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PaperclipPerfector  7mo ago (text post)   1052 thread views

Transnational Thursday for April 18, 2024

Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.

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Ireland

The National Party leadership dispute, an argument which started over some missing gold bars, has been solved with the launching of Clann Éireann - an explicitly ethnonationalist party lead by the NP's former leader Justin Barret. "Anything other than ethnonationalism is not good enough . . . we can measure who is Irish and who is not by blood".

In somewhat related news Ireland has had its first ethnonationalist murder (first that has nothing to do with the United Kingdom at least). I'll wait for the court case to judge myself but the headline is 'Killed for not speaking English'.

And the Minister of Integration Roderic O'Gorman (also the Minister for 4 other things but this is the relevant one) had masked men putting up 'Close the Borders' signs and protesting outside of his house.

Are the Irish the indigenous people of their ancestral lands? I’ve heard that the Scots are Scotland’s.

I ask as a neighbor of several Native American tribes, between which my city sits.

The Lebor Gabála tells of Ireland being settled (or "taken") six times by six groups of people: the people of Cessair, the people of Partholón, the people of Nemed, the Fir Bolg, the Tuatha Dé Danann, and the Milesians. The first four groups are wiped out or forced to abandon the island; the fifth group represents Ireland's pagan gods, while the final group represents the Irish people (the Gaels).

So basically yes, or at least the previous indigenous people stopped existing as a distinct race in prehistoric times.

The Russians made a break through the Ukrainian lines today: https://twitter.com/GloOouD/status/1782520078170206310

I don't have enough knowledge to say how bad this is, but it seems pretty bad. I'm getting the feeling that the war there might be approaching the point where the Ukrainians can no longer fight effectively, at least not unless they get a whole lot more aid.

Seems like if they hold on to it it'd put Ukraine's new defensive line at the Vocha in the south, idk about the north it's not been as active, probably collapse the pocket at least near Keramik. Which is about as big a chunk of land as Ukraine gained during the failed counter-offensive. So not much really considering how big Ukraine is. It's high ground which will give Russia advantages in the attritional war as well. Main take away of this war is that maneuver warfare is dead on a modern battlefield. Can't push deep without losing EW and other needed protections and getting droned to death. Taking territory is more about positional advantages.

Still not good for Ukraine though especially considering troops refusing to fight has been happening regularly, refusals in avdiivka earlier this year, and in Chasiv Yar recently. News recently was that Ukraine would have to accept a truce by the end of the year without more aid, seems more likely that they were looking at suffering a major collapse and breakthrough before the elections. Probably why they pulled out whatever intelligence agency leverage they had on Johnson and got him to trade in his political career for CNN contributor or wherever he ends up.

I agree that this doesnt seem like it will lead to a big change in territory. But its bad in that it shows Ukraine's troops starting to crack under the pressure. Thats really the endgame of attritional warfare... bot to take territory, but to degrade tgeir army to the point they cant fight anymore

Dropping this here because although not international, it's not super culture-wars-y- a schizo burned himself alive outside of Trump's trial in New York.

https://nypost.com/2024/04/19/us-news/man-who-set-self-on-fire-outside-trump-trial-idd-as-max-azzarello/

The Florida man who lit himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial was unfolding Friday is a self-described “investigative researcher” who appeared to become more erratic over the last year and spewed conspiracy theories about the “elites” in a lengthy manifesto.

Max Azzarello, 37, of St. Augustine, Fla., tossed a stack of pamphlets into the air, which included links to a Substack newsletter apparently authored by the self-immolator called “The Ponzi Papers” moments before he doused himself in gasoline and set himself ablaze in Collect Pond Park.

At the top of the site is an article with the headline “I have set myself on fire outside of the Trump Trial,” followed by a rambling manifesto riddled with conspiracy theories on everything from cryptocurrency and Hollywood actors to COVID and former President Bill Clinton.

If you think the news story is exaggerating his craziness- and he does seem to be insane- you can read his substack here: https://theponzipapers.substack.com/p/i-have-set-myself-on-fire-outside

Israel has struck multiple targets in Ishfan, Iran. The location of these strikes would suggest that they hit one of Iran’s major nuclear research facilities.

I used to be very happy, albeit very bored when nothing ever happened.

Well, now we'll find out if Iran wants to expend the rest of their long range arsenal.

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