posted
I'm kind of surprised the Russian mafia is not more heavily engaged in Finland. Timo, I insist on an essay on this topic!
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Just out of curiosity, have Al Queda and their other terrorist pals many any formal declaration of what it will take to stop the bombings?
Registered: Mar 1999
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Too fresh a market, too swift a move-in. No room for expansion, so no incentive to fight for that room, either.
Up till the late eighties, we had virtually zero street prositution. The few big brothels were secretly run by state bigwigs, not by profit-making illegal organizations. Then the former Soviet borders opened up. Now the prostitutes come mainly from or through Estonia, and the organizations that run the business reside there, and car-bomb each other there. Finland is just where the actual beds are, so there's nothing worth bombing on this end.
Drugs aren't worth fighting over, either. Finland is not a big enough market, and what goes through here in one direction or another is peanuts compared with eastern Europe. And there's lots of extra expenses in attempting to corrupt the Finnish police - which, unlike the colleagues farther south, isn't short of money by any standard. I think Nordic cops are among the cleanest in Europe. And Finland is the least corrupted country in the world, according to Transparency Int'l.
Motorcycle gangs make noise and sometimes kill each other. But they aren't organized beyond their silly banners. Nor is there the sort of commercial terrorism that plagues some parts of Europe, like the "Dagobert" ("Scrooge McDuck") poisoner of Germany. Business extortion is small-scale and not very serious because it can't be easily kept hidden - the silence of the shopkeeper will guarantee nothing in an open enough society. So payments will be one-off at most and then the gig is up.
About the only area where the Russian mafia actively operates is car theft. And even though our border is very long and very lightly guarded, it's damn difficult to get the cars across - there aren't any side roads to use (at least not if you want the cars to arrive semi-intact), and the checkpoints on the main roads are finally getting their act together now. It's much easier to take the cars through central and eastern Europe.
Timo Saloniemi
[ October 14, 2002, 05:40: Message edited by: Timo ]
Registered: Nov 1999
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EdipisReks
Ex-Member
posted
sounds like a pretty nice place to live, Timo.
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And I doubt being a small market or an insignificant corner will protect us for long. What matters is whether a connection, however slight, can be made between your desired target and the nearest available punching bag. Ya know, a friend of a friend of mine returned from China just after the bombings of the Belgrad embassy. She'd been accosted by a local mob that didn't settle for the "no" she gave to the question of whether she was American. The mob leader actually rolled out a list of NATO countries and checked whether Finland was on that list...
(And politely bowed and left when it wasn't. I just hope mobs everywhere were that organized!)
posted
At least 18 Australians identified confirmed dead, at least 1 Kiwi and at least 10 "Britons" - it had on Sky News - that's English or UK people?
At least 188 or something confirmed dead, 200 missing... 300 injured.
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
posted
Now up to 33 Brits dead possibly, of which 18 confirmed. Indonesian defense minister has said it was al- Qeada but no real evidence yet (apparently). Aussie police and FBI already over there and a team from Scotland Yard is flyinf out.
-------------------- "I am an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman, which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-bitch when it suits me." --Jubal Harshaw
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
I chose the word "exacerberated" carefully.
In the history of US-World relations, our government has formented lingering resentments. Our US government has by political necessity committed acts which were brutal and oppressive in the name of democratic principles. The consequences of these acts, in the long term, have often resulted in assaults on Americans.
Our government at this time is implementing a new strategy in the name of democratic principles-the Bush Doctrine of pre-emption. This doctrine, due for testing in Iraq this winter, will help support the claims of the despotic governments, which our government supports, that the US is determined in its will to spread Western principles on an unwilling and captive population. The populace of these nations, being largely illiterate and living in deplorable conditions, will have one more thing added to the list of 'crimes' done in the name of America and democracy. Fueled by anger and frustration, the more radical individuals will brew more terrifying attacks in their small circles and will strike us.
(Our war in Afghanistan is a failure. Reports are appearing now in the press which suggest very strongly that thousands of Al Queda and Taliban had escaped from Tora Bora. Apparently, the administration afraid of negarive publicity arising from dead Americans planned attacks with the least involvement possible from the soldiers and air crews fighting in this Asian country. Expectations were the Afghans would do the work of the Americans-the killing and the dying. This didn't happen.
If the Wolfiwitzs and the Rumsfields and the Cheneys of this administration desire a Pax Americana, they have got to realize a very important fact. The great empires of the past, the British and the Roman, employed for the majority of cases their own troops in battle. If you are going to build an empire, then you must be willing to accept losses in lives and property.)
Registered: Sep 2002
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The US invaded and occupied Japan, and deposed their Emperor, overturning their culture overnight, and you can see how much they hate us now, and how angry they are and in what deplorable social and economic conditions they live.
The most recent UN reports suggest that the one great improver in the condition of the world in the past two decades has been increased freedoms. In countries whioch have become more democratic, the standard of living has increased dramatically. In countries which have stayes authoritarian or become moreso (Sub-saharan Africa, for a few examples) the standard of living has remained stagnant or even decreased.
When the US destroys and replaces the government of Iraq with a more democratic regime, the standard of living in Iraq will rise. This will destabilize the authoritarian countries nearby, resulting in a trend towards further creation of more democratic regimes... with or without help.
"Stability" in the region is only good if it benefits the many, not the few. Positive change rarely comes about in a stable environment.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Saltah'na
Chinese Canadian, or 75% Commie Bastard.
Member # 33
posted
Some Japs still hate the Americans, First.
We have several instances where a U.S. Marine Truck hit and killed a Japanese teenager, a rape commited by U.S. Military men, and possibly others. In these and similar instances, there were major protests against the American Government. The point is that there are still some unstable elements inside Japan who would love to start a lot of Anti-American sentiment and turn Japan against the U.S.
It would be improper to justify the invasion of a country by saying that it has benefited a nation. Palestine has never benefited from what it calls the unjustified takeover of its nation.
Hell, you should invade Canada by saying that Canada would benefit under American Rule. After all, most Americans are jealous of Canadians, this would provide you with the opportunity to crush your hated neighbours to the north.
Registered: Mar 1999
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"...and at least 10 "Britons" - it had on Sky News - that's English or UK people?"
A Briton, astoundingly enough, is a person from Britain. "Britain" being a shortened form of "Great Britain", that being a large island on which are located England, Scotland, and Wales.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Thank you Timo, that was very interesting. Post-Soviet issues are fascinating. Bruce Sterling wrote a story called "The Littlest Jackal" about certain Russian mafia types engaged in various affairs in Finland, which was sort of on my mind at the time I asked.
Anyway, I suggest this be kept a bit more civil, eh? Does every terrible act in the world have to be immediately twisted into a debate about some ideology, or can we spare a few moments for some kindness?
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote: After all, most Americans are jealous of Canadians
This is news to me.
Registered: Jan 2001
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EdipisReks
Ex-Member
posted
news to me too. i can't feel envious of any country that produces labatt blue.
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capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709
posted
i think Canada's making a lot of progress ok so i just didnt get to show this image off enough when i first made it.
Registered: Sep 2001
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