Posts by fulltimestudent

8

Have Anglosphere (USA+UK) sanctions against Russia failed?

by fulltimestudent in

its fair to say that western sanctions have hurt the russian economy and made life a little more difficult for ordinary russian families, but as far as causing a political/economic collapse of russia - there is not much evidence that the sanctions are causing grief in russia.. and when you examine 'deals' that russia has made since the sanctions were authorised, it may be that russia is ahead of the game.. it can be suggested that sanctions are a very weak tool.

famously, sanctions have not worked against china (back in mao's time), cuba or north korea.

they weakened iraq, but caused the 2nd world economy then operating, and helped push iraq back into anarchy.

fulltimestudent

Yesterday (July 7) a Russian newsagency announced more details of the growing entente with Saudi Arabia (who has been seen in the past as working within the western alliance).

The report is written by M.K.Bhadrakumar, a reliable Indian commentator.

Saudi Arabia puts big money in Russian economy

BY M.K. BHADRAKUMAR on JULY 7, 2015 in ASIA TIMES NEWS & FEATURES

The Russian news agency Sputnik has reported on an agreement signed between the Russian Direct Investment Fund [RDIF] and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia “to create a partnership to invest $10 billion into projects implemented in Russia.” The report said the Saudi funds will be invested within 4-5 years starting from this year and that seven concrete projects are “currently in the final stage”. The majority of Saudi investment will be made on Russia’s agricultural projects, as well as on medicine, logistics and the retail and real estate sectors.Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Konstantin Palace outside St. Petersburg, Russia, in June this year

An interesting feature of the deal is that the Saudi investment vehicle will combine with other Asian sovereign wealth funds, especially the Russia-China investment Fund (which is backed by the China Investment Corporation.)

Meanwhile, the RDIF disclosed that it also signed an agreement with another Saudi Arabian sovereign-wealth fund, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, to undertake projects in Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries.

All this has developed since Crown Prince Mohammed made that shock visit to Moscow in June.

8

Have Anglosphere (USA+UK) sanctions against Russia failed?

by fulltimestudent in

its fair to say that western sanctions have hurt the russian economy and made life a little more difficult for ordinary russian families, but as far as causing a political/economic collapse of russia - there is not much evidence that the sanctions are causing grief in russia.. and when you examine 'deals' that russia has made since the sanctions were authorised, it may be that russia is ahead of the game.. it can be suggested that sanctions are a very weak tool.

famously, sanctions have not worked against china (back in mao's time), cuba or north korea.

they weakened iraq, but caused the 2nd world economy then operating, and helped push iraq back into anarchy.

fulltimestudent

Its fair to say that western sanctions have hurt the Russian economy and made life a little more difficult for ordinary Russian families, but as far as causing a political/economic collapse of Russia - there is not much evidence that the sanctions are causing grief in Russia.

And when you examine 'deals' that Russia has made since the sanctions were authorised, it may be that Russia is ahead of the game.

It can be suggested that sanctions are a very weak tool. Famously, sanctions have not worked against China (back in Mao's time), Cuba or North Korea. They weakened Iraq, but caused the 2nd world economy then operating, and helped push Iraq back into anarchy. In a way sanctions are like the disfellowshipping sanctions used by our former loving brothers, some buckle under the pressure, but others get their backs up and decide they will never give in.

But back to the "deals."

It can be argued that sanctions pushed Russia closer to China. Some 100 trillions of dollars in deals between Russia and China have been announced since the sanctions were applied. New pipelines (oil and gas) are already under construction, and a new VFT (Very Fast Train- i.e. 300km/hour) rail-line route, is being surveyed eastward from Moscow. Details of armament deals have not been disclosed, but it is rumoured that the deals included the very latest Sukhoi fighter plane, the equivalent of the F-35 and the latest anti-aircraft rocket system.

I've counted some five different arrangements (inclusive of the China deals) that the Russians have made since the Americans applied sanctions.

I'll post these separately. The first will be the Russian-Saudi Arabia agreements just announced.

Christian woman reveals what American Christianity is ALL about

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsrlqmjvfdg

fulltimestudent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSrlQmjvFDg

27

Options for the EU? - A cartoon from the Lebanese Daily Star

by fulltimestudent in

fulltimestudent

17

Indian Paradox

by fulltimestudent in

while researching a comment on the long-running naga rebellion in india, i came across this charming image.

a woman wearing a burqua (so obviously muslim) walks her son to school.

its described as being a festival day, so the boy is dressed as the lord krishna.. from the indian newsnation: http://www.newsnation.in/photos/entertainment/only-happen-in-india-1021/slide1#more.

fulltimestudent

Ruby456 - fulltimestudent- here is another more tongue in cheek pic from that site.

Thnx Ruby! I note the dress-up is complete with painted toenails. It leaves us wondering whether the elephant is male or female?

17

Indian Paradox

by fulltimestudent in

while researching a comment on the long-running naga rebellion in india, i came across this charming image.

a woman wearing a burqua (so obviously muslim) walks her son to school.

its described as being a festival day, so the boy is dressed as the lord krishna.. from the indian newsnation: http://www.newsnation.in/photos/entertainment/only-happen-in-india-1021/slide1#more.

fulltimestudent

Reference the comments on niquab versus burqa, I used the word (burqua) used by the writer in the web journal that ran the image.

Whether use of the descriptive word 'burqa' is based on local usage, or ignorance on the part of the writer, is something that i am unable to answer.

Wikipedia can hardly be considered the final authority on such a matter, but the Wikipedia entry is interesting:

A niqab (/nɪˈkɑːb/; Arabic: نِقاب‎ niqāb , "veil" or "mask"; also called a ruband) is a cloth that covers the face as a part of sartorial hijab. It is worn by some Muslim women in public areas and in front of non-mahram adult males, especially in the Hanbali Muslim faith tradition. The niqab is worn in theArab countries of the Arabian Peninsula such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the UAE. The niqab is also worn in countries such as Somalia,Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh as well as some parts of Palestinian-ruled territories, southern provinces of Iran, and additional areas with sizeable Muslim populations. Because of the wide variety of hijab worn in the Muslim world, it can be difficult to definitively distinguish between one type of veil and another. The terms niqab and burqa are often incorrectly used interchangeably; a niqab covers the face while a burqa covers the whole body from the top of the head to the ground. The Quran instructs Muslim men and women to dress modestly and to guard their private parts. Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niq%C4%81b

An Australian ABC (government owned) media website illustrates the issue.

What are the differences between the burka, niqab and hijab?

Its an issue in Aussie 'red-neck' circles, as it is claimed the full length gown could be used to hide explosives. An interesting matter, as the JWs magazine "Consolation" later re-named as "Awake" made the same claim about Catholic Nuns in the 1930's.

But in goes on to say that:

Why do some Muslim women wear burkas?
The Koran calls for both men and women to 'cover and be modest'.
As with many other religious scriptures, the reference to dress is open to interpretation and has been shaped by centuries of cultures in different nations.
"The Koran does not explicitly say you have to cover yourself in this manner," Dr Ismail said.
"Some scholars argue that it is a religious obligation, particularly the more conservative factions within the Muslim world. There are many variations and interpretations."
Dr Ismail is a Muslim and has been wearing her hijab since she was a child.
"I'm so comfortable wearing it that I can't imagine myself without it. I wear it for cultural reasons, but there are many women who wear it for religious reasons." Reference: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-23/why-do-muslim-women-wear-a-burka-niqab-or-hijab/5761510

However, there is a possibility that burqa rather than niquab is local usage in India, as the closeness of the two cultures surely means some familiarity with local Muslim usage. On the other, since the journal appears use English, it may simply be a translation issue.

21

Who were the Sadducees and the Pharisees?? Are there similarities between them and JW's??

by confuzzlediam in

last month, i had the privilege of traveling to jamaica with a study abroad group from my community college.

while there, we went to a place called my father's house in which severely disabled children lived when they had no one else to take care of them.

as part of their day, they hold worship in a small, outdoor meeting place.

fulltimestudent

You can also access the DSS on line.

Try: http://www.ibtimes.com/dead-sea-scrolls-online-text-available-thanks-google-video-links-318984

and

http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/project

21

Who were the Sadducees and the Pharisees?? Are there similarities between them and JW's??

by confuzzlediam in

last month, i had the privilege of traveling to jamaica with a study abroad group from my community college.

while there, we went to a place called my father's house in which severely disabled children lived when they had no one else to take care of them.

as part of their day, they hold worship in a small, outdoor meeting place.

fulltimestudent

If you want to look for similarities, take a good look at the Essenes, and buy a copy of "The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English." (Penguin, 1997) translated and with editorial comments by Geza Vermes.

Product description
The discovery of the "Dead Sea Scrolls" in the Judaean desert between 1947 and 1956 transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism and the origins of Christianity. These extraordinary manuscripts appear to have been hidden in the caves at Quumran by members of the Essene community, a Jewish sect in existence before and during the time of Jesus. Some sixty years after the Scrolls' first discovery, this revised and much expanded edition of "The Dead Sea Scrolls in English" crowns a lifetime of research by the great Qumran scholar Geza Vermes. As well as superb translations of all non-biblical texts sufficiently well preserved to be rendered into English, there are also a number of previously unpublished texts, and a new preface. Since its first publication in 1962, "The Dead Sea Scrolls in English" has established itself as the standard English translation of the non-Biblical "Qumran Scrolls" and as giving an astonishing insight to the organization, customs, history and beliefs of the community responsible for them.

131

On the Relevancy of The Institutionalization of Sin

by Perry in

child murder, sodomy & corrupting the human genome are not new sins, they are old ones.

what is new is their institutionalization.

but even that isn't totally new.

fulltimestudent

TTWSYF12 minutes ago

There were certainly moral people throughout history, but there was no standard of morality until the church established it.

This is plain bullshit!

There were 'standards' - there are a number of west Asian 'standards' (if you want to say that there is such a thing as a standard). In Hellenic thought, there were the pre-Socratic thinkers, then Socrates, Aristotle and Plato, without even mentioning the Stoics.

Early Christians drew on the ideas of the Stoics and Plato in particular.

Going East from the Mediterranean early Buddhism certainly established "standards' of morality with a strong emphasis on compassion. In East Asia, Kongzi (Confucius - 6th C BCE) established a systematic morality that influences East Asia until now. His near contemporary Mozi taught a system of Universal love, that is more detailed than the vague references Jesus makes to 'love.' Standards exist in all these systems of thought.

Take your head out of the nether regions of Christianity and look around at the real world.

2

Pay now - Live later. The True Price of the Christian Reward.

by fulltimestudent in

i apologise for not being able to refrain from making a joke out of this thread, but the topic is rather humourous.. i've just bought peter brown's (the illustrious historian) latest book, "the ransom of the soul - afterlife and wealth in early western christianity," and am in the process of reading it.

its quite amazing how soon money entered into the early churches relationship with individual christians,.

may i recommend it for those who may still harbour illusions about jesus and his church.

fulltimestudent

I apologise for not being able to refrain from making a joke out of this thread, but the topic is rather humourous.

I've just bought Peter Brown's (the illustrious historian) latest book, "The Ransom of the Soul - Afterlife and Wealth in Early Western Christianity," and am in the process of reading it. Its quite amazing how soon money entered into the early churches relationship with individual Christians,

May I recommend it for those who may still harbour illusions about Jesus and his church. (not that Brown comes across as anti-Christian. As a good historian he records his research with a straight bat).

Here's a couple of reviews (courtesy of Amazon) :

In this visionary short study, Peter Brown links two themes which are rarely brought together: Christian views of the afterlife between the second and seventh centuries,and the way in which relations between God and the faithful, living and dead, were mediated by wealth… Beginning with the teaching of Jesus that one should give away what one has, Brown traces a trajectory of almsgiving over six centuries… Brown has rarely published a book without creating a new field of study and endowing it with new research questions, and here he does it again. This beautifully written volume which is eminently accessible to non-specialists holds special interest for Catholics. As it leads reader from the ancient into the early medieval world, it speaks especially to the evolution of Catholic tradition and doctrine… This is an absorbing, thought-provoking book, which prompts reflection on the modem as well as the ancient world, and on the secular as well as the religious sphere. (Teresa Morgan The Tablet 2015-04-11)

[An] extraordinary new book… The new work, which is one of [Brown’s] shortest, is also prodigiously original―an astonishing performance for a historian who has already been so prolific and influential… [It’s] a completely fresh look at the issue of Christian wealth and giving, with special attention to changing perspectives from the mid-third century to the late seventh… [An] extraordinarily vivid panorama of money in the early church… Peter Brown’s subtle and incisive tracking of the role of money in Christian attitudes toward the afterlife not only breaks down traditional geographical and chronological boundaries across more than four centuries. It provides wholly new perspectives on Christianity itself, its evolution, and, above all, its discontinuities. It demonstrates why the Middle Ages, when they finally arrived, were so very different from late antiquity. (G. W. Bowersock New York Review of Books 2015-05-21)