Για θέματα γενικού ενδιαφέροντος, εκτός μηχανοκίνητων...
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By cmarin
#332142
mirage έγραψε:Σιγα η αλλη μιλα με τον Θεό
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/t ... 7d1918523c

< >

Κι ο Σαμαράς μιλούσε. Το πρόβλημα αρχίζει όταν ο θεός τους απαντάει :)
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By markvag
#332223 Μην ξεχνάμε τον πρώτο που είχε υποστηρίξει ότι του μιλάει ο θεός...

Εικόνα

:rtfm: :rtfm:
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By mousatos
#332249 Τα παιδιά-τα παιδιά τα φιλαράκια τα καλά.
Shell holds a 45 percent interest in the Majnoon oil field that it operates under a technical service contract that expires in 2030, according to its 2015 annual report. Malaysia's national oil company Petronas holds a 30 percent stake in the field while the Iraqi government holds the remaining 25 percent.
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/shell ... 02633.html
Αυτό εξηγεί κάποια πράγμτα αεροπορικής φύσεως, τουλάχιστον στα δικά μου τα μάτια.
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By Χρήστος Λάππας
#332492 Venezuela's currency now worth so little shopkeepers weigh vast piles of notes instead of counting them
Scenes on the streets of Caracas said to be reminiscent of the past century's most chaotic cases of hyperinflation

Εικόνα
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By Χρήστος Λάππας
#332512 Όποιος έχει διαβάσει το Our Man In Havana του Graham Greene, φαντάζομαι ότι θα χαμογελάσει με τον τίτλο:

Our Bogeyman in Havana Is Dead

What Fidel Castro’s death means for the future of U.S.-Cuba relations.

BY JAMES STAVRIDIS

Εικόνα

At long last, Fidel Castro has sailed on to the great commune in the sky. The millions of cries of “Vaya con Dios” in Havana have been answered by exuberant dancing in the streets on Calle Ocho in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, where people are more likely saying “Vaya con El Diablo” instead. The real question is how does Fidel’s passing affect Cuba, the United States, and the region? What are the points of leverage that may emerge as a result of his long-anticipated death?

We should first pause and consider the legacy of El Comandante, which pretty. Despite a deluge of touching tributes from around the globe (including an especially smarmy one from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who should know better), the balance sheet of history will score Fidel poorly. While there will be requisite acknowledgment of Fidel’s work in improving child mortality, creating a better educational system, training many (mediocre) doctors, and reducing inequality (by making the population more equally poor), the decisive judgments will focus on a harsh dictatorship, iron control of the people by the brutal security forces, and worst of all, an essentially non-functioning economy that was only sustained by decades of handouts from the Soviet Union.

When Fidel took over, many countries south of the United States were governed by repressive, undemocratic regimes of one form or another, chiefly among them military juntas. By the time of his death, only Cuba remained a true dictatorship, although Venezuela is not far behind today. 

Fidel managed to freeze Cuba in place for over a half-century, using the United States and its failed embargo as an excuse for all the problems his regime could not correct. When I was commander of the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, charged with all security activity and military operations south of the United States, I used to keep a picture on my office wall of a classic 1957 Cherolet that prowled the streets of Havana to remind me that Cuba was quite literally stuck in the past. Our embargo only empowered Fidel to keep that lack of progress in place, and the Obama administration’s moves to open the country are the right ones.
 
This brings us to the path ahead given the passing of Fidel. We should begin by acknowledging that in all probability, Raúl Castro, Fidel’s younger and less-talented brother will be able to maintain tight control over the nation. Raúl, who is himself no youngster at 85, has the security forces — both domestic surveillance and armed forces — under his direct control. With roughly 70 percent of the economy run by the military, that means Raúl has both the guns and the butter when it comes to controlling the populace. Not surprisingly, there is very little in the way of human rights progress, although some limited commerce is developing and internet access is inexorably making gains. But overall, we should curb our enthusiasm that Fidel’s death will suddenly unleash a brave new world in Cuba.

Having said that, there are several potential shifts in the political context that Fidel’s death might enable.
First, in Cuba itself, Fidel’s death removes any final constraint imposed by presence of the psychologically important if physically diminished leader. Raúl will have a more open field in which to explore economic, political, and cultural changes should he desire to do so. By the time of his death, Fidel was almost a [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazgûl]ring wraith[/url] dressed in an old blue track suit, yet he still exerted a certain force over domestic politics. Whether Raúl wants to open up the economy is of course an open question, but at least the option now exists.

Second, from the perspective of the United States, we should step back and consider our objectives. We certainly want to bring better human rights and a true democratic process to Cuba. Over time, this will reduce the flow of migrants to the United States. Additionally, the island has 11 million relatively well-educated people with enormous untapped potential. Tourism, agriculture, mining, offshore hydrocarbons, and eventually a market for American products are all attractive for the United States. And the cigars aren’t bad either.

The best way we can achieve our objectives would be to gradually, and in a transactional way, continue to engage with Cuba. In the end, lifting the embargo will affect Cuba in ways that achieve U.S. objectives. Look at the cases of Vietnam and the former Warsaw Pact countries in Eastern Europe: Both have moved from being low-productivity economies with opposing political stances to becoming friends and allies of the United States with increasingly robust trading regimes. That could be the case with Cuba over time.

Third, the passing of Fidel will continue the geopolitical shift against communism and deep socialism in the region that crested about five years ago, when the Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez, buoyed by high oil prices, was able to cobble together a group of left-leaning regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Cuba — all under the symbolic mantle of Fidel, a man Chávez viewed as a father figure. With oil prices now below $50 a barrel, Chávez and Fidel dead, and Venezuela collapsing due to economic mismanagement, that movement is increasingly discredited.
Thus, it’s increasingly important that the United States continue to maintain good relations with close friends and partners like Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Peru. It’s also why it’s imperative to build new relationships with nations emerging from hard-left governments such as Argentina while reaffirming the strength of bilateral relations with Brazil as it goes through much domestic travail. There are ways to develop shared hemispheric interests in dealing with narcotics, natural disasters, medical diplomacy, humanitarian operations, and illegal migration. And working to these ends through the Organization of American States will help maintain a sense that the Americas are a shared home for us all.

While Fidel’s death may not have immediate practical effect, the longer-term symbolism may have an impact in providing new openings in the Americas. For too long, we used Fidel as our bogeyman in Havana, generally to our own detriment in the region. Now that he is gone, we should forge a new approach for the vibrant but complicated world to the south.


Πηγή: http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/11/28/our ... redirect=0
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By PaNick67
#332531 Βεβαια ο συντακτης

James Stavridis is a retired four-star U.S. Navy admiral and NATO supreme allied commander who serves today as the dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

δεν ειναι αυτο που θα λεγαμε "αντικειμενικος κριτης", ε;
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By EDDIE_147
#332538 Εννοείται.
Μόνο αν ήταν η Lula Margulia, ακριβίστρια και μέλος της οργάνωσης "Σώστε την κατσαρίδα Μπουρου-Μπούρου", θα είχε νόημα να διαβάσουμε τεστιμόνιαλ από επίσκεψη της στην Κούβα.
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By Χρήστος Λάππας
#332555
Νίκος Παππάς έγραψε:Βεβαια ο συντακτης

James Stavridis is a retired four-star U.S. Navy admiral and NATO supreme allied commander who serves today as the dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

δεν ειναι αυτο που θα λεγαμε "αντικειμενικος κριτης", ε;


Νομίζω ότι ο τίτλος του άρθρου σε προϊδεάζει για το τι θα διαβάσεις.
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By PaNick67
#332558
Χρήστος Λάππας έγραψε:
Νίκος Παππάς έγραψε:Βεβαια ο συντακτης

James Stavridis is a retired four-star U.S. Navy admiral and NATO supreme allied commander who serves today as the dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

δεν ειναι αυτο που θα λεγαμε "αντικειμενικος κριτης", ε;


Νομίζω ότι ο τίτλος του άρθρου σε προϊδεάζει για το τι θα διαβάσεις.

Εννοειται, το σχολιο πηγαινε στο αρθρο και την σκοπια που βλεπει τα πραγματα.
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By rx8_drifter
#332579 Σαφέστατα up to the point για ενα τεχνοκράτη που βλέπει τί διαμαντάκι παίζει ειδικά με εναν πληθυσμό με τόσο ψηλά επίπεδα μόρφωσης γενικά

Αλλά μεταξύ μας, αυτό με συγκίνησε

When Fidel took over, many countries south of the United States were governed by repressive, undemocratic regimes of one form or another, chiefly among them military juntas. By the time of his death, only Cuba remained a true dictatorship, although Venezuela is not far behind today.

Ρε φίλε, ποιός τις υποστήριζε αυτές τις δικτατορίες στην Λατινική Αμερική, μπας και ήταν ο εργοδότης σου? Μην ντρέπεσαι :lol:

edit: Θέλει να εξάγει και δημοκρατία και ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα, τώρα το δα αυτό :dizzy:
Θα κλείσει το Γκουαντάναμο :s_whiteflag
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By Zorz
#332690
mirage έγραψε:Σιγα η αλλη μιλα με τον Θεό
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/t ... 7d1918523c


Άλλη μια χώρα που μετακινείται από τη λίστα "χώρες που ζηλεύω" στη λίστα "χώρες που λυπάμαι". :(

ΥΓ: Αυτό το είδες;

Εικόνα
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38134859

Πώς λένε στ' αγγλικά "Θα χορέψουμε τους Ευρωπαίους στο ταψί"; :shifty:
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By g8777
#333149 Εικόνα


--------------------->


http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/pour-francois-fillon-la-colonisation-visait-a-partager-sa-culture_1825773.html

"No, France is not guilty of wanting to share their culture with the peoples of Africa, Asia and North America," said Sunday 28 August, Sable-sur-Sarthe , the candidate the primary right François Fillon . Drawing up the indictment school programs that, according to him, to learn French students to be "ashamed" of their country, he considers necessary that they be rewritten to give a more favorable picture of the history of France.



Αλγερια, Ινδοκινα, Κονγκο. Ανταλλαγη κουλτουρας. Οπως Αμερικη. Με κλυσμα. :s_thumbsup


Γαλλια ομως. Υβσελωραν. Οχι κατσαπλιαδες με αμπεχωνα. :s_yes
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By Χρήστος Λάππας
#333283 (Έχουμε thread για άρθρα τύπου "the onion/κουλούρι κλπ; )

One Last Humiliation: The CIA Just Bungled An Attempt To Drop A Piano On Fidel Castro’s Funeral Procession

Εικόνα

This is truly a black eye for American foreign policy.

The United States has certainly racked up its fair share of embarrassing, hair-brained attempts to take down Fidel Castro over the past 60 years, but what happened this morning may have been our government’s most cringe-worthy attempt yet: The CIA just completely bungled an attempt to drop a piano on Castro’s funeral procession.

Wow. The CIA just proved that it cannot let its obsession with Castro go, and that as far as total incompetence goes, it’s at the top of the list.

According to intelligence sources, the CIA started to plan the dropping of a 400-pound Steinway on Castro’s remains the moment the agency was made aware of the Cuban leader’s passing. Agents devised a system where they would tie a piano to a helicopter and fly it above the funeral processional, but in a mortifying turn of events, the rope was reportedly cut too early, and the piano fell out of the sky and landed harmlessly 50 yards ahead of the march.

After a 200-foot drop out of the sky, the piano smashed against the pavement with a deafening combination of high and low musical notes, exposing the idiocy of both CIA agents and the United States for the world to see. At that point, eyewitnesses reported that Castro’s funeral parade paused momentarily, looked up to the sky in confusion, and then proceeded to walk right around the rubble, as if nothing had happened.

Yikes. The CIA was clearly trying to end with one successful mission after 630 failed attempts on Castro’s life, but just like always, they totally face-planted. How is America supposed to project democracy and non-interventionist policies to the world when we just got caught red-handed trying to smash a head of state’s corpse with an air-dropped piano? The hypocrisy is sickening.

Unfortunately, it looks like what intelligence officials were apparently calling “Operation Beethoven” is just one more dark spot on American-Cuban relations. Hopefully, our government can stay out of Cuba and dig ourselves out of this one, but knowing them, we’ll probably see more bungled attempts in the future.


Πηγή: http://www.clickhole.com/article/one-la ... -drop-5205