Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Loud Whispers]

Heard a rumor that Erdogan's son was selling ISIS oil to Israel.

No, Israel buys Kurdish oil.

http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.672599

Source: haaretz
lol no
Btw the source for Israel getting oil from ISIS is Al Araby so it's already suspect and based on unproven claims
Notably the Kurdish regional government denies selling oil to Israel directly or indirectly and say they do not care where the oil goes once they have delivered it to the traders.
An Islamic State representative told Al Araby Al-Jadeed the group did not intend to provide oil to Israel but was not involved in the process once it was sold on.
“To be fair, the [IS] organisation sells oil from caliphate territories but does not aim to sell it to Israel or any other country,” he said. “It produces and sells it via mediators, then companies, who decide whom to sell it to.”
http://www.timesofisrael.com/arab-paper-claims-israel-biggest-buyer-of-islamic-state-oil/
If toi is to be trusted no one knows who they're selling to once it reaches traders and no one knows who they're buying from once they're buying from traders

[smjjames]

Heard a rumor that Erdogan's son was selling ISIS oil to Israel.

No, Israel buys Kurdish oil.

http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.672599

Source: haaretz
lol no
Btw the source for Israel getting oil from ISIS is Al Araby so it's already suspect and based on unproven claims
Notably the Kurdish regional government denies selling oil to Israel directly or indirectly and say they do not care where the oil goes once they have delivered it to the traders.
An Islamic State representative told Al Araby Al-Jadeed the group did not intend to provide oil to Israel but was not involved in the process once it was sold on.
“To be fair, the [IS] organisation sells oil from caliphate territories but does not aim to sell it to Israel or any other country,” he said. “It produces and sells it via mediators, then companies, who decide whom to sell it to.”
http://www.timesofisrael.com/arab-paper-claims-israel-biggest-buyer-of-islamic-state-oil/
If toi is to be trusted no one knows who they're selling to once it reaches traders and no one knows who they're buying from once they're buying from traders

Even if both the Times of Israel and Haaretz and whatever other sources aren't telling the complete truth, it's still completely plausible because we are talking about the black market here and obviously, the black market doesn't have the tracking systems that the regular market does.

It's entirely plausible that through the random trading and hush hush of the black market, some oil will end up in Israel.

[Zangi]

When one buys from the black market.  The last thing you'd probably care about is the source.  Same when ya sell to it, not like ISIS in particular has much of a choice in the matter.

[Vilanat]

Heard a rumor that Erdogan's son was selling ISIS oil to Israel.

No, Israel buys Kurdish oil.

http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.672599

Source: haaretz
lol no

Al Araby

lol 

[misko27]

There is a saying that half of Montenegro is own by Russians. There will probably be some more unrests because of them joining NATO as it happens very often by Montenegro population

Never heard that saying. I've only heard the saying that Montenegro should rejoin Serbia because what the fuck guys. Personally I think it's silly, but the Russian reaction is both obvious and stupid. "By letting Montenegro join NATO, NATO furthers it's encirclement of Russia". No it furthers their encirclement of Serbia, obviously.

I heard ISIS is selling to the Syrian government. That's probably one of the most plausible answers, since A) Assad can't just buy oil from anyone, sanctions galore; and B) ISIS can't sell oil to just anyone, sanctions galore. Organizations that are sanctioned tend to cooperate with organizations that are sanctioned.

[Sergarr]

I've heard that basically anyone on the black market who can buy ISIS oil buys ISIS oil, because they sell it dirt cheap. Kurds buy ISIS oil, Assad buys ISIS oil, Turkey buys ISIS oil. Hell I've once heard that Israel buys ISIS oil. Money doesn't smell, and who wants to miss on this unique business opportunity? With sufficient amount of intermediate suppliers in-between you and ISIS, and you can even claim that you didn't know it was ISIS oil!

[Loud Whispers]

lol 

m8 we agree on that :D

Also lol we have a Syrian surgeon ranting that Indian doctors should go clean toilets because they are too  C H E C K I  B R E C K I  for him to handle the banter

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Almost two years since Maidan won. What changed in Ukraine under Maidan's government?

First and the most important - Maidan's government exists only in Russian propaganda.

Our president was\is a compromise between "Maidan" and "no Maidan" parts of electorate and got a respectable 54% of votes in the first round. He won in every region of Ukraine.

Our parliament is very mixed. All parties that existed before the Maidan were allowed to participate in elections, even Communist Party of Ukraine was banned after they lost at  parliamentary elections. Major players of Maidan far right "Svoboda" and "Right Sector" lost proportional part of elections and got only few seats through majority part A lot of members of Party of Regions got through with rebranded Party of Regions or various new parties or through majority part as no affiliated.

Our Cabinet of Ministers is formed by parliament. One can say that it is formed by Maidan politicans... It is simply not true. It is formed by a mix of Maidan politicians and former anti-Yanukovitch opposition who were\are not angels. Like corrupted as hell Yulia Tymoshenko.

Now... what is achieved in two years. To be honest not that much

1) Real reform in the army. Everything was improved and while we have a long road to go, nowadays we have a much better army.
2) Start of police reform. City after city gets new patrol police. Formed from new young people right from the streets they get few months of training and start patrolling. "Somehow" they do the job better than "professionals with years of experience". Streets are getting safer
In the same time process of re-attestation of current police employee has started.
3) Government procurements is harder to exploit with this open public procurement system - http://prozorro.org/en/
4) We avoided a default. (No Russians, us showing you middle finger with $3 billions loaned by Yanukovitch is not a default)
oh and
5) Half of Ukraine is not occupied by Russia\Russian quasi states as they planned

The bad:

1) Lack of Justice... Corrupted scum that stole millions, people responsible for Maidan crimes, traitors that assisted Russian aggression are free and happy. Judges and persecutors are the same shit as they always were. Reforms in this sphere are more like empty words than any real change.
2) Economy is going down, down, down. It is hard to expect something else during the war but combined with the lack of justice  it causes dissent. A lot of dissent. Ukraine is losing internal stability.

[Ardas]

As sad as it is, Ukraine will never pick itself up as long as Russia exists in some form. The reality is, that despite national desire to exist outside of their sphere of influence, Ukraine is doomed to share its fate with Russia, and have its fate dictated by whomever rules the Kremlin at any point of time.

In an ideal world, Europe as a whole should contain Russia, but the fact is, everyone is driven by realpolitik and thus we are either doomed to deal with foreign influence or home-grown corruption. As Ukraine never experienced itself as a independent state with projection of power beyond its own borders and nascent democracy, it is caught between aggressive East and absent-minded West.

[TheBiggerFish]

PTW.

[Erkki]

As sad as it is, Ukraine will never pick itself up as long as Russia exists in some form. The reality is, that despite national desire to exist outside of their sphere of influence, Ukraine is doomed to share its fate with Russia, and have its fate dictated by whomever rules the Kremlin at any point of time.

In an ideal world, Europe as a whole should contain Russia, but the fact is, everyone is driven by realpolitik and thus we are either doomed to deal with foreign influence or home-grown corruption. As Ukraine never experienced itself as a independent state with projection of power beyond its own borders and nascent democracy, it is caught between aggressive East and absent-minded West.

It'll stop once Russia becomes part of East Europe.

About 300 years from now.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

As sad as it is, Ukraine will never pick itself up as long as Russia exists in some form. The reality is, that despite national desire to exist outside of their sphere of influence, Ukraine is doomed to share its fate with Russia, and have its fate dictated by whomever rules the Kremlin at any point of time.

In an ideal world, Europe as a whole should contain Russia, but the fact is, everyone is driven by realpolitik and thus we are either doomed to deal with foreign influence or home-grown corruption. As Ukraine never experienced itself as a independent state with projection of power beyond its own borders and nascent democracy, it is caught between aggressive East and absent-minded West.

I would agree but Israel managed to become a successful state while being surrounded by enemies. It is very hard but it is not impossible

[martinuzz]

Almost two years since Maidan won. What changed in Ukraine under Maidan's government?

First and the most important - Maidan's government exists only in Russian propaganda.

Our president was\is a compromise between "Maidan" and "no Maidan" parts of electorate and got a respectable 54% of votes in the first round. He won in every region of Ukraine.

Our parliament is very mixed. All parties that existed before the Maidan were allowed to participate in elections, even Communist Party of Ukraine was banned after they lost at  parliamentary elections. Major players of Maidan far right "Svoboda" and "Right Sector" lost proportional part of elections and got only few seats through majority part A lot of members of Party of Regions got through with rebranded Party of Regions or various new parties or through majority part as no affiliated.

Our Cabinet of Ministers is formed by parliament. One can say that it is formed by Maidan politicans... It is simply not true. It is formed by a mix of Maidan politicians and former anti-Yanukovitch opposition who were\are not angels. Like corrupted as hell Yulia Tymoshenko.

Now... what is achieved in two years. To be honest not that much

1) Real reform in the army. Everything was improved and while we have a long road to go, nowadays we have a much better army.
2) Start of police reform. City after city gets new patrol police. Formed from new young people right from the streets they get few months of training and start patrolling. "Somehow" they do the job better than "professionals with years of experience". Streets are getting safer
In the same time process of re-attestation of current police employee has started.
3) Government procurements is harder to exploit with this open public procurement system - http://prozorro.org/en/
4) We avoided a default. (No Russians, us showing you middle finger with $3 billions loaned by Yanukovitch is not a default)
oh and
5) Half of Ukraine is not occupied by Russia\Russian quasi states as they planned

The bad:

1) Lack of Justice... Corrupted scum that stole millions, people responsible for Maidan crimes, traitors that assisted Russian aggression are free and happy. Judges and persecutors are the same shit as they always were. Reforms in this sphere are more like empty words than any real change.
2) Economy is going down, down, down. It is hard to expect something else during the war but combined with the lack of justice  it causes dissent. A lot of dissent. Ukraine is losing internal stability.

Thanks for that update / overview of what's going on in Ukraine politics. It is informative.

[Culise]

As sad as it is, Ukraine will never pick itself up as long as Russia exists in some form. The reality is, that despite national desire to exist outside of their sphere of influence, Ukraine is doomed to share its fate with Russia, and have its fate dictated by whomever rules the Kremlin at any point of time.

In an ideal world, Europe as a whole should contain Russia, but the fact is, everyone is driven by realpolitik and thus we are either doomed to deal with foreign influence or home-grown corruption. As Ukraine never experienced itself as a independent state with projection of power beyond its own borders and nascent democracy, it is caught between aggressive East and absent-minded West.

I don't entirely agree, but I base that mostly on examples like Austria, which formed largely out of legal fiat and, with some speed bumps, did succeed in forming its own national consciousness; Switzerland, Luxembourg, and to a lesser degree even the Netherlands (though this one's obviously far more questionable) may also apply, all of which survived the peak of German nationalism intact.  I think Ukraine can pick itself up even with Russia still in existence, but not so much while it's under siege.  I fear that any freeze of the conflict in the Donbass will arguably be more dangerous to any serious Ukrainian reform than the clean break that occurred with the Crimea or the mere existence of Russia in any way, shape, or form, precisely because of its chilling effects on Ukrainian politics; it provides a very convenient "bloody flag" that can be waved by any corrupt or radical politician that so desires.  Ukraine can coexist with Russia, if both are willing.  The problem isn't that Russia exists, but rather that it is not willing. 

[Descan]

Switzerland was famously neutral for centuries and was the source of famously bad-ass mercenaries, as well as being mountainous as hell. Austria was the seat of Holy Roman power for centuries and could be argued to have been more German than Germany, as well as the source of countless European monarchs and had a web of marriages and dynastic ties extending around the globe. The Netherlands were a colony of Austria by way of Spain until they shook that off, and afterwards had their own empire in the form of the Indonesian colonies, among others. Luxembourg is... Luxembourg. All three of these (Sorry Luxembourg, you're just weird) had their various reasons for being more than just "another, smaller Germany." Ukraine... Doesn't really have that. Sure, there's probable claims that Russian as an ethnicity and empire had roots in Ukraine, but besides that, it's not really famous for being anything except a Russian hinterland and breadbasket, at least not yet. Maybe that'll change in the future; fighting Russia off and forging their own path certainly seems like a way to nation build.

As for "the peak of German nationalism," until the fall of the Third Reich, all of these nations were under the bootheel of Germany. They only escaped being consumed by the Hitlerites by having Germany literally split in half and invaded, the entire apparatus torn down and remade, and having German nationalism be literally outlawed in some cases, and in other cases, socially ostracized.

Which would be a very, VERY dangerous metaphor for the current situation, if you were trying to replace "Germany" and "Germanic nations" with "Russia" and "Russian nations." You know, on account of all the nukes.