New Testingstan

I perfectly understand why they wouldn't intervene in light of their internal situation.

I simply regret it.

im pretty sure that france has been building some bridges with algeria, but its always slow going

i think theres also a division between the arab african states and the black african ones. the arabs are usually less keen on the AU, and their differing cultural, ethnic, linguistic and sometimes religious heritage further drives a wedge. racism may play a part as well.

and it always sucks when the countries best placed to effect things are unwilling to do so

Yes, AFAIK France has been trying to build bridges with Algeria for a little while, now - didn't our President go on a trip there recently or something like that ?

Unfortunately it seems that it's politically hard for Algeria to as well.

Algeria was very badly treated by France?

For 130 years they were colonized, the land held by the Colons, and even though they were a Department, they didn't have the same rights than the French, IIRC not being able to participate meaningfully in the political life of their Country and of the Metropole.

They were, truly, a Colony.

It also doesn't help than when they started to ask for more autonomy, they suffered from our hand one of the most brutal repression inflicted by a First World power in recent memory.

Man, it's so easy to forget that colonialism still exists in living memory.

But my god, was the West ever a pack of assholes. Still are

Indeed.

When France tell you you're being too Imperialistic, you know you should listen.

Remind me of the scene in French plantation from Apocalypse Now. (part 1) (part 2)

"You Americans fight for the biggest nothing in history."

Sums up the whole Cold War pretty well.

The Cold War was not over nothing, it was to prevent the greatest evil the world has seen since Satan himself: COMMUNISM.

So, now the medias are getting fussy because the Algerians didn't do a PERFECT job, and Japan and other countries are officially asking explanations.



For Japan to ask explanation, I understand. Politically, they have no other choice or the Japanese people would criticize its government for not being able to protect its citizen and standing by when they get brutally murdered.

But pointing out the Algerian government and its military for the death caused by terrorists reeks of hypocrisy and opportunism to me.

Phantasee wrote:The Cold War was not over nothing, it was to prevent the greatest evil the world has seen since Satan himself: COMMUNISM.

It was a conflict between two religions.

hah, well played

Oxymoron wrote:So, now the medias are getting fussy because the Algerians didn't do a PERFECT job, and Japan and other countries are officially asking explanations.



For Japan to ask explanation, I understand. Politically, they have no other choice or the Japanese people would criticize its government for not being able to protect its citizen and standing by when they get brutally murdered.

But pointing out the Algerian government and its military for the death caused by terrorists reeks of hypocrisy and opportunism to me.

Yeah, because attempting to rescue 30+ hostages from an unknown number of militants in a massive, complex, multilevel compound with serious pre-existing hazards (before you add in militants and a rescue force) is something that is a piece of piss and 3 guys can do. Tom Clancy games told me so.

If this exact event had happened on US or UK territory, the sheer scale of the task would have probably meant you'd see multiple units being called on to work together for it and a final raiding force that would have comprised a fairly decent percentage of their nation's total SpecOps and counter-terror/hostage rescue capability. And these are countries that are lucky enough to have the time and money to build up MULTIPLE top tier counter-terror units.

Algeria just was straight up unlucky to be handed that situation where there were non-brown person hostages other non-brown people gave a shit about.

weemadando wrote:Yeah, because attempting to rescue 30+ hostages from an unknown number of militants in a massive, complex, multilevel compound with serious pre-existing hazards (before you add in militants and a rescue force) is something that is a piece of piss and 3 guys can do. Tom Clancy games told me so.

Pssh, I soloed that bitch on Hard Mode.

Oh man, reading up on it, the whole thing was way worse than I'd thought. Nearly a thousand potential captives between Algerian workers and foreigners. At least 30 militants confirmed dead, so who knows what the total number was. And the location is way out in the middle of fucking nowhere, so it's not like you can have your staging area in the building across the street/next door. They'll see you coming from a long way away, every time.

Unless something comes out showing direct, complicit actions from the Algerians, then get the fuck off their backs.

Man, why do the bad guys get all the really awesome episodes of the Clone Wars?

Just once i'd like them to make an episode about Obi-Wan and Anakin that's as cool and engaging as the ones about Maul and Savage. I don't think they've done that since the Geonosis arc back in season 2.

how long has that cartoon been going on?

This is season 5, so about 4 years plus change, probably close to five.

is it still animated with that fuckugly cgi?

It's still CGI, but they've gotten a lot better at doing backgrounds and ships and such.

The characters still look really weird though.

Does Kenobi still have a beard that appears to be made from armour plate?

He's still got the plastic beard, yeah. I think the crappy character design is actually a conscious choice on the part of the staff, god only knows why. I know some people who just can't get past the way it's animated, which is understandable, but if you can, the series has some really worthwhile stories to tell.

My kids love it of their own vocation

QED