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Highgate

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Everything posted by Highgate

  1. The fact that this Israeli government is managing to alienate it's perennial ally the US, which currently has an avowed Zionist as president in Biden, should give us some impression of just what an extreme regime they are. Not that any further convincing of that fact should be needed now, looking at the remains of Gaza.
  2. At this stage he probably should just stop doing interviews. He doesn't need to do them, and always seems so uncomfortable and unpleasant during them, so why bother?
  3. Olga suggests that all global terrorism originates from the US. All of it? I think she maybe somewhat biased...
  4. Yeah like @Tamworthram says I think the ones that were actually allowed to stand in the election had Putin's permission so they'll be fine. He wants them there, so he can claim it was an actual election, even though we all know it's obviously a nonsense. Any brave soul who actually wanted to be a genuine opposition candidate was simply denied the right to stand in the election (for various spurious reasons), or murdered in a Siberian prison. The sad part is, what does all this mean for Ukraine, is there any real hope of removing the invading Russian army from their land, while Putin remains in power in Russia? And what will happen to them if the orange entity gets re-elected in November? Are they going to have to come to terms with losing part of their country to Russia?
  5. And yet it was still important for Putin to go through with this pretend election, with carefully selected opposition candidates trying their best not to do well or annoy Putin in any way. It's interesting to consider why he even bothers with it, clearly he feels that it serves some purpose.
  6. Thoroughly deserved victory for England today no doubt. Disappointing to see a win at Twickenham snatched away in the final minute, but that's sport, the better team on the day won and I thought England played superbly throughout. Heaslip's arrogance is legendary, both from his Leinster and Ireland days and now as a pundit. Best thing to do is to ignore everything he says.
  7. Worse for both Israelis and Palestinians I suppose, although we have to acknowledge that since the 1940s things have always been worse for the Palestinians. You are right, we have no way of knowing how things would have worked out. But it would have been a good place to start, having the US being an impartial player rather than blatantly picking one side at the expense of the other.
  8. Yeah, it's not surprising that those that are heavily influenced by Russia or indeed depend on them have been silent in their criticism of Putin's invasion I suppose. That's not the case with China of course, and it is interesting to speculate how much of a difference it might have made if they had joined Western countries in supporting Ukraine in their defence of their country. Good point about the US election, it's almost even a more crucial election for Ukraine than it is for the US, no doubt many in Ukraine are very worried about the potential result there. And for Israel/Palestine, what would things be like there now, if the US had been an independent impartial influence throughout the decades rather than always being in Israel's corner? It's hard to know, but surely things couldn't be any worse than they are now?
  9. I guess the 'Global South' as it's called is about as interested in Europe as we are interested in wars in Africa for example. The Palestine/Israel war is somewhat different from the Ukraine/Russia conflict in that with the West's support Ukraine's army is able to defend itself against Russia and bring their invasion to a near halt. Whereas with Gaza we have a very well equipped Israeli army with the tacit approval of the world's most powerful country, mercilessly pounding a largely civilian population who have literally nowhere to run. Two very different conflicts. Not that any of that makes Putin's invasion any less abhorrent than it was. I seem to remember votes in the UN where the General assembly overwhelmingly voted in favour of Russia withdrawing it's troops from Ukraine and ending the war, so I suspect there must be a lot of general support for Ukraine, even in non western countries. Even so, it's probably correct to say that countries act in their own self interest. South Africa recently bringing the case against Israel before the ICJ was a welcome outlier.
  10. I didn't say that. I said it was inconsequential compared to the bombing of Gaza by Israel. By everyone I meant everyone that's going to read what you post. Is there anyone here that believes that Israel should continue the bombing or that Hamas should murder more Israelis and take more hostages? I doubt it. That's what I mean by 'it goes without saying'.
  11. I think it's pretty safe for either of us to voice our honest opinions on the whole issue here. Neither of us make the slightest bit of difference. I'd be lying by omission if I didn't say that I think Israel had been treating Palestinians unjustly for decades, systematically and deliberately and that this recent bombing campaign is nothing but industrial slaughter. I also be lying if I didn't say that the actions of Hamas have been utterly deplorable and that the organization itself is exactly what the Palestinians don't need. But as usual in that part of the world the US underwritten Israeli government's violence dwarfs all the atrocities committed by Hamas. I don't see any reason to keep these views secret, that won't solve anything. My point was just that your worry about Palestinian flag waving seems inconsequential compared to the bigger picture. Incidentally I agree the phrase 'the river to the sea' is unhelpful as this might suggest that there would be no place for Jews in any peace settlement (which of course there must be, obviously). I don't really see how you can be surprised or have a problem with any of the rest of it, given what we have all been witnessing in Gaza for the past few months.
  12. I did read your post. Everyone wishes that the killing would stop, by Hamas and IDF, that really goes without saying. My point was that your worry about people becoming motivated enough, by the massacre of Palestinians over the last few months, to wave some Palestinian flags around is an insignificant worry compared to the actual ceaseless bombing of Gaza itself and the shameful silence of our governments. Also I get the impression that you are implying that in Palestine/Israel, and in war in general, the two sides are equally to blame. This is not always the case, there is often a clear aggressor. The situation in the Palestine/Israel is a complicated one, but it's clear enough to see who has been occupying whose land.
  13. The vibe that is really scary is that the governments of the world watch on (with the exception of South Africa) and simply let Netanyahu's government bomb civilians for as long as he pleases with absolutely impunity. Barely a voice raised in opposition from the leaders of our countries. That's what really scary...not some people taking to the streets and waving Palestinian flags in solidarity with those who are suffering. I agree that the loss of life on both sides is tragic, and that hostages should be returned as part of any peace settlement. But this is not an equal or balanced conflict. It never has been.
  14. Not including documentary series and in no particular order: The Killing (Danish) Caliphate Severance The Wire Justified Trapped The Expanse Andor Deadwood Breaking Bad Probably forgetting some that I shouldn't be. Ooops, and I never read the has to be 2 seasons bit, still I only broke that rule 3 times as far as I can see 🙂
  15. I know nothing about that man, I've only ever heard about him on here really. Generally speaking if someone was apologizing for their previous beliefs which they genuinely no longer hold...then we should be able to accept them. But I guess it would be a gradual process and people would need some convincing. As for Navalny, I don't know to what extent he held onto the racist views of his youth, whether he changed his mind completely, partially or not at all. But given his view that the invasion of Ukraine was an illegal war crime and his support for making Russia an actual functioning democracy he would certainly have been an improvement on Putin.
  16. I think it's right to ask those questions. Navalny clearly seems to have been involved with the far right groups when he was younger and said some extremely racist and homophobic things. That's an undeniable fact. Whether he still held those views now is another question. The fact that he hasn't openly disavowed those earlier statements or apologized is obviously problematic. It's fair to say he wasn't another Boris Nemtsov. On the other hand compared to Putin, everyone seems like a good option. Navalny's 15 point manifesto released from prison last year certainly makes for refreshing reading when you compare it to the current regime. https://www.dupuyinstitute.org/blog/2023/02/20/alexey-navalnys-15-point-tweet/ In it he emphasized that the invasion of Ukraine is a war crime and talks about ending the war and reimbursing Ukraine for the damage caused. He also wanted Russia to be a democratic Republic with open fair elections that established friendly relations with it's European neighbours. He does mention social justice, but we are left wondering if he meant social justice for 'everyone'. Maybe he really did...who knows. Either way, I think it's impossible not to be impressed with his commitment to opposing Putin. Knowing that Putin would probably have him killed or at best banished to a Siberian prison and yet returning to Russia regardless was an amazing act of defiance.
  17. Here I agree 100%. I think I've even said on this thread that I don't ever believe conscription is justified, even in a situation such as Ukraine finds itself in now. It should always be up to the individual to volunteer for war and it should never be compulsory in my opinion. However, I admire those with the courage to join up when their country has been invaded. Hypothetically what would happen if no one when came when the politicians declared war? Well that would be marvelous and in this case it would mean that Russia wouldn't have invaded Ukraine in the first place and all would be well, as Russians would simply have ignored Putin's 'special military operation'. Ukrainians didn't have this luxury though...because if their soldiers and volunteers hadn't turned up Ukraine would now be part of the Russian state.
  18. And it's a very good book, a genuine diatribe from a man who had the experience to know exactly what he was talking about. But you have to remember the sort of wars he was involved in. The great arm-wrestle between European Imperial powers that was WWI, the American-Philippine War, the Banana Wars in central America where the US was involved in 'nation building' that suited their economic interests, and so on. He died before Japan attacked the US in WWII. Having read his book I really don't think he would have suggested that the US not fight back against the Japanese in 1941. It's true that war is a racket and it is promoted by business interests and their sponsored politicians for their own profit. But it is also true that war is sometimes justified. Just like it was justified to wage war against Germany and Japan in WWII, or it was justified for countless colonized nations fighting against their colonial oppressors throughout history, or right now, for Ukrainians to fight against an invading Russia in a war started by a man who doesn't believe that Ukraine has the right to exist. Putin is genuinely an existential threat for the Ukrainian nation. These are not mutually exclusive concepts, they can both be true at the same time. Just because there will always people who will profit from war doesn't mean that nations have to, or should, surrender when invaded by an aggressive neighbour.
  19. And yet since 1969, think of all that we have achieved in terms of automated exploration of the solar system and beyond. We've explored the outer planets and their moons, sent vehicles to Mars, launched numerous telescopes, including one orbiting the Sun 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, we've even landed a probe on a comet. All magnificent technological achievements that required plenty of money and dedication. We've learned much about the universe, discovered thousands of exoplanets...and so on. All using the increased technological capabilities that you've spoken of. I see no evidence that humanity will turn against the endeavour of exploring our universe from Earth, or with spacecraft/telescopes sent into space...and that's a good thing. I don't see at all, this rapidly closing window of interest in scientific exploration that you are speaking of. What I do see is an unnecessary rush towards missions that we are not yet ready for and aren't particularly necessary at this time. The mission to the moon in the 60s was, as I'm sure you well know, as much about making a political statement as it was about achieving a stepping stone in making humans a multi-planetary species. It was a great success but once it was achieved there was simply less appetite for the pushing humans further... there wasn't much to gain by going back to the moon over and over again. So why bother? Yes computers have advanced in the intervening decades....but humans haven't...we are still just as vulnerable and unsuited to space as we were in 1969. Maybe that's the reason spaceflight hasn't taken off (excuse the pun) since the moon landings...whereas unmanned space exploration has been going from strength to strength.
  20. The same people whom Navalny fearlessly criticized, namely Putin and the Russian government. The same people who weren't able to shut him up even when he was in jail. He published a 15 point plan for Russia's future from jail last year, a plan that included recognizing Ukraine's borders. That's got to have annoyed Putin. Better to make sure he doesn't do that sort of thing again. There is also the general motive of demonstrating what happens to critics of Putin in todays Russia. Crush and silence all vocal opponents...that's the motive. The prison sentence was basically a death sentence anyway...who knows if Putin gave the order for this to happen now, but his death was surely always the plan.
  21. That's sad news. A very brave, honest and defiant man. He stands in stark contrast to Putin who will of course deny all knowledge of his responsibility for Navalny's death. I guess the consequences for Putin will be next to nothing. People didn't do anything when the Russian state tried to murder Navalny before, or put him in jail for no reason whatsoever...or transfer him a maximum security prison in the Artic circle and mistreat him there. So I assume nobody will or can do anything about it now. What can Russian people do about it realistically? They don't have the option of not electing Putin in the upcoming election.
  22. Replying to @Carl Sagan and @TigerTedd's objections to my post, I'm not at all advocating governments or individuals stop spending on science/engineering projects related to space or elsewhere. My point is, that if saving humanity was the goal of Mars Colony then that money could better be spend on other science/engineering projects elsewhere. I have no problem at all with spending money on scientific endeavours. The JWST (maybe the best thing ever built in my opinion) cost something like $10 billion, so according to the IMF's figures we could build 700 JWSTs a year for the same cost as global Fossil Fuel subsidies. It's not the price of the JWST or the upcoming ELT in Chile etc.., that I have an issue with, those present wonderful value for money as far as I'm concerned...unlike the subsidies of course. I don't really share the viewpoint that we have a short window of opportunity here for economic or societal reasons. I don't think humanity is turning against science all of a sudden, far from it. Given the technology that will probably be available in a couple of centuries or more, with the probable enormous advances in robotics and AI for example, this project will be far more feasible in the future than it is now. As I don't see that there is any particular rush, it would be wiser to wait and concentrate our efforts in more pressing areas for now, such as a clean energy infrastructure... if saving humanity really is the ultimate goal. As for Musk and his money. I agree saving the world is not his responsibility, it's just that if that is his goal, I think there are better ways to go about it. Nobody should be as rich as he is, but that's the fault of governments really... he is absolutely free to spend his money as he wishes. I'd have to quibble with your definition of 'inescapable conclusion' there. It could be that people simply don't know who he paid the money to, Jack Dorsey is the only name I can think of, or that the money was shared among a large number of people, such as shareholders and so on. Yes, many people love to hate Elon now, but you have to admit a lot of that is down to his own behaviour and his frequent objectionable outbursts.
  23. I'm all for space exploration in principle, but it seems to me the timescales being thrown about are wildly optimistic. Given the fragility of the human body and it's unsuitability for other worlds there is every reason to progress very cautiously. Human population is projected to peak at about 11 billion before the end of the century and then fall from that point onwards, so there is every possibility we won't end up overpopulating this planet after all. Catastrophic events that will wipe us all out from space are a remote possibility, even if they are technically possible. The more realistic threats for extinction are already here on earth. Nuclear War and deadly pandemics being the biggest two to spring to mind. Climate change, although potentially disastrous, is not a extinction level event for me. If surviving such events is really one of the principal reasons for building Mars colonies, then it's surely far easier to building self contained, isolated and safe colonies here on Earth that would survive those calamities...underground or even under the sea. And much cheaper too. I don't think humanity's problem is that we think Earth is too special, our problem is rather is that we don't realize how special it really is. We take it far too much for granted. No matter how successful any potential explorations of space could be, we will never find any planet or moon as suitable for human life as this one. That's surely a given, seeing as we have evolved on Earth, and have billions of years of adapting to Earth's particular habitat behind us. Our physiology and anatomy has been determined by our home planet. Again, I am in favour of space exploration, it's a great source of scientific innovation among other things, but right now, given all the problems we face on this planet, our larger priority should be dealing with terrestrial issues.
  24. Except it wasn't even a remotely accurate history of Russia. Just Russian history as Putin would like it to be.
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