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21
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by Lods -
Just add the caveat that things are pretty fluid at the moment regarding information...
There's a fair bit of concern and condemnation being expressed by some countries....but there's also some suggestion that there may have been some type of negotiation regarding Maduro's standing down, 'arrest' and removal from Venezuela.
Hard to believe that's the case given Maduro will apparenty face criminal charges in the U.S. but who knows what to believe these days. ::)
22
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by Lods -
Russia has condemned Taco’s ‘armed aggression’ against Venezuela

Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated;

“The pretexts cited to justify these actions are untenable. Ideologically driven hostility has prevailed over practical pragmatism and a willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability.”

The only thing wrong with the Russian statement is the omission of Venezuela’s extensive oil reserves … and then there’s the utter hypocrisy given Russia’s ongoing territorial aggression in Ukraine.

Denmark and the EU should be thinking seriously about beefing up their military presence in Greenland.

There's the issue.
While many may applaud the 'capture' of this dubious head of state it sets a pretty dangerous precedent and the USA can hardly complain when other countries adopt similar tactics.
Yep, he's probably a bad man, his government has dodgy legitimacy but...

International boundaries become non-existent if a country has the power.
It's a power thing.
No one is going to do the same to a Netanyahu or a Putin.

This one just doesn't sit well.
It's obviously to a large extent about oil.
It's also about regime change.
That's probably going to result in some serious confronations, with no guarantees of long term stability for Venezuelans.
It shows a United States with as much respect for international boundaries as Putin's Russia.
That is a concern for countries or territories Trump may have his eye on.


23
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by Lods -
Russia has condemned Taco’s ‘armed aggression’ against Venezuela

Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated;

“The pretexts cited to justify these actions are untenable. Ideologically driven hostility has prevailed over practical pragmatism and a willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability.”

The only thing wrong with the Russian statement is the omission of Venezuela’s extensive oil reserves … and then there’s the utter hypocrisy given Russia’s ongoing territorial aggression in Ukraine.

Denmark and the EU should be thinking seriously about beefing up their military presence in Greenland.

There's the issue.
While many may applaud the 'capture' of this dubious head of state it sets a pretty dangerous precedent and the USA can hardly complain when other countries adopt similar tactics.

International boundaries become non-existent if a country has the power.
It's a power thing.
No one is going to do the same to a Netanyahu or a Putin.

This one just doesn't sit well.
It's obviously to a large extent about oil.
It's also about regime change.
That's probably going to result in some serious confronations, with no guarantees of long term stability for Venezuelans.
It shows a United States with as much respect for international boundaries as Putin's Russia.
That is a concern for countries or territories Trump may have his eye on.


25
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by DJC -
Russia has condemned Taco’s ‘armed aggression’ against Venezuela

Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated;

“The pretexts cited to justify these actions are untenable. Ideologically driven hostility has prevailed over practical pragmatism and a willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability.”

The only thing wrong with the Russian statement is the omission of Venezuela’s extensive oil reserves … and then there’s the utter hypocrisy given Russia’s ongoing territorial aggression in Ukraine.

Denmark and the EU should be thinking seriously about beefing up their military presence in Greenland.
26
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by DJC -
One needs to mediate carefully between the group and the individual. There may be a small element of truth to certain groups conforming to certain behaviors, but that needs to be measured against that fact we are individual minds, and you need to be wary of flattening or erasing any nuance or legitimate difference that exists between members of a group.

In terms of parental pushiness, my experiences were decidedly mixed, with 2 children involved in soccer, cricket, swimming, ballet, fencing, drama, choir, art classes, gymnastics. Pushy parents come in all shapes and skin colors, as do chill parents.

Very true Paul.  It is all too easy to attribute an individual’s behaviours to their gender, ethnicity, religion, etc when it’s really down to their personality.

I served for many years as president of a junior basketball club in multicultural Box Hill.  Pushy parents, and pushy children, were an occupational hazard and they did come in all shapes and sizes.  The worst were generally many generations removed from their immigrant forebears.
27
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by PaulP -
One needs to mediate carefully between the group and the individual. There may be a small element of truth to certain groups conforming to certain behaviors, but that needs to be measured against that fact we are individual minds, and you need to be wary of flattening or erasing any nuance or legitimate difference that exists between members of a group.

In terms of parental pushiness, my experiences were decidedly mixed, with 2 children involved in soccer, cricket, swimming, ballet, fencing, drama, choir, art classes, gymnastics. Pushy parents come in all shapes and skin colors, as do chill parents.
28
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by dodge -
My kids play a lot of games vs. sides stacked with kids with Indian and Sri Lankan backgrounds and the term "pushy parent" is very apt. I'd hate to be the coach of one of those kids, the parental interference would drive you dingbats.

Many parents want the other kids to well, just not as well as their kids! Pushy parents will be that way if the are not reined in quickly. Amazing what putting a #4 down to #11 does as a result of parental actions.

Kawaja is a bit polarising - says some good and some rubbish things. I think in the end a good career in some ordinary sides - a great lesson in perseverance.  Fielding could still do with some work.
29
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by DJC -
Khawaja spoke very well about growing up a brown kid amongst mostly white older generation racist players. It wasn't until Gillys generation that he began to feel apart. He said that it was the parents of the kids he played that were the worst. He's done very well to get through that to become the player he is.

I don't doubt that there has been an element of racism in Australian cricket at all levels.  However, while Australia has lagged behind England, South Africa and New Zealand in terms of players with Asian or Indigenous heritage making the Test team, Michael Jeh, writing in 2013 makes the point:

Quote
As a dark-skinned Australian who began his cricket career in Australia, I cannot claim any discrimination or disadvantage based on my ethnic background. Any bias that I’ve experienced has been down to the fact that I’ve been limited by this ridiculous obsession with picking the best players! I suffered from simply not being good enough.

He then takes a slightly more serious approach and points out that:

Quote
... many young boys from South Asian backgrounds have family expectations to deal with. Speaking from personal experience, I know that they come under immense pressure to follow academic pathways and ‘safe’ careers rather than chasing exotic cricket dreams. It’s ironic because these same families will watch every game of cricket and worship the stars but for their own sons, there’s a genuine desire to set them on a traditional career pathway that requires an emphasis on study. That will change but it might take a decade or so to show. Don’t ask me why this doesn’t manifest itself in England – I can’t figure that one out myself.

And

Quote
From a pure cricketing perspective, the nature of Australian pitches lends itself to bigger, stronger physiques dominating senior club cricket. You have to be strong and robust enough to hit the deck and get bounce, therefore more suited to the Anglo-Saxon body shape. In England and New Zealand, the nagging medium-pacers and spinners come into their own, thereby opening up the field to bowlers who may lack the pure ‘grunt’ but can do enough with the ball at 125 kph. Australian pitches need to offer more variety full stop. It will automatically create more opportunities for players with different body shapes and techniques. The added bonus is that it will allow our players to adapt better to foreign pitches too.

From a pure cricketing perspective, the nature of Australian pitches lends itself to bigger, stronger physiques dominating senior club cricket. You have to be strong and robust enough to hit the deck and get bounce, therefore more suited to the Anglo-Saxon body shape. In England and New Zealand, the nagging medium-pacers and spinners come into their own, thereby opening up the field to bowlers who may lack the pure ‘grunt’ but can do enough with the ball at 125 kph. Australian pitches need to offer more variety full stop. It will automatically create more opportunities for players with different body shapes and techniques. The added bonus is that it will allow our players to adapt better to foreign pitches too.

And finally:

Quote
Psychologically, it’s no secret that Australian club cricket is played hard and uncompromisingly, sometimes too much so perhaps. It’s easy enough to mistake some of the sledging as ‘racist’ but from my experience, I found most of it to be opportunistic rather than redneck.

Michael Jeh is an Oxford Blue who played first-class cricket, and was a Playing Member of the MCC.  Perhaps he and Usman should compare notes.

Anyway, Khawaja has had a great career, even if it did go for slightly too long.  If anything, that part of his Test career after his recall was better than his first part.  Well done and let's hope he goes out with a decent score at the SCG - the curator will probably produce a road  ::)
30
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by Professer E -
My kids play a lot of games vs. sides stacked with kids with Indian and Sri Lankan backgrounds and the term "pushy parent" is very apt. I'd hate to be the coach of one of those kids, the parental interference would drive you dingbats.