World Politics

[VeloCity]

More on those Harper Conservatives in Canada:

Hundreds of federal scientists say in a survey that they had been asked to exclude or alter technical information in government documents for non-scientific reasons, and thousands said they had been prevented from responding to the media or the public.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), which commissioned the survey from Environics Research "to gauge the scale and impact of 'muzzling' and political interference among federal scientists," released the results Monday at a news conference.

In all, the union sent invitations to participate in the survey to 15,398 federal scientists in June. A total of 4,069 responded.

Twenty-four per cent of respondents said they “sometimes” or “often” were asked to exclude or alter technical information in federal government documents for non-scientific reasons. Most often, the request came from their direct supervisors, followed by business or industry, other government departments, politically appointed staff and public interest advocates.

If you don't like what the science is saying, make them change the science.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/m...widespread-survey-suggests-1.2128859?cmp=fbtl

 

[purcell]

Don't know much about Australia and NZ, but in Canada, Harper is deeply unpopular - only 28% approval in the last poll I saw, in April I think it was. The right (mainly in the oil-and-gas prairie provinces) love him, the rest of the country can't stand him. I don't think his approval rating has ever been higher than the mid 40s. Trudeau and the Liberals now have a pretty healthy lead in party polling over the Conservatives - 38-29 or so last I saw.

Carbon regulation is not and never has been a priority of the Harper government whatsoever, not surprising considering that Harper is an oil-and-gas guy. Canada's become one of the worst in the world in that regard, actually.

I love these "polls" from organizations based outside of Canada and then interpreted and reported by people outside of Canada.

 

[Ferminal]

Great to see Australia finally getting out of caretaker mode and Joe raising the gross debt limit by $200b. So much for the claim of partisanship on macro policy

 

[Ferminal]

Next move not so good (not really his fault though), apparently the sovereign currency authority needs to borrow some AUD... Then they cry about high value of the currency, how ****ing hard is it?

 

[thrawn]

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...s-resignation-from-senate-20131023-2vzze.html

A moment people from all sides of politics can celebrate.

 

[movingtarget]

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...s-resignation-from-senate-20131023-2vzze.html

A moment people from all sides of politics can celebrate.

Thank god that's over. Sayonara Bob.

 

[darwin553]

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...s-resignation-from-senate-20131023-2vzze.html

A moment people from all sides of politics can celebrate.

Too bad the damage has already been done

 

[python]

supposedly, it's about the PUBLIC disapproval by the prime-minister natanyahu the subordinate minister's action re building more illegal settlements.....
whatever the reason, i welcome the development desire being anomaly a skeptic when the little devil deals. .

 

[movingtarget]

Too bad the damage has already been done

Rudd was going to see out a full term for his constituents. Right. Talk of his daughter having a stab at the by election. Dear god please no. Good to see Latham and others not holding back about Rudd's legacy. Egomaniac was the kindest term that I remembered from Latham's quote. Julia congratulated him, what a laugh.

 

[darwin553]

Rudd was going to see out a full term for his constituents. Right. Talk of his daughter having a stab at the by election. Dear god please no. Good to see Latham and others not holding back about Rudd's legacy. Egomaniac was the kindest term that I remembered from Latham's quote. Julia congratulated him, what a laugh.

The icing on the cake would have been Shorten not holding back on his tribute remarks but of course he comes from the same two-faced school as most of the labor mob and of which Rudd himself has made famous.

 

[movingtarget]

The icing on the cake would have been Shorten not holding back on his tribute remarks but of course he comes from the same two-faced school as most of the labor mob and of which Rudd himself has made famous.

Good ol Electricity Bill.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

Matthew Vandyke told Eliot Higgins that he had information the rebels had chemical weapons and where behind the chemical weapons attack in Aleppo which killed many civilians. He told journalists that he believed the rebels would use those chemical weapons on their own people. Elliot higgins is the "weapons expert" that Human Rights watch and many other media have interviewed on his assertion that the Syrian government was behind the chemical weapons attacks in ghouta because the rebels "didn't have the capability".

http://leaks.sea.sy/vandyke-leaks/#KnewRebels

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

 

[Dazed and Confused]

The inventor of the AK-47 died today aged 94.

Snippet in daily mail (UK): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2528447/Kalashnikov-dies-94.html

 

[python]

India seeks possible U.S. tax violations in diplomat row

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/12/27/india-usa-tax-khobragade-idINDEE9BQ08E20131227

i find it curious, though hardly surprising, that the increasing number of countries, unlike the political prostitutes in western capitals, feel more and more assertive when talking with the united states on the sensitive matters of national dignity...only several years back they would swallow their pride and the matter would be over never seeing a public outrage...

it is india now that have had enough of the united states double standard and arrogance.

yesterday, it was brazil's president that 'dared' to cancel her official state visit to washington in response to spying on her. a short while before it was russia that flat out refused to hand out snowden whilst the us acted just the same when handling dozens of those wanted in russia on similar grounds. needless to mention a virtually unheard-of and usually very cautious chinese challenge to american military by announcing a sovereign air zone over some disputed islands.

what is this ? a symptom of the dwindling american power or a more specific reaction to obama considered a weak president ?

it could be both. but what's interesting is to witness the difference to essentially the same american actions.

the govs in the west continue expressing false indignation to spying on them or worse, promulgating the arrogance like, for instance, barring an overflight to a sovereign latin american presidential plain on mere false hints of snowden aboard. yet on the other hand, a really independent rising powers, show washington the finger it, in my frank opinion, was long overdue.

a self-proclaimed guardian of human rights around the world should at least respect diplomatic immunity or, be ready to face the symmetry.

 

[avanti]

............................
i find it curious, though hardly surprising, that the increasing number of countries, unlike the political prostitutes in western capitals, feel more and more assertive when talking with the united states on the sensitive matters of national dignity...only several years back they would swallow their pride and the matter would be over never seeing a public outrage...
.....................................

My interpretation is that because of internet access populations of these countries are now aware of world news, so politicians now take the approach that is most popular in their countries.
Countries such as India and Brazil conduct spy operations as do most developed and developing nations. Back during a certain conflict I happened to be talking business with high level politicians both sides and both told us to ignore their rhetoric because it was meant for home consumption.

 

[python]

My interpretation is that because of internet access populations of these countries are now aware of world news, so politicians now take the approach that is most popular in their countries.

overall, i find your point quite fair and valid. though, please note, that by your own logic it implies the existence of a strong and wide-spread anti-american sentiment in those countries you specifically referred to - brasil and india. the populations of the other 2 countries you did not mention, russia and china, were traditionally more anti-american due to their totalitarian past - with or without the internet - though, one can argue that the internet would (or logically should have had) lessened the anti-americanism among the younger generations due to the us technology, cinema and fashion omnipresence. yet, you seem to not have considered THAT. thus, there is more to the readiness to confront america than just the populism, at least in my view, rather their govts readiness to face the consequences, if the us chose to resorts to punitive measures. this is much more serious.

Countries such as India and Brazil conduct spy operations as do most developed and developing nations.

undoubtedly true. yet one has to simply account for their reach and scale compared to the us, particularly, AGAINST the us. it is obvious, brazil and india are orders of magnitude less capable than the us and less concerned with the us. of course, russia and china are different. but even they are well aware of the us might. they have been very careful to irritate america until the instances i listed, to challenge the us directly. again, more than the pure populism is at play here. more the balance of forces, perceived or real.

Back during a certain conflict I happened to be talking business with high level politicians both sides and both told us to ignore their rhetoric because it was meant for home consumption.

i am as far removed from high level politicians as possible. i am a scientist and a student. i've a studied all sorts of politicians from churchill to stalin to roosevelt to hitller, napoleon etc... if they are smart, they all tell you what is the opportunity of the moment at the moment depending on who's the listener. they are the most rational and pragmatic people you'll meet. but they all serve their leaders, who's true actions are driven by their perception of balance of power - national sentiments being only secondary to their calcs.

 

[Echoes]

http://www.lesobservateurs.ch/2013/12/24/lue-distribue-des-millions-au-lobby-lgbt/ (in French)

The EU will send 5 million € to the LGBT lobby across the globe by March 2014 (after a vote at the Euro Parliament).

They're really going mad, lol. When are their next ***** Riots?

 

[The Hitch]

I've studied all sorts of politicians from churchill to stalin to roosevelt to hitller, napoleon etc... if they are smart, they all tell you what is the opportunity of the moment at the moment depending on who's the listener. they are the most rational and pragmatic people you'll meet. but they all serve their leaders, who's true actions are driven by their perception of balance of power - national sentiments being only secondary to their calcs.

What?
......

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Make sure you mingle with the right guys. Modern politics played out in pictures.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/lets-not-shake-on-it-snub-pictures-prove-franois-hollandes-popularity-problem-9035410.html

 

[Echoes]

Hollande is impopular because he does not have the reality of power.

As for every member state of the EU the power lies in the hands of the EU Commission, itself an American controlled institution.

The country that leaves the EU will be saved !

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Hollande is impopular because he does not have the reality of power.

As for every member state of the EU the power lies in the hands of the EU Commission, itself an American controlled institution.

The country that leaves the EU will be saved !

Hard to say if its structure, the politicians or both.

Currently the managers of fashion shops wants to talk about growth. Better not be seen with a guy who is still battling with reforms.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Hollande is unpopular because he is a socialist rat.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Hollande is unpopular because he is a socialist rat.

Ideology? Well, I think that concept went out the window a decade or so ago.

Whats the latest fad.

Chasing bad Muslims?
100 year jail terms?
Taxing the super rich?
Climate change?
Battle the greedy financial institutions?
Hammer the lazy students?
Lower electricity prices for the people?
Roads with no potholes?
3% growth?
China bashing?
Look, North Korea is worse....

etc

 

[Echoes]

Very easy to say.

European nations are colonies and the democratically elected governments don't have the power to decide anything !

The EU Commission is the government and the USA are behind. Hollande hasn't got more power than Pétain had.

I guess an Aussie kid won't teach me what is going on on my continent, okay.

May he just Wonder how he's gonna get back the 22 millions hectares he sold the bloody Qataris and then we might talk...