All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Hellion]

Since it hasn't been brought up here yet:

Sinn Féin has won the most assembly seats in the Northern Ireland election on Thursday. It is a historic moment, the first time the nationalist party has had a majority in government since Northern Ireland was created in 1921. The Alliance party also made significant gains in the election, further proving how fractured and out-of-touch the DUP and other unionist parties are with younger generations.

Also, for the first time in what seems like a lifetime, the Tories in Scotland and the UK in general suffered heavy losses in the recent council elections. Maybe this is a sign that the UK might finally be on the path to pull its head out of its arse?

[Hellion]

On the American front, I successfully gave both fingers to Montana, overshot New Hampshire and have landed comfortably in Maine. The political climates cannot be more different. Where Montana was obnoxiously loud and proud about MAGA, Trump, and all things great about white, straight, cisgender males, Maine by contrast is...quiet? Less claustrophobic and oppressive? A breath of fresh air? Don't get me wrong, I know most of rural Maine leans further to the right than I'm comfortable with, but at the same time it's nice to not see Trump signs posted all over the damn place.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

The Dave Chappelle story gets crazier. The homeless rapper who had a song about Donald Trump and Chappelle , it appears attacked him for the most insane reason. One not tied into anything Chappelle has said in comedy routines. Also the guy's brother has came out and said that he has mental health issues.

Chappelle further revealed he was able to convince police to let him speak with Lee before the suspect was carted off to a hospital in custody. The comedian said Lee appeared to be mentally disturbed and told him he was trying to draw attention to the problem of gentrification in his grandmother’s Brooklyn neighborhood.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/...192743847.html

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The Dave Chappelle story gets crazier. The homeless rapper who had a song about Donald Trump and Chappelle , it appears attacked him for the most insane reason. One not tied into anything Chappelle has said in comedy routines. Also the guy's brother has came out and said that he has mental health issues.



https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/...192743847.html

Hell of a way to address gentrification, at least it was to you and me. But, to Lee, what he did made perfect sense to him, and that’s what’s truly disturbing.

[CSTowle]

I would just like to point out that USA is not simply handing out NATO membership like candy, the country has to ask for the membership first and then be accepted by all other members.

If not for russia and their own imperial politics, some countries might not feel the need to join.

And what nato nations border Russia? Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Turkey, all of whom had to meet certain NATO standards to do so.

Of the five, all have just had affirmed that they made the right decision, all nations, barring Turkey for the most part, which have suffered considerably for Russia's imperial dreams.

So Russia invaded Ukraine and killed tens of thousands of people because other nations asked to join NATO in fear of Russia invading and killing tens of thousands of people?
That is one giant pile of a defense.

On the fact that they had to meet some basic standards, it's fine to point that out but also completely beside the point. Keep in mind that the US very much wanted those nations (and others) in NATO as a bulwark against Russia and to make it easier for them to operate in that part of the world.

Putin and many Russians understandably see this as an expansion of US foreign influence and a threat to Russian interests, because it is. As I stated before though, that's nowhere near a justification for an invasion of a foreign country, bombing of civilians, and theft of land. Both are wrong, but one is very clearly worse. Pointing out that Russia has real concerns about the expansion of US/Western influence doesn't negate that.

If you find yourself reflexively attacking someone for pointing out that situations can be complicated, nuanced, and not necessarily black & white/cut & dried like we're talking religious dogma and who's a true believer and who is the blasphemer who should be (verbally) stoned for their "sins", maybe it's time to take a minute and examine your own biases. Especially (though not exclusively) when that person is agreeing with you on the big picture of things.

[Ozymandias]

Kiev goes back to like the 7th century, and the Ukraine first shows up back in the 12th century. Try to keep up. Moscow wasn't founded until mid 12th century too. Ukraine, conceptually and culturally has existed for a long time, regardless of a state of independence.

Kiev was Russia (Kievan Rus'), there wasn't any other Russia back then, much less Ukraine. The original "Ukraine" was Galicia (split between Poland and Ukraine today), Kievan Rus' was much bigger and reached the frontier with modern day Finland. It disintegrated in the 12th century and "Russia" survived to the Northeast with capital in Novgorod first and Moscow later. The rest (Galicia–Volhynia) was absorbed by Poland and Lithuania. Cossacks in the south remained independent until the 18th century. Crimea saw different conquests, until it fell to the the Ottoman Empire; it gained independence only to lose it again to Catherine the Great (13 years later), but Tartars continued fighting until Stalin deported them after WWII. There was never any Ukraine as it existed after the collapse of the URSS, the short-lived after WWI had part of "Ukraine" in the re-instated Poland.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Hell of a way to address gentrification, at least it was to you and me. But, to Lee, what he did made perfect sense to him, and that’s what’s truly disturbing.

I said it pages ago...this has a Mark David Chapman vibe. One where someone idolizes a person and then turns on them.

The scary part is this guy could attack someone else if he's not placed to get treatment or anything. I can sense Chappelle's fear...this guy could keep that fixation and try to attack again elsewhere

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I said it pages ago...this has a Mark David Chapman vibe. One where someone idolizes a person and then turns on them.

The scary part is this guy could attack someone else if he's not placed to get treatment or anything. I can sense Chappelle's fear...this guy could keep that fixation and try to attack again elsewhere

I think I heard somewhere that Lee was only charged with a misdemeanor because he never actually used the knife he had. But, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be detained, because he could use that weapon the next time.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Kiev was Russia (Kievan Rus'), there wasn't any other Russia back then, much less Ukraine. The original "Ukraine" was Galicia (split between Poland and Ukraine today), Kievan Rus' was much bigger and reached the frontier with modern day Finland. It disintegrated in the 12th century and "Russia" survived to the Northeast with capital in Novgorod first and Moscow later. The rest (Galicia–Volhynia) was absorbed by Poland and Lithuania. Cossacks in the south remained independent until the 18th century. Crimea saw different conquests, until it fell to the the Ottoman Empire; it gained independence only to lose it again to Catherine the Great (13 years later), but Tartars continued fighting until Stalin deported them after WWII. There was never any Ukraine as it existed after the collapse of the URSS, the short-lived after WWI had part of "Ukraine" in the re-instated Poland.

So basically, what you're saying is "Who cares what the locals want, Russia genocided it, they get to keep it."

[Gray Lensman]

Some conservatives love to trot out the States' Rights argument, that the Civil War was fought over States' Rights, not slavery. But let's look at those precious States' Rights. I mean, the Confederacy never tried to hide it. Each Confederate State spelled out those States' Rights in their State Constitutions. And right at the top of each of those lists of rights is, wouldn't you know it, the right to own slaves. And not just the right to own slaves, oh no. It spells out the absolute right of the White man to enslave the Black man. So when anyone argues that the Civil War wasn't fought over slavery, direct them to read any of the 11 State Constitutions where they can read all about the States' Rights they're always crowing about.

Another fun thing Confederate apologists love to trot out is how Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus and the Confederacy didn't. Of course, they leave out the fact that the reason the Confederacy never suspended Habeas Corpus was that they never had it to begin with. There is no need to suspend that which doesn't exist.

North Carolina was the only state in the Confederacy to recognize the Right of Habeas Corpus, which was conveniently ignored by non North Carolina troops whenever they were in the state.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I think I heard somewhere that Lee was only charged with a misdemeanor because he never actually used the knife he had. But, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be detained, because he could use that weapon the next time.

And that is the insane deal. The knife was kicked out of his hand or something by people. So due to that...hes not being charged with a felony. Like...what if they weren't around to do that ?

[Mister Mets]

I think I heard somewhere that Lee was only charged with a misdemeanor because he never actually used the knife he had. But, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be detained, because he could use that weapon the next time.

George Gascón, the Los Angeles DA, is pushing back against the "tough on crime" movement with lighter sentences.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/m...s-angeles.html

[Kirby101]

If you find yourself reflexively attacking someone for pointing out that situations can be complicated, nuanced, and not necessarily black & white/cut & dried like we're talking religious dogma and who's a true believer and who is the blasphemer who should be (verbally) stoned for their "sins", maybe it's time to take a minute and examine your own biases. Especially (though not exclusively) when that person is agreeing with you on the big picture of things.

Who do you think I was responding too?

[Ozymandias]

So basically, what you're saying is "Who cares what the locals want, Russia genocided it, they get to keep it."

Those are obviously your words.

[Zelena]

So Russia invaded Ukraine and killed tens of thousands of people because other nations asked to join NATO in fear of Russia invading and killing tens of thousands of people?
That is one giant pile of a defense.

And Putin has just validated the existence of NATO…

NATO is viewed as a defence organization by the West and as an US Trojan horse by Russia? It’s certainly a problem… Maybe if the US should play a lesser role in this organization and the Europeans take in hands their defence… The Germans has increased their weapon budget following the invasion of Ukraine: until now, they tended to rely on NATO for their security…