Print

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

[martinuzz]

Since Turkey is kind of relevant with their ties to the EU, and I can't recall any thread where it'd be more appropriate:

Turkey has blocked Wikipedia without giving a reason (But apparently they asked Wikipedia to remove content "supporting terror"(which, being Turkey, likely means "The truth")).

What I've heard, Turkey did not ask wikipedia to remove content "supporting terror", they asked wikipedia to remove any of their pages that imply in any way that Turkey supports, or has supported terrorism. When wikipedia denied that, they decided to block all wikipedia pages.
Turks interviewed on the street however say this is not the right way to go about things, and seem convinced the ban will be lifted before too long, when the government realizes this won't work.

I've only been through Schiphol a few times, is the security stuff at the gates a regular thing, or just for people at the airport switching flights? If you know, anyway...

No idea, the last time I used Schiphol must be over 20 years ago. This was back in another reality timeline, before 9/11.
Nowadays, I would fly Schiphol, if only I could afford a train ticket to Amsterdam. It's crazy. A pricefighter airline retour ticket to Barcelona, or Rome, taking off from the airport at my home town, is cheaper than a train retour ticket to Amsterdam. (I've seen retour flights to Barcelona for 35 euros, airport tax included, a retour ticket for the train to Amsterdam is nearly 50 euros, unless you have a membership card. which takes 40% off all prices). Yes, flying 2000km is cheaper than 100km of train ticket.

EDIT: I would go protest against this crime against the environment if I could afford the train ticket to go protest in Amsterdam.
How to stop democratic protests against the government? Simple, make people no longer be able to afford the transportation the the important places of protest.

[smjjames]

Since Turkey is kind of relevant with their ties to the EU, and I can't recall any thread where it'd be more appropriate:

Turkey has blocked Wikipedia without giving a reason (But apparently they asked Wikipedia to remove content "supporting terror"(which, being Turkey, likely means "The truth")).

What I've heard, Turkey did not ask wikipedia to remove content "supporting terror", they asked wikipedia to remove any of their pages that imply in any way that Turkey supports, or has supported terrorism. When wikipedia denied that, they decided to block all wikipedia pages.
Turks interviewed on the street however say this is not the right way to go about things, and seem convinced the ban will be lifted before too long, when the government realizes this won't work.

Given Wikipedias track record, did they really think Wikipedia would actually comply?

In other Europe news, Montenegro has ratified NATO membership and will become a full member in June.

[Sergarr]

In other Europe news, Montenegro has ratified NATO membership and will become a full member in June.

Obviously this means that Russia will start a war in May.

[misko27]

In other Europe news, Montenegro has ratified NATO membership and will become a full member in June.

Obviously this means that Russia will start a war in May.

And do what? Annex Montenegro? Kaliningrad on the Adriatic? Not that annexation would make things much worse, honestly.

[smjjames]

It's also TINY. It joining NATO is more about safety in a group than providing firepower. At least that's how I see it.

[martinuzz]

Next, after wikipedia, Turkey has now banned dating shows on radio and television.

[smjjames]

Next, after wikipedia, Turkey has now banned dating shows on radio and television.

Yeah, something about some of them not meeting conservative Islamic values and the sancity of marriage.

[Sergarr]

Yep, Turkey is going full speed towards a typical pseudo-theocratic Middle Eastern shithole. The backwards rurals have multiplied and radicalized in place, and thus have seized power through force of numbers. No saving it now.

[martinuzz]

Heh, Le Pen, in a desperate attempt to please more voters, has shifted her stance from being against the EU and against the Euro to pro-EU and no longer anti-euro.
"I feel European", she said, and "getting back the French franc is no longer a nescessary condition for my economic policy".

Dayum, that 180. Next, before you know, she'll be denying the holocaust after all.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Fucking what. Did a fragment of 2016 from a burst timeline rewrite part of Le Pen's brain or something? I thought Euroskepticism was among her base issues.

[ChairmanPoo]

Now she's euroskepticism-lite.

[Azzuro]

Wat.

I'll believe it when she renames her party to European Front.

[Arx]

Le Pen spins me right round, baby~

[Digital Hellhound]

Well, it's only fitting, since Macron has decided swing the other way just now. What even are French politics.

[ChairmanPoo]

Edit: like I said, pinch of salt. As it turns out...

The headline is very misleading. Look at the actual quote:

"So I do consider that my mandate, the day after, will be at the same time to reform in depth the European Union and our European project."
Mr Macron added that if he were to allow the EU to continue to function as it was would be a "betrayal".
"And I don't want to do so," he said. "Because the day after, we will have a Frexit or we will have [Ms Le Pen's] National Front (FN) again.""

So he's concerned about Le Pen and similar people gaining momentum if the EU doesnt reform itself.


I... tend to agree, in principle at least. I'm not too fond of the EU because of it's treatment of those in Southern Europe, particularily Greece. However, I also know of many instances where the EU has helped enact fairer labor laws. And I'm concerned that a break orchestrated by the likes of Farage or Le Pen will only lead to adch-conservatism, and a delliberate undermining of the welfare state. I suspect that's part of the plan, even, and I think it should be a major concern, PARTICULARILY if you are in favor of Brexit, because odds are that neocon politicians are planning to use it as an excuse to do exactly this. 

I think those of you in the UK should be particularily militant and watchful for cuts to the NHS (direct or indirect), worker's rights, and research and development. Odds are that they will try to sell those to you as "optimization", "necessary sacrifices", or heaven knows what.

And those of you in Europe should be watchful for the same, in case these calls for reform actually hide "reform into an even shittier EU".  Beware any measure that affects worker's rights, beware calls for austerity, beware the 'two speeds Europe'. Any and all of these can actually hide the same agenda that neocons doubtlessly have for the UK.


 I have this suspicion that what we endured around 2010 was just the drizzle and now the storm is arriving.