogant when everyone does it.

Who says America makes the World safe for Democracy? The Americans?

How evil of them. No other country on the planet ever claims to be good. Always those evil Americans doing the bad things no one else does. Booooooo.
No not hypocritical, I am an American, I can comment on my countries policy any effing time I want. But beyond that who else has started a war in the oil producing region of the world (middle east, for you idiots) in the past 10-15 years? Anybody? Ferris? No? Piss off.
 
Jul 4, 2009
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...if you think the Ukrainian situation has up to this point been a cauldron of weird the development below may take the situation to a whole new level of weird....

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Ukraine leader fires oligarch Kolomoisky as regional chief

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has fired billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky as governor of a key region in the east after a raid by armed men on the Kiev offices of a state oil firm, his website said on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old has been at the center of a political storm since men, armed and masked, briefly entered the offices of UkrTransNafta last Thursday night after its director, an ally of Kolomoisky, was replaced.

As governor of Dnipropetrovsk, Kolomoisky, a banking, energy and media tycoon with a fortune put at $1.8 billion by Forbes last year, has been a valuable ally to the central government by financing volunteer battalions there to defend against pro-Russian separatists.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/ ... CG20150325

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....and the following puts a bit more colour onto the story...

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The head of Ukraine’s security service, Valentin Nalivaichenko, confirmed that Dnipropetrovsk regional officials were linked to groups involved in organized criminal activity, including fighting with security forces, abducting individuals, and intimidating anti-corruption investigators. Nalivaichenko also told reporters on Monday that his agency would be helping police to arrest the men.

“We confirm that the police and journalists have noticed illegal actions by people with weapons...We have a strict order from the president that every person in UkrNafta be disarmed,” he said, the New York Times reported.

It is estimated that there are about 30 such private militias that are allied to the Kiev government but are not loyal to it. They have been accused of major human rights violations, including abduction, torture and summary executions

...from... http://www.ibtimes.com/poroshenko-order ... il-1856912

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....so we have very rich people who in some cases have been given political/bureaucratic control of large areas of The Ukraine and with very private armies having a royal spat with the Kiev junta....sounds like maybe the makings of something akin to a civil war which given the current situation would make things very very interesting....

...do note that Kolomoisky is reputed to be among the most corrupt and vicious of the oligarchs that more or less control most businesses in The Ukraine and according to rumour been connected to both the Odessa incident and believe it or not the MH17 shoot down....and if rumours are to be believed this may be part of a housecleaning operation wherein Kolomoisky, because of his latest actions, which put his nose into the wind at a very inopportune time ( this kind of behaviour in the old system would probably have been papered over but now the spotlight is on The Ukraine and the world and especially the IMF is looking ), becomes the sacrificial lamb whose takedown will be used as proof that the Ukrainian junta is serious about fighting corruption and getting their house in order so that IMF monies will start flowing....


Cheers
 
Sep 25, 2009
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Re: where does france really stand ?

^^old news...

i posted 2 days ago
python said:
----
among others important european news (only the Carnegie foundation picked up on it among the west's english-language media, iirc)...ukraine has just devolved into its usual oligarch fights for their ill-gotten riches...the oligarch billionaire president of ukraine (poroshenko) gave an ultimatum to the oligarch billionaire-governor of a large province (kolomoyski) -
'disarm your private army in 24h or else'.

the latest news (perhaps a rumour at this stage) is that most of the ukrainian revolutionary billionaires (including the prez) have ganged up on kolomoyski. he was not only too obnoxious, but also had too much executive power to enrich himself...the curly fat former governor is not to be outdone and just publicly declared he's ready to use his personal battalions in defense of his property. another rumour is that before submitting a 'voluntary resignation' kolomoyski had a telecon with the us envoy to kiev. true or not, but the unian pro-government agency mentioned it.
 
Jul 4, 2009
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Re: where does france really stand ?

python said:
^^old news...

i posted 2 days ago
python said:
----
among others important european news (only the Carnegie foundation picked up on it among the west's english-language media, iirc)...ukraine has just devolved into its usual oligarch fights for their ill-gotten riches...the oligarch billionaire president of ukraine (poroshenko) gave an ultimatum to the oligarch billionaire-governor of a large province (kolomoyski) -
'disarm your private army in 24h or else'.

the latest news (perhaps a rumour at this stage) is that most of the ukrainian revolutionary billionaires (including the prez) have ganged up on kolomoyski. he was not only too obnoxious, but also had too much executive power to enrich himself...the curly fat former governor is not to be outdone and just publicly declared he's ready to use his personal battalions in defense of his property. another rumour is that before submitting a 'voluntary resignation' kolomoyski had a telecon with the us envoy to kiev. true or not, but the unian pro-government agency mentioned it.

....keep in mind that Kolomoisky has a connection that may well give him access to the highest levels of the US government ( one of his energy holdings has Joe Biden's son in an executive position )...

....found a more better thingee....
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"Kolomoisky also is believed to have purchased influence inside the U.S. government through his behind-the-scenes manipulation of Ukraine’s largest private gas firm, Burisma Holdings. Last year, the shadowy Cyprus-based company appointed Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, to its board of directors. Burisma also lined up well-connected lobbyists, some with ties to Secretary of State John Kerry, including Kerry’s former Senate chief of staff David Leiter, according to lobbying disclosures.

As Time magazine reported, “Leiter’s involvement in the firm rounds out a power-packed team of politically-connected Americans that also includes a second new board member, Devon Archer, a Democratic bundler and former adviser to John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign. Both Archer and Hunter Biden have worked as business partners with Kerry’s son-in-law, Christopher Heinz, the founding partner of Rosemont Capital, a private-equity company.”
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Cheers
 
Jul 4, 2009
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....and there is this...take it for what its worth....though Saker does have a habit of being dead nuts on...

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Is Uncle Sam “tossing” Kolomoiskii?

March 24, 2015 


Events in the Ukraine are taking a very serious turn: Poroshenko has declared that private “pocket” armies of governors will no longer be tolerated and he has now given Kolomoiskii 24 hours to lay down arms. Poroshenko’s chief henchmen – Arsen Avakov and the CIA’s Valentin Nalivaichenko – have indicated that Poroshenko has their full support and loyalty. In other words, the full power of the junta is now threatening to come down on Kolomoiskii’s head. Kolomoiskii, in turn, is preparing some kind of pro-Kolomoiskii “maidan” in Dnepropetrovsk for Wednesday. In order to prevent that, several death squads (“national guard battalions”) have been sent to the city.

It sure looks like the freaks are really going to go after each other.

It will be very interesting to observe how this will play out. The US seems to be fully supporting Poroshenko as will most other countries. For the Empire, it might be a good moment to get rid of such a fantastically odious figure like Kololmoiskii.

Interestingly, Kolomoikii has recently declared in an interview that if new elections were organized in Novorussia he believed that Zakharchenko and other Novorussian officials would probably be reelected. Such overtures to the Novorussian leadership are a sign that Kolomoiskii is in a tough spot and that he is considering his options.

As for Poroshenko, he appears as bellicose as ever, making grand statements about everything and running around in battle fatigues. Whether that will be enough to impress a thug whose net worth is estimated at 1.3 billion dollars is unclear to me. And yet, I don’t see Kolomoiskii prevailing in this fight. Not only is the Empire clearly supporting Poroshenko, as key “power figures” in the junta, but even Russia has (reluctantly) accepted that, at least for the time being, Poroshenko was if not fully legitimate, then the real de-facto leader of the Nazi occupied Ukraine. So while left one on one Kolomoiskii would probably easily defeat Poroshenko, the fact that the latter has the full backing of the Empire will probably be crucial.

I would add that for the Empire to support the weaker party is normal, but not out of some sense of justice for the little guy, but simply because the stronger party does not need external support to win whereas the weaker party always does. This is the real reason why the Empire will always side with the minority, with the smaller group – it is easier to control. Siding with Poroshenko just makes the him even more dependent on US support.

So it all adds up: Kolomoiskii is a universally loathed figure, there is a very good chance that MH17 can be fully dumped on him (thereby providing the Empire with a face saving “out”), he is probably very hard to control and he is threatening the junta. If I was sitting in Langley my recommendation would be clear: send him to Muzychko.

The Saker
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Cheers
 
the French FN recuperating the disappointed left-wing electors is nothing new. It's been a constant trend for the last 10 years or so, even in the days of Le Pen sr.

The working class people realised that the EU was not protecting them from globalization but on the contrary was the Trojan Horse of it. Marine Le Pen understood it and adapted her speeches according to this trend, becoming more "social" and criticising the EU very harshly, despite never suggesting to exit it and remaining ambiguous about exiting the eurozone. Besides, this part of the population is traditionally anti-immigration (the Communist Party was opposed to mass immigration in the eighties).

Another topic where MLP clashes with the working class is her visceral Islamophobia (which ought not to be confused with immigration!) and pro-Israeli stance, which is why the Jewish lobby group Crif said she was "irreproachable" (sic) [when you think of who his father was, it's rather ironic]. That's why the abstention rate is still considerably high: 49% ! Considering the fact that it was a local election (so close to the people and traditionally popular), it's pretty significant. If MLP was more respectful of the Islamic civilization - which her political tradition historically was - she probably would have been an MP in 2012. The Muslim vote proved fatal for her back then.

Also woth noting how the media wished to undermine the PS defeat and to highlight the UMP victory but also undermined the FN rise and of course the very high abstention rate.
Resultats-departementales-4-chaines-4-resultats-differents-1024x512.jpg


Actually, the FN was the first party. The UMP needed their allies of the UDI to win.
 
Echoes said:
the French FN recuperating the disappointed left-wing electors is nothing new. It's been a constant trend for the last 10 years or so, even in the days of Le Pen sr.

The working class people realised that the EU was not protecting them from globalization but on the contrary was the Trojan Horse of it. Marine Le Pen understood it and adapted her speeches according to this trend, becoming more "social" and criticising the EU very harshly, despite never suggesting to exit it and remaining ambiguous about exiting the eurozone. Besides, this part of the population is traditionally anti-immigration (the Communist Party was opposed to mass immigration in the eighties).

Another topic where MLP clashes with the working class is her visceral Islamophobia (which ought not to be confused with immigration!) and pro-Israeli stance, which is why the Jewish lobby group Crif said she was "irreproachable" (sic) [when you think of who his father was, it's rather ironic]. That's why the abstention rate is still considerably high: 49% ! Considering the fact that it was a local election (so close to the people and traditionally popular), it's pretty significant. If MLP was more respectful of the Islamic civilization - which her political tradition historically was - she probably would have been an MP in 2012. The Muslim vote proved fatal for her back then.

Also woth noting how the media wished to undermine the PS defeat and to highlight the UMP victory but also undermined the FN rise and of course the very high abstention rate.
Resultats-departementales-4-chaines-4-resultats-differents-1024x512.jpg


Actually, the FN was the first party. The UMP needed their allies of the UDI to win.

The nationalist movements have always negated a constant in human civilization, namely its propensity for change and metamorphosis. It is futile to believe that colonialization, also at the level of missionary enterprises, will not be accompanied by a "boomerang effect." Sooner or later the hegemon becomes unrecognizable from its former purity.

Intermingling and admixture have guided the cultural transformations from time immemorial, indeed Europe itself has been a natural product of them.

The passage from paganesimo to Christianesimo is, in this sense, one synchretic example.

On the other hand aducing that communists were anti-immigration on racial grounds is spurious, since it was predicated upon the ballance of workers' stability, which has nothing to do with the nationalist right's racism.
 
Sep 25, 2009
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...several weeks back, i posted a controversial german article that attempted to re-assess the western allied troops crimes during the ww2. specifically, it was claimed that only the GIs were responsible for 190,000 rapes.

the article below attempts to evaluate the german historin's rape claims validity.

except the needless sexual-political labels i always feel suspicious about ('the german is a lefty feminist and america-hater'), i found the daily mail article quite reasonable and objective. iow, the claims of 190,000 rapes were way overblown.

judge for yourself:
Did Allied troops rape 285,000 German women?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ist-exposing-war-crime-slandering-heroes.html
 
Jul 4, 2009
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....well...seems things in The Ukraine are just going peachy for some, in fact almost according to something kinda sorta ressembling a plan. or an inplace predisposition ( read business as usual....Maidan which was as much as anything a protest against corruption seems was just a video friendly distraction )....

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"We were asked to inspect government activities for the period prior to the revolution, but during the course of inspections, we have found violations from the new period, by the current government. Such as Ukrzalispostach, Ukrzalisnitsa. The government asked the Ministry of Infrastructure to perform the audit of Ukrzalisnitsa, not us (to audit themselves by themselves). Their audit was useless."

....from. http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/03/26/5028

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....and....

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"Maidan initiated a process of oligarchic restructuring," says analyst Andriy Zolotaryov of Kyiv's Third Sector think tank. "Some oligarchs lost influence and a significant part of their wealth. Other oligarchs, on the other hand, despite losses, became stronger, more secure. Ihor Kolomoyskiy was one of the latter. It was a redistribution."

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""Instead of the federalization that we have all been so afraid of, we are getting the feudalization of Ukraine," he says.

It was never realistic to imagine that ending the oligarchic model in Ukraine would be a simple, consensus-based process, analysts say. Particularly if it is played out at a time of a crippling economic crisis and an open conflict with Russia.

"We are losing the chance to reform," former official Bondar says. "We are being distracted from what is really happening in the economy. Everyone has forgotten about the banks, about the exchange rate, and everything else that is going on. Instead of focusing on the needs of investors, we have lost their confidence."

"The hryvnya is being destroyed," he adds. "I have already said -- Putin can relax because our government and our oligarchs will do everything for him."


....from... http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/03/27/5049

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Cheers
 
rhubroma said:
On the other hand aducing that communists were anti-immigration on racial grounds is spurious, since it was predicated upon the ballance of workers' stability, which has nothing to do with the nationalist right's racism.


I'll inform the readers of this thread that I NEVER claimed that communists' anti-immigration stances (in the 80's) were based on racial grounds, neither were far-right stances in "Latin" countries. There's nothing of that in my post for anybody who read it carefully. It's - as usual from you - outrageous and demagogic allegations against me.


The rest of your post is your usual deranged psycho-babble.
 
Echoes said:
rhubroma said:
On the other hand aducing that communists were anti-immigration on racial grounds is spurious, since it was predicated upon the ballance of workers' stability, which has nothing to do with the nationalist right's racism.


I'll inform the readers of this thread that I NEVER claimed that communists' anti-immigration stances (in the 80's) were based on racial grounds, neither were far-right stances in "Latin" countries. There's nothing of that in my post for anybody who read it carefully. It's - as usual from you - outrageous and demagogic allegations against me.


The rest of your post is your usual deranged psycho-babble.

To be expected from an atheist. Bad atheist.
 
Echoes said:
rhubroma said:
On the other hand aducing that communists were anti-immigration on racial grounds is spurious, since it was predicated upon the ballance of workers' stability, which has nothing to do with the nationalist right's racism.


I'll inform the readers of this thread that I NEVER claimed that communists' anti-immigration stances (in the 80's) were based on racial grounds, neither were far-right stances in "Latin" countries. There's nothing of that in my post for anybody who read it carefully. It's - as usual from you - outrageous and demagogic allegations against me.


The rest of your post is your usual deranged psycho-babble.

So then what was your point? Following a syllogistic reasoning, a là Aquinas, normally one would conclude that nationalists are racist. Not that, no! The communists were involved in a Zionist conspiracy? :D
 
Oct 23, 2011
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frenchfry said:
Echoes said:
The rest of your post is your usual deranged psycho-babble.

To be expected from an atheist. Bad atheist.

I think it's good to know that rhub himself is the origin of the phrase "the rest of your post is your usual deranged psycho-babble"; he used it to describe one of Echoes' posts in the God and Religion thread a while back. So Echoes' use of this phrase here should probably be taken with a tad of irony. ;)
 
Maaaaaaaarten said:
frenchfry said:
Echoes said:
The rest of your post is your usual deranged psycho-babble.

To be expected from an atheist. Bad atheist.

I think it's good to know that rhub himself is the origin of the phrase "the rest of your post is your usual deranged psycho-babble"; he used it to describe one of Echoes' posts in the God and Religion thread a while back. So Echoes use of this phrase here should probably be taken with a tad of irony. ;)

Indeed. Let us then also take everything else Echoes has said with a tad bit of irony. Since it will spare us from imagining the state with his lot in power. :cool:
 
Mar 13, 2009
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Re:

python said:
...several weeks back, i posted a controversial german article that attempted to re-assess the western allied troops crimes during the ww2. specifically, it was claimed that only the GIs were responsible for 190,000 rapes.

the article below attempts to evaluate the german historin's rape claims validity.

except the needless sexual-political labels i always feel suspicious about ('the german is a lefty feminist and america-hater'), i found the daily mail article quite reasonable and objective. iow, the claims of 190,000 rapes were way overblown.

judge for yourself:
Did Allied troops rape 285,000 German women?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ist-exposing-war-crime-slandering-heroes.html

the americans have trouble not raping their own serving uniform, males being raped too. so it is not surprising that when you "other" the enemy, that this occurs innit, but those ISIS folk with their sex slaves <sardony>
 
Mar 13, 2009
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Re:

Hugh Januss said:
For new posters (who may have come in with the awesome new forum) Glenn and python go way back. They can both kind of be douchebags from time to time but in general they both (no take that back) they each mean well, for the most part. They can just never have a civil discussion. Apparently Glenn did something to python on another forum and then python got Glenn back so then Glenn flamed python and then python.................. Is that about right guys?


yeah we had the odd tete-a-tete on dailypelotonforums and cyclingforums

the others who were involved were Chris E, chris t, and thunder. dont confuse them with Chris H, or House, cos they all got into some flames on DailyPeloton. as oncearunner will attest eh Glenn.

raceradio had a few monickers on other cycling forums, and if you read them between about 2001 to 2013 you would have read raceradio's alternate iterations on those fora.
 
Re:

Amsterhammer said:
"BREAKING"

Iraqi PM Al Abadi announces "liberation" of Tikrit.

About time the Iraqi army cowards step up to protect their own country, even if they are supported by the Iran revolutionary guard. The U.S. gave them everything they needed to fight ISIL, money, training, equipment, everything but a backbone. It's an Arab conflict, let those in the neighborhood fix it.
 
Jul 5, 2009
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Re: Re:

Bustedknuckle said:
Amsterhammer said:
"BREAKING"

Iraqi PM Al Abadi announces "liberation" of Tikrit.

About time the Iraqi army cowards step up to protect their own country, even if they are supported by the Iran revolutionary guard. The U.S. gave them everything they needed to fight ISIL, money, training, equipment, everything but a backbone. It's an Arab conflict, let those in the neighborhood fix it.

British Mandate and the Ottoman Empire. Look them up. There never was a homogenous country called country called Iraq until a bunch of white guys arbitrarily drew borders encompassing Asyrians, Kurds, Shia and others. All through this period the different groups did try to assert their independence but were ruthlessly crushed by an imposed Hashemite monarchy. And this was only a few generations ago, so don't think anyone in that area of the world has forgotten.

By virtue of smashing modern day Iraq into bits, the US has inadvertently allowed these groups to become independent and begin to fight for the nations that really should have existed in the first place.

Doesn't really fit your narrative of the middle east as a bunch of cowardly, backwards idiots, does it?

John Swanson
 
Jun 22, 2009
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Re: Re:

ScienceIsCool said:
Bustedknuckle said:
Amsterhammer said:
"BREAKING"

Iraqi PM Al Abadi announces "liberation" of Tikrit.

About time the Iraqi army cowards step up to protect their own country, even if they are supported by the Iran revolutionary guard. The U.S. gave them everything they needed to fight ISIL, money, training, equipment, everything but a backbone. It's an Arab conflict, let those in the neighborhood fix it.

British Mandate and the Ottoman Empire. Look them up. There never was a homogenous country called country called Iraq until a bunch of white guys arbitrarily drew borders encompassing Asyrians, Kurds, Shia and others. All through this period the different groups did try to assert their independence but were ruthlessly crushed by an imposed Hashemite monarchy. And this was only a few generations ago, so don't think anyone in that area of the world has forgotten.

By virtue of smashing modern day Iraq into bits, the US has inadvertently allowed these groups to become independent and begin to fight for the nations that really should have existed in the first place.

Doesn't really fit your narrative of the middle east as a bunch of cowardly, backwards idiots, does it?

John Swanson

Even taking the whole sordid history of the influence, and subsequent demise, of the British and Ottoman Empires into account, one can still justifiably condemn the abject cowardice of the Iraqi forces and their officer corps when ISIS first attacked into northern Iraq. Armed forces, supposedly well trained, vastly superior in numbers, and with the best modern weaponry the US can provide, just dropped everything and ran. I think we can call them chicken-sh!ts, who disgraced their uniforms.
 
Jul 5, 2009
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Okay, you're not getting it. The "Iraqi forces" don't give a *** about protecting the "Iraqi state" because it has zero value to them. They didn't drop gear and run. They actively supported the political entity that they do care about. You don't like ISIS. Got it. They cut people's heads off and are barbarians about the whole deal. Sure. From their perspective, that is small beer compared to white phosphorous, depleted uranium, Abu Ghraib and a million other equally barbarous acts. Except. Maybe, just maybe, these new political entities represent a large and disaffected population that is founding new national roots. Not like the US hasn't had a brutally fought revolution or a gruesome civil war...
 
Mar 13, 2009
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Re:

ScienceIsCool said:
Okay, you're not getting it. The "Iraqi forces" don't give a **** about protecting the "Iraqi state" because it has zero value to them. They didn't drop gear and run. They actively supported the political entity that they do care about. You don't like ISIS. Got it. They cut people's heads off and are barbarians about the whole deal. Sure. From their perspective, that is small beer compared to white phosphorous, depleted uranium, Abu Ghraib and a million other equally barbarous acts. Except. Maybe, just maybe, these new political entities represent a large and disaffected population that is founding new national roots. Not like the US hasn't had a brutally fought revolution or a gruesome civil war...
yeah, shock and awe is terrorism by another name.
 
Re: Re:

ScienceIsCool said:
Bustedknuckle said:
Amsterhammer said:
"BREAKING"

Iraqi PM Al Abadi announces "liberation" of Tikrit.

About time the Iraqi army cowards step up to protect their own country, even if they are supported by the Iran revolutionary guard. The U.S. gave them everything they needed to fight ISIL, money, training, equipment, everything but a backbone. It's an Arab conflict, let those in the neighborhood fix it.

British Mandate and the Ottoman Empire. Look them up. There never was a homogenous country called country called Iraq until a bunch of white guys arbitrarily drew borders encompassing Asyrians, Kurds, Shia and others. All through this period the different groups did try to assert their independence but were ruthlessly crushed by an imposed Hashemite monarchy. And this was only a few generations ago, so don't think anyone in that area of the world has forgotten.

By virtue of smashing modern day Iraq into bits, the US has inadvertently allowed these groups to become independent and begin to fight for the nations that really should have existed in the first place.

Doesn't really fit your narrative of the middle east as a bunch of cowardly, backwards idiots, does it?

John Swanson

Yes you could argue that what failed in Persia worked in India. Even Gandhi finally saw the sense in partitioning India and at the time they had no choice or the slaughter would have continued but of course for minority groups if something goes wrong they are the first to be blamed if they preferred to stay and not cross the border.
 
Jul 5, 2009
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White man's burden and all that. Good thing we arbitrarily separated the savages into India and Pakistan so that they could live a better life. I really need some education here... How was Britain fu^king over the Indian sub- continent a good thing? I really don't think that many people consider the absolute horror and destruction that colonialism and then modern western imperialism have wrought on the dark skinned people of this planet.
 
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