Discussion The Random Discussion Thread

[Baldur]

I get that it isn’t popular, but if it ends the war, it’s for the best.

Perhaps you’d like to see another $250 billion spent, 1 million lives lost and another 15 years of war. At what point is it not worth it?

It would end this stage of this war for now, while ensuring more wars will happen and this war will be renewed. Dictators would learn that all they have to do is make some people in the west uncomfortable with conflict and they will get what they want. Appeasement has the track record of simply delaying the issue while making it much worse to resolve in the long run.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

It's probably a factor for some as is race and a few other things but at the end of the day people want things to go back to how they were when you could have a better standard of living in the west. Capitalism is a limited system. Perpetual growth needs to start eating itself at some point. I read a lot of Twitter, people are raging that they can send billions to Israel and Ukraine but Americans can barely get by on two wages.

Ironically the Trump right are less hawkish than the Biden/Harris left at the moment. They talk about ending the constant wars that syphon money back to the military industry. I hope that is the one legacy Trump does leave.

A lot of its deceptive, people in places like Bali think we are loaded, but for a lot of people take away the rent, and the utility bills etc etc, they get to go out for dinner a lot more than a lot of Australians.

Stuff like Coca Cola costs practically nothing to make. In Australia you buy a cold can in the Servo for $5.00.
I poor countries its 50c equivalent.

Remember when they had Region codes on DVD's? That was purely a money grab, wanting to make top dollar in certain countries, while still being able to sell them into poor countries.

 

[gringo2011]

I reckon a lot of the analysis into the election is redundant.

I think it is as simple as this, the majority of people think they are being asked to vote: Are you left wing or are you right wing?

People are then voting based on their biases for or against either side of this false dichotomy.

People aren't analysing the economy, it's all based on gut feel.

People like Trump because he's anti-woke in their eyes. The right have a much more unified base, people are all marching to the same beat.

The left wing are too busy infighting based on how far down the purity cycle you are. I'm super left wing, welcome to countries don't bother me, I'm happy to use people's preferred pronouns, I believe in the gender pay gap etc. etc. Despite this I've still been called a transphobe for saying I wouldn't want to sleep with a transgender woman, I've still been called sexist for believing that athletes pay should be proportionate to the revenue they generate and I've still been called racist for thinking the Voice vote was a waste of time which I didn't believe would accomplish anything.

If you have reasonable people who are in the centre to the left, it's not hard to see how they get pushed to the right.

There is a divide between the culturally conservative but economic left and the socially progressive left. The right has it too with the Trump types and the more traditional middle to upper class conservatives.

 

[gringo2011]

Which is stupid in itself, anyone with half a clue about military contracts knows what Ukraine is being sent.

The way the US arms deals work is that they get you to spend more than you can ever pay back and they take your public assets as payment. It's about as sadistic as you could imagine.

 

[gringo2011]

Are you referring to obsolete surplus?

The Ukraine aid argument is another one I find pretty dumb. They're sending equipment that was just going to rot away in storage facilities before being destroyed and at the same time, they are significantly leaking the armed forces of a hostile nation.

It's a win/win.

All my mates reckon Trump is going to end the war on day 1 without having to concede any captured territory to Russia.

They seriously believe that Putin is just going to walk away from the gambit that he has staked his entire legacy on just because Trump is a "strong negotiator"... it's a shame he didn't use those skills when he handed Afghanistan back to the taliban or gave Iran a free run at becoming a nuclear power...

Putin claimed that he just wanted a NATO buffer, It potentially works with a bit of give and take. That's the one hope I have for Trump. He thinks he's an anti neocon peacemaker. It stokes his ego so he's into perpetuating it.

 

[gringo2011]

Trump would be a generational full forward. Tall, strong, incredibly handsome.

Sure, they're getting the equivalent of $8 billion worth of military gear, while new military gear is bought for the US.. Still, that $8 billion is being spent on weapons, instead of helping the people within the country that need real help.
I know it's much much more than $8 billion, but that's just an example.


Some territory should be conceded to Russia. Some of that territory is close enough to Russia that it ultimately wouldn't matter. Nobody cared about Crimea 10 years ago. If it ends the war, it's a fine outcome.

We are paying them, for shit we don't even get.

 

[gringo2011]

Essentially correct, misspeaks a couple of times. You can find him speaking on who’s making money out of this and the eventual reconstruction.

What a negotiated settlement looks like will be very interesting but whose interests does it serve to continue the destruction and massive loss of life ?.

Can't be ****ed watching it but read a lot of geopolitical stuff. There is a long range planning done by unelected people in the government. Trump has opened eyes as to how the system operates as a political tool. He might have accidentally managed to bring about world peace through opportunism.

 

[gringo2011]

I didn’t love him for most of his career, finally came around in the last couple of years before he retired. Didn’t mind him in media.

That was the era I used to get down to club events. I never warmed to him. He was an arrogant flog for most of his career.

 

[gringo2011]

America are spending that $8B you refer to on new equipment regardless to keep the military industrial complex ticking over. It either goes to Ukraine or it gets destroyed. What they could do with that money instead is irrelevant as neither party is willing to consider reducing military expenditure as it would be political suicide.

As for the idea that some territory should be conceded... that's just silly. You think capitulating to Putin is going to stop him from taking more land? It wouldn't be the end of the war, it would be the eye of the storm. It would be The Munich Agreement mk 2. The Trump cult would still be singing about peace for our time.

The US will steal everything as repayments anyway. They'll concede a small amount of territory and sign on to the 20 year NATO thing.

The US is going to have to readjust to a new world with them as just another power rather than the world superpower.

 

[Yawkey way]

The way the US arms deals work is that they get you to spend more than you can ever pay back and they take your public assets as payment. It's about as sadistic as you could imagine.

Belt and road ring a bell ?.

 

[gringo2011]

Belt and road ring a bell ?.

For sure the US is trying to stop China but also limiting Russia selling gas to Europe and using NATO states as attack dogs.

 

[StFly]

Can't be ****ed watching it but read a lot of geopolitical stuff. There is a long range planning done by unelected people in the government. Trump has opened eyes as to how the system operates as a political tool. He might have accidentally managed to bring about world peace through opportunism.

Same talking points per usual really if you visit the SRP at all about that war as it's either pro Ukraine or "Putin is a victim and NATO is evil expanding with a menacing glare" added that Saddam was "progressive" and then the US went in and claimed WMD and screwed them over.

For a soon to be health guy, whomever gets foreign affairs has work to do.

 

[Yawkey way]

Same talking points per usual really if you visit the SRP at all about that war as it's either pro Ukraine or "Putin is a victim and NATO is evil expanding with a menacing glare" added that Saddam was "progressive" and then the US went in and claimed WMD and screwed them over.

For a soon to be health guy, whomever gets foreign affairs has work to do.

It’s factual, what part of what he said is untrue ?. Doesn’t support Putin, he simple set out how we got here.

It’s undeniable that powerful commercial interests have a vested interest in nato expansion. It’s also undeniable that those same players own people in and around government and wield incredible power. Defence spending is a brilliant way of taking our taxes and transferring public money into private wealth.

The fact that they have some massive problems and it’s going to be very hard to make the changes needed is undeniable. I’d think it would be a massive win to bring the current wars to an end and to improve the Heath of the general public.

 

[Yawkey way]

For sure the US is trying to stop China but also limiting Russia selling gas to Europe and using NATO states as attack dogs.

The world has been getting screwed over by powerful nations stealing everyone’s wealth for how long ?. It’s actually quite depressing especially when you consider I’ve lived through a golden age of the world.

 

[gringo2011]

Same talking points per usual really if you visit the SRP at all about that war as it's either pro Ukraine or "Putin is a victim and NATO is evil expanding with a menacing glare" added that Saddam was "progressive" and then the US went in and claimed WMD and screwed them over.

For a soon to be health guy, whomever gets foreign affairs has work to do.

I think Gaddafi is the one that people claim was more progressive. Was threatening to bring in a gold backed African currency to rival the US dollar and had a lot of socialist policy. Saddam was a hard man, it would be hard to justify him as a progressive.

 

[bergholt]

Anyone at TISM tonight? First time at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, awesome joint

Yeah was a fun gig. Machine Gun Fellatio were best on ground imo.

 

[PoppedCorn]

gee i hope LeBron and his family will be ok under the trump regime


what an absolute turnip

 

[Sully111]

Yeah was a fun gig. Machine Gun Fellatio were best on ground imo.

Still an unbeatable band name

 

[Hubnester]

Yeah was a fun gig. Machine Gun Fellatio were best on ground imo.

Maybe I'm naive as I know nothing about them, but I didn't turn up to this show expecting to see an older woman strip to nothing but a nun's habit and stimulate herself with a microphone

Also it's not often I go to a gig and am below average in terms of age haha

 

[Sully111]

gee i hope LeBron and his family will be ok under the trump regime


what an absolute turnip

It's very upsetting.

It's almost like the anguish of sports stars and celebrities has a direct line into my veins

 

[Dard Ball Get]

gee i hope LeBron and his family will be ok under the trump regime


what an absolute turnip

Maybe a Diddy party to cheer him up

How will Magic Johnson’s son have an abortion now?

 

[StFly]

It’s factual, what part of what he said is untrue ?. Doesn’t support Putin, he simple set out how we got here.

It’s undeniable that powerful commercial interests have a vested interest in nato expansion. It’s also undeniable that those same players own people in and around government and wield incredible power. Defence spending is a brilliant way of taking our taxes and transferring public money into private wealth.

The fact that they have some massive problems and it’s going to be very hard to make the changes needed is undeniable. I’d think it would be a massive win to bring the current wars to an end and to improve the Heath of the general public.

Just for ref, I watched the video, that was just a succinct summary which is why I referenced the "if you visit the SRP" forum part, as you know there is a thread titled "Backdrop to the War in Ukraine" in that part of the forum.

In other news as I've a rule to not discuss politics amongst other things...

Aus v Pakistan ODI 3 is starting.

 

[Yawkey way]

Just for ref, I watched the video, that was just a succinct summary which is why I referenced the "if you visit the SRP" forum part, as you know there is a thread titled "Backdrop to the War in Ukraine" in that part of the forum.

In other news as I've a rule to not discuss politics amongst other things...

Aus v Pakistan ODI 3 is starting.

Yes and we’re looking like rubbish again, can’t move our feet, can’t play swing.

 

[StFly]

Yes and we’re looking like rubbish again, can’t move our feet, can’t play swing.

It was looking good with the 5 wides for a moment there, but yeah then they got it on the pitch properly and we decided to stand still and swing to a moving ball.

Go figure.

 

[Joffaboy]

The world has been getting screwed over by powerful nations stealing everyone’s wealth for how long ?. It’s actually quite depressing especially when you consider I’ve lived through a golden age of the world.

Saddest part is not just powerful nations, even within a nation.
When the Soviet Union dissolved US operatives like Bill Browder with Russian mates bought all the state ( public) owned oil and gas plants and industries for pennies on the dollar.
This is how the oligarchs came to be and how the Russian worker was royally screwed.
A whole giant asset sell-off with nothing substantial coming back to the punters, just like Keating did, followed by Howard, and in the states like Kennett.
The rich and powerful always win.

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app