Yes, the cynicism bus picked me up years ago. I wouldn't piss on a politician if they were on fire...
Off Topic The Politics Thread
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Would you piss on them if they weren't though?
I've been discussing some of Trumps actions with the cake eating midget formerly of this parish - we both agree that he's a ****, but he's got the power to influence players on a global scale. It's no coincidence that the de-escalation in the middle east came about once he'd had words with Netanyahu, although his comments about Gaza becoming the Riviera of the Middle East is unhelpful to say the least, and pays no heed to the Palestinian populace and their needs. Will be interesting to see how this plays out once all the hostages/bodies have been handed back.
Ukraine is a whole different level of Trumpism though. Both Russia and Ukraine couldn't expect a peace deal without major concessions - for all the bluster, Ukraine would have to lose some territory you'd think, whilst Russia will have to dig deep for some form of reparations - whether either leader is prepared to concede these terms or any others is a matter of time. Trumps ill-advised comments about Zelensky don't help, but put in to context, prior to the conflict, the Ukrainian government were not whiter than white...corruption was rife (as it is in a lot of Eastern European states), especially with the money he personslly filtered via Kolomoisky, who makes Murdoch look like a friendly teddy bear. He'd banned over 10 opposition parties, and had/has strong ties with the far right Azov. None of this absolves Putin for his actions, but as I said three years ago, there's no good guys in war.
Trumps plan to do a deal with Zelensky for Ukraines raw minerals is interesting, and could well be the big bargaining chip that Zelensky needs. The US is desperate for chromium, cobalt and copper - I watched a two-part documentary by Katya Adler of the BBC on the Balkans (well worth a watch if you've got time) and the Indians and Chinese are doing deals for all the minerals in Albania, cutting the US off of these resources.
Syria has been just as dramatic - the fall of Damascus was as much to do with the war in Ukraine weakening Russian support of Assad, and the wars in Lebanon and Gaza weakening the Hezbollah and Iranian support. Since the fall of Assad (don't hear much of him and his hiding in Moscow) all the noises coming from HTS and their leadership seem to point to a liberal form of Islamism running the country. There's a lot for them sort out, but al-Julaini (or al-Sharaa as he's known now) has indicated free elections in two years. Russia have had their lease revoked on the naval base they had on the Med and are withdrawing from the country. Syrian refugees are pouring back in to the country, and I'd expect to see an influx of Arab and Turkish money to help rebuild the country - no doubt Trump will want a piece of that pie too.
The Russians are moving their naval base from Tartus in Syria to Sudan, where the Wagner Group were supporting the rebels and Russian forces the Sudanese government - effectively playing both sides. Now the Russians have stepped up militarily with the government who have agreed to a naval base
The jury is out on how Syria will go - controlling the extremists long term will not be easy, hence why Israel has effectively taken control of the Syrian Golan area - another future flash point
The jury is out on how Syria will go - controlling the extremists long term will not be easy, hence why Israel has effectively taken control of the Syrian Golan area - another future flash point
That's nice of hamas
Gift bags and certificates for all the hostages
Do they give the last one out a cash prize
Gift bags and certificates for all the hostages
Do they give the last one out a cash prize
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They brought two of the remaining hostages along with the gawping crowd of innocent civilians / part-time doctor journalist children to watch the latest ‘ceremony’. Over the coming weeks and months we’ll have people on the streets of this country openly cheering for these people. Every gullible moron duped into supporting ****ing Palestine should be made to wear a helmet.
The 'morons' supporting Palestine will not necessarily be in favour of Hamas. The October 7th atrocities were disgusting, but the genocide carried out by Israel in response is equally disgusting and on a far greater scale.
Amnesty concludes Israel is committing genocide in Gaza
Israel’s Crime of Extermination, Acts of Genocide in Gaza | Human Rights Watch
Both those organisations have a bizarre blind spot when it comes to Jews for some reason. You and they can get in the bin with ludicrous claims of genocide.
How about the United Nations, then....
UN Special Committee finds Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza consistent with genocide, including use of starvation as weapon of war | OHCHR
Similar yeah. Gaza has a high obesity rate. Hamas certainly seem well fed as do the crowds gathering to cheer for them. Sinwar’s wife was almost too fat for the tunnels.
No other group would be held to such a ridiculous standard as Israel has been after suffering what it has. You’ve picked a **** horse and you’ll continue to back it against any logic.
An estimated 48,000 killed in Gaza since October 7th, mostly women and children.
A society with a median age of 18 with recruitment starting well before that. If I was intent on genocide with unlimited weaponry I’d probably manage more than 3000 per month in densely populated urban warfare.
And this Strolls is another reason why I kept off this thread for a whole
Positions are polarised to the extent that 48,000+ dead means nothing to some
With a total in excess of 55,000 people killed on both sides you'd think common sense might prevail
It won't
Common sense and the middle east...you've been on the hookah for too long.
You are right, of course. We do judge Israel by other standards - we allow all criticism of their many war crimes and illegal settlements to become stifled through fear of being called anti semitic - and Israel hides behind this screen. The screen which equates anti Zionism with anti Semitism, For decades the West has closed its eyes to Israeli crimes for this reason - if any other country practised the Apartheid regime which they practice they would be called out for it just as South Africa was. Maybe the ''morons'' who support Palestine are just people who know something about history and how a country has had its land stolen by a colonial land grab.
Except it’s not stifled whatsoever and and people were free to celebrate October 7th on the streets of London while academics and apparently lifelong anti-racists stroked their chin beards and at best said nothing and at worst sought to justify it. Who exactly is stifling you?
Their situation is nothing like South Africa’s. What other country is surrounded by so many groups with the sole aim of wiping it off the planet? If I’m in their shoes, I’m taking keeping my people, of all faiths, as safe as they can be over turning the other cheek yet again for the approval of the likes of you.
Palestinian society is tragically sick. Removing that radicalisation is nigh impossible in any of our lifetimes. It’s kill or be killed. There is no utopian lovely two-state solution where everyone plays nicely in the real world no matter how much the wettest, smuggest, comfortable westerners pretend to themselves it can be done.
How many people were celebrating October 7th on the streets of London? Who sought to celebrate it? The tiniest of a tiny fringe perhaps. Hundreds of thousands joined the peace marches, many of whom were Jews.
A two-state solution is the only route to peace, it seems to me. What's your solution as a non-wet, non-smug, westerner?
There were far more out celebrating than the miniscule number of Jews on your ‘peace’ marches which had about as much desire for peace as I do for Chelsea to win the league. Another chance for those same smug pretend lovers of peace to turn a blind eye to outrageous levels of antisemitism and support for proscribed terror organisations. The first was arranged before any Israeli response while the bodies were still warm.
Maybe not every problem has a solution. I think it’s far more realistic we have an endless cycle of wars and ceasefires. Most won’t go on for over year like this one. Giving them a state as a reward for what they’ve done won’t bring peace. You can’t satisfy them with appeasement. If anything they’d be emboldened.