Silly/Odd News Stories from around the World

[Tsuyoshi]

^ I would feel a bit uncomfortable about Iran or Saudi Arabia being on that board. Both of them have a history of not giving women the same rights as men, despite what certain people may say that their religion offers relative freedom to them. While their religion may or may not offer those things, it's fact that their government and the people who preach Islam don't, and their presence in the board will stall much of whatever progress it will make in the future.

[ganbaru]

Chinese dad whose son was sickened by tainted milk jailed for activism .
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1793065/

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Hey Missus

Oh for Pete's sake. Honestly, some people in power do the most ridiculous things...

It is because you don't understand the basics of macroeconomics and state-level finance. Then again, monetary policy with regards to GDP/GNP are often messy and require lots of reading, so it is impossible to iterate them in layman terms.

Sri Lanka's state finances flow out of the country and leave them poorer if they are over-reliant on food import. This ban may be hard, but it is hard, fast and effective policy. However its effectiveness may turn against the rulers in the form of starvation if their local rice supply is not self-sufficient or sustainable for long term.

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

Sri Lanka declares war on an unlikely enemy - wheat

As a bread and rice eater, i find this wheat ban idiotic.

From a wholly neutral POV, the government is doing something pragmatic because they just won a civil war - they probably ran out of choices to stop hyperinflation.

The wheat ban isn't "idiotic" because that word means that it is useless, inefficient and a stupid decision. It would be better described as simply "myopic" because it causes the local subsistence to shift towards a self-sufficient economy - it is still for survival's sake.

If I am not wrong, Sri Lanka produces tea leaves as a cash crop. Wouldn't it be easier to stop them from growing tea and give them incentives to grow rice, saturate a local demand so price falls, and shifting the subsistence reliance to rice (because it became cheaper than wheat imports) through simple manipulation of their own economy?

[Azumanga Davo]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Chinese dad whose son was sickened by tainted milk jailed for activism .
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1793065/

Most certainly not the only case of it I bet. Sort the real issues of corruption out China, instead of frivolous hissy fits over non-issues like this and the Nobel prize boycott.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Chinese dad whose son was sickened by tainted milk jailed for activism .
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1793065/

The PRC authorities, in their quest for "harmonious society", seem to always punish the victims rather than make examples of the perpetrators. These authorities also missed a glorious chance to clean house and look good when all the school buildings collapsed because of corrupt local officials and constructors. Instead they just threatened many parents who had lost their only child...

So this really isn't silly or odd... more like just sad.

[SeijiSensei]

At the time, I wondered if the death toll from the school collapses might provide an opening wedge into a broader public discourse over the regime's policies and failures, but it seems to have disappeared into the great maw of history without many lasting effects.

Maybe our friends living nearer the PRC have a different view?

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Will Canada, U.S. deny Iran seat on UN board for women’s rights?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1792761/

The simple idea than Iran could get on this board is simply ridiculous.

didn't sudan get a seat on the Human Rights Council?

Originally Posted by Vexx

The PRC authorities, in their quest for "harmonious society", seem to always punish the victims rather than make examples of the perpetrators.

they shot a few of them already.

These authorities also missed a glorious chance to clean house and look good when all the school buildings collapsed because of corrupt local officials and constructors. Instead they just threatened many parents who had lost their only child...

So this really isn't silly or odd... more like just sad.

i was talking to my dad about and his opinion was that the local officials had ties to people higher up in Bejing. That it wasn't just a simple case of local officials being corrupt.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

didn't sudan get a seat on the Human Rights Council?

I don't know but it would be ridiculous as well.
By the way: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1793523/ They managed to block Iran.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vexx

The PRC authorities, in their quest for "harmonious society", seem to always punish the victims rather than make examples of the perpetrators. These authorities also missed a glorious chance to clean house and look good when all the school buildings collapsed because of corrupt local officials and constructors. Instead they just threatened many parents who had lost their only child...

So this really isn't silly or odd... more like just sad.

It is pretty much like how the rest of the world is degenerating into. As long as you can pay, anyone will stand on your side.

[FateAnomaly]

Degenerated? Isn't it always like that?

[Azumanga Davo]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

I don't know but it would be ridiculous as well.
By the way: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1793523/ They managed to block Iran.

At last, a bit of common sense in the world.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Hey Missus

At last, a bit of common sense in the world.

Not sure about that: Saudi Arabia got elected .

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by FateAnomaly

Degenerated? Isn't it always like that?

Not when the amount of money paid out is increasing. And thanks to "political correctness", legalised bribery is known as "lobbying".

[Azumanga Davo]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Not sure about that: Saudi Arabia got elected .

That'll teach me for not reading the link first.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Not sure about that: Saudi Arabia got elected .

Lol indeed. I could easily make an argument that Saudi's even worse than Iran when it comes to women's rights. If Iran got blocked, why elect Saudi? At least you're presented with the other side of an argument regarding women's rights from someone but still, I feel that considering the movement is designed to give women more freedom, having someone against that won't be good for the cause.

[Azumanga Davo]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

Lol indeed. I could easily make an argument that Saudi's even worse than Iran when it comes to women's rights. If Iran got blocked, why elect Saudi? At least you're presented with the other side of an argument regarding women's rights from someone but still, I feel that considering the movement is designed to give women more freedom, having someone against that won't be good for the cause.

The "other side"? Either it's equality or nothing. I honestly can't see why women can't have equals rights as everyone else.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Hey Missus

The "other side"? Either it's equality or nothing. I honestly can't see why women can't have equals rights as everyone else.

Islamics have different views on women's rights so they could present a different argument with regards to the topic. But that would only be true if the Saudi government was in fact true to the scriptures. Truth is that Saudi doesn't give women the sort of rights the Quran actually grants them (I'm not even the one saying this, but my best friend who is part Saudi part Egyptian himself). That's why I said I don't find it right that Saudi be part of the UN board.

[Xion Valkyrie]

Okay, apparently they're going to start selling Domo-kun toys at Taco Bell:

http://www.tacobell.com/menu/kids-meals

I'm so getting some.

[Azumanga Davo]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

Islamics have different views on women's rights so they could present a different argument with regards to the topic. But that would only be true if the Saudi government was in fact true to the scriptures. Truth is that Saudi doesn't give women the sort of rights the Quran actually grants them (I'm not even the one saying this, but my best friend who is part Saudi part Egyptian himself). That's why I said I don't find it right that Saudi be part of the UN board.

Well, I do hope that Saudi Arabia can at least progress in this area from now on. Time will tell.

Wish we had Taco Bell...

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Hey Missus

Well, I do hope that Saudi Arabia can at least progress in this area from now on. Time will tell.

Wish we had Taco Bell...

Hard to say considering they've been like this for a long long time. It was like this when I moved there more than 10 years ago and not a bit of progress was made in that direction, so it'll take a long while before that happens. But maybe, just maybe, their being part of this board could be the first step in that direction after all, you never know There are other islamic countries with more rights for women. That being said, I'm not very optimistic about that.

And Taco Bell......hmmmm We do have that in the military base close to my hometown in Sicily. I might find some there....