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#11

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Barrister - May 15, 2022, 11:06:59 PM

Yeah. Listening to that I would assume probably a Benelux entry. They were starting to change it up form "hot girls will win" which shows such a profound misunderstanding of the competition.

Incidentally hadn't seen it before I assume they re-did it but the new music video for Ukraine's winner is something. They are incredible at propaganda (which I don't mean as perjorative at all):
https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1525768621380755456?s=20&t=O7REBvIV2kLbk3P06ybhEw

I still wish they didn't rap, but I love the chorus and the flute (a very Eurovision sentence ).

Edit: Oh they hadn't released a video before - that's the official video. Filmed in Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel - extraordinary.

Holy fuck.  While I agree I could do without the rapping, and the song itself is mediocre, that video has me literally weeping.

#12

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by Jacob - May 15, 2022, 10:59:21 PM

What points do you have in mind?

Sorry, posted from my phone. Was a pain to bold things... went back and bolded a few things that stood out to me.

#13

Off the Record / Re: The China Thread

Last post by Jacob - May 15, 2022, 10:55:41 PM

Some recent Chinese economy stats:

April data out of China as cities locked down to maintain Covid Zero. All figures are yoy:

Retail sales -11.1%
Industrial output -2.9%
Manufacturing output -4.6%
Electricity output -4.3%
Crude steel output -5.2%
Apparent oil demand -6.7%
YTD home sales -32%

The urban jobless rate rose to 6.1% as well, which is high for China I believe.

The numbers are from Bloomberg (I think - don't have a subscription).

It would suck for the Chinese economy if the housing bubble burst - though maybe it'll encourage the tang ping to re-engage in the economy as they might be able to afford places to live.

A high urban jobless rate probably isn't that good for regime stability either.

Anyways, things aren't looking super hot in China right now and, whatever the structural weaknesses may be there and whatever has happened internationally the Covid Zero lockdowns are having a massive impact.

#14

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by crazy canuck - May 15, 2022, 10:49:22 PM

What points do you have in mind?

#15

Off the Record / Re: The China Thread

Last post by CountDeMoney - May 15, 2022, 09:45:55 PM

Xi has always seemed to me to be reaching for things that the CCP's post-Mao leadership has instinctively avoided: supreme power vested in one man who cannot be held accountable because he makes himself president-for-life; an aggressive foreign policy that seeks to overturn the current world order that has brought China so much prosperity (maybe giving China hegemonic power, but maybe just breaking everything that allows China to succeed); spending money on arms rather than infrastructure; and a cult of personality.

I don't think that the "contented China" of Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao is still in the cards, as the Chinese populace has gotten used to a foreign policy of belligerent arrogance and assertiveness, but I think that it can go back to being a country whose actions (not words) support a world order that doesn't let China claim to be top dog, but does allow China to prosper.

China is today's Imperial Germany and Xi is today's Kaiser Wilhelm II.  The world can successfully deal either of those, but not both together.

Doesn't help when they're going through their pop cultural equivalent of the over-the-top, jingoistic Reagan-era action themes of the 1980s with their "Wolf Warrior" foreign policy.  "Rambo with Chinese characteristics."  Ugh.

#16

Off the Record / Re: Finland, Sweden + NATO

Last post by Razgovory - May 15, 2022, 08:38:17 PM

Also that guy who used to post here.  The one who wanted to fuck a lizardman.  He'd be an invaluable military asset.

#17

Off the Record / Re: Finland, Sweden + NATO

Last post by CountDeMoney - May 15, 2022, 07:50:07 PM

They say no to NATO bases though. Is this allowed or will it be a sticking point?

Bases aren't important at this stage, those can always be negotiated and discussed later. What is important are commitments to getting interoperability off the ground.

#18

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by The Larch - May 15, 2022, 07:42:15 PM

Yeah. Listening to that I would assume probably a Benelux entry.

Yeah, that song is quite "conventional" in terms of what those guys used to make in the past, which was much edgier and also made a heavy emphasis on their Rusian-ness. These guys do have a massive following not just in Russia but all over the former USSR and Eastern Bloc, and I have the impression that they could be whatever form it is that counter-culture in Russia at the moment has taken, even though they've gone on a turn towards the commercial in the last few years.

They were starting to change it up form "hot girls will win" which shows such a profound misunderstanding of the competition.

To be fair, it was not just them using that tactic, plenty of former Eastern Bloc used it over the years, and it's still part of the playbook in general. I mean, we ourselves kinda employed it this year and we got the best result in ages. 

#19

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Sheilbh - May 15, 2022, 06:45:47 PM

Telegraph reporting that Italian police thwarted multiple cyber attacks from Russia-associated hacking groups last night. So bravo Italy.

Also really love Russia's stance that Eurovision is silly and they never cared anyway, while threatening to nuke it and trying to hack it off the air

#20

Off the Record / Re: Finland, Sweden + NATO

Last post by HVC - May 15, 2022, 06:36:35 PM

The second link assumes Sweden and Finland weren't already sharing intel with nato countries. Is that a valid assumption? grumbler?


Edit well I guess it's moot anyway lol