proxy comments

A piecemeal and systematic destruction of the capabilities of the enemy army: its logistics, technical potential, officers and personnel is exactly what Russia is doing, not the Ukraine. Every day the Russian forces get a bit stronger and everyday the Ukrainian forces get a little weaker. The Asian Times is even mentioning something like a possible military coup against Zelenskyy as the Ukrainian commanders are tired of throwing young men in the grinder to die in a hopeless war if it continues much longer.

TaiwanIsNotChina

The US does not recognize Taiwan as a country. Blinken in June this year "We do not support Taiwan independence." But the US is still stirring up a conflict for Japan. The US is likely to start a proxy war between China and Japan in Taiwan.

Maybe it is best if all of the people from mainland China left and let the Indigenous people have their own country back?

The US is trying to stir up some kind of war with China in Taiwan and trying to suck Japan in as well. Japan and China have no reason not to be good friends.

I don't think Barbie would resonate with Japanese folks since very few if any kids ever had a Barbie doll.

Kill JA; split it up and privatize it. Remove all restrictions that hamper farmers and farm expansion and for goodness sake join the 21st century and allow farmers to grow GM crops.

Asking for outsiders to come and fight will never succeed. Local folks, banding together and buying some guns works. But it is hard work.

The BOJ is leading the parade as Japan continues to march into "poverty." It is really astounding how low the standard of living is in Japan for most people compared to North America or Australia. At the bare minimum, workers in Japan should all get a solid block of 4 weeks off every year so that if they can't cool their apartments at least they can put a tent up in the mountains to leave the stress briefly behind.

Stress and loneliness are the biggest killer and the pandemic caused a lot of both.

@u_s__reamer

The US also handed out drugs to their military like candies in WW@ and Korea.

The brothels in Japan were also de facto "shooting galleries" for hard drugs until they were outlawed in the 50's. Men didn't go sing karaoke after the war, they went to brothels and shot up.

Japan had a very serious drug problem after WW2. Governments at all levels, social services and police worked diligently to control and more or less eliminate the problem. The continued stigmatization of drugs and drug users has been effective in disinsensitivizing drug use. It has and is an effective strategy.

Removing the stigma associated with drug use, even marijuana, has failed, writ large, in places like Vancouver, San Francisco and Portland.

Nobody in Japan wants to start going down the path that leads to block after block of "zombies" pooping on the streets and turning down towns into post apocalyptic no-go zones.

I know it is "only pot" but Japan needs to keep drugs out.

I'm not that familiar with the rules of the game but are players allowed to get such a full grasp on the arm of another player as #16 has on #11?

@cleo

That is not going to happen. Wishes are not horses, boots on the ground paint a different reality. I do not support any sort of war and cheerleading for more death is not going to change the reality on the ground.

@Eastman The Ukraine has lost. The West forced it to expend its weapons and men on a useless offensive. The war is decided. The only question now is how will the peace be decided. NATO needs peace ASAP before it falls apart. Germany is deindustrializing at a worrying pace that will destroy its economy and European wealth creation for a generation. Europe needs peace, Germany needs peace, NATO needs peace, Ukraine needs peace AND Russia needs peace.

@wallace

Bicycle helmet laws do not save lives.

@wallace

There is plenty of research from around the world that helmet laws reduce cycling. Cycling is not an inherently dangerous activity. Progressive countries like the Netherlands do not have such ridiculous laws.

Leave the cyclists alone. Japan is one of the most cycle friendly country in the world. Discouraging cycling by fining people for an Idaho stop is wrongheaded.

I call it a win to block far left news sites like the government mouthpiece, CBC. It's like Facebook blocking Pravda, a tangible benefit to Canadian society.

COVID impact.

JT needs to include either 2306 or "typhoon 6" in these reports so people who are in a risky area are crystal clear about the approaching storm. The Meteorological Agency labels this typhoon as T2306. It is important information.

@EFD

I forgot to add that the longest streak of days with highs above 100 F in Kansas City was also in 1936 at 53 consecutive days. The second longest streak was in 1934. The 5th longest streak was in 1901.

Soon we will all be as wealthy as the citizens of North Korea. Say no to poverty and yes to O&G.

In America, if he was black, that gun charge would put him behind bars, case closed.

Somebody set a standard so batteries can be swapped out like remote control batteries; pull into a service station and swap out your empty battery for a fully charged one in 5 minutes.

In other news, India banned the export of japonica rice. That will be a devastating blow to millions of hungry folks around the world. It could, however, offer Japan to win some friends by giving them rice.

There was another horrific "suicide" mission by the poor souls of the Ukraine in Bradley square today. Well past time for a ceasefire, at any cost to Biden's ego.

The UN was silent when the Ukraine attacked the bridge that millions of people in Crimea rely on for the delivery of food and medicine.

2.4 million civilians in Crimea were cut off from food and medical supplies. That sounds like a war crime.

@Strangerland Okay, here ya go; right from the GOC. It only goes back to 1980 but there is plenty of data that goes back further; a continued long slow decrease.

https://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/ha/nfdb

There is nothing to see here. The long term average in both the number of wildfires and hectares burned annually in Canada continue the long term downward trend. There is actually an inverse relationship between the consumption of oil and gas and the number of forest fires.

One spring does not make a robin and one bad year does not mean there is any link to the "climate crisis."

You can write this down and come back at me 1 year from now, in 2024 and 2025 the number of forest fires and hectares burned in Canada will be extremely low.

Be careful Japan, I get an uneasy feeling that the US is planning a proxy war between China and Japan.