International Events 5, "As the World Turns"

[Winterfell is Burning]

17 hours ago, Varysblackfyre321 said:

From what I gather his foreign policy would be a more militant and possibly more outwardly aggressive in its expansion.

 

You have to play the tune your audience wants to hear.

In Venezuela there was constant framing by the US of it being a conflict between socialism and capitalism

Guadido, the man the US and many in the west was attempting to prop up as someone who should be the president of Venezuela, avowed himself as a socialist to ingratiate himself towards Venezuelans in defiance to many of his actual political and economic stances.

That was hardly ever brought up by any Republicans or right-leaning news outlets, or individuals  when talking about the man.

He was just portrayed as a noble democracy loving hero. And if you don’t support the US braking international to give him the presidency you’re an apathetic monster about all the Venezuelans.

Regarding Guaidó specifically, he'd be an improvement over Maduro, but that's because short of a mass-murderer coming along, we're long past the point in which Maduro can call himself better than any alternative.

But anyway the point stands that it's too easy to put someone as a white knight when there's no much accounting for what his actual policies would be if he took over tomorrow (although, to be fair, it would take a lot of effort to make things even worse).

[lacuna]

I'm skimming through Navalny's platform* for the 2018 presidential campaign on his official website, and I gotta say, there's little that seems that disagreeable - the problem might be what isn't being mentioned. The prime focus is on ending domestic corruption and oligarchy, but also calls for cooperation with the UN, EU and the US, resolving the Crimea conflict peacefully, cut support of dictatorships etc. However, no mention of social issues, which is also of extreme concern when it comes to Russia.

 

*ETA: For what that's worth, obviously.

[broken one]

1 hour ago, lacuna said:

 However, no mention of social issues

He's said to be a populist, so chances are he has promised everything to everyone, but somewhere else.

[Varysblackfyre321]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/world/europe/portugal-presidential-election.html

There’s a far right in Portugal  with real power in government now apparently.

The pandemic has hurt a lot of the far right in Europe given their ineptitude, but it’s still a beast.

[Winterfell is Burning]

While they are very much a minority, the far-right in Portugal exploits some anti-immigration backlash existing there, particularly against the biggest immigrant groups. And where the largest colonies come from? Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola and Guinea-Bissau....  Truly these people have no sense of irony.

[TheLastWolf]

India celebrated its 72nd Republic day yesterday. With the usual parade in its capital New Delhi. I watched it because I saw a news report that the parade was crashed by protesting farmers in tractors. And they hoisted a Khalistani flag instead of the national flag 

The farm bills protests have been going on for long, but it seems they had a clash with the security forces with a couple of casualties and few score injured. The parade crash was just a rumor tho. So was the flag thing too. The majority of protesting farmers were from states of Punjab and Haryana, so Sikhs. Holy flag raised, that's all it seems. Canada supporting Khalistani terrorists/freedom fighters/extremists raised 

The parade was just 3.5km instead of 8.5 it seems. No foreign dignitaries it seems. Boris Johnson was supposed to be the Chief guest. Well, Covid screwed that up 

[rotting sea cow]

On 1/23/2021 at 6:23 PM, lacuna said:

I'm skimming through Navalny's platform* for the 2018 presidential campaign on his official website, and I gotta say, there's little that seems that disagreeable - the problem might be what isn't being mentioned. The prime focus is on ending domestic corruption and oligarchy, but also calls for cooperation with the UN, EU and the US, resolving the Crimea conflict peacefully, cut support of dictatorships etc. However, no mention of social issues, which is also of extreme concern when it comes to Russia.

Maybe he is trying to appeal to non Russian voters.

[lacuna]

3 hours ago, rotting sea cow said:

Maybe he is trying to appeal to non Russian voters.

Yeah, for all I know the original Russian version is all fire and brimstone, and the English version is sunshine and rainbows. As I said, take it for what it's worth. Something has been put down in virtual ink, if nothing else, but I'd be 0 % surprised if Putin's hypothetical website had similar fluff on it.

It's impossible for me to know either way, really. I know very little about the subject, and the amount of disinformation is enormous to boot. Plus, it's entirely likely that it goes both ways (or every which way, really).

[DireWolfSpirit]

So the Russian uprisings has been getting the headlines, but we can't overlook the serious situation in Myanmar.

The military has taken over the civilian government in a coup. The civilian leader of the government is being held in detention.

[broken one]

1 hour ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

So the Russian uprisings has been getting the headlines, but we can't overlook the serious situation in Myanmar.

The military has taken over the civilian government in a coup. The civilian leader of the government is being held in detention.

What is going on, I love Aung son Suu Kyi again!

[The Anti-Targ]

I'm conflicted with this coup, on the one hand coups are bad. On the other hand the curent Myanmar govt was persecuting people, esp Muslim minorities. So some kind of clean out was necessary to put people more committed to human rights and freedoms. But is the military really likely to make things better in that respect? Probably not.

[Hereward]

Definitely not, rather than probably not. The oppression of the Rohinga has been perpetrated by the military at their own instigation. She has just been unable or unwilling to stop, or even condemn, it. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

3 hours ago, Hereward said:

Definitely not, rather than probably not. The oppression of the Rohinga has been perpetrated by the military at their own instigation. She has just been unable or unwilling to stop, or even condemn, it. 

This was my understanding of the situation as well. She has been an embarrassment after winning the Noble Peace Prize, but it's been the military behind all the atrocities. That's only going to get worse now.

[Clueless Northman]

Yeah like Hereward said, the military is basically independent from civilian government. The minister of defense is picked by the military. It's not UK-level of democracy. The NLD part of the government couldn't do much, if anything.

I don't think Aung Sang Suu Kyi gives a damn about Rohingyia, she probably isn't really upset with what happened, and if she had been fully in charge, the end result might have been close to the current situation, yet with less blood, violence and deaths: she's a more savvy than braindead generals who never left their country, she knows the way this happened is horrible for public relations.

The repression is fully the military's fault, that's basically the kind of massacres they've done for the last 50 years when local rebellions occurred, and with the number of important ethnies apart from Burmese, there has been a lot of revolts and autonomy-minded organizations. That said, I've no idea if she would've blamed the military for the atrocities and didn't because she didn't want to give them ground to stage a coup, or if she thought they actually weren't to blame - so her silence of not tacit approval is obviously legit ground for severe criticism.

[DireWolfSpirit]

This is such a good feels story about the return to Cambodia of a expansive Khmer deity art collection, valued over $50 million, that a collector's daughter inherited and wanted to return to the people.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/arts/design/cambodia-artifacts-douglas-latchford.html

[Darzin]

On 2/1/2021 at 7:26 PM, Hereward said:

Definitely not, rather than probably not. The oppression of the Rohinga has been perpetrated by the military at their own instigation. She has just been unable or unwilling to stop, or even condemn, it. 

I think unwilling more than unable, she's shown a williingness to condemn things under extreme duress. And if you took a fair vote in Myanmar I doubt it would go against what's happening. My brothers minor was Burmese studies and when talking to some of his classmates at a party everyone was atlking about how all major factions in Mynamar pro democracy and pro military have major issues with minorities. If you go on some of the subreddits for Myanmar you'll find lots of young educated English speakers, who hate the military government and want liberal democracy but are willing to give lots of "reasons" why whats happening to the Rohinga is ok. 

[TheLastWolf]

On 1/27/2021 at 9:56 AM, TheLastWolf said:

India celebrated its 72nd Republic day yesterday. With the usual parade in its capital New Delhi. I watched it because I saw a news report that the parade was crashed by protesting farmers in tractors. And they hoisted a Khalistani flag instead of the national flag 

The farm bills protests have been going on for long, but it seems they had a clash with the security forces with a couple of casualties and few score injured. The parade crash was just a rumor tho. So was the flag thing too. The majority of protesting farmers were from states of Punjab and Haryana, so Sikhs. Holy flag raised, that's all it seems. Canada supporting Khalistani terrorists/freedom fighters/extremists raised 

The parade was just 3.5km instead of 8.5 it seems. No foreign dignitaries it seems. Boris Johnson was supposed to be the Chief guest. Well, Covid screwed that up 

Greta Thunberg, Rihanna, Meena Harris (Kamala's niece) and ex porn star Mia Khalifa brought international attention to the ongoing 70-90 day old farmer protests in India

As to the stupid expose, 

https://www.refinery29.com/amp/en-us/2021/02/10292681/greta-thunberg-exposed-india-farmers-protest-backlash

What is happening... 

[broken one]

19 hours ago, Darzin said:

 If you go on some of the subreddits for Myanmar you'll find lots of young educated English speakers, who hate the military government and want liberal democracy but are willing to give lots of "reasons" why whats happening to the Rohinga is ok. 

So it seems if you want to mean something in Myanmar's politics you have to support the ethnical cleansing or be quiet. Maybe public objections against the policy would mean not only end of a career but more serious trouble, being assassinated or sth.

[Padraig]

Now this is depressing.

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/02/02/global-democracy-has-a-very-bad-year

[broken one]

24 minutes ago, Padraig said:

Now this is depressing.

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/02/02/global-democracy-has-a-very-bad-year

sometimes I think that maybe we are living in times like those at the end of roman republic and that there is no point struggling to keep the old order, because it has just expired. especially that all the elections become more and more plebiscites for the funniest and most radical clown. on the other hand... tyrants and caesars did many good things, conducted public works, built great buildings, cared about arts and so on. And as for those emerging now, all they do is steal and try to control peoples sexuality. Oh, yes, they share spoils with θέτης, but one fine day it will end up. Not sure if it has much to do with COVID, but the pandemy gives them great excuse to tighten the screw, like in Poland. You protest in the streets, you spread the disease, you bad, bad person.