International Politics & Stuff

[rats19]

The new Italian government...is a joke

[damonberryman]

Terrible suspense tonight. Will Berlusconi rise from the dead and eat Europe's brain?

One shudders at the thought. Most Europeans cannot fathom that the Italians may once again vote for this shady character, but then controlling most of Italy's TV and radio stations and owning several of the major news papers plus the best football team may have something to do with it.

Crossing my fingers that the Italians will vote sensibly tonight. But I'm worried.

Europe is changing so fast it is hard to keep up. I remember when I lived in England and the schools in some areas wanted kava and yams as well as other exotics provided at the school luncn. The school borad would have to fly them in each week and of course....money.

The French seem to be reacting to the huge influx of Muslims in their country, and I can kind of get it. Now I may be predjudice as I was in NYC on 9/11, but what about the immigrants responsibility to acculturate? Certainly we can have multi-cultural societies but there must be reciprocal efforts from those moving in. They are not in wherever they came from and the onus is on them to fit in just as much as it is on us to be welcoming. If we do not expect that from immigrants are we not treating them on a double standard that is the essence of predjudice?

Burkas etc. look great in the countries they come from. I sat around a campfire in Oman in 1974 and watched the fire reflect off copper masks while female eyes peeked out. Our schools and courts depend upon the concept of honesty and openess. How are you to trust when you cannot see the face?

I suppose religion is the justification and freedom of religion the main argument but I think religion is the dumb person's fall back position and besides, it has already caused enough bullshit on our planet. Should be outlawed and spirituality on a personal level take over.

Ahhh the ol' xenophobia strikes again....we're all immigrants here, did the Europeans try to fit into North America First Nations customs? Hmmmmmm?! No, they imposed its own. Like the life style you've become accustomed to? Yeah well, guess what? Those same Euro Immigrants that were our forbears stopped having kids because they were too busy trying to buy a bigger house in the 'burbs...well golly gee we gotta find us some low lifes to do the dredge work so our unsustainable growth model can burst it's puss bubble..

You granddaughters will be pop'n out gray babies soon enough and worshiping Mohamed

My kids got kids from Irish Italians. Fuck Mohammed and the horse he flew on. I was in Arabia for two years and the Arabs I met got nothing, but fucking nothing to do with what the xenophobic press writes. I am not a fucking immigrant. I was born here, so what is Vancouver but us?

[damonberryman]

By the way. I drove for Mcleans and Bonnies and knocked down construction. Spent time in the East Wing of the old Oakalla and I am of and from the city of Van. For many years I loved it more than any person but family. I ate breakfast at the old Fisherman's wharf, went to the Sylvia bar when everyone was a drug dealer. Killed baby pigeons or squabs for the Chink and sold him flounder out of the chuck. Worked for McKenzie Barge and Derick when I was a kid, and got up in the morning to see the sun rise in the East, setting the view from Wall and Kamloops on fire.

Worked cold staorage on Comissioner and lived on the 'corner' with two girls who worked the streets, and used to curl up with heroin and their warm flesh every night while watching over them turning tricks on Granville when the Chick-n-bull was on Davie. No fucking immigrant here sport. I lived it and breathed the wet air of the most wonderful place on the planet.

Weird....maybe, but the city of Van defined me as a man, addict, inmate and every other fucking thing. I had one fucking Paki in my family and he got drunk and beat my Aunt Josie to death with a barbell for her three year old to find. Top it off he was a rat and turned in my old man who was a drug dealer. Fuck immigrants.

[Per]

The good news: Berlusconi did not win!

The bad news: no one else did either...

The left wing coalition led by Bersani got control of the lower house, but the senate is divided between three bigger blocks (Bersani's left wing coalition, Berlusconi's right wing coalition and the new populist five star block led by the comedian Beppe Grillo) and the smaller centrist group led by Monti.

There's been talk about a grand coalition between the left and the right, but that would play right into the hands of Beppe Grillo who says all the established parties are the same, and could lead to him winning by a landslide in the next elections that would be bound to happen soon since the left and the right will be hard pressed to find any issue they agree on. Think Tea Party forming a coalition with the radical left wing of the Democrats....

Next suggestion: Bersani forms a coalition with Monti, and has to hope for Grillo to vote with them on all important issues. Tricky.

A solution that might work is Bersani and Grillo, but Grillo ran on a very anti-politician populist agenda, and sitting down with an established party to form a joint government may ensure that he becomes a one hit wonder who will be quickly forgotten.

Most pundits believe the situation is a complete disaster and that new elections will be held before summer. Meanwhile Italy's situation calls for a strong government willing to adress the problems head on. Well, like that will happen.

[Cookie La Rue]

Don't remember the name but i saw last evening an interview on the news with one of these italian polticians where they mentioned that his former party was named "Kiss My Ass"... (in italian of course)

Fits perfectly, afangulos.

[Uncle dans leg]

The good news: Berlusconi did not win!

The bad news: no one else did either...

The left wing coalition led by Bersani got control of the lower house, but the senate is divided between three bigger blocks (Bersani's left wing coalition, Berlusconi's right wing coalition and the new populist five star block led by the comedian Beppe Grillo) and the smaller centrist group led by Monti.

There's been talk about a grand coalition between the left and the right, but that would play right into the hands of Beppe Grillo who says all the established parties are the same, and could lead to him winning by a landslide in the next elections that would be bound to happen soon since the left and the right will be hard pressed to find any issue they agree on. Think Tea Party forming a coalition with the radical left wing of the Democrats....

Next suggestion: Bersani forms a coalition with Monti, and has to hope for Grillo to vote with them on all important issues. Tricky.

A solution that might work is Bersani and Grillo, but Grillo ran on a very anti-politician populist agenda, and sitting down with an established party to form a joint government may ensure that he becomes a one hit wonder who will be quickly forgotten.

Most pundits believe the situation is a complete disaster and that new elections will be held before summer. Meanwhile Italy's situation calls for a strong government willing to adress the problems head on. Well, like that will happen.

Per, how the hell do you find foreign politics this interesting?!!?!? I mean Blow Job Bill was one thing but keeee-rist...Italian politics??? Maybe you should find the canadian parliament feed highlights on pirate bay

[Per]

The good news: Berlusconi did not win!

The bad news: no one else did either...

The left wing coalition led by Bersani got control of the lower house, but the senate is divided between three bigger blocks (Bersani's left wing coalition, Berlusconi's right wing coalition and the new populist five star block led by the comedian Beppe Grillo) and the smaller centrist group led by Monti.

There's been talk about a grand coalition between the left and the right, but that would play right into the hands of Beppe Grillo who says all the established parties are the same, and could lead to him winning by a landslide in the next elections that would be bound to happen soon since the left and the right will be hard pressed to find any issue they agree on. Think Tea Party forming a coalition with the radical left wing of the Democrats....

Next suggestion: Bersani forms a coalition with Monti, and has to hope for Grillo to vote with them on all important issues. Tricky.

A solution that might work is Bersani and Grillo, but Grillo ran on a very anti-politician populist agenda, and sitting down with an established party to form a joint government may ensure that he becomes a one hit wonder who will be quickly forgotten.

Most pundits believe the situation is a complete disaster and that new elections will be held before summer. Meanwhile Italy's situation calls for a strong government willing to adress the problems head on. Well, like that will happen.

Per, how the hell do you find foreign politics this interesting?!!?!? I mean Blow Job Bill was one thing but keeee-rist...Italian politics??? Maybe you should find the canadian parliament feed highlights on pirate bay

Well... If the Italians do not get their finances in order, that is bad news for the entire Euro-zone, which includes several of Sweden's main export markets, so there's risk of a domino effect that ends up costing us jobs.

Just like US politics have a direct effect on Canadian jobs, politics in the major European countries have an impact on our situation. Now, Italy isn't one of the most important players, but probably the most dysfunctional one, so that creates an interest right there.

[Rumsfeld]

Per gets hard watching cabinet shuffles.

[Topper]

Why the hell did the Germans vote to tie the Deutsche Mark to the Lira?

[Uncle dans leg]

The good news: Berlusconi did not win!

The bad news: no one else did either...

The left wing coalition led by Bersani got control of the lower house, but the senate is divided between three bigger blocks (Bersani's left wing coalition, Berlusconi's right wing coalition and the new populist five star block led by the comedian Beppe Grillo) and the smaller centrist group led by Monti.

There's been talk about a grand coalition between the left and the right, but that would play right into the hands of Beppe Grillo who says all the established parties are the same, and could lead to him winning by a landslide in the next elections that would be bound to happen soon since the left and the right will be hard pressed to find any issue they agree on. Think Tea Party forming a coalition with the radical left wing of the Democrats....

Next suggestion: Bersani forms a coalition with Monti, and has to hope for Grillo to vote with them on all important issues. Tricky.

A solution that might work is Bersani and Grillo, but Grillo ran on a very anti-politician populist agenda, and sitting down with an established party to form a joint government may ensure that he becomes a one hit wonder who will be quickly forgotten.

Most pundits believe the situation is a complete disaster and that new elections will be held before summer. Meanwhile Italy's situation calls for a strong government willing to adress the problems head on. Well, like that will happen.

Per, how the hell do you find foreign politics this interesting?!!?!? I mean Blow Job Bill was one thing but keeee-rist...Italian politics??? Maybe you should find the canadian parliament feed highlights on pirate bay

Well... If the Italians do not get their finances in order, that is bad news for the entire Euro-zone, which includes several of Sweden's main export markets, so there's risk of a domino effect that ends up costing us jobs.

Just like US politics have a direct effect on Canadian jobs, politics in the major European countries have an impact on our situation. Now, Italy isn't one of the most important players, but probably the most dysfunctional one, so that creates an interest right there.

At least you've got Norway...As an oilfield electrician with a Swedish wife, If I could learn either Swedish of Norwegian I'd be working there...government labour regulated 2 weeks in, 4 weeks out schedule and an annual salary starting around 180K USD per year.
Put that in with the affordable real estate you guys enjoy and I could learn to overlook the nasty pizza and muslim issues...

[Per]

At least you've got Norway...As an oilfield electrician with a Swedish wife, If I could learn either Swedish of Norwegian I'd be working there...government labour regulated 2 weeks in, 4 weeks out schedule and an annual salary starting around 180K USD per year.
Put that in with the affordable real estate you guys enjoy and I could learn to overlook the nasty pizza and muslim issues...

You can learn the lingo on the job. Just head over. There are always job openings in Norway.
Nice fiords, beautiful women, great outdoors. And they could really need to improve their hockey skills, so any Canadian influx would be great.

[Per]

The internet's for what, you say?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/fe ... ornography

[Topper]

The Americas may soon be rid of a cancer.

[ukcanuck]

At least you've got Norway...As an oilfield electrician with a Swedish wife, If I could learn either Swedish of Norwegian I'd be working there...government labour regulated 2 weeks in, 4 weeks out schedule and an annual salary starting around 180K USD per year.
Put that in with the affordable real estate you guys enjoy and I could learn to overlook the nasty pizza and muslim issues...

You can learn the lingo on the job. Just head over. There are always job openings in Norway.
Nice fiords, beautiful women, great outdoors. And they could really need to improve their hockey skills, so any Canadian influx would be great.

Which is easier learning Norwegian or Learning to be an electrician?
Electwegian

[damonberryman]

I am currently involved in a Masters Program and the subject is teaching values. WTF are they anyway but a rich society's was of keeping the mass down on the farm? We all talk about the big shots who made it and if anyone thinks we 'make it' in the traditional sense without whoring out values, please speak up.

I am not against values on a personal level but politicians use and break it all the time. Bersculonni (SP?) is a pig because he fucks young women. Why? How many of you want to fuck old women? Politicians run on hypocrisy and absolute values produce Hitlers and Republicans as well as every religious nutjob on the planet.

Why can we not be responsible for ourselves without the political world defing the family, drugs, and every other law? Because the rich wnat to keep what they got. I do not blame so much as recognize this as a truth of some kind.

I love Americans who say Communism lost because it did not work. Bullshit! It lost because every head of state in Europe was Royal at the time and they did all they could to fuck the Soviets. 25 million Russians dies in ww2 and who claims victory? America where royalty comes from crime such as the Kennedys. People being treated the same is at the base of communist thought.

^The Chinese recently imposed a surcharge on carbon. No discussion and no votes. It is for the common good and can you see any Western country doing that and getting away with it?

Values are dependent upon circumstances period. The only value in nature is survive and have babies. We made up the rest of the shit.