Post Archive

Region: The Confederacy of Free Nations

History

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

Kalaron wrote: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?

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.

Kalaron wrote: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?

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.

Jaslandia wrote: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.

Nuremgard wrote:That's because Trump's got Putin's unspeakable up his 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).

Jaslandia wrote: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.

Nuremgard wrote: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.

Gualimole wrote: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.

Nuremgard wrote: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.

Gualimole wrote: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

Gualimole wrote: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.

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.

Jaslandia wrote: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.

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.

Nuremgard wrote: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.

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

Kalaron wrote: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.

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

Gualimole wrote: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.

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

Unfallious wrote: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.

https://amp.businessinsider.com/images/52a1c37869bedd476f5aaefd-750-501.jpg

Vista Major

Gualimole wrote: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.

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.]

Unfallious wrote: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.

If by "American" you mean "Western" then kinda.

Jaslandia, Confederal States

Kalaron wrote: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.

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

Gualimole wrote: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.

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.]

Kalaron wrote: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.

Kalaron wrote:If by "American" you mean "Western" then kinda.

Same thing.

Nuremgard, Yukona

Kalaron wrote: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.

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

Alruniea wrote: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).

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.

Russkov Soviet wrote:See previous post

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

Unfallious wrote:Same thing.

Unfortunately the EU and US foreign policy are one in the same.

Penguania And Antarctica, Solla Ultima

Alruniea wrote: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).

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

Sulania wrote:Welp, it's official. Kal was my colony. :3

C u t i e

Penguania And Antarctica, Midasia

Kalaron wrote: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

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

Nuremgard wrote:Unfortunately the EU and US foreign policy are one in the same.

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

Nuremgard wrote: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."

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.

Nuremgard wrote: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."

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

Yukona wrote: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

Damn, they really hate people named Alex :p

Jaslandia, Midasia

Yukona wrote: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

I think Nurem’s point was more if the tables were turned on the US, not specifically whether Russia was the one turning the tables.

Nuremgard, Yukona

Continental Commonwealths wrote:I think Nurem’s point was more if the tables were turned on the US, not specifically whether Russia was the one turning the tables.

And, before Jas does it:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bsFCO8-oCEQ

Jaslandia

Kalaron wrote: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.

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.

Continental Commonwealths wrote:I think Nurem’s point was more if the tables were turned on the US, not specifically whether Russia was the one turning the tables.

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

Yukona wrote: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

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

Nuremgard wrote: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. [/quote[quote=nuremgard;29743557]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.

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

Bainius wrote:Hello, I am the new ambassador from The Versutian Federation. I am also the Minister of Defense. Do I need to be masked?

I remember when we had an MoD...

What a cozy seat it was for a certain someone...

Russkov Soviet, Jaslandia, Penguania And Antarctica

Kalaron wrote: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.

The world isn't dominated by western values because the US does not implement western values in the nations it interferes in.

Axeldonia, Yukona

Vista Major wrote:I remember when we had an MoD...

What a cozy seat it was for a certain someone...

Do I need to talk with your Minister of Foreign Affairs?

Vista Major, Penguania And Antarctica

Vista Major wrote:I remember when we had an MoD...

What a cozy seat it was for a certain someone...

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

Nuremgard wrote:The world isn't dominated by western values because the US does not implement western values in the nations it interferes in.

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 hasn’t developed at all since the dichotomy of the Wilsonian era.

Continental Commonwealths wrote: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 hasn’t 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

Mercunova wrote: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.

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

Bainius wrote:Do I need to talk with your Minister of Foreign Affairs?

Yes, you absolutely should.

Vista Major wrote:Yes, you absolutely should.

Is there a discord?

Vista Major, Mercunova

Bainius wrote:Is there a discord?

Yup, linked in our WFE.

Vista Major

Nuremgard wrote:The world isn't dominated by western values because the US does not implement western values in the nations it interferes in.

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.

Continental Commonwealths wrote: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 hasn’t developed at all since the dichotomy of the Wilsonian era.

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.

The Cross And Davids Star wrote: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.

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

Solla Ultima wrote: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

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

Mercunova wrote: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.

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

The Cross And Davids Star wrote: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.

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.

Solla Ultima wrote: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

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

Mercunova wrote: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.

Is the republican not well liked by a decent group of republicans/conservative voters

Nuremgard, Mercunova

Solla Ultima wrote:Is the republican not well liked by a decent group of republicans/conservative voters

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 isn’t 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

Yukona wrote:Another Russian has died under suspicious circumstances in London. I hope it isn’t really Russia doing her spring cleaning otherwise this is gonna get even worse

Russia is just doing the nation focus "The Great Purge" :P

Nuremgard, Axeldonia, Yukona

Solla Ultima wrote: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

I've been disinterested in it tbh. Though there were a ton of Lamb supporters at the Women's March

Sulania wrote: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?

Solla Ultima wrote: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

Yukona wrote:Another Russian has died under suspicious circumstances in London. I hope it isn’t really Russia doing her spring cleaning otherwise this is gonna get even worse

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

Sulania wrote:Eh, kind of. University is there, and I live in the dorms, so kind of

Are you able to vote in the election there

Nuremgard wrote: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.

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

Unfallious wrote: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.

Daily reminder the Falklands are British

Jaslandia, Vista Major

Unfallious wrote: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.

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.

Yukona wrote:Daily reminder the Falklands are British

Thatcher didn't care about the islanders. She used the war as a distraction at home from her awful policies.

Axeldonia

Yukona wrote:Daily reminder the Falklands are British

Daily reminder Las Malvinas are Argentinian property

/s

Spanelsko

Chernarus State wrote:Daily reminder Las Malvinas are Argentinian property

/s

It's up to the Falklanders whether they remain British or become part of Argentina. Self-determination and all that jazz.

Jaslandia, Axeldonia

Continental Commonwealths wrote:And, before Jas does it:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bsFCO8-oCEQ

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

The Cross And Davids Star wrote: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.

Today I learned that "furry raiders" are a thing.

https://media1.giphy.com/media/3og0IMJcSI8p6hYQXS/giphy.gif

Mercunova wrote:

- 1809 – Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden is deposed in a coup d'état.

- 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.)

-

- 1920 – The Kapp Putsch briefly ousts the Weimar Republic government from Berlin.

- 1957 – Cuban student revolutionaries storm the presidential palace in Havana in a failed attempt on the life of President Fulgencio Batista.

- 1979 – The New Jewel Movement, headed by Maurice Bishop, ousts Prime Minister Eric Gairy in a nearly bloodless coup d'état in Grenada.

Looks like today is also 'Attempt to Overthrow the Government Day'.

Kalaron wrote:The US (SAD) is as well,

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?

Nuremgard wrote:Thatcher didn't care about the islanders. She used the war as a distraction at home from her awful policies.

A bit of an odd claim, considering Argentina started the war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War#Argentine_invasion

Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica

Jaslandia wrote: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

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

Nuremgard wrote: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.

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?"

Jaslandia wrote: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.

Nuremgard wrote: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)

Jaslandia wrote: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.

Nuremgard wrote:Hence why I said it's Britain's fault for having such an overreaching empire.

Well, it's too late to turn back now.

Jaslandia wrote: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

Jaslandia wrote: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

Yush.

Jaslandia

Nuremgard wrote: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.

The Argentinians didn’t care about the islanders. They used the war as a distraction at home from their awful policies

Yukona wrote:The Argentinians didn’t 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

Nuremgard wrote: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.

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

Yukona wrote: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

Nuremgard wrote: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.

I long for the day that Northern Ireland joins its rightful motherland of Argentina.

Nuremgard, Axeldonia, Mercunova, Yukona, Grand Hesperia

Continental Commonwealths wrote:I long for the day that Northern Ireland joins its rightful motherland of Argentina.

Harhar. You knew what I meant, smartarse lol

Continental Commonwealths

Continental Commonwealths wrote:I long for the day that Northern Ireland joins its rightful motherland of Argentina.

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

Unfallious wrote:Can you pay for the replacement keyboard I now have to purchase after I was unable to keep myself from vomiting whilst reading this?

Calm down, Unf. Even the Argies don't want that sectarian sh!thole.

Axeldonia, Penguania And Antarctica, Mercunova, Grand Hesperia

Nuremgard wrote:Harhar. You knew what I meant, smartarse lol
😘
Unfallious wrote:Can you pay for the replacement keyboard I now have to purchase after I was unable to keep myself from vomiting whilst reading this?
I dunno. We took our money and slapped the visage of some crown-wearing German lady on it. Probably wouldn’t mean much to you.

Nuremgard

Nuremgard wrote:I didn't say they shouldn't.

And I didn’t say you did :^)

Yukona wrote:And I didn’t say you did :^)

Why are we having this conversation then? lol

Nuremgard wrote: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

Continental Commonwealths wrote:Because I said you said they shouldn't and that Yukona said you said they should.

Now fight.

Nuremgard, Yukona

Continental Commonwealths wrote:Now fight.

The Lion vs the Unicorn.

Prepare to get speared with my horn, Yuk.

Axeldonia, Yukona

Nuremgard wrote:The Lion vs the Unicorn.

Prepare to get speared with my horn, Yuk.

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

Assembled with Dot's Region Saver.
Written by Refuge Isle.