Miscellaneous News

Thecore

Junior Member
Registered Member

AssassinsMace

Lieutenant General
What China should be doing is putting on blast that everything about Trump and what he's doing is not the democracy that the US is selling to the world. Look at how the Democrats are just letting Trump getaway with everything and especially domestically in the US. The Democrats are showing no leadership in their very own principles they hide behind to thumb their nose to the world they lecture and all they're doing is expressing lip-service. In the democratic utopia they promote there should be checks and balances to someone like Trump but there are none showing that the righteous America leading the world to freedom is just a bunch of bull and just a trick to put countries like their very allies into a bind where they can do nothing if someone like him comes to power.

The Democrats and Europeans are more angry at China because it is in a position to defy someone like Trump and punish the US if necessary because it didn't fall in line with the West as they demand. Yeah they exercise checks and balances... on everyone else but not themselves. They're angry at China because it can get things done where their democratic bureaucracy throws road blocks ahead. Every time a Western politician attacks China, it's because they're hiding their own failure to get anything done for their own people. And why they can't is because the West is inherently corrupt. They just made it legal so it's not criminal.

The reason why everything costs more in the West is because their economic system demands outside entities to profit from someone's success. They have to share the wealth with other rich people. That's what they were trying to do to China attempting to brainwash that like with advanced semiconductor production that no one country can do it alone. No, that's so everyone that wants a piece of pie gets rich. The West doesn't have vertical supply chains where everything is done in-house. The Western system involves contracting others as a part of production. And what does that mean? It means all the others involved demand a profit of their own. The standard is 50% meaning it adds to the cost to everything every step of the way. If it were all in-house, all that added need for profit for others would be gone and thus the price would be cheaper. And what more tell you it was a lie that no one can go at it alone? The US wants no dependency on foreign entities in their semiconductor supple chain. That's why the West hates China because like they charge China is going against the Western world order where they can't also make money from Chinese successes. Why do you think Canada is looking to get into China's EV supply chain that doesn't need them so they can make money from not adding anything. The Democrats are trying to separate themselves from what Trump and the Republicans are doing. No, they are part of it because they are not doing anything to stop him that a democratic society that believes in rights is suppose to uphold.
 

Racek49

Junior Member
Registered Member
Saudi had defeated Argentina in previous FIFA with local players. 7 Arab teams qualify for FIFA.
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Football has always been very popular in Arab countries and the boys play football wherever they can. Many players from these countries play in the first league in Italy, France, Spain and elsewhere. For example, Gaddafi's son played in the Italian league. Sure, the Saudis bought a number of players from other Arab countries, but football is also played in amateur and fun ways in their countries, so there is plenty of talent to draw from. And Africa is also on the rise. All you need to play football is a ball and you can play with any number of people. Maybe even without a goalkeeper... When we were young, we used to make goals out of school bags on the ground. :)
 

pmc

Colonel
Registered Member
China's life expectancy is not uniform either. For example, Shanghai's life expectancy rivals developed (OECD) countries. Notice that the combined population of China's large cities are often equivalent to European countries. See table below:
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This time you have to use but at what cost. health care system is the most important reason for Europe decline.
Healthy life expectancy between East and West Europe is much narrower even though east has lost alot of health care professionals.
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In the EU, the number of healthy life years at birth in 2023 was 63.3 years for women and 62.8 years for men. This represented approximately 3 quarters (75.4%) and 4 fifths (79.8%) of the total life expectancy for women and men, respectively.


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siegecrossbow

Field Marshall
Staff member
Super Moderator
Lol @ the header graphic on this guy's twitter profile. His info-graphic map thing makes India look huge probably because it's based on total population only. The only metric that can make India look impressive on a map.

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I don’t think they understand that China collapsing will stop a majority of their country from looking like the Mojave Wasteland…
 

Chevalier

Major
Registered Member
The obvious and only conclusions that could be drawn at this point is that these extrajudicial executions are effectively policy.

The swiftness and consistency of things going from nothing to execution is impossible for anyone targeted to have any realistic chance to de-escalate once you are targeted. One second you are recording and talking, the next you are dogpiled, pistol whipped from all angles and pumped full of bullets within seconds.

With RoE like this, deaths are inevitable. And with the administration making zero efforts to rein in this behaviour when they could have easily gone with the standardised ‘bad apples’ excuse means that this behaviour is at a minimum condemned, if not outright encouraged.

That tracks with the broader purpose of ICE as Trump and MAGA’s personal paramilitary enforcers.

The goals of so blatantly using ICE in such a way is multifaceted.

Firstly, it is meant to intimidate and set examples to cow the masses. Behave, fall in line or we unleash the ICEtapo on you and turn your neighbourhood into legal kill zones where ICE can execute anyone who they don’t like the look of at any time with impunity. With an environment like that, it’s easier to keep your head down and look the other way.

Secondly, it secures the loyalty of ICE through such open displays of patronage by Trump, as well as through complicity in his crimes. It’s not so easy to turn your back on Trump and walk away if there is a real risk you will be hauled in front of a court alongside him.

One of the worst things, and the most likely thing that the democrats will do as things like this keep happening is make a big song and dance about holding ICE agents personally responsible for their actions by stripping them of their professional immunity. That will fire up their base, but it will also cement ICE’s loyalty to Trump.

I do not personally think a new American Civil War is imminent for many reasons. But Trump and his cliche are absolutely laying the foundations for seizing power and ending democracy, just so long as Trump can hold his nerve and doesn’t TACO at the last, which is also a real possibility. And with them in control of the national security apparatus, it’s far more likely that they will be able to isolate and eliminate all domestic opponents capable of putting up a serious challenge to their take over that no one will be able to organise enough of an opposition for it be come close to being a civil war. It will be one giant series of purges and lethal SWAT raids and ‘accidents’.

The only realistic scenario where things does escalate to Civil War is if there is a foreign state level actor willing and able to foster the opposition into open rebellion and provide enough material support that this opposition survives long enough to attract enough followers to achieve critical mass instead of being crushed after the first battle.

Ironically, the EU/NATO is actually the only viable entity able to act as this foreign support. Russia and China might have the material means and the will to support such a rebellion, but most Americans are too thoroughly trained to view both as the enemy for any movement openly supported by them to achieve grassroots acceptance. A American government in exile in Europe would be far more attractive to far more ordinary Americans. This may by the reason why Trump is so hell bent on undermining and even dismantling NATO.
Don’t forget that there exists in the American right wing, a Christian neofascist eschatology of UN backed foreign soldiers invading and controlling the U.S. under a New World Order. Such conspiracy theories have been popular in the American right since the days of George HW Bush and his new world order speech. So whilst the American people are too cowardly to rise up, they have been indoctrinated into this myth of resisting invaders, for the benefit of their feudal overlords.

Secondly, it’s possible that the insurrection act becomes this century’s Enabling Act for their desired Project 2025. Trump is past the point of no return, all of his regime ppl are US elite exiles like RFK and outsiders like Miller and Vance. He’s looking at ruin and prison if he loses power, really the only state that would grant him asylum is Israel.
The way I see it, just as how the 2 World Wars destroyed the power system constructed from the Napoleonic Wars, the next World War will end the western system no less clearly, the underlying driving logic of western imperialism will see to that.
whatever replaces the UN, India better not get a permanent veto. every organisation they’ve been a part of dies, be it SCO or AUKUS.
The Democrats and Europeans are more angry at China because it is in a position to defy someone like Trump and punish the US if necessary because it didn't fall in line with the West as they demand. Yeah they exercise checks and balances... on everyone else but not themselves. They're angry at China because it can get things done where their democratic bureaucracy throws road blocks ahead. Every time a Western politician attacks China, it's because they're hiding their own failure to get anything done for their own people. And why they can't is because the West is inherently corrupt. They just made it legal so it's not criminal.
For a certain type of westerner, the ability to preach to China and act like a moral vanguard is all they have. With China surpassing the entire west in governance, quality of life as well as freedom and technology, China has deprived these western narcissists of what they desire most. It’s like discovering the art hoe who comes from privilege is actually anti Asian because Asians threaten her sense of moral superiority.


exactly what we discussed earlier, there are ways around USMCA.
 

FriedButter

Brigadier
Registered Member
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Saudi Arabia to scale back Neom megaproject​

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s flagship project Neom is set to be significantly downscaled and redesigned as a review of the massive development nears completion after years of delays and budget overruns.

People briefed on the matter said Prince Mohammed, Neom’s chair, now envisages something “far smaller”, a sign that Riyadh acknowledges the failings in its original highly ambitious concept, the communications around it and the initial phase of construction.

The development stretches along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast and covers an area roughly the size of Belgium.

The Line, a futuristic linear city that is the giga-project’s centrepiece, is to be radically scaled back. Neom could now become a hub for data centres as part of Prince Mohammed’s aggressive push for the kingdom to become a leading AI player, the people said.

The changes come as Riyadh seeks to manage its finances as it grapples with tightening liquidity after a decade of massive spending and with oil prices subdued. It also still has hard deadlines to meet in costly preparations to host the Expo international trade fair in 2030 and the football World Cup in 2034.

Since its initial launch, Neom has drawn widespread scepticism inside and outside the kingdom. But people briefed on the matter argued the planned changes illustrated a willingness within government to adapt to realities as it takes stock of its plans.

“It shows that the system has a capacity to adjust its goals,” said one of the people.

The year-long review is expected to conclude by the end of the first quarter of this year or shortly after.

Neom said in a statement to the FT it was “always looking at how to phase and prioritise our initiatives so that they align with national objectives and create long-term value”.

“As a development that’s meant to span generations, Neom is advancing projects in line with strategic priorities, market readiness and sustainable economic impact,” it said.

After Neom’s launch in 2017, multiple megaprojects were announced for the development, including The Line, which was ultimately supposed to run 170km inland from the sea over desert mountains, a ski resort called Trojena that was set to host the Asian Winter Games in 2029, and a coastal logistics and industrial zone known as Oxagon.

Riyadh announced on Saturday that Trojena, which will be downsized, would no longer host the winter games as scheduled.

The person briefed on the matter said architects were already working on redesigning The Line — which has already been scaled back considerably — to develop a more “modest” project that could utilise existing infrastructure built over the past few years.

“The Line will be a totally different concept. It will use the existing infrastructure in a totally different manner,” the person said.

The person said there would be a greater focus on “industrial” sectors in Neom, including it becoming a hub for data centres.

“Data centres need water cooling and this is right on the coast so it will have seawater cooling. So it will be a major centre for data centres,” the person said.

Neom said that as the kingdom “works to establish itself as a global hub for data and AI, Neom is focused on attracting investors, partners and tenants in these fast-growing sectors”.

It added that the project had “several natural advantages” including digital infrastructure, its location “at the crossroads of three continents”, access to “abundant and cost-effective renewable energy” and the availability of land.

Neom had for years been a cash cow for consultants, construction companies and architects as tens of billions of dollars were poured into what was described as the world’s largest construction site. But work stalled after the longtime chief executive Nadhmi al-Nasr abruptly departed in November 2024.

His replacement, Aiman al-Mudaifer, last year launched a “comprehensive” review of the scope and priority of the projects within the development.

Prince Mohammed, who unveiled Neom as part of his grandiose plans to modernise the kingdom and diversify its oil-addicted economy, has publicly stated he would cancel or change projects if it were in the nation’s interest.

“We are determined — by the grace and power of God — to achieve and complete them [his transformation goals],” he told the consultative Shura Council in September. “However, we also affirm that we will not hesitate to cancel or make any radical amendment to any programmes or targets if we find that the public interest so requires.”

Neom is owned by the near $1tn Public Investment Fund, which is also chaired by Prince Mohammed and is tasked with spearheading the transformation plans. But it has come under pressure to deliver returns on its huge investments as Riyadh has recalibrated its spending priorities.

The PIF’s portfolio of megaprojects is also being reviewed.

NEOM Line City has effectively been cancelled.

To be rebranded as a glorified Data Center.

Neom could now become a hub for data centres as part of Prince Mohammed’s aggressive push for the kingdom to become a leading AI player, the people said.
 
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