International Politics Thread - Disease and Disaster

[shosta]

Does Algerian news get a lot of play in French media because it's part of the Francophone world?

[VomKriege]

Does Algerian news get a lot of play in French media because it's part of the Francophone world?

Yes. That, colonial history, a large contingent of people having roots there / double nationality / immigrants and it being just next door.

[Kunai With Chain]

https://apnews.com/1abb7411af2d4b8bb2d202eedd480ff0

TORONTO (AP) — There’s no money, no sex and nothing illegal happened. This is what passes for a scandal in Canada.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been engulfed in allegations involving possible collusion with Russia and secret payments to buy the silence of a porn star. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing a controversy that seems trivial by comparison, but it could topple him in elections later this year.

Two high-profile women ministers in Trudeau’s Cabinet, including Canada’s first indigenous justice minister, resigned in protest, and his top aide and best friend quit too.

The former justice minister and attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, says Trudeau and senior members of his government pressured her in a case involving a major Canadian engineering company accused of corruption related to its business dealings in Libya. Trudeau reportedly leaned on the attorney general to instruct prosecutors to reach the equivalent of plea deal, which would avoid a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, because he felt that jobs were at stake.

“People south of the border would be astonished to think that this is the type of scandal that they have in Canada,” said Eddie Goldenberg, a former adviser to former Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Opposition Conservative Andrew Scheer leader has demanded that Trudeau resign, saying he tried to interfere in a criminal prosecution. Canadian media have covered the story as intensely as American networks have covered Trump, noted Nelson Wiseman, a professor at the University of Toronto.

“He depicted himself as a feminist, as someone who believes in indigenous reconciliation, and then you have two of his top female Cabinet ministers resign, and they are depicting him in a very different light,” Beland said.

Trudeau said he tried to foster an environment where his lawmakers can come to him with concerns, but one of his female Liberal party colleagues, Celina Caesar-Chavannes, took issue with that, tweeting, “I did come to you recently. Twice. Remember your reactions?”

“When you add women, please do not expect the status quo. Expect us to make correct decisions, stand for what is right and exit when values are compromised,” she also tweeted.

Caesar-Chavannes, who is not running for re-election, has issued messages of support for Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott, a respected Cabinet minister who said she lost confidence in how the government has handled the affair.

“It is a fundamental doctrine of the rule of law that our Attorney General should not be subjected to political pressure or interference regarding the exercise of her prosecutorial discretion in criminal cases,” Philpott wrote in the resignation letter to Trudeau.

Why are they hand waving a corruption scandal like it's nothing? Incidentally funny to think that Trudeau, Macron and Merkel were meant to be the face of the Liberal order in a post Trump world and all three got completely fucked within like a year. I wonder who The Economist is gonna recommend idolising next.

[Nintex]

Why are they hand waving a corruption scandal like it's nothing? Incidentally funny to think that Trudeau, Macron and Merkel were meant to be the face of the Liberal order in a post Trump world and all three got completely fucked within like a year. I wonder who The Economist is gonna recommend idolising next.

On the flip side no one has ever wasted a political revolution as much as Trump and Bannon did when they won the 2016 election.

Well, maybe the Brexiteers did. 

[benjipwns]

To the women of Russia, Putin said in a state TV address: "You manage everything at work and at home and stay beautiful, bright, and charming."

"We, men, must say frankly that it is not always easy for us to be worthy of you," he said.

"But we will be striving for that and do everything for the women to feel our strong reliable shoulder, to feel that we always appreciate and love you, and not just on holidays.

"My best greetings on International Women's Day. This spring day is always full of flowers and gifts, lit up with the joy of our women and your shining smiles."

Putin also praised the ability of Russian women "to cope with everything at work and take care of the family."

During the event he suggested some ways women could “maintain” their figures.

“What does a young woman need to maintain her figure? Three things: a workout machine, a masseuse and a suitor,” he said.

According to The Moscow Times he also told the police officers that their presence on patrol saved some people “because those who wish to die by suicide look at you and want to live again”.

When a Russian army recruitment office ordered a photoshoot to celebrate International Women’s Day, it didn’t feature any of the 45,000 women currently serving in the country’s armed forces.

Instead, the photos showed ballerinas in floaty white dresses posing with active servicemen in combats and machine guns. “The men’s power lies in women’s tenderness and love!” read a congratulatory note from the army office, based in Russia’s fourth-largest city of Yekaterinburg.

[Kunai With Chain]

Looks like Theresa May is about to lose big again in her Brexit deal vote

Edit:

May's Brexit deal defeated

Withdrawal Agreement Debate

House of Commons

Parliament

Theresa May's Brexit deal has been defeated in the Commons by 391 votes to 242, a majority of 149.

There we go

[shosta]

Forget the second referendum. Brexit's cancelled. 

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/tictoc/status/1105554896965652480

 

[Stro]

Forget the second referendum. Brexit's cancelled. 

I knew making a twitter account would be Brexit's downfall

[Kunai With Chain]

Funny thing is I bet she still won't quit after this.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Lmao

Second referendum should be 2 options:

-Leave EU with No Deal
-Stay in EU

[Nintex]

May put these options forward:
- No Deal Brexit vote (if rejected there won't be a no-deal brexit)
- Article 50 extension vote (but that requires consent from the EU27)
- A second referendum on the May deal (not Brexit itself)

CLOWNWORLD 

[Cerveza mas fina]

The may deal is basically "be the eu's bitch deal"

Follow all our rules, pay money to have access to single market, have no say in EU

I like it, but its not really brexit is it   

[jorma]

https://twitter.com/tictoc/status/1105554896965652480

 

they put the quotation marks in the right place, because those are the only words from the tweet he actually said

[Tripon]

Status quo is hoping for more time so uh, some decision gets made.

[Occam]

There is no point in postponing it, nothing is going to change.
Britain's government consists of the second most stupid people on the planet.

[Raist]

https://twitter.com/retalsp/status/1105769876017344512

I wonder if he'll be sticking two fingers up to the locals during his holiday in Austria

[Occam]

"Toute nation a le gouvernement qu'elle mérite." (Every country has the government it deserves)
-Joseph de Maistre

Also, shouldn't they start planting potatoes right about now instead of leaving for a vacation in Australia?

[Raist]

"Toute nation a le gouvernement qu'elle mérite." (Every country has the government it deserves)
-Joseph de Maistre

Also, shouldn't they start planting potatoes right about now instead of leaving for a vacation in Australia?

[Occam]

Oops, I misread. How embarrassing.

[Raist]

MPs don't want a no deal either

Not exactly by a massive majority, as expected

The government motion, as amended, was passed by 321 votes to 278, a majority of 43, reinforcing the message that MPs do not want to leave without a deal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47562995


edit: another minister resigned

[Nintex]

WELCOME TO MR. BONES NEVER ENDING RIDE
There will be no deal

There will be no further talks in Brussels

There will be no hard brexit

There will be no second referendum

There will be no leadership bid

There will be no general election

WELCOME TO MR. BONES NEVER ENDING RIDE

[Raist]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47558676

Theresa May voted against the government’s amended motion ruling out a no-deal Brexit (Maidenhead, Conservative)

 

[Tripon]

https://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-brexit-no-deal-uk-asks-for-one-more-week/

ONE MORE WEEK WILL FIX THIS GUYS.

[Stro]

How long can they keep doing this until they quietly just drop the whole thing and pretend it never happened

[Raist]

"And then, and then... they said we'll give them anything because german cars and british cakes XD"

[Raist]

Much control, wow



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47564793

[Nintex]

So the commons has voted FOR a 3 months extension

But not thanks to the tories
https://twitter.com/hzeffman/status/1106271836495642624

So now May has to go to the EU and tell them they want a 3 months extension and the EU might say. LMAO no.

[Raist]

I'm sure those 3 extra months will totally be different from the past 33 where the UK government and MPs haven't been able to do more than arguing about who's the worst.

[Joe Molotov]

New Brexit deal:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[Rufus]

Tusk is willing to give them a year to get their shit together. Well, he's willing to try and convince the member states.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-tusk/eus-tusk-floats-long-brexit-delay-before-summit-idUSKCN1QV14U

[Occam]

It would be idiotic to grant Britain any delay. Force them to exit or cancel now.
The EU has all the power right now. Tusk seems to suck at tactics.

[Raist]

Tusk is willing to give them a year to get their shit together. Well, he's willing to try and convince the member states.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-tusk/eus-tusk-floats-long-brexit-delay-before-summit-idUSKCN1QV14U

Well, EU governments are really starting to get annoyed, with various degrees of severity. Not that I'd blame them

Germany losing faith but keen to help

France will demand tough conditions

Poland says anything but No Deal

Netherlands waits and hopes for the best

Italy says: 'Tell us what you want'

Bunch more details for each country: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47557216

I don't understand why they don't just vote to cancel Brexit.

But muh will of the people.

[Nintex]

It would be idiotic to grant them a delay. Force them to exit or cancel now.
Tusk seems to suck at tactics.

Tusk is playing it smart. The Brexiteers portray the EU as a dictatorship that imposes their will on the poor UK.
It'll be hard playing the victim if they get a year delay when they asked for 3 months.

If they forced the UK's hand now they'd be 'the bad guys' and it would rally the UK to the Brexit cause again.
Now we'll likely see May leave once this delay is secured(because she's dead in the water politically), general elections and an entirely new ball game.
May would get the blame of this whole mess.

[Occam]

It would be idiotic to grant them a delay. Force them to exit or cancel now.
Tusk seems to suck at tactics.

Tusk is playing it smart. The Brexiteers portray the EU as a dictatorship that imposes their will on the poor UK.
It'll be hard playing the victim if they get a year delay when they asked for 3 months.

If they forced the UK's hand now they'd be 'the bad guys' and it would rally the UK to the Brexit cause again.
Now we'll likely see May leave once this delay is secured(because she's dead in the water politically), general elections and an entirely new ball game.
May would get the blame of this whole mess.

So what?

[Nintex]

It would be idiotic to grant them a delay. Force them to exit or cancel now.
Tusk seems to suck at tactics.

Tusk is playing it smart. The Brexiteers portray the EU as a dictatorship that imposes their will on the poor UK.
It'll be hard playing the victim if they get a year delay when they asked for 3 months.

If they forced the UK's hand now they'd be 'the bad guys' and it would rally the UK to the Brexit cause again.
Now we'll likely see May leave once this delay is secured(because she's dead in the water politically), general elections and an entirely new ball game.
May would get the blame of this whole mess.

So what?

The brexit sentiment is alive and well in more of Europe.
Just last week I watched a debate in the Netherlands were the second and third largest parties backed the idea of 'Nexit' (Netherlands leaving the EU).

The brexiteers hate to admit this, but they're 'globalists' as much as their opposition is.

[Occam]

The best way to keep other members from exiting the EU is to let Britain crash and burn (which is 100% self-inflicted), or to come back with its tail tucked between its legs.
Last I heard, approval of the EU was at an all-time high among the remaining members.

Edit:
There you go: Poll shows support for EU at 35-year high across bloc
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-election-poll-idUSKCN1IO2SP

[Raist]

The shitshow must go on.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47577915

Five Labour MPs have quit party roles to defy orders and vote against holding a fresh Brexit referendum.

Labour ordered its MPs to abstain on a cross-party bid to delay Brexit to allow a referendum on backing whatever deal is agreed or remaining in the EU.

But 41 of its MPs rebelled, with 24 supporting a referendum and 17 voting to oppose one.

[benjipwns]

I don't understand why they don't just vote to cancel Brexit.

The Tories are the one who promised to allow a referendum and follow the results, they can't really pull this off, especially since they claimed Labour would ignore any results and do as they wished. That's why they're endlessly trying to delay the thing, they need to bump their margins back up so they can try and survive an election post going back on it.

Arguably holding another referendum on some kind of shitty "plan" is the best way out, but they're scared to death it will pass and they'll be double locked in.

Labour should by all accounts be dead in the water from shooting themselves in the foot constantly, but the Tories saw THAT as a challenge.

[Raist]

https://twitter.com/RonanBrowne11/status/1106281949985947650

[benjipwns]

So the UK's going to come out of this fine by using blackmail and get to work from home?

[Mandark]

AFAIK, polling consistently puts Leave ahead of Remain. Change the question to "why not hold a second referendum and get the same result?" and it answers itself.

[benjipwns]

It's basically been tied lately but polling on it hasn't been the greatest in the past, there's a pretty good lead for holding a second referendum though.

Labour's dropped quite a bit in the polls lately, they may have to bite the bullet sooner rather than later and hold a second referendum and general election in a short window this year. Hoping they can get Remain and also win the election.

[shosta]

Hoping they can get Remain and also win the election.

This is literally the first time I've ever read benji desire a political result to occur

[BisMarckie]

benji being deeply invested in British politics is quite the plot twist

[shosta]

We have to stop Glen from compromising all these Bore accounts.

[benjipwns]

benji being deeply invested in British politics is quite the plot twist

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Sealand

In 1987, the UK extended its territorial waters from 3 to 12 nautical miles (6 to 22 km). Sealand now sits inside British waters.

The biggest crime ever committed by the English!

[shosta]

Collective punishment time in Gaza. 100 targets hit overnight.

[VomKriege]

https://play.acast.com/s/warcollege/everythingyouknowaboutputin-andrussia-iswrong

British scholar on Russia Galeotti is back on War College and as always offer a sober, grounded but insightful opinion on the Putin's system (or lack thereof) and the somewhat inappropriately named "hybrid warfare" (which is what Russians calls what they perceive the West to be doing, not what they preach.).

Some of the topics touched on : Russian backed biker gangs in Eastern Europe, their presence in the Balkans and the uneasy partnership of circumstances with China ("the necessity of today and the nightmare of tomorrow") that Russia has put on its back burner.

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/Henry_Belot/status/1106790914414919681

 

[Tripon]

So what exactly is happening with Brexit now?

[Raist]

So what exactly is happening with Brexit now?

EU:





UK:

[jorma]

So what exactly is happening with Brexit now?

everyone is trying to figure out how to pretend that the last three years never happened

[Raist]

 


https://twitter.com/davemacladd/status/1107036923938435078

[Nintex]

So what exactly is happening with Brexit now?

http://www.thebore.com/forum/index.php?topic=41489.msg2590140#msg2590140

[kingv]

Brexit makes me proud to be an American. Like sure, we voted in Trumptard but at least more than half the country hates him.

In the UK there’s like a million signs that Brexit is going to be a disaster for the UK, and the population still might prefer it to staying in the EU.

[Nintex]

Brexit makes me proud to be an American. Like sure, we voted in Trumptard but at least more than half the country hates him.

In the UK there’s like a million signs that Brexit is going to be a disaster for the UK, and the population still might prefer it to staying in the EU.

Brexit is like an Amazon.com dark UI pattern for cancelling your membership. The EU never thought it possible that someone would leave so they made that almost impossible (or rather, spend no time thinking about how that would work).
In fact, everything that relates to Brexit is a political miscalculation. From May ending up as PM to the Brexit secretary resigning after finishing up negotiating the deal.

[Stro]

Is there any nation's politics you aren't an expert on, nintex?

[Raist]

Brexit makes me proud to be an American. Like sure, we voted in Trumptard but at least more than half the country hates him.

In the UK there’s like a million signs that Brexit is going to be a disaster for the UK, and the population still might prefer it to staying in the EU.

To be fair nearly half the population was against it. And likely well over half if you count resident EU citizens, which weren't given the opportunity to vote but I assume would have done so in favour of Remain.

[Tripon]

https://twitter.com/alexwickham/status/1107380138021453836