The US is comically corrupt!

12 years, not 4. The russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2014 with the invasion of Crimea.

No electricity at all from 8:30 am to sometime around 9 pm (sometimes a lot later). If you live on higher floor, no heat or water either since the pumps don’t work without electricity.

The russians tried something similar in previous winters, but all three of them were very mild. It’s going to be around -15 for weeks on end.

All countries need to develop a strategic plan to get rid of all American products and services. I am not saying it has to happen in one day, but step by step.

Americans are unlikely to address corruption any time soon. The centre-right party leadership are too corrupt themselves and most of the party base is too well off to risk taking down the oligarchs.

The 40% approval rating is damning for the American socio-political system.

At some point one has to realize that over time political systems cannot survive without major reforms.

Good luck! All the best for your health!

I was wondering why he only got 5 years:

Separate trials will consider other charges, including the charge of masterminding insurrection, for which prosecutors have called for Yoon to be sentenced to death.

Imagine showing this news article to someone in 1998 or 2000.

Or perhaps even 2015, which wasn’t that long ago.

I would argue this is a good thing. The data is being used anyways, at least they get some money to keep the project going.

The owner, Wikimedia Foundation, is a non-profit.

Tymoshenko is a sketchy individual. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that she was indeed involved in such a scheme.

I just hope our national anti-corruption institutions (НАВУ and САП) can develop into truly independent agencies (with salaries above private sector, let alone public sector) that can prosecute corruption in any party, region or entity.

Fedorov is arguably somewhat liked by people in Ukraine. That being said, the challenges he has to deal with around recruitment and modernization of bureaucracy in the military “back office” are enormous.

e-government and public digital services have massively improved over the last 6-7 years. One could argue in this area we are even ahead of most Western countries.

Here is a counter-arguement. It is the responsibility of the citizens to make sure things like the Patriot Act or ICE are used in a fair manner with oversight and restrictions.

The notion that “the government” is some external entity is an easy and satisfying polemic, but it’s not helpful in a practical sense.

Seems like the same shit, but with a slightly different tone.

Diaz-Canel responded to Trump’s comments on Sunday by saying that Cuba was a “free, independent, and sovereign” country and would defend itself “to the last drop of blood”.

So free and independent that many thousands of Cubans somehow ended up fighting for russian imperialism.

This should have started in Feb 2022, if not earlier. That being said, better late then never.

Wouldn’t be surprised to hear comparable arguments during a similar hypothetical situation in the US.

Good for Indonesia and Malaysia! Too bad European countries don’t have the guts to do this!

US is going full speed ahead with the debasement of all their institutions.

The flip side of this is that more and more countries/people are going to come to the conclusion that the Emperor has no clothes! That’s a good thing in the medium to long-term.

Me too!