Politics & Stuff

[Vesper 30,085]

10 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

King Leopold II statues are being removed in Belgium. Who was he?

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/10/europe/belgium-king-leopold-ii-statue-intl/index.html

 

Good job Belgium probably late hundred years tho. Cannot believe he even had a statue in Congo. What a irony!

King Leopold's Ghost : A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa

https://www.bookdepository.com/King-Leopolds-Ghost-Adam-Hochschild/9780358212508?ref=grid-view&qid=1591913023074&sr=1-1

"An enthralling story . . . A work of history that reads like a novel." -- Christian Science Monitor
"As Hochschild's brilliant book demonstrates, the great Congo scandal prefigured our own times . . . This book must be read and reread." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review In the late nineteenth century, as the European powers were carving up Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium carried out a brutal plundering of the territory surrounding the Congo River. Ultimately slashing the area's population by ten million, he still managed to shrewdly cultivate his reputation as a great humanitarian. A tale far richer than any novelist could invent, King Leopold's Ghost is the horrifying account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions. It is also the deeply moving portrait of those who defied Leopold: African rebel leaders who fought against hopeless odds and a brave handful of missionaries, travelers, and young idealists who went to Africa for work or adventure but unexpectedly found themselves witnesses to a holocaust and participants in the twentieth century's first great human rights movement. A National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
A New York Times Notable Book

 

[Vesper 30,085]

EU warns UK must be ready to police the Irish Sea as Brexit extension ruled out

https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/eu-warns-uk-must-be-ready-to-police-the-irish-sea-as-brexit-extension-ruled-out-1.1032659

 

 Michael Gove made the formal announcement that there would now be no Brexit extension period. AFP

 

The chances of a so-called “no deal” Brexit has grown significantly after Britain formally confirmed to the European Union that it will not seek an extension of the transition period.

The response from Brussels came in the form of a European Commission warning that Britain must now be ready to police the border in the Irish Sea.

It is a contention that will anger many in Northern Ireland who will consider that they are being put outside the union of the United Kingdom.

The transition period for a deal to be struck with the European Union is set to expire on December 31 but there were provisions for an option to extend for another two years if a no-deal result looked likely. Britain formally left the EU on January 31 and is now negotiating a trade agreement.

The formal announcement that there would now be no extension period was made by the British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who gave the news to the EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, at the second meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee on implementing the Withdrawal Agreement.

The joint committee had to decide by the end of the month as to whether to extend the status quo transition. But with no meeting planned until September, the UK’s decision was “a definite conclusion of this discussion”, the European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic told journalists.

“I have taken note of the position of the UK on this issue and have stated, as President Ursula von der Leyen did earlier, that the EU remains open to such an extension,” Mr Sefcovic said.

“We take this decision as a definitive one,” he said. “In this context, we both agreed on accelerating the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and to accelerate our work.”

If an agreement is to be settled by December, an enormous amount of work remains to be done, especially with meetings difficult due to the coronavirus crisis.

In particular, Britain will have to provide more detail on the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland to show how it will work in practice. Mr Sefcovic said: “We need to move from aspiration to operation, and fast.”

[11Drogba 2,000]

 

[Vesper 30,085]

4 hours ago, 11Drogba said:

 

 

[Laylabelle 9,534]

19 hours ago, 11Drogba said:

 

It sums up the stupidity...oh he's been arrested

They'll be people who will try and defend it. Mostly on Daily Mail sites but wtf?!?!! 

[Fernando 6,585]

I have a question, I have been hearing that some protesters are wanting to abolished the police force? 

How in the right mind would that work? 

Are we to go back to the wild west where we are own police? 

Because if there's no police who's going to protect from theft, vandalism, etc etc. 

I'm all for police reform but to abolish the police force makes no sense to me. 

I would also like to hear opinions about how to reform the force? 

[Atomiswave 6,117]

9 minutes ago, Fernando said:

I have a question, I have been hearing that some protesters are wanting to abolished the police force? 

How in the right mind would that work? 

Are we to go back to the wild west where we are own police? 

Because if there's no police who's going to protect from theft, vandalism, etc etc. 

I'm all for police reform but to abolish the police force makes no sense to me. 

I would also like to hear opinions about how to reform the force? 

Problem is the current police force is a gang, they are not serving and protecting.....but they sure as hell protect themselves though. No you cant abolish it cuz that will result in massive issues at all corners but the current ones ar not much better.

[Fernando 6,585]

31 minutes ago, Atomiswave said:

Problem is the current police force is a gang, they are not serving and protecting.....but they sure as hell protect themselves though. No you cant abolish it cuz that will result in massive issues at all corners but the current ones ar not much better.

Gang? I think that's a bit harsh, I think they are much better then what we used to had in the past. But like I said you can always improve and that's what reforms are there for. 

That being said I follow the Bible and this is what the Bible says about such things:

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
Romans 13:1‭-‬7 NLT
 

Mind you that the one who wrote this was Paul in an era where the ruling authority was Nero who burned Rome so he can build like he wanted, but he put the blame on the Christian. And then went on a camping against the Christian who would light them up like torches alive in his garden for his amusement....

Yeah that sort of government Christian had to submit too.....

That being said I think we can always improve but there's also what Paul speaks:

Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.

In my 36 years I only had one encounter with the law and that's because I was doing something wrong. Police was not nice at that time but it was my fault for putting myself in that situation. Since then I treat with respect, talk nice and do what's right against authority. Never had any problems with police. 

Just like everywhere there's bad apple and good apple. There's good cops and bad cops. Reform can always improve what we have been improving over the millennium. 

[Atomiswave 6,117]

39 minutes ago, Fernando said:

Gang? I think that's a bit harsh, I think they are much better then what we used to had in the past. But like I said you can always improve and that's what reforms are there for. 

That being said I follow the Bible and this is what the Bible says about such things:

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
Romans 13:1‭-‬7 NLT
 

Mind you that the one who wrote this was Paul in an era where the ruling authority was Nero who burned Rome so he can build like he wanted, but he put the blame on the Christian. And then went on a camping against the Christian who would light them up like torches alive in his garden for his amusement....

Yeah that sort of government Christian had to submit too.....

That being said I think we can always improve but there's also what Paul speaks:

Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.

In my 36 years I only had one encounter with the law and that's because I was doing something wrong. Police was not nice at that time but it was my fault for putting myself in that situation. Since then I treat with respect, talk nice and do what's right against authority. Never had any problems with police. 

Just like everywhere there's bad apple and good apple. There's good cops and bad cops. Reform can always improve what we have been improving over the millennium. 

By gang I mean their word is the law, what they say and do is at center stage and not yours. Brother I respect that you are religious and follow the bible, but dont ever take every word as the truth. Every religious books have been tampered with, you want the real bible then invade the vatican, so much secrets they have hidden. Quran too have been tampered with immensely through the dynasties. My point is if you take holy books literally then it will make you go crazy. Yes authority comes from the creator, but he sure as hell didnt pick the men in charge, he didnt make the rules etc. Thats all on us men its that simple. The creator has nothing to do with it.

[Vesper 30,085]

The US police ARE, collectively, a militarised GANG, propped up by corrupt mob-style union goons (notice that the only type of unions the RW thugs support are the copper unions)

The US is giant petrodollar global empire, with over 1000 bases. They spent tens of trillions of USD on war/power projection over the past 5 decades. The military industrial complex (combined with the security/surveillance state) has for the past 45 plus years (the actual start was back in Los Angeles in the 1960's with the SWAT teams) injected billions of military equipment, training, tactics, etc down to local levels Hundreds of thousands of ex soldiers have went from combat hot zones right to patrolling civilian US streets.

Thin blue line my arse. They are, and have been for ages, completely out of control when it come to actually serving and protecting the average citizen. They are 100% there to maintain systemic control for the top 0.01% and also to keep up and maintain systemic racism/white nationalism. The smaller the percentage of whites becomes in terms of the US population, the more desperate and brutal the entire system will become.

 

[Atomiswave 6,117]

23 minutes ago, Vesper said:

The US police ARE, collectively, a militarised GANG, propped up by corrupt mob-style union goons (notice that the only type of unions the RW thugs support are the copper unions)

The US is giant petrodollar global empire, with over 1000 bases. They spent tens of trillions of USD on war/power projection over the past 5 decades. The military industrial complex (combined with the security/surveillance state) has for the past 45 plus years (the actual start was back in Los Angeles in the 1960's with the SWAT teams) injected billions of military equipment, training, tactics, etc down to local levels Hundreds of thousands of ex soldiers have went from combat hot zones right to patrolling civilian US streets.

Thin blue line my arse. They are, and have been for ages, completely out of control when it come to actually serving and protecting the average citizen. They are 100% there to maintain systemic control for the top 0.01% and also to keep up and maintain systemic racism/white nationalism. The smaller the percentage of whites becomes in terms of the US population, the more desperate and brutal the entire system will become.

 

They are indeed there to serve the powers higher up....its very easy to see.

[Fernando 6,585]

4 hours ago, Vesper said:

The US police ARE, collectively, a militarised GANG, propped up by corrupt mob-style union goons (notice that the only type of unions the RW thugs support are the copper unions)

The US is giant petrodollar global empire, with over 1000 bases. They spent tens of trillions of USD on war/power projection over the past 5 decades. The military industrial complex (combined with the security/surveillance state) has for the past 45 plus years (the actual start was back in Los Angeles in the 1960's with the SWAT teams) injected billions of military equipment, training, tactics, etc down to local levels Hundreds of thousands of ex soldiers have went from combat hot zones right to patrolling civilian US streets.

Thin blue line my arse. They are, and have been for ages, completely out of control when it come to actually serving and protecting the average citizen. They are 100% there to maintain systemic control for the top 0.01% and also to keep up and maintain systemic racism/white nationalism. The smaller the percentage of whites becomes in terms of the US population, the more desperate and brutal the entire system will become.

 

How do we improve? 

What can we do to help reform better the police?

What strategies can you put in place to make it work? 

I would love to hear some feedback on how realistically we can improve this? 

[Vesper 30,085]

21 minutes ago, Fernando said:

How do we improve? 

What can we do to help reform better the police?

What strategies can you put in place to make it work? 

I would love to hear some feedback on how realistically we can improve this? 

number 1 the Department of Justice needs to prosecute and break up all police unions under RICO Act statutes, police unions LITERALLY are organised criminal organisations, they are completely corrupt and they bully every single major , medium-size and most small cities

number 2, laws need to be passed that stop the influx of military equipment tactics, and training for police forces, it is madness how captured they are by a MILITARY operational mindset in a CIVILIAN environment

number 3 there needs to be (immediately) set up a nationwide database for all rogue cops. Right now, a killer or corrupt or brutally violent cop can be sacked from one city and just move onto the next far, far too easily

number 4, the funding for police departments needs to be dramatically lowered, the same for the US military

number 5, if a police department is systemically corrupt and broken, it needs to be shut down and rebuilt from the ground up

number 6, an entirely new form of PEACEKEEPING needs to be instilled across the board, including a vast emphasis on community involvement and a an absolute eradication of the 'public as enemy' mentality needs to happen ASAP, and it needs to be hammered down with a sledgehammer, including massive retraining on racial justice, if necessary

number 7 tasers need to be outlawed, they are a crutch for cops now, and when they fail (which is often) the post-fail situation almost always has now been escalated to deadly force level

number 8, the US absolutely needs to have far more gun control (and it needs to enforce the laws already on the books) it is insane that there are half a billion firearms (many military grade) floating around the nation

number 9 The private, for-profit prison industrial complex needs to be completely shut down. A decarceral ethos needs to utterly replace the current commoditisation of locked-up people as a profit centre

number 10, the entire superstructure of white privilege, white nationalism, and white power (and the resultant white fear/resentment, as used by monsters like Trump for divide and conquer means) that is the foundation for all this needs to be smashed once and for all.

there is a start

[Fernando 6,585]

10 minutes ago, Vesper said:

number 1 the Department of Justice needs to prosecute and break up all police unions under RICO Act statutes, police unions LITERALLY are organised criminal organisations, they are completely corrupt and they bully every single major , medium-size and most small cities

number 2, laws need to be passed that stop the influx of military equipment tactics, and training for police forces, it is madness how captured they are by a MILITARY operational mindset in a CIVILIAN environment

number 3 there needs to be (immediately) set up a nationwide database for all rogue cops. Right now, a killer or corrupt or brutally violent cop can be sacked from one city and just move onto the next far, far too easily

number 4, the funding for police departments needs to be dramatically lowered, the same for the US military

number 5, if a police department is systemically corrupt and broken, it needs to be shut down and rebuilt from the ground up

number 6, an entirely new form of PEACEKEEPING needs to be instilled across the board, including a vast emphasis on community involvement and a an absolute eradication of the 'public as enemy' mentality needs to happen ASAP, and it needs to be hammered down with a sledgehammer, including massive retraining on racial justice, if necessary

number 7 tasers need to be outlawed, they are a crutch for cops now, and when they fail (which is often) the post-fail situation almost always has now been escalated to deadly force level

number 8, the US absolutely needs to have far more gun control (and it needs to enforce the laws already on the books) it is insane that there are half a billion firearms (many military grade) floating around the nation

number 9 The private, for-profit prison industrial complex needs to be completely shut down. A decarceral ethos needs to utterly replace the current commoditisation of locked-up people as a profit centre

number 10, the entire superstructure of white privilege, white nationalism, and white power (and the resultant white fear/resentment, as used by monsters like Trump for divide and conquer means) that is the foundation for all this needs to be smashed once and for all.

there is a start

Good stuff, this is some good feedback that I want to hear and what should be brought up. 

I think nyc already started with point number 4. I think the easiest way to get things going is to control the money inflows and this is what nyc and I think other states are planning on doing. 

Number 8 is a good idea but it will never work unless it is a world wide thing. Because just like drugs it can be smuggle in from another country. 

And number 2 I guess the reason to that is because of terrorism. They have had to train to be like that because of terrorism. But I do see your point, it's not easy to be train to be a peace keeping unit and then a war unit. 

 

[Vesper 30,085]

25 minutes ago, Fernando said:

Good stuff, this is some good feedback that I want to hear and what should be brought up. 

I think nyc already started with point number 4. I think the easiest way to get things going is to control the money inflows and this is what nyc and I think other states are planning on doing. 

Number 8 is a good idea but it will never work unless it is a world wide thing. Because just like drugs it can be smuggle in from another country. 

And number 2 I guess the reason to that is because of terrorism. They have had to train to be like that because of terrorism. But I do see your point, it's not easy to be train to be a peace keeping unit and then a war unit. 

 

if little 27 year old non american me can bang out 10 points in 10 minutes than surely a huge task force can start to come up with a systemic plan over the next several years and get it done

the main barrier are RW white nationalist politicians who need the fear and hate to divide in order to get elected, and the ultra wealthy who want to keep the coppers focused on their current roles as militarised storm-troopers for their own ends (protection of their giant multi-trillions scams and also the division along racial lines for distraction from those)

a lot of 'law and order' shitty old school Democrats are or were almost as bad (Biden was an absolute CUNT on this for decades)