Monzanator

In a country with such liberal gun rights I find it not surprising that police acts so brutally. There is way too much risk a policeman gets shots on someone's back yard as people can store a whole gun arsenal in their living room. In such countries like Poland where gun access is as strict as they come there is no such problem. We've had like one case over the past several years when some petty criminal and suspected drug dealer got tasered and died due to a cardiac arrest. That's just about it.

That's why nobody talks about the money in Leclerc's case. Because he's a talented, rich kid. Lance Stroll is not-so-talented rich kid. Pastor Maldonado won a F1 Grand Prix yet still everyone says he only got there due to PDVSA money. In this case pros don't outweigh the cons. Andrea de Cesaris gained a very bad reputation in the 80s but he had a pole position, some podiums and almost won a couple of races. His father was a big shot in Marlboro distribution in Italy hence Andrea always had the financial backing because nobody was turning tobacco sponsors away back then. He's more like what Maldonado used to be 20 years later but actually lasted 14 years in F1.

Pay drivers are motor racing's lore. This is not a sport for the poor. Nobody's gonna give you a car that costs hundreds of millions of dollars and say, go ahead now do some laps and it doesn't matter if you crash it. Auto racing is the most expensive sport out there, if you can't cover your bills, you're out. Actually pay drivers have decreased in F1 lately, other than Lance Stroll there's nobody who can de dismissed as such. Struggling teams like Williams had to take him and now Lafiti. Actually George Russell is a pay driver to a degree since he belongs to Mercedes and his hiring gives Williams a discount on the engine lease. Same happens with Ferrari juniors in Sauber/Alfa Romeo. Charles Leclerc's father is probably the biggest landlord in Monaco. Did his family money help him to get where he is now? Of course but nobody talks about the money anymore because he has shown real talent. Stroll on the other hand...

Hold the phone! Dennis Diekmeier has scored a goal in professional football (in 2. Bundesliga) He still holds the Bundesliga record for most games by a non-keeper without scoring a single goal (203). It's unlikely he will play in Bundesliga again but at least he's scored in his 60th game in the second-tier!

There's a different twist to the plot these days. The tobacco ban has basically driven most of the meaningful privateers off. Even former greats like Williams in F1 are struggling big time. It's a manufacturer and big company sport these days. You can barely find genuine sponsors but car manufacturers can provide all the money hence they call the shots.

Auto Racing is about money. If Santino Ferrucci can find a ride in America then all bets are off. Daniel Abt has HEAVY auto industry family backing, that's why he's a race car driver to begin with. Audi pulled out of Le Mans already and DTM next season, Formula E is their only calling card left and Abt Sportsline is king there.

As long as ABT Sportsline runs the Formula E team for Audi, he will be fine

If he stayed out, more cars behind him would pit and he'd finish lower than 3rd/2nd in the end IMO. He restarted from the sixth row, if he was the leader, those who pitted would be on the fourth row on the restart IMO. He wouldn't have held on to win. In most overtime races leaders who pit before GWC usually don't win if there's only one overtime period. The rule itself is stupid of course but NASCAR is the master of artificial gimmicks and rules over the past 16 years.

Isolation always helps stopping any disease. New Zealand is one of the most isolated countries in the world. They could afford implementing stricter measures from the onset, unlike countries in Europe. I read this piece at Politico few days ago. I agree 100% with what is said there - "New Zealand is a community, not a society". https://www.politico.eu/article/kiwis-vs-coronavirus-new-zealand-covid19-restrictions-rules/

Yeah, Alpine Worlds in March after the Olympics is just a very bad idea. It's the same nonsense as having figure skating Worlds after the Olympics every time. Several Olympic medallists just doesn't bother to show up.

Budget of New York is 86 billion USD, budget of New Zealand is 30 billion USD. This is a no-contest who has a tougher job, Cuomo or Ardern New Zealand is the biggest dairy products exporter in the world. Dairy products combine for 53% of their income. As long as people around the world eat butter and drink milk, they will be very fine economically regardless of who's in charge - a decent person or not so decent

Smaller, isolated country like New Zealand is MUCH easier to govern than a powerhouse like USA. It's fairly obvious. Hell, being the Mayor of New York is a much tougher job than a New Zealand PM IMO.

Because New Zealand has a population of Brooklyn & Queens combined?

Talk about a bad finish for the Hendrick team. First Byron causes a caution that robs Chase Elliott from winning and then Jimmie Johnson fails post-race tech and gets DQ from 2nd place. Keselowski won.

You forgot to ask what OPEC countries think of this? Middle East oil market is just about the only thing that prevents China from becoming #1 economy in the world. This is high-stakes geopolitics we talk about. Green energy replacing crude oil will most likely lead into a global economical collapse. You replaced Saddam Hussein with ISIS which actually made matters worse IMO, imagine giving away the entire Middle East to the terrorists? If the Shah of Iran could have been ousted imagine what happens if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia falls. These countries have nothing but sand and crude oil. The green energy juice is not worth the squeeze. The rich will have to find another way to get richer - without running OPEC out of business.

You're asking the question I can't answer because I don't know what's more important for the Swedish government. If economy was more important than health since day one, their approach is perfect and mortality is something nobody should care about. However most other countries acted like health is more important than economy - even if that lasted 2-3 months - and now economy is valued above public health again.

Nope, after the 1973 oil crisis USA has no choice but to support Saudi Arabia. You've lost the grip on Iran after the 1979 revolution and you can't risk losing grip on the most important oil country in the world. Funnily enough, United Arab Emirates have learned how to build their own empire without the obvious US support. Crude oil remains the single most-important merchandise in the world. Not even a progressive mind like you can change that

I seriously doubt Africa wants humanitarian & development aid from USA. They want hard dollars which they can embezzle right away. USA trying to impose democracy - with the help of CIA contractors no doubt - is straight from Robert Ludlum line of work. You didn't solve any problems in Iraq and Afghanistan and you want to stir the African pot? For what? It's better to focus on helping Saudi Arabia and the oil rescources from the Persian Gulf.

Yeah, Anthony Eden wanted to assassinate Nasser, I wonder much love Egypt has for Great Britain these days? This is a dead duck, Americans have guilty consciousness over slavery and racial segregation, good luck in your country trying to show some muscle in Africa of all continents. Progressive forces which you supposedly represent would probably burn this idea alive. USA has failed in the Far & Middle East (aside from the creation of Israel) and had some flops in Latin America. They're not gonna do anything in Africa methinks.

European colonization of Africa ended for good in the 60s so China waltzed into a perfect situation. Nobody's gonna listen to Europe when it comes to solving African issues anymore given the colonial past

I quoted an article from Financial Times. They probably know better what's the goal of their articles to begin with. Mortality rate per capita is pure maths, not judgement Governments working to stop people from dying is common sense, not judgement either.

Cheap labour is the backbone of Merkel's pro-immigrant policy, period. Poles immigrate to Germany and Netherlands to work in agriculture while Ukrainians immigrate to Poland to work in our agriculture And so it goes...

Someone will have to pick up those strawberries Brits are so proud of. Something tells me it's a job for those lousy immigrants - no Brit would do it for the money that's paid to do it. Agriculture is one economy branch in Western Europe that thrives on cheap labour from economically poorer countries.

I don't know what's more important for the Swedish government. It's not really my problem either.

Because countries react to this pandemic hoping people will survive it rather than die?