Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Syt - Today at 01:37:53 PM

Since we need some levity, opening day is not going well for the Pirates and Skenes.

[some]

#2

Off the Record / Re: Iran War?

Last post by OttoVonBismarck - Today at 01:30:22 PM

That's dramatically overstated FWIW, and I'm very bigoted against Protestant evangelicals, so I am not defending them in general. The belief in dispensationalism / rapture, is not universal even among evangelicals--and it has actually declined significantly since the year 2000. (It was basically invented by a random idiot in the 1800s, like most fake evangelical beliefs.)

Further, even among dispensationalists, the belief in the whole "Israel must exist to trigger end times" is itself a view only held by some dispensationalists--so you're talking a subgroup of a subgroup.

A lot of the Christian nationalist / Hegsethian evangelical types are just generally warmongering and hateful as a guiding principle that they equate to their faith. I don't know if Hegseth's brand of stupidity is dispensationalist or not, but there's tons of non-dispensationalist warmongering evangelicals who espouse a "rejection of pacifism", a rejection of Christ's veneration of the meek, and a general hateful attitude to non-Christians.

#3

Off the Record / Re: Facebook Follies of Friend...

Last post by Syt - Today at 01:29:55 PM

#4

Off the Record / Re: Football (Soccer) Thread

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 01:10:26 PM

So this indicates fewer staff and significantly less interest from partners to attend, I suppose.

Thanks.

Not just that.  One of the reasons the cancellation rate was so high in Vancouver is the number of premium tickets that were sold was far lower than expected.  Those premium tickets included hotel accommodation.

#5

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by frunk - Today at 01:08:42 PM

That seems like a perfect win-win for both parties.

The GCC nations get effective defences against Iran that does not rely on American patronage, as well as a possibly a good return on investment.

For Ukraine, they'll be able to increase production for themselves as well and gain an additional source of income.

Makes perfect sense.

I hope it works out well for Ukraine.

I don't see it leading to good things for the US or Israel in the long term.  One of the biggest benefits for Israel of its alliance with the US is the reliance of its strongest nearby neighbors on the same power.  If that's broken many previously stable relationships become unmoored.

#6

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 01:07:02 PM

Just remember he pled guilty.

This is just corruption.

He PLED GUILTY in a case brought under TRUMP's justice department.  They can't even blame Biden for this one.

It's absurd. Being the prevailing party is supposed to be a requirement to recovery.

You are expecting the MAGA crowd to remember that kind of detail, when they don't even remember that they voted for Trump because he promised not to start any wars.

#7

Off the Record / Re: Iran War?

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 01:04:35 PM

Does anyone else have a feeling that Hegseth may have misunderstood the gist of Jesus' teachings?

Of course, he's Evangelical, it's Christianity tailor made for the ignorant and stupid. There's virtually no serious theology in evangelicalism. It is all centered around charismatic imbeciles usually manipulating congregations for money.

I get now why many of that crowd lean Israel and sometimes Judeophile.  They are really wannabe Israelites in Christian costumes. They seem to beeline right to the most genocidy passages in the OT.  They may talk game about WWJD, but what they REALLY want to do is play Ephraimites slaughtering Amalekites.

While I can see why you would make that conclusion, that is not it.  The reason that crowd leans toward supporting the state of Israel is because they believe that for the end times to occur the Temple needs to be rebuilt, and for that to happen Israel needs to exist. 

#8

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Jacob - Today at 12:53:53 PM

Massive investment in Ukraine's missile & missile defense industry. Apparently their technology is good, and obviously real world tested, but they lack capital for production scale up.

That seems like a perfect win-win for both parties.

The GCC nations get effective defences against Iran that does not rely on American patronage, as well as a possibly a good return on investment.

For Ukraine, they'll be able to increase production for themselves as well and gain an additional source of income.

Makes perfect sense.

#9

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Grey Fox - Today at 12:46:43 PM

Zelensky is apparently in Saudi Arabia right now.

In general, I've seen news about Ukraine assisting the GCC states with drone defense especially. I haven't seen any reporting on what the upside is for Ukraine here. I have no doubt that there is one - and good for Ukraine - but what is it?

Massive investment in Ukraine's missile & missile defense industry. Apparently their technology is good, and obviously real world tested, but they lack capital for production scale up.

#10

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Baron von Schtinkenbutt - Today at 12:43:57 PM

The energy crisis has been a boon for Russia.  I suspect this was part of the motivation for the strikes on the Baltic oil and gas terminals a couple days ago.  So, Ukraine has a vested interest in reducing its impact, and they can do so by helping the GCC secure the Strait of Hormuz and their oil and gas facilities.