Depository for off topic / political posts (NO brexit related posts please)

BeechBaby wrote:

The Highland Clearances (Scottish Gaelic: Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal [ˈfuət̪ɪçən nəŋ ˈɡɛː.əl̪ˠ], the “eviction of the Gaels”) were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly from 1750 to 1860.

I don’t see how that is an argument for anything in this discussion… But if it is to put the UK in a negative light, consider the genocide on native americans by the constitutional liberal democracy of the USA.

“the first modern constitutional liberal democracy.”
800? years after Iceland.
The “tenants” referred to in the Scottish clearances were people who thought they were living on their own “Clan” land. Their leaders betrayed them.
The potato famine affected the Highlands as much as Ireland – but by then there were few left to starve.
Both Irish and Scottish Gaelic speakers died in numbers after taking jobs at the Glasgow (Springburn?) sulphuric acid works, where their lungs were irritated, making them susceptible to tuberculosis. Locals knew the situation and wouldn’t work there.

BeechBaby wrote:

Freedom and democracy existed long before the USA became independent from England.

Before pouncing, you should have considered what we were attempting to fact check. The quoted statement offered by @LeSving was factually incorrect. I offered two examples of why that would be so. Two examples out of thousands I could have chosen

Airborne_Again wrote:

But if it is to put the UK in a negative light,

And where that gem, yet again AA, (at least you are consistent) came from is anyone’s guess…

My once professor of American Indian Studies, who amazingly is still working, painted a much more complex history of US and American Indian tribal interaction, 19th century tribal/US wars, etc than would be captured by the word “genocide”. It’s a very long story, and the Indian tribes were an independent force again each other, the Spanish, the Mexicans and the US on the same land for hundreds of years of mixed cooperation and warfare, depending on the circumstance of the moment.

Over the long term leading up to today, although somewhat improved over the last say 40 years, the biggest problem for American Indians (unlike most Americans and their lives) is that like foreign nations they’ve had a direct relationship with the Federal Government, which has unsurprisingly shown itself to be totally incompetent in the relationship over a very long period of time. Their legal status as foreign nations and non-citizens (until 1924), incrementally changed to US citizens of Domestic Dependent Nations over time did not provide the same level of protection from inappropriate Federal power that e.g. US states and their citizens enjoy under the Constitution.

I happen to live in an area with more Indian tribes than any other area of the US. Recently many of them have developed much increased economic strength from developing a relationship with (mostly) Las Vegas casino investors, working their legal status as Domestic Dependent Nations to their advantage. In other words, they’ve turned Lemons to Lemonade.

BeechBaby wrote:

And where that gem, yet again AA, (at least you are consistent) came from is anyone’s guess…

I can’t say that I understand what you’re talking about, but it’s nice that you find me consistent.

Airborne_Again wrote:

but it’s nice that you find me consistent.

Yes, compliments abound and as always credit where credit is due.

The UK, along with Denmark, France, Spain, Portugal. the US, have been global marauders for centuries. No special mention needed to put the UK in a negative light. Our leaders complete a masterful job on that front.

The question is actually does freedom and democracy exist at any time and anywhere.

It could very well be my last post here. Many posts makes me shiver

• WHO says vaccines only lower transmission by 40%.
• Predictably (to sensible people), our health minister just declared your good-citizen pass will be canceled if you don’t take the third dose. Our hospitals are very far from being overwhelmed. Plan a new one every 5 months.
• Australia send CV-positive people to military internment camps

I invite everyone to watch this graph (both new cases and deaths), think of the relative vax coverage and restriction levels.
Then make up their mind. There are two possibilities, an easy one, and a hard one.

If you believe the hard one is plausible, read this column
It is time to be brave.

It could very well be my last post here

That would be a loss to EuroGA!

One day this stuff will be over.