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Post by Red Brigade on Apr 12, 2014 23:47:35 GMT -5
I am back. <embed id="lingoes_plugin_object" type="application/lingoes-npruntime-capture-word-plugin" height="0" hidden="true" width="0">
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Post by Red Brigade on Jul 10, 2010 5:38:43 GMT -5
I've bought some books that I'd like to read:
Faust - Goethe
On War - Carl von Clausewitz
The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind - Gustave Le Bon
The Art of War - Sun Tzu
The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon - Karl Marx
I think I'll probably begin with Sun Tzu, it's the shortest one and then I'll see what I'll do with the rest.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jul 10, 2010 5:28:26 GMT -5
You will find it interesting especially if you are interested in history.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jul 10, 2010 5:04:43 GMT -5
Official Statement Regarding Cyprus AppearanceJennifer Lopez would never knowingly support any state, country, institution or regime that was associated with any form of human rights abuse. After a full review of the relevant circumstances in Cyprus, it was the decision of her advisors to withdraw from the appearance. This was a team decision that reflects our sensitivity to the political realities of the region.www.jenniferlopez.com/news/official-statement-regarding-cyprus-appearance
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Post by Red Brigade on Jul 10, 2010 5:03:29 GMT -5
Jennifer Lopez Out of Controversial N. Cyprus Concert Jennifer Lopez has officially "withdrawn" from a concert in a European territory currently under military occupation -- claiming she never would have agreed to perform had she known the "relevant circumstances" surrounding the intense political situation. Lopez was scheduled to perform in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus ... an area that neither the United Nations nor the European Union recognize as an independent sovereign state ... because of the way it was illegally occupied by the Turkish military in 1974. In fact, multiple Greek and Cypriot politicians expressed anger after reports surfaced claiming Lopez had agreed to perform at a swanky hotel in Northern Cyprus on July 24. But a rep for Lopez tells TMZ, "Jennifer Lopez would never knowingly support any state, country, institution or regime that was associated with any form of human rights abuse."The rep added, "After a full review of the relevant circumstances in Cyprus, it was the decision of management to withdraw from the appearance. This was a team decision that reflects our sensitivity to the political realities of the region."
Read more: www.tmz.com/2010/07/08/jennifer-lopez-jlo-northern-cyprus-greece-turkey-concert-show-outrage/#ixzz0tGwxSPPR
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 7, 2010 12:19:29 GMT -5
For anyone who is interested there is a book called "Imagined Communities" by Benedict Anderson and it discusses these things in depth.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 7, 2010 12:17:33 GMT -5
Yes , its the worship of culture , ancestry , war heroes , that make patriotism a very effective tool in controlling the masses. Its most prevalent when a government wishes to turn its citizens' scrutiny outwards rather than inwards. The government then becomes a 'protector' of the nation against external threats when usually there are none , or if there are , they are instigated by those fanning the flames of patriotism/nationalism. This is a recurring theme , esp in the Balkans. Culture has the potential to breed patriotism and nationalism and people that desire power often pray on that weakness. It seems that it is a lot easier for the State to ensure the loyalty of it's citizens through nationalism (or religion) rather than a Social Contract (like the one Rousseau wrote about). The latter requires reason, critical mind and education and as we now the population was very uneducated at the time the nation-states where being formed. Furthermore many times the ends of the State aren't very reasonable, for example how would you convince your citizens to fight for oil that the corporates would control? It's a lot easier and less costly to convince them through romantic nationalist pipe dreams and dismiss anyone who disagrees as a traitor instead of using reasonable arguments.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 7, 2010 12:06:16 GMT -5
Associating yourself with a larger group of people is natural, so is rape and murder. The question is whether being proud of your nationality e.g. being proud of something that doesn't constitute a personal achievement of any sort but was defined by sheer luck, makes sense. It just occurred that you were born and you acquired the nationality of your parents.
I brought the low self-esteem argument forward because I have observed that the more "successful" one feels in his personal life, the less he cares of being part of collective groups such as a "nation" or a football club. And that makes sense, when you feel you've done nothing in your life the only thing that's left for you to be proud of is your "race", "nation", the achievement of your "club". In other words you feel proud through the achievements of other people.
The humans, like ants and bees, form societies and act collectively not because it is "natural" but because it is easier to survive and live when we stick together, in other words it is a necessity. That's one thing. But being "proud" of the achievements of the society that you live in (the achievements of others) is a totally different thing and it doesn't make much sense if you think it through.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 6, 2010 9:39:47 GMT -5
I don't understand why someone should be proud of his nationality given that nobody choses his nationality in the first place. Nationality is matter of coincidence, your father happened to impregnate your mother and you simply happened to be one of the millions spermatozoons that fertilized the ovum.
Being proud of your own personal achievements makes more sense. Usually people with low self-esteem have a tendency of associating themselves which larger groups of people (nation, football club fans, political groups) because they feel insecure.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 6, 2010 9:25:55 GMT -5
Islamic extremism was bolstered in every corner of the world during the Cold War by the CIA in order to weaken the Arab nationalists who were aligned with the Soviet Union. Therefore claiming that Islamic extremism was created as a "defensive shield" against the Western aggression is incorrect.
The reality is that Hamas was supported by Israel to weaken Arafat during the heighdays of the PLO and the existence of Islamic extremism is in fact helping Western extremists to justify their violent policies because no sane individual would feel any sympathy for religious wackos.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 6, 2010 9:13:15 GMT -5
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 6, 2010 9:09:24 GMT -5
Group plans Cyprus voyage to protest Turkish occupation By GIL HOFFMAN 06/04/2010 05:03 A group of angry Israelis announced on Thursday night that they will leave for Cyprus next week on a flotilla and call for an end to the Turkish occupation of half of the island and its reunification under Cypriot rule. The group includes Alex Goldfarb, who was an MK in the Tzomet and Yiud parties in the 1990s, and Meretz activist Pinhas Har-Zahav of Modi’in. An unnamed wealthy Israeli donor is subsidizing the initiative. MKs on the Right accused the security cabinet on Thursday of buckling under Turkish pressure when it decided to release every Turkish passenger on the Gaza flotilla, even if there was explicit photographic evidence that they attacked IDF soldiers. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu urged the step in an effort to repair damaged relations with Turkey, and the security cabinet ministers obliged. The Turkish activists were greeted as heroes when they returned to their country on Thursday. One even boasted that he made an effort to die as a martyr but was unsuccessful. “I understand Netanyahu’s desire to minimize damage, but I cannot understand the betrayal of the soldiers who see the terrorists who shot at them and stabbed them leaving the country without trial,” National Union MK Arye Eldad said. “Israel has unjustifiably freed many terrorists from prison in the past, but I don’t remember an instance when terrorists who attempted to murder soldiers were not even brought to trial.” www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=177449
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 3, 2010 12:08:24 GMT -5
I forgot to mention that in regards to religion, I've also noticed a difference between Albanians in America and Europe. The American Albanians seem very against religion but I honestly can't say I know of any Albanians around my area who's an Atheist. Even though many Albanians aren't strict Muslims, they still take pride in being Muslims I once posted a picture of my Albanian friend, Faton - he's a good example of a Muslim Albanian who's not a strict Muslim (he drinks, doesn't care about halal and haram, has girlfriends, sex etc.) but he actually gets crazily offended if anyone asks him whether or not he's Muslim...to him, it's a very obvious part of him. That's because these boards attract mainly nationalists, so the sample of people that you observe over here is not representative of any country.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 3, 2010 11:58:54 GMT -5
The Balkan people will prosper when they create a Balkan "Monroe Doctrine" which would stop external imperialist forces meddling into their affairs.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 3, 2010 11:51:08 GMT -5
By the way, a rocket was launched against a Turkish naval base in Hatay region (I think) which killed 7 soldiers allegedly by PKK the very same day that this incident occurred. Coincidence?
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 3, 2010 11:46:56 GMT -5
In two weeks nobody will remember it, the World Cup is beginning..
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 3, 2010 11:45:33 GMT -5
The current Israeli leadership is extremist and they are also idiots. I am not sure if they were duped though, if they didn't take this decisive step the ships would have arrived in Gaza which would be a blow to Israeli foreign policy as regards the Gaza blockade. Now there will never be another ship going to Gaza, that's for sure.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 3, 2010 10:46:49 GMT -5
If Mr Erdogan thinks that Israel should be punished then he should prepare his army and punish Israel.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 3, 2010 10:34:14 GMT -5
You are Dèsîŗĕ Yèarning aka our clown.
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Post by Red Brigade on Jun 3, 2010 10:25:58 GMT -5
No. Romania should unite with Moldova.
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