World Politics Digest thread

Cody montana

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398903#Comment_121398903

I think he’s said everything and anything to try to get elected.

We all know how this is going to end.

breezy1985

Switching to the dollar sounds like the kind of thing you would hear from some know it all down the pub.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398903#Comment_121398903

It was a cause of big political division in the US in its early years. Serious political opposition to idea of a central bank slash federal reserve.

Alexander Hamilton and then Henry Clay Whigs in favour.

Jeffersonian and Jackson Democrats opposed it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_War

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121399037#Comment_121399037

Thanks. Stands to reason the one country who'd oppose government oversight would be America; but overall I couldn't possibly imagine, ignorant of finance as I am, what even the desperate of Argentina would see as beneficial here. Though I suppose it might feed into the blather of "anarch-capitalism" as opposed by this charlatan President.

In other news: how is Putin's relationship with Venezuela? Chalk this up as a dispute I wasn't even aware of, but looks like we're heading for another flashpoint scenario. An issue that's centuries old at this stage, but perhaps Venezuela's dead economy possibly incentivising the government to look for a border conflict as a distraction. and I'm sure Venezuela's sudden interest in the Western region has nothing to do with Guyana's sudden oil-based wealth. Nooo no no no.

The broadly excellent (occasional basic information f'up notwithstanding) TLDR channel has gone into the ins, outs and potential crisis coming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btqc9Kch980

Wanderer78

...take a close look at whats currently unfolding in many dollarized developing nations, particularly since fed rate rises! do you really wanna be at the whim of another countries central banks policies!

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121399450#Comment_121399450

It's nonsense that a country the size of Argentina are even having the conversation. Shows just had badly that place is run.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121399619#Comment_121399619

...or shows what desperate people do, i.e. turn to despots, tis probably in the post for here to, especially if the next couple of governments are deemed a failure here!

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121399275#Comment_121399275

I watched that same video a few days ago. Obviously a blatant attempt at a resources grab by the Maduro regime given the timing of this just as Guyana has hit the jackpot. Still though the roots of it lie in the Brits drawing a line arbitrarily on a map a long long time ago. I'll add it to the list:

• Ireland
• Israel/Palestine
• India/Pakistan
• Guatemala/Belize (very similar to this dispute)
• A whole bunch of African countries where countries were created with warring tribes e.g. Nigeria, Cameroon
• Iraq (same story as above)

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121399912#Comment_121399912

At least in this case, it seemed (heavy emphasis there) like the Brits tried to draw along a natural geographic border, and not just the ruler drawn straight-lines eteched across the map of Africa. But yeah it does come down to yet another case of a ticking post-colonial timebomb, this time exacerbated by a neighbour itching for a distraction - and presumably believing it could annex Guyana without much intervention (especially given all that's going down in Israel + Ukraine)

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121390948#Comment_121390948

Is there any other country that mirrors Argentina in that it was an economic powerhouse at the start of the 20th century and is now....well a bit of a joke.

Uruguay perhaps. Was relatively wealthy until the Great Depression (hosted the first football World Cup in 1930) then suffered badly with a collapse in the market for its agricultural produce. Has been doing much better this century.

Manach

There is a principle in International law that (AFAIR from my course notes) that states that once a post-colonial international boundry is set then unless it is with the willing and democratic decision of both state parties, such boundaries are sacrocant under the law.

pixelburp

Looks like tensions have increased around that Venezuelan, Guyanan border dispute: Venezuela voted to annex the Western Guayanese territories in that recent referendum, while the UN Security Council is having a closed doors session. Apparently the US is running military drills now, in conjunction with the Guyanese army.

Can't help but think this has the smell of Putin trying desperately to spread American involvement as tbin as possible, to distract from Ukraine. While from what I've seen, Venezuela doesn't seem to have the most formidable army either.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468043#Comment_121468043

It won't do much to affect US support for Ukraine. The Republicans are the only threat to Ukraine (which is nuts that they are the pro Russian ones now)

France might not be too happy with Venezuela either given that there is a French border only 2 doors down.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468043#Comment_121468043

Although there are historical claims the timing of this specific action shows that it's clearly just a play for Guyana's recently discovered oil resources. Venezuela already have the largest reserves of oil in the world. It's quite likely that even if they were to get their hands on Guyana's reserves they probably wouldn't ever even get it out of the ground. It's simply just populist nationalism to distract from Maduro shutting down democracy and trashing the economy - a classic dictator play.

Brussels Sprout

At the same time as Venezuela are eying up their neighbour's territory, Ethiopia are also looking like they might make a play for some of Eritrea's territory - specifically the port city of Asab in the south. The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, seems hell bent on getting access to the sea and that seems to be the most likely place. I'm no fan of the regime of the dictator running Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki, but I'm fundamentally against countries trying to unilaterally annex their neighbour's territory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-hABbIseGk&ab_channel=RealLifeLore

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470322#Comment_121470322

Countries that close to the sea that have no access are always a point of contention and conflict.

You often see countries like Croatia/Bosnia with a sliver of access to the coast cut out. Some US states have similar arrangements.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470586#Comment_121470586

Yeah Bolivia are still raging about the access that they lost to the sea after losing the "Nitrate War" to Chile in the 19th century

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470678#Comment_121470678

Chile is a hilariously shaped country. Lucky for them their bigger neighbours have plenty of coastline. Easy country for designing motorways I would imagine. Norway is similar although it didn't stop Sweden from invading back in the day.

Myanmar/Thailand/Malaysia has some interesting stuff coastline grabbing going on too.

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470322#Comment_121470322

Eritrea was part of Ethiopia until 1993, so just another readjustment. Both dictatorships.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470890#Comment_121470890

That's like saying Ireland was part of the UK back in the day. The (admittedly quite long) video above goes through the history of the region in a lot of detail. Yes there was a federation between the two countries which Haile Selassie later dissolved in order the annex Eritrea. The Eritreans always opposed it though. They're completely different to most of the Ethiopians in terms of religion, language and culture. The fall of the Soviet Union, who were backers of the Ethiopian regime, finally gave them the opportunity to break away and they took it. Unfortunately it also gave Afwerki the opportunity to take over the country and he's been ruthless in turning it into a de-facto prison state.

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470939#Comment_121470939

Hardly. It would be more like Ireland taking over NI.

However, Ethiopia and Eritrea are hardly good examples of well run democracies.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470983#Comment_121470983

You seem to have a causal indifference to the integrity of countries just because they are not well run democracies.

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470890#Comment_121470890

Ethiopia (yellow) fought off the Italians and then joined in, in the Scramble For Africa.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Scramble-for-Africa-1880-1913-v2.png

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121493157#Comment_121493157

Not many people alive in either 1880 or 1913 are alive today. However, there are plenty who were alive in 1993 are still alive today.

The world maps were redrawn after WW I and WW II, and many African colonies gained independence in the 1960s and later..

The OAU agreed to keep historic boundaries as colonies gained independence, and largely that remains to be the case.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121493157#Comment_121493157

Not sure it makes much sense to say an African country joined the Scramble for Africa.

The border shown in 1913 was set before Italy and others tried to invade and didn't grow during the Scramble for Africa.

pixelburp

I wasn't even aware Taiwan was having an election but counting is already underway for this Presidential Ballot, with the front runner the potential cause for further ructions with China. Lai Ching-te seems more bullish about properly establishing Taiwanese independence - which of course Beijing is not down for.

Putin must be delighted with all these potential distractions.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/13/vote-counting-starts-in-key-taiwan-election-amid-threats-from-china

pixelburp

After all the headlines, cheers from the hard right and despair from the left and centre, Wilders will not be PM as he can't find any willing coalition partners; other right leaning parties have decided not to row in behind him and his party, even after Wilders' agreed to drop his more ... "controversial" policies.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/13/geert-wilders-gives-up-hope-of-being-dutch-pm-due-to-lack-of-support

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121893724#Comment_121893724

Dutch Labour lead centrist coalition (possibly not Timmermans as PM, though) is what was always likely the only outcome here, and I've a feeling that's what we'll get now. Wilders will spend the entire term mithering about being excluded just like SF do here.

Irish Times is suggesting a cobbled together right wing sans Wilders setup with a technocrat PM as a possibility but that would last about six weeks.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121893743#Comment_121893743

I wonder if in some respects this is a win for Wilders: he no longer has to worry about actually running a government, or enacting his potentially unconstitutional laws; so he gets to be the ultimate hurler on the ditch while playing the victim card - and on that note I see he already has, talking out of both sides of his mouth, contrition mixed with snark about being denied power. If the alternative government isn't a success Wilders can then point and claim he could have done better.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121894103#Comment_121894103

Which is exactly like SF here. They would have been destroyed had they entered Government in 2020; vastly better for them polls-wise - until recently - to sit out and shout.