Least right-wing Austrian:

While Baumgartner’s stunts inspired millions, his political views were known to cause controversy. On social media, he mocked climate activists and others who sought to limit the effects of climate change, and voiced opposition to LGBTQ rights, according to the AFP news agency. He also once suggested Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his anti-immigration policies.

I mean, we don’t have any particular reason to doubt that a young carpenter from Bethlehem named Yeshua decided one day that he was the son of god and started preaching in the streets and eventualy cobbled together a small following of various misfits. Anything beyond that of course is implausible, to say the least.

Then we’d have debates about classical (kinix) versys ecclesiastical (chinix) pronunciation, just like GIF vs JIF.

Oh wow, thanks for the recommendation. This looks perfect.

FWIW I thought it was a great line - a bit of a zinger, even.

Todoist works great and I don’t need to learn a whole operating system to use it. Plus, it works on my phone!

First hands, then feet.

Good point, but unless the ustashe independently invented it, I’d consider it a Nazi salute.

Maybe they’re only a Nazi if they’re a card-carrying member of the NSDAP, otherwise they’re only a sparkling fascist.

How is a “pro-Nazi salute” different from a “Nazi salute”?

Ha, yes there’s some truth to that. Moral relativism has twisted the left in knots and many then struggle to reconcile viewpoints that are completely incompatible.

Oh, you feel the white man’s burden because the brown people are too simple to govern themselves? They need your guiding hand to help them along the road to civilisation?

Clearly the soda company and the rich still have water, so I’d hardly say it’s a “secondary cause”, but anyway, even taking all you’ve said as true, that still doesn’t explain why the west should get involved here. What would we even do? Occupy the soda factory and give free bottles to everyone?

I’d suggest reading the article. Climate change certainly plays a part, but overextraction (in particular by their homegrown Nestlé equivalent) is a major driver of this. I fail to see how that is the west’s fault.

Reading the article, it seems capitalism is the cause rather than imperialism past or present. Especially considering the Taliban were in charge in 2000 as they are today, could you explain how the situation would be meaningfully different without the (admittedly stupid) western military escapade? Would Talib like money less than they do today?

Can you expand on why they are suffering? What led to this current situation?

OK, then why is the first reflex to suggest that the west “step up”? Is this Schroedinger’s intervention, both desirable and not?

Please step up, Europe.

How is this Europe’s fault? The people of Afghanistan soundly rejected western assistance when they kicked us out and reinstalled the Taliban. Afghanistan has a government, the one its people supported and wanted. Let them take care of their own rather than turn to the “imperialists” they were so glad to be rid of.

I’m reminded of that Talib who was interviewed after the US pulled out; he missed the revolution and his new office job was sucking all the fun out of life. Who’d have thought those guys would make terrible administrators.

This roughly aligns with my xperience, although if they really get to know you some will be more forthright about their politics. Many look longingly to what we have in the west.