Geopolitics - Foreign Policy

The food laws are a major worry… GMfoods all round… Companies getting to sue a state if its laws are hindering their profits? Madness… The American Empire must be stopped.

The companies suing states if the laws are hindering their profits thing is already very common in investment treaties. It beggars belief really.

Investment treaties and trade treaties can have massive impacts but they are so high level that people tend not to take notice. The world trade system is governed by WTO law and hundreds if not thousands of bilateral treaties. Fundamentally the system is based on Washington consensus style economic theory: remove barriers to trade, trade increases, everyone benefits.

In reality though, developed countries are very slow to remove barriers relating to industries where other countries may have a competitive advantage, they remove trade barriers where it suits them.

There is lots of evidence to show that these treaties increase trade for developing countries, but there is little or none to show that it improves their economic development.

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There’s two of them in it. And the EU is the bigger economy at the table here.

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Interesting trade discussion here, chaps.

I don’t want to disrupt it but when you get a chance could one of @glasagusban, @ChocolateMice, @Julio_Geordio, @Balbec or @Sidney give me the lowdown on Cyprus? What’s the story with the island? Please explain the history of Greek and Turkish Cypriots and how they came to feud. What’s the chances of reunification?

Europe is every bit as bad as the USA - unelected cunts in Brussels calling the shots that suit their cronies (big business) and fuck over the rest of us. “Democracy for the few” applies here too.

#GetUsOutOfEurope

Cyprus due to it’s location has always been highly sought after from a strategic point of view. The Ottomans had it until WW1 after which the Brits held it until the 1950’s. Around this time the Cypriots had their own Brits out campaign. Which ultimately led to an independent Cyprus. The Brits held onto a bit for a base which is still there as far as I know.
The population on the island is mixed Greek Cypriots & Turk Cypriots. The Turks and the Greeks have hated each other for as long as either have existed. Both wanted reunification with Greece & Turkey respectively so independence was seen as a compromise.
They had a kind of a compromise Government like they have in NI with a Greek PM & Turkish vice PM. It never really worked.
Greece then had a military coup at home and the Turks got worried. Long story short the Turks invaded.

As for reunification it was the major stumbling block to Turkey joining the EU and progress had been made in recent times but I’d say it’s been put way on the back burner with other more pressing concerns in the area.

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Exactly… These treaties and laws are only going to benefit big business, always. We live in a time/country where fluctuating economic stats are seen as more of a measure of where our society is at rather than the well being of our citizens… It’s frightening. We need to invest in a whole new outlook but big business dictates our government, media and all modes of information. We’ve listened for four weeks to our political leaders talking about actions that took place from 30 to 7 years ago and none of them dealt with what is coming down the line, it angers me greatly.

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For the day that’s in it…

The Occult History of Ireland (A Brief Introduction)

http://www.taroscopes.com/miscellanous-pages/briefhistoryireland.html

Is traditional Left v Right politics dead?? It seems everyone is in the centre these days, two sides of the same coin so to speak.

It seems to be in this country anyway. But I think you’ll find that in some of the countries being effected by the current strings of violent attacks, it will reinvent itself again as it will inevitably lead to a lot of extreme right wing parties putting their heads above the ground and trying to swell their support

So the failure of the left and right will just create a wider variety of new left and right parties?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kqD8lIdIMRo what do ye make of this lads. Does Vlad have a valid point?

Putin is always on the ball with Geopolitical matters pal.

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How can the Irish Independent publish this shite.

@Big_Dan_Campbell what was the name of the book you mentioned before on US meddling in other countries?

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I read this on your recommendation during the first lockdown. Brilliant read.

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Why are the Brits interfering in South Pacific security ? I’d say the Chinese will find a way of making them pay heavily for this. A hack or a ban on importing range rovers and scotch.

They are looking to attain their previous level of influence from post colonial times. To feel powerful as opposed to actually wielding power or influence. It’s rule Britannia shit.

The Chinese will send them home with their tea in a mug.