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LAOS - A Sickening Feeling

Isn't it wonderful news that the USA has agreed to spend money on clearing up all the anti-personnel munitions that they dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War ! They are actually going to spend something like a tenth of a percent of the cost of the

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IS THE ATLANTIC GETTING WIDER?

In the news today are speculations that the TTIP negotiations are in trouble. TTIP is the attempt to negotiate a near-to-free trade agreement between the EU and the USA. It is already well behind schedule and has come in for a lot of criticism from t

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PRESERVING DEMOCRACY

All systems are impermanent, but while they are in favour they seem eternal, at least as far as the future is concerned. Feudalism must have seemed so until absolute monachies made it seem old hat. Democracy seems so nowadays, but one should not be c

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TURKISH INVASION?

I have been wondering for some time if/when turkey would invade part of Syria. The area occupied by Islamic State is Sunni Muslim, as is Turkey. The government on the coast backed by Russia is Shiite. It has been apparent for some time that Turkey ha

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WHO NEXT?

If Islamic State is destroyed, who will we pick as an enemy next? After all, if we don't have an enemy we shall not be able to keep all this 'security' in place and without that kind of coercion, how is the population going to be kept under control?

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INNER & OUTER

Speaking very broadly, it is possible, I think, to discern periods when popular concern is focussed on inner matters, like personal happiness and reduction of stress, and other periods when concern is focussed on outer questions - political, economic

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TERRORISM

I was brought up with terrorism. As a child on the island of Cyprus during the struggle for independence from Britain I heard bombs going off every night. Friends of my parents were killed. My school as a fortress. The school bus was an armoured pers

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BRITISH POLITICS

So we now have an almost completely new team at the top of British government ,with the two key posts of Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary going to people who are well-known due to the referendum campaign and being mayor of London but who have not

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THE REALLY IMPORTANT NEWS

This thread is an invitation to record the really important things yhat often get missed.

To start us off I want to note that Larry the cat is to stay in 10 Downing Street when David Cameron and his family leave. I'm sure the prime minister has done

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SPIRITUAL ENGAGEMENT

These are times of important political changes that also have big economic implications. Sometimes it seems that 'being spiritual' implies distancing oneself from current affairs. One aims to rise above such things. It is certainly true that a spirit

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Racism & Xenophobia

It seems that xenophobia is currently a rising issue. Countries in parts of south east Europe have erected barriers to stop foreigners from the Middle east war zone entering their countries as refugees. Britain has voted for 'Brexit' and it seems tha

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Constitutional Implications

In Britain, the decision to leave the EU has been taken in what until now would normally be regarded as an unconstitutional way, namely by referendum. A slight majority of the population has over-rules the majority of MPs. This, in effect, means that

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Sad Dharma Warrior

Dear Dharmavidya and Amida Shu friends, I find it profoundly sad disappointing that the minds of fear, hatred, and Xenophobia seem to be winning. Naively, I had been lulled into a false sense of accomplishment, believing my generation's struggles aga

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