Originally posted by french frank
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Ukraine
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Last edited by Ein Heldenleben; 03-03-22, 11:58.
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Originally posted by french frank View Post
I would suggest the problem is not NATO at all. The problem is Putin. In spite of the US right blaming Biden for the Russian aggression, the West and NATO have been very restrained.bong ching
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Originally posted by Frances_iom View Posttoo late - the rot set in years ago with Thatcher when privatisation of the energy supply + distribution would guarantee that short term profits would prevent any long term thought re safety and future needs - likewise research + development were seen as too costly overheads thus we cannot now even design our own nuclear stations let alone make any of the key components.
l I think we could have a viable nuclear energy industry but for three problems . The cost , the opposition from locals and the huge problem of waste disposal. We can’t even get rid of the waste from our nuclear subs - 16 or so are lying about 1km from where I’m typing and they still have the rods in them. Not a nice feeling….
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Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostStop the War weren’t right about any of them . Had we wanted to effect “nation-building” in any of those countries it could have been done. But it it would have needed a commitment on the scale of the Marshall Plan in post war Germany and we weren’t prepared to stump up. The damage we inflicted on Germany was on a scale several orders higher than that of Iraq or Afghanistan. But we spent the equivalent of trillions on rebuilding , constructing the post war Germany , its trade unions, its political system , even its public service broadcasters. Closer to our time I had some former journalist colleagues working hard to create independent journalism and broadcasting in Serbia / Croatia .We weren’t prepared to do that in those three African / Middle Eastern countries and it is our shame. Sometimes I wonder if it’s because an “they’re not European , so why bother? “ attitude a terrible echo of colonialism. Ordinary people in those countries are crying out for freedom.
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Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View PostThis will be a controversial view, but Nazi Germany was a once-in-a-lifetime lesson to be learned in perpetuity because its causes could have been enacted in any one of the countries forced into having to defeat it. Fascism is the last resort of a failed capitalism left unopposed. Intervention elsewhere, in the postwar period, has been the problem all along, right back to the times of slavery, and trying to make good doesn't work out - peoples subjected to "nation building" rightly have long memories; poor education of these past historical realities leave legacies no good intentions can undo - and what purpose do these "good intentions" end up serving (rhetorical question)? In the end nations have be self-determining to make their own histories; "nation-building" merely fosters a mentality of impotence, waiting on handouts to make up for World Bank and IMF interest repayments on loans. Freedom requires co-operation between so-called "developing countries" to the point where they can form self-sufficient economic blocs, protect their own ecosystems and political models, and name their prices for stuff the West wants because it can't grow it for itself, and have our solidarity.
Some of these are “built nations “ . Others aren’t. Your debt argument is way out of date. Many of the most indebted nations (some possibly on the brink of IMF / World Bank bailout ) are first world nations. Some of the lowest debts to gdp ratios are in third world African countries (also indeed Russia ) . We could learn a lot from them about the benefits of sacrificing present day consumption for a secure future of our children. They just need to tackle the corruption problem.
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Originally posted by eighthobstruction View Post....but in many cases they have no infrastructure , health service, education service etc....but they are fortunately free of considering 'cost/benefit analysis' questions....which drive the gravy train/treadmill of 'growth....and push us further away from sustainiblity....
Some of these “third world” African nations have amongst the highest growth rates in the world . The demographics are in their favour. These countries put our growth rates in the shade . They neither ask for nor need our sympathy. The key question is : in our obsession with net zero do we deny them the increase in the standard of living we have enjoyed since 1945? . Do we hog all the historic carbon we’ve enjoyed and deny them their future share ? When they all want cars (which they will ) we can’t really get hoity toity can we? Maybe the Sahara will be one giant solar farm …
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Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostNot so much controversial as wrong. The list of democracies (some flawed ) created in Europe includes Czech Republic , Slovakia , the Baltic states
Some of these are “built nations “ . Others aren’t. Your debt argument is way out of date. Many of the most indebted nations (some possibly on the brink of IMF / World Bank bailout ) are first world nations. Some of the lowest debts to gdp ratios are in third world African countries (also indeed Russia ) . We could learn a lot from them about the benefits of sacrificing present day consumption for a secure future of our children. They just need to tackle the corruption problem.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/co...tio-by-country
The country doesn't borrow very much - so perhaps has very poor facilities.
The country has very high productivity and manages to sell many of its products and services - not going to be the case for many of the countries with a "good" rating by this measure.
Maybe some other combinations in between.
Re the other measure relating to democracy - Canada does well - but what does it actually do so much better than some other countries? Who has decided on the scores, and how are they measured?
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Originally posted by Dave2002 View PostSure - but Afghanistan does (arguably) very "well" on the debt- GDP ratio! That particular measure presumably means one of several things.
The country doesn't borrow very much - so perhaps has very poor facilities.
The country has very high productivity and manages to sell many of its products and services - not going to be the case for many of the countries with a "good" rating by this measure.
Maybe some other combinations in between.
Re the other measure relating to democracy - Canada does well - but what does it actually do so much better than some other countries? Who has decided on the scores, and how are they measured?
The general point is that Africa has higher growth ( ignoring covid years ) a younger demographic and lower debt to gdp than many first world countries (including the UK ) with their ageing populations. The problem we have is how do we pay for that ageing population’s social care and health needs and now , it seems, extra defence spending?*
Answers on a post card please to Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer…
* the answer is likely to be higher taxesLast edited by Ein Heldenleben; 03-03-22, 17:05.
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Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostThe problem we have is how do we pay for that ageing population’s social care and health needs and now ,
Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View Post* the answer is likely to be higher taxes
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Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostThe problem we have is how do we pay for that ageing population’s social care and health needs and now , it seems, extra defence spending?*
Answers on a post card please to Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer…
* the answer is likely to be higher taxesI will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.
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Originally posted by teamsaint View PostKeep people working for 45 years. Which is what a lot of us are having to do.
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Originally posted by Joseph K View PostAnswer is you don't - you strip it away in what's called austerity, resulting in thousands of avoidable deaths.
... but not on the heads of those most capable of paying them.
I’ve had a very comfortable life with a very good education paid for in its entirety by the state . If it s time to stump up it’s time to stump up. (Most of my friends think I’m mad)
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Originally posted by Ein Heldenleben View PostStop the War weren’t right about any of them . Had we wanted to effect “nation-building” in any of those countries it could have been done. But it it would have needed a commitment on the scale of the Marshall Plan in post war Germany and we weren’t prepared to stump up.
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