Well you know what continental europe says. If at once you don't succeed, lockdown and lockdown again.
In other news brexit has been put on hold again for a new this time we really mean it deadline.
European Politics Thread
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Whoa really? That surprises the hell out for me. I thought the british elite would do everything to push it through so they could dodge a few taxes. Wasn't the reason so many people went for Boris to finally get this Brexit stuff over with? I hope they're regretting their vote now.
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Are any German APForumers here able to shed light on how COVID cases drastically increased since November or so? I was under the impression that you guys were one of the countries to have had your shit together during the pandemic, and indeed Googling 'Germany covid' still gives me fawning articles on you guys' performance pre-November (flashback to when Singapore was a model country until our second outbreak stemming from our foreign workers' dormitories…)
Acting based on politics over scientific opinions and assessments, to summarize it.
Leading epidemiologists here underlined that the second wave would hit hard back in April, the government, leading up to a election year, believed the winter would pass as spring did based on wishful thinking, hence tried to keep people happy.
To be fair, it was not a completely agreed upon assessment regarding the second wave, a few claimed we would not see it, but most did… -
Are any German APForumers here able to shed light on how COVID cases drastically increased since November or so? I was under the impression that you guys were one of the countries to have had your shit together during the pandemic, and indeed Googling 'Germany covid' still gives me fawning articles on you guys' performance pre-November (flashback to when Singapore was a model country until our second outbreak stemming from our foreign workers' dormitories…)
On top of what Riddler said, what sets us apart from many other european countries is the federal system. We have 16 federal states with 16 federal ministers, and it's them who coordinate the meassures during a pandemic, not Merkel. Which was actually quite effective in spring because each state had it's own "homegrown" public health departments, they could act with a proper network already established.
IF they decide to act. And that's the downside of such a federal system, because each state is ruled by a different party or ruled by people who naturally have their own political agenda ("never waste a crisis!")
Here, have a "small" taste:
! The federal ministers of Bavaria and North-Rhine Westphalia, among the economically strongest states with the highest population. Both are ruled by moderate conservatives (european standard = liberal cucktards for you US people), both want to succeed Merkel as the chancellor. This dynamic alone caused so many unnecessary discussions and wasted time during summer, simply because this guy here:
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! took on the role of the hardliner very early in the pandemic, which forced his competitor…
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! to take the opposite stance (= undermining most measures against the pandemic, blaming rising infections on Bulgarian & Romanian migrants etc). Just because it was the only way to distinguish himself in the media. Well, and probably because his one-vote majority in his parliament wouldn't let him act differently anyway, since he's in a coalition with neo-liberals.
! Then we have the FMs of the densely populated city-states, like Berlin & Hamburg. They're ruled by the moderate left (literal communism for you US people). One is a doctor himself, the other won his election just before the pandemic (next election is in 4 years) and the third will step down soon.
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! So they're all in a comfortable position to make rather unpopular decisions.
But while the left-wing bubble is generally pro-measures, the city-states have to deal with a incredibly diverse population. Not US-level diverse, but diverse. They suffer from areas with severe poverty and have to deal with various other challenges, like a high amount of young people, migrants and/or generally "free spirited" folk. You can get your majority for closing schools, but those hit the hardest by it won't be few and they lack the resources to compensate for it. Thus even they are reluctant to act appropriately.
And just to quote someone I know personally: "I didn't decide to study in Berlin to lock myself up…".
! Now coordinating the discrepancies between the above examples is already a huge task, but it doesn't even end here!
! Let me introduce the eastern federal states, with their own rather unique challenges:
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! Two of the FMs are moderate conservatives, the third is FAR left (I don't know if there is a US-equivalent to this…).
! The common problem is not that they're left or right though, but that our version of the european populist/nazi party (AFD) is incredibly strong in those states. Up to 25% of all voters strong. Which naturally influences the other parties regardless of political compass. And just to get an idea of our homegrown populists: they are not just literal Nazis at this point, they're all out Bolsonaro/Trump level - spreading misinformation just for the sake of it. The topic doesn't even matter as long as it's anti government.
! And then we have outliers in the far north of Germany, with a relatively low population density (comparable to sweden).
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! The pandemic was obviously a lot easier to manage due to their location and lack of neighbors with crazy infection rates, but this also meant that they always raised an eyebrow when it came to measures affecting all 16 states. They had low infection numbers, so why should they "suffer" like the others?
! And while there is some truth in that, the seemingly endless discussions and bargaining lead to what Riddler described as Covid fatique. It felt a bit like children arguing on a grand stage, meanwhile people lost view of what's allowed and what isn't.
! Like even with the coming lockdown (that applies to every state), I was asked by a friend how the curfew is supposed to work if her parents come to visit during christmas. Are they supposed to sleep at my friend's 2-room flat because they aren't allowed to leave for the hotel past 9PM? Should they be "done" with the festivities before nightfall?
! It's shit like this that grinds people down, even if they're behind the measures in general.To make it short, coordinating the 16 federal ministers is like herding cats, and the only tool Merkel has to apply pressure is her great popularity. She can beg, she can appeal, she can openly praise the ministers who follow her proposals (which are based on scientific advise 1 : 1).
But that's it.So time goes by, week after week, with the common denominator being what it is, always too little too late.
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Interesting stuff about gov't rulling in Germany
Hey I take offense Jabra, Bolsonaro might as well be a nazi, he wants to use the slogan on the defunct fascist brazilian party (Ação Integralista) as the slogan for his new party. Even our very own fascist leader, Vargas was smart enough to not asscoiate with those idiots.
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Yeah that is quite an informative read.
Just solidifies my belief that jabra is teh best girl of AP.
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Yeah, even I found that informative and learned something
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Well well well, Julian Assange isn't going to be extradited to the US
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https://www.rawstory.com/twitters-problematic-trump-ban-troubles-europe/
To a very small extent they’re right but using Trump’s ban as a catalyst for this rhetoric is…..stupid?
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Websites can ban users who violate the site's terms of service, and companies can fire people for the same, etc.
Plus freedom of expression shouldn't cover encouraging violence.I'm surprised that the chancellor of Germany of all countries took issue with it. In Germany the Nazi salute is illegal, calling people slurs is illegal, and store owners have the right to not serve you for any reason.
As a disclaimer I don't know Angela Merkel's specific beliefs about those laws, not every leader agrees with the laws and societal norms of their country, but I've heard positive things about Merkel before so it kind of felt like an inverse stopped clock moment.if anything Trump's Twitter ban is delayed.
and would they be having those concerns if this was just some rando who got banned and not someone famous? Are they against people being banned for what they say in general, or only when it's a celebrity or politician?
I accept Jesus Burgess as my Lord and Savior
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@Medical:
I'm surprised that the chancellor of Germany of all countries took issue with it. In Germany the Nazi salute is illegal, calling people slurs is illegal, and store owners have the right to not serve you for any reason.
As a disclaimer I don't know Angela Merkel's specific beliefs about those laws, not every leader agrees with the laws and societal norms of their country, but I've heard positive things about Merkel before so it kind of felt like an inverse stopped clock moment.her point is that the regulation of speech is the prerogative of the state and that private companies abilities should be limited in that regard, so there's no contradiction here.
@Merkel's:
It is possible to intervene in the freedom of expression, but in accordance with limits defined by the legislator, and not through a decision by company management.
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Nigel Farage: "Nobody in the world, in history, has done more for people of color than the British royal family."
Are you sure about that Mr. Farage, the empire that started two wars for the right to sell drugs, the one that embezzled USD 45T from the Indian Subcontinent, the one with a whole story of racial segregation and eugenic even against other whites? Sure. -
That's why all of the dominions in the Empire wanted to free from them as soon as they could get it then?
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Yeeaahhhhh, nobody's going to buy that. Except all the already racist people.
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He's not the first talking head to make himself look like an idiot over this and he won't be the last. Unfortunately for him, the Royals are part and parcel of the uber-patriotic brand of British Nationalism he's selling.
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I've always found that to be interesting. I mean we have a royal family too, but they are pretty low key and the average sven doesn't really pay much attention to them. Like first name basis if you saw him in a store level of non-elevation above the rest. So that whole veneration for the royals thing is hard for me to process in a modern setting
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I've always found that to be interesting. I mean we have a royal family too, but they are pretty low key and the average sven doesn't really pay much attention to them. Like first name basis if you saw him in a store level of non-elevation above the rest. So that whole veneration for the royals thing is hard for me to process in a modern setting
Your royal family is dealing with the shame of being French, their suffering is greater than you or I could imagine.
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Fun fact our king is commonly refered to as "knugen", which is a misspelled version of the word kungen which means the king.
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Fun fact our king is commonly refered to as "knugen", which is a misspelled version of the word kungen which means the king.
Sigh, so the random misspelling meme got to him as well? At least I can imagine him taking it in stride.
Meanwhile, over here at Hungary, we jokingly call Orbán our king, laughing whilst crying inside, having visions of "Great-Hungary"-stickers and votes bought with a sack of potatoes.
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Sigh, so the random misspelling meme got to him as well? At least I can imagine him taking it in stride.
Meanwhile, over here at Hungary, we jokingly call Orbán our king, laughing whilst crying inside, having visions of "Great-Hungary"-stickers and votes bought with a sack of potatoes.
Well in his case it's derived from his many misspellings, which given the fact that the he is dyslexic is actually kinda fucked up.
Also you're telling me i could have been getting potatoes for my votes instead of giving them away like a simp
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I've always found that to be interesting. I mean we have a royal family too, but they are pretty low key and the average sven doesn't really pay much attention to them. Like first name basis if you saw him in a store level of non-elevation above the rest. So that whole veneration for the royals thing is hard for me to process in a modern setting
Never quite got it either. Unlike the Japanese Imperial Family they're not actually holy or anything, so . . . . English pride?
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The British Royal family is more like a tourist attraction, isn't it? They get their palace and a nice pension and in exchange, random people can go take photos of their guards, said palaces and stuff. Also when one of them marries, it's like this huge event that's followed by millions of people across the globe.
Well in his case it's derived from his many misspellings, which given the fact that the he is dyslexic is actually kinda fucked up.
Also you're telling me i could have been getting potatoes for my votes instead of giving them away like a simp
Oh, I didn't know that. I hope he at least finds the humor in it and can laugh a little with the others.
Hungary is a great place for potatolovers and ass-backwards people. It's a wonderful country.
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I've always found that to be interesting. I mean we have a royal family too, but they are pretty low key and the average sven doesn't really pay much attention to them. Like first name basis if you saw him in a store level of non-elevation above the rest. So that whole veneration for the royals thing is hard for me to process in a modern setting
I'm British and I don't get it either.
I know, as a nation, we're still very susceptible to classism and like having posh people telling us what to do. Maybe it's tied into that. -
Yeah you guys do seem to have quite a strict class structure. Like all nations have people who are richer or poorer, but the UK still seem to have people who are decreed to just be better than others based on breeding. If you believe that then upholding the royals as the peak of that structure sort of makes sense
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Read this the other day. I will refrain from commenting on the royal family stuff, but I will follow the irish press from now on.
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Goof God The Irish Times just murdered UK in cold blood. Take North Ireland, just take it, you deserve it.
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Read this the other day. I will refrain from commenting on the royal family stuff, but I will follow the irish press from now on.
snorts The Irish and the Scots are the best. Anybody Celtic, really.
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The British monarchy is immensely lucky that Nazi Edward abdicated because they almost certainly would've been abolished had he remained.
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snorts The Irish and the Scots are the best. Anybody Celtic, really.
They couldn't even find a decent culture to be colonized by.
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@Cyan:
Your royal family is dealing with the shame of being French, their suffering is greater than you or I could imagine.
I dunno, we got the best of Napoleons marshals and who then dicked Denmark out of Norway. Shame about Finland tho
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Wasn't it that Denmark-Norway hadn't even officially aligned with Napoleon, but the British were like "We can't chance them joining" and pre-emptive striked their navy at Copenhagen?
And then after they were forced to join Napoleon, and then the war was lost, Sweden got Norway, but they hated Sweden so much, they almost instantly rebelled?
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In other British news, clashes with the Met over the vigil for Sarah Everard (where the current lead suspect in custody for her death is… one of the Met Police):
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In other British news, clashes with the Met over the vigil for Sarah Everard (where the current lead suspect in custody for her death is… one of the Met Police):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EwYqTTHW8AY2MrW?format=jpg&name=small
America must be proud that dear ol dad is doing the same as them.
To bad Planet Hemp's Porcos Fardados don't have an english translation, is a perfect diss on the police on par with NWA's Fuck the Police:
[hide]Porcos da lei são todos marginais
Matam pessoas inocentes econtinuam em paz
Despreparados, incopetentes agem acima da razão
Ao invés de impor a segurança apavoram a população
São ensinados a proteger uma minoria rica
Da maioria pobre que paga com a vida
E se você é um trabalhador você tem o padrão ideal
Pra cair na malha do esquadrão da morte oficial
Porcos fardados pensam que são homens
Mas na verdade não honram nem o seu sobrenome
Bezerra eu peço licença para falar em seu nome" Você com o revólver na mão é um bicho feroz
Sem ele anda rebolando e até muda de voz "Dizem que ela taí pra proteger é
Cumprir a lei e os marginais prender
Mas na verdade ela só que te fuder
Botam um x9 pra você ser dedurado
Porcos fardados seus dias estão contadosPorcos fardados seus dias estão contados (x4)
Invadem sua casa sem um mandado oficial
Levam o pouco que você tem te chamam de marginal
Faça um favor pra humanidade pow pow policial
Os porcos fingem querer te ajudar
Mas se você ficar de costas eles vão te matar
Não tem integridade, são uns covardes matam sem piedade (pow pow pow)
Se você anda na escuridão (sangue bom)
Forjam flagrantes e te levam pra prisão
Te mostram como é a lei tomam teu último tostão
Na academia os ensinam como é o marginal padrão
"É o favelado, é o Paraíba, é o negão"
Fodem tua mente te tratam como indigente
Pensam poder maltratar o povo abandonado
Porcos fardados seus dias estão contadosPorcos fardados seus dias estão contados (x4)
Eles se acham os tais estão querendo é mais filhos da puta
Abusam da lei e nos veem como marginais
E fantasma na favela não é marginal
Ele tem código de honra não é como policial
Ser subornado é comum vendem a sua honestidade para qualquer um
Vestem a farda para conseguir propina
Beijar os pés do superior essa será a sua sina
Isso se não encontrar com a morte na esquina
Pra terminar eu queira falar hoje você me caça
Amanhã eu vou te caçar
Porque com essa injustiça eu não vou ficar caladoPorcos fardados seus dias estão contados
Porcos fardados seus dias estão contados
Porcos fardados seus dias estão contados
Porcos fardados seus dias estão contados
Porcos fardados seus dias estão contados
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snorts The Irish and the Scots are the best. Anybody Celtic, really.
I thought the Royal Family had the blood of the last King of Scotland.
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I've always found that to be interesting. I mean we have a royal family too, but they are pretty low key and the average sven doesn't really pay much attention to them. Like first name basis if you saw him in a store level of non-elevation above the rest. So that whole veneration for the royals thing is hard for me to process in a modern setting
I always wondered how a country with that kind of culture even has a royal family in the first place instead of a worthless president like Germany.
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@Johnny:
Wasn't it that Denmark-Norway hadn't even officially aligned with Napoleon, but the British were like "We can't chance them joining" and pre-emptive striked their navy at Copenhagen?
And then after they were forced to join Napoleon, and then the war was lost, Sweden got Norway, but they hated Sweden so much, they almost instantly rebelled?
Well there are a bunch of caveats but essentially yes. Denmark wanted to be neutral but their hand was forced when Britain sided with their ancient rival Sweden and forced them to side with the only other trade bloc that was available. And Norway was ceded as a replacement gold fish for Finland since nobody wanted to fight Russia. But then Denmarks king made an attempt to set Norway lose as a free nation before it could be ceded, but big nose Bernadotte wasn't having none of it and war was fought. It ended up as a union where Norway was nominally it's own thing ruled by the same king but in essence it was still subservient to Sweden.
I always wondered how a country with that kind of culture even has a royal family in the first place instead of a worthless president like Germany.
For all i care they could dissolve it tomorrow. But generally i think it's held that it's grandfathered in and the proceeds from the royalty tourism is decent enough, and the upkeep from all those palaces and other tourist traps/historical sites has to be paid for either way. That and our king is kind of adorable and folksy.
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Dutch house of representatives election is coming up soon. Not much is going to change probably, the moderate right liberals are going to win hard again for the billionth time, because their current prime minister is a well spoken, likeable guy which is apparently enough to vote for an entire party, policy or child-benefits scandal be damned. There are a lot of new parties, it's a real clown car. A party from the European parliament is now additionally going to win a seat or three in the dutch house which is pretty cool. Good to see some euro-positivity next to all the Euro-skepticism. Also, thankfully our nazi party is a bunch of morons (surprise) and they outed themselves as nazis a end of last year. The youth wing of the party was basically the Hitlerjugend. They'll still probably gain a seat or two because they're the Qanon-type covid denial party and there's enough conspiracy theorists (and nazis) around. But thank god their erstwhile meteoric rise seems to be halted. Many members split from the party due to the nazi self-outing, resulting in yet another new party. Thierry Baudet the party leader also typed a racist whatsapp message that got leaked. He got roasted by a comedian on a talkshow and he walked out. Feels good to see his smug face get rekt. All he had to do was not be an open nazi and keep dog-whistling.
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I thought the Royal Family had the blood of the last King of Scotland.
You mean King James? Yes, but they've married so many English since then poor old Scotland's blood has thinned out. Certainly ain't no Robert the Bruce.
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Now if the daily mail is right the Dutch will now vote in a EU hostile party and the EU will crumble vindicating Brexit.
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For all i care they could dissolve it tomorrow. But generally i think it's held that it's grandfathered in and the proceeds from the royalty tourism is decent enough, and the upkeep from all those palaces and other tourist traps/historical sites has to be paid for either way. That and our king is kind of adorable and folksy.
I can kind of understand that perspective, but I really have a hard hard time grasping how people find the existance of monarchies acceptable in 2021. I can see the inertia of "why change when it doesn't really make much of a difference" but that there are enough people actually defending the maintenance of such a system is appalling to me. See Spain for a good example of this discussion.
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Yeah i mean we have those type of my king and country types too. But most people are kind of aware that it is a relic of a by-gone age and it feels like it is being slowly phased out. Like a year or two ago it was decided that only the immediate family would still be counted as royals, and when this current head of state passes i think a lot of good will is going to be lost cause his children have the personality of a wet paper bag. But we'll see, eventually we'll see the end of the decorative monarchy
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In the end I think the only ones left will be the Japanese Imperial Family, because they are the descendents of the fucking Sun Goddess.
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If Hirohito got to stay Emperor after WW2, those guys aren't going nowhere.
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I wonder how things would be if the Shogunate didn't perished.
Oh yeah, Nintendo would probably not exist.
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Aren't all kings and emperors deemed to be sort of divine.
I mean traditionally speaking.
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I wonder how things would be if the Shogunate didn't perished.
Oh yeah, Nintendo would probably not exist.
Well, the Emperor would still be around, since the Shogun never killed the Emperor or his family, he just stashed them away in another palace so they could stay as a figurehead and still perform their ritual duties.
Aren't all kings and emperors deemed to be sort of divine.
I mean traditionally speaking.
Traditionally, but there have been so many inheritance wars and dethronings and depositions (in England anyway) that the bloodlines have either gotten cut off or completely mucked up. The Japanese Imperial line is the longest unbroken bloodline in the world, going back over 1000 years. Because, as said, the Shogun never killed them off, just took over the government. Kinda like a Prime Minister or Regent with all the power.
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Well, the Emperor would still be around, since the Shogun never killed the Emperor or his family, he just stashed them away in another palace so they could stay as a figurehead and still perform their ritual duties.
I don't think that would be the case of the Meiji Restoration. The Emperor actually being in power played a huge part of what Japan is today.
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That is both impressive and disturbing. With a lean toward disturbing, since i can't quite manage to make any positive associations with keeping the bloodline pure
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With a lean toward disturbing, since i can't quite manage to make any positive associations with keeping the bloodline pure
Neither did the Habsburgs.
