And you know what? Now (from August) it's a crime in our country not to tell the authorities that you have a second citizenship and/or that you have a right to stay permanently in another country. WHAT? A crime? Did they even know what a crime is? How can it be a reason for a criminal liability?
I don't even know what another law will be about? A restriction to laugh? A restriction to any goods from USA and EU: electronics, automobiles...
Soviet Russia, how I've missed thee... not. Come to Finland, we have your cheeses!
"Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001."
USA PATRIOT Act that's hilarious.
"Uh, guys, this new act sounds like it may not be in our best interest." "You mean the USA PATRIOT Act?? IF YOU DON'T LIKE 'MURICA THEN YOU CAN GET OUT!!!"
The truth is many states in the Middle East do actively encourage terrorism. The states that don't are the secular ones (Turkey, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Egypt before the Arab Spring and Pakistan... at times) or more modern nations like Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE.
It is interesting that you don't mention Saudi Arabia, the one Muslim country who always stays the most quiet whenever anything interesting happens. I have long held the opinion that anything of international importance which happens in the Middle East happens because Saudi Arabia wants it to happen and that anything which doesn't happen fails to happen because Saudi Arabia doesn't want it to happen. They don't mind a little terrorism here and there as long as it doesn't negatively impact business. Despite the IS declaring themselves as the beginning of the new Caliphate, which would technically nullify and invalidate the current government in Riyadh, I haven't heard one peep from Saudi Arabia about the IS. This means either 1) they don't view them as an actual threat, 2) they will wait for the United States to deal with the problem so the Sauds don't have to get their hands dirty, or 3) they are secretly in charge and the IS is their proxy for rearranging countries like Syria or Iraq to fit the designs of Saudi Arabia.
The majority of Muslims are definitely not in support of suicide bombings and Jihads.
Most Muslims want the same things non-Muslims want--a decent job, a decent house, well-mannered children who attend a school where they will get a quality education, and to be left alone.
"You mean the USA PATRIOT Act?? IF YOU DON'T LIKE 'MURICA THEN YOU CAN GET OUT!!!"
The United States is supposed to be the land of inclusion, not exclusion. The parodies of hyper-zealous, testicle-inflating, chest-thumping patriotism are definitely funny but the reality is that I have actually heard people say things like that. In my opinion, if you are an American then it is your job--no, your *duty*--not to like America. You are *supposed* to want to make it a better place than your parents made it. Right now, too many people are failing to fulfill this duty.
The truth is many states in the Middle East do actively encourage terrorism. The states that don't are the secular ones (Turkey, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Egypt before the Arab Spring and Pakistan... at times) or more modern nations like Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE.
It is interesting that you don't mention Saudi Arabia, the one Muslim country who always stays the most quiet whenever anything interesting happens. I have long held the opinion that anything of international importance which happens in the Middle East happens because Saudi Arabia wants it to happen and that anything which doesn't happen fails to happen because Saudi Arabia doesn't want it to happen. They don't mind a little terrorism here and there as long as it doesn't negatively impact business. Despite the IS declaring themselves as the beginning of the new Caliphate, which would technically nullify and invalidate the current government in Riyadh, I haven't heard one peep from Saudi Arabia about the IS. This means either 1) they don't view them as an actual threat, 2) they will wait for the United States to deal with the problem so the Sauds don't have to get their hands dirty, or 3) they are secretly in charge and the IS is their proxy for rearranging countries like Syria or Iraq to fit the designs of Saudi Arabia.
And also Qatar, A 300,000 people country with a lot a lot of money, supporting the Ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood (Establishing a caliphate based on sharia law). The new Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim (only 34 years old) is more radical in his religious believes than his father. Qatar are head to head with Saudi Arabia over influence in the ME. Just from yesterday:
I just found a interesting quote by Nikita Krusjtjov held in Oslo 1964 and it says:
"No matter who rules this country (Russia) in the future and if the world situation get complicated, we will take northern scandinavia" (poor translation by me)
Not sure how reliable this note is,because i wasn't born at this point,but the ice is melting and we have a lot of oil up here i think.Even China want to buy territories up here now and i don't think its fish they want:P
The russians recently had a military shock/blitz exercise with nearly 23.000 men up here,that scared the leaders in Sweden,Finland and Balticum.
As for the politics in my country there´s 2 big fractions red and blue. Red says more taxes and Blues says less taxes.
In 100 years, my country, indeed the world, will be quite different. I dare say oil will be rather scarce, to the point where it is no longer a reliable fuel source.
Truly, I believe you underestimate human ingenuity. When properly motivated, we can do *anything*, and what's more motivation than that beautiful black gold?
I think you may be underestimating the human capacity for greed. Our latest result of motivation is fracking, so I'm not too encouraged. Thankfully, New York has made that illegal.
I think you may be underestimating the human capacity for greed. Our latest result of motivation is fracking, so I'm not too encouraged. Thankfully, New York has made that illegal.
Wow what? Seriously? How dare you use Youtube, you don't need that anti-Russian influence in your life! :P All is well. The government is good. All is well. The Government is good.
Seriously, it's tragic it's come to the point you have to leave, but it's better you do it while you can.
On an issue closer to home, deregulation of university fees. If the government here gets its way uni's can charge WHATEVER they like. According to the government this will push the cost down. . .
Thoughts? What's the situation for higher education in your own countries?
Higher education here is a borderline scam, with skyrocketing tuitions, an increasingly viperous attitude about collecting student loan repayments, and a job market less able to justify advanced degrees*. Here, students are better known as "Education Consumers". In short, it's a trap.
* There are a few remaining exceptions, of course. Give it time.
Well, what can I say about higher education? It's SO good that our universities are nowhere near the world's top 500.
In fact, all I know and all that is helpful in my job, I've got from self-education.
An education here is valued only for an official document - if you have it, you have more options to get a good job. But to actually be able to make this job you have to learn yourself and learn much.
I figured @CaloNord might find this amusing. This is a tweet from Canada's joint delegation to NATO and is in response to statements from Russia that said something to the effect of Russian soldiers accidentally entered the Ukraine.
I think you may be underestimating the human capacity for greed. Our latest result of motivation is fracking, so I'm not too encouraged. Thankfully, New York has made that illegal.
@jackjack while I would not place the anti-fracking movement in the loony bin with the anti-vaccination anti-GMO people, I do think a lot of the concerns, are misguided and at their core anti-scientific. Especially since fracking is the most viable alternative to coal other than Nuclear, and is much cleaner. In terms of everyone's concerns about climate change, its is a much, much better alternative to most used.
From Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-fracking-clean-chinas-air-and-slow-climate-change/ "Combating the climate change caused by CO2 might prove the biggest role shale gas could play in China. If burning natural gas could displace even some of the burning coal that currently makes China the world's largest greenhouse gas polluter, climate change itself would be slowed. In the U.S., thanks to cheap shale gas, among other factors, total greenhouse gas emissions dropped by roughly 10 percent between 2009 and 2012."
"In China, coal provides nearly 70 percent of all the energy the nation uses as the workshop of the world and a developing country. As a result, China pumped out nearly 10 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2013. If natural gas replaced coal, that climate changing pollution could be cut in half."
Even better, the main concern of methane emissions during unsafe fracking has a quite easy solution: people are trying to turn it into fuel. This provides an actual financial benefit to increasing public safety, which can only be a good thing.
I'm not so much against fracking as I am worried that it supports our widespread unwillingness to move on. It's not a long-term solution. We need to innovate along a different path. Impressive as it may be, it's still a result of thinking inside the box.
Edit: as for my support of the ban, it comes down to the notion that necessity truly is the mother of invention. That is, we need a good kick in the pants.
Three things. One, I don't think cracking is *completely* bad, but it's not really a great option now. While I'm haven't really done extensive readership on the subject, it does sound like it causes legit environmental concerns, but I think careful regulation can fix most of it. The earthquake problem will take a minimum of a few decades to figure out. 2:
Edit: as for my support of the ban, it comes down to the notion that necessity truly is the mother of invention. That is, we need a good kick in the pants.
Motivation is the mother of invention, and motivation=financial oppritunity in this case. If necessity was the mother of invention we would have stopped with the spear and loincloth.
It isn't exactly rocket science is it? Stay the hell out of other peoples countries? Putin must have missed that memo.
If we're going to persist in using fossil fuels we should at least make them as efficient as possible. It's easier I feel to convince people to adopt something similar to what they are already doing then to accept and invest in a radical change.
Also, in other news, the Scottish vote for independence has began postal voting. The way our tv News tells it, it looks likely to be a yes. . .
As it's expected, I think: they refuse anything and say there were only 9 (!) Russian army people on the Ukrainian territory.
Moreover, they say that any other Russian army men in Ukraine can be there not because of an order but - !!!! - because they have decided to spend their free time (aka holidays) in Ukraine and help their relatives and friends.
Have I tell you I don't believe even 1% of what is reported here?
Traditionally, when soldiers go on holiday they leave the tanks and artillery at home. Mind you the recruiters do say 'See the world'.
I don't know why Putin still bothers to deny it, it's clear the West won't do anything useful. The pretense is really irrelevant now. The Ukraine doesn't stand a chance against Russian regulars.
The politics are so corrupt it´s not funny anymore. You know that they care about the big corporations and their own inner circle only but they get away with it everytime because people still listen to their nonsense and lies and dont want to open their eyes. They just cant see the reality because they use their ears!
Comments
"Uh, guys, this new act sounds like it may not be in our best interest."
"You mean the USA PATRIOT Act?? IF YOU DON'T LIKE 'MURICA THEN YOU CAN GET OUT!!!"
Despite the IS declaring themselves as the beginning of the new Caliphate, which would technically nullify and invalidate the current government in Riyadh, I haven't heard one peep from Saudi Arabia about the IS. This means either 1) they don't view them as an actual threat, 2) they will wait for the United States to deal with the problem so the Sauds don't have to get their hands dirty, or 3) they are secretly in charge and the IS is their proxy for rearranging countries like Syria or Iraq to fit the designs of Saudi Arabia. Most Muslims want the same things non-Muslims want--a decent job, a decent house, well-mannered children who attend a school where they will get a quality education, and to be left alone. The United States is supposed to be the land of inclusion, not exclusion. The parodies of hyper-zealous, testicle-inflating, chest-thumping patriotism are definitely funny but the reality is that I have actually heard people say things like that. In my opinion, if you are an American then it is your job--no, your *duty*--not to like America. You are *supposed* to want to make it a better place than your parents made it. Right now, too many people are failing to fulfill this duty.
German minister accuses Qatar of funding Islamic State
Why not post some fun things in this thread as well, eh.
"No matter who rules this country (Russia) in the future and if the world situation get complicated,
we will take northern scandinavia" (poor translation by me)
Not sure how reliable this note is,because i wasn't born at this point,but the ice is melting and we have a lot of oil up here i think.Even China want to buy territories up here now and i don't think its fish they want:P
The russians recently had a military shock/blitz exercise with nearly 23.000 men up here,that scared the leaders in Sweden,Finland and Balticum.
As for the politics in my country there´s 2 big fractions red and blue.
Red says more taxes and Blues says less taxes.
Yes, it is what you said.
Stop teasing me! I've got you reference, even more so: every time I visit a shop now, I think about cheese. MMM, tasty cheese...
This Putin has deprived us of cheese! So no valio farming any more, no parmesan contingencies... Outrageous!
Seriously, it's tragic it's come to the point you have to leave, but it's better you do it while you can.
On an issue closer to home, deregulation of university fees. If the government here gets its way uni's can charge WHATEVER they like. According to the government this will push the cost down. . .
Thoughts? What's the situation for higher education in your own countries?
In short, it's a trap.
* There are a few remaining exceptions, of course. Give it time.
In fact, all I know and all that is helpful in my job, I've got from self-education.
An education here is valued only for an official document - if you have it, you have more options to get a good job. But to actually be able to make this job you have to learn yourself and learn much.
From Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-fracking-clean-chinas-air-and-slow-climate-change/
"Combating the climate change caused by CO2 might prove the biggest role shale gas could play in China. If burning natural gas could displace even some of the burning coal that currently makes China the world's largest greenhouse gas polluter, climate change itself would be slowed. In the U.S., thanks to cheap shale gas, among other factors, total greenhouse gas emissions dropped by roughly 10 percent between 2009 and 2012."
"In China, coal provides nearly 70 percent of all the energy the nation uses as the workshop of the world and a developing country. As a result, China pumped out nearly 10 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2013. If natural gas replaced coal, that climate changing pollution could be cut in half."
The thing is that extracting shale gas CAN be done in very safe ways. Almost every study has shown this http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/shale-gas-fracking-a-low-risk-to-public-health/
In the studies environmental regulation has been shown to be effective.
Is that not better than a ban?
Even better, the main concern of methane emissions during unsafe fracking has a quite easy solution: people are trying to turn it into fuel. This provides an actual financial benefit to increasing public safety, which can only be a good thing.
Edit: as for my support of the ban, it comes down to the notion that necessity truly is the mother of invention. That is, we need a good kick in the pants.
One, I don't think cracking is *completely* bad, but it's not really a great option now. While I'm haven't really done extensive readership on the subject, it does sound like it causes legit environmental concerns, but I think careful regulation can fix most of it. The earthquake problem will take a minimum of a few decades to figure out.
2: Motivation is the mother of invention, and motivation=financial oppritunity in this case. If necessity was the mother of invention we would have stopped with the spear and loincloth.
3:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/06/25/325497878/the-real-price-of-college
Yes, it's another one of my podcasts. For those who won't listen it basically comes to the conclusion that while the price of college has gone up, the average price people actually pay has remained constant, if memory serves.
It isn't exactly rocket science is it? Stay the hell out of other peoples countries? Putin must have missed that memo.
If we're going to persist in using fossil fuels we should at least make them as efficient as possible. It's easier I feel to convince people to adopt something similar to what they are already doing then to accept and invest in a radical change.
Also, in other news, the Scottish vote for independence has began postal voting. The way our tv News tells it, it looks likely to be a yes. . .
Also, public opinion on our PM. . .
Wait. . .
Does it?
Seriously though, it's apparently on now.
http://www.news.com.au/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-urges-humanitarian-corridor-for-trapped-ukraine-troops-ukraine-demands-eu-military-assistance/story-fndir2ev-1227040620188
Moreover, they say that any other Russian army men in Ukraine can be there not because of an order but - !!!! - because they have decided to spend their free time (aka holidays) in Ukraine and help their relatives and friends.
Have I tell you I don't believe even 1% of what is reported here?
Traditionally, when soldiers go on holiday they leave the tanks and artillery at home.
I don't know why Putin still bothers to deny it, it's clear the West won't do anything useful. The pretense is really irrelevant now. The Ukraine doesn't stand a chance against Russian regulars.
This is the highest rate ever... And in 2008 it was only 24 roubles for dollar.
More or less, this rate illustrates how shit our economy is.