Removed by mod

Removed by mod

Agree fully with your first statement.

Do you have any links to support your second statement?

Cue the outrage. Meanwhile no-one questions why people feel compelled to sell their own organs in order to survive. This is just a logical and expected outcome of a system where some give their own blood so that others can live better.

Many other countries have liberal immigration policies and haven’t experienced these problems. Something seems to have gone uniquely wrong in Sweden. Gang membership in Sweden is comprised overwhelmingly of people from a handful of countries: Syria, Serbia, Bosnia, Albania and Iraq. Most immigrants to Sweden come from India for example, and don’t seem to cause problems. Nor do those from Poland or the UK.

It looks like a massive failure to vet individuals from a few nations … possibly out of a misplaced sensitivity to appearing racist.

Because that’s worked so well for them in the past. /s

Not only Mandela. All the top cadre of the ANC and SA Communist party in those days were great. Govan Mbeki (Thabos’ father). Walter Sisulu. Chris Hani (murdered by the apartheid regime). Steve Biko (hopefully everyone knows who Steve Biko was). Joe Slovo (his wife, Ruth First, was also murdered by the regime). These were all good, honest and decent people, not to mention brave and courageous. It’s a tragedy and a disgrace to see how the next generation of leaders has trashed the legacy of these amazing people.

I remember a case where a mother killed her two young kids because she wanted them to go to heaven. Her reasoning was that if they grew up and became sinners they would end up in hell. By murdering them before they knew what sin was she actually saved them. Thing is, if you believe in that shit then what she did really makes perfect sense.

Why should anyone else have any say in Catalonias’ decision to secede? It should be up to Catalonians only. By your logic the US would never have gained independence.

Canada (a liberal democracy) allowed Quebequois to decide for themselves whether to separate. The UK (another liberal democracy) did the same for the Scots. On the other hand China (an autocratic dictatorship) would never consider the same for Hong Kong. So you see in which camp your logic lies.

You mean changing the constitution? That’s pretty much impossible for Catalonians given that the rest of Spain doesn’t want secession. Incidentally that particular clause of the constitution dates back to Franco… so Spain is using a fascist construct to deny a people the right to self government.

Agreed. A majority of Puerto Ricenses would prefer statehood… and they should receive it.

If a plurality of Catalonians want to separate then let them. This principal should apply to all peoples, from Scotland to Quebec to Taiwan to Hong Kong. As part of the western alliance of liberal democracies Spain should follow the paths set by Britain and Canada and hold a referendum. Not doing so puts them in the same club as China.

This is what bugs me more than anything. They “know” my bag didn’t make the flight but instead of sending me a message (to the email / phone number I already gave them) they make me wait two hours on the ground after a one hour flight.

Said by someone who has never lived under occupation.

Then they should move elsewhere. When you immigrate to a country it’s on you to conform. I as a gay man would never consider moving to a Muslim country where my lifestyle is rejected. If otters feel their values don’t align with secularism then don’t come here.

Yes of it’s visible. Religious symbols are allowed to be worn if they are not visible.

We can debate questions of historical sovereignty all night … it will never end. But do you think the majority of Ukrainians would prefer to be part of Russia? If so you are either lying or you live on a different planet. Like the Poles, the Romanians, the Lithuanians, the Czechs, in fact anyone who has lived under the Soviet / Russian boot, Ukrainians for the most part detest and despise Russia (with good reason). The most ardent anti-Russians are the ones who used to be ruled by them.

“Orwellian” is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days so one hesitates to use it, but when a country invades another sovereign state and then turns round and claims they didn’t start the war it really does sound like something the ministry of truth would say. To be clear. America started the war in Iraq (incidentally I marched in the street in protest). Russia started the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine was invaded by a tyrant. The people have suffered for over a year, children have been slaughtered or lost limbs, civilians entombed in rubble, and the armed forces have lost tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands defending their homeland.

Now I’m not a violent man but I have to admit, in the face of all these poor people have suffered, reading your glib comment does make me feel like punching something.

I think a bomb is more likely for a couple of reasons. Firstly the breakup occurred around the tail section … that doesn’t square with a guided missile which normally targets the nose or engines. Second a bomb is much easier to conceal than a missile. I think the smoke in the video was from the explosion itself.