America & World IV: Trump's Taxing Day

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/environment/scientists-launch-plan-to-resurrect-extinct-woolly-mammoths-in-the-arctic/ar-AAOqaUJ?ocid=spartan-ntp-feeds

Scientists are planning a six year mission to revive a genetically engineered form of the Mammoth

[Brad]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/envir...rtan-ntp-feeds
Scientists are planning a six year mission to revive a genetically engineered form of the Mammoth

This can only end well.

[fishbowlhead]

This can only end well.

With fluffy mammoth calfs? I agree. I see no down sides to this plan.

[cutmymilk]

With expensive cardigans?

[kryss]

Mammoth flu - coming to you in 2027.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/exit-poll-shows-vladimir-putin-s-party-winning-less-than-half-the-vote-in-russian-parliamentary-elections/ar-AAOBFnb?ocid=spartan-dhp-feeds

Putin is garnering less than expected vote counts in the Russian elections with the Communist gaining 20 points on the current leader. Voters have been encouraged to make use of tactical voting, something that ironically has infuriated Putin's party and they have accused it of being Western interference. The Trump-like accusations of voter fraud have already begun now that Putin's grip of public support is crumbling.

[Dogg Thang]

I always assumed over the years that Russian elections were 100% rigged.

[Neon Ignition]

Given the weight Russia has, it'd be fascinating if there ever came a time that they decided to essentially stop pratting around and get involved with the world instead of constantly being at odds with it.

[Asura]

Given the weight Russia has, it'd be fascinating if there ever came a time that they decided to essentially stop pratting around and get involved with the world instead of constantly being at odds with it.

Given their present stance, it wouldn't make sense. They're like the Chinese in that regard, in that since the Soviets fell, they've had an anti-interventionist stance as a government (outside of eastern European issues, which is related to the Soviet legacy). It's why China is palling up to Afghanistan and why Russia likely will, soon, too - they want to make a big song-and-dance about how they believe nations have the sovereign right to be crap to their own people, because then they can at least get on a high horse if people try and tell them not to be crap to their own.

Bear in mind they're doing a lot to interfere with geopolitics, just not in the big public way the US/EU do.

[Cassius_Smoke]

I always assumed over the years that Russian elections were 100% rigged.

Me too. I assumed Putin couldn't lose.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/russian-election-putin-s-united-russia-wins-landslide-victory-as-communists-contest-vote/ar-AAODbnD?ocid=spartan-dhp-feeds

You're struggling at the polls in the face of rising opposition and you're the current head of Russia... so naturally the end result magically turns out to be a landslide victory giving you a massive lead over the opposition. So massive in fact that... well, no-one believes the result isn't fixed. Putin holds on to power with the United Russia party contesting the result as when electronic voting was updated most of the Kremlin's losses were magically overturned by large margins.

[Golgo]

I wonder why they bother pretending it's anything other than a dictatorship? We don't see much of Putin out and about these days. I suspect he's gone completely mad in the manner of the dictator in 'The Autumn of the Patriarch'.

[Asura]

I wonder why they bother pretending it's anything other than a dictatorship? We don't see much of Putin out and about these days. I suspect he's gone completely mad in the manner of the dictator in 'The Autumn of the Patriarch'.

To be fair, people in the future will tut at us in the UK today, wondering how we didn't riot because our elections are, essentially, fixed, due to a lack of proportional representation.

[MartyG]

To be fair, people in the future will tut at us in the UK today, wondering how we didn't riot because our elections are, essentially, fixed, due to a lack of proportional representation.

As proven by the fact only one party has ever won GEs in the UK.

[Asura]

As proven by the fact only one party has ever won GEs in the UK.

It's proven by the very existence of the concept of the "party whip" - the idea that we vote for local MPs who represent us... But actually don't because their party can countermand their personal opinion.