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[Owlbread]

I was going to say 'what are the American politicians doing campaigning in the UK?', then I saw that the parties in the UK actually inviting them over. Not sure why you guys actually want us meddling in your politics, but umkay.....

It's all about the Special Relationship - any UK leader that can get support from American leaders adds legitimacy to their campaign and shows they're leadership material and have strong links to the "leaders of the Free World" and the Top Table and all that bollocks. The UK Conservatives really like getting Americans involved in things. Labour love getting the Democrats on their side and the Tories love getting both the Democrats and Republicans on their side. I think if Tony Blair was still around (and Bush for that matter) he'd have Republicans campaigning for Labour.

[smjjames]

Also, a bunch of terrorists were apparently planning an attack on the Vatican, or at least the Vatican was one of their targets. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32447603

When I saw that on CNN, I was like 'Are they TRYING to get the Pope to start a holy war or crusade or something?'

Obviously the pope wouldn't fall for that (he doesn't seem like the type to fall for that), but plenty of people will be pissed to the point of religious furor (of which, I wouldn't be one of them, shocked that they would target the Vatican, yes, but pissed to the point of religious furor? no).

The whole persecution of christians in the middle east (especially ISIS) makes it seem like the region is slipping back many centuries.

I know this would go more in a middle east thread, but seeing that there isn't one and well, we all now how interconnected our world is.

[Zangi]

The whole persecution of christians in the middle east (especially ISIS) makes it seem like the region is slipping back many centuries.

I know this would go more in a middle east thread, but seeing that there isn't one and well, we all now how interconnected our world is.

I don't think its a matter of slipping back... its just that it has never gone that far to begin with.  Cause ya know... history.

[mainiac]

I was going to say 'what are the American politicians doing campaigning in the UK?', then I saw that the parties in the UK actually inviting them over. Not sure why you guys actually want us meddling in your politics, but umkay.....

It's all about the Special Relationship - any UK leader that can get support from American leaders adds legitimacy to their campaign and shows they're leadership material and have strong links to the "leaders of the Free World" and the Top Table and all that bollocks. The UK Conservatives really like getting Americans involved in things. Labour love getting the Democrats on their side and the Tories love getting both the Democrats and Republicans on their side. I think if Tony Blair was still around (and Bush for that matter) he'd have Republicans campaigning for Labour.

That's mildly disturbing.

[scriver]

As terrible as it would have been, I have to admit that on a "what would happen if..?" level I'm very curious about how the Swiss Guard would act. But maybe those guys are just for show these days and not part of the actual papal guard.

[ChairmanPoo]

The whole persecution of christians in the middle east (especially ISIS) makes it seem like the region is slipping back many centuries.

I know this would go more in a middle east thread, but seeing that there isn't one and well, we all now how interconnected our world is.

I don't think its a matter of slipping back... its just that it has never gone that far to begin with.  Cause ya know... history.

Actually.. Saddam was a secular dictator and cracked down on religious fundamentalists and/or jihadists as hard as on... any other group that challenged his authority, really.
This is pretty much why the US supported him up until 1991.

Of course, he achieved this difficult goal through, among other things, mass executions, political repression, and a liberal use of chemical weapons (helpfully provided by the Western block).

The problem with Middle East politics is that it often involves conflicts in which both sides are pretty much horrible.

[Sergarr]

The other problem of Middle East is that it was basically a playground for Empires since they existed, which has ensured the lack of stability in the region for centuries, and as a final "fuck you" they've partitioned the land into states in a really bad way that ensured many religious struggles in the region after the Empires have left the stage of history.

[Owlbread]

That's mildly disturbing.

When Obama made a very uncomfortable and half-hearted statement in support of the UK over Scottish independence, Scottish Labour party figures were absolutely ecstatic. One of them, Jackie Baillie ("third in line to the throne" of leader, as far as I can tell) said something to the effect of "it doesn't matter what all those nationalist activists say, all we have to say now is one word - Obama".

But Blair and the Bush regime were like lips to teeth. They were alike in many ways, with similar ideologies, though perhaps Blair thought more of himself than Bush. I mean, the man thought he was a messiah for god's sake. The current Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy (chief whip during the Iraq War vote and now referred to by many as Poundshop Blair for his Blairite history/views and general incompetence) is still a member of the Henry Jackson Society.

In European news - the SNP are issuing calls in the European Parliament for the EU border control agency FRONTEX to prioritise search and rescue operations for North African (often Libyan) migrants, and for proper funding to be given to search and rescue operations in general. This follows the appalling tragedies that have recently taken place in the Mediterranean where 4000 migrants have drowned since last year. Are any other countries requesting similar measures?

[smjjames]

The other problem of Middle East is that it was basically a playground for Empires since they existed, which has ensured the lack of stability in the region for centuries, and as a final "fuck you" they've partitioned the land into states in a really bad way that ensured many religious struggles in the region after the Empires have left the stage of history.

Not to mention being an invasion corridor for armies invading somewhere since Alexander the Great, probably before his time even.

[Sheb]

Lots of people calling for search and rescue, but it's at best a stop gap measure. A perverse side effect of those operations is that coyote don't even try to get their ship to Europe any more, they're glad to let them sink in the Med and let the European navy pick up their passengers.

As long as we don't fix our immigration policies, we will have people drowning in the Med...

[Zangi]

The whole persecution of christians in the middle east (especially ISIS) makes it seem like the region is slipping back many centuries.

I know this would go more in a middle east thread, but seeing that there isn't one and well, we all now how interconnected our world is.

I don't think its a matter of slipping back... its just that it has never gone that far to begin with.  Cause ya know... history.

Actually.. Saddam was a secular dictator and cracked down on religious fundamentalists and/or jihadists as hard as on... any other group that challenged his authority, really.
This is pretty much why the US supported him up until 1991.

Of course, he achieved this difficult goal through, among other things, mass executions, political repression, and a liberal use of chemical weapons (helpfully provided by the Western block).

The problem with Middle East politics is that it often involves conflicts in which both sides are pretty much horrible.

Just cause a foreign backed dictator is/was secular... it doesn't actually contribute to any sort of 'progress' for anyone. 
Though, you could argue, that losing Saddam is a step back because he isn't around to suppress the problems we see now, despite the fact that nothing was ever done toward fixing the root problem in any shape or form.

The people of the middle east don't really have much to slide back on.

[SirQuiamus]

In European news - the SNP are issuing calls in the European Parliament for the EU border control agency FRONTEX to prioritise search and rescue operations for North African (often Libyan) migrants, and for proper funding to be given to search and rescue operations in general.

SNP gets full points for that.
EU leaders are spewing promises in every direction, but they are very likely to forget them once again, if there's no consistent political pressure from the lower echelons. 

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Empire of Great Britain, a great philanthropist is showing almost overwhelming sympathy for the victims of this tragedy. *gnashing of teeth* 

[Morrigi]

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Empire of Great Britain, a great philanthropist is showing almost overwhelming sympathy for the victims of this tragedy. *gnashing of teeth*

Tabloids are dumb, and so are hate speech laws.

[Vilanat]

Lots of people calling for search and rescue, but it's at best a stop gap measure. A perverse side effect of those operations is that coyote don't even try to get their ship to Europe any more, they're glad to let them sink in the Med and let the European navy pick up their passengers.

As long as we don't fix our immigration policies, we will have people drowning in the Med...

Fix how? just allow everyone to legally immigrate?

[Graknorke]

On the one hand, I want to see tabloids like the Sun burn in a fiery pit, on the other, hate speech shouldn't really be illegal IMO. Yes, frowned upon (heavily), but not downright illegal, because of the whole freedom of speech. Especially with something that can be as nebulous as hate speech.

While people are getting mad about something they don't understand, could someone please explain to me how it is the hate speech is different from incitement?