World Politics

[GrantDawg]

Liz Truss has resigned. What's the chances of forcing a general election now?

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[sterlingice]

That's so weird. In Europe, you propose trickle down economics and gutting the social safety net and your government lasts a few weeks. Here, half the population is like "well, I'm ok with the creeping fascism so long as the people I dislike doesn't get a tax cut".

SI

[bob]

Truss served under more monarchs than any PM in the last 70 years.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Liz Truss has resigned. What's the chances of forcing a general election now?

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I'm not sure there's a mechanism for it and with a guaranteed landslide for the current opposition there doesn't seem to be any chance for it to be agreed upon.

[cuervo72]

Perfect time for Charles to make a grab for more power for the Crown!!

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by bob

Truss served under more monarchs than any PM in the last 70 years.

SI

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by whomario

I'm not sure there's a mechanism for it and with a guaranteed landslide for the current opposition there doesn't seem to be any chance for it to be agreed upon.

There is, just you need a majority to vote for it. There's two options to get there:

A) The upcoming Conservative Party leadership contest: It's plausible, if unlikely, that rebels who supported candidates that didn't win call for a General Election (basically, at that point, the Conservative Party will have no one who can command a majority of the House of Commons, and therefore be forced to ask the ruling Monarch for permission to schedule a new general election, to get things moving again)

B) Several Tories have mooted the equivalence of "Look, we're only going to damage our standing and not be able to do anything for the next two years ANYWAY, let's try to gracefully move into Opposition and get started on rebuilding the party so we can return to power quicker."

One of the arguments with B) is with the polls as bad as they are now, they may not even be the official Opposition, as they could potentially be the party with the third or even fourth most seats in Parliament. Of course, waiting could only make it worse, but there are enough folks who are praying that the metaphorical horse will learn to sing that they're willing to try anything as long as there's a chance of it stabilizing the party's power over the next two years of the scheduled terms..

[whomario]

"Should have said "automatism" (in other countries there are contingencies where a general election automatically happens and/or can be ordered). Isn't A) pretty much running into the same internal roadblock as B) ?
you'd need a decent chunk of members essentially either have no further ambitions ("who cares if i loose the job when i'm retiring anyway") or somehow are/feel assured of being among the few that would still get to be an MP even with labour dominating in general.

[JPhillips]

FFS

Boris may be back in the leadership race for the Tories.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

FFS

Boris may be back in the leadership race for the Tories.

It's the Illuminati guys.

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Who convinced Liz Truss that this was a job that she should want and was qualified for? I would have to give serious consideration to a conspiracy theory that she was put in place to remind Tories how good they had to with Boris Johnson.

[whomario]

Quite a f*** yo... i mean send off from the BBC:

Stunning and devastating opening from Newsnight tonight.
Harsh, yes. Media students (and current broadcast journalists!) take note: your edit is nothing without the right choice of music. And oh boy this is quite the choice. pic.twitter.com/qgWtI66TSY

— Tim Johns (@timoncheese) October 20, 2022

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Liz Truss has resigned. What's the chances of forcing a general election now?

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just saw this! Hellawow! Let's not have any more conservatives in power ever.

[Flasch186]

Jeez how long has some editor been waiting to use that

Surgical


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[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by bob

Truss served under more monarchs than any PM in the last 70 years.

this post...it's so amazing
best joke of 2022

[Edward64]

Saw an article about some wanting UK to rejoin the EU.

I looked for some polling and saw the below that charts how public opinion has been moving towards rejoining. Have no freaking idea how long & complicated that process will be (e.g. considering how long it took to split).

Opinion polling on the United Kingdom rejoining the European Union (2020–present - Wikipedia)

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Saw an article about some wanting UK to rejoin the EU.

I looked for some polling and saw the below that charts how public opinion has been moving towards rejoining. Have no freaking idea how long & complicated that process will be (e.g. considering how long it took to split).

Opinion polling on the United Kingdom rejoining the European Union (2020–present - Wikipedia)

i doubt the EU wants them back

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

i doubt the EU wants them back

Thank same link had that question for France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

There was alot of "Neither" & "Don't Know", but there was more "Support" than "Oppose".

[Edward64]

Well done Xi. Machiavelli would have been proud, especially that antic with your predecessor.

Now don't go about invading Taiwan, the Cost vs Benefit is not worth. And it could ruin your legacy if it fails or stumbles, do you really need that additional headache?

[JPhillips]

There is no one in the UK more punchable than Jacob Rees-Mogg.

[whomario]

The ending to Sunaks introductory statement is peak "why am i doing this? I believe none of the things i just said".

At least there's some good memes out there:

pic.twitter.com/Njny8Mcp23

— Rob (@robgrace2020) October 24, 2022

[bhlloy]

I dare anyone who has watched The Inbetweeners to tell me he doesn’t sound exactly the same as Will. You will never be able to unhear it once you have heard it.

[Edward64]

120 killed in South Korea in Halloween festivities. Cause unknown right now.

Crap.

[sabotai]

Crowd crush, in Itaewon. 146 dead so far

hxxps://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/29/dozens-of-people-crushed-by-large-crowd-at-halloween-festivities-in-south-korea

[Edward64]

Live updates: At least 149 killed in Seoul Halloween incident | CNN

Witnesses observe chaotic scene: A witness said people were jammed on a narrow street and could not breathe. “I saw the people going to the left side and I saw the person getting to the opposite side,” Sung Sehyun told CNN. “The person in the middle got jammed, so they had no way to communicate. They could not breathe.”

I remember reading somewhere that if you are in a massive crowd and fall, to lie sideways vs front/back so you can breathe more/better. Not sure if that works standing up "in the middle got jammed". Can't imagine the chaotic madness happening

[Hammer]

So who does everyone think blew up the pipeline? Russia makes no sense. UK just been accused of it.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by Hammer

So who does everyone think blew up the pipeline? Russia makes no sense. UK just been accused of it.

Why does Russia make no sense? The pipeline was never going to be making them money anymore and the discussions about this, which was the one useful thing about the pipeline(s) had pretty much run it's course at least over here. And then you kind of just demonstrated why it does: Speculation about who else might have done it. (the UK is just the newest one, the destruction has been used to fuel anti-american resentment immediately and intensively by actors that have been pushing the russian narrative all along).

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by whomario

Bolsonaro down about 5 points in the presidential election, runoff at the end of October needed due to Lula not cracking 50% (2 other candidates took a few % of the vote).

Brazil's Lula da Silva wins fiercely contested presidential run-off vote | CNN

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Hammer

So who does everyone think blew up the pipeline? Russia makes no sense. UK just been accused of it.

Why does Russia make no sense?

The UK? The same country that can't figure out basic customs clearances & passport controls?

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Brazil's Lula da Silva wins fiercely contested presidential run-off vote | CNN

Awaiting coup attempt

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

The UK? The same country that can't figure out basic customs clearances & passport controls?

They do a pretty good job in YT Border Security series UK Border Force - YouTube

[Edward64]

Not a good couple days for civilians in India and South Korea.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/i...apse-rcna54759

MORBI, India — Military teams were searching Monday for people missing after a 143-year-old suspension bridge collapsed into a river Sunday in the western Indian state of Gujarat, sending hundreds plunging into the water and killing at least 133 in one of the country’s worst accidents in years.

[Edward64]

Good sign I guess.

Use Netanyahu as an example, there's a high probability you'll get another shot in 4 years. And hey, you'll be eligible for two consecutive 4 year terms then.

‘It’s over’: Jair Bolsonaro reportedly accepts defeat in Brazil election | Brazil | The Guardian

Jair Bolsonaro has reportedly thrown in the towel after his presidential election defeat in Brazil on Sunday, telling members of the supreme court: “It’s over.”

He went silent for nearly two days after being beaten by the leftwing former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the vote. When Bolsonaro finally appeared before the cameras on Tuesday afternoon, he failed to explicitly concede defeat or congratulate his vanquisher.

However, shortly after that appearance, he made his way to the supreme court where he met seven of its judges, including Edson Fachin, who later told journalists that Bolsonaro had indicated to them that he understood the writing was on the wall.

“The president used the verb ‘to end’ in the past tense,” Fachin said. “He said: ‘It’s over.’ Therefore, [one must] look ahead.”

[sterlingice]

Any Canadians with some inside politics about Doug Ford and his making it illegal for teachers to strike ?

SI

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Not a good couple days for civilians in India and South Korea.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/i...apse-rcna54759

Indian police are said to be looking for this man in connection to the bridge destruction:

[Hammer]

Originally Posted by whomario

Why does Russia make no sense? The pipeline was never going to be making them money anymore and the discussions about this, which was the one useful thing about the pipeline(s) had pretty much run it's course at least over here. And then you kind of just demonstrated why it does: Speculation about who else might have done it. (the UK is just the newest one, the destruction has been used to fuel anti-american resentment immediately and intensively by actors that have been pushing the russian narrative all along).

Russia would love to pick up where they left off when all this is said and done. Oil to Europe is a primary revenue stream. They may be a lot of things but not that stupid.

Seems to me the media is winning the propaganda war and nationalism is clouding judgment. The good versus evil narrative seems to have swept a lot of inconvenient details under the carpet.

I never understood how German people could support Hitler when I was younger, but the brainwashing spin of the media is a very powerful force. I guess it even applied back then. Good people can be manipulated in to believing whatever a country wants it to.

I am open minded as to who destroyed the pipeline. I guess perhaps with the politics involved it is a conversation best avoided.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Hammer

Russia would love to pick up where they left off when all this is said and done. Oil to Europe is a primary revenue stream. They may be a lot of things but not that stupid.

Seems to me the media is winning the propaganda war and nationalism is clouding judgment. The good versus evil narrative seems to have swept a lot of inconvenient details under the carpet.

I never understood how German people could support Hitler when I was younger, but the brainwashing spin of the media is a very powerful force. I guess it even applied back then. Good people can be manipulated in to believing whatever a country wants it to.

I am open minded as to who destroyed the pipeline. I guess perhaps with the politics involved it is a conversation best avoided.

But there are also solid reasons for Russia to destroy the pipeline. One is as simple as insurance. Nord 2 was built and never actually used at great cost, and some compensation could be coming for the damage on both pipelines that are no longer providing income. The greater reason is Russia using this as a threat. The attacked pipelines not being used as an example of what they could do to other pipelines in the region that are vital.

I can think of a benefit to the US doing it, or even maybe Ukraine. UK? Not so much.

[Edward64]

I've always viewed Indonesia as a moderate muslim country. There is some extremism (and also, goes without saying, a lot of corruption) but for the most part, different religions, culture and people play "okay" together.

Their laws (to be in effect in 3 years) is somewhat troubling, another tick towards extremism. My guess is it'll be in the books but won't be enforced except in some very conservative areas (e.g. Aceh).

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/i...hnk/index.html

International travelers have been flocking back to the popular resort island of Bali as the Covid pandemic subsides, prompting hopes that Indonesia's battered tourism industry is on the road to recovery.

But this week, controversial new laws were passed in parliament that ban cohabitation and sex outside marriage. The laws will apply not just to residents but also to foreign expats and tourists in the country -- raising concerns from experts.

Although the changes are not expected to kick in for at least another three years, industry players tell CNN that the new criminal code could put foreigners off visiting and hurt the country's global reputation, starving it of vital tourism revenues.

The new laws are seen as response to rising religious conservatism in Muslim-majority Indonesia in recent years, with parts of the country enforcing strict Islamic codes. In Bali, the population is predominantly Hindu and as a result has tended to have a more liberal social environment that appeals to Western tourists.

Malaysia is another moderate muslim country with large Chinese & Indian ethnicities. There's definitely discrimination from the bumiputras (son of the land) who owns the political power. They recently elected a (supposedly) reformist PM but voting shows deep racial division.

Kinda interesting where some ME countries are opening up to westerners (out of necessity as their oil will run out sometime) but SEA muslim countries are becoming more extremist.

[miami_fan]

Germany arrests 25 suspected far-right extremists for plotting to overthrow government | CNN

This sounds familiar.

“The accused are united by a deep rejection of state institutions and the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany, which over time has led to their decision to participate in their violent elimination and to engage in concrete preparatory actions for this purpose,” the statement said.

“The members of the group follow a conglomerate of conspiracy myths consisting of narratives of the so-called Reichsbürger as well as QAnon ideology.”

[whomario]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Germany arrests 25 suspected far-right extremists for plotting to overthrow government | CNN

This sounds familiar.

German right wing ideologues have taken to american right wing ideology very easily. It's just more viable and "compatible" (not really captures what the german expression, "anschlussfähig" means though) with members of more mainstream society than oldschool (neo)nazi ideology.

This particular stream is what in the US is known as the sovereign citizen movement, both having their own 'folklore' of why their respective country's government is illegitimate but essentially being very similarly styled movements.

Reichsbürger movement - Wikipedia

I mean, they are crazy and frankly idiotic but they are also mostly one step removed from people that are in positions to do real damage. I mean, heck, in this group itself you have former high ranking military and a judge and former member of parliament (not 20 years ago but 2 years ago and still filling an active role for her right wing party which is surfing the asshole resurgence to the tune of 15% in polls).

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by whomario

German right wing ideologues have taken to american right wing ideology very easily. It's just more viable and "compatible" (not really captures what the german expression, "anschlussfähig" means though) with members of more mainstream society than oldschool (neo)nazi ideology.

This particular stream is what in the US is known as the sovereign citizen movement, both having their own 'folklore' of why their respective country's government is illegitimate but essentially being very similarly styled movements.

Reichsbürger movement - Wikipedia

I mean, they are crazy and frankly idiotic but they are also mostly one step removed from people that are in positions to do real damage. I mean, heck, in this group itself you have former high ranking military and a judge and former member of parliament (not 20 years ago but 2 years ago and still filling an active role for her right wing party which is surfing the asshole resurgence to the tune of 15% in polls).

I read an article a couple of months ago that mentioned that what equates to the sovereign citizen movement is growing quickly in Germany.

[Edward64]

Congrats Peru, for upholding your democracy

[Edward64]

Congrats Argentina. Your VP situation isn't as clear to me as Peru but assuming she is guilty, congrats on upholding your democracy.

[Edward64]

I'm not going to fault SA & China from doing deals. Seems pretty smart to me and the right thing to do for your citizens.

And Biden already knows we need to reduce our dependency on ME oil and has been taking steps to achieve that goal. I'd work around & reduce our support for SA, and publicly support the other ME countries that are normalizing relationships with Israel.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has received China’s President Xi Jinping in Riyadh as part of a visit expected to bolster political and economic ties.

Xi was greeted by MBS on Thursday at Yamamah Palace, where the de facto ruler of the world’s biggest oil exporter is expected to sign around $30bn in agreements, according to Saudi state media.

[Edward64]

EU passed a 18B euro (where is my euro sign on my keyboard?) aid package to Ukraine but somehow bypassed Hungary's veto. Don't know the EU bylaws but this sounds off/funny. Article doesn't have much more info on how it was done, and didn't find more details in MSM.

Hungary & Turkiye have to okay Finland and Sweden's application into NATO. Hungary was going to vote next year. Wonder how this impacts that process.

EU to circumvent Hungary’s veto of €18 billion aid to Ukraine in 2023 | Euronews

EU member states reached an agreement on Saturday to unblock an €18 billion package of financial aid to Ukraine for next year.

The countries have circumvented a veto by Hungary, which has kept aid to Ukraine blocked as blackmail so that its European partners would not freeze its recovery funds because of rule-of-law breaches.

"Ukraine can count on the EU. We will continue to support Ukraine also financially, for as long as it takes," said the EU Council in a statement.

The proposal was adopted by the Council. And it will be submitted to the European Parliament for its possible adoption next week, the statement said.

Hungary is on the verge of having €7.5 billion of its allocated share of the EU budget frozen after failing to complete a series of reforms meant to address, among other issues, corruption, irregularities in public procurement and conflicts of interest from government officials.

[SirFozzie]

According to the initial proposal of the European Commission, the aid package required a unanimous decision of 27 EU countries. However, due to the Hungarian veto, the current Czech presidency of the EU Council was looking for a way to make a decision on assistance without Hungary, the German DPA agency explained.

Now the solution is that loan guarantees – if Hungary maintains its veto – will not be covered by the EU budget, as originally planned, but will be taken over by individual EU countries. This means that a unanimous decision by all EU countries would not be necessary.

However, Hungary still has time to join this process. If Budapest changes its position, the guarantees will be covered from the EU budget, the agency writes.

EU Council decides on 18 billion package for Ukraine despite Hungary's veto

[Edward64]

Thanks. Nice way round Hungary's blackmail (?).

[SirFozzie]

Yeah, Hungary wants the EU to promise not to freeze EU aid because of.. inefficiencies (read: corruption) and to allow Russia to sell them oil at cheaper then going rates, and is using the NATO expansion and this kind of thing as a negotiating point

edit: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/3-eu-...151704634.html

[SirFozzie]

Dola: Now that they know that they can't really hold it up, Hungary has dropped the veto.

Hungary agrees deal and lifts veto on €18bn EU aid package for Ukraine | Euronews

[Edward64]

There's probably more details but based on the article, I wonder why she was tried and convicted. It doesn't seem that being a stenographer/typist rises to that level. But I'm sure she knew bad things were happening though.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/9...ourt-rcna62519

A 97-year-old woman who worked as a secretary at a Nazi concentration camp was convicted by a German court Tuesday of being an accessory to the murder of more than 10,000 people.

Furchner was charged with “aiding those in a position of responsibility at the former Stutthof concentration camp with the systematic killing of those imprisoned there, due to her work as a shorthand typist/secretary in the Camp Commandant’s Office between June 1943 and April 1945,” according to a court press release.

Furchner was handed a two-year suspended sentence by the court in the northern town of Itzehoe early Tuesday for being an accessory to 10,505 counts of murder and 5 counts of attempted murder, a spokesman for the court confirmed to NBC News in an email.

That's in line with what prosecutors had sought, while survivors of the death camp and relatives of victims who appeared as joint plaintiffs also said that it was not in their interest for the 97-year-old to serve any time in prison.

[miami_fan]

From a strictly military point of view, a secretary in the Commander's Office is most definitely at that level. Outside of that I think it is pretty cut and dry.

Accessory to murder is a criminal offense whereby the perpetrator helps or assists a perpetrator before or after the commission of the murder.

If she is typing up the order to execute people, she is definitely fits the definition and seems to have committed the crime. Her defense was she did not know what was going on. All of the killings and acts of torture were either documented and sent to the Commander's office or documented by the people in the Commander's office. My guess is she typed at least one or two of those documents.