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'I Couldn't Shift Anything': Senior State Department Official Resigns Over Biden's Gaza Policy
  • Of course, I neither wanted to portray arms sales as just something good. Unsurprisingly, states manage to have these twisted deals in the name of national interests.

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    'I Couldn't Shift Anything': Senior State Department Official Resigns Over Biden's Gaza Policy
  • I want to add, that arms are still needed in this day-and-age, even to uphold peace. So many things are not as black and white as they seem.

    I am quite happy NATO (to name one) can deter bad actors from attacking it, or in worst case use them to protect its member states. But, yes, ideally weapons would be history.

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    'I regularly travel in Europe and it's shown me how right Brexit was'
  • There are definitely effects on the British economy because of Brexit, just alone the loss in confidence in the British economy after the vote and the uncertainty following it.

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    'I regularly travel in Europe and it's shown me how right Brexit was'
  • I was merely pointing out that GDP is a tool to look at the economy as a whole, but it can not visualise more specific trends or inequalities, let alone those caused by Brexit.

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    'I regularly travel in Europe and it's shown me how right Brexit was'
  • Solely looking at GDP says little about the impacts of Brexit, especially on the impact it has on individuals. While it tells us the UK fares well on production capacity and economic growth, it says little on the welfare and well being of her citizens.

    There is of course a lot of disparity of the origins in the data, and Tory governing most likely have its effects as well.

    Point is, GDP is not a good measure on whether things are looking bright for individuals.

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    Palestine-Israel Crisis Megathread
  • They speak more elegant... or French

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    Palestine-Israel Crisis Megathread
  • Anrwerp is Belgium, though ;)

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    Surviving in a tribal world: Ukraine, Israel, bullies and double standards
  • You are simplifying this extremely.

    I wonder if there is a state willing to do this on their on accord without backing from the UN. Then, would Israel consider this as a breach of sovereignty? What is the risk for the peace keeping state if Israel considers this a breach of sovereignty, do you have the US + west against you?

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    Surviving in a tribal world: Ukraine, Israel, bullies and double standards
  • being the weaker group, they could have requested neutral foreign troops to help guard their territories as a peace keeping mission at any time.

    Did you forget Palestine is not recognised as a member state in the UN?

    Also, confusing Palestinians with the terror group Hamas is disingenuous.

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    Joint statement from Germany, France, UK, Italy and USA on support of Israel
  • It is a shame the international community has taken so little effort to prevent bloodshed. The terrible terrorist attacks are the symptoms of the unhealthy and hostile environment. The numbers in the link below just show that there was enough reason to put more effort and discussion in this region.

    https://www.ochaopt.org/data/casualties

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    UN chief 'deeply distressed' by planned Israeli siege of Gaza
  • Indeed, that is what had happened to the League of Nations and why the US never joined.

    Also the UN is still an important platform where diplomatic relations are upheld even in dire situations. Even with Russia it is important to have some lines of discussion.

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    Dutch politician who worked for Shell poised to become EU climate chief
  • It was in August of last year apparently (does time fly). He suddenly wanted to discuss the agreed upon nitrogen-plans at the start of the formation of the government. This, to try to regain trust from traditional supporters of the party, farmers. They have been in recent times moving to a dedicated farmers party.

    De harde maar omstreden deadline van 2030 is daarbij voor de CDA-voorman niet langer ´heilig´.

    De boerenachterban, die traditioneel op het CDA stemde, loopt weg juist door het stikstofbeleid van dit kabinet^1.

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    Dutch politician who worked for Shell poised to become EU climate chief
  • Of course that could be the case, but less than a year ago, he almost caused the collapse of the Dutch government on the sustainability of agriculture in the country.

    At least I can’t see an honest motivation other than his own opportunities.

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    Had my first driving lesson today
  • Where I live now, in the Nordics, I get really agitated when I see people (in cars) standing in the middle of crossings and blocking T-junctions to smaller roads. Unlike in the Netherlands, and probably most countries, you can tell that there is way less time spent with an actual instructor (not claiming Dutch drivers are perfect, people in general are not flawless, let a lone in a high speed box on rollers). Another thing that annoys me is the amount of people on their phones while driving, it is insane. I didn't observe it like this in the Netherlands, but that I might just have missed this. Mobile phones must be the most dangerous addiction if we can't even put them away when doing potentially dangerous activities.

    I completely recognise the experiences you have while driving. My primary transport is public transport. I love it as I can chill and let my mind just relax a bit, but we have access to a car, and, indeed, when using it (when I snoozed a few too many times), everything is upsetting (the issues in the first paragraph are in general bothering me though) and their is no chill time when driving to work. I like driving on a holiday, cause you get to see new things and get to drive scenic routes, but as a means of everyday transport it is the worst.

    I can give the people here some slack. The streets are terrible, even in the urban space. And it does indeed help a lot to have guidance and good structural rules on how to use the roads (like roundabouts).

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    contradictions
  • We can’t wait for corporations as long as we consume the same things, they are just out for profit.

    And as long as we don’t vote for politicians that will care enough, these corporations will not have any restrictions in regards of climate change.

    The actions of individuals has a normative effect on their peers.

    Also, in the global north an individual’s action has a greater effect than in the global south.

    I agree that an individual’s action has a lesser impact, but I think actions should be triangular (individual, governmental and corporate). But the individual definitely bears responsibility. At least in voting a certain way, but being aware of what you are doing could help persuade oneself of taking action.

    Understanding why an individual does not act is important though. New technologies, like EVs are expensive and public transport might not be sufficient. Eating less meat (or non at all) and flying less (or not at all) are, I am pretty sure of, things one definitely could do.

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    Oh no youtube
  • Or even better, care about your digital privacy and ditch Google and Youtube and use an alternative front end, like invidious, or piped.

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    Marco van Basten after Ajax-Feyenoord was abandoned due to fan violence
  • Instead of stopping all professional football in the Netherlands, stop all those games with teams that repetitively cause problems. There is definitely too many games with issues, but not the majority of them. Then again, Van Basten, probably has his red/white glasses on again, and sees Ajax as the epicentre of Dutch football.

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    Trump Warns ‘Cognitively Impaired’ Biden May Cause ‘World War Two’
  • One should actually facepalm at "Trump", so the rest of the nonsense can't be read.

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    Tired of feeling hopeless about climate change? Take a look at these charts.
  • Head author: Willie Soon

    From 2005 to 2015, Soon had received over $1.2 million from the fossil fuel industry, while failing to disclose that conflict of interest in most of his work.

    I also have my reservations about the publisher

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