Posts by Alexander Barrett50

I’m looking for the sources behind your claims that "Moldovan is banned in Transnistria" and that "American kids don't even know who Jesus is, yet they all know George had slaves."

It isn't my job to debunk every random "fact" this guy throws out... you're the one who needs to actually prove them...

Besides, haven't you figured out by now that I have a hell of a memory and that I'm EER?

rowdyowl said:They should just tell the European Union, "Don't bother saving Greece, we've got it covered." They’d be left high and dry—especially the Germans, who are essentially the ones footing the bill for all those debts anyway.☕

Here you go again, just talking nonsense. And for the love of God, I am begging you—for the hundredth time now—show me your sources. Or is this going to be another one of those ridiculous claims like that time you insisted North Korea was asking for meat from infected cows? Honestly, Michael Anderson2... 😉

Here’s a little look at how Greece is managing things given the current situation -

Ryan Ward2 said:Oh, they certainly won't just let them walk away. I might have been exaggerating a bit there, but the reality is that this situation is incredibly messy and far too complex to be solved with a simple fix.
In all this chaos and instability, it looks like Russia has caught wind of an opportunity and is attempting to squeeze out every possible advantage through this move. It’s going to be fascinating to watch how things unfold from here and see what kind of reaction this initiative triggers within the European Union.

Actually, it's more like Germany has caught its chance— The way we handle the Greek crisis and future debt issues among EMU nations could trigger massive, perhaps even tectonic, geopolitical shifts on both the European and global stages. Moving forward, all financial troubles will be managed through the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), which carries the full guarantee of all the economically strong European governments, specifically Germany. The operational logic of the EFSF was shifted during the EMU summit regarding the Greek solution. Essentially, the EFSF can scale up its "fund" as much as necessary (it's sitting at about 440 billion EUR right now) to bail out EMU members facing debt crises, provided they agree to follow the "strict" restructuring programs dictated by the EFSF.

Loan maturities have been stretched from 7.5 years all the way up to 40 years. Interest rates are set as low as possible—currently around 3.5 percent—which is significantly lower than what debt-ridden EU countries, or even some healthy ones, could ever snag on the global financial markets. All previous EFSF arrangements can be swapped out for new ones under these updated terms and rules. The EFSF can step in and buy up bonds from EMU member states that nobody else wants to touch, acting as a preventative measure against a total debt meltdown. It provides a safety net for private investors involved in financing these countries' debts. Because of this, we're going to see fewer "Greek" or "Portuguese" style bonds and more of these new "Euro" bonds on the market.

Germany is effectively the main "shareholder" of the EFSF, and they provide the director as well. Any arrangement depends on the approval of the fund where Germany holds the most sway, much like how the USA holds decisive influence over IMF decisions. The fund can actually make decisions without needing the green light from other EU institutions. Given the number of EU nations struggling with deficits and debt, and seeing as their oversight isn't happening through standard EU channels but via the EFSF, Germany's influence over the future direction of Europe is becoming incredibly obvious. By controlling public finances through the EFSF, Germany essentially gains indirect control over the economic development of most "peripheral" EU nations.

Once everyone fully grasps the implications of this setup, we can expect pushback from other European powers, particularly France and England. While the French might be relieved to let the Germans shoulder the heavy lifting of European financial stability, they might start worrying that they're losing the political clout they used to wield in Europe. England joined the EU when they realized they'd lose influence if they stayed out, and they've historically exerted that influence by occasionally using their "veto" on certain decisions. But by establishing German financial dominance through the EFSF outside of traditional EU structures, the power of the English veto becomes largely irrelevant....

All in all, it feels like Europe is turning a page toward a new era of power dynamics. The political structure built on the post-WWII status quo is being forced to evolve to match the new reality of global power shifts..

Maria Booth said:There've been plenty of moves made! They actually swapped out the Prime Minister who was pushing for that referendum that could've pushed Greece away from the EU, half the debt got forgiven, and those Eurozone countries sent over several rounds of aid to Greece—I won't even try to dig up the exact numbers, but we're talking at least 120 billion EUR.

All they did was swap one leader for a dictator.

And the debt is still astronomical. If you want an example of how this Greek debt actually started... http://www.poslovnipuls.com/2012/03/...n-sachs-grcka/

So now tell me, are Greek workers and their supposed "natural laziness" really to blame for a 600 million EUR debt being racked up in a single day?

Ryan Ward2 said:My take is that those folks in the European Union are already drowning in issues involving Greece. They're likely past the point of caring and wouldn't mind if someone else took over the heavy lifting for a change. The real question is whether the Russians would actually have the guts to pick up that hot potato.

If that's the case, why didn't they just kick them out of the EU?

Alexander Stubb thinks the referendum called by the Greek Prime Minister will essentially serve as a vote on whether the country stays in the eurozone.
The Greek Finance Minister is fully aware of this too. "Citizens will have to decide if they are for Europe, the eurozone, and the Euro," Evangelos Venizelos stated.

And yet, the EU has banned the referendum...

Ryan Ward2 said:Solidarity? Honestly, let's call it what it is: self-interest. It's pretty obvious that Russia wants to take advantage of the cooling relations between Greece and the European Union to tighten its ties with their religious kin and eventually expand its footprint in Southeast Europe.

You've got a point there, but it makes me wonder why nobody from the European Union stepped up with an initiative to fix things before the relationship with Greece cooled down this much?

And honestly, I'm curious—what kind of results would a poll like that even yield here in the States?

According to reports from the Associated Press, the Russian government believes it is essential to support small business owners and everyday citizens in an economically struggling Greece. To that end, they are launching a "Help Greece" campaign, urging Russian citizens to buy more products labeled "Made in Greece"—the goal being to boost exports from Athens by 18 billion EUR annually.
The campaign is set to officially kick off in Russia on March 23rd, coinciding with the 191st anniversary of the modern Greek Republic.

People in Russia will be encouraged to pick up Greek olive oil, olives, wine, and other Mediterranean goods. They’ve planned trade fairs, presentations, and food tastings to run throughout the year.
"Our math shows that if the average Russian spends between 3,000 and 4,000 rubles a year on Greek products, it could increase Greek exports by 15 to 18 billion EUR," said George Muradov, deputy director of USAID.

"Greece is a nation that is close to us both historically and culturally; we have to help our Greek brothers through these grueling economic, social, and political crises. We sincerely hope our citizens will wholeheartedly back this initiative.", Muradov stated.

Initial research suggests the project might actually work. In a telephone poll conducted by the Moscow radio station Echo of Moscow, 67% of respondents said they want to help by starting to buy Greek products.

"It’s unlikely that a boost of 15 to 18 billion EUR will single-handedly fix the entire economy, but you’d expect the emotional support to at least mean something to the people in Greece who are struggling so much right now.", said Vladimir Solodukin, director of the financial corporation Broker Credit Service.

I’d ask the moderators not to move this thread to a section about Russia or Greece... because the point isn't about those specific places, it's about basic human solidarity—that instinct that tells you not to look away when someone else is suffering.

If nothing else, then do it for yourself...

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't protest because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't protest because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the union workers,
and I didn't protest because I wasn't a union worker.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't protest because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
but there was no one left to protest.

You should probably understand that my only real issues are with hypocrisy, double standards, and pure stupidity... 👋

And honestly, as long as they keep filming stuff like "Sunny Philadelphia," there's no way I could ever be anti-American...

Gerald Wright10 said:The whole idea of bringing Istanbul back under Christian—specifically Orthodox—control? That’s been a dream for, what, 🤔 600 years now? It’s been talked about, and it’s passed by. Look, we live on land that was once part of the Roman civilization, but that doesn't mean the Romans are just going to show up again. 🤷

I’m not saying they *will* return, I’m just saying they would have if it weren't for the Britons, the Frenchmen, and the Italians... and that's happened multiple times. The Crimean War is just one example.

As for the French, they are dangerous players. Honestly, acting all high and mighty because they lost to Germany in WW2 is ridiculous. Nobody could stop the Germans back then except the Russians, and even they took massive losses. What's even more absurd is trying to compare modern-day Turkey to how Germany was back then... 😛

James Newman5 said:Oh, France—such a powerhouse. I’m sure Italy and the Spain superpower are right on their heels.
In the West, there is really only one true nation-state left, which is the USA; everything else is essentially just a province. Even then, the USA seems to be slowly losing its grip. On the other hand, since Erdogan took charge, the Turkish military has undergone a massive transformation; they've brought in fresh leadership, and the army has never been more formidable. The Turkish population is significantly younger than the French or Germans, so a conflict would be a cakewalk against those old men. The Turks simply have more grit, and if they ever decided to move, it would spell absolute disaster for the French or the Germans.

Yeah, especially when you're dealing with Russians. Even today, if you bring up the Russians to the Turks, everything goes quiet. They know there's no playing around when it comes to Russia.

And if it hadn't been for those Frenchmen and Italians, Istanbul would probably be New Moscow by now— Crimean War 1853-1856.

As for the military itself, France is the fourth largest nuclear power. In a real confrontation, Turkey wouldn't last an hour...

Gerald Wright10 said:In the former America, there was actually a much stronger resistance movement than what you saw in a massive country like France, where they literally needed Americans and Britons to liberate them after the landings in Normandy. But hey, I guess that’s why they don't carry any political weight today.

The British (along with everyone else) have been kicking their teeth in throughout history. They handed Joan of Arc over to the British, they lost at Waterloo to the same people, and even Hico was out there posing in front of the Eiffel Tower with his buddies... it's just one thing after another!
😂

The Germans were responsible for sparking two World Wars, so if they manage to trigger a third, things aren't going to end well for them. As for the Turks, they couldn't care less about the Germans or the German military strength—it's all meaningless to them.

We all know exactly how long Hitler's Reich lasted compared to the Ottoman Empire.

Regarding your comparison between Hitler's Reich and the Ottoman Empire, you're right on the money; you can draw parallels in plenty of ways, from the genocide aspect and so on.

But if we're talking strictly about longevity, the German Empire actually lasted a good 210 years longer than the Ottomans—http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire.

As for your comments about the French, I can only tell you one thing again...🙂
Just for the sake of clarity, the French ultimately won the Hundred Years' War.
At Waterloo, the Prussians carried most of the heavy lifting, not the British, and for them to be defeated at all, all of Europe had to unite along with Britain and the Russian Empire.
And if it hadn't been for the French, the USA wouldn't have a President right now; we'd probably have someone like the Queen of Canada instead...

Gerald Wright10 said:🙂🙂

France wiping out Turkey...🤦 give me a break. Historically speaking, the French military has been signing surrender documents for centuries; they basically just fold whenever someone shows up strong enough to push them around.

If necessity called, they’d march all the way to Berlin just like they did back in '45. Most people assume about 80% of the credit for Germany's defeat in WW2 actually belongs to the Soviet Union.

They really *don't dare* complain. ☕

Your grasp of French history is truly impressive... please, keep it up, show us all how much you know!

And regarding Germany, you're right—they definitely can't be making noise about Turkey. 🙂

Gerald Wright10 said:Turkey is a powerhouse—a massive, formidable superpower. When we talk about Turkey, we’re talking on par with the USA, China, or Russia... even Germany hasn't had military capacity like that since the end of WWII!!!

As for America... well, America is just America. It's a small, economically struggling country plagued by corruption, poverty, and endless red tape... and all that "Christian" stuff is only on paper; at the end of the day, it's nothing but pure self-interest.🙂

You really managed to say something that ridiculous and still walk away in one piece...

James Newman5 said:France and Germany will likely never be able to match Turkey militarily again; they've become little more than small satellites that the USA bleeds dry every single day.

Man, France is the fourth strongest nuclear power on the planet and ranks third globally when it comes to military industry. If things actually went south and it became a matter of survival, they could wipe Turkey off the map in a matter of hours...

As for the German military, they're still basically living under the shadow of WW2, but if the need ever arose...

And it’s not actually about the oil itself—that's just the tired old script our local neocons always run with. They love to claim, "Look, we aren't in Iraq for the oil," while they simultaneously pull their entire supply from places like Venezuela and Norway, all while handing out concessions to everyone else behind the scenes. It isn't about the resource; it's about control. And you achieve that by dominating the sources and, more importantly, managing the flow of energy...

In Sudan, they seem particularly obsessed with gaining control over China and its economy, which is basically tethered to oil imports...

Nicole Clark79 said:I didn't actually think there would be any friction in "that" department.
The real trouble might arise now that the world has become multipolar, yet the WASP crowd is trying to force it back into unipolarity—basically a monopoly—through the NWO.
Then again, I suppose we'll just have to "wait and see," as the skeptics like to say. 🤣

It is also quite telling how Soros is slowly migrating, taking the bulk of his wealth with him, away from the USA and toward Asia and Africa.
It reminds me of that old saying about how people are the first to jump ship when they sense it starting to sink.

edit:
For instance, the Chinese managed to snatch Equatorial Guinea—which is absolutely loaded with oil and gas—right out from under the British, and they did it quite cleverly by feeding intelligence to the local dictator. This intel led to the arrest of the entire unit of 60 elite British special forces who were originally sent to overthrow him.
It seems like the gears for World War III are already starting to turn in Africa, all because of those natural energy resources.

Got a source for that?

slybison8 said:I suppose the reason Republicans didn't win isn't because they're advocating for a Bible replacement Constitution, but rather because they represent a fundamentally American principle: money should stay with the people who actually earn it. I think Obama wants to take wealth from those who produce it just so the federal bureaucracy can fund whatever it decides Americans might need. Maybe that kind of mindset just doesn't sit right with Americans. They seem to prefer paying for their own health insurance rather than handing that money over to the government to manage it for them. America simply isn't Europe, and I suspect it never will be. Perhaps Obama is just the exception that proves the rule.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama highlighted healthcare as one of the biggest issues during the last presidential campaign. Honestly, I find it hard to believe they would have made it a central theme if the idea of universal healthcare was truly that repulsive to Americans.

And even if you set aside the 48 million Americans without coverage—calling them "losers" who are solely to blame—you’re still left with the fact that 70% of bankruptcies are caused by medical crises. You also have to face the reality that despite all the Republican talking points about having the best hospitals and doctors in the universe, the US sits near the bottom of the list among 30 developed nations regarding infant mortality (29th) and life expectancy (24th). This is happening despite the fact that people in the US spend more on healthcare than anywhere else in the world—about $7,290 per person annually, or 16% of the GDP.

So, I highly doubt that the idea of universal healthcare is offensive to Americans who spend their entire lives working and saving, only to end up bankrupt because a spouse developed multiple sclerosis...

It’s also worth pointing out that behind all those protests and the "Tea Party" movements—which FOX News portrays as gatherings of "average middle-class Americans"—are corporations and right-wing organizations. For instance, Art Pop, who presents himself as a representative of the average American middle class, is a multimillionaire whose name is on the Republican Party headquarters building in North Carolina.

Finally, is it even necessary to mention that politicians—specifically members of Congress and the Senate—have guaranteed government health insurance? Take Senator John Thune from South Dakota, for example; at the exact same moment he’s spitting venom against "government healthcare," he’s enjoying government-provided (free) healthcare for himself and his family...

Robin Ramos2 said:Where on earth is the actual evidence that there's a massive surge of single mothers and broken homes across Africa? 🙂

Fine, let's try this: where are the sources claiming that outside of war-torn regions in Africa—like Kenya or Tanzania—there are more broken families and single moms than, say, in India?

It’s a rhetorical question, really. Since you didn't provide a single source for any of your other claims, I know you won't provide one for this either. And that bit about the oppression of Black people is truly something else... from now on, I'm calling you Bor!

So, how's it going, Bor? You want to tell us more about testicles? Sorry, what was the word you used—penises? What an idiot. Honestly, the guy commenting under the article hit the nail on the head regarding how much taxpayer money is being wasted on this nonsense...

James Nguyen13 said:It’s an interesting thing to observe how the idea that race doesn't matter at all has become such a rigid dogma for certain people. At this point, it almost feels irrelevant how many studies, data sets, or experimental results you bring to the table; they just keep shouting their own narrative regardless.
If you look at the statistics, there is a significantly higher proportion of broken homes and single-mother households within the Black community globally, which suggests a specific pattern regarding the presence of fathers.
Then, the standard script starts playing—that it’s all just a byproduct of poverty—but nobody seems to want to explain why that logic doesn't hold up when you look at high poverty rates in places like the Philippines or Moldova.

Fine, let's talk about where slavery occurred, but where is the actual evidence showing that this specific situation exists in Africa?