Sam Alvarez4 said:US Senate approves defense bill, paving way for sanctions on Turkey over S-400 missiles
Now that both the House of Representatives and the Senate have passed it, whether the US actually hits Turkey with those sanctions... it all comes down to Trump. He still holds that veto power...
He isn't going to impose them. It’s quite clear that Turkey is one of those golden calves that Western politicians are all too eager to worship.
The limp, spineless bureaucrats in the European Union lack the backbone to implement any meaningful sanctions without begging their masters across the Atlantic for direction—and let's be honest, even the US views Turkey as a much more vital strategic partner than the EU (which is merely an economic rival).
Sam Alvarez4 said:erdogan: I really hope France gets rid of Macron trouble as soon as they can
"I hope that France will get rid of Macron trouble as soon as possible," Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul.
The autocrat is hoping... maybe he even prayed for it too...
Exactly. At the Hagia Sophia. In the meantime, he has begun exporting militants all the way to Pakistan. It is just turbo-Islamism in full swing. The crucial part is that there are no sanctions to be found, nor is Turkey being kicked out of NATO. I certainly don't feel particularly comfortable being part of an alliance with such an Islamist Turkey.
There's talk that this could lead to sanctions being voted on early next December—but only if the other EU members, especially Germany, decide to back France, Greece, and Cyprus...
Either way, we won't truly know until December 10th and 11th what the real fallout from this Eastern Mediterranean escalation will be. We'll see if France, Greece, and Cyprus are left hanging, or if Brussels actually stands firm against Turkish interference.
This is yet another glaring symptom of how aimless European Union policy has become. They pass these resolutions that carry zero weight, issuing protest notes and statements that are, for all practical purposes, no more impactful than a dog barking at the moon. It is all a performative charade designed to create the illusion of action while ensuring that nothing substantive ever actually happens, allowing the bureaucracy to feel productive without having to commit to anything. It is the height of absurdity within a bloated and inefficient European Union apparatus. And predictably, the first entity to stonewall any meaningful sanctions against Turkey will be Germany, whose foreign policy seems perpetually neutered by an endless, almost sycophantic devotion toward Ankara.
Sam Alvarez4 said:erdogan: ''The US, an official member of NATO, sees itself as an inseparable part of the West... but won't back down against attacks or double standards.''
US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that his country, an official member of NATO, sees itself as an inseparable part of the West but will not give in to attacks and double standards.
It’s high time he asks himself if the West truly views him and his religious brotherhood as part of the West... especially given how they view his calls for conflict against one of the strongest members of the European Union, his provocations in the Mediterranean Sea, or the influx of extremists from Syria...
Every single speech like this creates an echo... every action triggers a reaction.
The reality remains that the European Union is far too weak to mount any meaningful response other than simply catering to the whims of those seeking dominance. Once again, the European Union will likely fold and submit, while the Germans will undoubtedly lead the charge in such a neutered approach to foreign policy.
Back in the day, I’ll admit my motivations for sitting through that film were purely primal; I was there for the scantily clad waitresses and because the girl was such a knockout that I felt obligated to watch... everything else about it was just mindless filler. Fast forward twenty years, and frankly, I find myself questioning whether it would even hold up as a decent piece of cinema today. The plot is non-existent, the characters are utterly vapid, and as for the dancing? I couldn't care less.
Unfortunately, none of that will move the needle, much like those sanctions failed to do. To them, this will likely just be interpreted as a green light to continue acting with total impunity.
rustydrifter10 said:Generally speaking, we don't permit users to bypass an active ban by posting from an alternate account. Whether a moderator decides to issue a simple warning or simply pull the trigger on a ban for the clone—and how long that suspension lasts—is entirely dependent on the specific circumstances at hand. It’s a matter of nuance; there is a vast difference between someone being mildly disruptive in a trivial chat room and someone intentionally stoking the fires of a heated, serious debate. Furthermore, we occasionally run into situations where our newer moderators feel a bit out of their depth and reach out to me for guidance, all within a forty-eight-hour window while a user is finishing their ban, flooding the boards with a secondary account, or engaging in some other unpredictable behavior.
And I have to ask: why isn't every single new user automatically screened for existing accounts as part of standard operating procedure? Implementing such a check would undoubtedly clear up much of this ongoing ambiguity.
Lawrence Booth2 said:The Turkey problem is something only Napoleon could have actually fixed Maybe then they would have finally become a modern European state, just like the rest of us over here on the continent.
The Turkey problem—which, let’s be honest, is more of an issue for us and the European Union than for them—stems from the fact that their status as a European nation is purely geographical. Mentally, they remain firmly rooted in Asia. Their fundamental way of thinking hasn't undergone any significant evolution in over a millennium; every attempt at reform has been nothing more than a superficial, forced veneer. Frankly, Turkey is an embarrassment to NATO, serving as the only member (aside from Canada 😲) that continues to hold territory belonging to another European Union member through occupation.
Emily Fox2 said:Turkey really threw a wrench in things for the French. France is pulling out of the NATO maritime mission following an incident with Turkey:
The French are certainly demonstrating some backbone here!!!
After all, they have always been steadfast allies and friends to the Turks.
Henry Garcia13 said:They're becoming completely unchecked... and it isn't just about the Kurdish situation, or even their dealings with the Syrian Arab Army and the Russians... Iran is basically building its entire strategy on being difficult for Americans, stepping in wherever they see an opening to push back.
Well, true enough, they even take swipes at Haftar, who sits somewhere in the middle of the Kurds and the SAA—essentially a complete non-entity on the global stage. And if we look at their relationship with Greece, for instance, they don't dare venture beyond a war of words and those incessant provocations involving violations of Greek airspace.
It is truly a dire situation; Turkey certainly possesses the capacity to strike back at the Kurds, the Syrian Arab Army, and the Russians. As for those last two, they seem perfectly content to slap whoever they please without facing any consequences whatsoever.
Maria Barnes said:I've heard this sentiment in several places, so let's address it.
What exactly do you think won't fly? To what extent does this actually stop you from writing freely?
If you aren't breaking the basic rules we all agreed to during registration—like no insults, no harassment, no malice—then you shouldn't feel restricted at all.
If there is an issue, we will work to fix it.
In the meantime, please keep political topics aside. Politics is a breeding ground for endless conflict. It's true: we do lean in a bit harder there because of past experiences. Things spiral into extremes and chaos too fast, and the decent users end up leaving. So, just don't bring politics here. There will be other times. Reddit isn't a political forum; it's a general interest site, and politics is just one tiny segment.
It stifles things just enough that engaging in certain topics feels entirely futile—especially for those of us trying to navigate political discourse.
Maria Barnes said:I've heard this sentiment in several places, so let's address it.
What exactly do you think won't fly? To what extent does this actually stop you from writing freely?
If you aren't breaking the basic rules we all agreed to during registration—like no insults, no harassment, no malice—then you shouldn't feel restricted at all.
If there is an issue, we will work to fix it.
In the meantime, please keep political topics aside. Politics is a breeding ground for endless conflict. It's true: we do lean in a bit harder there because of past experiences. Things spiral into extremes and chaos too fast, and the decent users end up leaving. So, just don't bring politics here. There will be other times. Reddit isn't a political forum; it's a general interest site, and politics is just one tiny segment.
Now, I don't consider myself some radical or problematic user; I haven't had major outbursts, nor do I make a habit of swearing at or insulting people who disagree with me. And yet, I still find myself unable to discuss matters openly or express my views freely, primarily because of how the moderation team seems to be "calibrated." The main issue lies in the arbitrary deployment of vague, fabricated justifications—essentially blatant trolling by the staff—combined with the overzealous ideological activism of certain moderators who find it nearly impossible to separate their private biases from their official duties. If a moderator struggles to grasp that someone might simply feel uncomfortable in the presence of, say, a drug addict or a local drummer, how competent can they truly be at managing a community? Furthermore, if they cannot mask their inherent bias against anyone who votes for the Republican Party, how can we ever expect them to remain objective?
ruka-slave said:It was a fine distinction to make when we discussed focusing on lemon slices rather than whole lemons.
And then, suddenly, everyone rushes to bring up self-censorship, immigration, and hate speech.
Just so you know, that isn't a particularly classy way to behave. 🙂
Regrettably, none of this will lead to any meaningful change. The moderators will undoubtedly rally together once more to declare themselves entirely correct and dismiss these grievances as completely baseless, likely celebrating the occasion by handing out a few more bans for "trolling"... 😁
Maria Barnes said:I've heard this sentiment in several places, so let's address it.
What exactly do you think won't fly? To what extent does this actually stop you from writing freely?
If you aren't breaking the basic rules we all agreed to during registration—like no insults, no harassment, no malice—then you shouldn't feel restricted at all.
If there is an issue, we will work to fix it.
In the meantime, please keep political topics aside. Politics is a breeding ground for endless conflict. It's true: we do lean in a bit harder there because of past experiences. Things spiral into extremes and chaos too fast, and the decent users end up leaving. So, just don't bring politics here. There will be other times. Reddit isn't a political forum; it's a general interest site, and politics is just one tiny segment.
Respected members, if you look at how the immigration threads have been moderated over the last few years, everything will become perfectly clear to you. 😉
The reckless application of "hate speech" labels has reached a point where nobody even wants to participate in those discussions anymore, simply because the rate of banning users has become excessive.
They’re honestly starting to get quite tedious with this approach. It’s nothing but recycled themes and exhausted storylines—it's as if they've completely run out of original ideas.
Given that politicians and The New York Times essentially dictate the lives of everyday Americans, the very least we can offer them is an exhaust valve where they can vent their frustration. If you think our political elite deserves more respect than that—well, let’s be realistic; we are talking about the very individuals who engineered the system and drafted the laws designed to swiftly crack down on a guy making moonshine in his backyard while leaving those who embezzle millions completely untouched. And frankly, I won't even dignify the discussion regarding the protection of foreign dignitaries 😁
Furthermore, there is a certain irony at play here. The same people clamoring to shield specific politicians and self-proclaimed "pillars of morality" from what they deem "unfair or malicious mockery" are usually the first ones to invent creative, derogatory nicknames for any politician who doesn't align with their views or sits on the other side of the aisle. So, really...
A fundamental schism between the trans-Atlantic hegemon and its vassal states is simply an impossibility. What we are witnessing are merely minor squabbles regarding the exact amount of tribute owed to the sovereign. The master will inevitably settle this matter with a thunderous decree and a sharp strike of his scepter—or, more accurately, through those "consultations" held by vassal leaders at institutions in Washington D.C. that mirror the administrative bodies found throughout every subordinate nation.
Their short films range from decent to absolutely stellar. Aside from those few half-baked attempts that completely miss the mark, they clearly have a knack for sci-fi, even if their sense of humor remains somewhat underdeveloped. What they truly lack is a compelling narrative driven by a strong writer. Most of these projects feel like clever riffs on existing concepts and classic films, yet they still manage to be incomparably superior to the recycled blockbuster sludge we’ve been force-fed lately.
Larry Fox5 said:What even counts as "natural" versus "unnatural" anyway? Where do you draw the line before it all becomes just subjective nonsense?
Besides, ethnicity today doesn't carry nearly the same weight it did during the feudal era—long before citizenship was a thing or during constant warfare. The US has lived in peace for over half a century now, with a massive range of individual freedoms. Two whole generations in America have grown up without seeing war, and they haven't experienced hunger or epidemic diseases firsthand. For most, those things only exist in books or movies...
Coming from someone currently residing in America, 🤦