No One Cares Because Nothing Matters Anymore

[ousdahl]

BRICS Draws Membership Requests From 19 Nations Before Summit

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... #xj4y7vzkg

(does anyone have a subscription/way around the paywall to see which 19?)

[KUTradition]

the article doesn’t list them

and, that stat is a little misleading: “Thirteen countries have formally asked to join and another six have asked informally. We are getting applications to join every day.”

every day? wouldn’t that make it notably more than 13 (or 19)?

also: China initiated the conversation about expansion when it was BRICS chair last year, as the world’s second-biggest economy tries to build diplomatic clout to counter the dominance of developed countries in the United Nations. The proposed enlargement triggered concern among other members that their influence will be diluted, especially if Beijing’s close allies are admitted. China’s gross domestic product is more than twice the size of all four other BRICS members combined.

not the best way to start, i’d think

edit to add: Since its formation as the BRIC in 2006, the group has only admitted one new member — South Africa in 2010. Saudi Arabia and Iran are among the countries who’ve formally asked to join, Sooklal said in February.

[KUTradition]

did some more digging…

algeria
indonesia
uae
bahrain
egypt
iran
mexico
turkey (wait, what?)
and “a number of African countries”

grain of salt, though, as that is from Lavrov, quoted on the BRICS site (http://infobrics.org/post/37828/)

other than terrorism and trampling human rights, i’m not sure what that group can do better than NATO

[zsn]

I don’t think you can fairly group the actual BRICS countries with terrorism, except maybe Russia with their invasion. India especially has been a victim of terrorism during the past few decades.

Human rights abuses on the other hand…..as Carly Simon sang for a Bond movie…….Nobody Does it Better…….

They want to be BRICSAIISAMBT…..etc?????

[KUTradition]

i’d agree with that, zsn, and probably shoulda been clearer

maybe that’s one of the reasons no other countries have been membership since 2006

however, the fact that iran is even under consideration, imo, is quite telling

kinda surprised north korea isn’t connected

[zsn]

When BRICS first got established it was the “we want to be at the cool-kids table but they won’t have us sit with them” club. They were all rising economies and poised to be the next members of the “G<10” countries. Now, except for China and India they are sort of the sore-losers club. It’s since devolved.

It doesn’t matter who else wants to join. India and China should just abandon the whole thing and tell the rest of them to start their own club!

[KUTradition]

per wikipedia:

applicant nations = algeria, argentina, and iran (all applied in 2022)

interested nations = afghanistan, egypt, indonesia, saudi arabia, syria, and tunisia

expansion dialogue nations = kazakhstan, nicaragua, nigeria, senegal, thailand, and uae

also: In 2012, Hu Jintao, the then General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Part and President of China, described the BRICS countries as defenders and promoters of developing countries and a force for world peace.

hmmm…

[KUTradition]

https://taskforcebutler.org/

[ousdahl]

“where our government is now failing to do so”

sigh.

Not unrelated: it kinda seems like BRICS is some global alliance of mostly majority-POC nations, as some reaction to the NATO alliance of mostly majority-white nations.

We’re all the same human beings in the same big lonely rock. Can’t we learn to just all get along?

[MICHHAWK]

that's a club you don't want to be in. the garbage dumpster countries club.

[KUTradition]

“where our government is now failing to do so”

sigh.

Not unrelated: it kinda seems like BRICS is some global alliance of mostly majority-POC nations, as some reaction to the NATO alliance of mostly majority-white nations.

seriously?

that’s just silly, unless you’re classifying Chinese as POC (and even then…)

and no, we can’t all just get along (even as much as i’d like to think we can)

in no species on the planet, do all members magically get along

[Shirley]

https://taskforcebutler.org/

I'd never heard of them before, thanks.

NBC News’ Courtney Kube has the story of veteran Kristofer Goldsmith who is on a mission to expose far-right extremism despite some saying his tactics are controversial after Goldsmith witnessed some members of the veteran community participate in the Capitol riots.

https://youtu.be/6axfrh3KsPg

[ousdahl]

soo

First Republic Bank…

[KUTradition]

so, child labor…

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/05/03/busi ... index.html

[ousdahl]

RIP Jordan Neely.

the homeless man on the NYC subway was complaining he was hungry, which prompted other riders to pin him down while a marine vet choked him to death.

No arrests have been made.

[KUTradition]

RIP Jordan Neely.

the homeless man on the NYC subway was complaining he was hungry, which prompted other riders to pin him down while a marine vet choked him to death.

No arrests have been made.

better late than never?

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles ... %20Reuters.

[Shirley]

Actor Jason Sudeikis recently revealed that Donald Trump and his presidency had a profound impact on how he shaped his 'Ted Lasso' character.

https://youtu.be/LZ0sdKRbOwU

[ousdahl]

RIP Jordan Neely.

the homeless man on the NYC subway was complaining he was hungry, which prompted other riders to pin him down while a marine vet choked him to death.

No arrests have been made.

better late than never?

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles ... %20Reuters.

this fucker has been getting the hero treatment from the right.

millions raised for him, DeSantis calling him a Good Samaritan, they're going full Kyle Rittenhouse

all for *checks notes* choking a homeless black man to death on the subway

[KUTradition]

RIP Jordan Neely.

the homeless man on the NYC subway was complaining he was hungry, which prompted other riders to pin him down while a marine vet choked him to death.

No arrests have been made.

better late than never?

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles ... %20Reuters.

this fucker has been getting the hero treatment from the right.

millions raised for him, DeSantis calling him a Good Samaritan, they're going full Kyle Rittenhouse

all for *checks notes* choking a homeless black man to death on the subway

desantis is proudly fundraising for him

gross

[KUTradition]

what in the absolute fuck

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna84831