The World Events Thread

[Cromeslab]

Lol bishop beat me to it

[Ilunga]

On 7/7/2021 at 4:49 AM, Boudrias said:

The Biden ask for military budget 2022 was $715 billion. Suggesting Bush and Rumsfeld stole $2.3 trillion is over 3x the current budget. I grant that they had 8 years to steal this much but the scale you are suggesting is hard to accept. 

 

An interesting thought to pursue is how much money from other budgets actually get spent on military projects? Does the mini shuttle used by the USA Space Command get paid for by NASA? Is Space Command partially paid for by NASA? I notice that the Biden admin has not cancelled Space Command.  

All I can state is watch Shadow wars.

It is a highly respected Doco made by respected journos and writers and make your own conclusions.

 

https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/shadow-world/

 

Yep Space force is a reality 

Watch out Martians were coming for ya !

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alflives]

7 minutes ago, Ilunga said:

All I can state is watch Shadow wars.

It is a highly respected Doco made by respected journos and writers and make your own conclusions.

 

https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/shadow-world/

 

Yep Space force is a reality 

Watch out Martians were coming for ya !

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too funny!  Ironically, any dominant empire that begins to lose its hold on being the most powerful military soon becomes not so dominant.  Are we living through the era of the collapse of the American empire?  “Escape From New York”, and “Robocop” were comedic in the satire of a proposed US future.  But they were prophetic too.  This film seems to follow in similar fashion.  The US is a mess with almost overt corruption.  

[Boudrias]

1 hour ago, Alflives said:

Too funny!  Ironically, any dominant empire that begins to lose its hold on being the most powerful military soon becomes not so dominant.  Are we living through the era of the collapse of the American empire?  “Escape From New York”, and “Robocop” were comedic in the satire of a proposed US future.  But they were prophetic too.  This film seems to follow in similar fashion.  The US is a mess with almost overt corruption.  

Is the USA more corrupt than others? I think not Alf. When being a politician became a career option the slide started. The idea of giving back to your country by public service is at a low point. It goes beyond elected office at all levels. Service clubs are all struggling for membership. 
 

Who knows where we’re headed. The Americans I know are good people. 

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, Boudrias said:

Is the USA more corrupt than others? I think not Alf. When being a politician became a career option the slide started. The idea of giving back to your country by public service is at a low point. It goes beyond elected office at all levels. Service clubs are all struggling for membership. 
 

Who knows where we’re headed. The Americans I know are good people. 

All empires die from within.  

[Boudrias]

1 minute ago, Alflives said:

All empires die from within.  

Yes, but what is empire these days? I am a big fan of geopolitical consequences. If America is floundering then who is rising?

Many will say China but there are huge challenges there. I still bet on the USA.

[Ilunga]

7 hours ago, Boudrias said:

Is the USA more corrupt than others? I think not Alf. When being a politician became a career option the slide started. The idea of giving back to your country by public service is at a low point. It goes beyond elected office at all levels. Service clubs are all struggling for membership. 
 

Who knows where we’re headed. The Americans I know are good people. 

Good post.

 

However it is not so much who is more corrupt than who.

The idea of public service has virtually died at a political level.

Lobbyists/ corporation's,control politics in the states.

Over here in Aus politicians go through the party system to get preselected, many have never had "real" jobs.

There is branch stacking.

Volunteering has diminished a bit here in Aus however Covid has contributed to that.

 

What is a fact is the nation who has the largest economy ends up being the dominant nation on the planet.

China is on the path to becoming that nation.

 

 

 

Good people ?

 

Good people have stood by and watched crappy things happen. 

 

First they came for the socialists and I did not speak out 

Because I was not a socialist 

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out 

Because I was not a trade unionists 

Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out 

Because I was not a Jew 

Then they came for me 

And there was no one left to speak out. 

 

Martin Niemoller 

 

Edited July 8 by Ilunga

[Ilunga]

7 hours ago, Alflives said:

All empires die from within.  

Bang on Alf.

[BoKnows]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/anti-government-protests-cuba-food-shortages-high-prices-1.6098704

 

[4petesake]

13 minutes ago, BoKnows said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/anti-government-protests-cuba-food-shortages-high-prices-1.6098704

 

That is extremely surprising. One does not simply protest in Cuba.

 

 

 

Edited July 12 by 4petesake

[thejazz97]

6 minutes ago, 4petesake said:

That is extremely surprising. One does not simply protest in Cuba.

 

 

 

thousands more are countering the protests. in reality, the protests wouldn't be necessary if the US hadn't blockaded them for 60 years

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

6 minutes ago, 4petesake said:

That is extremely surprising. One does not simply protest in Cuba.

 

 

 

Purely speculation, but could it be a covert op by people friendly to the Castro family?  To remind the new guy that it's not so easy to run a country authoritarian regime?

[4petesake]

13 minutes ago, thejazz97 said:

thousands more are countering the protests. in reality, the protests wouldn't be necessary if the US hadn't blockaded them for 60 years

The counter-protesters have been called to the streets by the government. It was fantastic to see restrictions being eased under Obama and equally disappointing to see them return under Trump. Sad to admit that I’m not up on what has or has not been done by Biden.

 

I spent a little bit of time in Cuba and average Cubans are wonderful people and very capitalistic.

 

 

Edited July 12 by 4petesake
Addition

[4petesake]

14 minutes ago, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

Purely speculation, but could it be a covert op by people friendly to the Castro family?  To remind the new guy that it's not so easy to run a country authoritarian regime?

Either way the new guy is doing what one would expect and deflecting from everyday Cubans to blame the US. Which of course is not out of the realm of possibility.

[thejazz97]

1 hour ago, 4petesake said:

Either way the new guy is doing what one would expect and deflecting from everyday Cubans to blame the US. Which of course is not out of the realm of possibility.

yeah, but it’s kinda hard to be a functioning country when you have your ports blockaded and have sanctions placed on you. apart from the special period, cuba’s done well given what they had to work with. 

 

sure, there’s things the government will be at fault for, but if your hands are tied from outside it will affect every single thing going on in the country.

[4petesake]

9 minutes ago, thejazz97 said:

yeah, but it’s kinda hard to be a functioning country when you have your ports blockaded and have sanctions placed on you. apart from the special period, cuba’s done well given what they had to work with. 

 

sure, there’s things the government will be at fault for, but if your hands are tied from outside it will affect every single thing going on in the country.

Absolutely, we are in 100% agreement.

[CBH1926]

2 hours ago, thejazz97 said:

yeah, but it’s kinda hard to be a functioning country when you have your ports blockaded and have sanctions placed on you. apart from the special period, cuba’s done well given what they had to work with. 

 

sure, there’s things the government will be at fault for, but if your hands are tied from outside it will affect every single thing going on in the country.

I think last naval blockade of Cuba ended in 1962 or so.

Also Castro regime just like many other totalitarian regimes would have been ousted many decades ago without the sanctions.

Besides political rhetoric, people like that have very little to offer in terms of economic development.

 

 

[4petesake]

3 minutes ago, CBH1926 said:

I think last naval blockade of Cuba ended in 1962 or so.

Also Castro regime just like many other totalitarian regimes would have been ousted many decades ago without the sanctions.

Besides political rhetoric, people like that have very little to offer in terms of economic development.

 

 

I don’t support the regime but Cubans should be able to choose their own system of government.  The US now accomplishes with embargoes what it used to with blockades. I agree that without US sanctions the regime might well have been toppled years ago. Or perhaps they would have flourished but either way that should be up to the Cuban people to decide for themselves.

 

Cuba: U.S. embargo blocks coronavirus aid shipment from Asia

Michael WeissensteinThe Associated Press
Published Friday, April 3, 2020 2:48PM EDT

HAVANA -- Cuban officials say a shipment of coronavirus aid from Asia's richest man, Jack Ma, has been blocked by the six-decade U.S. embargo on the island.

Carlos M. Pereira, Cuba's ambassador to China, said on his blog this week that Ma's foundation tried to send Cuba 100,000 facemasks and 10 COVID-19 diagnostic kits last month, along with other aid including ventilators and gloves.

Cuba was one of 24 countries in the region meant to receive the donations announced on March. 21 by the Jack Ma Foundation, which is sending similar aid to countries around the world, including the United States.

 

Cuban officials say the cargo carrier of Colombia-based Avianca Airlines declined to carry the aid to Cuba because its major shareholder is a U.S.-based company subject to the trade embargo on Cuba. The embargo has exceptions for food and medical aid but companies are often afraid to carry out related financing or transportation due to the risk of fines or prosecution under the embargo.

 

Human-rights groups have been calling for the U.S. to lift sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba and Iran during the coronavirus epidemic in order to permit the flow of more aid. The Trump administration has argued that only the countries' government would benefit from the sanctions relief.

 

 

Cuba has free universal health care and a high ratio of medical workers, 95,000, for a population of 11 million but operates without much of the equipment and testing generally available in developed countries.

The blocking of the aid should be “an action inconceivable in a global crisis,” but “it doesn't surprise us,” said Carlos Fernando de Cossio, Cuba's head of U.S. affairs. “It's the type of obstacle that Cuba confronts daily in order to take care of the country's basic necessities.”

 

[Ilunga]

Life before Castro 

 

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/comandante-pre-castro-cuba/

 

Kinda like the US 

 

Two totally different socioeconomic societies in the one country.

 

Racism was full on even the President was considered a second class citizen. 

 

Like most countries it had a crappy/corrupt government,probably more corrupt than most.

 

Life under Castro

 

https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/fidel-castro-legacy-myths-vs-reality/news-story/29462be2cfbe857d69d87c3995480017

 

Free health care and education which I consider the basis of a good society.

However he did not practice what he preached and he persecuted many.

Lots of Cubans still living in poverty 

 

Authoritarian dictator  versus a very corrupt government.

 

Sigh......

 

 

 

 

[Ilunga]

1 hour ago, 4petesake said:

I don’t support the regime but Cubans should be able to choose their own system of government.  The US now accomplishes with embargoes what it used to with blockades. I agree that without US sanctions the regime might well have been toppled years ago. Or perhaps they would have flourished but either way that should be up to the Cuban people to decide for themselves.

 

Cuba: U.S. embargo blocks coronavirus aid shipment from Asia

Michael WeissensteinThe Associated Press
Published Friday, April 3, 2020 2:48PM EDT

HAVANA -- Cuban officials say a shipment of coronavirus aid from Asia's richest man, Jack Ma, has been blocked by the six-decade U.S. embargo on the island.

Carlos M. Pereira, Cuba's ambassador to China, said on his blog this week that Ma's foundation tried to send Cuba 100,000 facemasks and 10 COVID-19 diagnostic kits last month, along with other aid including ventilators and gloves.

Cuba was one of 24 countries in the region meant to receive the donations announced on March. 21 by the Jack Ma Foundation, which is sending similar aid to countries around the world, including the United States.

 

Cuban officials say the cargo carrier of Colombia-based Avianca Airlines declined to carry the aid to Cuba because its major shareholder is a U.S.-based company subject to the trade embargo on Cuba. The embargo has exceptions for food and medical aid but companies are often afraid to carry out related financing or transportation due to the risk of fines or prosecution under the embargo.

 

Human-rights groups have been calling for the U.S. to lift sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba and Iran during the coronavirus epidemic in order to permit the flow of more aid. The Trump administration has argued that only the countries' government would benefit from the sanctions relief.

 

 

Cuba has free universal health care and a high ratio of medical workers, 95,000, for a population of 11 million but operates without much of the equipment and testing generally available in developed countries.

The blocking of the aid should be “an action inconceivable in a global crisis,” but “it doesn't surprise us,” said Carlos Fernando de Cossio, Cuba's head of U.S. affairs. “It's the type of obstacle that Cuba confronts daily in order to take care of the country's basic necessities.”

 

We might have " free elections" here in Aus however we don't get to really choose a government that represents the people.

 

In a 2 party political system where the candidates have to come through the party system where many of them have never had real jobs.

There is branch stacking on both sides of politics,this translates to candidates being chosen by factions with certain beliefs 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-30/victoria-liberals-religious-right-branch-stacking-fears/8667756?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_web

 

We do have the greens and a few great independents like Andrew Wilkie however our parliament is a joke.

Question time illustrates this,both sides abusing each other.

There is no accountability when they screw up. 

 

Yep we get to elect our idiots.

That makes me feel a whole lot better.