Random Thoughts (Political Edition)

[tigger]

Originally Posted by ViperVX

As far as i can see the SCO has a very strong foundation, and the economical side of that is already functioning ...

Well they certainly trade with each other. Both China and Russia have been moving into Iran since the US broke off ties after the revolution. I guess I just question the possibility of the SCO based on the ideological differences between the countries.

Originally Posted by jetsetter

Another person I dislike. Don't know anyone who actually does like her I would be hard-pressed to find a reason to like her.

It seems like hating Nancy Pelosi is a non-partisan issue.

[nouseferaname90]

+ YouTube Video

my favorite one:

"as soon" clapclapclapclap

+ YouTube Video

[Hidden_Hunter]

Lol at the newspapers today, as if anyone at the G20 is going to listen to what our government has to say.

[Dogbert]

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/in...Skirmish-%2709

Not really political, per se, but more political than for the vanilla Random Thoughts.

[freeferrarisdonotexist]

What is it with politically correct bullshit?

I went to work, was looking for a coworker and I asked my manager. He asked me what my coworker looked like, and I said she was tall, black and had black hair. He said he would look for the coworker but from now on I would have to state her appearance as, quote:
"I am looking for an co-associate of mine who is above average height, of African descent and has darker hair"

What the hell difference is that going to make?

I wasn't being insulting. I wasn't causing grievances over her race or sex (maybe because they didn't effing matter to me?!) and yet I am still tongue-in-cheekily reprimanded.

[wooflepoof]

Personally I hate the term "african american" for one its often misued both in that people use it to refer to all black people regardless of where they're actually from and really it just sounds like you're trying too hard which can sometime seem pretty condescending.

From Venture Bros (roughly)

Jefferson twilight: I hunt Blackulas

Monster guy: so you only hunt African American Vampires

BH: No sometimes I hunt blackulas from England; there are no African American[vampires] in England. Sorry, I don't know the PC term for someone who hunts black vampires from all over.

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by freeferrarisdonotexist

What is it with politically correct bullshit?

I went to work, was looking for a coworker and I asked my manager. He asked me what my coworker looked like, and I said she was tall, black and had black hair. He said he would look for the coworker but from now on I would have to state her appearance as, quote:
"I am looking for an co-associate of mine who is above average height, of African descent and has darker hair"

What the hell difference is that going to make?

It will make them harder to find. That's all. After all, that description could also fit someone of Egyptian or South African extraction... who would look nothing at all like your co-worker.

One of my pet theories is that areas that are more politically correct or so-called "more tolerant" are actually *worse* for race relations and life in general than those so-called "intolerant" or "incorrect" areas. God knows my experiences in LA and here in the "intolerant" South bear that out.

[Firecat]

Did Jon Stewart just end Jim Cramer's career?

[Dogbert]

It's Crossfire all over again.

[ViperVX]

Originally Posted by Firecat

Did Jon Stewart just end Jim Cramer's career?

Yep, he did.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

[Cobol74]

G20 summit - this is going to be shit.

[vikiradTG2007]

Is anyone looking at politicians the way I'm looking at them? Because all I can see in high-level politics are a bunch of back-stabbing, lazy, fat and old slobs that steal their way towards everything they want.

At least our parliament members around here. Oh, forgot to mention another "quality": big-mouthed with absolutely nothing of relevance coming out from between those incredibly swollen and fat cheeks and from those empty mouths.

[Cobol74]

Going for a job in the diplomatic corps then?

[vikiradTG2007]

Originally Posted by Cobol74

Going for a job in the diplomatic corps then?

No. I'm staying as far away from a job in politics as it's humanly possible.

[jetsetter]

POP SUPERPOWER?

Trying to play this down is like telling a football fanatic to relax because it's only a game.

This year, as a result of a long-awaited victory in the 2008 competition, Russia will host the Eurovision song contest in May.

The selection of the song has started a scandal.

Before I explain why, it is important to point out that in Russia many people take the contest much more seriously than they do in Western Europe.

Russia's main TV evening news ran a report the other day in which it praised the staging of the final as sign that "after decades of isolation, our country is finally returning to Europe and reclaiming the status of a superpower in politics and culture, including popular music, that rightfully belongs to it".

Of course, that superpower status has been much discussed over the last 12 months: usually in the context of Russia's relations with its neighbours.

The singer who will perform Russia's entry, Anastasia Prikhodko, is Ukrainian - and that's not the only potentially sensitive political issue.

FRIENDSHIP OF THE PEOPLES

"For me this is an enormous joy," Anastasia Prikhodko's Georgian producer Konstantin Meladze told the RIA-Novosti news agency.

"I'm in favour of the friendship of Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians and all others. In principle, this is a very international song, because the music was written by a Georgian, a Ukranian sang it, and half the text was written by an Estonian."

That is why there is a scandal.

In the last 12 months, Russia has had a gas war with Ukraine, and a real war with Georgia. Two years ago, it had a bitter row with Estonia when that country moved a Soviet-era war memorial.

It would be hard to pick three former Soviet republics that have worse relations with their one-time masters in Moscow.

The producer of one of the rival acts in the contest to represent Russia has exploded in patriotic outrage.

"Let's get Ukrainian footballers to represent the Russian national team at the European football championships - Dynamo Kiev, for example, and a coach from Georgia," Iosif Prigozhin told Ekho Moskvy radio. "It is all a bluff. It is all a farce."

Some of the Moscow rush hour crowds seemed to agree.

"It's not right that Russia will be represented with a song in the Ukrainian language. It's just not right," said Anna.

"Yes, it's no good - after all, the Russian language is mighty and much nicer than Ukrainian," agreed her friend.

Some may see in Russia's multilingual, multinational effort an attempt to recreate a communist-era idea of "friendship of the peoples".

Others sense a sophisticated scheme to draw the sting from any organised anti-Russian voting.

There are echoes of war and post-Soviet strife in Georgia's entry too.

Eurovision organisers have told Georgia's representatives to alter a song which seems to mock Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin - but they've decided to pull out instead.

So, with two months to go, this is already promising to be a most memorable event.

If Russia and its neighbours really want to "return to Europe", they should start to see the song contest a little less as a battleground for global ambition, and a little more as entertainment.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7937811.stm

Read this bit again:

Russia's main TV evening news ran a report the other day in which it praised the staging of the final as sign that "after decades of isolation, our country is finally returning to Europe and reclaiming the status of a superpower in politics and culture, including popular music, that rightfully belongs to it".

Bahahahahahahahah!!!!

One does have to wonder if anyone actually thinks that. Russia is and will be for the foreseeable future a backward country.

[ViperVX]

Originally Posted by jetsetter

Read this bit again:

Bahahahahahahahah!!!!

One does have to wonder if anyone actually thinks that. Russia is and will be for the foreseeable future a backward country.

I've no idea where you are getting this, but nobody in Russia cares about Eurovision or "Return" to Europe of America or whatever. The mental stamp is: we are the master race, we don't need anyone, we don't want anyone, - and people won't give up on it so soon.

[jetsetter]

we are the master race, we don't need anyone, we don't want anyone, - and people won't give up on it so soon.

Where did that mentality come from? The West usually harbors these kinds of feelings towards the Russians:

"Scratch a Russian and you'll find a Tartar." - Napoleon

[ViperVX]

Originally Posted by jetsetter

Where did that mentality come from? The West usually harbors these kinds of feelings towards the Russians:

That came from Victory over Germany in WW2, and from 50 Years of Cold War.

"Scratch a Russian and you'll find a Tartar." - Napoleon

That thing pisses most of the Russians, as that's exactly what we are not. You have to make a division between Russia, Ukraine, Georgie and U-Stan countries, as clearly everyone is speaking Russian (It's True), and therefore everyone is labeled a Russian, but the culture level is so different, you can't even imagine, they to us, are what mexicans are to US, or Turkish to the Germans. Only difference is, a Mexican can come to the US, get a good job and eventually raise himselft to the level of mid-class Americans, i.e. blend in, in Russia all the "uncultured" foreigners are labeled for life.

From what i've seen all around the world, the modern Russian middle and upped middle cass is probably one of the finest, smartest and cultured communities Russia has ever seen, probably some of the smartest people in the world.

There was a thread on this very forum, a Rominan guy said he was sorry for uneducated immigrants from Romania coming to EU and living basically like animals, that's not the problem with Russia, you'll never see a russian imigrant behave like that, but there are plenty of those "animals" in Russia from surrounding countries, and offcially over 50% of crimes is commited by foreigners, therefore "we don't need you here" attitude.

[Crazyjeeper]

This is to give you an idea how much money is being given out in these stimulus bills.

http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html