World News Random, Random

[ponchi101]

Arrested by whom? He is in Qatar. Who has the authority to arrest him there?

[skatingfan]

Arrested by whom? He is in Qatar. Who has the authority to arrest him there?

No, he was not selected for the national team for the World Cup, but it seems clear that this is a message to the members of the national team that they are not above consequences for their actions in protesting the regime.

[ponchi101]

Arrested by whom? He is in Qatar. Who has the authority to arrest him there?

No, he was not selected for the national team for the World Cup, but it seems clear that this is a message to the members of the national team that they are not above consequences for their actions in protesting the regime.

Ok, thanks for that. I thought this was the same gentleman that a few pages back had offered his condolences to the people of Iran. I thought that was addressed to the victims of the crackdown on the current protests.
Thanks for clarifying.

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

What are the protests about?
It is one thing if they are about C19 lockdowns. It is another if they are about the rest of the brutal aspects of the Chinese regime.

[skatingfan]

What are the protests about?
It is one thing if they are about C19 lockdowns. It is another if they are about the rest of the brutal aspects of the Chinese regime.

It started as a protest against the restrictions, and lockdowns, and the possibility that people killed in a residential apartment fire died as a result of being in lockdown, being locked in their apartments, and that emergency vehicles were delayed by the fences used to control people's movements. There have been within the protest calls for Xi to resign, so the protests have expanded past the COVID issues. The question is whether these movements are sustainable in the way that the protests in Iran have sustained themselves for more than 2 months now.

[ponchi101]

They are never sustainable. Sorry, but talking from experience here.
In Venezuela, during the Xmas of 2002, we held protests for almost 4 months. In the end, the army can fire at, beat up, teargas and arrest people 24/7 because that is their job. Civilian populations need to take care of the daily life and go to work and such.
Plus, one soldier can handle 50+ people, easily (rubber bullets, plan sticks and tear gas). So the balance is always in their favor.

[Suliso]

Real revolutions (see French and Russian examples) only happen if a large part of the army joins in and you win the ensuing civil war. Of course sometimes regimes kind of collapse from within without much violence (see Soviet Union), but that has a lot more to do with internal weakness not the strength of protests. I don't think Xi's administration is internally weak. So nothing much will come out of these protests in my opinion BUT it still remains a fact that he has painted himself in the corner with his zero covid policy. It's not obvious to me how he'll get out of there. Not without losing face I suspect.

[ponchi101]

Exactly. The USSR collapsed not from outside threats but from within, when Gorbachev implemented new policies. The Pinochet regime never collapsed; he lost a referendum that was much closer than expected, and then stepped aside but put in place a friendly government. He remained in charge of the armed forces for a long time. And apartheid in S. Africa came down when people inside the regime also realized that it was untenable (not to mention, morally repulsive).
It is what has happened in Vennieland. As long as the army remains in the pockets of the administration, nothing will happen. The dictatorship will remain in power.
Let's not forget that this same atmosphere was around in China before Tiananmen. And that ended tragically, to say the least.

[ti-amie]

Valid question/comment?

Beth Snodderly@bethsnodderly
Replying to
@petestrzok
Will Russia now send him to fight Ukraine?

Marla Tauscher @MarlaTauscher
Replying to
@petestrzok
Time to send him to Ukraine to demonstrate his loyalty to the motherland.

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

Reports that Iran has abolished the MORALITY POLICE.
I am skeptical that this will lead anywhere, but this makes me, at least, put some steak-sauce on my words.

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]