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Relax - the U.N. was created to prevent this type of hegemony - the Security Council will settle it!

Can't be a cultist, to be a cultist you have to be brainwashed. It's pretty clear he has no brain. Probably doesn't wash much either.

............... Federal election - Liberals get in with a landslide - separatism is either put-to-bed ............... or not! General population continues to live in cardboard boxes and eating out of dumpsters. Trudeau writes his memoirs ............. blames all. Freeland writes her memoirs (encore) ........ blames Trudeau. Jagmeet Singh writes his memoirs, blames racism for his defeat. NDP ................... eh?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

In George Orwell’s 1984, the author envisaged a world carved up between three superpowers, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. What we find in the story: Officially the three superpowers were permanently at war, with all three constantly forming new alliances, and breaking them, and changing sides. But in reality, as Big Brother’s representative O’Brien finally explains to Winston Smith, the ostensible war was a sham. Each and all the superpowers’ leaders were interested only in power and in personal aggrandisement; and they perceived, as despots have done throughout all history, that the easy the way to keep their own unruly populations in check was to be at war, or to be seen to be at war, so that the people felt obliged to unite against a common enemy. How prescient was Orwell in describing our modern-day reality, where these three powers – Trump’s USA, Putin’s Russia, and Xi Jinping’s China – vie for power? Will they work together to carve the world up into three spheres of power and influence – three sections of colonies controlled by the three super-powers? What does Trump mean in invoking the Monroe Doctrine as a “Trump Corollary” in a pledge of “potent restoration of American power and priorities” to the Western hemisphere? What does he mean when he says, “We’re going to run the place.” Trump has stated that he wants to take over Canada and Greenland. Now, he’s got Venezuela. Who is next? According to one analysis: Trump appears unperturbed by stronger Chinese and Russian spheres of influence – as long as he has a domain to match Xi Jinping’s and Vladimir Putin’s. Does Trump want the entire Western hemisphere?

My predictions. How about yours? - Avi Lewis wins the NDP leadership. Three weeks later all the other NDP MP's cross the floor to the Liberals. - PeePee gets 51% in leadership review, claims 'Landslide Victory', gets his staff busy writing more slogans. - Donald Trump has massive stroke. No one notices. Has his caddy play for him while he naps in the cart, before waking to claim victory. - Linsey Graham suffocates when his head gets permanently stuck in Trump's ass. - Canada, Mexico and US spend 10 months negotiating a new trade deal. Two hours before signing Trump chokes on a Big Mac, cancels the deal, and puts a 200% tariff on burger buns. - Wab Kinew forgets to smile at press conference. - Danielle Smith uses 'Notwithstanding' clause 26 times, throws down gauntlet to Francois Legault: "Let's see what you got." - Putin says he wants peace. Keeps blowin' up stuff anyway. - Netenyahoo says he wants peace. Keeps blowin' up stuff anyway. - Trump says he wants peace prize. Keeps blowin' up stuff anyway. - Canadian Premiers all say they want to end trade barriers in Canada, then claim dozens of exceptions. - Carney repeats "Canada has the best deal". Trump raises tariffs. - Democrats find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. - All economic and political problems continue to be Trudeau's, Biden's or Obama's. - I continue to be poor, but somehow still eat very well.

The US never owned the oil in Venezuela. US oil companies HAD a license to pump an sell Venezuelan oil for a SHARE of the profits. Now Trump has ordered the illegal invasion and capture of Maduro, and LIES that we are taking back OUR OIL. Today an illegal coup in Venezuela, but where next? ... The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com › commentisfree › jan › il... 3 hours ago — The world will be anxious, and rightly so. For a man so bent on a peace prize, Trump appears to revel in conflict, writes Simon Tisdall.

Might makes right means that the ability to enact one's will is the primary rationale for doing so. I would put the actions in Panama and Venezuela... And probably the second Iraq war to be better examples than one such as Libya, or the first Iraq war where there was a coalition. But, yes, it's a factor in pretty much every action that's not clear self-defense. As I said in another post... I heard that polling shows Americans are against another nation building invasion. I guess we'll see.

How did I know this was going to be another lazy spambot thread? LOL

Except the Panama Canal rights were a purchase from the French, not a military action.

Planet Hard Boiled Right Prime........ Planet Soft Boiled Left Sub-Prime......

Prescient enough regarding the evolution of geopolitics around power, control and competition for resources. When the waterhole gets smaller the animals do always get meaner. I think what Orwell didn't foresee is how big and overarching the environmental issues facing the world would become. Big Brother and its contemporaries in Eurasia and Eastasia may be the last ones standing but even they will eventually run out of the resources they need to keep abreast of one another while also staying ahead of their respective populations. Everything is becoming increasingly harder and more expensive to get and maintain.

It doesn't matter who they're against, might makes right. The thing about that principle I find confusing, is if someone buys into it.... It can be used to define any action or relationship they take part in. It says that the entity decides for themselves without external directive. I'm just exploring this because it's kind of a new idea to me, for it to be openly adopted as a Principal of international relations. Then again, maybe this isn't open. I haven't made my mind up about a lot of aspects of this

well that's cleared that right up for us i think. Ya know, egg nog goes bad about 5 days after xmas. Just thought i'd point that out

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel The cartel took over market territories and lowered the useful life of such bulbs, which is commonly cited as an example of planned obsolescence.[1] Corporations based in Europe and the United States, including Tungsram, Osram, General Electric, Associated Electrical Industries, and Philips,[2] incorporated the cartel on 15 January 1925 in Geneva,[3] as Phœbus S.A. My apologies, robo, for highlighting your ignorance again.

^Can't tell that you're just proving how much of a cultist you are now? 👋

And yet you're unable to cite ANYTHING he gets wrong, because you CANNOT. Very weak dismissal with "TDS" cause that's the best you got. LMAO

What “law” are you citing? The government of Venezuela IS the law in Venezuela and they passed a law to expropriate those assets. When these corporations decide to do business in these banana republics things like that are among the calculated risks they take with eyes wide open. Furthermore the appropriate remedy for the aggrieved corporations is to demand compensation of a set dollar amount for the lost assets, not for Trump to claim that all the oil in Venezuela belongs to America exclusively for American benefit and for all eternity.

Not much difference in China and US: Median Age: China (around 40.6) vs. U.S. (around 39.3) – China's population is aging faster. Young (0-14 years): U.S. has a larger share (around 17.3%) than China (around 16%). Working Age (15-64/65): China has a massive working-age population (around 975M), but the U.S. has a substantial share of its population in this bracket too.

And that applies to allies and enemies alike. Bully Boy says JUMP, you better jump NOW.

But the American people (at least Republicans and a good portion of the swing vote) have repeatedly shown that they are gullible and willing to believe any flimsy argument that claims “self-defence” or “American values”. Consider: The annexation of Hawaii The annexation of Texas and the American southwest p USS Maine Gulf of Tonkin (a Democrat lie, admittedly but Republicans were all for it while Democrat camps were divided) Saddam’s alleged WMD and al-qaeda link lies I think the timing of Trump pardoning a major “narco-terrorist” just as he’s using “narco-terrorism” as the excuse for his attack on Venezuela is precisely to demonstrate that its not about values or the law and the rules-based order is now replaced with the “might makes right” order For example in Putin’s Russia and Orban’s Hungary it’s not sufficient for the ruling kleptocracy to pretend to be law-abiding in public and commit their crimes in secret They deliberately commit their crimes and frauds in plain view of the public because they want the public to KNOW the leaders and those they patronize are above the law and therefore they should abandon any expectation of justice. They also want the public to know that they have to participate in the corruption and patronage system with bribes, favours etc if they need any form of justice or civil service So conspicuous abuses of power, telling implausible lies that they know the public will know are lies, conspicuous flaunting of laws and norms, these things has always been part of Trump’s agenda and are deliberate and part of the design.

Odds are looking like your boy Jack Smith will be sharing a cell with Maduro by the mid terms

My friend, you need to pay closer attention to my predictions. I predicted Hillary Clinton would win in 2016, Trump would win in 2020, Poilievre would crush Trudeau, and now I predict Poilievre will not become PM, and Trump will take over Canada within 150 weeks. (Do you see where I'm going with this?)

But of course now that Trump has destabilized Venezuela there might be a lot more migrants fleeing that country so there’s a good chance the orange idi@t has mad his problems worse.

You DON’T have the rights to the oil. The government does. Private companies US or otherwise only have a LICENSE which is granted or rescinded at the government’s pleasure. That’s how it works everywhere. It’s been obvious from day1 that seizing Venezuela’s oil was Trump’s true motivation as we have all been saying for a long time now. The whole “narco/terrorist” gibberish was just a flimsy excuse. It’s Trump’s version of “Saddam’s WMD and Al-Qaeda links” lies that the previous Republican president cooked up when he wanted to take over an oil-rich country. I mean he just pardoned a MAGA-connected major “narco-terrorist” who had only served 1 year in prison FFS. And now the real shot-show begins when Trump and his incompetent gang of hacks, nutjobs and grifters try to “run” a country twice the area of Iraq and nearly as many people when they can’t even run a lemonade stand. Venezuela has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations on the planet with one of the highest rates of private gun ownership (which disproves the Republican lie about gun ownership preventing dictators). Furthermore Chavez and Maduro had organized and trained “popular militias” for Total Defence for just such an occasion. Not to mention the western part of the country is home to several guerrilla groups, So if/when the Trump-created power vacuum results in civil war, lawlessness regional destabilization, humanitarian and refugee crisis, etc. it will all be Trump’s doing

It bodes badly. My advise to you...cancel your internet connection, smash your cell to bits and melt it down, dig a deep hole, put a lead safe in it, and hide.

Loaded question. No one was "kidnapped" Power. Other nations put out and agreed to an arrest warrant to get the leader of Israel. Folks on the left, hell likely you, fully support arresting him, no? Easy, it demonstrates that if you screw with us, you better be prepared to face the consequences. That promotes peace through power. It shows other tinpot 3rd world dictators they better watch their steps.

Yes he did. Trumps team was in negotiations on how to hand over documents and had already been doing just that.

Expropriations/Nationalizations of U.S. Company Assets During Chávez’s presidency, Venezuela pursued a broad policy of nationalizing key sectors of the economy (especially oil, electricity, steel and other industries) and expropriating private foreign-owned assets: Oil Projects – In the Orinoco Belt starting in 2007, Venezuela required foreign oil companies to hand over majority control of operations to the state oil company PDVSA. U.S. majors like ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips ended up losing control of their Venezuelan oil assets after failing to agree on new contract terms. Their assets were taken and nationalized. CiberCuba Cargill – A major U.S. agricultural company saw its rice processing assets seized during a wave of nationalizations. archive.ph Williams Companies – Another U.S. energy firm had a gas plant taken over by the state. archive.ph Helmerich & Payne (oil rigs) – Eleven oil drilling rigs owned by this U.S. company were seized under Chávez. This might be a bad move by Trump or a prudent move. Only time will tell. There were over 50 countries that did not recognize the Maduro government as legitimate.

The US has always come up with excuses for blaming other countries and people for it's demand for drugs and projected it's war against them instead of looking in the mirror.

The shoe fits. You’re the guy Pol Pot paid to shoot the educated.

Spam with a website that was removed. @robosmith is really upping his game.

He wants to appropriate Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela, but by what right? The United States has become an increasingly immoral and corrupt people for electing individuals like Biden or Trump.

Well, I have to admit, I never imagined Trump would actually do this. I give you partial credit, though, as this was not an "invasion" like you were characterizing, but is still more of an "invasion" than I said was not going to happen.

Is there such a thing as a legal coup?

What planet are you on? You appear on this forum about three years ago as an apologist for Liberal restrictions during the pandemic and with a Marxist-atheist anti-human pro MAID, pro fentanyl stance, which is pretty much how you still present. If it’s radically nihilist, you’re waving the flag. Also, are you claiming that Canadian values are your values? Well they aren’t the values of the majority of Canadians, I hope, but if they were, I wouldn’t want to be Canadian.

Well this whole thread started off with Nazi salutes, I think even Godwin would have to spot us this one as not really falling under his law per se

^Can't tell the difference between a Nazi salute and a WAVE. Pay attention to the FINGERS. Duh You haven't been paying attention if you expected better from CdnLIAR.

USA beings back the penny because rounding is too hard for the majority of citizens to figure out. Trump forces the Armed Forces to return to Imperial measurement exclusively as a matter of National Security Ford builds electric 1966 Galaxies again and no one buys them.

People get tired of our funeral director in chief flying all over the world and making grandiose promises as the economy deteriorates, food costs skyrocket, foreign investment continues to diminish, ethnic mobs take over the streets, crime makes people fearful of leaving their homes, and nothing whatsoever seems to be getting done to change any of that other than massive deficits for Canada and massive profits for Brookfield.

Oh so you're a Conservative that believes government should control the free market, are you? Like the 80% of our area that thinks they should vote Conservative so we'll get more grants to save our local businesses? Awful lot of Tory supporters with communist beliefs aren't there?

Don't count on it, especially if PeePee's still there. How many more Cons are making a New Year's resolution to join the Liberals? I'm guessing at least 2, maybe 3. (And that's guaranteed if they're stupid enough to keep PeePee as leader!)

that has S.F.A. to do with a discussion about blaming the PM for grocery prices. Unless you insist the owner of western Canada's largest grocery chain has nothing to do with it's pricing. Like really? Mark Carney wakes up in the morning and decides that SaveOn Foods must make 3% more than it did last week. All explainable on a continent that blamed Obama and Trudeau for their skinned knees and stubbed toes until enough people were dumbed down enough to believe it.

Actually Mark Carney polls well ahead of the Liberal Party and miles ahead or PP. PP polls behind his own party. People like Carney a lot more than they like the Liberal party. People like PP a lot LESS than they like the Conservative Party.

Saw another FB post blaming Carney for grocery prices that showed a picture of a turkey for over $100.00 this morning. Either took the pic in Inuvik or picked the biggest turkey in the store, cuz it's selling for $2.99/lb here in Northern BC. Cheaper than f*cking hot dogs. Keep it up righties, Jim Pattison and the billionaires love it when you blame the PM for grocery prices and worship them as heroes. Look there's a squirrel!

You referring to that bloated budget that didn't spend enough on what you want, are you?

That's low and disgusting even by your low standards. You owe him an apology. (But of course you won't. Just another internet coward!)

Semi-retired I said...a day or so a week. You should put down the crack pipe and put in a shift or two yourself.