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#1
Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2026
Last post by Valmy - January 19, 2026, 11:41:37 PM
Yeah. Crackpots are no longer fun. Too many people believe them and make them cabinet secretaries.
#2
Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2026
Last post by Razgovory - January 19, 2026, 11:35:18 PM
Quote from: Caliga on January 19, 2026, 11:07:53 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on January 11, 2026, 03:20:22 PM
Quote from: Maladict on January 11, 2026, 12:23:46 PMRIP Erich von Däniken. Finally.
God, I fucking hate that asshole.
Why would you hate him?  Harmless crackpot with fun ideas.
Lots of people believe him.
#3
Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...
Last post by Razgovory - January 19, 2026, 11:34:50 PM
What mobs of government funded thugs are operating in Britain?
#4
Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2026
Last post by Valmy - January 19, 2026, 11:19:33 PM
#5
Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...
Last post by Valmy - January 19, 2026, 11:17:54 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on January 19, 2026, 09:54:44 PMI don't think anyone really cares anymore Sheilbh.

It does take a back seat when we have mobs of government funded thugs taking out other minority groups, taking them into custody, and shipping them off to camps.

I would prefer disorganized groups of protestors not include people of bad intent in their protests. But if actual tax payer funded organized units of law enforcement aren't going to do so, seems a lot to ask a bunch of civilians to manage it.

I certainly hope if this issue ever pops up again over here we will have less on our plate to devote more energy towards it.
#6
Off the Record / Re: US - Greenland Crisis Thre...
Last post by Valmy - January 19, 2026, 11:14:06 PM
"Now either you are stark raving mad or I am!"

Now there is a line that has crossed my mind several times in the last 10 years.
#7
Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2026
Last post by Caliga - January 19, 2026, 11:07:53 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on January 11, 2026, 03:20:22 PM
Quote from: Maladict on January 11, 2026, 12:23:46 PMRIP Erich von Däniken. Finally.
God, I fucking hate that asshole.
Why would you hate him?  Harmless crackpot with fun ideas.
#8
Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...
Last post by Razgovory - January 19, 2026, 09:54:44 PM
Quote from: Sheilbh on January 17, 2026, 07:07:48 PMNot all of what's described in that article is necessarily an issue but this is the point I've had from the start with the protests. If the way you are protesting is being experienced by a minority as threatening, then I think the least you can do is take a beat and think if there are better ways of protest or expression. The protesters and chants and people in this story might not mean to be anti-semitic, there may be no intent there but if the effect is that Jews feel afraid of their own community or city centres - does that lack of intent really matter?

I don't think anyone really cares anymore Sheilbh.
#9
Off the Record / Re: US - Greenland Crisis Thre...
Last post by Razgovory - January 19, 2026, 09:39:05 PM
#10
Off the Record / Re: Syria Disintegrating: Part...
Last post by Sheilbh - January 19, 2026, 09:06:08 PM
A few interesting stories from Syria in the last few months that give the sense of their being a real state-building project going on there. Jolani launched an anti-corruption drive at the end of last year - which started with him shutting down the office his brother had set up and lecturing his family. Then followed up by requesting civil servants (again my understanding is there's not been a huge purge of the state) hand in luxury vehicles or explain how they legitimately acquired that wealth.

Then today it looks like they are advancing in an agreed way into mainly Arab majority SDF territory obviously with Turkish support - this also appears to have been signed off by the White House (never be an American ally, especially if you're Kurdish). The Turkish Foreign Minister has said that they worked through this with the US "map by map" - so it is all planned. Really striking that within 24 hours of entering Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and Hasakah they've launched a program to recruit security personnel, the Ministry of Energy was there to assess power plants etc - so takeover territory, roll-in state functions. Interestingly fairly significant Israeli unease about all this.

The SDF social media accounts have announced a total break with Damascus and called for a general Kurdish uprising (although Charles Lister has noted that without the Arab-majority areas the SDF are basically just back to the core Kurdish militias like the PKK so maybe a bit a bit of a redundant term). There seems to have been a call with Trump today which is striking in itself given everything else. But this probably reflects that the US has okayed taking SDF Arab majority territory but is still pushing back on Kobane and some Druze areas (I assume for fear of, at best, a mess - at worst, a massacre).

Totally separately, but highlighted by the call with Trump, is that the Syrian state has had a re-brand. It's very striking in that they basically have a graphic design website listing the brand story and brand elements of Syria and the "new visual identity of the Syrian Arab Republic" launched at an event with the President: https://syrianidentity.sy/en

It does look smart, for example from last week's read out with Macron:


No idea what all of this means or what to make of it - but it seems interesting.