MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Chagos islands decolonization: stunning defeat for UK in UN assembly
United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly demanded on Wednesday that Britain give up control over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean within six months, dealing a diplomatic blow to Britain and the United States. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesYippee-Ki-Yay, Motherf*ckers...!
May 23rd, 2019 - 07:12 am - Link - Report abuse -3https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EU0zqPGqeYA
“It is therefore difficult to understand the UK's position, unless it is one whereby Mauritius is not considered to be a trusted partner - a position which is deeply offensive to Mauritius, and to every member of the African continent,”
May 23rd, 2019 - 08:03 am - Link - Report abuse +2Sometimes the truth hurts.
Sometimes the truth hurts..., alright...
May 23rd, 2019 - 08:33 am - Link - Report abuse -3Like for example the truth about Engeland never being no trusted party of nobody..., but a haughty, abusive & murderous Colonial Master...
Ask any true blood Highlander..., catlick Paddie..., Non-Pinkish African..., Asian..., Convict or whoever in this planet who has had the “dubious honour” of being under the joke of the Engrish branch of die Häuser von Wettin..., Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha und das Haus Hannover..., renamed lately as Windsor to fool the populace...
But does this ruling have an impact on other UK overseas territories such as the Falklands?
May 23rd, 2019 - 08:37 am - Link - Report abuse +2Falklands – Chagos Ruling (2 pgs): https://www.academia.edu/38498842/Falklands_-_Chagos_Ruling
Ask any true Scotsmen to explain what a fallacy is...
May 23rd, 2019 - 09:26 am - Link - Report abuse +2Boy...
May 23rd, 2019 - 10:56 am - Link - Report abuse -4In me universe..., a true blood Highlander is one born bred and residing in Scotland with..., at least..., both parents in the same situation...
What''s a True Scotsman for you...?
The late Princess Margaret...?
Yeah, I saw you telling Clyde15 he wasn't a 'true' highlander after he dared to disagree with you. Personally, I don't think it's up to me to decide who qualifies.
May 23rd, 2019 - 12:17 pm - Link - Report abuse +4You realise you're not a true blood Scandinavian according to your rule?
Try to read Mr. Clyde15's posts again lad...
May 23rd, 2019 - 07:56 pm - Link - Report abuse -1He defined himself as what he iss...: A Lowlander...
He even mocked the “primitive” Highlanders culture an traditions...
I strongly suspect there is a lot of Campbell blod flowing in his veins...
Accoding to my rule..., I'm not...
So what...?
Alba gu bràth...
No, YOU always called him a lowlander. He said he was born in the highlands and his ancestors were all from there. Anyway, this is pointless; you'll just find a reason to ignore anyone's opinion that doesn't match your own.
May 23rd, 2019 - 09:32 pm - Link - Report abuse +1“So what...?”
You seemed pretty pissed off when I suggested you're not a real European.
Link to Clyde15's comment about his highlander background..., please...
May 23rd, 2019 - 09:57 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Only 'cos you said please:
May 23rd, 2019 - 10:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0https://en.mercopress.com/2017/03/27/pm-theresa-may-travels-to-scotland-to-pledge-for-a-more-united-nation/comments#comment464772
Crushing defeat 116-6 vote.
May 24th, 2019 - 02:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0“ a humiliating defeat for London on its continued colonial legacy”
How's the marine protection plan working out for you now? :-))))))))))
Thanks for the link from 2017..., boy...
May 24th, 2019 - 11:34 am - Link - Report abuse -1I can see that since then..., the Engrish soldier condemned to pauver three years imprisonment for having killed a defenceless, disarmed and wounded enemy..., has surely been freed long ago on the base of “Good Conduct”...
A cheap price for a coward crime...
I can see that since then..., we are very close to get another democratic opportunity to free Scotland from the Engrish yoke...
The best of lucks to you..., wee bonnie ging lass Nicola...
Alba gu bràth...
Now... about Mr. Clyde15..., whom I called and continue to call Sassenach and Lowlander...
I don't doubt his info about his birthplace... but all his opinions and comments in here about Highlanders culture..., values and traditions have been mocking and/or insulting...
In my not all for short life..., I have met droves of types like him...
In Scandinavia they mocked and/or insulted the Sámi and Inuit People...
In the Soviet Union..., the Small Peoples of the North...
In Africa..., the Pigmy and Bushmen Peoples...
In America..., the First Nations...
In Australia..., the Aboriginals...
And so on..., and on...
Soooo..., in my humble opinion..., even if Mr. Clyde15 was born in the Highlands from Highland parents..., his actions and opinions about Highlanders define him as the most Lowlander a Scot can get...
As a matter of fact..., I Think I am being polite by calling him a Lowlander...
Capisce...?
Yeah, I understand. You not only think your opinion is more important than those of the people concerned, but that you, a foreigner, get to decide who even counts as Scottish. I can't think of anything haughtier.
May 24th, 2019 - 01:34 pm - Link - Report abuse +3Where did I EVER try to decide who is SCOTTISH..., laddie...?
May 24th, 2019 - 05:49 pm - Link - Report abuse -2Try to READ what others write..., BEFORE replying...
Anyhow...
As we Scandinavians are on top of any imaginable list in the World...
(Just have a look at them Winter Olympics Medal tallies... :-)
A bit of haughtiness is only human...
Same difference. No random Argie is arbiter of who's a highlander and who's a lowlander.
May 24th, 2019 - 07:35 pm - Link - Report abuse +2And I don't see the appeal. Never did like blonds...
Not the same at all..., and very easy..., even for a random Argie..., to be the arbitrer...
May 24th, 2019 - 11:39 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Them Highlanders are the goodies...
Simples...
And the 'defenceless, disarmed and wounded enemy' was a baddie and deserved to die.
May 24th, 2019 - 11:56 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Simples.
***“And the 'defenceless, disarmed and wounded enemy was a baddie and deserved to die.”***
May 25th, 2019 - 06:07 am - Link - Report abuse -1..., says the Anglo just above...
Nope..., quite the opposite..., according to the GENÈVE CONVENTIONS..., limiting the barbarity of War..., he deserved to live...
ANY other interpretation makes one the baddie...
Simples...
ruth about Engeland never being no trusted party of nobody..., but a haughty, abusive & murderous Colonial
I knew you'd say that. The UK put a guy in jail for breaking the Geneva Conventions, while the Taliban shits on them and celebrates murdering civilians. It's obvious who the bad guys are.
May 25th, 2019 - 08:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0Whereas Highlanders are just people and there's not so much distinction nowadays anyway. It's ironic that the lowlands is the area with much more Scandinavian influence, too...
You are right..., boy...
May 25th, 2019 - 11:13 am - Link - Report abuse -1It's obvious who the bad guys are...
-Anybody saying..., imlying or even Thinking that a defenceless, disarmed and wounded enemy deserves to die...
Simples...
Oh FFS. Thinking isn't the same as doing. You'd say the parents of Breivik's victims are bad people if they believe he deserves to die, even if they would never actually support that sentence? Yet you can't find the time to condemn terrorists who do murder defenceless, disarmed and wounded enemies every day and defenceless, unarmed civilians at night, and pat each other on the back afterwards?
May 25th, 2019 - 01:47 pm - Link - Report abuse +3If you're just trying to get a rise, I think joking about war crimes is shitty thing to do.
The only one I can see here trying to get a cheap rise in hers is you laddie..., with comments like these...:
May 25th, 2019 - 05:59 pm - Link - Report abuse -1..................... ***“And the 'defenceless, disarmed and wounded enemy' was a baddie and deserved to die... Simples.”***
You are not “joking”about war crimes..., you are actively endorsing them..., THAT is a shitty thing to do....
Capisce...?
Don't insist on a ridiculous black and white view of the world if you don't want me pointing out the implications. You should know by now that's not my view.
May 25th, 2019 - 06:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0DT
May 25th, 2019 - 08:08 pm - Link - Report abuse +1(Contn of “VZ general calls on forces....”)
“Hence the support for fascism and similar philosophies””….presume “similar philosophies” includes communism.
“Okay, it's not really a new problem”…ok, but with all the automation in factories, with the possibility of downsizing in offices where less people are required, purely from a point of view of job availability, I doubt the situation will ever return to how it was a few decades ago (more labor intensive, easier to get a job). So from that perspective, you can either resign yourself to the probability that you’re going to survive at the base of the pyramid, or you can make sure you reach the top. But whatever you do, you’ve got to be good at it.
Why consider yrself selfish for striving for a privilege reserved for few (percentage wise) ?
Why the guilt ? You’ll only feel guilty if you’re indoctrinated to think so.
Perhaps one person, being a genius ('n studying), can contribute far more than another, unprepared, who lacks potential but is pushed through the system anyway.
If students stand out but are kept back, ‘waiting for everyone to catch up’, why not separate them, to allow them to explore their full potential ? Hasn't any country already adopted this idea ?
US$ 1,90 per day may solve most of the basic hunger problems here in Brazil, but that is about all. But agree, the line had to be drawn somewhere…it always has to.
“The UK is a lot richer than Brazil, and should be able to do better than it does”…richer, in what sense ? re GDP, yes, ‘n social development without a doubt... but potentially, as far as resources are concerned, no.
Rgding the link (Tory welfare policies), how accurate is it ? asking because sounds that a ‘2 week fact-finding mission’ is hardly long enough to draw such profound conclusions...Do you believe it ?
Stink's stubborness makes him sound a bit like Gollum...afaic, best to steer clear of it...if you can.
“Presume “similar philosophies” includes communism.”
May 25th, 2019 - 09:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Not sure actually. I think the idea of everyone being equal appeals to those at the bottom of the heap, and when communism was invented it wasn't anticipated that it would lead to dictatorships and brutal purges. It *sounds* like a nice idea...
“you can either resign yourself to the probability that you’re going to survive at the base of the pyramid, or you can make sure you reach the top”
That's a bigger problem. You can't throw the majority of people on the scrapheap and expect society to survive unscathed. I suspect this change is exactly why populism is on the rise in Europe and America.
Re separating students, I'm sure many countries do, but in the UK we have league tables and schools are ranked based on how many passed, not how many got the highest grades. So that is where they put their effort. Besides that it's considered elitist to separate out the good students. Ideally everyone would learn at their own pace, but I don't know how that could be possible. Not sure what you think I feel guilty about?
“richer, in what sense ?”
GDP per capita, also in accumulated investment like roads, bridges, ports, schools, etc that still need to be constructed in Brazil. Brazil's large size is a disadvantage in those areas. Resources are another matter, there's not much oil left and Thatcher closed the coal mines. Still, those can be a double-edged sword.
Re Tory welfare policies, the guy did research before visiting, so it wasn't just 2 weeks. I've heard many bad things, but have no personal experience; it's a long time since I was on the dole. One thing I can say with certainty is that crime has leapt higher, which is *not* a good sign.
Mr. DemonTree...
May 25th, 2019 - 09:50 pm - Link - Report abuse -1I insist on my logical black and white view on the life and dead question..., which impications are quite simply..., binary...
Besides... If something is not your view..., don't write it as if it was..., unless you just are trying to get a rise...
01000011 01100001 01110000 01101001 01110011 01100011 01100101 ...?
I was talking about your illogical black and white view on 'good guys' and 'bad guys', which as far as I can tell is Britain = bad guys, anyone opposing Britain (no matter how evil) = good guys.
May 25th, 2019 - 10:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0But I suppose JB is right and I shouldn't have replied. More fool me for thinking you weren't so bad.
01001110 01101111
UN? Bunch of third rate crooks and weak kneed former colonies with a chip on their shoulders. Best ignored....
May 26th, 2019 - 09:30 am - Link - Report abuse 0DT
May 27th, 2019 - 07:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“I think the idea of everyone being equal appeals to those at the bottom of the heap”...couldn't agree more...and it's that distorted view that politicians use to fool most....how are people going to end up 'equals' if no two people are the same ? unless the system forces it on them. What abt ambition ?
“You can't throw the majority of people on the scrapheap and expect society to survive unscathed.” By no means should that be govt policy (far from it), but it's what happens in reality...even in Europe. There at least, the 'have-nots' aren't as destitute as ours. And likely to be less radical.
“I suspect this change is exactly why populism is on the rise in Europe and America”
Would I be right by saying you ''suspect“ the cause of populism being 'on the rise' in EU & USA, is because of what you interpret as ”rightist“ populism ? which would imply that you think 'leftist' populism has worked ? In South/Central America it definitely has not. Populism is bad enough on its own, but when it comes accompanied by ideology, even worse.
Re education : ”in the UK we have league tables and schools are ranked based on how many passed, not how many got the highest grades“ ....which justifies investing in what gives the best results. As far as considering separating the best students as 'elitist, why not ask them whether they think it's fair to be held back ? and why would those do the 'holding back' even care ? Afaic, just looking for 'hair on eggs'.
”Not sure what you think I feel guilty about?“ Didn't you say something to the effect that you'd feel selfish if you had earned a scholarship, i.e., a ”privilege“, or something like that ? I think it'd be irrational to feel guilty.
”Richer”....yes, in GDP, functioning infrastructure etc...that's what I said.
Well, I can't argue abt the Tory welfare policies because I don't even know what they are...it just sounded strange to me that he concluded all that after a couple if weeks....but ok.
“how are people going to end up 'equals' if no two people are the same ?”
May 27th, 2019 - 08:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A hundred years ago when communism was popular, there wasn't much chance for someone born at the bottom to rise up in society. So people turned to the government to improve their lives. I think the reason communism never became very popular in the US was because of the greater social mobility there.
Re left vs right populism, the latter is very much more common in Europe right now, probably due to history and circumstances: within my lifetime there were actual, honest-to-god communist governments in Europe, and no one is eager to try anything similar again. Whereas fascism was defeated in 1945, and all the people who remembered just how great it wasn't are dead. My objection to populism isn't so much whether it works - that depends on the individual policies and leaders - but the damage to democracy and institutions, and the danger of creating a scapegoat for problems. (Immigrants and/or some other minority for the right, the 'elite' for the left.) But until we address the root cause, it's just going to get worse.
Of course it's not fair to hold students back, but I didn't mean to suggest they were doing it deliberately; the teacher must go at a pace where the majority of the class can keep up. I think most schools do separate students on ability, so lessons wouldn't be quite so absurd as in mine.
Re feeling selfish, not for earning a scholarship, but for voting for something just for my own benefit instead of the good of the country. Voting to help yourself at the expense of others is selfish by definition. (Just look at the Brazilian politicians.)
Tory welfare policies:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41487126
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46635929
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48038833
Bonus cuts to health and social care that lead to 120,000 extra deaths:
www.independent.co.uk/news/health/tory-austerity-deaths-study-report-people-die-social-care-government-policy-a8057306.html
DT
May 29th, 2019 - 03:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“100 years ago when communism was popular, there wasn't much chance for someone born at the bottom to rise up in society”. Only partially true; it was NEVER “popular”, but “imposed” by force ; being smart, 'n yr neighbor stupid, meant nothing - you'd still be treated the same. Ambition would only work in politics. The commie govts had no intention of improving people's lives, rather, just treat them like State slaves, because the end justified the means (the State).
During the cold war, with the high standard of living in the US, who in hell would favour communism ?
“populism isn't so much whether it works - that depends on the individual policies 'n leaders”...I was getting there : populism can mean being generous to the population (rgdng good public services) because the country can afford it....OR it can be promising the impossible to get elected/ stay in power (more likely in under-developed countries).
The idea of treating different students differently (allowing the 'geniuses' to get ahead) makes sense, but in no way was I suggesting to prejudice the 'slower' ones. And again, provided the system is advanced enough 'n can afford it.
I never argued 'voting' in favor of scholarships because you thought or knew you'd be benefited, simply defended taking advantage of what the system offers to those who deserve it.
But as you mentioned it, yes... “voting to help one's self” is exactly what our Congress does.
Ok, comparatively speaking, the situation was better before some of the Tories welfare policies....but why were they adopted ? just because it soundes nice, or because it was inevitable (revenue-wise) ? Even so, what the study suggests - 120,000 deaths due to them - is still a fraction of those who die here, due to corruption/ bad spending.
An “indirect” benefit of the reform (pension) is that it will prevent people retiring too early (40s /50s), 'n then joining the informal mkt....the pension would complement a salary, w/o the latter being taxed.
“The commie govts had no intention of improving people's lives”
May 29th, 2019 - 07:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0My impression is that the original revolutionaries - Lenin, Trotsky etc - did believe in their cause and wanted to improve people's lives. Later leaders like Stalin, not so much. I think there were a reasonable number of ordinary people who supported it in Europe before WWII, and during the cold war it had appeal as an anti-colonial force in places like Vietnam. What good did a high standard of living in the US do them? In Latin America, too, many people felt the high US standard of living was supported on their backs. Resources and profits flowed out of the country, leaving little to show for it.
In any case, whatever philosophy a leader starts out following, staying in power too often becomes their overriding aim.
Re populism, if a populist leader is realistic and competent, the economy can do well. Morales has improved the economy in dirt-poor Bolivia during his tenure. Uruguay also seems to have avoided the worst problems of its bigger neighbours. Maduro, on the other hand, is incompetent as well as populist. As I said, my objection is to the other consequences, and especially the one I mentioned just above.
No country has unlimited resources for education so there are always going to be some trade offs. There's an argument for concentrating on getting kids to a minimum standard so they can participate in (an increasingly complex) society. But we also need to nurture the most talented. I wasn't suggesting you supported voting out of self-interest, just explaining what I meant. Who knows if that sort of scholarship would be a good use of money or not.
As for the Tory cuts, they were convinced harsh austerity was necessary, and their specific policies reflected their philosophy (poor and sick not a priority). It's a long term trend that investment in the NHS is higher under Labour governments, it's not solely due to the state of the economy.
DT
May 30th, 2019 - 05:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I'm sure Lenin, Trotsky & Co believed their cause was good...but turned out that it wasn't.
“I think there were a reasonable number of ordinary people who supported it in Europe before WWII”....probably yes, without ever having been subjected to it, 'n believing it would make everyone equal...and probably right too, all poor.
“..during the cold war it had appeal as an anti-colonial force in places like Vietnam”....again, an idea planted in their heads it would solve all problems. Did it ?
“What good did a high standard of living in the US do them?” (???) if you don't know, I ain't telling you. That things got derailed in more recent years, ok, but sounds like you're defending communism...“beware what you wish for - you might just get it”.
“...whatever philosophy a leader starts out following, staying in power too often becomes their overriding aim”... Correct...but is it good ?
Morales is an exception...he is lucky he has gas & lithium.....like VZ was with oil...but depending on so few revenue earners can be disastrous. The best thing is still the alternation of power ('n not just for appearance's sake, nor absolute).
“No country has unlimited resources for education”...or for anything else really, except in some country called Utopia. Most things boil down to priorities , 'trade-offs'.
“nurture the most talented”....yes, makes sense doesn' t it ?
“Who knows if that sort of scholarship would be a good use of money or not”...experience should show where money is best spent, where it gives the best results, 'n productivity.
Austerity, for the sake of austerity, is rarely a good idea - (neither is the other extreme), but when you see a storm brewing on the horizon, you put some money away for a rainy day - 'n when the problem is lack of money, it becomes a matter of allocating scarce resources as best possible. If Labour tends to prioritize the NHS, great, provided the money's available...o'wise can reduce investment in higher education, eh ? (LOL)
“What good did a high standard of living in the US do them?”
May 30th, 2019 - 07:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0What I mean is, what good did a high stand of living in the US do for people in Vietnam, or Brazil for that matter? Vietnamese were already poor, their government was corrupt; to them the US was trying to keep things that way, and communists offered to help them. If instead of fighting communism with guns, the US had helped countries develop, things might have been much different.
As for solving all problems, India is democratic and capitalist, and it is developing, but still has plenty of problems. There's no magic bullet.
“he is lucky he has gas & lithium.....like VZ was with oil”
Yes, like Chile with copper, and Brazil with its many natural resources, and... does Uruguay have anything? Resources don't guarantee development, the profits have to be invested wisely.
Agree about alternation of power. That's why I think it's a good thing Macri was elected in Argentina, even though he hasn't exactly improved the economy... Hopefully CFK has learned something and they won't bring back the blue dollar and rigged statistics.
““nurture the most talented”....yes, makes sense doesn' t it ?”
Yes, but I can't help thinking that in Brazil a minimum standard might be more important, when so many people are only qualified for menial jobs and can be easily fooled by politicians.
”o'wise can reduce investment in higher education, eh ? (LOL)”
You laugh, but that's exactly what happened. It was the last Labour government who brought in tuition fees while aiming to drastically increase the number in higher education. The latest news is that the government plan to lower them, but it's bad news for students because they also want to make them pay back more, and for a longer time.
As for austerity, I'm sure you'd have agreed with them on the need. But the results have been pretty discouraging, and many of them exactly what opponents predicted.
DT
May 31st, 2019 - 04:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“...what good did a high stand of living in the US do for people in Vietnam, or Brazil for that matter?”...well, now we are talking of two totally different realities...to keep it short, the problem in Vietnam was the communists (compare it to S. Korean); In Brazil, a country accustomed to “d'you know who you are talking to ? ”, traditionally dishonest, corrupt politicians, and a largely uneducated population....there's so much crap going on here, don't know what will ever manage to change it. It might improve a bit, but will then stumble...that's Brazil, look at it's history. Has everything going for ir, except the people.
I know there is no silver bullet...every country has it's own problems 'n the solution in one won't necessarily work in another. No use comparing.
“Resources don't guarantee development, the profits have to be invested wisely.”...Isn't that what I've been implying ALL along ?? If governments aren't serious, are corrupt, the people can't see through the shit, how do things improve, in a sustainable fashion ?
RE CFK, she'll probably get in, but if she refuses to admit to her previous mistakes, who guarantees she won't resort to the same policies again ?
“nurture the most talented”...most people in the lower classes, IF they do go to school, usually drop out even before finishing fundamental (minimum standard) schooling...agree it's a kind of vicious circle, but the trend has to be broken....students need to take the opportunity of studying more seriously. O'wise they'll keep on electing the worst politicians and suffer the consequences.
”...reduce investment in higher education, eh ? (LOL)”. Was joking !!!!!!! ....Now, I'm not : think should hand out sholarships to those who really want them, and deserve them...but I also think that the base needs to be built up, and as they work towards the top of the pyramid, natural selection will take care of the rest.
I rpt, austerity, just for the sake of it, isn't 'necessarily' a good idea
”the problem in Vietnam was the communists (compare it to S. Korean)“
May 31st, 2019 - 06:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I'd say the problem in Vietnam was the French. After WWII the Vietnamese wanted independence, but France wasn't ready to give up Indochina. I'm not sure just how communist the Viet Minh were initially, but accepting help from the CCP sealed the deal and put them firmly on America's shit list. After France quit fighting, the US took over.
As for Brazil, sounds like inequality is the big problem. The large uneducated population want to improve their lives, but don't know how to achieve it, or lack the power. Meanwhile the elite are only interested in their own privileges.
”every country has it's own problems 'n the solution in one won't necessarily work in another. No use comparing.“
That rather suggests copying the US brand of capitalism might not be the best way forward for developing countries. Someone else might well think a version of socialism would work better, no?
”Isn't that what I've been implying ALL along ??”
Yes, but then why attribute Bolivia's current growth to its resources rather than Morale's presumable good management of them?
As for CFK, she's not actually going to be president. Depends if Alberto Fernandez intends to be his own man and make his own decisions or not. And if she has any sense, she knows which of her policies lost the last election for her party and won't repeat them.
Re basic education, studies show the BF is helping kids stay in school longer, so it should be a bit better in future. If they see the benefit of more education, it might become a virtuous cycle, but does completing the basic education help much when getting a job?
The austerity wasn't for the sake of it, it was due to ballooning debt after 2007. Trouble is it promptly put the economy back into recession, and nine painful years later the debt to GDP ratio is still rising. Whereas Portugal was one of the few to abandon austerity, and they've been reducing their debt since 2016.
DT
Jun 01st, 2019 - 04:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If you're going to blame the French, might as well blame every colonial power for what happened in those countries after they left....but in Vietnam's case, believe the USSR/China played bigger roles in the cause of war than the French...which, imo, is more significant than the consequences...anyway, how many colonial powers left totally voluntarily, without some kind of pressure to do so ?
Agree, in a nutshell, inequality is just about the biggest problem here, which manifests itself in many ugly ways. When you say the “elite” are responsible, I presume you mean those who hold 'official' power, and don't bother using it as they should, because it suits them, i.e., politicians in general.
Am not suggesting the US brand of capitalism suits every country....each one has its own, particular problems, which require specific solutions...but whatever they are, they should respect individual freedom (restricted only by 'fair' laws), a free-market, 'small' govt, one that doesn't burden the people or legislate in its own favor, in other words, no political oligarchies or politicians living like kings while the population is screwed.
Wasn't implying Morales wasn't managing his assets well....just saying he is lucky to have something to manage...but even then, to depend on only that, is risky.
I know CFK is only VP'l candidate, but she'll be dealing the cards...much like Lula when
Dilma was president. “If she has any sense”.....“If ifs 'n ands were pots and pans...”.
To see LatAm populations ('n govts) learn from their mistakes, is pretty rare.
The BF is positive but far from the end-all solution....it needs to be administered in a rational manner, with clear objectives, other than being used politically. But the attitude of those receiving it has a lot to do with their own improvement.
We MOL agree higher education is not a silver bullet...professionalizing courses, where kids graduate from at 18 /19, might be more productive.
Is austerity not needed in BZL ?
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