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

[CaptainEurope]

How exactly do sanctions advance the cause of human rights? Even the stated is to make life for people in these countries even more miserable, driving them to the point of overthrowing their government and replacing it with a more Western friendly regime. In practice though, this almost never actually works because all of the suffering that people have to endure just plays right into the governments' hands and usually strengthens public support for them. As much as people might oppose their leaders, very few have any desire to run back into the arms of their former colonial masters, and especially the way that Western governments cynically abuse the language of human rights to advance their geopolitical interests just breeds even more resentment.



That of course being one of the few instances that the US actually pushed back against imposing sanctions and only gave in after the public pressure became too great to ignore. Gee, I wonder why THAT was....

No, they gave in after Senator Joe Biden took on the Reagan administration on the issue and won.

[Kirby101]

Reagan and Thatcher loved the S. African regime.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Reagan and Thatcher loved the S. African regime.

Because they believed in the Domino Theory and saw S. Africa as the last bastion against communism in Africa. They even gave them arms to use.

[Starter Set]

Because they believed in the Domino Theory and saw S. Africa as the last bastion against communism in Africa. They even gave them arms to use.

Yeah cause Communism is sooooo wild-spread in Africa lol.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Yeah cause Communism is sooooo wild-spread in Africa lol.

To be fair, three of SA's neighbors (Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Angola) had revolutionary leaders with Marxist-Leninist values. Fidel Castro was viewed as a hero in Africa.

[PwrdOn]

To be fair, three of SA's neighbors (Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Angola) had revolutionary leaders with Marxist-Leninist values. Fidel Castro was viewed as a hero in Africa.

A lot of Africans equated capitalism with colonialism, and aligned themselves with the Soviet bloc simply because it was the most visible force acting against Western interests, even if they weren't all that ideologically committed to Marxism.

[Mister Mets]

It's going to take me a while to internalize that when someone says "I was watching the President..." the next part of the sentence isn't usually going to be horrifying.

[PwrdOn]

It's going to take me a while to internalize that when someone says "I was watching the President..." the next part of the sentence isn't usually going to be horrifying.

[Robotman]

Georgia G.O.P. Passes Major Law to Limit Voting Amid Nationwide Push


As Stacey Abrams said, it’s “Jim Crow in a suit and tie.”

[PwrdOn]

Georgia G.O.P. Passes Major Law to Limit Voting Amid Nationwide Push


As Stacey Abrams said, it’s “Jim Crow in a suit and tie.”

We should just sanction ourselves, that should do the trick.

[Mister Mets]

I supported Biden pretty early.

If some of you guys had your way in the primaries, Sanders or Warren would have been the Democratic nominee, and Trump would still be President.

[PwrdOn]

I supported Biden pretty early.

If some of you guys had your way in the primaries, Sanders or Warren would have been the Democratic nominee, and Trump would still be President.

We all bit the bullet and voted for Biden even though we didn't like him. You and everyone else who would have voted for Trump over Sanders or Warren are the problem, not us.

[OopsIdiditagain]

We all bit the bullet and voted for Biden even though we didn't like him. You and everyone else who would have voted for Trump over Sanders or Warren are the problem, not us.

I supported Biden pretty early.

If some of you guys had your way in the primaries, Sanders or Warren would have been the Democratic nominee, and Trump would still be President.

Is this what strawmanning looks like?

[PCN24454]

Is this what strawmanning looks like?

Of course it is. It's nothing but generalizations. Absolutely no nuance.

[Kirby101]

I supported Warren. But I didn't bite any bullet. I was fine with Biden as the nominee, and happy with his agenda. Even if the GOP won't let much of it happen. But that would be true of Warren or Sanders as well.