Reports this morning he’s already approached them through Italian mediators for a ceasefire
I don’t know who he is but I have heard of this happening from a number of other sources. I understand you’re trying to clear up one source, but I am more concerned with the actual happening.
I’m not beholden to any source.
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Yeah, I am just saying that he is a big fan of starving people to death and eliminating rebels by gassing their neighbourhoods, killing thousands of civilians in the process.
Point is, I want people, including you, to know what kind of man he is (i.e. a hardcore Assadist).
Not for a moment did I think you were “beholden” to him in any sort of way. But I followed the Syrian civil war since 2011 and Richard Medhurst is rather infamous in that context. I don’t really care that much about his pro Russia stance and his support of the Russian invasion. His glorification as well as denial of the worst war crimes of the Syrian Civil War takes priority when it comes to that.
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His base doesn’t care. The cowards in his party won’t care. The media his fellow billionaires bought will gloss over it.
Edit: Reply moved to US Politics thread.
Didn’t it get posted somewhere that they’re planning to seize control of the elections from certain states under false pretences? Pretty sure that means they don’t care already. People are not paying attention. The whole ICE thing is a rehearsal for a complete seizure of power. When it comes down to judiciary vs military, only one is going to win.
I wasn’t sure where to put this, but I thought it was relevant to this thread:
The Rest Is Entertainment is a podcast from Gary Lineker’s podcast firm and discusses behind the scenes of the entertainment industry.
The first half of this podcast is about the whole industry of Dubai based Influencers. It’s not something that I have ever really been interested in, but it is a bit of an eye opener to see how state sponsored the whole enterprise is. It also makes me think even less of those who choose to take a fistful of UAE funded dollars and slag off London, the UK, and other nations that they have left.
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I wanted to watch it. I do enjoy Marina’s columns in the Grauniad, but sorry say just can’t get past Osman. He’s everywhere these days and I find him really annoying.
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Yeah, why is he doing podcasts now??? He should get back to writing, the lazy sod.
Been to a Dubai a number of times.
It’s basically a Disneyland-type concept, done over an entire city. If you avert your eyes you can keep enjoying it.
But if you look at how the “help” live you’d be put off by it. The whole apparatus relies on poorly treated and poorly remunerated labour from south and southeast Asian countries.
Remember the Qatar World Cup construction deaths? Think in similar vein.
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Dubai is pretty okay if you are an Indian IT worker.
But if you are from the labour class. Then yeah. Not good
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I never followed what happened since the fall of Gaddafi in Libya. Spoiler, nothing good.
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Finally some good news from the region that will ease tensions and not escalate them.
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Syria being a bastion for hope. Never would have thought it but does go to show that there doesn’t always have to be us vs them internally or externally. Hope some knucklehead doesn’t decide to kick off again because this isn’t the way of his Islam.
I was transiting in Dubai a few months ago and found it kinda distasteful. All money and no class.
Many of humanities worst qualities on show. Excessive consumerism, extravagance and exploitation. All built on oil money.
I did take note when they gave me a free data sim on arrival, and as soon as I put it in my phone is welcomed me by name. Reminded be straight away it’s a surveillance state.
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I didn’t have that experience when I was a frequent flyer to Dubai about 6-7 years back.
I did use their sim’s and yes , it would be a surveillance but was never welcomed by name.
I wonder if it’s a relatively new thing or whether it’s just the case of flash programming a sim with the traveler details which are easily gotten by the travel plans.
And there are reasons why I wouldn’t do well in a surveillance state. I stayed in Singapore for some years when I was a kid and even then found it repressive.
I remember my father telling me to shush when I asked him some innocent questions like “why is there only one party in Singapore?”
And there are many points to Singapore I really admire but the surveillance isn’t one of them
I am guessing so, looked like this. It was handed to me at the same time as going through passport control.
I wonder if the scan the passport and programme the sim simultaneously.
That is easy to get around. Carry a 2nd phone that you only use in Dubai and never take the phone out of the hotel room.
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They would have plenty of time to program the sim before hand. They would know your details from the travel itinerary / booking etc.