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Total Members Voted: 23

[mainiac]

SirQuiamus, actually its partly the case, when you look at sutff like state shelling hundreds of millions to try to bring spaceport within their border and so on.

I dont really play the "markets are efficient" card too much, but introducing market distortions so states can compete with each other like this is generally not ideal.  Subsidies can perhaps correct for problems with finance some of the times but competing to see who can mask market forces the most is not ideal.  In fact that's part of why the Joint Launch Alliance costs are so high compared to Russian or European (which is to say French) rockets.  They parcelled the work out to 45 different states for 45 different subsidies.

[Sheb]

SirQuiamus, actually its partly the case, when you look at sutff like state shelling hundreds of millions to try to bring spaceport within their border and so on.

Anyway, I was browsing the economist to avoid meaningful work, and I stumbled on this snippet about Sheffield signing some kind of deal with the Central government, agreeing to elect a mayor in exchange for some cash. It also mentioned that Manchester signed a deal giving the city control over health-care spending. What the hell is going on, is England turning into a confederation of city-state or what?

The bolded bit sounds rather corrupt to me. Unless theres something wierd about English politics that I'm missing.

Normally, English cities dont directly elect a mayor, but elect councilmen that then rule the city. There has been a push in recent years to directly elect mayors (Such a the B in London). In this case, I didnt mean "elect a specific guy", but "switch to direct elections of mayor".

[Helgoland]

2) I'm pretty sure that USA still has more "social economical" innovation than most of the world's countries. Africa, South America, East Asia...

More than Europe, really. Most new trends regarding ideology, civil rights, economics, etc etc come to Europe from the US. All we have are intellectuals who don't really have an impact on society-wide dialogue. Hell, how many people here have even heard of Habermas?

[mainiac]

Habermas no but the German social welfare model is interesting and gets lots of discussion worldwide.  The German approach to immigration was setting an example even before the Syrian refugee crisis.  Serious philosophers just dont really get too much name recognition.  John Rawls is probably the most influential American philosopher of the 20th century and his name recognition would be nothing compared to Ayn Rand who barely qualifies as a philosopher.

[Loud Whispers]

The red haired ones strike again:

Flame-haired firebrand McKenzie, 47, also warned the museum that having a top and hat and cape hung on a peg in the room would "cause offence to every victim of sexual abuse".
"Not that they'd admit now, but all three were very generous about Jeremy Corbyn and were supporting him. Now he's come into the centre more, they are not so keen."
McKenzie and Nicholl are both members of Class War's Women's Death Brigade who will be leading today's protest.
Mr Walker added: "They wanted the Ripper's sitting room removed and replaced by an exhibition space promoting socialism, anti-capitalism and rallying against the banks.
"That was a daft idea frankly for a Jack the Ripper Museum and we said no."

You know at least when maoists destroyed their own culture they had the excuse of having nothing better to do. Plus, they looked much snazzier whilst doing so. I never did and never will understand why postmodernist cultural marxists are so fond of destroying any semblance of European heritage. I will defend London's kosher killer not in spite of his ugliness, but because of it. Also haha, east london again. From history till contemporary it's always been a bit dodgy. Alas, from my Jamaica roads to Olaf courts the marxists seem fond of making everything look the same. Then on the national level you have that thing where they teach nothing of their own nation's history if only to disparage it, and hilarious do stuff like rebuilding a Prussian palace as a postmodernist museum of African art. And the European Union spends billions of Euros bribing Yuros with their own money in their "regional development" funds to make millions of red haired architects, so many they blot out the sun and tear down all your historical buildings to make way for stone vaginas.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

RUN ORIENTAL MAN, IT HUNGERS FOR YOUR RICH HISTORY

[Sergarr]

you know what's the most hilarious thing about this "cultural marxism" thingie

it's the fact that there's the mirror of this concept here in Russia, about some evil foreign invention designed to destroy the local culture through destruction of "family values" and shit

only it's supposed to be an invention of capitalists to bring down USSR

lel

[SirQuiamus]

*snip*

What's "European heritage" supposed to mean in this context? Jack the Ripper? Post citations to your assertions, m8.

[miljan]

Russia is bombing in syria on one side, on another they are opening one of Europe's largest mosques in moscow.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/one-of-europes-biggest-mosques-to-open-in-moscow/534609.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqQcZwf-i4A

I am actually surprised that there are that many muslim living in moscow (around 2 mil.).

[Loud Whispers]

Spoiler: spoilered for rant (click to show/hide)

you know what's the most hilarious thing about this "cultural marxism" thingie
it's the fact that there's the mirror of this concept here in Russia, about some evil foreign invention designed to destroy the local culture through destruction of "family values" and shit
only it's supposed to be an invention of capitalists to bring down USSR
lel

Two faces same coin lol

*snip*

What's "European heritage" supposed to mean in this context? Jack the Ripper? Post citations to your assertions, m8.

Jack the Ripper is knife deep in East London history m8, also European heritage refers to European heritage, it's a broad label because it will be different for each nation since each nation is so different and the ways in which they are eroded are different. For example, in England the pointless destruction of historical buildings can actually be traced back to before WWI. Then under labour they were pointlessly destroyed to make way for brutalist council flats, then under the tories they were pointlessly destroyed to make way for phallic shards of economic flaunt. I mean, it's hilarious in a pointlessly tragic way, sort of like how English heritage complained that the eye of sauron tower would be a shard piercing the heart of London's historic skyline so they called it the shard. No wait, best example is that the English heritage HQ itself was demolished and replaced with commercial offices LOL
So yeah, English erasure of heritage tends to be for more maximizing space, and the only difference between left wing and right wing architects being in charge is you either end up with concrete or you end up with glass; that idea that utilitarianism trumps all. Sure we get a lot of postmodernists glassing and steeling everything over but there's is a more cynical maximization of space than a yonic endeavour. Then you got some places like Cyprus or the Balkans where a lot of it was destroyed due to strife (I'm excluding the ones destroyed in WWII since that's pretty much all of them).
German one tends to be more out of guilt and psychological trauma of "NEVER AGAIN." Look up City Palace, an old prussian Palace that got destroyed by commies (as in, actual communists in east germany). The Germans have finally got around to rebuilding it, and they intend to have one of the faces of the palace built in the post modern style, the interior in the post modern style and it will house a museum of African and other non-European art. The greatest travesty of all is that they did all this to make it as deliberately unpilkelhauby as possible and they didn't even think to put a cheeky Nandos in it. Seriously, if you're going to go all out at least make it delicious. I can be appeased by cheeky nandos, it is one of my few weaknesses.

In 1976, the East German government oversaw the building of the Palast der Republik, a bronze-glass, steel and concrete block that housed the country’s sham parliament, on the site where the palace stood.

Well now doesn't history repeat itself, ha

Also seriously I don't get it why do artsy people hate gorgeous buildings? Were their parents killed by roman arches or something? Impaled upon baroque spikes? Crushed by limestone and frescos?
This one is more difficult to find people talking about, since it takes decades to notice and most reporters can't spare the time to talk about steady erosion since it's too slow for most to notice. Actually scratch that, it's not most reporters it's most people ;P
Plus I seem to be getting too caught up in architecture, which is a bit of an issue when you're talking online since you kinda need to have lived where it's happening for a long while to truely grasp what's going on. Still, good to vent on it and make jokes. There is no greater example than Mecca; when that city is turning into Dubai 2 electric boogaloo there really is no hope for anyone anywhere :D
Well to be fair, Mecca won me over with the clock tower. I love big bongalongs and I cannot lie.
Also there's always hilarious stuff going on with EU bureaucracy largely because there's so much of it. Throw a dart at their paperwork, you'll hit something that'll be controversial. Cornish pasties is my favourite one.

From now on, only products made in Britain's most south-westerly county will be allowed to be called Cornish pasties. As well as this geographical restriction, products that include carrots and which are crimped on the top – rather than the correct Cornish style of on the side – will be banned from claiming to be the real article.
The ruling, issued by the European Union, puts it in a select group of products including Champagne and Parma Ham, as well as 42 British specialities such Kentish Ale, Melton Mowbray pork pies, Arbroath Smokies and Cornish clotted cream.
The ruling, which was welcomed warmly by the Cornish food industry, has however, caused consternation around the rest of the country. Many food manufacturers which supply supermarkets are not based in Cornwall, while one Cornish Pasty maker in Devon said European bureaucrats could go to hell.
Morrisons supermarket admitted it would have to rename many of its pasties, which were crimped on the top, or which were made outside of Cornwall. Asda, as well as supplying the genuine article, stock a pasty made in Wales on its deli counters around the country. The supermarket said it was working out what it would do.

But especially weird considering the EU keeps trying to standardize labeling to force everyone to stamp EU flags and not your own country's flag on your produce

And channel 4 is revving up that diversity :D
The Western intellectual elite of the elite will protect you from harmful thoughts :^)

Merkel: Iran’s stance on Israel ‘unacceptable’
In highly empathetic interview to Israeli paper to mark 50 years of ties, chancellor cites Germany’s ‘constant responsibility’ for Holocaust, ‘fundamental commitment’ to Israel’s well-being

David Cameron refuses to rule out Brexit, being forced by backbenchers to get an independence referendum by 2016

Euroskeptic propaganda from Deutschland, even more from Greece and more from Britain about Greece.

Iain Duncan Smith claims Germany is ‘petrified’ of a British exit from the EU. The crises of mass migration and Greek debt have hit the European Union like an “an out-of-control bulldozer”, forcing its leaders to rethink David Cameron’s call for fundamental reform, the cabinet’s leading Eurosceptic has said.
Tbh looks like to me the Germans don't really care either way, at least in regards to Britain and not say, France or Greece

In 2015, however, Angela Merkel has already imposed her will upon a continent twice: first by keeping Greece in the eurozone on punishing terms, and second by unilaterally suspending EU protocols to offer haven to hundreds of thousands of refugees. Berlin’s leadership is reluctant no more. The void into which it has stepped reflects many things, from France’s mismanagement of EU expansion to the turn of domestic politics in the UK, which has consigned Britain to the European fringes. As much as anything, though, German pre-eminence reflects the largely successful achievement of 25 years ago. The east remains poorer, and some talk of “the wall in the head”, but the real wall is gone. There is one Germany, and one pre-eminent state in Europe.
I think this article is actually pro-EU, though of a grim disposition

Half of Europe opts out of new GM crop scheme. Bid for exclusion by 14 countries and three regions would make two-thirds of Europe’s population and arable land GM-free. Half of the European Union’s 28 countries and three of its regions have opted out of a new GM crop scheme, in a blow to biotech industry hopes.
Under new EU rules agreed in March, 15 countries have now told Brussels they will send territorial exclusion requests to the big agricultural multinationals including Monsanto, Dow, Syngenta and Pioneer.
Where does everyone here stand on GM crops?

[miauw62]

GM problems are mainly one of Monsanto being almost cartoon-evil, or so I've heard.

[Loud Whispers]

I think that the distinction between GM and GM-free crops is completely frivolous, and that people will eventually get over it. They got over dehydrated food, after all. Preservatives are a bit more of a stickler (it is actual ingestion of questionable chemicals into the body which aren't 100% studied, but we've gotten really good at making sure that it's all safe at this point), but that one's dying down too.
Is it ironic that GM-free foods can frequently wind up being less safe than GM foods because of the pesticides used in GM-free foods versus foods that can be genetically modified to simply resist the pest? Not sure if any company has actually done that though; if not, they should.

GM crops are not genetically engineered to be resistant to pests, they are genetically engineered to be resistant to stronger pesticides that they shouldn't have to spray too much of since it's a strong one and the plants don't mind it

GM problems are mainly one of Monsanto being almost cartoon-evil, or so I've heard.

They're a bit Disney evil from time to time

[Loud Whispers]

I think that the distinction between GM and GM-free crops is completely frivolous, and that people will eventually get over it. They got over dehydrated food, after all. Preservatives are a bit more of a stickler (it is actual ingestion of questionable chemicals into the body which aren't 100% studied, but we've gotten really good at making sure that it's all safe at this point), but that one's dying down too.
Is it ironic that GM-free foods can frequently wind up being less safe than GM foods because of the pesticides used in GM-free foods versus foods that can be genetically modified to simply resist the pest? Not sure if any company has actually done that though; if not, they should.

GM crops are not genetically engineered to be resistant to pests, they are genetically engineered to be resistant to stronger pesticides that they shouldn't have to spray too much of since it's a strong one and the plants don't mind it

Well, I know that generally that is the case. I'm saying that they could genetically engineer a resistance to pest. They just prefer to make money selling both the crop and the pesticide.

No I just don't think you can engineer a crop to be resistant to pests without rendering it inconsumable
If you create a crop that is resistant to pests and requires no pesticide it wipes the floor with its competitors

Also just looked it up, I forgot we live in the future
Pest resistant plants are a thing
Moreover, pest resistant crops are a thing
Moreover, pests resistant to pest resistant crops are also a thing
I'm in favour of bringing it into the European Union, slowly of course, just to make sure that something bad happens that we've missed. All in all things will probably go smoothly, but you don't want to end up with an irreversible effect like herbicide resistant vines.

[Arx]

Pest-resistant GM crops definitely exist; I think they're usually Bt-(crop).

Have a hugely biased source: http://www.genewatch.org/sub-568238

[Arx]

Pest-resistant GM crops definitely exist; I think they're usually Bt-(crop).

Have a hugely biased source: http://www.genewatch.org/sub-568238

[SirQuiamus]

Jack the Ripper is knife deep in East London history m8,

You mean he's some kind of folk hero around there? Gr8!

By the way, did you know that there's some evidence suggesting he might have been a Polish Jew? No wonder the readers of BBC History voted him the Worst Briton in History – he was one of the first Polish Plumbers and a prototypical Cultural Marxist!

*architecture rant* [LW confirmed Prince Charles.]

That's very enlightened of you, but how is that a Cultural Marxist thing if people of every possible political orientation have been eager to demolish old buildings at some point of time? The biggest architectural atrocities in Finland were committed during the 60s and 70s, and they absolutely, positively had nothing to do with culture, Marxism, or indeed any ideology besides cold, hard cash.