World Politics

[Brullnux]

Re:

the UK labour party just elected its new leader -jeremy corbyn. he's interesting, controversial and as far left as i would say is palatable in the current british politics... strong anti war rhetoric, populist, and what's most curious to me, he's very far from rubber stamping the current UK foreign office policies more or less established in washington.

i know there are several brits posting here - i mean the uk posters regardless of their ethnic root. i would be interested in their take on jeremy

I like him, he's honest and offers some alternative to the austerity measures. However, he is not anywhere near as impressive as Nicola Sturgeon. What Labour needs is Nicola, she speaks very well, and finances her ideas, if a bit optimistically at times.

I'm not sure whether Corbyn's spending strategy is a good one. But I'm not good enough at economy to know if it is.

 

[python]

Re: Re:

the UK labour party just elected its new leader -jeremy corbyn. he's interesting, controversial and as far left as i would say is palatable in the current british politics... strong anti war rhetoric, populist, and what's most curious to me, he's very far from rubber stamping the current UK foreign office policies more or less established in washington.

i know there are several brits posting here - i mean the uk posters regardless of their ethnic root. i would be interested in their take on jeremy

I like him, he's honest and offers some alternative to the austerity measures. However, he is not anywhere near as impressive as Nicola Sturgeon. What Labour needs is Nicola, she speaks very well, and finances her ideas, if a bit optimistically at times.

I'm not sure whether Corbyn's spending strategy is a good one. But I'm not good enough at economy to know if it is.

thanks. like so many, i was stunned by his landslide victory, when i read how far to the left he was...it seems the labour party is still split and confused with the labour mp's (in their absolute majority) willing to have nothing to do with their new party leader weird, isn't it !

i guess, corbyn will have to temper his hard-left pull if he is to lead a cohesive opposition not to mention winning the govt at some point. still, i find it fascinating how a major, prosperous european nation, unlike the impoverished greece for instance, is increasingly looking hard left (or right)...or maybe corbyn was the labour's electorate fluke separate from the masses sentiment ? i hope not.

 

[wendybnt]

It is a reaction to the surprise majority win of the Conservatives in the election in May.

That really exposed the Labour party as having lost its identity. The other candidates for the Labour leadership were same-old same-old anodyne blank faces with no real background of having consistent views rooted in any kind of value system. The loss of the election, combined with the massive swing in Scotland to the SNP have rendered the electoral chances of anybody but the Conservatives looking pretty bleak. If Scotland goes independent (which it will) the UK as it stands will have perpetual Conservative rule. The Conservatives know this, which is why they will not fight that hard to keep Scotland, regardless of the words that come out, and regardless of having claimed that a Labour government would have split up the UK.

On announcing that Jeremy Corbyn would stand for the Labour leadership, the Conservatives furtively got their general membership to register membership with the Labour party so they they too could vote in the leadership election. They planned to vote for Corbyn as they knew they could smear him very effectively, with the help from a complicit media.

It wasn't even an hour after Corbyn's victory that the Conservatives started, with the defence secretary declaring that Corbyn was "a threat to national security" (because he is against the UKs nuclear deterrent). This morning a high figure in the Conservative government, called Gove, was on the main sunday political programme repeating this, saying that "Corbyn would get rid of nuclear deterrent at a time when terrorists were actively seeking nuclear weapons"...... quite what use Gove thinks Trident missiles would be against terrorists I don't know.

If Corbyn, and the party unite he could prove to be a very effective opposition to the Conservative's lies. However it is already absolutely clear that he won't get a fair crack at it from the British media. The BBC is under constant threat of break up from the Conservative government and the rest of the press is in the hands of Murdoch and a few other barons. These are going to be interesting and probably depressing times ahead.

 

[stefan357965]

No politics at all!

 

[python]

...i never heard that australia was seeking a nuclear weapon for quite some time and almost got it.

moreover, the following informative article relates an intriguing and plausible reason why australia would become the only country owning the horrible weapon, had the nuclear exchange actually taken place. i wonder how many aussies here knew of the nuclear ambitions ?

Revealed: Australia's Failed Bid for Nuclear Weapons
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/revealed-australias-failed-bid-nuclear-weapons-13857

 

[blutto]

Re:

...i never heard that australia was seeking a nuclear weapon for quite some time and almost got it.

moreover, the following informative article relates an intriguing and plausible reason why australia would become the only country owning the horrible weapon, had the nuclear exchange actually taken place. i wonder how many aussies here knew of the nuclear ambitions ?

Revealed: Australia's Failed Bid for Nuclear Weapons
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/revealed-australias-failed-bid-nuclear-weapons-13857

....very interesting....thank you...

Cheers

 

[mikeNphilly]

Hmm good article, I had always just assumed Australia had nuclear weapons. Probably enough US boomer activity around there, to make it a moot point, but still would like to see our allies nuclear armed. Seems like the US or Brits would have given them some over the years.

 

[mikeNphilly]

Just a question for the Europeans, is the influx of refugees huge news over there, like it is on our main stream media. Thought you guys would be talking about more. Maybe it's not effecting Europe as much as we are made to believe. Thanks.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Re:

Hmm good article, I had always just assumed Australia had nuclear weapons. Probably enough US boomer activity around there, to make it a moot point, but still would like to see our allies nuclear armed. Seems like the US or Brits would have given them some over the years.

Just about every USN warship is Nuke capable. But Australia has none of their own. I think they would say no to them, like Ireland and canada.

 

[python]

of course, the refugee/migrant crisis is a front and centre event in europe. to get an idea one has to check the sequence and the priority of news as they are reported in the major european media. euronews, for instance, opens almost every 30 minute segment by the reference. so does france 24 and DW etc.

the tilt of the coverage though is quite different depending on where in europe one observes. this quite frankly obscures the human tragedy and makes it very difficult to filter the truth btwn the spins, propaganda and the downright political stupidity...

to simplify it greatly, there is a great gap of views btwn the 'old' and 'new' europes. the western europeans seeing themselves upholding human values as opposed to 'selfish' eastern/central europeans and the latter basically accusing west europe of madness, shortsightedness and a 'diktat' of refugee quotes to the problem the west created.

2 countries now are exemplified as the opposite poles of the diverging views - the whiter than white noble germany and the bad-bad hungary.

in reality, of course, both sides have their own good and bad points and, as i already said, it is extremely difficult to attain an objective view...having been myself a migrant and a resident (never a refugee, though) in a dozen countries, i try to stay informed as objectively as i can. where do i stand ? well, i think that the image of good, 'open-to-all' germany is overdone just like the east europeans are bringing some bs reasons to keep the doors closed. like 'we don't have the experience' or 'you created the mess'.

i have more opinions but will limit myself by linking some articles illustrating the divide...

Europe's Migrant Crisis: Ideals vs. Realities - (germany criticized, too civilly imo)
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/europes-migrant-crisis-ideals-vs-realities-13851?page=2

EU rebukes Hungary as refugee crisis tensions escalate (vilification of hungary, some deserved imo given the quote below that would cause orban be banned here faster than foxxy)

I am speaking about God. I am speaking about culture and the everyday principles of life, such as sexual habits, freedom of expression, equality between men and woman and all those kind of values which I call Christianity. If we let the Muslims into the continent to compete with us, they will outnumber us. It's mathematics. And we don't like it

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/17/us-europe-migrants-idUSKCN0RD0P420150917?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

i also wanted to link a polish author article where he tried to rationalize the eastern europe's position by some arguments (some good, some bs), but i lost the link.
edit: here, found it, thank you googLE
Why eastern Europe’s resistance to refugee quotas is not ‘selfish’
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/17/us-europe-migrants-idUSKCN0RD0P420150917?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

 

[l.Harm]

Germany needs labour force...


btw your last link is the same one as the second one

 

[thrawn]

Re: Re:

Hmm good article, I had always just assumed Australia had nuclear weapons. Probably enough US boomer activity around there, to make it a moot point, but still would like to see our allies nuclear armed. Seems like the US or Brits would have given them some over the years.

Just about every USN warship is Nuke capable. But Australia has none of their own. I think they would say no to them, like Ireland and canada.

Probably. We're pretty solidly against nuclear power seemingly. Even the major right-wing party is against the idea.

 

[python]

it looks like the syrian conflict is speedily acquiring a new twist...

1st it was the NYT, then reuters, then the think tank stratfor, they reported that vlad is deploying his military to syria. statfor even published some satellite images as a proof. what did vlad say ? he flatly denied admitting only that his advisors are the only ones there which he never was hiding. what did the us do ? of course, they issued a stern warning of more sanctions and accused vlad of worsening the refugee crisis

then, there were reports that america requested several countries (bulgaria, greece, spain) to close their airspace to russian military overflights to damask. some did, but one said eff u uncle (greece). what did obama admin say ? more threats of sanctions... what did vlad say ? 'you are a fool obama if you think i am the prez of guatemalla who you downed in austria thinking he smuggled snowden in his jet..., you can't close the world's airspace to me b/c we i can fly my cargo in any number of directions including the ever ready iran'...

then yesterday, john kerry suddenly confirmed that they received a request from vlad to consider military to military talks re. syria. he also said...'such talks will take place only if they meet the us interests.

here's what is important to clearly understand. the us had undertaken a number of unilateral (or with its allies) military actions in several muslim countries recently - iraq, lybia, afghanistan, now in syria etc. hardly any objective observer will argue that each of the adventures was a failure. both militarily and politically. those countries are splitting, still bleeding and what's now caught up with europe - they are exploding with floods of refugees.

a logical question needs to be asked. Why to continue with the same inflexible, bombastic approach that proved nothing but an utter failure ? indeed why ? if assad must to go, where is the guarantee that damask, like the post-Gaddafi lybia or the post-saddam iraq will not become the breeding ground - if not the capital - for ISIS terrorists ?

sorry, i consider it a no brainer and cant really understand why the us political genius insist on stepping into the same crap over and over.

...there is a glimmer of hope though. it appears that obama is finally listening or that he was again outplayed in political chess by vlad (like the syrian chemical weapons game).

i could be wrong, but here's what i see is going on...vlad is acutely aware of his weaknesses but decided to take a risk. 'if you in the west wont listen that assad could be turned into an asset against isis, he reckoned -i will act on my own. I am moving into syria and let the chips fall where they may. if you still wont talk to me. yes, you could shootdown my planes, but so i may kill yours..etc etc if we dont coordinate'

if i got the todays news right, kerry just mentioned that the 2 military will be talking...

is the common sense prevailing ?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

India and it's caste system was mentioned recently. Well, I came across this article from Reuters showing how dire their economic system may be, with an explosion in population, especially among the young.

Overwhelmed Indian officials are struggling to sift through applications after 2.3 million people applied for a few hundred low-level government jobs...

The applicants included at least 255 people with doctorates and 150,000 graduates.

I didn't know much about Prime Minister Modi and their government, so I had to look them up. He started out very popular, but like many politicians, been bigger on promises than delivery. Lots of talk about streamlining the government, increasing sanitary conditions, better environmental qualities, increased infrastructure spending. And yet, there are 2.3 million people, including 255 doctorates, applying for a few hundred government jobs that serve tea, and pass papers around???

http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/09/18/india-employment-idINKCN0RI0MH20150918

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Hmm good article, I had always just assumed Australia had nuclear weapons. Probably enough US boomer activity around there, to make it a moot point, but still would like to see our allies nuclear armed. Seems like the US or Brits would have given them some over the years.

Just about every USN warship is Nuke capable. But Australia has none of their own. I think they would say no to them, like Ireland and canada.

Probably. We're pretty solidly against nuclear power seemingly. Even the major right-wing party is against the idea.

We just like selling uranium ! Actually New Zealand banned any nuclear powered ships entering their ports back in the 80s. David Lange was the PM at the time back when it was unthinkable not to appease the USA as an ally. But with the French spies blowing up boats in NZ harbour's and testing nukes in the Pacific, I think the Kiwis had had enough of nuclear power. Australia has one small reactor/ research facility for medical purposes at Lucas Heights outside Sydney. If it wasn't for our huge coal reserves Australia probably would have built nuclear reactors.

 

[l.Harm]

Re:

Germany needs labour force...


btw your last link is the same one as the second one

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/germanys-economy-will-grow-faster-because-of-the-million-refugees-it-is-helping-study-finds-10505647.html

“We estimate that if, relative to our baseline assumption, an extra million asylum seekers enter Germany over the next three years this could raise GDP by 0.6 per cent by end-2020 and reduce inflationary pressures. But it would not solve the economy’s longer-term demographic problems.”

0.6 per cent GDP growth is roughly equivalent to a quarter's decent economic growth in recent years. Germany, like most Western countries, has an aging population, a fact an influx of fairly young people would slightly moderate.

“There are many signs that Germany this year will take in not 800,000 refugees, as forecast by the interior ministry, but one million,” Sigmar Gabriel said.

Mr Gabriel has previously said the country could then accept half a million refugees each year for the next few years.

 

[Tank Engine]

Re:

Just a question for the Europeans, is the influx of refugees huge news over there, like it is on our main stream media. Thought you guys would be talking about more. Maybe it's not effecting Europe as much as we are made to believe. Thanks.

It's in the papers here (Poland) a lot. I read the liberal-leftist "Wyborcza", so the line is generally sympathetic and that the government should help the refugees more and co-operate more with the EU. There are certainly noises from the right that argue that Poland should take fewer refugees, or only "christian" refugees. But refugees are generally not coming through Poland, so it's not a great issue "on the ground". I recently came back from a cycling tour in Germany, mostly in rural areas of Eastern Germany where nothing was visible. However, there were a large number of large number of refugees around more populated areas in central Germany and it was clearly a topic of debate.

the UK labour party just elected its new leader -jeremy corbyn. he's interesting, controversial and as far left as i would say is palatable in the current british politics... strong anti war rhetoric, populist, and what's most curious to me, he's very far from rubber stamping the current UK foreign office policies more or less established in washington.

i know there are several brits posting here - i mean the uk posters regardless of their ethnic root. i would be interested in their take on jeremy

I see it as a rejection of the spin-doctor style of professional politicians and very much as a result of the one member-one vote system that is in place. Certainly, the system is open to abuse, but Corbyn's clear win is a reflection of voters' disillusionment with politics as they are now and hope for a change.

On one hand, I hope that Corbyn can address the issues which touch ordinary people (costs of housing, inequality of opportunity etc.). It will be interesting to see how his approach to prime minister's question time will evolve. That would seem to have been the biggest plus of his first week.

On the other hand, I'm worried that Labour might go down a similar dead end to the one they went down at the turn of the 70s/80s which ended in them being unelectable (support for unilateral disarmement, leaving the EU) and the formation of the Social Democrats.

Under the old electoral system, Corbyn would not stand a chance of winning, as he would have lost heavily among the MPs. He has a very difficult job ahead of him in uniting the party and developing a manifesto. The press will give him a very hard time (e.g. I have no problems at all with him not singing the national anthem, but whatever he does now in his relation with the queen or the national anthem will be criticised either as disloyal to his country or a betrayal of his principles). He will have to mature very quickly from being a principled, argumentative back bencher to the leader of a party, while holding on to his principles rather than spin (which is why he was elected).

 

[Brullnux]

Ah, the Daily Mail are losing their skill. Commenting on Corbyn's love life just a couple of weeks after becoming leader. You're meant to save this stuff until election year! Are they struggling to find anything of dirt?

 

[l.Harm]

It's a huge topic here. Last week the budget was announced for 2016 and then there's some general debate in which all parties ask questions to the PM/cabinet. It was mainly about the refugees and the climate as a good #2 (with this case where the judge said the government has to undertake more effort in fighting climate change).

There's basically one party (PVV of Wilders) who wants to close the borders and send them all back. This guy is anti-islam, anti-immigration so no surprises here. Rest of all the parties all think we should offer humanitarian help, but differ in how to. Gov coalition includes one right wing party and one left wing social dem party. Ideological differences all over the place, and also here. The right wing (conservative liberal - here liberal is mainly right wing) party keeps saying we should solve as much as possible in the region of the conflict. Left wing (PvdA - labour party) says it's freaking full over there, this is only a long-term solution but even in 5 years this is impossible (last quote is actually of the Green left party, but their ideological approach is the same. Labour party just doesn't say it out loud cause they don't want to cause too many problems within the coalition).

 

[blutto]

....oh boy!...has Our Boy Yats just opened up a very nasty can of worms or what....yup. nothing like pulling another scab from a centuries old festering ethnic/religious wound in a region where the people are already up to their armpits in scabs pulled from centuries old ethnic/religious wounds...

....yup...yup...by the time the glorious revolution has run its course it will be the nadir of recent Western meddling in the affairs of other folks, a toxic mix of what is currently happening in Syria/Iraq/Libya and Greece...gaining geopolitical advantage and making wads of money, ooowee baby!...ain't life grand !?...

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150919/1027238155/poland-ukraine-yatsenyuk.html

....and just to make sure everyone is up to speed on the latest Western meddling disasters please read the following...

http://atimes.com/2015/09/peace-in-syria-its-putins-fault-escobar/

....and...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11871992/Battered-Greek-banks-to-flout-Brussels-new-bail-in-rules.html

Cheers

 

[python]

Re:

....oh boy!...has Our Boy Yats just opened up a very nasty can of worms or what....yup. nothing like pulling another scab from a centuries old festering ethnic/religious wound in a region where the people are already up to their armpits in scabs pulled from centuries old ethnic/religious wounds...

....yup...yup...by the time the glorious revolution has run its course it will be the nadir of recent Western meddling in the affairs of other folks, a toxic mix of what is currently happening in Syria/Iraq/Libya and Greece...gaining geopolitical advantage and making wads of money, ooowee baby!...ain't life grand !?...

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150919/1027238155/poland-ukraine-yatsenyuk.html

....and just to make sure everyone is up to speed on the latest Western meddling disasters please read the following...

http://atimes.com/2015/09/peace-in-syria-its-putins-fault-escobar/

....and...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11871992/Battered-Greek-banks-to-flout-Brussels-new-bail-in-rules.html

Cheers

regarding your 1st link, give yats a break, will you. the chap aint a historian but a banker boasting a phd in economics. compared to the pearl of his boss (the 'pigface' poro), that uncle joe invaded germany just like vlad invaded ukraine, isn't even half as stupid. anyways, yat's days are numbered according to the increasingly loud noises from over there. his 'kamikaze' gov't is so confused and desperate ( i'm not sure if the story made it in the msm) that just yesterday they sanctioned nearly 3 dozen western journos (along with 900 others) for writing about the ukrainian crisis not what the uki govt wanted to read. when the european parliament along with other freedom-loving orgs protested in an unprecedentedly harsh manner, poro instantly signed a directive to exclude the blacklisted westerners. of course, once that was done, all the freedom of speech lovers went dead silent instantantly b/c 900 minus 30 = zero westerners banned.

regarding your 2nd link, escobar isn't my all time fav but his sharpness and wit are just hard to match. note how 'talking to vlad=sin' did not apply to the arrogant pm of israel. just hours ago he left moscow after an unprecedented, unplanned visit that lasted 2-3 hours. turns out, according to the israeli media, he phoned vlad as soon as the israelis verified the russian built-up in latakiya, and asked for a meeting. note, how different it is from the american style.

 

[blutto]

....does anyone have any idea what the following is about...Bibi apparently "just showed up" immediately got a meeting ( or so according to some comments I've seen ) with Putin and this appears...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (Reuters) - Israel and Russia agreed on Monday to coordinate military actions over Syria in order to avoid accidentally trading fire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to Moscow.

Recent Russian reinforcements for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which regional sources say include warplanes and anti-aircraft systems, worry Israel, whose jets have on occasion bombed the neighboring Arab country to foil suspected handovers of advanced arms to Assad's Lebanese guerrilla ally Hezbollah.

Briefing Israeli reporters after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin, Netanyahu said he had come with the goal of "prevent(ing) misunderstandings between IDF (Israel Defense Force) units and Russian forces" in Syria, where Assad is fighting Islamist-dominated insurgents in a civil war.

Netanyahu added that he and Putin "agreed on a mechanism to prevent such misunderstandings". He did not elaborate. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/israels-netanyahu-says-moscow-talks-aimed-preventing-clashes-105827470.html

Cheers

 

[python]

i'm still trying to understand if the vlad military move into syria was a brilliant move or, conversely, too risky an adventure potentially sucking him into an ever increasing commitment a la afghanistan he and his struggling economy cant sustain...moreover, if the mission creep returns too many dead, is there a risk losing it all - syria, ukraine and even his hold on power ?

to sort it out, i try to read as wide a sampling of opinions from as diverse sources as i have time for. here are some, mostly from the western msm.

a normally well informed isreali paper puts it all into the title of their article. an exceedingly curious analysis.
With Moscow Visit, Netanyahu Signals Era of post-American Middle East
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.677075

Not that long ago, it would have been nearly unthinkable that an Israeli prime minister could ask for, and receive, an invitation to an emergency summit with the president of Russia, in much less time than it would take him to obtain a similar invitation to meet the president of the United States

per reuters, the gulf states led by the saudis -those that bankroll the majority of the rebels including the exremists - seem to have an opposing prognosis. the inescapable observation though, is that their public 'protests' lack vigour and that the saudi 2nd in command after the king just signed a bunch of contracts with vlad, inluding a bunch of military gear he always sought and easily got from america. funny is that... the artile said the saudi-sponsored rebels will have to coordinate their actions with the russians
b/c even the us and israel will have
Gulf Arabs oppose Russia role in Syria, still bent on Assad's ouster
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/22/us-mideast-crisis-gulf-russia-idUSKCN0RM1JX20150922

...and here's what iran thinks and does as the ink on the iran nuclear deal is still drying. the article is under a pay wall, but it refers to an informed source citing a string of covert visits that resulted in the latest vlad gambit.
Russia, Iran Seen Coordinating on Defense of Assad Regime in Syria
http://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-iran-seen-coordinating-on-defense-of-assad-regime-in-syria-1442856556

here's the latest on their built-up according to an unnamed american official. if true, such a number of weapons constitute a major offensive commitment.
Moscow delivers warplanes to Syria in latest boost to regime
http://www.globalpost.com/article/6654450/2015/09/22/moscow-delivers-warplanes-syria-latest-boost-regime

also, i understand another major player in syria - his highness turky's ardogan - is rushing to meet putin within a couple of days...

may be that israeli analysis i started with was dead on

 

[blutto]

....thanks for the info....too many u-turns in there to make sense right now...guess will have to wait on developments...btw the Haaretz line was esp. interesting...

Cheers

 

[del1962]

Re:

Ah, the Daily Mail are losing their skill. Commenting on Corbyn's love life just a couple of weeks after becoming leader. You're meant to save this stuff until election year! Are they struggling to find anything of dirt?

Didn't they just bring some stuff out about Dave too, from that jilted donor Ashcroft?

Or was it a porkie