IS Forum
Forum Index Register Members List Events Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Help

Go Back   International Skeptics Forum » General Topics » Non-USA & General Politics
 


Welcome to the International Skeptics Forum, where we discuss skepticism, critical thinking, the paranormal and science in a friendly but lively way. You are currently viewing the forum as a guest, which means you are missing out on discussing matters that are of interest to you. Please consider registering so you can gain full use of the forum features and interact with other Members. Registration is simple, fast and free! Click here to register today.
View Poll Results: Which nation is currently the most #$%@ed up?
America: Shutdowns, walls, investigations, arrests. 10 19.61%
Britain: Brexit, hard or soft or maybe another referendum, let's try not to think too hard about the Irish border issue 15 29.41%
Venezuela: Hyperinflation, weight loss, loss of international recognition, flight of educated classes 18 35.29%
Belgium: Government falls 0 0%
France: Yellow vest protests 0 0%
Effed up nation of your choice 8 15.69%
It's all good, nothing is wrong. 0 0%
On Planet X and in Germany, things are functioning really pretty well right now. 0 0%
Voters: 51. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
Old 30th January 2019, 12:48 PM   #1
crescent
Philosopher
 
crescent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,718
Poll: Which nation currently has the most #$%@ed up politics?

America: We Yanks have Donald Trump. Investigation, prosecution of multiple associates of the President, regular lying, revolving staff doors. Government shutdown, wall that is not a wall. We're a mess.

Great Britain: Brexit "We're totally not going to leave without a negotiated agreement in place but won't actually negotiate an agreement that gets accepted by the British public or the EU, and we totally that the "Will of the people" means doing something that the majority no longer want to do."

Belgium: Somehow still exists as a nation, much to the consternation of many American conservatives (George Will has spent decades predicting the immanent demise of Belgium). I'm not fully up to speed on that, but it has it's own thread. Belgian Government Falls.

Venezuela: Hyperinflation, many nations not recognizing Maduro any longer. Mass weight loss due to food shortages. Educated people leaving in droves as refugees.

France: Yellow vest protests shutting things down. Unfortunate tolerance of antisemitism amongst the protesters.

Any others?


ETA: I started this thread because every time I think that the current state of American politics couldn't get much worse, I just open the Brexit thread and find out that the UK is even worse off right now. It's like we are in a rivalry to have the most disastrous and ineffectual political situations.

Last edited by crescent; 30th January 2019 at 01:09 PM.
crescent is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 12:54 PM   #2
PhantomWolf
Penultimate Amazing
 
PhantomWolf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 21,203
Somalia - though it in many ways barely counts as a nation since it's Government barely controls anything outside Mogadishu.

Syria - Enough said.

Yemen - pretty much Syria II
__________________

It must be fun to lead a life completely unburdened by reality. -- JayUtah
I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question. -- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)

PhantomWolf is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 12:55 PM   #3
8enotto
Illuminator
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Mexico
Posts: 3,332
Any African nations with a warlord dictator and a thousand scared villages. There are a few of those.
8enotto is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 01:01 PM   #4
crescent
Philosopher
 
crescent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,718
Originally Posted by PhantomWolf View Post
Somalia - though it in many ways barely counts as a nation since it's Government barely controls anything outside Mogadishu.

Syria - Enough said.

Yemen - pretty much Syria II
Originally Posted by 8enotto View Post
Any African nations with a warlord dictator and a thousand scared villages. There are a few of those.
These are good points. Afghanistan falls into that category as well. I was thinking a bit more along the lines of nations that are usually somewhat stable and relatively prosperous - although Venezuela doesn't quite meet that standard.

We're at a point where the nations that are traditionally thought of stable world leaders are really just flailing.
crescent is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 01:03 PM   #5
Kid Eager
Philosopher
 
Kid Eager's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 7,296
I reckon Turkey should get a look in there as well, with their Prez seeming intent on becoming emperor for life.
__________________
What do Narwhals, Magnets and Apollo 13 have in common? Think about it....
Kid Eager is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 01:12 PM   #6
Giordano
Penultimate Amazing
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 17,646
For me it was a tough choice between the USA and the UK. But when I contempt the disaster of Brexit I have to give the nod to the latter.
Giordano is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 01:23 PM   #7
Roger Ramjets
Philosopher
 
Roger Ramjets's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 7,109
My criteria is how many people in the country are affected. Therefore, while I agree that Somalia is seriously #$%@ed up politically, I voted for America due to its much larger population (325 billion vs 15 billion).

However, even ignoring population, depending on what you consider to be '#$%@ed up' there are many other candidates which may be more deserving. Many consider that any form of democracy (no matter how flawed) is better than an absolute monarchy or theocracy. By that criteria Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Vatican City and Tonga (to name just a few) are worse than Somalia.
__________________
We don't want good, sound arguments. We want arguments that sound good.
Roger Ramjets is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 01:46 PM   #8
Roger Ramjets
Philosopher
 
Roger Ramjets's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 7,109
Originally Posted by crescent View Post
We're at a point where the nations that are traditionally thought of stable world leaders are really just flailing.
Not for the first time. I remember them flailing in the 70's, and the 80's, and the 90's, and... in fact most countries are 'flailing' most of the time. But that's not the same as '#$%@ed up'.

Quote:
Great Britain: Brexit "We're totally not going to leave without a negotiated agreement in place but won't actually negotiate an agreement that gets accepted by the British public or the EU, and we totally that the "Will of the people" means doing something that the majority no longer want to do."
Flailing for sure, but it could be much worse. Imagine if the government decided to exit the EU immediately - with no referendum, no transition and against the wishes of well over half the population - that would be #$%@ed up.

In comparison the US is much more #$%@ed up than the UK, since that's how our government has been operating for the past few years.
__________________
We don't want good, sound arguments. We want arguments that sound good.

Last edited by Roger Ramjets; 30th January 2019 at 01:49 PM.
Roger Ramjets is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 01:54 PM   #9
Ziggurat
Penultimate Amazing
 
Ziggurat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 56,422
Originally Posted by Roger Ramjets View Post
My criteria is how many people in the country are affected. Therefore, while I agree that Somalia is seriously #$%@ed up politically, I voted for America due to its much larger population (325 billion vs 15 billion).
I know the Brits have this weird thing where a billion is equal to 1,000,000,000,000 instead of 1,000,000,000, but who the hell uses a billion to describe 1,000,000?
__________________
"As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose -- that it may violate property instead of protecting it -- then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. There will be fighting at the door of the Legislative Palace, and the struggle within will be no less furious." - Bastiat, The Law
Ziggurat is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 01:56 PM   #10
GlennB
Loggerheaded, earth-vexing fustilarian
 
GlennB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wales
Posts: 31,398
Originally Posted by Ziggurat View Post
I know the Brits have this weird thing where a billion is equal to 1,000,000,000,000 instead of 1,000,000,000, but who the hell uses a billion to describe 1,000,000?
We don't use 'billion' in either wrong sense. I think RR just used the wrong prefix.

I went for the UK, but only because I'm British. It's personal.
__________________
"There ain't half been some clever bastards" - Ian Dury

Last edited by GlennB; 30th January 2019 at 01:58 PM.
GlennB is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 02:03 PM   #11
baron
Guest
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,627
Originally Posted by crescent View Post
ETA: I started this thread because every time I think that the current state of American politics couldn't get much worse, I just open the Brexit thread and find out that the UK is even worse off right now.
That's just the media. Nothing has changed. Nobody is panicking, the economy is growing, employment is at a record high, things are great. I've literally not heard BREXIT even mentioned for years outside of the TV*.

Venezuela, on the other hand, is a failed state, bodies lie in the streets, the country is ravaged by violence and drugs, the government has collapsed, the population has a choice of starve or leave or be murdered, the schools are shut down, healthcare no longer exists and disease is epidemic.


* Not quite true, my father recently said that the airport drone shutdowns were practice-runs for what will happen after BREXIT. He's getting old.
baron is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 02:08 PM   #12
Ziggurat
Penultimate Amazing
 
Ziggurat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 56,422
Originally Posted by baron View Post
That's just the media. Nothing has changed. Nobody is panicking, the economy is growing, employment is at a record high, things are great.
Are you talking about in the US, or in the UK?

Or both?
__________________
"As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose -- that it may violate property instead of protecting it -- then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. There will be fighting at the door of the Legislative Palace, and the struggle within will be no less furious." - Bastiat, The Law
Ziggurat is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 02:15 PM   #13
baron
Guest
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,627
Originally Posted by Ziggurat View Post
Are you talking about in the US, or in the UK?

Or both?
The UK, although I suspect the US hasn't yet reached Venezuelan depths either.
baron is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 02:19 PM   #14
Belz...
Fiend God
 
Belz...'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: In a post-fact world
Posts: 96,875
Planet X is actually the worst.
__________________
Master of the Shining Darkness

"My views are nonsense. So what?" - BobTheCoward


Belz... is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 03:56 PM   #15
dudalb
Penultimate Amazing
 
dudalb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 60,375
List not nearly big enough. I voted for Venezuela, though.
__________________
Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty.

Robert Heinlein.

Last edited by dudalb; 30th January 2019 at 03:57 PM.
dudalb is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 03:58 PM   #16
dudalb
Penultimate Amazing
 
dudalb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 60,375
Originally Posted by Kid Eager View Post
I reckon Turkey should get a look in there as well, with their Prez seeming intent on becoming emperor for life.
And the omission of Russia under Czar Vladimir the First was surprising.
__________________
Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty.

Robert Heinlein.
dudalb is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 04:18 PM   #17
crescent
Philosopher
 
crescent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 5,718
Originally Posted by dudalb View Post
List not nearly big enough. I voted for Venezuela, though.
Or the list is too big. In my head, I was thinking of nations whose political situations have deteriorated. Russian politics don't seem much worse than normal for Russian standards.

I should have just listed the U.S. and U.K., and they seem to be the contenders for moving the most from relative stability and sanity into relative political chaos.

I've got to think these things through better before posting.
crescent is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 08:03 PM   #18
Norman Alexander
Penultimate Amazing
 
Norman Alexander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Dharug & Gundungurra
Posts: 16,806
Australia. Just that we don't give a ****. In fact we have never given a ****.
__________________
...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015
Norman Alexander is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 08:59 PM   #19
arthwollipot
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him
 
arthwollipot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ngunnawal Country
Posts: 87,212
Originally Posted by Norman Alexander View Post
Australia. Just that we don't give a ****. In fact we have never given a ****.
Australia barely rates a mention in this thread. Sure, our government is the only major developed nation actively increasing its investment in coal-fired power. Sure, the government is plagued by desertion and disillusionment and will crash and burn so hard in the next election it'll be possible to read on the moon by the light of the fire. Sure, the government defines "employment" as "1 or more hours per week" and is therefore able to post record low unemployment figures. But at least we have a government. So, hey.
__________________
So take that quantum equation and recalculate the wave by a factor of hoopty doo! The answer is not my problem, it's yours.

Three Word Story Wisdom
arthwollipot is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 09:01 PM   #20
Norman Alexander
Penultimate Amazing
 
Norman Alexander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Dharug & Gundungurra
Posts: 16,806
Originally Posted by arthwollipot View Post
Australia barely rates a mention in this thread. Sure, our government is the only major developed nation actively increasing its investment in coal-fired power. Sure, the government is plagued by desertion and disillusionment and will crash and burn so hard in the next election it'll be possible to read on the moon by the light of the fire. Sure, the government defines "employment" as "1 or more hours per week" and is therefore able to post record low unemployment figures. But at least we have a government. So, hey.
We have a government?? I see no evidence of that...

__________________
...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015
Norman Alexander is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 09:05 PM   #21
arthwollipot
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him
 
arthwollipot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ngunnawal Country
Posts: 87,212
Originally Posted by Norman Alexander View Post
We have a government?? I see no evidence of that...

Yeah, I work for them. Indirectly, as a contractor.
__________________
So take that quantum equation and recalculate the wave by a factor of hoopty doo! The answer is not my problem, it's yours.

Three Word Story Wisdom
arthwollipot is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 09:45 PM   #22
kellyb
Penultimate Amazing
 
kellyb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 12,632
I'm thinking Libya or Yemen, but I really don't have enough info on all the various extreme hellholes currently hosting the worst mass suffering in all its various forms to say for sure.
__________________
"We are enjoined, no matter how uncomfortable it might be, to consider ourselves and our cultural institutions scientifically — not to accept uncritically whatever we’re told; to surmount as best we can our hopes, conceits, and unexamined beliefs; to view ourselves as we really are." - Carl Sagan
kellyb is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 09:53 PM   #23
kellyb
Penultimate Amazing
 
kellyb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 12,632
Originally Posted by arthwollipot View Post
Sure, the government defines "employment" as "1 or more hours per week" and is therefore able to post record low unemployment figures. But at least we have a government. So, hey.
Same in the US.

Also, if anyone has given up on finding a real job and sells weed, that counts as "not unemployed" (aka, "employed") too.

The homeless who panhandle to keep from starving count as "not employed" ("employed") as well.

Sigh.
__________________
"We are enjoined, no matter how uncomfortable it might be, to consider ourselves and our cultural institutions scientifically — not to accept uncritically whatever we’re told; to surmount as best we can our hopes, conceits, and unexamined beliefs; to view ourselves as we really are." - Carl Sagan
kellyb is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 09:54 PM   #24
a_unique_person
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
 
a_unique_person's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 46,327
Originally Posted by arthwollipot View Post
Australia barely rates a mention in this thread. Sure, our government is the only major developed nation actively increasing its investment in coal-fired power. Sure, the government is plagued by desertion and disillusionment and will crash and burn so hard in the next election it'll be possible to read on the moon by the light of the fire. Sure, the government defines "employment" as "1 or more hours per week" and is therefore able to post record low unemployment figures. But at least we have a government. So, hey.
The Lucky Country. Without even meaning to do it we get by due to various factors we just take for granted.
__________________
We do these things not because they are easy, but because we thought they were going to be easy.
Everything is possible, but not everything is probable.
“Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos
a_unique_person is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 10:06 PM   #25
Venom
Philosopher
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 6,332
Syria and Somalia because they are failed states.
Venom is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 10:23 PM   #26
arthwollipot
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him
 
arthwollipot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ngunnawal Country
Posts: 87,212
Originally Posted by a_unique_person View Post
The Lucky Country. Without even meaning to do it we get by due to various factors we just take for granted.
Largely, our mining industry.
__________________
So take that quantum equation and recalculate the wave by a factor of hoopty doo! The answer is not my problem, it's yours.

Three Word Story Wisdom
arthwollipot is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 10:46 PM   #27
Susheel
Illuminator
 
Susheel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Hyderabad, India
Posts: 3,377
India
__________________
I've got to get to a library...fast Robert Langdon
Susheel is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 10:59 PM   #28
The Great Zaganza
Maledictorian
 
The Great Zaganza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 22,552
Russia.
Putin is losing popularity, failing to deliver the prosperity he promised. So the only path now is more oppression.
__________________
“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.”
The Great Zaganza is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 30th January 2019, 11:17 PM   #29
caveman1917
Philosopher
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 8,143
Originally Posted by crescent View Post
In my head, I was thinking of nations whose political situations have deteriorated.
Well then you might as well remove Belgium too, we regularly overthrow our government, like once a decade or so. If anything this particular government took a long time to fall, it was inches away from falling just a few months after it started in 2014 due to massive strikes, and again in 2016 due to another strike wave, before finally falling last month.

Last edited by caveman1917; 30th January 2019 at 11:21 PM.
caveman1917 is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 01:02 AM   #30
a_unique_person
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
 
a_unique_person's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 46,327
Originally Posted by arthwollipot View Post
Largely, our mining industry.

Currently. The reason for that is the previous mining boom made the dollar so high it killed off manufacturing. Australia used to have a more diversified economy.
__________________
We do these things not because they are easy, but because we thought they were going to be easy.
Everything is possible, but not everything is probable.
“Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos
a_unique_person is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 03:11 AM   #31
kellyb
Penultimate Amazing
 
kellyb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 12,632
Originally Posted by The Great Zaganza View Post
Russia.
Putin is losing popularity, failing to deliver the prosperity he promised. So the only path now is more oppression.
You'd rather be in Saudi Arabia than Russia?
__________________
"We are enjoined, no matter how uncomfortable it might be, to consider ourselves and our cultural institutions scientifically — not to accept uncritically whatever we’re told; to surmount as best we can our hopes, conceits, and unexamined beliefs; to view ourselves as we really are." - Carl Sagan
kellyb is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 03:17 AM   #32
kellyb
Penultimate Amazing
 
kellyb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 12,632
Originally Posted by caveman1917 View Post
Well then you might as well remove Belgium too, we regularly overthrow our government, like once a decade or so. If anything this particular government took a long time to fall, it was inches away from falling just a few months after it started in 2014 due to massive strikes, and again in 2016 due to another strike wave, before finally falling last month.
Your gov was...down... in 2010, too, right? When that libertarian British guy called Belgium "pretty much a non-country" in the European Parliament?
__________________
"We are enjoined, no matter how uncomfortable it might be, to consider ourselves and our cultural institutions scientifically — not to accept uncritically whatever we’re told; to surmount as best we can our hopes, conceits, and unexamined beliefs; to view ourselves as we really are." - Carl Sagan
kellyb is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 04:08 AM   #33
baron
Guest
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,627
Originally Posted by kellyb View Post
You'd rather be in Saudi Arabia than Russia?
It's a tough choice, but Saudi Arabia gets my vote too.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ndparents.html
baron is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 04:53 AM   #34
The Great Zaganza
Maledictorian
 
The Great Zaganza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 22,552
Originally Posted by kellyb View Post
You'd rather be in Saudi Arabia than Russia?
Absolutely.
Just compare living standards (for someone like me, who isn't burdened with an extra X chromosome).
__________________
“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.”
The Great Zaganza is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 05:58 AM   #35
kellyb
Penultimate Amazing
 
kellyb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 12,632
Originally Posted by baron View Post
It's a tough choice, but Saudi Arabia gets my vote too.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ndparents.html
What does that link have to do with overall living conditions in Russia?

Do you think this is telling about conditions in the US?

https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=94713&page=1

__________________
"We are enjoined, no matter how uncomfortable it might be, to consider ourselves and our cultural institutions scientifically — not to accept uncritically whatever we’re told; to surmount as best we can our hopes, conceits, and unexamined beliefs; to view ourselves as we really are." - Carl Sagan
kellyb is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 06:00 AM   #36
kellyb
Penultimate Amazing
 
kellyb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 12,632
Originally Posted by The Great Zaganza View Post
Absolutely.
Just compare living standards (for someone like me, who isn't burdened with an extra X chromosome).
What about Yemen vs Russia?

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/y...eatened-famine

Quote:
Yemen is the worst humanitarian disaster in contemporary history. The armed conflict has hit an already poor country hard. The slowdown in economic activity,—which has led to a considerable decline in the value of the currency—the collapse of State institutions, the bureaucracy of the parties to the conflict— several of whom have delayed projects for several months— are just some of the reasons why the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate despite the enormous efforts of humanitarian organizations. The United Nations estimates in its “Overview of Humanitarian Needs for 2019” that more than 24 million people will require humanitarian assistance. This represents 80% of the population and a 10% increase compared to 2018.

The most important needs are in the area of food security. According to a study, more than 15 million people are threatened by famine
__________________
"We are enjoined, no matter how uncomfortable it might be, to consider ourselves and our cultural institutions scientifically — not to accept uncritically whatever we’re told; to surmount as best we can our hopes, conceits, and unexamined beliefs; to view ourselves as we really are." - Carl Sagan

Last edited by kellyb; 31st January 2019 at 06:02 AM.
kellyb is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 06:04 AM   #37
The Great Zaganza
Maledictorian
 
The Great Zaganza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 22,552
Yeah, Yemen is really, really bad, definitely worse than Russia.
__________________
“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.”
The Great Zaganza is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 01:48 PM   #38
portlandatheist
Illuminator
 
portlandatheist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,725
North Korea deserves a mention. I've been waiting for the regime to crumble there for decades.
portlandatheist is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 01:51 PM   #39
caveman1917
Philosopher
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 8,143
Originally Posted by kellyb View Post
Yeah, like I said about once a decade or so. We have a tradition of class struggle you know
caveman1917 is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 31st January 2019, 01:56 PM   #40
caveman1917
Philosopher
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 8,143
Originally Posted by crescent View Post
Unfortunate tolerance of antisemitism amongst the protesters.
I'd hardly call this tolerance (and there are plenty, plenty more where that came from). Perhaps it would be better not to get one's information from corporate publications with a vested interest in discrediting such movements.
caveman1917 is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Reply

International Skeptics Forum » General Topics » Non-USA & General Politics

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 07:41 PM.
Powered by vBulletin. Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

This forum began as part of the James Randi Education Foundation (JREF). However, the forum now exists as
an independent entity with no affiliation with or endorsement by the JREF, including the section in reference to "JREF" topics.

Disclaimer: Messages posted in the Forum are solely the opinion of their authors.