World Politics

[RandoEFC+]

I know, we have too many depressing politics threads already but hopefully if I call this one world politics then anything that doesn't fit the British/German/Russian/American/Middle Eastern politics threads can go here and it can be the last one.

The reason is I didn't know where else to post this. It seemed distasteful to do it in the Ukraine/Russia thread, but I noticed it and thought it was worth passing comment on.

The French presidential election is coming up this year and the polls were looking almost a bit precarious for Macron. Interestingly, though, it transpires that Le Pen, Melenchon and Zemmour have all said some pretty sympathetic things about Putin not that long ago and that seems to have shored up Macron's position ahead of the ballot.

I'm no fan of Macron to be honest, but I've seen on the periphery of some of my social media feeds that Zemmour in particular has had a few of Britain's most shock-jocky right wing Spectator/Telegraph types fawning over him so I'm glad that looks like it isn't going anywhere.

Feel free to rename this thread to French/European politics if needed. Thought a general one would be better though for stuff that sometimes crops up but not often enough to have its own thread...

[Dr. Gonzo]

It’s probably bad that I don’t know the first thing about French politics

[Azeem]

Overall happy with Imran Khan's term as PM. Best thing his govt did was introducing this health care program, personally know some people who had pretty expensive treatment done without much cost. 

[Waylander]

2 hours ago, Aladdin said:

Overall happy with Imran Khan's term as PM. Best thing his govt did was introducing this health care program, personally know some people who had pretty expensive treatment done without much cost. 

Interesting, do you think he will serve more than one term?

[Azeem]

11 minutes ago, Waylander said:

Interesting, do you think he will serve more than one term?

If he survives this no confidence motion then yes. There is no other half decent candidate to challenge him. 

[Azeem]

On 24/03/2022 at 17:33, Aladdin said:

If he survives this no confidence motion then yes. There is no other half decent candidate to challenge him. 

Imran allegedly says, messages with to an ambassador from a foreign embassy said that if they want engagements to continue him (Imran) must be removed otherwise consequences. He wanted to show the messages transcript in an address but that has been cancelled after security chiefs met him.

I doubt the wordings were actually that threatening but he did made some stances like not allowing US drone bases and then refusing to condemn Russia that irked Biden administration.

 

[Azeem]

33 minutes ago, Aladdin said:

Imran allegedly says, messages with to an ambassador from a foreign embassy said that if they want engagements to continue him (Imran) must be removed otherwise consequences. He wanted to show the messages transcript in an address but that has been cancelled after security chiefs met him.

I doubt the wordings were actually that threatening but he did made some stances like not allowing US drone bases and then refusing to condemn Russia that irked Biden administration.

 

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

6 hours ago, Aladdin said:

 

Is there a Pakistani group like MEK?

Cos I think MEK are batshit insane. Aside from the whole "Islamic Marxists" contradiction & fighting with the same people who gassed Iranians in the Iran-Iraq war... they've also got a very strange cult of personality with Maryam Rajafi. Very abnormal people.

[Azeem]

2 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Is there a Pakistani group like MEK?

Cos I think MEK are batshit insane. Aside from the whole "Islamic Marxists" contradiction & fighting with the same people who gassed Iranians in the Iran-Iraq war... they've also got a very strange cult of personality with Maryam Rajafi. Very abnormal people.

Quite a few dissidents abroad but no not as political group like MEK

[Azeem]

So Imran openly called out US embassy's name in that threat against him. The cable sent by embassy was validated by security intel so some threat was given. 

I can see Pakistan becoming another Ukraine honestly which also started with a regime change. US main interest in Pakistan is of security, as a station to monitor China & greater Eurasia region. With Khan refusing bases the intelligence was blocked for US which I think Biden is on record saying. 

Poking here in the Belt and Road initiative's key area would distract from Taiwan. China however won't tolerate and some real shit could happen here.

[Azeem]

Lol he is even reading like the script was handed to him. Right after Khan refuses to condemn Russia the Army man does so a day before Khan will be likely ousted. First real regime change in my life.

Why is US so fixated on Pakistan on this issue? We never had any real ties with Russia anyway, India on the other hand heavily depends upon Russia in arms & is creating an alternate payment method bypassing sanctions yet only gets subtle message of consequences.

Trade and influential diaspora is not the only answer, there are confrontations between US & other countries despite of two.

My opinion is the same that its the only outlet left in the Eurasia region for US. Iran is a big no, Afghanistan no, Central Asian states Russia will not even let think about it. 

[Waylander]

57 minutes ago, Aladdin said:

Lol he is even reading like the script was handed to him. Right after Khan refuses to condemn Russia the Army man does so a day before Khan will be likely ousted. First real regime change in my life.

Why is US so fixated on Pakistan on this issue? We never had any real ties with Russia anyway, India on the other hand heavily depends upon Russia in arms & is creating an alternate payment method bypassing sanctions yet only gets subtle message of consequences.

Trade and influential diaspora is not the only answer, there are confrontations between US & other countries despite of two.

My opinion is the same that its the only outlet left in the Eurasia region for US. Iran is a big no, Afghanistan no, Central Asian states Russia will not even let think about it. 

I suspect elements of the ISI want him gone, in recent history they have been pro USA. 

 

[Azeem]

2 minutes ago, Waylander said:

I suspect elements of the ISI want him gone, in recent history they have been pro USA. 

 

Well that's definitely true. Our civil-military elite has no self confidence when confronted by US. Khan was an outlier but this time its different. Not only is Khan a popular leader, US isn't strong enough like before and China/Russia won't tolerate the pro-US thinking in policy circles of Pakistan with changing world events. That's why I made the Ukraine analogy, its not that far fetched

[Azeem]

Khan called for elections in 90 days while the no confidence vote has been challenged in court as a foreign conspiracy. Khan survives for now !

[RandoEFC+]

Hungary and Serbia have elections today. 

[RandoEFC+]

 

 

[Azeem]

19 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

There's a very real possibility of Le Pen winning the French election though as she increasingly appears to be squeezing support from Zemmour. That would be quite a shift in European politics.

I thought she just hated brown people. Indeed Europe will change drastically with these people in charge

[Waylander]

Le Pen may win the first round yet unlikely to win the second. 

A lot of French will abstain in the first round yet too many will not want Le Pen so will likely hold their noses and vote Macron. 

[Azeem]

Khan ousted by 174 votes, 172 were needed for no confidence to succeed.

Well the silver lining from all this is that now power elites are exposed. They opened courts on 11PM on a weekend to take away his executive powers before the vote !

All the political institutional alliance against him are in it for a long, they will run out of a common enemy for the GE elections in 14 months.

 

[Claret and Blue]

Looking at where we stand today this original post the world didn't seem too bad a place back then did it

[Claret and Blue]

Gone as leader of Pakistan 

What's that mean for the country then. No confidence vote  

 

 

[Azeem]

Already discussing that in the World Politics thread, mods please move it there. Never have I seen Pakistan domestic politics get this much traction in international media shows what I said earlier unlike past this will not set well with changing scenarios of global powers. We are likely to go into an Egypt like phase post-2013, Khan's party banned for some dodgy case against them and everything done to keep Khan out of politics, precarious times.

[Claret and Blue]

9 minutes ago, Aladdin said:

Already discussing that in the World Politics thread, mods please move it there. Never have I seen Pakistan domestic politics get this much traction in international media shows what I said earlier unlike past this will not set well with changing scenarios of global powers. We are likely to go into an Egypt like phase post-2013, Khan's party banned for some dodgy case against them and everything done to keep Khan out of politics, precarious times.

Oh right sorry. Yeh either move it there please or remove it. I blame being up since 3am for missing it  

[Waylander]

11 hours ago, Aladdin said:

Khan ousted by 174 votes, 172 were needed for no confidence to succeed.

Well the silver lining from all this is that now power elites are exposed. They opened courts on 11PM on a weekend to take away his executive powers before the vote !

All the political institutional alliance against him are in it for a long, they will run out of a common enemy for the GE elections in 14 months.

So can they stop him running for government again?

[Claret and Blue]

 

 

Seriously is this on drugs. He defends the tax payer 

Also waffling on about people being fat you closed all the gyms. Remember