News Stories

[wontaek]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

I don't really have a problem with child molesters getting punched in the face till they die, but, well, we only have the killer's version of the story. He may be 100% honest, but we can't really tell from where we are.

Thus I think we need to wait until the official investigation is over. I really hope the official investigation is fair and thorough.

[JMvS]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

The Swiss Franc or Singapore dollar? Honestly speaking, those are the only two currencies which I have read about so much never running into any trouble......

Actually, on the Swiss Franc, for the past few years it being way too strong a currency compared to everything else has been a hot topic: hurting our exports and global competitivity.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by JMvS

Actually, on the Swiss Franc, for the past few years it being way too strong a currency compared to everything else has been a hot topic: hurting our exports and global competitivity.

Actually that has been the same case for us too. It hurted our export and contributed to high costs of living.

Fortunately, we have a scapegoat for that : the ruling political party.

[ganbaru]

High currency is part of the problem than our factory sector ( and export) is facing, but it didn't down the raw material exports.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by flying ^

methinks the only way EU-ians will salvage EU is to become more like United States... complete with US-style FED reserve (which they don't have) and Brussels as their own Washington DC.

I'm an "Eu-ian" (really?) and agree with that. In fact I've agreed with that for quite some time now. The european union needs to double down on it's integration. Right now we're at this strange middle ground between an alliance and a federation of states and it's not particularly working.

[Malkuth]

Originally Posted by Haak

Bank reforms in Britain:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...85C1KV20120613

Opinions?

That's the recommendation from last year about splitting the saving/pension and high risk loan/investment arms? That would be great, but unlikely. Plus the main problem is that the current (since last century actually), the bakning system (particularly the private one) always relies on the tax-payers (through re-capitalization) to cover up their incompetence and losses (which is the source of the current euro crisis and the previous one in the states).

Originally Posted by Seitsuki

Gold is always a good idea

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

Whose price can always collapse.

That's not completely true... when currencies were tied to gold, gold was not traded. But since it is an expendable resource, long term is not a good idea... not that there is a better one to stabilize peoples' money... then again currencies are a tool to artificially boost economies (independent of the system followed).

[ganbaru]

Allen Stanford sentenced to 110 years in prison
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...85D17720120614

[Ridwan]

North Dakota says "fuck you" to right-wing activists

[aohige]

OH MY GOD

They caught the last remaining terrorst suspect of the Aum cult!!
Wow, after 17 years, all three remaining suspect on the run got caught one after another in 2012.
Victims of that terrorist attack may finally rest in peace...

They still haven't carried out the execution of their leader who is on the death-row.
I wish they could just throw all 4 of them in a gas chamber and be done with.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Aegir

North Dakota says "fuck you" to right-wing activists

with fears that the religious freedom proposal could legalize child abuse, domestic violence, ritual animal sacrifice and the marriage of 12-year-old girls.

Although I agree that the other 3 are outrageous and should be criminalised in a modern society, I don't see why the marriage of 12-year-old girls are unacceptable. What is wrong with marrying adorable lolis - *IS SHOT*

[Sumeragi]

Originally Posted by aohige

I wish they could just throw all 4 of them in a gas chamber and be done with.

I don't think Japan ever used the gas chamber for human executions.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Although I agree that the other 3 are outrageous and should be criminalised in a modern society, I don't see why the marriage of 12-year-old girls are unacceptable. What is wrong with marrying adorable lolis - *IS SHOT*

Because real 12 yr olds are a hormone-raging crazy moody person of terror and chaos. The law is for your protection

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

I don't think Japan ever used the gas chamber for human executions.

Given the crimes, it would be a appropriate way of execution.

[Ridwan]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Although I agree that the other 3 are outrageous and should be criminalised in a modern society, I don't see why the marriage of 12-year-old girls are unacceptable. What is wrong with marrying adorable lolis - *IS SHOT*

Because it's part of Sharia Law

[aohige]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

I don't think Japan ever used the gas chamber for human executions.

It wasn't a serious statement...

I don't know how familiar you are with the Sarin gas terrorist attack,
but I'm willing to turn a blind eye to some barbaric sharia "eye for an eye" punishment in their case.

[Tom Bombadil]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

I don't think Japan ever used the gas chamber for human executions.

You have never heard of Unit 731, have you? Not only they did that, they did something even worse.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Because real 12 yr olds are a hormone-raging crazy moody person of terror and chaos. The law is for your protection

Tsundere lolis? I don't mind actually.

*looks at Vexx's cybernetics on the X-ray scan*

I will rethink that statement.

Originally Posted by Aegir

Because it's part of Sharia Law

Actually we don't need the Sharia law. There is something called the Special Marriage License that allows us to marry lolis!

[Ridwan]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Actually we don't need the Sharia law. There is something called the Special Marriage License that allows us to marry lolis!

It is self-evidently Sharia-inspired

Originally Posted by aohige

... but I'm willing to turn a blind eye to some barbaric sharia "eye for an eye" punishment in their case.

Usually I would immediately stomp this kind of remarks with ironic snarks, but ignorance can certainly be innocent.

People often confuse the entire concept with sharia with "hudduud" a part of it that has been quite frequently ignored by muslims. "Hudduud" is what people typically thinks of Sharia. That is, hand amputation for stealing, killing a murderer, that kind of stuff, since the proponents of it has been the loudest among muslims for the last 100 years. In reality, as I said this part has been often ignored, or at least re-interpreted, to suit the needs and interests in times and places. Islam wouldn't have spread far and wide otherwise.

Sharia actually means "guide to live", including in judicial matters, and it operates on the same basis of `precedent` that Common Law does. Well it is pretty much common law, and the western common law owes a bit from its influence. Therefore, it's actually not at all impossible to reconcile it with civil secularism, which was what the Ottomans, the last Caliphate, attempted, and succeeded at. If not for the empire's violent and tragic demise, it would've sticked and emulated by the rest of muslim world.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Aegir

Sharia actually means "guide to live", including in judicial matters, and it operates on the same basis of precedents that Common Law does. Well it is pretty much common law, and the western common law owes a bit from its influence. Therefore, it's actually not at all impossible to reconcile it with civil secularism, which was what the Ottomans, the last Caliphate, attempted, and succeeded at. If not for the empire's violent and tragic demise, it would've sticked and emulated by the rest of muslim world.

Actually YES. Most, if not all religions have a root at peaceful co-existence.

Though I believe that the problem lies with the execution of the "Golden Rule" of reciprocity; many have the mindset of "Who first?" or "Why should I go first?". The world may be complex, but usually it doesn't hurt being nice to someone else for no apparent reason.

[Ridwan]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Actually YES. Most, if not all religions have a root at peaceful co-existence.

Though I believe that the problem lies with the execution of the "Golden Rule" of reciprocity; many have the mindset of "Who first?" or "Why should I go first?". The world may be complex, but usually it doesn't hurt being nice to someone else for no apparent reason.

People can easily be, and are usually nice when they're not facing an "other".