Post Archive
Region: The Confederacy of Free Nations
Notice--the weekly address will be delivered tomorrow instead of tonight. This is in order that a point made in it can be more thoroughly checked.
Russkov Soviet, Jaslandia, Vista Major, Penguania And Antarctica, Lex Caledonia, Yukona
[spoiler=Today is March 12 and today are:]
Today is March 12 and today are:
- Adelaide Cup (South Australia)
- Alfred Hitchcock Day
- Arbor Day (China, Taiwan)
- Aztec New Year
- Canberra Day (Australian Capital Territory)
- Commonwealth Day (British Virgin Islands, Canada, Gibraltar, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu)
- Fill Our Staplers Day
- Labour Day or Eight Hours Day (Tasmania, Victoria)
- National Baked Scallops Day (United States)
- National Day (Mauritius)
- National Girl Scout Birthday (United States)
- National Napping Day (United States)
- National Plant a Flower Day (United States)
- Taranaki Anniversary Day (Taranaki, NZ)
- Tree Day (Republic of Macedonia)
- World Day Against Cyber Censorship
- Youth Day (Zambia)
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=This day in history:]
This day in history:
- 0538 Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius
- 1550 Several hundred Spanish and indigenous troops under the command of Pedro de Valdivia defeat an army of 60,000 Mapuche at the Battle of Penco during the Arauco War in present-day Chile
- 1622 Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, founders of the Jesuits, are canonized as saints by the Catholic Church
- 1689 The Williamite War in Ireland begins.
- 1811 Peninsular War: A day after a successful rearguard action, French Marshal Michel Ney once again successfully delayed the pursuing Anglo-Portuguese force at the Battle of Redinha
- 1864 American Civil War: The Red River Campaign begins as a US Navy fleet of 13 Ironclads and 7 Gunboats and other support ships enter the Red River
- 1868 Henry O'Farrell attempts to assassinate Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.
- 1868 Basutoland, today called Lesotho, is annexed by the United Kingdom.
- 1881 Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world's first black international football player and captain.
- 1885 Tonkin Campaign: France captures the citadel of Bắc Ninh.
- 1894 Coca-Cola is bottled and sold for the first time in Vicksburg, Mississippi, by local soda fountain operator Joseph A. Biedenharn.
- 1910 Greek cruiser Georgios Averof is launched at Livorno.
- 1912 The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded in the United States.
- 1913 Canberra Day: The future capital of Australia is officially named Canberra. (Melbourne remains temporary capital until 1927 while the new capital is still under construction.)
- 1918 Moscow becomes the capital of Russia again after Saint Petersburg held this status for 215 years.
- 1920 The Kapp Putsch begins when the Marinebrigade Ehrhardt is ordered to march on Berlin.
- 1921 İstiklâl Marşı is adopted in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.
- 1922 Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan form the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic
- 1928 In California, the St. Francis Dam fails; the resulting floods kill over 600 people.
- 1930 Mahatma Gandhi begins the Salt March, a 200-mile march to the sea to protest the British monopoly on salt in India
- 1933 Great Depression: Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses the nation for the first time as President of the United States. This is also the first of his "fireside chats".
- 1934 Konstantin Päts and General Johan Laidoner stage a coup in Estonia, and ban all political parties.
- 1938 Anschluss: German troops occupy and absorb Austria.
- 1940 Winter War: Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union, ceding almost all of Finnish Karelia. Finnish troops and the remaining population are immediately evacuated.
- 1942 Pacific War: The Battle of Java ends with an ABDACOM surrender to the Japanese Empire in Bandung, West Java, Dutch East Indies.
- 1947 The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism.
- 1950 The Llandow air disaster occurs near Sigingstone, Wales, in which 80 people die when their aircraft crashed, making it the world's deadliest air disaster at the time.
- 1961 First winter ascent of the North Face of the Eiger.
- 1967 Suharto take power from Sukarno when the MPRS inaugurated him as Acting President of Indonesia.
- 1968 Mauritius achieves independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1971 The March 12 Memorandum is sent to the Suleyman Demirel government of Turkey and the government resigns.
- 1992 Mauritius becomes a republic while remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
- 1993 Several bombs explode in Mumbai, India, killing about 300 and injuring hundreds more.
- 1993 North Korea nuclear weapons program: North Korea says that it plans to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refuses to allow inspectors access to its nuclear sites.
- 1993 The 1993 Storm of the Century: Snow begins to fall across the eastern portion of the US with tornadoes, thunder snow storms, high winds and record low temperatures. The storm lasts for 30 hours.
- 1993 Janet Reno is sworn in as the United States' first female attorney general.
- 1994 The Church of England ordains its first female priests.
- 1999 Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO.
- 2003 Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia, is assassinated in Belgrade.
- 2003 WHO officially released global warning on pandemic SARS disease.
- 2004 The President of South Korea, Roh Moo-hyun, is impeached by its National Assembly: The first such impeachment in the nation's history.
- 2009 Financier Bernard Madoff pleads guilty in New York to scamming $18 billion, the largest in Wall Street's history.
- 2011 A reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant melts and explodes and releases radioactivity into the atmosphere a day after Japan's earthquake.
- 2014 A gas explosion in the New York City neighborhood of East Harlem kills eight and injures 70 others.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Famous Birthdays:]
Famous Birthdays:
- 1607 Paul Gerhardt, German poet and composer
- 1613 André Le Nôtre, French gardener and architect
- 1685 George Berkeley, Irish bishop and philosopher
- 1824 Gustav Kirchhoff, Russian-German physicist and academic
- 1864 W. H. R. Rivers, English anthropologist, neurologist, ethnologist, and psychiatrist
- 1921 Gianni Agnelli, Italian businessman
- 1922 Jack Kerouac, American author and poet
- 1928 Edward Albee, American director and playwright
- 1946 Liza Minnelli, American actress, singer, and dancer
- 1947 Mitt Romney, American businessman and politician, 70th Governor of Massachusetts
- 1979 Pete Doherty, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
[/spoiler]
Quote of the day
Love is the child of illusion and the parent of disillusion.
- Miguel de Unamuno (Spanish Educator, 1864-1936) -
Note: Penguania_And_Antarctica assumes no responsibility or guarantee for correctness of any given information. Any recourse to courts of law is excluded.
Jaslandia, Vista Major, Axeldonia, Lex Caledonia, Mercunova, Midasia
On the subject of horses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n837SdpWWg
Penguania And Antarctica, Mercunova
So, y'all, looks like even May is calling out Russia on their attempted murder of a British citizen. What do y'all think about it, and do you think Britain (or the west in general) will actually do anything about this?
Midasia
Oh, she called them out and gave them a deadline to admit to it. And Prince William wont go to the football in Russia or something.
I am sure Putin is shaking in his boots. The UK will do f*ck all about this because Russian money bankrolls the Tory party.
In a previous era, maybe. But even if the UK is interested in seeing this through, the UK needs US support in this, and President Trump has been oddly silent on this. I'm worried this weak American response will embolden Russia to keep pulling stunts like this.
That's because Putin's unspeakable is up Trump's unmentionable.
I wouldn't use such language, but I do agree that Trump's inaction on Putin in general is very suspicious (to say the least).
Trump admires and wants to be like Putin, Xi and Kim. He envies the absolute power they wield and cringing subservience they get from their respective populations.
If Trump is so friendly to Putin and his regime, then why did he not allow ExxonMobil to go around sanctions on the country, and why did he bomb Syria with 50 Tomahawk missiles? All of this Russia hysteria is going to make Trump even more aggressive to Russia, which is something we don't want from Trump.
Because he's a moron who changes his mind and policies more times than a prozzie's knickers go up and down on a Saturday night.
And he's also surrounded by neocons throughout his entire administration. And Bannon, who is a non-interventionist, was booted out of the White House in 2017 for revealing some deep state information about the U.S.'s superpower status in an interview. It also turned out that he was using the alt-right as a way to gain political power, essentially cucking them.
The US and UK are both f*cked. As I said before, May and Trump need to hold hands and take a long walk off a short pier together.
Axeldonia, Gualimole
Disagree. We need to actually oppose Russia rather than being passive when they attack countries we're allied with. A good active defense is going to be touching what they're interested in rather than putting up temporary sanctions while they continue to degrade NATO.
Trump's actually on my good side right now. We've confirmed the sale of weaponry to Ukraine recently, so that's excellent. We need to hit Russia where it hurts -Their land grab is a great place to start- if we want to actually wake up to the threat at our door. With hope, the UK will join in and show that the west can still reach out and touch Russian interests.
My hope is that the UK does something more serious than grumble and -maybe- put sanctions on. We need to actually do something on the world stage to restore confidence in NATO.
Jaslandia
So you want to fund Ukraine, a government that is aligned with actual neo-Nazis who are a part of Ukraine's army? You do realize that by funding Ukraine, you are also funding the strong neo-Nazi elements in the country? While I certainly do abhor Putin's regime, funding Ukraine, thus also funding Ukrainian neo-Nazis, is likely not the best way to counter Russia and is going to make perusing them diplomatically extremely difficult, thus leading to the start of a new Cold War between NATO and Russia. The temporary sanctions we are putting on Russia is the right strategy to go forward with, as it will weaken Putin's economic and political strength to the point where he will eventually have to stop his expansionist policy and work diplomatically with the US and NATO. Russia cannot pursue expansionism forever, unlike the US with its vast connections between US industry and the US military.
Additionally, I find it interesting how you are casting Putin's Russia as this great enemy of the US even though Putin supported a Russian entry into NATO in 2001, something that NATO didn't really take seriously as a proposal. Not only that, but before the collapse of the Soviet Union, we promised to the Soviets that we wouldn't expand NATO into Eastern Europe in return for Soviet support of German unification.
Nuremgard, Axeldonia
Kal's a pragmatist. He'd fund neo-nazis in one country and leftists in the next if it was sure to result in the achievement of American interests.
Axeldonia, Continental Commonwealths, Penguania And Antarctica, Yukona
https://amp.businessinsider.com/images/52a1c37869bedd476f5aaefd-750-501.jpg
Vista Major
I want to fund Ukraine, yes. There are issues with the government, I'm not going to hide that, we can address them while we also, y'know, train them? We don't have to support every part of the Ukrainian Army, nor do we have to go without on this issue entirely. There is nuance to who and how we can help tbh. Furthermore, the alternative is them being put into a false-democracy that completely removes their agency and expand a phony system. The alternative is arguably worse since we can address the power structure in Ukraine...expect if it's replaced by a Russian Puppet.
Russia only really has to expand to the point that NATO falls apart -which it's kinda happening- and loses cohesion internationally. Embargoes and sanctions only work when everyone is aligned together, but as we've seen of late, Russia is clearly interested in an aggressive line of subterfuge, hence the sabotage of the US election and their involvement in Brexit. If they weaken the west, they regain substantial status and suddenly get a whole bunch of people interested in working with them again. They've proven willing to pull incredibly brazen assassinations in Britain and political attacks in America, I would argue that this is a clear sign that diplomacy is already untenable internationally without a significant showing of resistance from the allied west.
Putin's Russia isn't aligned to the US and has actively attacked the west in the last two months through a brazen assassination attempt. That's a pretty immediate threat, yeah. Neither point, Putin making a flimsy attempt to enter NATO or NATO expanding in the modern day really means anything honestly when compared to that.
Lastly, we're already in a cold war. That should have been obvious when Russia started false-flag attacks in Ukraine, tried to assassinate a man in Britain and launched an attack on the elections of America.
[E: I should also note, I'm not against sanctions per-say, I'm against them as a solitary action.]
If by "American" you mean "Western" then kinda.
Jaslandia, Confederal States
One, why do you think that the US and NATO care about democracy in Ukraine? The US currently supports 73 percent of the world's dictatorships, so our mentorship likely won't turn Ukraine into a fledgling democracy any time soon. Two, why do you think that NATO is on the brink of collapse and is losing cohesion? Additionally, what are you referring to specifically in regards to Russian tampering in the political processes of the US and UK? In the case of the US, Russia didn't tamper with the election directly, but supposedly hacked into the DNC, something that Wikileaks denies anyway. Additionally, the information that was leaked was information that we should've known in regards to how the DNC rigged the primaries against Bernie Sanders.
Nuremgard, Axeldonia
Because it's politically untenable otherwise, for one thing, and because it's also bad for stability in what would be viewed pretty intensely as a lesson to Russia about invading. Democracies are easier to supply and provide for militarily and ultimately it's easier to keep citizens caring if it's a matter close to the heart [IE, Democracy]. We succeeded in Iraq until we left and we had a much worse situation there, with effort -time- and not leaving immediately we could certainly reset their democracy.
It's not a collapse of NATO that matters, it's a collapse of the mechanism behind NATO -cohesion- that matters. If cohesion goes then we can welcome an increasing loss of viability in sanctions as different nations break off in favor of otherwise untenable acceptance of Russia's actions. A tough action is needed here to restore faith in NATO cohesion, and to preempt Russia from taking more aggressive attacks.
I mean, "supposedly" is a bit silly to add there. Russia has been pretty much confirmed by the CIA and FBI as having been the attackers in that instance. The effect they had is irrelevant tbh just as it would have been if they'd launched an actual failed invasion. It's not the action's effect, it's the intent behind the action.
[As an aside, feel free to respond, but I'm beat for the night. I'll respond tomorrow tho.]
Let's just continue this debate tomorrow.
Same thing.
Nuremgard, Yukona
Well in truth it was our blundering of state building and de-Baathification in Iraq that led to much of the post-invasion issues there with creating a functional government; same thing in Afghanistan which has led to incompetent, corrupt governance and resurgent opium production (Afghanistan produces 90% of the world's opium and this increases exponentially every year).
Nuremgard, Jaslandia, Yukona
We should've just let the Afghan Pashtuns go ahead with bringing back Zahir Shah in the loya jirga rather than pressure them into taking Karzai: as much of a crisis it could've potentially produced if Shah died (given the number of Princes he sired that are still alive), it probably would've been better given how much corruption increased under the Karzai administration.
It's good to know its not as bad as we were expecting, however the image of ´´that´´ is now stuck in my brain.
I think i will need a lot of fire to burn it out even if it kills me.
Then again if we spread the word of that happening to our western brother maybe they surrender in shock.
I have never expected that Horses of all ´´people´´ would be so good at mental warfare.
Russkov Soviet, Jaslandia
Welp, it's official. Kal was my colony. :3
Jaslandia, Vista Major, Axeldonia, Kalaron, Penguania And Antarctica, Midasia
Good Day! Hope everyone has a good day!
Song of the day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj_9CiNkkn4
The Chancellor's Public Schedule [I]13 March 2018
(All times Eastern. Subject to change.)
10:00 The Chancellor holds a conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs
16:00 The Chancellor releases a statement on the closure of embassies
18:00 The Chancellor delivers his weekly address
Jaslandia, Au Minbo, Vista Major, Penguania And Antarctica, Lex Caledonia, Midasia
Unfortunately the EU and US foreign policy are one in the same.
Penguania And Antarctica, Solla Ultima
You're not wrong, however, my point wasn't to show that an immediate fix would happen -or that one happened in Iraq- but to show that we can build at least semi-stable democratic structures in countries if we use the right tact and don't leave before the job is done. As I said before, Ukraine is a far better initial start than Iraq was even before Bremmer made himself into a dildo, in my opinion. ;p
C u t i e
Penguania And Antarctica, Midasia
Or you could leave countries alone to work these things out on their own. How would you like it if Russia said, "we don't like the regime in the USA so we're going to invade, overthrow the established order and set up our own Russia-friendly/puppet government."
Axeldonia, Mercunova
I'd go as far to say that there is no unified 'Western' stance on anything. When people refer to 'Western interests' they really mean front-facing American interests. There are several aspects where EU and American policy diverge, but on those points the 'Western' stance is still the American one. Never in the history of the concept of 'the West' has its ideas ever been divergent from the ideas of the United States. Thus, if it looks like sh!t, and it smells like sh!t, it's probably sh!t.
Nuremgard, Axeldonia, Continental Commonwealths, Penguania And Antarctica, Solla Ultima
There's a difference between attempting a surgical removal of a leader in a country that has tried to recently exterminate an ethnic group, retained their chemical weapons despite outstanding agreements, and presents a clear risk of mishandling the weapons, and waging a long and bloody war in America that would result in the world undergoing several nuclear holocausts and a potential broke-back lightning war thereafter.
It's a nice sentiment, don't get me wrong, but the lines of justification is different than what you're saying, Nur.
Furthermore, there is no "work these things out on their own" as China or Russia should clearly illustrate. Other countries will seek to take control of a country in turmoil through any means they really have. China's done this through money in Africa and Russia's made puppets of multiple states. It's a hard world frankly, and applying a non-interventionist morality to America's foreign affairs would do little to curb them since the world is a constantly moving power struggle.
That's my outlook tbh.
The irony being that Russia very often does exactly that. Jingoistic foreign policy is not unique to the United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Georgian_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation_of_Crimea_by_the_Russian_Federation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Lukashenko
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Litvinenko
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chechen_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria_War
Jaslandia, Axeldonia
Damn, they really hate people named Alex :p
Jaslandia, Midasia
I think Nurems point was more if the tables were turned on the US, not specifically whether Russia was the one turning the tables.
Nuremgard, Yukona
And, before Jas does it:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bsFCO8-oCEQ
Jaslandia
So basically because Russia and China do it, the US needs to do it too? It's essentially a dick-swinging contest over who can control most nations? As your President might say: SAD!
And the US never does anything out of a love for democracy or to protect some ethnic group who is being systematically exterminated. America was quite happy to prop up Saddam Hussein's dictatorship when he was supplying the US with oil. But when the taps got turned off, suddenly Hussein was a bad guy who needed to be overthrown.
That was my point. Americans would not like it if a foreign power invaded and set up their own preferred government but Americans expect other countries to like it or lump it.
Axeldonia
I don't dispute this. I just wish countries like the US, Russia and China would take a "mind your own f*cking business" approach to foreign policy.
Axeldonia
It's because that's the way the world works, Nur. It's not some dick-swinging competition, it's a matter of "Do you want to live in a world dominated by western ideals, or a world engulfed in Chinese ideals or Russian values?" because that's the struggle going on right now. I hate to sound like Galla, but the world we live in is a hard one that ideals don't survive in.
Morality is a bad metric to view foreign affairs in, frankly, because the morality of an action will immediately be subverted in a thousand different ways, IMO.
Hello, I am the new ambassador from The Versutian Federation. I am also the Minister of Defense. Do I need to be masked?
Russkov Soviet, Jaslandia, Au Minbo, Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica
I remember when we had an MoD...
What a cozy seat it was for a certain someone...
Russkov Soviet, Jaslandia, Penguania And Antarctica
The world isn't dominated by western values because the US does not implement western values in the nations it interferes in.
Axeldonia, Yukona
Do I need to talk with your Minister of Foreign Affairs?
Vista Major, Penguania And Antarctica
I kinda see myself as a MoD. But maybe that's just regret from the past and the fact that I'm sending my troops across the globe. (And the Z-Day Conflict). We are way too peaceful.. xP
Jaslandia
But the western world can be entirely pragmatic and devoid of the influence of ideals or select peoples sense of morality. Because our understanding of international relations hasnt developed at all since the dichotomy of the Wilsonian era.
I'm an idealist. I think foreign policy should be ethical.
Vista Major, Axeldonia
Statement on the Closure and Denial of Embassies
Lazarus was overtaken by a raider region, whose officials ordered the closure of all their embassies, including ours. The closure of Lazarus' embassies was not a move initiated by the Administration and if Lazarus ever returns to its rightful control it is assumed we would re-open said embassy.
The Administration declined to open embassies with Liber due to failure to apply formally with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It will be communicated to them that we'd be open to construct embassies once they have more activity and apply formally with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Russkov Soviet, Jaslandia, Vista Major, Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica, Lex Caledonia
[spoiler=Today is March 13 and today are:]
Today is March 13 and today are:
- Adelaide Cup (South Australia)
- Anniversary of the election of Pope Francis (Vatican City)
- Canberra Day (Australian Capital Territory)
- Commonwealth Day (Canada, Gibraltar, Tuvalu)
- Dolyatra (India)
- Fill Our Staplers Day
- Holi (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
- IUGR Awareness Day
- Kasuga Matsuri (Kasuga Grand Shrine, Nara, Japan)
- Ken Day
- Labour Day (Tasmania and Victoria, Australia)
- L. Ron Hubbard Day (Scientology)
- National Coconut Torte Day (United States)
- National Earmuff Day (United States)
- National Elephant Day (Thailand)
- National Good Samaritan Day (United States)
- National Jewel Day (United States)
- National K9 Veterans Day (United States)
- National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day (United States)
- National Napping Day (United States)
- Organize Your Home Office Day (United States)
- Shushan Purim (Israel)
- Smart & Sexy Day
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=This day in history:]
This day in history:
- 624 Battle of Badr: a key battle between Muhammad's army the new followers of Islam and the Quraysh of Mecca. The Muslims won this battle, known as the turning point of Islam, which took place in the Hejaz region of western Arabia.
- 874 The bones of Saint Nicephorus are interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople.
- 1138 Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II.
- 1567 The Battle of Oosterweel north of Antwerp, traditionally seen as the beginning[1] of the Eighty Years' War.
- 1591 Battle of Tondibi: In Mali, Moroccan forces of the Saadi dynasty led by Judar Pasha defeat the Songhai Empire, despite being outnumbered by at least five to one.
- 1639 Harvard College is named after clergyman John Harvard.
- 1697 Nojpetén, capital of the last independent Maya kingdom, fell to Spanish conquistadors, the final step in the Spanish conquest of Guatemala.
- 1781 William Herschel discovers Uranus.
- 1809 Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden is deposed in a coup d'état.
- 1845 Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto receives its première performance in Leipzig with Ferdinand David as soloist.
- 1862 American Civil War: The U.S. federal government forbids all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.
- 1865 American Civil War: The Confederate States of America agree to the use of African-American troops.
- 1881 Alexander II of Russia is killed near his palace when a bomb is thrown at him. (Gregorian date: it was March 1 in the Julian calendar then in use in Russia.)
- 1884 The Siege of Khartoum, Sudan begins, ending on January 26, 1885.
- 1897 San Diego State University is founded.
- 1900 Second Boer War: British forces occupy Bloemfontein, Orange Free State.
- 1920 The Kapp Putsch briefly ousts the Weimar Republic government from Berlin.
- 1921 Mongolia is proclaimed an independent monarchy, ruled by Russian military officer Roman von Ungern-Sternberg as a dictator.
- 1930 The news of the discovery of Pluto is telegraphed to the Harvard College Observatory.
- 1933 Great Depression: Banks in the U.S. begin to re-open after President Franklin D. Roosevelt mandates a "bank holiday".
- 1940 The Russo-Finnish Winter War ends.
- 1943 The Holocaust: German forces liquidate the Jewish ghetto in Kraków.
- 1954 First Indochina War: Viet Minh forces under Võ Nguyên Giáp unleashed a massive artillery barrage on the French to begin the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, the climactic battle in the First Indochina War.
- 1957 Cuban student revolutionaries storm the presidential palace in Havana in a failed attempt on the life of President Fulgencio Batista.
- 1962 Lyman Lemnitzer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivers a proposal, called Operation Northwoods, regarding performing terrorist attacks upon Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The proposal is scrapped and President John F. Kennedy removes Lemnitzer from his position.
- 1969 Apollo program: Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.
- 1979 The New Jewel Movement, headed by Maurice Bishop, ousts Prime Minister Eric Gairy in a nearly bloodless coup d'état in Grenada.
- 1985 The Kenilworth Road riot takes place at an association football match at Kenilworth Road in Luton, England with disturbances before, during and after an FA Cup 6th Round tie between Luton Town F.C. and Millwall F.C..
- 1988 The Seikan Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world, opens between Aomori and Hakodate, Japan.
- 1991 The United States Department of Justice announces that Exxon has agreed to pay $1 billion for the clean-up of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.
- 1992 The Mw 6.7 Erzincan earthquake strikes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). At least 498 were killed in this strike-slip event on the North Anatolian Fault.
- 1996 Dunblane school massacre: in Dunblane, Scotland, 16 primary school children and one teacher are shot dead by spree killer Thomas Watt Hamilton who then committed suicide.
- 1997 India's Missionaries of Charity chooses Sister Nirmala to succeed Mother Teresa as its leader.
- 1997 The Phoenix Lights are seen over Phoenix, Arizona by hundreds of people, and by millions on television.
- 2003 The journal Nature reports that 350,000-year-old footprints have been found in Italy.
- 2008 Gold prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange hit $1,000 per ounce for the first time.
- 2012 At least 28 people are killed in a bus crash in a motorway tunnel near the town of Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais.
- 2013 Pope Francis is elected, in the papal conclave, as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church.
- 2016 An explosion occurs in central Ankara, Turkey, with at least 37 people killed and 127 wounded.
- 2016 Three gunmen attack two hotels in the Ivory Coast town of Grand-Bassam, killing at least 18 people and injuring 33 others.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Famous Birthdays:]
Famous Birthdays:
- 1615 Pope Innocent XII
- 1733 Joseph Priestley, English chemist, minister, philosopher
- 1741 Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
- 1764 Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, namesake of the famous tea
- 1900 Giorgos Seferis, Greek poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1911 L. Ron Hubbard, American religious leader and author, founded the Church of Scientology
- 1939 Neil Sedaka, American singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1942 Scatman John, American singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1989 Holger Badstuber, German footballer
[/spoiler]
Quote of the day
There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory.
- Josh Billings -
Note: Neither Mercunova nor Penguania_And_Antarctica assume responsibility or guarantee for correctness of any given information. Any recourse to courts of law is excluded.
Jaslandia, Vista Major, Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica, Lex Caledonia
From some recent research, it appears that Lazarus was not taken by a raider group, but rather given by Funkedalia. The inheretors just happen to be furry raiders.
Jaslandia, Mercunova
Yes, you absolutely should.
Is there a discord?
Vista Major, Mercunova
Yup, linked in our WFE.
Vista Major
The world is kinda dominated by the West -and it's values- since the most powerful coalition of nations is literally western. The EU, NATO and the US could put down Russia or China, that's a pretty good example of "dominated" IMO.
I mean, France (GDES) is actually quite pragmatic. The US (SAD) is as well, so is Russia (GRU) and Israel (Mossad) to name a few among the probable hundred or so countries that keep a very pragmatic watch on each other. Pragmatism never really fell out of style IMO, it's just that we put a veneer of idealism over it.
If it looks like a raider group
and it claims to be a raider group
then it must be a raider group
Jaslandia, Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica
Any of you guys watching the Pennsylvania special election and what do you think will happen and what might that indicate for the midterm election
Nuremgard, Jaslandia, Mercunova
That's my Congress seat. Going to vote in two hours.
What happens with regard to the Generals is beyond me, but with either of the main party candidates, it's a disaster of an election.
Nuremgard, Jaslandia, Au Minbo, Solla Ultima
from what I know theres a libertarian but i don't know your political positions and if you don't mind me asking who do you think is going to win from what you observed
Nuremgard
From what I can tell this is correct, and this doesn't appear to be a normal raider takeover (Besides the fact that the "raided" region is a GCR) in that the new owners don't seem like they will be going anywhere anytime soon.
I'm a libertarian voting for said libertarian.
I really wish neither Lamb nor Saccone would win, but I have a hunch Lamb will. I won't be surprised if the libertarian takes enough republican/conservative support to give the edge to Lamb.
Nuremgard, Jaslandia, Solla Ultima
Is the republican not well liked by a decent group of republicans/conservative voters
Nuremgard, Mercunova
I don't know for sure but libertarians tend to take a few more from the republicans than they do from democrats.
Which is fine with me. Democrats at least admit to advocate big government.
Nuremgard, Jaslandia, Continental Commonwealths
Finally watched Dr. Strangelove for the first time. Has got to go on my list of favorite movies, the comedy in it is just awesome
Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica
Another Russian has died under suspicious circumstances in London. I hope it isnt really Russia doing her spring cleaning otherwise this is gonna get even worse
Nuremgard, Jaslandia, Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica
Beep boop toot toot
Jaslandia, Mercunova
Russia is just doing the nation focus "The Great Purge" :P
Nuremgard, Axeldonia, Yukona
I've been disinterested in it tbh. Though there were a ton of Lamb supporters at the Women's March
you live in that congressional district as well?
Eh, kind of. University is there, and I live in the dorms, so kind of
Solla Ultima
It probably is Russia. It's Moscow showing a display of power. Murdering their spies on British soil to test the reaction of the UK government. Makes the UK look weak and defenceless if a foreign power can kill spies here willy nilly.
Unfortunately the UK is suffering the worst government since Thatcher. May is a vacillating, weak and incompetent PM and Johnson is an absolute moron of a FS. As my sister said, "he couldn't bring a dog to heel, never mind Russia."
May's ultimatum will fall on deaf ears. And no wonder. What will be the repercussions? She says she'll declare it an unlawful use of force against the UK and Prince Willy wont be going to the footie. I am sure this retribution from mighty Blighty will keep Putin up at night.
Jaslandia, Axeldonia, Spanelsko
Are you able to vote in the election there
I mean
Thatcher was a nasty PM whose government was disastrous for the country, especially the North.
But she definitely wasn't weak, and a comparison of her to May isn't really justifiable.
Jaslandia, Yukona
Daily reminder the Falklands are British
Jaslandia, Vista Major
Thatcher was not weak, no. I was just saying that in terms of harm to ordinary people, May's government has been the worst since Thatcher's. Cameron's might come a close second. Although him and his buddy Osborne started all the austerity pish so they might be worse. I dunno. We're spoiled for choice with bad governments in the UK.
Thatcher didn't care about the islanders. She used the war as a distraction at home from her awful policies.
Axeldonia
Daily reminder Las Malvinas are Argentinian property
/s
Spanelsko
It's up to the Falklanders whether they remain British or become part of Argentina. Self-determination and all that jazz.
Jaslandia, Axeldonia
I haven't even heard of that song, actually. If I were do post something, it would more likely be this:
https://youtu.be/W4ga_M5Zdn4
Today I learned that "furry raiders" are a thing.
https://media1.giphy.com/media/3og0IMJcSI8p6hYQXS/giphy.gif
Looks like today is also 'Attempt to Overthrow the Government Day'.
Agreed. Using the sum of absolute differences to measure video compression is a very pragmatic approach. Makes me proud to be American.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAD
jk. SAD is Special Activities Division, right?
A bit of an odd claim, considering Argentina started the war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War#Argentine_invasion
Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica
She took the opportunity to stroke Britons' patriotic G-spot by bravely defending the helpless islanders against Argentinian aggression. Good PR move, I'll give the old cow that.
Jaslandia
I mean, what else could she have done? Would you have done anything different? "Yeah, so Argentina invaded the Falklands. We're just gonna send some troops to kick them out and all that jazz, no biggie. Tea and crumpets, anyone?"
Since the Falklands is a British territory, I doubt I'd have had little choice. But having the responsibility of defending sh!tty little islands on the other side of the world is Britain's fault for having such an overreaching empire. So, rather like Northern Ireland, the UK is stuck with the Falklanders until they decide (if ever) to join Argentina.
Hey, it's not present-day Britain's fault that 1833 Britain sent a few ships to some insignificant South American islands and basically said "Hey, you know those islands whose sovereignty has been split and in dispute for the past 200 years or so? Well, they're all ours now, so deal with it." It happened in a different time, and now we have to live with the consequences. Imperialism is a funny thing, ain't it?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reassertion_of_British_sovereignty_over_the_Falkland_Islands_(1833)
Hence why I said it's Britain's fault for having such an overreaching empire.
Well, it's too late to turn back now.
Yup. And with 99.8% of the islanders supporting British rule, that ain't gonna' change any time soon.
Jaslandia, Axeldonia
Yush.
Jaslandia
The Argentinians didnt care about the islanders. They used the war as a distraction at home from their awful policies
Yup. Basically both countries used the islands as a political football. And I heard that official documents got released recently detailing the abuse young Argentine conscripts faced at the hands of their superiors.
Axeldonia
Or when you - a fascist junta - invade a territory owned by another country populated by citizens of said country who unanimously want to stay part of that country, you should probably protect them
I didn't say they shouldn't.
Axeldonia
I long for the day that Northern Ireland joins its rightful motherland of Argentina.
Nuremgard, Axeldonia, Mercunova, Yukona, Grand Hesperia
Harhar. You knew what I meant, smartarse lol
Continental Commonwealths
Can you pay for the replacement keyboard I now have to purchase after I was unable to keep myself from vomiting whilst reading this?
Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica, Mercunova, Yukona
Calm down, Unf. Even the Argies don't want that sectarian sh!thole.
Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica, Mercunova, Grand Hesperia
Nuremgard
And I didnt say you did :^)
Why are we having this conversation then? lol
Because I said you said they shouldn't and that Yukona said you said they should.
Nuremgard, Yukona
Now fight.
Nuremgard, Yukona
The Lion vs the Unicorn.
Prepare to get speared with my horn, Yuk.
Axeldonia, Yukona
Unicorns are ghey, Scotland should've gone with some badass Scandinavian wolves to emphasize it's heritage :p
what is the most socialist of animals
the bear is not a valid answer
Penguania And Antarctica
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