Things Noticeable this week

[Wendigo]

Originally Posted by palo5

Nah, there's nothing worth stealing. Why bother?

We got all the oil, minerals & food we need. And vodka, of course

... but our cathedrals are popular with Russian tourists

I think Mal and myself were on the same page

[palo5]

Originally Posted by Wendigo

I think Mal and myself were on the same page

The same page of the Daily Mail?

But it's true, you have world class cathedrals. Isn't it time you cared for one or two of them?



However, still no point stealing them. It means upsetting irritating people

[Greenman]

Well we can't all have large buildings that look like someone has piped giant colourful meringue swirls onto it can we comrade?

[gedly]

I heard today that Joe Cole is retiring from football. As you know, I'm not a football fan but I am fond of the odd Page 3 girl, so I thought of this.

https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/c...l-7247683.html

[cicciobuki]

Originally Posted by palo5

The same page of the Daily Mail?

But it's true, you have world class cathedrals. Isn't it time you cared for one or two of them?



However, still no point stealing them. It means upsetting irritating people

I love ruins, personally.

[rotobott]

I remember going to visit some cousins in the Ozarks and ended up in Ozyorsk, now that was embarrassing

[palo5]

Originally Posted by rotobott

I remember going to visit some cousins in the Ozarks and ended up in Ozyorsk, now that was embarrassing

Was that after your visit to yet more cousins in Windscale ?

[Brecht]

Originally Posted by bowlinggreen

It's pretty hard for me to imagine a united EU army, given all the European squabbling in relatively recent times past.

They've shown a stubborn unwillingness to foot the military bills even for NATO, leaving the bulk of it to Uncle Sam.

Sooner or later Uncle Sam is going to be unwilling or unable to foot the bill, leaving Western Europe relatively naked with it's motley little assortment of troops and tanks.

If another Stalin pops up in Russia, he might be able to drive west once again without too much resistance, especially if he promises a new era of socialism, which the younger generation is now apparently into.

Maybe it will even happen in time for Palo to ride into Berlin on a tank, though that would be pretty hard on his arthritis.

You're right about the bulk. Only this year, the US has spent $700 billion on its military. Russia spent $66.3 billion. What do you think who's the bigger threat here? France spent $57.8 billion and Germany $44.3 billion.

The $700 billion the US wastes on its military is not an act of benevolence but the funding of its never-ending wars for new markets and ressources, using the NATO as a tool to enforce its own interests on a global scale, resulting in the destabilisation of entire regions by regime change policies, intimidations and economic blockades, when it's not busy invading sovereign nations. American leaders expect everyone else in the NATO to pay for America's wars, regardless of their own interests. One such interest is a reasonable and peaceful relationship with Russia. We're not going to serve as a battlefield for US interests. If the US doesn't want to carry the bulk of costs you've mentioned, why not abolish the NATO?

But then your politicians would have a hard time explaining the absurd military spending to the American tax payer. If European countries spent on their militaries as much as America does, we'd also benefit from the great achievements of American culture like urban decay, run-down roads, underfunded public education, unaffordable healthcare, unaffordable higher education etc.

The current US national debt is about $22 trillion. If the dollar wasn't the world's dominant currency, the US would be broke. This is not going to happen as long as you have the biggest military and the most ruthless secret service which makes it possible for your politicians to extort and threaten the rest of the world. Until this has changed, your government will keep spending bonds and printing new money whenever it wants because its debts are made in the dollar.

Trump wants to pull out of the INF Treaty signed in 1987. This treaty is very important for peace and stability in Europe and beyond. What the US pursuits instead is, to name an example, the weaponisation of space. A Space Preservation Treaty was proposed in 2006 but the US rejected it. This month 189 member states voted for the end of the economic blockade imposed on Cuba by the US. Only the US and Israel voted against. Again...

How long will this insanity last?

[palo5]

Originally Posted by Brecht

You're right about the bulk. Only this year, the US has spent $700 billion on its military. Russia spent $66.3 billion

The US spent much more than that on "defense". Add at least $300 bn that's hidden in "research" etc and doesn't show in the "defense" budget

Btw, Russia gets more bang for the buck. We spend fewer $$$ but get more for it. Even the apartheid Israelis don't want to confront our AA rockets

[Rogerbh]

For those of you who have thought of artificial ways to increase penis size.

http://www.towleroad.com/2018/11/silicone-injections/