The News Thread

[DFA1979]

Economic liberalization isn't the same thing as political liberalization.

True but in China's case they once had a shot at both.

[DFA1979]

Just joking I wasn't actually offended.

Braden James Adam.

Love the ol' BJ.

BJA! Woo.

[Skitch]

BJA! Woo.

That's like a ZJob. If you have to ask you can't afford it

[megladon8]

That's like a ZJob. If you have to ask you can't afford it

I don't care how much it costs, I'm not letting a zombie get near my weiner.

[quido8_5]

I don't care how much it costs, I'm not letting a zombie get near my weiner.

Put this on a shirt immediately.

[baby doll]

True but in China's case they once had a shot at both.

Possibly, but from the perspective of the CCP, the whole point of economic liberalization was to prevent political liberalization and thereby maintain its grip on power. The last thing Deng Xiaoping wanted was democratic reform, which is why he finally decided to send in the tanks to crush the protesters in Tiananmen Square.

[DFA1979]

Possibly, but from the perspective of the CCP, the whole point of economic liberalization was to prevent political liberalization and thereby maintain its grip on power. The last thing Deng Xiaoping wanted was democratic reform, which is why he finally decided to send in the tanks to crush the protesters in Tiananmen Square.

Hmm good point.

[quido8_5]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57619755

"It does not rule out the possibility that the objects are extra-terrestrial." And nothing could. The problem I have with all of this is that "have extraterrestrial beings/aircraft visited earth?" is not a falsifiable statement. I cannot show any evidence that could definitively say: here it is, they've never visited. It keeps being treated scientifically when, unless there's a way to make it a little more substantial, it remains outside of the realm of science....

[Yxklyx]

96 degrees in Portland OR - at 9:30 PM!

[megladon8]

So since 20 years and trillions of dollars amounted to absolutely nothing, now can we discuss reassigning some of that defence budget to social programs and actually taking care of American people?

No?

Okay.

[Wryan]

The pics/vids coming out of Kabul are some of the worst things I've seen in my life. It's awful and crushing from all angles.

[Peng]

The pics/vids coming out of Kabul are some of the worst things I've seen in my life. It's awful and crushing from all angles.

Citizens clinging on a US aircraft as it's taking off, desperate to get out of there... Just awful.

[Dukefrukem]

Is it true some people fell to their death clinging to that C70?

[Skitch]

Trumpers on my feed: "We had soooooo (didn't exaggerate with the O's, they did that) much peace for the last four years...now this"

Idiots, IDIOTS

[megladon8]

Is it true some people fell to their death clinging to that C70?

Yep.

[DFA1979]

So since 20 years and trillions of dollars amounted to absolutely nothing, now can we discuss reassigning some of that defence budget to social programs and actually taking care of American people?

No?

Okay.

The military industrial complex is just gearing up for the next war.

[DFA1979]

The pics/vids coming out of Kabul are some of the worst things I've seen in my life. It's awful and crushing from all angles.

It's Nam all over again. Shame.

[baby doll]

It's Nam all over again. Shame.

I'll take communism over Islamism any day of the week. Also, it seems to me there's a fundamental difference in that the South Vietnamese regime collapsed in large part because it was a violent police state propped up by the US that was hated by the local populace (remember that the Viet Cong were southern guerrillas rather than members of the North Vietnamese army), whereas from what I understand, the Afghan security forces collapsed due to endemic corruption, which made it impossible for the US to raise a self-sufficient army capable of fending off the Taliban, even with the support of much of the local population. The major commonality between the two wars is that in both the US military lied about how badly the war was going because, as far as they were concerned, an endless, unwinnable war--and the government cash that flows from it--is success.

[megladon8]

TL;DR - AMERICAAAAAA! FUCK YEAH!!!

[Dukefrukem]

I'll take communism over Islamism any day of the week. Also, it seems to me there's a fundamental difference in that the South Vietnamese regime collapsed in large part because it was a violent police state propped up by the US that was hated by the local populace (remember that the Viet Cong were southern guerrillas rather than members of the North Vietnamese army), whereas from what I understand, the Afghan security forces collapsed due to endemic corruption, which made it impossible for the US to raise a self-sufficient army capable of fending off the Taliban, even with the support of much of the local population. The major commonality between the two wars is that in both the US military lied about how badly the war was going because, as far as they were concerned, an endless, unwinnable war--and the government cash that flows from it--is success.

Pretty much.

Remember these videos?

[DFA1979]

I'll take communism over Islamism any day of the week. Also, it seems to me there's a fundamental difference in that the South Vietnamese regime collapsed in large part because it was a violent police state propped up by the US that was hated by the local populace (remember that the Viet Cong were southern guerrillas rather than members of the North Vietnamese army), whereas from what I understand, the Afghan security forces collapsed due to endemic corruption, which made it impossible for the US to raise a self-sufficient army capable of fending off the Taliban, even with the support of much of the local population. The major commonality between the two wars is that in both the US military lied about how badly the war was going because, as far as they were concerned, an endless, unwinnable war--and the government cash that flows from it--is success.

I meant the withdrawal was more like Nam in 1975. But yeah. Although in both cases the governments were definitely corrupt US puppet regimes. And Afghanistan did have a socialist communist government back in the 1980s, although that one was propped up by the USSR.

[DFA1979]

The media keeps offering incredibly awful takes on Afghanistan and considering how much they cheerleader for war to get better ratings I'm not surprised at all.

[megladon8]

I'm curious how schools will be addressing all this in 20+ years.

How will they manage to twist it all to look like a big win for America, ala Vietnam?

[Scar]

Vietnam, a big win for America? What the hell school / class are you referencing?

[DFA1979]

Yeah um meg are you sure you just aren't thinking of Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda where he insists Vietnam was a tie? People may say that "they" wouldn't let us win in Nam but no one thinks it was a victory.