A Political Thread

[pagliaccio_euforico]

When did the Japs use Germ warfare?

Second sino-Japanese war

 

[General Melchett]

Is Clinton actually considering running again at the next election?

 

[Da Grappla]

I am writing a project for school and would apreciate some help from y'all... Can war crimes be justified? any ideas?

They are going to be justified if and only if

- they were committed by the winner side
- they supposedly happened so worse things (bigger death tolls, etc) could be prevented


The first thing is a lesson History teaches us...it's a law. It was always like that and always will be

The second thing involves the moral point...It is good or bad saving lives by killing people?

 

[McTallshort]

They are going to be justified if and only if

- they were committed by the winner side
- they supposedly happened so worse things (bigger death tolls, etc) could be prevented


The first thing is a lesson History teaches us...it's a law. It was always like that and always will be

The second thing involves the moral point...It is good or bad saving lives by killing people?

Depends who's side your on

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Thanks all!

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Of course - by winning and getting the write the history books, whilst sitting in judgement over the losers and not yourself.

At risk of Godwinism, but it's an easy and obvious example; lets look at WWII - had Germany won, then gas chambers would have been justifiable and right; had Japan won, then germ warfare would have been justifiable and right; as it was, USA won, so nuclear holocaust was justifiable and right.

More recently, you could look at the second war in Iraq - generally considered an illegal war, and thus a war crime by definition; however, who's going to arrest and try Bush and/or Blair? Saddam on the other hand was dealt with by a few feet of hemp.
Might is Right I'm afraid, and morality be damned - the winner is untouchable, and the loser is screwed anyway.


Morally speaking - absolutely not.

I don't know if Blair is untuchable just because he was the victor. There has been a lot of talk in the UK over his status as a war criminal and a labour government at the next election would probably try and influence an actual trial...

I would also suggest that there is a situation in which you can morally justify War Crimes. Would it be outlandish to suggest that if one could exterminate IS completely (obviously not achievable, but bear with me for a second), the deaths of 500 civilians in the area is justifiable if it saves the lives of thousands that could be killed by IS in the future. A real life scenario that is not a war crime, but still a related moral argument is if you had the oppertunity to shoot down both of the planes that would be involved in 9/11 over the ocean so that it was just those on the planes that died, would you? If civilian casulties in the short term saves lives in the long term, can you justify it?

 

[The Jones Boy]

I am writing a project for school and would apreciate some help from y'all... Can war crimes be justified? any ideas?

War crimes can never be justified.
They can be hidden.
Often the winner will attempt to hide part of their activities lest it portray them in a less than favourable light.
Winners are keen to be seen as 'Liberators' rather than an occupying army of aggression.
Some classic examples of this...
The Roman Empire.
Genghis Khan

The list is long...
Genocide - as practised by the Turks against the Armenians circa 1915 and adopted by the Nazi regime in interwar Germany, Ethnic Cleansing falls under his category as well.
The use of Atomic weapons against another nation.
The use of biological warfare. Japan in Manchuria circa 1936-38.
The use of chemical warfare. Outlawed after widespread use of Mustard and Lewisite gas during the 1st world war. Yet Agent Orange and Napalm were widely used in aerial bombardment of a civilian Vietnamese population by the United States of America as late as the 1970's.
China - for the illegal occupation of Tibet in 1950
Russia - for the illegal occupation of large areas of eastern Ukraine.
The military blockade of another country. Israel is blockading Gaza, even down to limiting the amount of calories that go into the city and medical supplies for the sick.
The use of phosphorus and depleted uranium ammunition. Most recently by Israel against the blockaded city of Gaza.

In modern times it is considered that starting a war needs legal grounds to commence hostilities.
I am in no doubt that Tony Blair is a war criminal for his use of a very dodgy dossier to induce a Parliamentary support vote to go to war in Iraq. This country was hoodwinked.
David Cameron also for Libya, and look what that that led to in Manchester.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Is Clinton actually considering running again at the next election?

Never underestimate the lust for power by those who have tasted it and want to keep it or get it back...

Teresa May found over a billion pounds from the Tory magic money tree to woo the anti-abortionist, climate change denying dinosaurs of the DUP to prop up her chances of staying in power a little longer. Regardless of how little dignity she may have left at the end of the process.
Ken Livingstone is still trying to be Mayor of London etc. Why? I imagine he wants a return to the glory days.
Hillary Clinton is a career politician who craves the ultimate goal of first woman president of America and a return of the corrupt Clinton administration to the chambers of flowing gold. I would be surprised if the democrats would want her to represent them at the next election, She is soiled goods and she got caned by a rank outsider.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Republicans apparently giving up on trumpcare, are now looking to straight up repeal ACA.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Teresa May is putting a state pension beyond the grasp of most folk.
Yet another increase to the age at which pensions will be available.
Soon it will be 70.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Teresa May is putting a state pension beyond the grasp of most folk.
Yet another increase to the age at which pensions will be available.
Soon it will be 70.

People are living longer, many are quite capable of working well into their 60s and beyond. The triple lock is in place and seriously expensive. Where's the money coming from?

Also, thanks to Auto Enrolment, more people are saving into private pensions than ever before. OK, they're not gold plated final salary (which many firms offered, but couldn't actually afford.....). There's also far more flexibility in what you can do with your pension allowing a gradual wind down into retirement etc. It's not all down to the State.

 

[ncurd]

Huge changes are required to the state pension.

The triple lock is supposed to bring it up as the amount you got stagnated for years when in reality it should jsut be in line with inflation. I can't remember when it was originally supposed to stop but it needs to be a proper pension for those who have retired.


However on retirement age
In 1960 the average life expectency was 71
It is now 81
http://www.google.co.uk/publicdata/..._le00_in&idim=country:GBR:USA:JPN&hl=en&dl=en

The closest I can find of when it changed from the original 70 to 65 (60 for women) was 1978 when the life expectancy was 73. So its gone up 8 years in 40 years that indicate life expectency goes up by 1 year roughly every 5 years.
Current plans mean the state pension age only rises by one year everyone in a 16 year birth cycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Pension_(United_Kingdom)#Men_and_women_born_after_5_Dec_1953
This actually works out state pension age incresing by 1 year ever 8 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_State_Pension_age_in_the_United_Kingdom

It really doesn't take a Mathematician to prove how unstable this entire process is over time. Add into the fact the age 66 people have had 9+ years to prepare for it...

So yeah the fact they announced it was potentially shafting people aged 39-44 and younger....sorry we need to be more radical than. Current long term plan have me retiring at 70 (I'm not not even 50% there yet), I fully expect that to be 75 or even higher when I get there. However if current trend carry on instead of living 11 years after retirement on average to 81 it will be 91 so I'll live 21 years after retirement as opposed to the current average of 16. Most 70 year olds now are capable of still working although I accept there is a point my Grandfather was clear not capable of working by his late 70's.

The reality is the only way to do it is 5 years before retirement is take current average life expectency is taken and add a number thats your retirement age.
Nobody will do it because its a massive vote loser and goverment only think in 5 year cycles.

 

[Which Tyler]

Yep, no problem with that at all. People are healthier for longer; and the rise has come later than it really should have done.
The trouble is finding jobs for them, and screwing the young trying to get into the job market in the first place.

 

[Skylinerd1]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2909108/donald-trump-state-visit-uk-2018-theresa-may-sadiq-khan/

Between this thread and the one on planet rugby on Trump I reckon he should just tell you lot to shove it, you fools are a lost cause from what I can see with the outright propaganda in your media and forums . No trade deal with the US. TBF from a brief skim read of this thread you guys havent quite got your heads so far up your ass as per the planet rugby bubblefart one where its fully lodged up there good and proper.

The collusion with russia was by the Clintons, Obama and the likes of Insane McCain on the republican side (good riddance to that warmongering pos aswell).

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2909108/donald-trump-state-visit-uk-2018-theresa-may-sadiq-khan/

Between this thread and the one on planet rugby on Trump I reckon he should just tell you lot to shove it, you fools are a lost cause from what I can see with the outright propaganda in your media and forums . No trade deal with the US. TBF from a brief skim read of this thread you guys havent quite got your heads so far up your ass as per the planet rugby bubblefart one where its fully lodged up there good and proper.

The collusion with russia was by the Clintons, Obama and the likes of Insane McCain on the republican side (good riddance to that warmongering pos aswell).

This makes me so happy.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

However on retirement age
In 1960 the average life expectency was 71
It is now 81

Your average actuary often assumes a lot older than that, often late 80s for men and even into the 90s for women. But the rate of improvement is slowing and may even reverse a bit thanks to today's sedentary, device obsessed lifestyles.

Yep, no problem with that at all. People are healthier for longer; and the rise has come later than it really should have done.
The trouble is finding jobs for them, and screwing the young trying to get into the job market in the first place.

Absolutely.

 

[ncurd]

Your average actuary often assumes a lot older than that, often late 80s for men and even into the 90s for women. But the rate of improvement is slowing and may even reverse a bit thanks to today's sedentary, device obsessed lifestyles.

Those averages were taken from statistics between now and 1960 the reality is it hasn't been slowing at all. If anything it's sped up look at the link I posted. Yes some people live longer buttie point of an average it takes into account those that die younger.

 

[McTallshort]

Poland threatened with Article 7. Is the EU unraveling?

 

[ncurd]

Poland threatened with Article 7. Is the EU unraveling?

Not really how many other EU nations are threatening to remove the independence of their judiciary from the government.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Your average actuary often assumes a lot older than that, often late 80s for men and even into the 90s for women. But the rate of improvement is slowing and may even reverse a bit thanks to today's sedentary, device obsessed lifestyles.

I don't know any tradesmen on the tools after 62.
Usually their knees are knackered.
Then shortly after they stop working, they keel over dead.
It might be desk jockeys who are lasting the distance but anyone doing a physical job is rarely if ever going to last beyond 62 years of age and still be capable of a full weeks work.
Their bodies are knackered.
You get the odd ones who are cash only for a short stint but you just don't see old tradesmen working.