• 0 Posts
  • 35 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
cake
Cake day: June 23rd, 2025

help-circle
  • The father of a classmate supposedly did business in Russia during the 1990s and, according to my classmate, witnessed an execution beneath a bridge somewhere in Moscow late in the evening. I don’t remember a name of the bridge, and I can’t verify whether the story was true. However, he was completely serious when telling it, and I do remember hearing media reports about organized crime killings and similar incidents in Russia during the chaotic post-Soviet years. So while I can’t confirm this particular story, it doesn’t sound impossible for that period.


  • I would say there is a difference between leftists in the US and in Europe, although there are certainly overlaps. For example, I haven’t seen anything in the US comparable to the scenes during the G20 protests in Hamburg or the 01st May demonstrations in Berlin and Connewitz.

    On the other hand, we can ask the question: what exactly is a „leftist"? We can ask the same about „right-wingers." Is someone who follows communist ideas necessarily a leftist? Some people would say yes, others would disagree. Likewise, some people might consider a conservative to be right-wing, while others would see them as simply conservative. So, both the left and the right exist on a spectrum, which can make labels difficult to define precisely.

    However, I used the term „leftist" in my previous comment because Paris has a large and influential left-wing community. As far as I know, Lyon is - as a counterexample - generally more conservative and there I never came across such scenes like in the clip from Paris. But perhaps some French users can correct me if I’m mistaken.





  • Actually, Russia has vast natural resources, but much of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of oligarchs. The post-communist period in Russia was marked by violent power struggles between oligarchs, often involving private militias or hired hitmen targeting rival businessmen. Perhaps it just wasn’t as visible in the US.

    BTW, do not forget that most rich men in the US (Elon, Mark, Jeff) are rich on paper (stock market, company shares), while Russian millionaires have real physical control over resources or industries (eg Vladimir Potanin - rare earth elements, Vagit Alekperov - oil, Leonid Mikhelson - gas).












  • I think the key issue is secularization. Many European countries went through long historical periods where religion dominated politics and public life, followed by centuries of conflict, reform, and eventually stronger separation between religion and state. Modern secular democracies in Europe are partly the result of learning from that history.

    Not all religious traditions or societies went through the same process. In some places, religion still plays a central role in law, politics, and daily life, hence it is treated not just as personal belief, but as the basis for governing society.

    That does not mean religion itself is uniquely bad or that every religious society behaves the same way. There are also belief systems deeply tied to culture, philosophy, or nature - for example Aborigines or certain Buddhist traditions - that historically were less focused on universal expansion or religious conquest.

    The point is not „religion should disappear”, but that societies require separation between religious authority and state power. BTW, Jesus wasn’t a capitalist. If you would be like Jesus, you would be broke today.

    Edit: removed redundant text from previous version.



  • I would say that you don’t leave any living being in the car, which is not capable to opening the door with ease by itself, when temperatures are elevated outside!!! This counts for elderly, immobile or physically or mentally disabled people as well as for any animal - dogs die often due to leaving them alone in the car when it’s hot, sometimes the window slightly open, though this does not help.

    So, please, take action if you see anybody or any animal suffering in a car, because it is hot. In some countries you can call the police.