Forums / Miscellaneous Discussions / Help me pick countries

Idiot First Class: I'm originally from Mechelen but spend most of my time in either Mechelen, Antwerpen or Leuven. (Nice name)

Pretty much everything in the central african area


after the BBC. I see you.

01:10:33 Jun 2nd 14 - Ms. Bobblehead Bran:
Pretty much everything in the central african area


after the BBC. I see you.


nah dave thats in engand pal

hah, I posted that from the wrong character it seems.

oh well!

Just let the fuckers kill each other and be done with.

So we are supposed to ignore the conflicts of the world? Most of these conflicts find their origins in Western policies of the last century or so. But as long as we get all their resources - we shouldn't give a shit whether they die or not right?

Israel is slowly committing genocide against the Palestinians and your answer would be to ignore it?

The world is the most peaceful it has ever been. And look what it has caused, overpopulation. How would you propose we fix the inevitable problem of over population causing humanity to crumble? Please don't come down from your moral high ground.

I admire and respect Lewatha's heart. At least she is willing to help the downtrodden and the forgotten of this world. Because I personally won't do half of what she does until I have reached the situation where I can completely retire with no financial worries (oh I do donate to Medicines Sans Frontiers, Oxfam, Greenpeace, local charities, but no heavier or more direct aid on my part).

Like I said, just be aware that many of the places you are traveling to are lawless. That's all.

Google hans rosling and population growth. Stop worrying about population growth. Pro tip: Next time go to belarus.

Maybe you should do a bit more reading, as I've lived in 22 countries in the last 18 years.
The region, for 2200 years has been at a constant state of tribal conflict. The ottoman empire was a turkish based sunni empire, which massacred over 4 million people to achieve peace!
By historical standards, the sunni based branch is islam is considered a relatively new religion, following the death of muhammed in 670 AD
The ottoman empire is relatively new historically, centered around the late middle ages, and was one of the most blood thirsty conquests in recent history, and was not defeated by WESTERN influence, but collapsed from within following the young turk revolution.
The earliest civilizations, the Mesopotamian s had the same internal strifes, which led to their demise, followed by the Hittites, Persians, Ottomans right through to the current suni/shiite/judaic issues. So no, going there and holding little kids hands who get hurt because organizations like Hezbollah launch missiles indesciminatly, and then get smacked by a bigger bully, ain't gonna help for shit. I spent 24 years growing up in Africa... I know more about conflict that you ever will.

Bling is actually very intelligent. And all the facts (not his opinion, which I shall not state whether I agree or disagree with :P) he has said so far are true.

Wow, you lived in 22 countries and still manage to think your culture is better than everyone elses? You are more deluded than I thought.

I never said the Ottoman empire was perfect, on the contrary, it was far from perfect. I merely said it united the arab world under one banner and brought peace to the middle east for about a year or 200, maybe more, I'm not entirely knowledgeable on the issue.. You call it blood thirsty, I will not dispute that because it was. However, we are talking about the (late) middle ages here, the whole world was blood thirsty.

For the record, you say the middle east has been in constant conflict with each other for the past 3000 years. Well, how about Europe? We have only achieved peace (only in our region, because we continue screwing over the rest of the world) in the past 70 years. The other 2930 years we have also been in constant conflict. 

Either way, you are calling for the genocide of an entire region (build a wall around them, arm them and let them fight out the conflicts the West started, maintained and will not take responsibility for?) and that pisses me off greatly. 

It is also pretty funny how you seem to feel the need to use your seniority over me to belittle me. You seem like one of those kids at school who, if they get teased, says "my daddy is a policeman and if you don't stop he will arrest you.".

I aint saying who is right and who is wrong. I'm saying if we dont get involved, whether it be for the best intentions or the worst, that issue will be raging for another thousand years. You cannot win a war against an ideology, until you can change the ideology with a better one. For now, everyone is kidding themselves, from when Jimmy Carter started his peace on earth shit in 72, to the present.
Education free of religion or politics is the only way nations advance

*stands up and begins the slow clap*

What's this, Bling having a serious and well thought out debate while TBL drags it into the gutter.

Disagree on two points, Augh. Overpopulation is an issue, and so is global warming. For the former, there is too much "quantity" (and rapidly growing) and not enough "quality" in the world. For the latter, weather has been changing and is still rapidly changing (for example, the monsoon seasons in Malaysia used to come at very fixed periods on the calendar, but now, the seasons are confused and we're all confused here as well). China, the US and the EU are trying to do something regarding their carbon emissions, but India still doesn't seem to give a crap (and they are still breeding away non-stop).

As far as I am concerned, the ultimate issue of any day, any epoch, any era, is how to change people's thinking from a short-term minded, self-interest based thinking to a longer-term, self-sacrificial, greater good thinking. The second ultimate issue is how to stop all those religious fools from trying to buy their own after-life insurance policy into heaven by conducting all those crusades / jihads / pogroms / etc. in the name of God.

Two issues that will never ever be solved in my lifetime or in the liftimes of my grandchildren, IMHO. Unless some enlightened aliens come down from space and knock some sense into all our bloody heads :D

Whilst the economic issues of the EU have faltered, purely as a result of a tax policy that was never resolved, nor a central tax collection service that ensured all of Europe paid fairly, its one true success was removing borders that had caused centuries of chaos, and allowed all countries to feel a sense of a common belonging. This to date has been its only success of note, and if this could be applied on a global scale, then the world would be a better place for it.
However, its mans nature to destroy, and until we can get rid of the despots, and encourage a global citizenship, the world will always find a place for a stalin, putin, hitler and bush, who prey on peoples fears to justify an extreme act that people would normally find repulsive.

far from it. i believe in minimal government. they are, after all only meant to be administrators, not dictators. however i believe that, as in europe, we should have the ability to go seek work unrestricted, to provide for our families, and not be segregated into nationalist ideologies, inward looking and fearful of each other, and rather remove the boundaries of borders, nationalism and ideology, and look to embrace our heritage, yet celebrate our differences.
The world doesn't need more oil, or religion, or money, or power.. it needs more harmony. And whilst we play to the scaremongers who 'lead' us, we can never be a humanity, and will always be an inhumanity.

I'm of Chinese descent. As far as I'm concerned, I'd build a great wall around my country and keep all the barbaric Wilbers of the world out of it. ;)

Bling speaking sense? The world must be coming to an end.

Bling and TBL have pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Also Todd L fondler (Augh/Aughs brother?) Anyone who suggests viewing hans rosling in regards to population growth obviously has no knowledge of the field. Yes some parts are true, he is a smart man but the talk he did on population growth is a lot of "ifs and buts" Ifs and buts in theory they work but they don't work in the real world. Now I do like TED talks but a lot of them seem great but after the tiniest bit of research in a field you don't know much (if anything) about it comes pretty apparent that their ideology is impractical.


07:19:26 Jun 4th 15 - Pirate Lewatha:
and overpopulation? Well lets just throw a nuke on the middle east (and China and India, for good measure)

You had me at india babe :) Middle east comes a close second. Atleast then their absurd rules will be abolished. China has atleast realised they have an issue (Unlike india) and have started to control birth rates and green house emissions. India as thinking about now and dont give a shit about 5 years time let alone 50. 

TBL in Australia we believe you built the great wall to keep the rabbits out! Its a true fact, don't deny it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvlWQyvEI38



Honestly its nearly cringe worthy Bling making so much sense.

Bling is a persona... when the game requires an enemy, or a troll, then i play the persona. For Lew, her decisions and interactions on this particulair thread make an impact on her life, and as cruel or harsh or brutal as my statements here are, they are more so in reality, and if what i say here stops her getting her head chopped off because she shows compassion, which drives her decision making, then thats important for all of us. I am saying go out, do your good deeds, but dont be driven my ideology or a compassion for that ideology, because thats what gets people killed. Rather have compassion where its needed, and religion and politics preach compassion, but very rarely do they practice it. That rhino you find sanctuary for, may be the worlds last hope. That child you save in brazil from meth may become a doctor who saves thousands of lives. That school you help build in the phillipines may nurture the mind of the person who cures global warming. That group of school girls in India who you teach about safe sex, will help reduce the worlds poverty levels as a result of undersupply of basic human food consumption, bring the prices of food down, and ensuring all children can afford to eat. That is a cause. The middle east is a lost cause.

Told many of you lads Bling was very intelligent and savvy. But no one believes me and everyone falls for his "forum troll" persona. Heck, many fall for my own forum persona, and I have two, one of which is the Wilber-hating, ever-losing loser of VU, the second of which is the Wilber-hating, shit loving and eating beetle of VU. My real personality, I keep for my Skype chats and my friends, and maybe for certain topics that.... pique my interest :P

And as for how I think I will do my own little contribution to the world, other than through monetary means.... I think I will adopt a child or two (orphaned / abandoned) in the future, try to give him / her a chance at a better life. Now I just need to get permission from Mrs. Born Loser / Mrs. Dung Beetle to do so :P

Do not know, but I personally prefer a baby / toddler. And I suspect that might be the missus' preference as well. Have anything in mind to share, Bran?

I think you're too old for me, son. Don't think I can keep up with ya :D

The missus does not tolerate lazy; it would mean both you and me getting kicked out of the house together, so no can do either :(