Random Politics Thread

[Virtual ghost]

I sense a degree of pious moralizing about Russia coming from the news anchors and pundits that reminds me too much of the moralizing that happened around Iraq. That was a moralizing that cared nothing for facts and found being reminded of them outright offensive; at times it seems like something like that is taking root among folks. On Friday, I had a conflict with my sister because I complained about the way they were talking about the US vs. Russia with regards to Ukraine; it was apparently offensive that I entertained skepticism and doubts about any of it.

(And yes, I kind of wish other things would have been seen as being as important by the Biden administration as this, which is also playing into my anger.)

So that's kind of what's at play when I went after you with regards to the Ukraine situation. You aren't coming from the same context I'm used to, so I apologize for that.

I think what I would like is not having the people on the news constantly tell me that Putin is a bad man and US good, and I'd like more details and information from the news about what's actually going on than this kind of emotionalist moralizing which sounds a lot like propaganda.

Oh, I said that would be short. Whoops.

Well, US media are quite shallow regarding pretty much all subjects, as well as facts. Therefore if this bothers you this much you should do what I do. At least 2/3 of my news are from what is to me foreign sources. When it comes to foreign and global topics you really have to take info from a number of countries in order to get more clear picture (in the case you want that) . However thanks to the internet this really isn't a problem. If anything all relevant sources have English version of their program on youtube. I know everything I know exactly since I am trying to look at the larger picture with more pieces in it.


Regarding the Ukraine I put most focus on Indian source, since they seem to be the most fact heavy and report from locations.

The problem with Ukraine is that is has really big implications that go far beyond the country itself.


1. If attack happens we will surely have full scare cold war 2.0
2. What means plenty of various complications. But it also means the world will almost surely fail climate change challenge
3. Attack also means there will be a large refugee wave and energy crisis
4. Ukraine is one of bigger producers to agricultural products and that will rise food prices globally

 

[Virtual ghost]

The democracy index is out for 2021. However I also added the 2020 version for direct comparison.

The difference isn't overwhelming but this evidently adds one more year of global democratic backsliding.

The most obvious changes :

North America
Canada lost one level.



Southern-Latin America

Mexico lost one level and is no longer a real democracy
Erosion in some central American countries (even into alarming orange)
Colombia lost one level is now barely a democracy
Ecuador lost one level and is no longer a democracy
Bolivia lost one level and now is orange
Paraguay lost one level and now is no longer a real democracy
Chile lost one level


Europe

Ireland lost one level
Spain lost one level
Slovakia gained one level
Bosnia gained one level
Macedonia gained one level and become a democracy


Africa

Tunisia that is just south of Italy lost one level and in no longer a real democracy.
Mauritania at the very west of the continent gained one level
Guinea lost one level and now it pretty orange
In central Africa Congo lost one level and now is dark orange
Zambia gained one level
Zimbabwe lost one level


Asia

The entire area of central Asia is much more red. Due to the obvious reasons.
Kirgistan lost one level
Nepal lost one level
Myanmar just east of India went totally red due to the coup, two levels down
Cambodia lost one level
Hong Kong is no longer a real democracy due to obvious reasons


Oceania looks the same.



But the biggest problem are probably the 6 out of 10 countries that are light blue. Since the map maker probably didn't want to push them out of the democracy zone if data is on the edge. What are often big and important countries that often have problematic trends: Argentina, Brazil, whole eastern EU, India, Indonesia, Philippines .... etc. If you would paint these yellow the map would suddenly look much much worse (and in those countries is over 2 billion people) .

 

[Virtual ghost]

This kind of a place is where the fireworks should start if it starts.

 

[Kephalos]

The Canadian vaccine protest is Djokovic all over again: just get immunized. No one is asking anyone to believe anything. Think of it as a bureaucratic requirement.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

The democracy index is out for 2021. However I also added the 2020 version for direct comparison.

The difference isn't overwhelming but this evidently adds one more year of global democratic backsliding.

The most obvious changes :

North America
Canada lost one level.



Southern-Latin America

Mexico lost one level and is no longer a real democracy
Erosion in some central American countries (even into alarming orange)
Colombia lost one level is now barely a democracy
Ecuador lost one level and is no longer a democracy
Bolivia lost one level and now is orange
Paraguay lost one level and now is no longer a real democracy
Chile lost one level


Europe

Ireland lost one level
Spain lost one level
Slovakia gained one level
Bosnia gained one level
Macedonia gained one level and become a democracy


Africa

Tunisia that is just south of Italy lost one level and in no longer a real democracy.
Mauritania at the very west of the continent gained one level
Guinea lost one level and now it pretty orange
In central Africa Congo lost one level and now is dark orange
Zambia gained one level
Zimbabwe lost one level


Asia

The entire area of central Asia is much more red. Due to the obvious reasons.
Kirgistan lost one level
Nepal lost one level
Myanmar just east of India went totally red due to the coup, two levels down
Cambodia lost one level
Hong Kong is no longer a real democracy due to obvious reasons


Oceania looks the same.



But the biggest problem are probably the 6 out of 10 countries that are light blue. Since the map maker probably didn't want to push them out of the democracy zone if data is on the edge. What are often big and important countries that often have problematic trends: Argentina, Brazil, whole eastern EU, India, Indonesia, Philippines .... etc. If you would paint these yellow the map would suddenly look much much worse (and in those countries is over 2 billion people) .

interesting that most of the full (and flawed) democracies are former imperial powers and/or their ex-territories (most appear to be remnants of the British, Spanish, German, Japanese and Scandinavian Empires). lends credence to a dumb theory of mine

 

[Red Herring]

Some of the 1472 delegates* electing the German president today. Note how, due to social distancing, I guess, the were spread over four floors. As predicted, they reelected Frank-Walter Steinmeier. I'm happy with that.


*Unlike the chancelor, who gets elected by parliament (lower house) after each general election, the president is elected by a "national assembly" consisting of members of the upper and lower house and some celebrities chosen by the six parties represented in paliament. So there are soccer players, musicians and actors among them ... including the dragqueen Gloria Viagra and the rap musician Lady Bitch Ray.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Some of the 1472 delegates* electing the German president today. Note how, due to social distancing, I guess, the were spread over four floors. As predicted, they reelected Frank-Walter Steinmeier. I'm happy with that.


*Unlike the chancelor, who gets elected by parliament (lower house) after each general election, the president is elected by a "national assembly" consisting of members of the upper and lower house and some celebrities chosen by the six parties represented in paliament. So there are soccer players, musicians and actors among them ... including the dragqueen Gloria Viagra and the rap musician Lady Bitch Ray.

I read about this and your president isn't really the leader of the country, but I don't like this that much as a process. This should be solved on elections (in my opinion). Especially since the polls have changed since the last elections for the parliament. It can pass but in my book this is kinda fishy process in democratic sense.

 

[Red Herring]

I read about this and your president isn't really the leader of the country, but I don't like this that much as a process. This should be solved on elections (in my opinion). Especially since the polls have changed since the last elections for the parliament. It can pass but in my book this is kinda fishy process in democratic sense.

Yes, it is a weird procedure. I think there are plausible reasons for it though.


It's not just that the Bundespräsident isn't the leader of the country. He IS the head of state but not the head of government. The Bundespräsident has more power and more duties than a monarch in a cinstitutional monarchy (i.e. more than just ceremonial representation), especially in times of crisis or unusual conflict, but they traditionally abstain from day-to-day politics. The president is supposed to stand above party politics, not favor any party and not comment on specific projects and proposals of government. They are supposed to unite the people and speak for everybody. This position is usually more a "spiritus rex" function. It's not unusual for at least some of the candidates not to be professional politicians at all but rather academics or thinkers - I rember one candidate some years ago, who actually had a chance but didn't make it in the end, being the dean of a university. This is about saying just the right words in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, that sort of thing. The president is the soul of the country, a wise fatherly figure (so far only men have held the position). They are supposed to be untouched by scandal, a person of integrity, always dignified, always calm and respectful, never stooping so low as to insult others. You usually don't even announce your candidature, you get nominated by others. Like being elected pope, lol...being seen as ambitious would be counterproductive. The position has a certain clerical element to it, come to think of it.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Yes, it is a weird procedure. I think there are plausible reasons for it though.


It's not just that the Bundespräsident isn't the leader of the country. He IS the head of state but not the head of government. The Bundespräsident has more power and more duties than a monarch in a cinstitutional monarchy (i.e. more than just ceremonial representation), especially in times of crisis or unusual conflict, but they traditionally abstain from day-to-day politics. The president is supposed to stand above party politics, not favor any party and not comment on specific projects and proposals of government. They are supposed to unite the people and speak for everybody. This position is usually more a "spiritus rex" function. It's not unusual for at least some of the candidates not to be professional politicians at all but rather academics or thinkers - I rember one candidate some years ago, who actually had a chance but didn't make it in the end, being the dean of a university. This is about saying just the right words in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, that sort of thing. The president is the soul of the country, a wise fatherly figure (so far only men have held the position). They are supposed to be untouched by scandal, a person of integrity, always dignified, always calm and respectful, never stooping so low as to insult others. You usually don't even announce your candidature, you get nominated by others. Like being elected pope, lol...being seen as ambitious would be counterproductive. The position has a certain clerical element to it, come to think of it.

Well, you don't have to explain this to me since we copied your system in this regard. The only real difference is that we kept elections in the mix. But yes, there is kinda the desire to create a copy of pope. The person that is above "everything". We even require that the person quits if he/she is in a political party. What is in order to be truly independent and icon for everyone.
It is kinda weird post but people what to keep it and perhaps polish it a little bit.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Ukraine’s new military branch: Citizens protecting their neighborhood


This is pretty much inevitable side-effect of the situation. However the odds are that this will the real resistance, the people themselves.

 

[Red Herring]

Chancelor Olaf Scholz: Ukraine can count on our solidarity and support
Ukraine: Cool, can we have 12.000 anti-tank missiles then to fight off the Russians when they invade?
Chancelor Olaf Scholz: ...

Putin: *moves up to 60% of all Russian troops towards Ukraine and does some maneuvers in the Black Sea*

Meanwhile:
Rolf Mützenich (head of the SPD parliamentary party, basically the chief whip): We've gotta understand Russia's point of view, ya know? Blame the Bush administration.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Chancelor Olaf Scholz: Ukraine can count on our solidarity and support
Ukraine: Cool, can we have 12.000 anti-tank missiles then to fight off the Russians when they invade?
Chancelor Olaf Scholz: ...

Putin: *moves up to 60% of all Russian troops towards Ukraine and does some maneuvers in the Black Sea*

Meanwhile:
Rolf Mützenich (head of the SPD parliamentary party, basically the chief whip): We've gotta understand Russia's point of view, ya know? Blame the Bush administration.

Do you believe this false flag stuff? What evidence are you basing that on?

I think if the U.S. is trying to convince people of something, makes outlandish claims, and doesn't have solid evidence to back it up, it is understandable people would be suspicious. I know I'm dumping on Colin Powell, but he was a respected moderate figure who nonetheless persisted in fabricating claims he knew were dubious. Orders are orders after all.

All the cries about "appeasement" reverberating now (as they were in the early 2000s) aren't helping to convince people that this is different.

The price someone pays for acting in an untrustworthy manner is that people stop trusting them. I can't blame them for that. I don't think we have competent people running the show here (they seem to actually believe in American exceptionalism) and I don't trust them to not start WWIII. I can assure you that none of the issues raised by the leadup to the war in Iraq have been addressed in any way, shape, or form.

It would probably help if American policy makers understood at a bare minimum that there are consequences for behaving in a reckless way, instead of believing that when you're an empire, you create your own reality. Then perhaps they could have made efforts to restore trust. That might have been something worthy of a Nobel Prize.

 

[Virtual ghost]

This is what is on my mind for some time regarding Ukraine. If there is invasion and occupation then what will happen with Moldova ? Which will stay as a bubble between Ukraine and Romania/NATO. Plus it has is own internal problem with "occupation". The logic kinda suggest that Moldova will also be a part of the cake if there is a full scale invasion.

Moldova is basically to Romania what was East Germany to West Germany. However the reunification never happened here.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I haven't seen this elsewhere but towards this video Bolsonaro has decided to be a part of the show.

 

[Maou]

Canada is threatening their form of "Martial law" over a peaceful protest. That is the reason they lost a "Democracy" level. I wonder if he will cross the Rubicon, because they are already getting communism levels of food shortages. I don't understand why he just doesn't listen to the people, and give them what they want. Regardless if he agrees. Not cower, and threaten to become a fascist if people do not comply. Democracy is about representing the people, not forcing them to do things they do not want to do. Everyone has their right to choose what they do with their body, even if other people disagree. Even if it will save their life. Whether or not you agree with the vaccine mandate, it is setting a very dangerous precedence that can lead way into a society where you don't even get to have a choice. What if they started mandating everyone to be "Fixed" to prevent global warming? That is where this kind of thing can lead to.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

This is interesting.

What You Should Really Know About Ukraine

Media echoed the view that the US should have an active role in Ukrainian politics and enforce its perspective through military threats.

fair.org

As political turmoil engulfed the country in the leadup to 2014, the US was fueling anti-government sentiment through mechanisms like USAID and National Endowment for Democracy (NED), just as they had done in 2004. In December 2013, Nuland, assistant secretary of state for European affairs and a long-time regime change advocate, said that the US government had spent $5 billion promoting “democracy” in Ukraine since 1991. The money went toward supporting “senior officials in the Ukraine government…[members of] the business community as well as opposition civil society” who agree with US goals.

The NED is a key organization in the network of American soft power that pours $170 million a year into organizations dedicated to defending or installing US-friendly regimes. The Washington Post‘s David Ignatius (9/22/91) once wrote that the organization functions by “doing in public what the CIA used to do in private.” The NED targets governments who oppose US military or economic policy, stirring up anti-government opposition.

The NED board of directors includes Elliott Abrams, whose sordid record runs from the Iran/Contra affair in the ’80s to the Trump administration’s effort to overthrow the Venezuelan government. In 2013, NED president Carl Gershman wrote a piece in the Washington Post (9/26/13) that described Ukraine as the “biggest prize” in the East/West rivalry. After the Obama administration, Nuland joined the NED board of directors before returning to the State Department in the Biden administration as undersecretary of state for political affairs.

Also...

At the time the call leaked, media were quick to pounce on Nuland’s saying “Fuck the EU.” The comment dominated the headlines (Daily Beast, 2/6/14; BuzzFeed, 2/6/14; Atlantic, 2/6/14; Guardian, 2/6/14), while the evidence of US regime change efforts was downplayed. With the headline “Russia Claims US Is Meddling Over Ukraine,” the New York Times (2/6/14) put the facts of US involvement in the mouth of an official enemy, blunting their impact on the audience. The Times (2/6/14) later described the two officials as benignly “talking about the political crisis in Kiev” and sharing “their views of how it might be resolved.”

And...

The Washington-backed opposition that toppled the government was fueled by far-right and openly Nazi elements like the Right Sector. One far-right group that grew out of the protests was the Azov Battalion, a paramilitary militia of neo-Nazi extremists. Their leaders made up the vanguard of the anti-Yanukovych protests, and even spoke at opposition events in the Maidan alongside US regime change advocates like McCain and Nuland.


After the violent coup, these groups were later incorporated into the Ukrainian armed forces—the same armed forces that the US has now given $2.5 billion. Though Congress technically restricted money from flowing to the Azov Battalion in 2018, trainers on the ground say there’s no mechanism to actually enforce the provision. Since the coup, the Ukrainian nationalist forces have been responsible for a wide variety of atrocities in the counterinsurgency war.

Among American neo-Nazis, there’s even a movement aimed at encouraging right-wing extremists to join the Battalion in order to “gain actual combat experience” in preparation for a potential civil war in the US.

In a recent UN vote on “combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism,” the US and Ukraine were the only two countries to vote no.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Canada is threatening their form of "Martial law" over a peaceful protest. That is the reason they lost a "Democracy" level. I wonder if he will cross the Rubicon, because they are already getting communism levels of food shortages. I don't understand why he just doesn't listen to the people, and give them what they want. Regardless if he agrees. Not cower, and threaten to become a fascist if people do not comply. Democracy is about representing the people, not forcing them to do things they do not want to do. Everyone has their right to choose what they do with their body, even if other people disagree. Even if it will save their life. Whether or not you agree with the vaccine mandate, it is setting a very dangerous precedence that can lead way into a society where you don't even get to have a choice. What if they started mandating everyone to be "Fixed" to prevent global warming? That is where this kind of thing can lead to.

The data is for 2021 and protests are in 2022. But ok, it is possible that they lose even more with time. After all it is a trend that is hitting pretty much entire west.

 

[Maou]

The data is for 2021 and protests are in 2022. But ok, it is possible that they lose even more with time. After all it is a trend that is hitting pretty much entire west.

I agree, it is a trend hitting the West hard. I also think it's long overdue. I am fairly certain something is going to collapse soon. Western society has become too corrupted, and the greed of these mega corporations and the "Global Elite" has exceeded the capacity of the system. So much so, it can't even pretend like it is still functioning. Especially with all the production and market bubbles on the verge of collapse.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Western society has become too corrupted, and the greed of these mega corporations and the "Global Elite" has exceeded the capacity of the system.

But this has nothing to do with flaws in capitalism, according to you. I wonder where else you think these flaws are coming from?

 

[Maou]

But this has nothing to do with flaws in capitalism, according to you. I wonder where else you think these flaws are coming from?

Are you saying the flaws in the system, have nothing to do with Capitalism? I think it has to do with capitalism, but as well as socialism and democracy etc. They use all the systems for selfish gain, simply by using legal and illegal means to take control over every institution to secure their power. It doesn't even have to be "money" itself, it is assets, it is influence, it is debts and favors among a very tiny group of very powerful people. And sometimes, they make mistakes. Sometimes, they become so removed from regular society, they don't even realize how much they fucked it up. They have only been concerned with winning. Regardless of the casualties they created along the way. And every once in a while, they abandon ship and move to the next country. Because they have zero alliance for any nation.