The Hao Fan 6 (great read on NK, sanctions, UN)

[bradly1101]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/07/asia/north-korea-ship-hao-fan-6-intl/index.html

Sanctions help reduce bad behavior (hiding weapons under bags of sugar...). And they can have an effect on the population. If only there was global cooperation. An excerpt (the whole article is quite enlightening):

The United Nations brought down the hammer and that was it for the Hao Fan 6.

On October 10, the hulking, 460-foot (140 meter) cargo ship was banned from entering every single port across the globe, punished for violating sanctions on North Korea.
It was just south of South Korea the day the news was announced, according to tracking information by MarineTraffic. Its transponder pinged continuously until 11:17 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time, the data showed.
Then the Hao Fan 6 disappeared...

 

[J.Wilkins]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/07/asia/north-korea-ship-hao-fan-6-intl/index.html

Sanctions help reduce bad behavior (hiding weapons under bags of sugar...). And they can have an effect on the population. If only there was global cooperation. An excerpt (the whole article is quite enlightening):

Meanwhile the people are eating their children.

It's the epitome of the class warfare, everyone but the ruling class are expendable, sad to say the same is true in many other nations where the ruling class are getting off by claiming to have a "foot thing" while others are sent to war even though they have severe asthma.

 

[bradly1101]

Meanwhile the people are eating their children.

It's the epitome of the class warfare, everyone but the ruling class are expendable, sad to say the same is true in many other nations where the ruling class are getting off by claiming to have a "foot thing" while others are sent to war even though they have severe asthma.

It's tough being optimistic with instinctual fairness so prominent in our brains. It's almost impossible not to compare ourselves, and is easy to grok. Power has many, many rewards, empathy and humility don't seem to be among them.

 

[J.Wilkins]

It's tough being optimistic with instinctual fairness so prominent in our brains. It's almost impossible not to compare ourselves, and is easy to grok. Power has many, many rewards, empathy and humility don't seem to be among them.

I chose to go to war for people in a place where I had never been because they were my countrymen.

Prince Harry went to war in Afghanistan without a special unit or protection, he was just another guy... When royals of an archaic system are stepping up to a degree where others who are democratically elected could not care less we may need to rethink things.

Do we want leaders OF the people FOR the people or some arsehole who doesn't give a fuck about you or anyone else but their donors?

I mean, think about this, a president can be elected based on a GOOD FUCKING SLOGAN today... Policy doesn't matter and if his propositions are realistic in any shape or form doesn't matter or if they are even good in any way doesn't matter as long as it's ideologically Göring speech saying "it's not your fault, it's THEM and we will get rid of THEM".

The US never had a world war on their continent... perhaps you need one to stop being retarded about this shit.

 

[bradly1101]

One thing I like about the article is that it makes apparent the axiom that facts have no bias.

 

[bradly1101]

I chose to go to war for people in a place where I had never been because they were my countrymen.

Prince Harry went to war in Afghanistan without a special unit or protection, he was just another guy... When royals of an archaic system are stepping up to a degree where others who are democratically elected could not care less we may need to rethink things.

I find the behavior of the royals admirable, and I'm sure Britain is better to her regular soldiers too than we are here. We send them out on multiple, risky tours for long periods of time. Afterward it's apparent how bad the ravages of war are, both physically and mentally, and care is getting better, but still lacking. Doctors treat pain with powerful medications, and when they do that to the brain, get things under control, other disturbing things happen. Shell shock, PTSD. The horrible things they saw, sometimes did and were probably ordered to.

Do we want leaders OF the people FOR the people or some arsehole who doesn't give a fuck about you or anyone else but their donors?

"We" are the people. In every history book I had to read for school and in civics, they talked about how our country was kind of rare, a special place where her government is for and of the people. No royalty, no dictator, rather empathetic intelligence in chambers and white houses. People lobby her leaders, but rarely have a true voice, that takes greenbacks.

I mean, think about this, a president can be elected based on a GOOD FUCKING SLOGAN today... Policy doesn't matter and if his propositions are realistic in any shape or form doesn't matter or if they are even good in any way doesn't matter as long as it's ideologically Göring speech saying "it's not your fault, it's THEM and we will get rid of THEM".

I'm anticipating one of the Kardashians being elected in '24. I'm ready to unplug.

The US never had a world war on their continent... perhaps you need one to stop being retarded about this shit.

Indeed, but if I said that as an American I'd be called sadistic, a U.S. basher, and should leave ASAP. Sometimes to understand things you must go through them. It all depends on how bad the myopia is.

 

[J.Wilkins]

I find the behavior of the royals admirable, and I'm sure Britain is better to her regular soldiers too than we are here. We send them out on multiple, risky tours for long periods of time. Afterward it's apparent how bad the ravages of war are, both physically and mentally, and care is getting better, but still lacking. Doctors treat pain with powerful medications, and when they do that to the brain, get things under control, other disturbing things happen. Shell shock, PTSD. The horrible things they saw, sometimes did and were probably ordered to.

We were well trained, that was all it took, not a single shot fired before dawn and by then there was no need, every outpost take by bayonet force, swift and silent. Our fleets at the bay far enough so their artillery could not reach but close enough so that ours could. It was a day of overwhelming force in the clout of darkness. We were simply better and in the end, even their casualties were minimal since we offered a one handed solution, get on the ship and go home or swim home, not one of them decided to stay behind. None of their soldiers were willing after the sun rise, they did outnumber us but we showed them something they did not expect, we were simply better at a game they decided to start. I'll remember those days until the day I die as a win even though I still am plagued with nightmares of what we did there. Such is the creed of a good soldier.

"We" are the people. In every history book I had to read for school and in civics, they talked about how our country was kind of rare, a special place where her government is for and of the people. No royalty, no dictator, rather empathetic intelligence in chambers and white houses. People lobby her leaders, but rarely have a true voice, that takes greenbacks.

No, WE are the people, the ones that they serve and make no mistake, we have lobbyism here too but it's somewhat more restricted, WE SHOULD say what goes, but we don't. WE should say what is and what is not but we never get the chance. All we have is bullshit spewed by bullshit artists and we get to choose between one or the other... Well.. I chose libdems, just so I could live with myself. It didn't help, now we have extremist unionists and Tories.. It's not a good solution and I REALLY hope that it breaks apart with the stranded EU negotiations...

I'm anticipating one of the Kardashians being elected in '24. I'm ready to unplug.

I won't be there to see it but ... if things are going the way they are... Idiocracy is already a fucking documentary at this point in time, so ... I think my children and their generation will fix our laziness, at least that is all I have to hope for.

Indeed, but if I said that as an American I'd be called sadistic, a U.S. basher, and should leave ASAP. Sometimes to understand things you must go through them. It all depends on how bad the myopia is.

I'd call you a patriot, one of the few.

 

[bradly1101]

We were well trained, that was all it took, not a single shot fired before dawn and by then there was no need, every outpost take by bayonet force, swift and silent. Our fleets at the bay far enough so their artillery could not reach but close enough so that ours could. It was a day of overwhelming force in the clout of darkness. We were simply better and in the end, even their casualties were minimal since we offered a one handed solution, get on the ship and go home or swim home, not one of them decided to stay behind. None of their soldiers were willing after the sun rise, they did outnumber us but we showed them something they did not expect, we were simply better at a game they decided to start. I'll remember those days until the day I die as a win even though I still am plagued with nightmares of what we did there. Such is the creed of a good soldier.

You served a great good, and helped prevent a total genocide of an oppressed people. It's so sad that this global society, back to its earliest days, has to resort to violence, our leaders seemingly dumbfounded about other options, and when the threat first uses violence, there are often no other options. Warred up and gunned up, and sometimes the weapons provided are used against the very people who so generously gave them out, and innocents. Maybe there's an awakening, maybe all the craziness in Washington and Parliament is a wake-up call, but you can't wake up until you open your eyes.

No, WE are the people, the ones that they serve and make no mistake, we have lobbyism here too but it's somewhat more restricted, WE SHOULD say what goes, but we don't. WE should say what is and what is not but we never get the chance. All we have is bullshit spewed by bullshit artists and we get to choose between one or the other... Well.. I chose libdems, just so I could live with myself. It didn't help, now we have extremist unionists and Tories.. It's not a good solution and I REALLY hope that it breaks apart with the stranded EU negotiations...

That's the question I keep asking myself, how do people live with themselves? I'm so far left that I think about how my computer use could be affecting future hurricanes, and fires, I live near L.A. after all.

I won't be there to see it but ... if things are going the way they are... Idiocracy is already a fucking documentary at this point in time, so ... I think my children and their generation will fix our laziness, at least that is all I have to hope for.

My partner died of a surprise heart attack three months before the election that will go down in history as a chapter of its own, I hope. He saw the run-up though, and had concern, but great faith in voters' logic. I should not have reminded him of GWB's "election," he grew more concerned. As a gay couple, we heard Trump once say that gay marriage was an issue the "right court" could fix, and another time, at a rally once, praise the gays. It's so insulting to be pandered to through obvious intolerance [edit: but it couldn't be ignorance, he was in show business ]. If he has to exit we get Pence. Honey, pleez! I have felt a wish that I didn't have to see it all either. I'm schooled on The Right now like never before [edit: and I come from a very liberal, godless family, oddly with morals, and taste for art in general, but mostly music, science, philosophy, books for miles, talks about Viet Nam, Nixon, and Mao, Russia about to launch at any time - what a "nuclear war" meant, lost generations of the road ahead to the road behind the only cure. There were also the difficult familial times of course. And there's always a humble soul trying to lift people up. There's hope and resilience still, I hope forever, and I partially wish that the scourge of man hadn't befallen this beautiful marble] so there's that. I'd like to drop-in in 500 years to see how it all went.

(in case it was missed from another thread)

I'd call you a patriot, one of the few.

I don't know what to say except that to participate in a democracy, and/or help a huge swath of society take down evil, we can make a difference. Every human's hope. And thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

[bradly1101]

It's interesting to me that the instincts of division and protection/greed in our brains have been around so long you can see it in lesser species and donor species. I've seen jealous dogs push others aside if you pet their fellow canine, taking something from another to feed your own desire/need to be recognized, important.

There is a male black starling that nests in the cable TV junction box across from my kitchen window on the next, and close-by building. Every winter he calls for a mate on the wires stretched outside my living room window which thankfully has no obstruction. California sunsets. The sounds he makes are outrageous, whooping through octaves up to such heights, lots of clicks and funny warbles. A rudimentary vocabulary. He gets lots of interest from the ladies, and several always show up. He would hop down to the box to show off the digs. Then sometime in early spring he would/will show up with his mate. And there were endless trips to the nest with twigs and stuff, always having to rebuild since occasionally a cable guy would come out to connect/disconnect service, and he'd have to clear out the mess, but never sealed the hole. Chicks hatched, then a different sound came up any time a parent would be heard landing on the top of the box, always food in its beak.

I've been cautioned by others not to anthropomorphize animals (even though that's a little unscientific (IMO)), but you can't tell me that what those birds felt wasn't akin to human love, the attraction, the courting, the home-building, the provisions and education for the kids (I watched first tentative looks out, first flight. I've also seen pelicans teach diving to yearlings, the elder hanging back to watch the sometimes not so straight form (below))*.

So we see the fear and the fight or flight reaction even in reptiles, we can relate and watch behaviors whose extremes, backed up by machines, are obviously not wise. We can see it, but not learn from it despite having grown such big brains.

* Bolsa Chica, California, 2008