Was he working for any news network cause if he was just a tourist this is rare and strange even for Irgc
Random News Article Discussion II
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Iran and North-Korea might be paranoiacs and they're obviously putting innocents in prisons but when a spy gets caught, wouldn't they just say "hey we caught an American spy"? since they don't have any diplomatic relations with the US (or didn't for a while) so they can't just exchange their spies, right?
I'm not saying this one is a spy though.Also, being a student (who's btw 37 and working on a thesis, which is the reason why he was in Iran) and having the Chinese and Yankee nationality doesn't prevent from being a spy though.
On the other hand I'll admit that we're not hearing much of spies being caught in western countries.
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Ircg definition for spy is different they basically do anything to keep the power in their hands
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https://www.caracaschronicles.com/2017/07/19/suddenly-we-have-two-governments/
Huh… I didn't read the questions through enough. But it doesn't change my vote.
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Huh. That indeed makes things more complicated than they've been so far. The way I view Venezuela's situation is that as long as the military has Maduro's back, nothing can change. The deal breaker is just how long can the military stay by his side with everyone turning against him. Do you have any idea? Do you think there's any other path besides military intervention, either publicly or behind the scenes?
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Historically, nope. Only when a deal is cut with the military is that things can change, training a parallel army is not… Possible nor will be done on time.
The thing is while the national guard has been 100% behind maduro, the army, air force and sea force have been eerily quiet. Chavez forced to retire most dissenting voices and put enough military in sites of power to keep them happy and under his control, so it is a long shot.
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In case you'd like to go in North-Korea for vacation, they've just made a website for it.
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Training a parallel army would either make Venezuela into Colombia or a failed state, which are worse options, in my opinion. Honestly, as much as the far left likes to go on and on about US imperialist intervention taking down red regimes, I would say the best bet would be to get international (aka US) help into striking a deal between the opposition and the military in order to reinstitute Constitutional order in the country. Create some kind of transitional military-dominated government in order to take down the hardcore Maduro group and then, over the course of a few years, relinquish powers back to civillian institutions. It's the portuguese revolution model against the far right dictatorship. It worked here, with many former regime loyalists (the more democratic ones, of course) being peacefully integrated into the new democratic order, which is what I hope happens over there as well. If it doesn't, you'll always have a bunch of former top dogs waiting for a moment of weakness to get their revenge on the 'coup'. It would be sad to see another country, especially one so naturally rich and with so much potential, degenerate into outright dictatorship or anarchy. The world has been having enough of those.
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Iran and North-Korea might be paranoiacs and they're obviously putting innocents in prisons but when a spy gets caught, wouldn't they just say "hey we caught an American spy"? since they don't have any diplomatic relations with the US (or didn't for a while) so they can't just exchange their spies, right?
I'm not saying this one is a spy though.Also, being a student (who's btw 37 and working on a thesis, which is the reason why he was in Iran) and having the Chinese and Yankee nationality doesn't prevent from being a spy though.
On the other hand I'll admit that we're not hearing much of spies being caught in western countries.
Because this isn't world war 2 that and it's a pretty meaningless move that does nothing but help stoke that paranoia.
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Training a parallel army would either make Venezuela into Colombia or a failed state, which are worse options, in my opinion. Honestly, as much as the far left likes to go on and on about US imperialist intervention taking down red regimes, I would say the best bet would be to get international (aka US) help into striking a deal between the opposition and the military in order to reinstitute Constitutional order in the country. Create some kind of transitional military-dominated government in order to take down the hardcore Maduro group and then, over the course of a few years, relinquish powers back to civillian institutions. It's the portuguese revolution model against the far right dictatorship. It worked here, with many former regime loyalists (the more democratic ones, of course) being peacefully integrated into the new democratic order, which is what I hope happens over there as well. If it doesn't, you'll always have a bunch of former top dogs waiting for a moment of weakness to get their revenge on the 'coup'. It would be sad to see another country, especially one so naturally rich and with so much potential, degenerate into outright dictatorship or anarchy. The world has been having enough of those.
These kind of coups already happened here, except without the external support, that one was the original coup, against the spanish kingdom.
Venezuela is the current posterboy of "it was such a good kid, where did we go wrong?" I'd guess that when you ignore a failed cuban invasion, then a civil protest that ended in a bloodshed, then two failed military coups as synthoms of issues.
The issues of inequality existed, they weren't as bad as chavez made them to be (no one ate dog food for one, there was free education and healthcare, and for bad or worse we had our stupid society-poisonous cheap gasoline) but it wasn't all the Venezuela Saudita that the most right winged venezuelans would want you to believe.
But you could work, my grandfather went from analphabet spanish expat to a fruit store business owner in 20-30 years, while raising 4 kids and a few orphan cousins.
I guess that the resentment to the foreign influence played a big role, most people in my age and social strait had some foreign family background, colombian, portuguese, spanish, italian, turkish, chinesse, lebanesse, haitian, french, german, those without a foreigner background were still in the slums, while the foreigners, who came here empty handed managed to establish themselves and grow. My guess is after being there to see their countries suffer, and what made Venezuela and venezuelans special, they could focus these resources and qualities into more tangible results and progress.
You can't say "this is the best country" if you only know one country.
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Anymore salt and Netanyahu would have to step down due to high blood pressure
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The EU should just kick Hongria and Poland out of the Union. But hey no "let's just prevent them from voting because we're a bunch of cowards".
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Fracturing the EU instead of using the mechanism created to avoid these kind of issues would be stupid.
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Poland and Hongria stand against the values of the EU but don't want to leave it because it's actually good for them economically speaking. Which kind of prevents the EU from improving the Union, and then undermines the European Project.
Keeping Poland and Hongria into the EU is fracturing the EU, not the opposite.
Also, thing is, there is no legal way to kick out a country out of the EU. Because the persons who wrote the treaties are stupid. So yeah, they're (the EU) gonna take their rights to vote but it's too late for that, we've already reached the point of excluding these countries. (the line has been crossed years ago by Hongria, Luxembourg even wanted to kick them out but the other countries were afraid so….)And btw, this (Hongria being in the EU) is actually why Hongria hasn't turned into Nazi Germany yet, Orban can't go full genocide because his country isn't powerful enough.
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Also, thing is, there is no legal way to kick out a country out of the EU. Because the persons who wrote the treaties are stupid.
No, a revolving door for the EU sounds stupid. Everytime when a government misbehaves they get kicked out and get invited in again when the government changes? Might aswell keep them in and use diplomatic and fiscal pressure.
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The EU is already using diplomatic and fiscal pressures. But hey, might also as well keep them until the Union collapses. And these countries are not gonna change and go back to democratic values just like that, the parties leading these countries are very popular.
And yes, once they will be out, reforms will be done, they'll see how the Empire is great and they will beg the EU to get in again. Then I guess we'll take them back. I'd agree to, personally.
And you're making it sound as if the far-right was just an opinion.
It seems you don't get that a government that doesn't respect the values of democracy has nothing to do in the EU. The EU isn't a kindergaden for Eastern-European-wannabe-autocratic-crazy-persons(/leaders).–- Update From New Post Merge ---
Here are the polls for the next Hungarian elections in 2018
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_Hungarian_parliamentary_electionNotice that the Fidesz is leading by 30points, and the second party (Jobbik) is even more on the far-right than the Fidesz.
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Here's an interesting article that discusses why Trump would want to get involved in the Venezuela crisis. Along with the potential ramifications of doing so.
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Hungary going full fucknuts right wing could lead to violence though, Hungary has a revanchist element to it where it looks at territorial loss after WW1 as really tragic for itself. So far-righties there have hungry eyes on bits of Slovakia, Serbia and Romania. The areas there that have ethnic Hungarian minorities to this day.
Then again aside from Serbia those are all NATO members (and so is Hungary itself).
I dunno though, picking fights with Serbians is historically uh…. not recommended. Though man the irony levels of someone attacking Serbs to build a Greater X... -
Not going to lie, I'm pretty resentful against the international community's inaction thowards Venezuela. Certain useful idiot wich I work with keeps hammering the point that "they won't help without wanting oil", and he's right, no one is moving a finger because the narco-state keeps paying up, the oil keeps flowing, and cheap engineers and doctors keep going to other countries.
No one wants to rock the boat, and the only ones who do (like Trump) don't have neither the know how, nor the right stakes in the issue.
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@Monkey:
Hungary going full fucknuts right wing could lead to violence though, Hungary has a revanchist element to it where it looks at territorial loss after WW1 as really tragic for itself. So far-righties there have hungry eyes on bits of Slovakia, Serbia and Romania. The areas there that have ethnic Hungarian minorities to this day.
It almost looks like another "problem" tbh. I'd be more concerned about Orban getting closer to Putin in the meantime (at least Hungary isn't located next to Russia, so Putin wouldn't just invade the country if Hungary was to come back in the EU) than Hungary going full WW3 against NATO somehow.
I'd also add that before (and also after) excluding them from the club, the EU should allow every Polish and Hungarians who wants it, to immigrate in another country in the Union and easily give them the nationality they want (or at least, allow them to live in the EU so that they wouldn't get persecuted in Poland/Hungary. ).
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This is really trivial compared to what you guys are talking about, but I still feel that it at least deserves to be mentioned
O.J. Simpson Can Go Free, Parole Board Rules -
By the way in Iran there is alot of tension between supreme leader and the president
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! Ms. Lim appeared in a North Korean military uniform and cheerfully described how she used to bribe her teacher with a pack of cigarettes so that she could skip classes and sell smuggled bottles of liquor to make money.
It's so fake it's funny.
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I'd also add that before (and also after) excluding them from the club, the EU should allow every Polish and Hungarians who wants it, to immigrate in another country in the Union and easily give them the nationality they want (or at least, allow them to live in the EU so that they wouldn't get persecuted in Poland/Hungary. ).
Well, I guess you know that the EU isn't even been able to cancel the Invite-Turkey-to-EU-programm, despite Erdogan starting to imprison Human Rights Activists. Going even harsher on an actual member? That's wishful thinking on your part.
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Makes sense, see a man drown but don't do anything to help (or report it)
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Makes sense, see a man drown but don't do anything to help (or report it)
Yeah, it's pretty horrible that these teens not only didn't help, but actually mocked the guy.
But, truthfully, if you're going to rescue someone who is drowning, you better be a really strong swimmer yourself. Drowning people are panicky and might even cause their rescuer to drown, too, if they are big and strong enough.
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Well, I guess you know that the EU isn't even been able to cancel the Invite-Turkey-to-EU-programm, despite Erdogan starting to imprison Human Rights Activists. Going even harsher on an actual member? That's wishful thinking on your part.
That's another issue because there is a difference between pretending to negotiate something for other interests, and actually harming the EU from the inside. Both parties know Turkey will never join the EU with this behavior but they keep negotiating because:
-The EU doesn't want Erdogan to release all the refugees on Europe. ( keeping good relations with a country located in the Middle-East is also in their interest).
-Erdogan knows he has no chance to join the EU with this behavior (he's doing far more than imprisoning activists btw), so he's just pretending to play it fair in order to pretend that the EU doesn't want Turkey (maybe they actually don't since they still haven't joined the EU after all this time, but that's another issue too) so that the anti-western sentiment rises and then Erdogan's popularity (the mofo even called Europe nazis).This is just not comparable. And whether or not it's (Hungary and Poland out of the EU) gonna happen doesn't matter. I don't see anyone calling people that want Bachar Al-Assad leaving the power wishful thinkers.
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Playing nice with Erdogan is also important to help EU member Cyprus in the extremely sickly and frail reunification bid.
Because it's damn sure Erdogan snuffing out its life as it is.
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This is just not comparable. And whether or not it's (Hungary and Poland out of the EU) gonna happen doesn't matter. I don't see anyone calling people that want Bachar Al-Assad leaving the power wishful thinkers.
I fully agree on your Turkey observation, but I believe Assad will stay in power now and after ISIS is defeated. Can't see another way sadly (unless he gets assassinated). You made a bad comparison after I did.
And I still believe it is better to put pressure on them (Hungary, Poland, any other member) while they are in, compared to basically let them alone. They still want the EU money though.
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but I believe Assad will stay in power now and after ISIS is defeated.
The only fighting with ISIS that Assad routinely does is/was around Deir Ezzor and the desert between there and the west. His part of the civil war hasn't been fighting ISIS.
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Even after Assad falls Syria is not gonna see peace for decades there is no way that rebels are going to give away their power to one group
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Tomorrow the shit and the fan are going to have a sordid and romantic affair.
The writters of the constitution will be elected, in an election that HAS to be boycoted because it's a completely illegal measure, designed to remove the power from the opposition controlled legislative body and reform the state into a comune state. Probably decriminalizing a bunch of stuff, like creating a party militia if your party is the goverment's, remove limits from the president's power.
And put the "right to recive bags of foodstuf from the goverment, as replacement of a working economy and market" in the constitution.
Tomorrow.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
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They claim that they got 8million votes, while prohibiting any press or observers to be at the voting centers. The calculated number is 2.5m
They claim that everything went OK and peace won, security forces killed 15 protesters, not the militias, not themselves doing stupid things, the nations guard killed 15 people, two of them under aged and they call that peace.
Fuck my country, I don't have a country, I have a joke. And its not funny.
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Wow, you just had to read about the conditions that the referendum was made in to realize what a load of bullcrap it all was. 2 votes per person? MPs representing sectors of society and municipalities? No blank vote allowed? No opposition party members allowed to participate as cadidates? Government workers registering who votes or doesn't so they can blackmail them after they've become dependent on the government to survive? Security forces stopping media reporters from observing the whole affair? Holy hell, I'm really sorry for you country, man. It's just turning from bad to worse to even worse.
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The worst part is the opposition response.
"This noon, wherever you are, go to the streets and protest". For an hour.
That is… Not enough. And I'm angry and sad and I want to punch something.
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That's what people have been doing for… a year now? Honestly, what CAN the opposition do? Unless they get the military or foreign backing on their side, it's over, I think.
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There is no easy or normal ways left. I don't want a civil war, but if the top brass accepts this impossible result, then its up, the military won't ever help.
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There is no easy or normal ways left. I don't want a civil war, but if the top brass accepts this impossible result, then its up, the military won't ever help.
Civil war without the military is suicide, surely
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Yah, that is why no one wants to do it. Except the student movement that is already dying in the streets.
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Condolences to you maxterdexter.
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Condolences to you maxterdexter.
Thankyou.
I'm feeling somewhat better. For better or worse, I'm better off than most migrants and an awkward number of spaniards.
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Just saw this pop up in notifications
"U.S. Treasury Department sanctions Venezuelan President Maduro" - Get updates at Reuters.com
More in depth
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But, really, it's about ethics in comics journalism.
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And you thought there was never a girl on comics?
I also laugh at them arguing people don't read marvel, because of their feminist agenda. What was their excuse in the 90's?
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Marvel is the only company that is despised by both the alt right and the loony left.
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The fact that happened over such a casual picture is just… wow.
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The internet is a strange place. I would expect such reaction if it was parade or at worst 2-3 snarky comments on how marvel lets anyone in. A full blown accusation of crusade for a milkshake was beyond my wildest dream. They don't even have some kind of sign promoting a message. Fascinating and scary place the internet can be.
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Those crazy hostile remarks go beyond just one picture. They were already angry long before that. They're the kind of people who prowl the internet looking for any excuse they can find to lash out.