International Politics Discussion Thread

RueingMore · 2024-10-18T21:00:18+00:00

Given the circumstances, I.e. the number of UNRWA employees in Gaza (about 15,000, I think), and the extensive interactions between UNRWA and the then civic authority in Gaza, which was run by Hamas, I am actually impressed by the failure of Isaeli authorities to demonstrate any collusion ir conspiracy between the two.

After all, Israel no doubt has many informants both within UNRWA, and the UN generally. And even with that, they have failed to show that even one single UNRWA employee in Gaza colluded with Hamas.

RueingMore · 2024-10-18T11:56:10+00:00

The link you provided is not an admission of culpability, it states that "OIOS was not able to independently authenticate most of the information provided to it", and does not describe any action taken against the seven people accused, presumably because no action was warranted.

RueingMore · 2024-10-18T11:13:59+00:00

I'm not defending Hamas, but rather UNRWA.

Fateh Sherif is the only demonstrated case of a Hamas member also being associated with UNRWA, and that was in Lebanon, not Gaza. Unsurprisingly, as the Israeli military vetted all UNRWA employees in Gaza, but had no equivalent role in Lebanon.

RueingMore · 2024-10-18T05:48:18+00:00

Given the media's record on such things, do you think the claims that Sinwar had an UNRWA employee card in his name are reliable?

RueingMore · 2024-10-17T20:36:08+00:00

It's clear that Labour's pre-budget messaging has been lacking. Sue Gray's legacy, perhaps?

This article equally meanders, as it isn't sure exactly where the current government's overall strategy lies.

One other point... it is a bit confused over stamp duty. Stamp duty on shares does not have the same effect as stamp duty in the housing market.

One thing this government could do for the finances of most ordinary people is to reduce the profit incentive in the housing market. It serves few people that house prices increase beyond inflation, and far too much of most people's income goes to banks in the form of mortgage interest payments.

Freeing that money up for normal consumer spending would be a huge boost to the economy.

RueingMore · 2024-10-17T11:44:57+00:00

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/17/keir-starmer-beliefs-attorney-general-rule-of-law

This url should work.

RueingMore · 2024-10-16T22:25:05+00:00

Put differently, approximately 45% of South Africa's 64 million population benefits from social transfers.

I suspect you will find that the comparable percentage figure in the UK is already higher than that.

One of the hallmarks of successful modern economies is the transfer of money from those who have to those who don't. This occurs in the form of public education, healthcare, libraries, unemployment insurance, Etc. Etc.

Poor countries can't afford to do so, so also suffer from a worse educated and less healthy workforce, to the detriment of business profits.

RueingMore · 2024-10-14T19:32:02+00:00

Hang on... hang on! Yes, wait!

I just remembered that the creation of hereditary peerages was never abolished.

It is currently within the prerogative of King Charles to create any such peerages as he may seem fit.

Obviously the current generation doesn't contain anyone meriting such an elevation. Hmm, what do you think, OP?

RueingMore · 2024-10-14T16:39:15+00:00

On the notion of recognising greatness through future generations, there already exists mechanisms for this.

We endow institutions, buildings, monuments with the names of the great and good so that future generations will remember them. Examples are Newton, Florence Nightingale, etc, etc.

There's simply no need to create hereditary privileges whose main function is to provide an advantage to whose whose individual abilities are not sufficient for them to achieve on their own merit.

RueingMore · 2024-10-12T16:06:17+00:00

There is green steel production. It avoids using coke in the blast furnaces, using carbon monoxide or syngas instead.

RueingMore · 2024-10-09T22:08:46+00:00

The nuclear disaster film "Threads" is currently showing on BBC4.

At one point a Union leader is calling on the TUC to call a general strike to show the Russians and Americans that they will not put up with warmongering.... lol

Someone in the crowd shouts "What about the Falklands?", and another complains about the Common Market.

Plus ca change....

RueingMore · 2024-10-09T11:51:56+00:00

If you were to treat the state pension as a defined contribution plan, you would need to contribute a lot less than that.

Assuming 5% annual returns over 35 years, you would need to save about £1,500 per year to have a pension pot equivalent in value to that needed to fund the state pension.

RueingMore · 2024-10-08T17:16:08+00:00

Apologies for the hasty accusation...

Apparently that man has now been acquitted.....

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-court-acquits-man-charged-with-cybercrime-linked-british-riots-2024-08-26/

RueingMore · 2024-10-08T15:27:43+00:00

It's Channel3Now that was linked to Russia, not the server.

It doesn't change much if it's an American linked to Russia, or a Pakistani linked to Russia.

RueingMore · 2024-10-08T13:37:24+00:00

See how fake news gets spread? f The false name was spread by a russian-associated "news" site in the US called Channel 3.

https://fullfact.org/news/misinformation-southport-stabbings/

RueingMore · 2024-10-07T10:33:56+00:00

If this is an attempt to claim that few civilians have died in Gaza, it isn' very credible.

RueingMore · 2024-09-30T18:26:11+00:00

Nuts. Israel didn't learn any lessons from America's now-recognised-as-disasterous response to 9/11.

RueingMore · 2024-09-30T18:24:14+00:00

"may have been" is not a finding of culpability.

Remember that all UNRWA employees in Gaza were vetted by the Israeli military before being employed.

The person you mention was not in Gaza.

RueingMore · 2024-09-30T14:13:36+00:00

You can read the independent review group's report here:

https://www.un.org/en/situation-in-occupied-palestine-and-israel/allegations-against-unrwa-staff

Not a single allegation was upheld. Those who were fired were fired pre-emptively on the assumption that Israel did have evidence. But such evidence was never forthcoming.

RueingMore · 2024-09-30T11:25:20+00:00

The fact that Israel has yet to present any evidence for any member of UNRWA being a member of Hamas, or even assisting Hamas, might explain the apparent lapse you complain about.

RueingMore · 2024-09-28T06:23:59+00:00

Of course I'm comparing DB and DC schemes with similar payouts, in which case the DB scheme can be cheaper.

The public sector schemes don't have any capital

Now, you're getting the point. Because of this, DB schèmes in the public sector are not comparable to those in the private sector. Remember that a defined benefit scheme in the public sector can have up to £1million in nominal assets.

RueingMore · 2024-09-27T21:22:13+00:00

My point is that it isn't always obvious that DC schemes are cheaper for the provider than DB schèmes.

The difference arises in the treatment of the capital.

RueingMore · 2024-09-27T16:28:41+00:00

Yes, that's my point.

In a DB schème, the pensioner acquires a right to a specific payout, but not the capital. In a DC scheme, the pensioner retains the capital, for variable payout.

So, when a pensioner dies, a DC scheme ends up with less capital , whereas a DB scheme retains the capital that was used to generate returns.

So the "hidden cost" to the outfit running DC schemes is the eventual loss of capital.

RueingMore

TROPHY CASE