Politics Thread!

[Orava]

Finland, how many Jews were send to Germany, none as far I know. Finland even gave refuge to Eastern European Jews like from Estonia.

OK got the story a bit wrong, no Finnish jews were sent to Germany and they did fight with the Finnish army. But what happened with the captured Russian jews is a different and sad story.

Russian POWs were regularly employed at farms and sadly as being classified as 'traitors' were quickly dispatched by Stalin on their return. Some escaped to Sweden, a good call.

[KlaxonCow]

Just reading an article about Biden backing Israel's assassination of Nasrallah and calling it "justice".

Can't help but think back to when, you know, he was saying that there's never any place for violence in politics with the assassination attempts on Trump.

Not comparing Trump with Nasrallah, as I have no fucking sympathy, as an anti-theist, for any war-mongering religious fundamentalist declaring "God is great" over the bodies of those they murdered.

But just noting the de-humanising hypocrisy that assassination is never ever right, under any circumstances, when it's an American but, ah, if it's one of those non-human "inferior" Middle Eastern people that I don't like much, then not only does it not count but it's a cause for celebration that "justice" has been done by murdering a person.

Like, the whole point of a principle is that it's supposed to apply universally. To everyone, all the time.

[PFVA]

Sorry about interruption

Those annoying right wing people are having an anti immigration demonstration in Lisbon.

Actually they say against 'uncontrolled immigration'. They are being very careful with words because racism is still a crime.

Ow, a bit over one thousand people on a national demonstration it's not that much.

And the neo-nazis went there to support them at least their leader went.

Note: there is also a counter demonstration in another plaza fm the anti-facism and and anti-racism people which has usual includes music and food fm several parts of the world.

[KlaxonCow]

Okay, this is now verging on becoming bullying. But it is funny.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -liz-truss

‘Blue plaque’ at Walthamstow Tesco honours lettuce that outlasted Liz Truss

Star of Daily Star’s web stunt given fake heritage mark after proving itself less perishable than Truss’s premiership

A fake blue plaque has been erected outside a Tesco in Walthamstow to commemorate the fact that the lettuce that famously outlasted Liz Truss’s premiership was bought there.
[...]
As it looked like her time in Downing Street was up, the Daily Star set up a webcam on the lettuce to see if it would have a longer shelf-life than the prime minister. After seven days it duly did.

In a further twist, the blue plaque added to the Tesco in east London was next to a huge promotional Tesco image for British cheese. Truss famously declared at a Conservative party conference in 2014 that it was a “disgrace” that the UK imported two-thirds of its cheese.
[...]
It is not known if the Tesco store in Walthamstow stocks the Norfolk Peer, which Truss once said was her favourite potato.

Truth is, these pranksters are not going to leave her alone while she reacts the way she does. That it's "not funny", not apologising for the harm caused, insisting that she was right all along, etc. - someone who takes themselves far too seriously, whilst being so obliviously stupid to her own incompetence is just too tempting of a target to make fun of and mock. Because you know she can't take it and her childish temper tantrums are funny - so they'll keep goading her to throw her toys out of her pram again and again, as they find it all so hilarious.

(I predicted with the last prank that there would be more, and here it is.)

But this is verging on bullying now. You've had your fun. The message has been delivered and the Tories are out of power - we no longer need to labour this point.

[Orava]

McSweeney, chief of staff, labour. Is it only me but McSweeney sounds like someone you would buy dubious articles from, "yes gov, it is fair legit stuff" just got it from this 'ouse.

[skab]

But this is verging on bullying now. You've had your fun. The message has been delivered and the Tories are out of power - we no longer need to labour this point.

Oh yes, we do need! Those right-wing fucks should be harassed all day long for all the shit they did and still do to the rest of the world. And as long as fucking Liz Truss is running around, spewing her putrid bile and supporting Trump and other fascists, she deserves to be mocked, that's the least we can do.

[Deckard]

Nice to see Trump welcoming free trade...

"Trump has announced that, if reelected, he will impose a 10–20 percent across-the-board tariff on imports into the United States, as well as an additional 60 percent tariff on all imports from China."

Maybe his mate Elon can then finally knock it out the park sales wise or actually deliver on his promises - either one would be nice.

"Tariffs raise costs for companies and consumers that rely on imports. They’re also likely to provoke retaliation.

The European Union, for example, punched back against Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum by taxing U.S. products, from bourbon to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Likewise, China responded to Trump’s trade war by slapping tariffs on American goods, including soybeans and pork in a calculated drive to hurt his supporters in farm country.

A study by economists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Zurich, Harvard and the World Bank concluded that Trump’s tariffs failed to restore jobs to the American heartland. The tariffs “neither raised nor lowered U.S. employment’’ where they were supposed to protect jobs, the study found.

Despite Trump’s 2018 taxes on imported steel, for example, the number of jobs at U.S. steel plants barely budged: They remained right around 140,000. By comparison, Walmart alone employs 1.6 million people in the United States.

Worse, the retaliatory taxes imposed by China and other nations on U.S. goods had “negative employment impacts,’’ especially for farmers, the study found. These retaliatory tariffs were only partly offset by billions in government aid that Trump doled out to farmers. The Trump tariffs also damaged companies that relied on targeted imports.

If Trump’s trade war fizzled as policy, though, it succeeded as politics. The study found that support for Trump and Republican congressional candidates rose in areas most exposed to the import tariffs — the industrial Midwest and manufacturing-heavy Southern states like North Carolina and Tennessee."

[PFVA]

And here in the EU world,
Italy has started to send their refugee asylum seekers to Albania.
They will be waiting there meanwhile Italy processes their paperwork.

[skab]

And here in the EU world,
Italy has started to send their refugee asylum seekers to Albania.
They will be waiting there meanwhile Italy processes their paperwork.

[PFVA]

Yeah, Italy's court just declared it ilegal and they were brought back.

[F-ZeroOne]

Trump continues to possess a sense of perspective:

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20 ... in/016000c

[PFVA]

Small intermission to say I miss the times Lisbon was a quiet city

Sorry the front page of CNN Portugal is in Portuguese but pics say it all

https://cnnportugal.iol.pt

Basically police killed an individual that according to everybody was a peaceful person.
Investigation still going but there is already a question of why 2 policemen with not much experience, less than 1 year on the job one, and less than 2 the other were assigned to patrol alone one of the most problematic areas of Lisbon. Following the death of the gentleman who was leaving his work in his own car people took to the streets and started burning things.
Yesterday, the 2n night of protest things spread to adjacente municipalities including ours, in the area right next to Lisbon where they burned a bus.

And yes there is a racial factor in the story.

I really miss the times the times that Lisbon was a lot more quiet.

Note: This is not in the tourism areas. It's in the outskirts areas where there is a lot of social housing and people who don't have much money.

[PFVA]

After all it was 2 buses and 3 cars that were burnt.
My own opinion, when all the TVs 8:00 pm news showed the videos of one bus burning probably people thought it was a wonderful thing to do and went for. Somewhere else they tried to burn a gas station.

[PFVA]

Still some violence last night in different outskirts areas of the greater area of Lisbon. One more bus burnt, a few cars, garbage disposal containers, etc. Unfortunately the bus driver was wounded because of a cocktail molotov coming thru his window. : Bus drivers are just working, they are not responsible for this situation. And as usual all the areas affected are the less affluent.

On the positive side rain comes back tomorrow. If I know Lisbon people avoid rain like the plague they won't be in the streets causing probs.

[PFVA]

Yeah, according to TV. the night was quieter. No buses burnt but one was stoned (in the capital). Garbage container set on fire thru out the entire area.

According to the media whatever groups are calling for a big demonstration for tonight 'to set fire to Lisbon'. Police say they are ready.

Have I mentioned I miss the times Lisbon was a quiet place?

And Saturday a demonstration is called by the left against police violence and one by the right in support of the police.

As for my immediate area I went for my weekly walk yesterday afternoon. It was lovely and quiet.

This Afternoon