Steely Dan

Sign of the times the denials of terrorism and anything to do with Islam are almost obligatory.

Much ado about nothing, again. So what if he intends to get a smaller catapult to fire illegals back over the Mexican border?

14 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Erdogan does this song and dance with pretty much every country or foreign leader, nothing new there. That said, I do not think that Turkish public opinion reacts to these in the same way foreigners do. For quite a while now, despite all that's wrong with Erdogan's rule, his party (and himself personally) get repeated mandate from the electorate.

 

As noted on a previous topic, there's quite a nationalistic sentiment in Turkey, which is not hard to be harnessed for political gains. Also, it's not exactly as if there's a very appealing (or realistic) political alternative.  It is what it is, and the guy is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Short of an national economic meltdown, or an undeniable mega-scandal, this is a reality which will need to be dealt with.

 

 

 

 

The nationalistic nature of Turkish oppinion has been used and manipulated by Erdogan to further his own ambitions, a blow to this nationalistic pride would be very damaging indeed. I guess our perceptions of the likelihood of such a happening may differ, but that's a debate for another day.

^^

I would observe that the posturing and threats coming from Turkey to its supposed allies is followed by rapprochement with Iran and Russia. Erdogan is the epitome of a loose cannon and I do see how this in time will reflect itself in Turkish public opinion if Erdogan's foreign policy makes him a laughing stock.

A Kurdish state incorporating some Turkish land would finish Erdogan, unless of course he could sell it as his idea to foster peace and stability in the region. High stakes indeed.

38 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

The pollsters did not predict a clear win for Brexit,. It was pundits who did that. They ignored the polls and instead indulged in wishful thinking.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2016/06/britain-s-eu-referendum

I stand corrected, yes it was the pundits and bookmakers who got it wrong. Just prior to the first counts being announced you could have got long odds on Brexit. Our own Thaivisa pundits have similarly written off the anti-establishment figure. 

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Not all of them. A significant percentage. Also, your credibility is rather suspect if sincerely think trump will win. It's possible, but highly unlikely.

The credibility of the pollsters was rather suspect after they predicted a clear win for Remain. The pollsters are indeed part of the establishment, they are doing their bit by trying to demoralize those opposing the establishment to not bother voting.

I think Douglas Murray has just nailed it here;- It is far preferable for governments to have impassioned debate about the rights and wrongs of a Burkini than it is having people discuss the real elephant in the room, which is political Islam attempting to assert itself in all its various forms.

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/08/burkini-ban-political-ruse/?

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

My post made perfect sense. Both Brexit and trumpism are white racist, xenophobic movements. 

Get a grip man, you have just labeled 52% of the U.K. Population as white racists. I will take it as read you will affix a similar label to the majority of U.S citizens when Trump wins.

3 hours ago, Galactus said:

 

nonsense. i believe you dont understand and i need to say it a second time but again and again,  this topic is about israel palestine conflict not about sudan or egypt other fascist states with atrocities around the world like Israel. so please dont make the waters muddy with irrelevant subjects.

i think you have no idea what a forum is.

so here i criticize Israel as a fascist, oppressor state and abuser of human rights. when there is a thread about Sudan of Egypt, i will of course criticize them there but not here.

you can go open a thread about Sudan whenever you want.

 

 

Sadly the social justice warriors here are more concerned with two Palestinians lightly injured by the Jews than the current death toll of 247 for the Italian earthquake. I guess they must be deeply concerned about Palestinians. But hang on 3,000 Palestinians get smoked in Syria and we get nothing from our esteemed members, no calls to open a thread about it even. 

I guess it it must be the Joooooz after all.

2 hours ago, Grouse said:

 

Thats a great idea!!

 

Maybe someone with better ME knowledge than me could suggest priority order of airlines to avoid?

Trouble is the social justice warriors are too busy organizing boycotts of Israel.

1 hour ago, ilostmypassword said:

Exactly where do the boundaries of Israel and Kurdistan coincide?  Will Israel be mounting an invasion force? As I recall, it just finished mending its relations with Turkey.  So now it plans to jeopardize all that?  Really?

To find a source showing Israel's support for an independent Kurdistan is a simple task but off topic. Regarding Israeli-Turkish relations I would point to Israel just signing an oil exploration deal with Greece and Turkey's condemnation of recent Israeli bombing raids on Gaza. Normalization of relations is not the same thing as being allies.

2 hours ago, BuaBS said:

Very sad day for the Kurds .

And this scum is still in nato and conciddered to be a EU member ???

Don't give up hope the Kurds are actually being supported directly by GCC nations and indirectly by Israel. Erdogan is a spent force desperately flailing about since the supposed coup attempt. This time the Kurds will get their homeland.

http://www.thomaswictor.com/soldier-syria-sends-message/

p.s The Turks are pursuing the Kurds by the way, not ISIS, who Turkish MIT has actually armed in the past.

The parallels are indeed uncanny. I predict the same astonishment, whining and tantrums for the Democrats as we got from the 'Remain' voters when they lose.

When people are preoccupied by pissing it strikes me that some really big stuff is being hidden in clear view.

44 minutes ago, happy Joe said:

We are seeing now the first effects of demagogic measures to ban clothing. Hate racists who are the dregs of French society now feel entitled to express their thoughts grime.

 

The following promises to be explosive...

I think we can take that as read. A few jeers and (alleged) shouts of go home in support of the police enforcing the law, as they still can outside the 750 or so Zones Urbaines Sensitive. When the police try the same thing in areas recognising only their own law the result is somewhat different.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/21/paris-riots-police-identity-check-muslim

So there's your equivalence, the likes of Merkel wears head covering visiting Islamic Countries, we hide the modesty of statues when Islamic rulers visit. Westerners tow the line regarding the law in Islamic Countries but you get riots and burnt out cars when western laws are attempted to be applied to Muslim populations if they are in numbers.

Elsewise you get the usual whining to the ever eager press who could do with a sob story to balance the latest decapitation or bombing.

10 minutes ago, fasteddie said:

" I'm n such a climate wearing a veil on a public beach could be construed as being deliberately provocative"

Only to ignorant peons.

I guess the law prohibiting veils in a public place was also passed by ignorant peons, though ignorance is just a one way street not applying to the woman in question who displayed either ignorance of the law or contempt for it.

33 minutes ago, Sphere said:

 

ThaiVisa posters do show up anywhere, unexpectedly, it seems.

This should be a matter for the police to deal with not bystanders, but I think we can all take a wild stab at why the alleged reaction of bystanders was hostile. I'm n such a climate wearing a veil on a public beach could be construed as being deliberately provocative.

34 minutes ago, Thorgal said:

 

Average success or hit rate of the Iron Dome Tamir missiles is 5% and in some cases even below.

 

Has been proven during 2012 and 2014 conflicts. For 2016 it's a 0% efficiency...

I guess that's why GCC nations are queuing up to buy Iron dome.

http://news.sky.com/story/gulf-states-set-to-buy-iron-dome-system-10343257

I guess Hasbara have taken over Sky news as well.

French man, British woman, troublesome Europeans. Obviously a case of mental illness.

p.s And what of the Belgian woman stabbing three people. Do we take mental illness as read and search in bafflement for the lack of another common denominator?

18 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

The question is what percentage of illegal immigrants are criminals as compared to the percentage of citizens and resident aliens.

If you look at crime statistics and prison populations you will find the answer. The answer in many EU countries didn't fit the liberal narrative so their collation was often prevented.

3 minutes ago, Galactus said:

 

oh yeah fine then, just it has been bombed two years ago so is it OK? is it bombed by Israelis or not at the end? 

plus as some claims, maybe it was bombed again yesterday. personally dont trust Zionist propaganda outlets sure you cant blame me for that.

these are just small details to make the waters muddy.

 

truth is they dont have water source or they cant store water at that water tower anymore.

and such instances are making the probabilities of missiles flying to Israel higher, sure you see that like some in Israel. 

so because of some cheap greedy settlers and fascist politicians supporting them, all Palestinians suffer and Israelis live in fear. just for some piece of desert land.

 

If the media and supposed pro-Palestinian activists had ANY interest whatsoever in the truth they would not be trying to recycle photos from 2014. Incidentally whining about water is a recent trend with the Palestinians, they never fail to attempt to libel Israel over their water supply. 

Incidentally the Israeli response yesterday was a warning not a retaliation, thirty whacking great craters in open ground demonstrate this.

I realize the obsessives have little interest in the o.p, save as an excuse to indulge in the usual pro-forma whining, but the water tower claimed to be damaged in the o.p at Beit Hanoun was in fact damaged back in 2014. Alas though a notch above the level of our esteemed members the journalist responsible for the o.p evidently just regurgitated what he was told by the Palestinians without checking basic facts.

http://www.israellycool.com/2016/08/21/latest-pallywood-blood-libel-tower-of-babble-edition/

30 minutes ago, Pakboong said:

Firing one lone home-made rocket into the desert in exchange for 30 or so quite deadly F-16 strikes does not compute to me. If those people are really that stupid, and I don't think they are, It would suit me for Israel to just level Gaza and kill everything that moves.

Deterrence only works if its scope can't be readily calculated by those it's supposed to deter. Hizbollah for example kidnapped and murdered a couple of Israeli soldiers years ago, they didn't figure on Israel leveling large areas of Lebanon. The northern border has been pretty quiet for years since and Hasan Nazrallah was even quoted as stating had he known the degree of Israeli retaliation for the kidnapping operation he would never have ordered it. Those sat thousands of miles away calling for restraint or 'proportionality' obviously don't understand (or don't want to) the concept of deterrence.

I must say its been relatively quiet on the Palestinian front for a while to the degree that their army of keyboard warriors have been starved of new material. I guess Hamas decided to remedy this by using their own people as cannon fodder as usual.

On August 21, 2559 BE at 9:15 PM, 7by7 said:

 

Attacks in France on Muslims, Jews and churches soar

Figures for 2016 are not yet, of course, available.

 

The o.p concerns an easily identifiable Jewish man attacked by a Muslim, who is coincidentally mentally ill, as per a recent Europe wide trend of mentally ill attacks by Muslims.

How absolutely typical of you to dredge up an article supposedly showing a decrease in antisemitism and an increase in Islamophobia. You stop at nothing when it comes to attempts to give a misleading impression of what's going on to a degree bordering on pathological.

The reality is that French Jews are leaving for Israel in record numbers, the degree of Muslim Antisemitism in France has reached the point where all Jewish schools and establishments are guarded, often by armed police. Meanwhile, despite the supposed Islamophobia in France Muslims are settling in France not leaving it.