News Stories

[ganbaru]

Commentary says China not a "savior" for Europe
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...79R1LG20111030
Even if China's help work, wouldn't cure the problem's roots. And of course, we don't know what they might ask for the ''favor'' later...

Saudi prince backs cleric's bounty offer for Israeli soldier
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...79S32220111029

A member of the Saudi royal family has pledged $900,000 to a bounty offered by a prominent cleric to any Palestinian who kidnaps an Israeli soldier, according to comments aired on a private TV station Saturday.

That guy must be nut. He is probably thinking than Israel wouldn't retailate, but I wouldn't bet on that.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Saudi prince backs cleric's bounty offer for Israeli soldier
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...79S32220111029

That guy must be nut. He is probably thinking than Israel wouldn't retailate, but I wouldn't bet on that.

Wow now that's some major dickage, right there...

[SeijiSensei]

I was amused by one of Tom Friedman's suggestions in this morning's New York Times that Members of Congress and Senators be required to wear uniforms festooned with logo patches from their major contributors, much like the uniforms NASCAR drivers wear. Sounds like a fine idea to me! For instance, the current Chair of House Financial Services, Spencer Bachus, would be sporting logos from JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Southern Company (a major energy firm), and the National Association of Realtors.

How about, at a minimum, that any time a politician or pundit speaks on television, their top-ten contributors are scrolled across the bottom of the TV screen?

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

That guy must be nut. He is probably thinking than Israel wouldn't retailate, but I wouldn't bet on that.

we probably won't
the guy, asshat that he may be, is a SAUDI PRINCE.
the Saudis are U.S allies, as is Israel, which makes it unlikely that he'd get what he deserves for that stupidity.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by bladeofdarkness

we probably won't
the guy, asshat that he may be, is a SAUDI PRINCE.
the Saudis are U.S allies, as is Israel, which makes it unlikely that he'd get what he deserves for that stupidity.

I wasn't thinking of dropping a fews JDAMs over his head if he would make this payment. The Mossad should be abble to do somethin a bit more discret, no ? Something than could put the blame on Iran...

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

I wasn't thinking of dropping a fews JDAMs over his head if he would make this payment. The Mossad should be abble to do somethin a bit more discret, no ? Something than could put the blame on Iran...

after his declaration, whats the point ?
the guy can die from a freak shark-related accident and people would still blame Israel for it.

first rule of Murder investigation.
Ciu Bono.

[sa547]

I find it very ironic that as we were debating online about a fictional super-idol and her merits as a character, an IRL super-idol's dad was stabbed dead last night for being drunk and disorderly in their neighborhood.

My condolences.

[killer3000ad]

US cuts UNESCO funding after Palestinian membership vote

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by killer3000ad

US cuts UNESCO funding after Palestinian membership vote

The US's contributions to UNESCO are peanuts anyway. So its more like a token gesture.

[Anh_Minh]

... The number most cited is 22% of their (UNESCO's) budget. Not exactly "peanuts". (Unless you mean from the US POV.)

[ganbaru]

Greek referendum ignites German anger
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...79U5PQ20111101

Prime Minister George Papandreou's shock decision to call a referendum on Greece's bailout drew veiled threats from Germany on Tuesday and hammered markets edgy over the euro zone crisis.

It's not much likely than something good will come from this...

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Greek referendum ignites German anger
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...79U5PQ20111101

It's not much likely than something good will come from this...

Why not? I'ld prefer an end in terror over terror without end if I was a greek citizen. Well, a negative (negative == No to austerity) result of the referendum would cause a lot of short term trouble for greece and europe. The worlds financial markets would certainly shun greece... and there would be colateral damage that could make things worse for italy, portugal, spain and maybe ireland. Certainly france would loose its AAA credit rating and maybe Germany would lose it too.

Anyway, since the Euro will certainly be depreciating then, the european economy will become more competitive in the global markets.

On the long run you can bet on the greedyness and short memory of investors to invest again.

Actually I'ld look at it with a little bit of Schadenfreude if this makes a lot of investment bubbles burst all around the globe, especially when it indirectly hits those assholes who usually win out by betting against real economies. They have to deposits their earnings somehow, and a global downturn will hit them too, no matter how well they spread those assets.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Greek referendum ignites German anger
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...79U5PQ20111101

It's not much likely than something good will come from this...

That's my reaction to the decision to take the help others are willing to give them to a referendum.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Dextro

That's my reaction to the decision to take the help others are willing to give them to a referendum.

The problem isn't the help. It's the demand they clean up house that's attached with it.

Oh, well. All we can hope right now is to be able to jettison them gracefully.

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by Dextro

That's my reaction to the decision to take the help others are willing to give them to a referendum.

I can assure you that us in Ireland were quite dissatisfied with the "help" we got. We would have preferred to have just cut the banks off and leave them to rot. Instead we get sicced with a huge debt that wasn't there just a few months before, and we were running a budget surplus before the crash, all the agencies gave us AAA ratings.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Jinto

Why not? I'ld prefer an end in terror over terror without end if I was a greek citizen. Well, a negative (negative == No to austerity) result of the referendum would cause a lot of short term trouble for greece and europe. The worlds financial markets would certainly shun greece... and there would be colateral damage that could make things worse for italy, portugal, spain and maybe ireland. Certainly france would loose its AAA credit rating and maybe Germany would lose it too.

Anyway, since the Euro will certainly be depreciating then, the european economy will become more competitive in the global markets.

On the long run you can bet on the greedyness and short memory of investors to invest again.

Actually I'ld look at it with a little bit of Schadenfreude if this makes a lot of investment bubbles burst all around the globe, especially when it indirectly hits those assholes who usually win out by betting against real economies. They have to deposits their earnings somehow, and a global downturn will hit them too, no matter how well they spread those assets.

Note that Italy and France owns tons of Greek bonds filled with incomprehensible terms (pun unintended). I can't wait for option writers to blaze through their workload and short Euro options all the way down to zero - the Deutschmark should have already replaced the Euro last year.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

I can assure you that us in Ireland were quite dissatisfied with the "help" we got. We would have preferred to have just cut the banks off and leave them to rot. Instead we get sicced with a huge debt that wasn't there just a few months before, and we were running a budget surplus before the crash, all the agencies gave us AAA ratings.

You have to admit that yours was a different case from Greece and, sadly, my own country.

What's basically happening is that Greeks are being called upon to vote whether they want to pay their debt in full or to cut it in half and be forced to actually clean up their house. Sorry, I'm still face-palming at that.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Dextro

You have to admit that yours was a different case from Greece and, sadly, my own country.

What's basically happening is that Greeks are being called upon to vote whether they want to pay their debt in full or to cut it in half and be forced to actually clean up their house. Sorry, I'm still face-palming at that.

Choose door number one or number two -- both have hungry tigers behind them. Oh and the plutocrats+ultrawealthy aren't in the arena with everyone else -- they get to skip out on the consequences of their mistakes

[ganbaru]

Isn't true than fiscal evasion is almost a national sport in Greece ?
If true, it much likely than it helped the current situation.

[Dextro]

Greece reshuffles military chief amid crisis

So the greek government just went and replaced all the military chiefs. Seriously, how more chaotic can one country appear to the outside than this?