Off Topic Thread 4.0

Stheno

mfceiling wrote: »

We were coming back from our 30 minute lunch break!!

mine was first thing in the morning so i ate my breakfast

umop episdn

Thought it was going to be a nordy remake of 127 hours..... but 50mins?!!...I've had bowel movements trap me in the toilet for longer ffs!

Squidgy Black

mfceiling wrote: »

We were coming back from our 30 minute lunch break!!

I take it you didn't have a burrito for lunch then, count yourself lucky.

DGRulz

So Trump just agreed to stop joint military exercises with South Korea and used North Korea's rhetoric to describe said exercises. He has to be close to be committing treason after all the stuff hes said and done, if he's not already there.

DGRulz

DGRulz wrote: »

So Trump just agreed to stop joint military exercises with South Korea and used North Korea's rhetoric to describe said exercises. He has to be close to be committing treason after all the stuff hes said and done, if he's not already there.

Don't think it matters anymore. The longest serving republican senate leader Mitch McConnell just said the last 16 months have been the best period for conservative values. As embarrassing as things are over in the UK, the utter **** show that is current US politics being described as such by a prominent leader is startling.

America is being pillaged and people are so polarised they are happily letting it happen because it upsets the other side.

Honestly the longer this goes on the more ****ed I think they are.

thomond2006

The Republicans are the ones that try to present themselves as people with backbone. Lawl.

irishbucsfan

He's an absolute boodyman

DGRulz

DGRulz wrote: »

So Trump just agreed to stop joint military exercises with South Korea and used North Korea's rhetoric to describe said exercises. He has to be close to be committing treason after all the stuff hes said and done, if he's not already there.

What do you mean by this?

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

What do you mean by this?

In a nutshell.

Trump made an absolute balls of the G7 meeting. Couldn't have gone worse and he has alienated all America's closet allies and shown bad faith in diplomacy (immediately going back on an agreement). He got absolutely nothing out of the position he took but has weakened US foreign power quite substantially as a result of the outburst.

It meant that the North Koreans would know that he absolutely had to have a foreign policy 'win' and would give them what they want. North Korea have promised *nothing* and have only agreed to continue talking and the potential of de-nuclearisation.

Meanwhile the USA have unilaterally pulled out of joint military exercises with south Korea which has been a significant and ongoing demand by the North Koreans and will effect US and SK readiness if there is a conflict. He also called them 'war games' which is North Korean rhetoric to paint them as aggressive actions against North Korea. Trump adopted the Norths rhetoric which further weakens him and the south.

South Korea found out at the same time as everyone else and are now demanding why this was agreed without them.

That's all ignoring the optics of a monarchistic dictatorship which treats it's population terribly with zero freedoms and massive oppression and no due process being elevated by appearing on an equal stage with the US and having it's flag displayed alongside the US.

It *might* lead to a new era and I'd happily stomach Trump getting the plaudits if North Korean evolved into a modern state with free elections. However they've made these kinds of promises countless times before and backed down. They are only at the table because they are a nuclear power and see themselves on a non traditional equal footing (they are not).

It's basically a massive and needless gamble. The likelihood is it won't pay off, but it's a short term win which will help Republicans in November.

thomond2006

Calling Kim a leader loved by his people. A new low.

When are the Republicans going to stop this? Being in any form of cahoots with a commie tyrant surely goes against everything.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

Calling Kim a leader loved by his people. A new low.

And how does he get away with it?

Look at this propaganda. I mean, this is Dictator creating levels of propaganda

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/06/12/fox-news-obama-trump-coverage.cnn

Think of how far things would have to go for this to be tolerated here.

stephen_n

Deleted User wrote: »

In a nutshell.

Trump made an absolute balls of the G7 meeting. Couldn't have gone worse and he has alienated all America's closet allies and shown bad faith in diplomacy (immediately going back on an agreement). He got absolutely nothing out of the position he took but has weakened US foreign power quite substantially as a result of the outburst.

It meant that the North Koreans would know that he absolutely had to have a foreign policy 'win' and would give them what they want. North Korea have promised *nothing* and have only agreed to continue talking and the potential of de-nuclearisation.

Meanwhile the USA have unilaterally pulled out of joint military exercises with south Korea which has been a significant and ongoing demand by the North Koreans and will effect US and SK readiness if there is a conflict. He also called them 'war games' which is North Korean rhetoric to paint them as aggressive actions against North Korea. Trump adopted the Norths rhetoric which further weakens him and the south.

South Korea found out at the same time as everyone else and are now demanding why this was agreed without them.

That's all ignoring the optics of a monarchistic dictatorship which treats it's population terribly with zero freedoms and massive oppression and no due process being elevated by appearing on an equal stage with the US and having it's flag displayed alongside the US.

It *might* lead to a new era and I'd happily stomach Trump getting the plaudits if North Korean evolved into a modern state with free elections. However they've made these kinds of promises countless times before and backed down. They are only at the table because they are a nuclear power and see themselves on a non traditional equal footing (they are not).

It's basically a massive and needless gamble. The likelihood is it won't pay off, but it's a short term win which will help Republicans in November.

That’s one way of looking at it, the reality is those joint military operations are nothing to do with security or readiness. The US and SK forces are so technologically advanced, any attack by NK, would be like firing a bow and arrow at a tank. Giving that up will cost America nothing, it’s pretty much the same as NK giving up their notional nuclear program.

It’s ironic though that he does this only weeks after unraveling a possibly more effective agreement with Iran. He is only concerned with PR, not exactly sure what chairman Kim is up to, but have a feeling Trump is going to end up with egg on his face at the end of this.

irishbucsfan

Giving anything at all up comes at a great cost. Even a photo op.

You're consolidating the power of one of the most brutal regimes in modern history just by letting them into the same room as you.

stephen_n

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Giving anything at all up comes at a great cost. Even a photo op.

You're consolidating the power of one of the most brutal regimes in modern history just by letting them into the same room as you.

America or NK?

irishbucsfan

One thing I can't wrap my head around is how the religious right are so in favour of it.

Not only is this an authoritarian secular regime that sends christians to labour camps (and lets be honest, probably even worse), but this is a regime which forces women to have abortions against their will.

It's almost as if the teachings of the church aren't the main driver in their political thinking...

Podge_irl

stephen_n wrote: »

That’s one way of looking at it, the reality is those joint military operations are nothing to do with security or readiness. The US and SK forces are so technologically advanced, any attack by NK, would be like firing a bow and arrow at a tank. Giving that up will cost America nothing, it’s pretty much the same as NK giving up their notional nuclear program.

It’s ironic though that he does this only weeks after unraveling a possibly more effective agreement with Iran. He is only concerned with PR, not exactly sure what chairman Kim is up to, but have a feeling Trump is going to end up with egg on his face at the end of this.

possibly more effective? You may as well compare a child scribbling crayons on the wall to Ulysses. The Iran deal was an actual agreement for one, not some vague sentiments. It had inspections, timelines and details. Portraying this is any kind of win is bizarre in the extreme - literally any American president could have had a summit with the leader of NK at any point in time, that wasn't the challenge.

irishbucsfan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

One thing I can't wrap my head around is how the religious right are so in favour of it.

Not only is this an authoritarian secular regime that sends christians to labour camps (and lets be honest, probably even worse), but this is a regime which forces women to have abortions against their will.

It's almost as if the teachings of the church aren't the main driver in their political thinking...

They don't believe in Jesus, they believe in supply side Jesus.

stephen_n

Podge_irl wrote: »

possibly more effective? You may as well compare a child scribbling crayons on the wall to Ulysses. The Iran deal was an actual agreement for one, not some vague sentiments. It had inspections, timelines and details. Portraying this is any kind of win is bizarre in the extreme - literally any American president could have had a summit with the leader of NK at any point in time, that wasn't the challenge.

I’m not portraying this as a win, it’s at best PR, I wouldn’t expect to Koreans to honour any commitment. Mind you I wouldn’t expect the US to either.

umop episdn

World cup starts in 2 days...and Spain just sacked their manager...nuts!
I know he's going to Madrid after the tournament... but this is going to throw the camp into turmoil

umop episdn

umop episdn wrote: »

World cup starts in 2 days...and Spain just sacked their manager...nuts!
I know he's going to Madrid after the tournament... but this is going to throw the camp into turmoil

I've zero interest in the world cup. I've never been that interested in soccer regardless but this World cup represents everything wrong with modern sport.

Fifa is shockingly corrupt. Russia is shockingly corrupt, is a dictatorship and has a terrible civil rights record. The money in the sport is grotesque and with there being almost a guarantee of violence I am happy to ignore the tournament in it's entirety.

pickarooney

irishbucsfan wrote: »

One thing I can't wrap my head around is how the religious right are so in favour of it.

Not only is this an authoritarian secular regime that sends christians to labour camps (and lets be honest, probably even worse), but this is a regime which forces women to have abortions against their will.

It's almost as if the teachings of the church aren't the main driver in their political thinking...

They're yellow Christians, and far away, so they don't count.

awec

I'm looking forward to it. Football on every day for a month, what's not to like?

dregin

awec wrote: »

I'm looking forward to it. Football on every day for a month, what's not to like?

Football.

MaybeMaybe

awec wrote: »

I'm looking forward to it. Football on every day for a month, what's not to like?

The bit about the football being on every day

DGRulz

The chances or me seeing anything more than the glimpse between flicking through channel are quite low, that hasn't stopped me entering a bunch of sweeps and competitions in work though :P

irishbucsfan

The world cup is always good craic.

I don't like watching men's soccer generally, due to the propensity for tw*ttery, but I find the big events generally are a good standard and spectacle.

pickarooney

Sick to death of football to be honest. It just makes me angry watching them preen about and throw themselves on the ground like toddlers.

Squidgy Black

I normally don't watch football (other than the odd highlight video so I can nod my head and pretend I know what they're on about in work), but the world cup's always a laugh to keep up with.

awec

awec wrote: »

Random question, has anyone ever been to a christening preparation meeting? My wife won the argument and we're getting our daughter christened even though it's annoying me a lot. I've to go to some poxy meeting tonight, is it going to be some priest pontificating about the ideal family and telling us to instill a strong sense of the old catholic guilt as young as possible?

I also lost that argument or more to the point, I didn't have the argument. My wife is sufficiently religious that her desire for baptism was justified and it didn't seem important enough for me to create an issue when I don't think it matters anyway.

I didn't have to attend anything like that, herself would have been there on her toblerone if it had been a requirement.

Yeah_Right

Deleted User wrote: »

I've zero interest in the world cup. I've never been that interested in soccer regardless but this World cup represents everything wrong with modern sport.

Fifa is shockingly corrupt. Russia is shockingly corrupt, is a dictatorship and has a terrible civil rights record. The money in the sport is grotesque and with there being almost a guarantee of violence I am happy to ignore the tournament in it's entirety.

I enjoy watching nearly any sport at the top level. I love televised (insert sport) world cups/championships/Olympics because it means loads of sport on tv for me to watch. And this year is even better as the missus is away for the next couple of weeks which means I have control of the remote!!!!

The bolded part above: surely those are reasons why the tournament will be fascinating in a car crash/reality tv sort of way.