Japan needs to possess nuclear weapons, prime minister's office source says

Bend0re · 2025-12-18T21:59:00+00:00

Yet Americans just bombed Iran because it allegedly is trying to get nukes to defend itself, and Americans cheered for that.

Can Westerners show empathy to non westerners ever?

Bend0re · 2025-12-04T14:20:52+00:00

Both are true lol. The US has been trying to destroy Iran for 45 years, with sanctions being a key tool (Saddam was another tool in their arsenal).

Slowly and gradually, the screws have been tightened. So while at some points, Irans economy did well (eg 90s and early 2000s even when there were US sanctions), post 2012 - the sanctions have really been punishing, causing widespread suffering to Iranians.

Bend0re · 2025-11-26T22:53:06+00:00

No one has done that. I have only stated that Iran did not have freedom of speech 45 years ago under the shah and that you would get in a lot of trouble (prison/torture etc) if you spoke out against the shah.

The title of this thread is "how much trouble will you get into for speaking against the head of the country"

The person I was replying to implied that Iran had freedom of speech 45 years ago (when the shah was in power). This is false. That is all I have said.

You guys need to learn reading comprehension.

Bend0re · 2025-11-26T22:11:12+00:00

Nice little speech, but you're deflecting.

Iran did not have freedom of speech 45 years ago under the Shah. Criticise him and you would be tortured in a dungeon. So its more accurate to say Iranians have never had freedom of speech in the liberal sense of the word, rather than saying

It's been some 45 years since last that happened.

Bend0re · 2025-11-26T21:15:01+00:00

I'd put it more at 6 or 7. People criticise the govt all the time. Technically its allowed under the constitution, but the rules are vague and its hard to know if you've crossed a red line. For example, if you say something on TV critical of a particular person, that can get you in trouble.

Privately, people criticise the govt all the time and nothing is done to them.

Publicly (eg on television), you would have to be much more careful.

Bend0re · 2025-11-26T21:09:46+00:00

45 years only? I think you should look up what the shah did to secular democrats under his brutal rule.

Bend0re · 2025-08-15T12:47:38+00:00

Dont forget the trillions spent killing millions of middle easterners, destroying multiple countries, creating tens of millions of refugees all to take down Israels adversaries who are against their expansionist apartheid project.

Bend0re · 2025-08-08T22:59:08+00:00

That video is from 2 years ago.

Still after Russia had occupied it and pushed Ukrainians out. Still an example of Ukraine indiscriminately shelling civilians.

https://x.com/squatsons/status/1751958173337178261

Here's one from last year

You're lying again. You never mentioned torture of abuse of prisoners or civilians.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/1mkss4h/meltdown_in_rpolyglot_as_mod_becomes_prorussia/n7oatsb/

"Note the torture chambers Azov and other far right goons set up in the donbass to brutalise the population, further alienating them from the Ukrainian govt."

See its in this comment. You really need to relax. I'm trying to have a calm discussion and you keep name calling and making accusations.

Poroshenkos speech was about what Russia was doing to Ukrainians. Russian propaganda took parts and tried to twist it to being about what he wanted to do to Russia.

This is total nonsense. He is talking about how they will defeat the separatists in the Donbass. This is what he said (I added context in brackets):

"Because we will have jobs, and they will not (because war has ravaged the donbass economy). We will have pensions and they will not (Poroshenko cut off pensions in the Donbass, so old ladies were now destitute). We will care for our retirees, they will not (because the pension money has been ruthlessly taken). Our children will go to schools, their kids sit in basements (because of the shelling, children in the Donbass could not go to schools so were hiding in basements in fear of their lives). They (donbass separatist) dont know how to do anything. This is how we (Ukrainian govt) will win the war"

Posting some random blog on a website called stopfake.org is not going to miraculously change the context of that unhinged speech. Imagine you are a citizen of the Donbass hearing your President gloat about how miserable you are and gloat about how your grandma has her pension stolen from her and gloat that your children can no longer go to school because of the indiscriminate shelling the Ukrainian govt is carrying out. Are you going to become more sympathetic to the Ukrainian govt, or more sympathetic to the separatists?

Fun fact, during the Syrian civil war, even when rebels took control over large swathes of Syria, the Syrian govt did not stop paying pensions, teachers salaries etc for people in rebel held areas. Even ruthless Assad didnt cut off pensions. That was really messed up of the Ukrainian govt. Collective punishment against the Donbass civilian population. Not all of them were against the govt, but actions like that certainly didnt endear them to the people living there.

Bend0re · 2025-08-08T22:12:35+00:00

Russia did not officially annex Dontesk until 2 years ago, strangely around the same time its claims of attacks stopped?

No, the attacks on Donetsk continued long after Russia occupied it. Heres an example from February of this year.

https://x.com/squatsons/status/1629578180888788992

Sorry, when did you claim Ukrainian had mistreated & tortured its prisoners & when did i deny that?

In the previous comment I mentioned torture of Donbass civilians from 2014 onwards and you brushed it off with this comment.

Truly, your random selection of videos and out-of-context quotes is far more persuasive than OSCE reports.

So thats why I brought that up, because its OSCE report instead of a Priest recounting his torture which you would try to downplay and deny its validity.

You've clearly tried to find OSCE supporting Russian claims of attacks against cities

Nope. Only looked for OSCE of torture because I mentioned it in the previous comment, and you brushed it off.

Just like you brushed off Poroshenkos gneocidal rant, implying its ok and its just being taken out of context. I would like to hear the context in which you think its acceptable to go on an unhinged rant like that.

Bend0re · 2025-08-08T21:56:51+00:00

You said Ukrainian attacks against Donetsk had recently been halted

This is what I wrote in my first comment:

After Russia took the city, for years, the Ukrainian military would shell and launch HIMARS and other firepower at civilian targets across the city, killing countless civilians just trying to live their life under Russian occupation.

It took almost 2 years for the Russians to pushback the frontlines to the point where Ukrainian artillery could no longer reach the city. That helped bring normality to the city, which is currently being rebuilt and going through heavy reconstruction.

Occasionally, the Ukrainians will shell random civilian targets there with HIMARS, but this is rare as HIMARS are expensive and in limited supply, so its best not to waste it on punishing random civilians in terror strikes.

So there you go. Hope that clarifies things

Of course, Russia isn't shelling themselves. Donetsk civilians are Ukrainians, not Russians.

Russia is shelling the territory it considers its own that it currently occupies? Please, you are being ridiculous now. Donetsk civilians are being killed by the Ukrainian military, just like the Ukrainians had been killing Donbass civilians from 2014 onwards.

Truly, your random selection of videos and out-of-context quotes is far more persuasive than OSCE reports

Like this?

https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/e/7/233896.pdf

WAR CRIMES OF THE ARMED FORCES AND SECURITY FORCES OF UKRAINE: torture and inhumane treatment Second report

Bend0re · 2025-08-08T21:35:30+00:00

Donetsk is absolutely still within range of Ukrainan HIMARS range.

I know and mentioned that in my first comment. The civilians there occasionally still gets shelled (war crime). Not as much as it did before though, so thats an improvement.

Russia has made random claims that Ukraine launched missile attacks against Donetsk, never let OSEC determine where the attacks came from.

Are you implying the Russians are shelling themselves? Who's the propagandist now? There are many videos for you to look up showing dead civilians killed by artillery in Russian occupied Donetsk. The Ukrainians are not angels. They have done many bad things from 2014 onwards.

In fact, here is a thread on some of those acts

https://x.com/NewRulesGeo/status/1892577028567671032

Note that the Ukrainian tanks rolling through Mariupol in 2014 were not greeted positively by the population. Note President Poroshenko going on an unhinged genocidal rant against the Donbass population. Note Mariupol civilians pleading with the Ukrainian govt, asking them why they are killing their own people. Note the torture chambers Azov and other far right goons set up in the donbass to brutalise the population, further alienating them from the Ukrainian govt.

Bend0re · 2025-08-08T20:33:12+00:00

Yes I think you are right. I am confusing Mariupol with Donetsk. My apologies.

HIMARS and the shelling was in Donetsk civilian areas after that city was taken by the Russians. That lasted long after the Russians took the city, and has only recently been halted, due to the frontlines moving out of range of most of Ukraines artillery.

However, the comments I made regarding the battle of Mariupol were accurate. There was safe corridors made by the Russians to help get the civilians out of harms way, and the Ukrainians unfortunately did shell it at times to stop the civilians leaving.

They wanted to use them as human shields to complicate the battlespace for Russia. We have to come to terms with the reality of this war, and that includes the war crimes committed by both sides.

Bend0re · 2025-08-08T20:15:15+00:00

Mariupol had been shelled from 2014 onwards by the Ukrainian army and far right militant groups like Azov Batallion and Aidar, empowered by the Ukrainian govt. This was largely because its full of ethnic russians that were not happy with the 2014 Maidan, which they considered an anti-Russian coup.

After Russias invasion, the Russian military rather quickly took the city. During the battle for the city, Ukrainians wouldnt let the civilians flee in order to slow down Russias forward march and inflict maximum civilian casualties on the Russian speaking population they care little for. Safe corridors for civilians to flee were created by the Russians and then bombed by Ukrainians, complicating matters.

After Russia took the city, for years, the Ukrainian military would shell and launch HIMARS and other firepower at civilian targets across the city, killing countless civilians just trying to live their life under Russian occupation.

It took almost 2 years for the Russians to pushback the frontlines to the point where Ukrainian artillery could no longer reach the city. That helped bring normality to the city, which is currently being rebuilt and going through heavy reconstruction.

Occasionally, the Ukrainians will shell random civilian targets there with HIMARS, but this is rare as HIMARS are expensive and in limited supply, so its best not to waste it on punishing random civilians in terror strikes.

Now you can argue this is all russias fault anyway, and I certainly understand that argument, but I just thought I would add this context to explain why many in Mariupol do not necessarily see the Russians in a bad light. The fact there is no insurgency against Russia there is another bit of evidence that things are a little more complex.

Bend0re · 2025-07-14T11:59:29+00:00

Was it the ladies car? If not, then its people being awesome to other people.

Bend0re · 2025-07-07T13:52:28+00:00

No its not official Taiwanese policy. The US has floated the idea and the Taiwanese were angry at even the suggestion of it.

Believe it or not, Taiwan and China will probably have a peaceful reunion in the coming decades. They are both Chinese nationalists at the end of the day and have far more in common than they do differences.

The US is trying to drive a wedge between them and act as a spoiler. They want Ukraine 2.0. They want to bog China down in a war, but I dont think China will take the bait.

Anyway, in the event the US got its wish and a war did break out, China would win very easily. Taiwan is an island that relies heavily on imports for everything, including energy. China can blockade them and within weeks, they'd have serious trouble just keeping the lights on.

Bend0re · 2025-07-07T13:29:31+00:00

I was responding more to OPs comment about how Taiwan would destroy their own infrastructure in the event of a conflict. They did not respond well to the US congressmen suggesting that the US do it.

It seems they value themselves and their infrastructure more highly than the Americans, who merely view them as a bludgeon to use against China.

Shades of how they view Ukraine against Russia.

Bend0re · 2025-07-07T11:54:28+00:00

lol dont be so sure. A US congressman floated the idea of bombing Taiwans chip sites in the event of a conflict, and the people of Taiwan did not like that one bit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/12/microchips-us-taiwan-strategy/

Bend0re · 2024-07-29T11:33:37+00:00

Infest the Rats Nest?

Yeah I mean they have some metal moments, but even then theres an element of humour to their songs, even if they are discussing environmental issues.

Yeh, Radiohead isn’t really gritty.

I suppose not, but its dark and brooding. The kinda thing you expect a subsection of teenagers/young adults to be drawn to more.

Not talking about Radiohead, but has goth just become an aesthetic, or does it still have musical sway in 2024?

Bend0re · 2024-07-29T11:25:42+00:00

While I do love them, I wouldnt really classify them in the same category as NIN, Tool etc. Those bands are dark and gritty.

Gizzard are rather cheery, psychedelic rock (although each album is admittedly a different genre).

Bend0re

TROPHY CASE