Dong Ha, Vietnam Superthread

[cobl04]

Someone should totes bring me up to speed on the bad things Obama has done because I seem to really like the guy.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I don't think I complained about his being African American and supporting gay marriage ...

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Someone should totes bring me up to speed on the bad things Obama has done because I seem to really like the guy.

Drone strikes in Pakistan for one?

 

[djerdap]

How about this?

Yemen: Death of a U.S.-Born Teen by a Drone Stokes Anger - TIME

 

[Axver]

Are you guys even for a minute suggesting that those 1. wouldn't happen under Romney, et al., and 2. wouldn't happen on an even bigger scale?

Obama's foreign policy fuck-ups pale in comparison to what the Republican foreign policy hawks would do. I mean, these are the nutters who cream themselves thinking of invading sovereign countries to protect the "freedom!" of raped women to not be allowed abortions.

I know Vlad will never be happy unless there's a viable communist candidate, but let's be realistic now.

 

[cobl04]

Vlad's ideal candidate does not and will not ever exist.

 

[Axver]

Vlad should run for election.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I know Vlad will never be happy unless there's a viable communist candidate, but let's be realistic now.

There were socialist candidates running in the presidential election which would have received my vote if a) I lived in America and b) I was voting age.

Maybe one day they can bring Eugene Debs back from the dead I'd definitely vote for him.

Vlad's ideal candidate does not and will not ever exist.

Communists generally don't believe in running in presidential elections unless it is to merely raise awareness. We're revolutionaries, not reformists.

Are you going to comment on the things Obama has done, or do you still think he's a really good guy?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

New Stanford/NYU study documents the civilian terror from Obama's drones | Glenn Greenwald | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

 

[Axver]

I said "viable" candidates, Vlad.

And I'm pretty sure revolutionary Marxism of any form has been dead and buried for well over half a century now. Speaking as a social democrat, I'm honestly kind of worried about the health of the reform branches too.

 

[cobl04]

I will when I get a chance to read them.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I said "viable" candidates, Vlad.

And I'm pretty sure revolutionary Marxism of any form has been dead and buried for well over half a century now. Speaking as a social democrat, I'm honestly kind of worried about the health of the reform branches too.

Half a century? I'd say 70 years at least.

I'm convinced it will experience a rebirth soon, either that or anarchism.

 

[Axver]

Honestly, if you ask me, not a chance. Communism's working class rhetoric has little purchase now that people don't tend to identify as working class - even if they are. People either identify as or aspire to be middle class, and I think there is a distinct trend now of people favouring specific policies over general ideologies. Revolutionary fervour, in the west, doesn't look like having a wide appeal regardless of ideology; society is too fragmented, too apathetic towards ideology, and has little inclination towards upheaval - especially violent upheaval.

If Marxism wants a future, it needs to adapt to 21st century habits and desires. Very few ideologies last more than a century - and even those that do tend to end up largely unrecognisable to their original supporters (conservatism is a great example; early 19th century Tories probably wouldn't see all too much of themselves in today's conservatism!).

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Agreed with the bit about too many being apathetic towards politics, which is increasingly accurate when it comes to today's youth.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Geez, if true ... Obama Bombs Yemen Hours After Winning Reelection ? Antiwar.com Blog

 

[Alisaura]

I'm guessing most people would consider that they'd have more to lose by having an uprising/revolution than they'd gain.

Sorry, Matt Bellamy.

 

[cobl04]

I saw The 2nd Law on vinyl in JB today. It's "heat sensitive", ie it leaves a mark when you touch it.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Matt Bellamy probably has some secret, dark lair on one of the Hawaiian islands with Dom and Chris as lab assistants. Throughout the early hours in the morning, anyone located on a Hawaiian island will be able to hear him yelling 'WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS' before the band bursts into a dubstep rendition of Neutron Star Collision.

 

[bono_212]

I saw The 2nd Law on vinyl in JB today. It's "heat sensitive", ie it leaves a mark when you touch it.

 

[Axver]

Matt Bellamy probably has some secret, dark lair on one of the Hawaiian islands with Dom and Chris as lab assistants. Throughout the early hours in the morning, anyone located on a Hawaiian island will be able to hear him yelling 'WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS' before the band bursts into a dubstep rendition of Neutron Star Collision.

A dubstep version of Neutron SHITEHOUSE could only be an improvement, honestly.

 

[cobl04]

Got distinctions for both units, Australia's indigenous history and modern political ideologies. Two units to go. Sweet.

 

[Axver]

Good stuff. What are you doing for your two remaining units?

 

[Alisaura]

A hypercolour record??

Way to go Danny!

 

[cobl04]

No idea yet.

 

[Alisaura]

Do geology. Go on go on go ooooooooonnnnnnn.

 

[Axver]

MOAR HISTORY.

... please? We need all the students we can get.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

History would be awesome I would do it if I wasn't doing Design stuff.

 

[Slopsy]

May I put in a good word for zoology?

 

[Axver]

History would be awesome I would do it if I wasn't doing Design stuff.

Does the uni you're going to attend have a breadth requirement, i.e. that you need to do at least a handful of courses outside of your main discipline of study? It seems that's the general trend at Aussie unis now, and even if it's not required, you are probably free to do a couple of courses outside of your major anyway. I know a lot of people who, say, were a history major but did a random French or literature or film or whatever course.

If you were at Melbourne you'd love our Russian Revolution and Stalin's Russia courses.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Does the uni you're going to attend have a breadth requirement, i.e. that you need to do at least a handful of courses outside of your main discipline of study? It seems that's the general trend at Aussie unis now, and even if it's not required, you are probably free to do a couple of courses outside of your major anyway. I know a lot of people who, say, were a history major but did a random French or literature or film or whatever course.

If you were at Melbourne you'd love our Russian Revolution and Stalin's Russia courses.

As far as I know, we just do the course we elect and are accepted in? I haven't heard anything about doing additional courses, surprisingly.

Stalin's Russia course? I would most definitely be the one yelling YOU SUCK, STALIN and REVISIONIST REVISIONIST REVISIONIST.