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Polybius

Polybius's Journal
Polybius's Journal
December 4, 2023

Uh oh, Venezuela just voted on refrendem to show support to claim region of oil-rich Guyana

The Venezuelan government has called the referendum to measure popular support for its historical claim to a contested oil-rich swathe of jungle currently administered by Guyana.

The 159,500-sq-km (61,600-square-mile) region is known as Essequibo and makes up two thirds of the total of the land currently controlled by Guyana. It is home to 125,000 of Guyana's 800,000 citizens.

The dispute over the area has been rumbling on for more than a century.

In 1899, an international arbitral tribunal awarded the area to Britain, which at the time was the colonial power ruling over Guyana, or British Guiana, as it was then known.


Read more...

Wonder what that thug Nicolás Maduro will do now.
December 4, 2023

Venezuelans approve a referendum to claim sovereignty over a swathe of neighboring Guyana

Source: ABC News

CARACAS, Venezuela -- CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans on Sunday approved a referendum called by the government of President Nicolás Maduro to claim sovereignty over an oil- and mineral-rich piece of neighboring Guyana, the country’s electoral authority announced.

Few voters could be seen at voting centers throughout the voting period, but the National Electoral Council claimed more than 10.5 million voters cast ballots.

Venezuela has long argued the territory was stolen when the border was drawn more than a century ago. But Guyana considers the referendum a step toward annexation, and the vote has its residents on edge.

Venezuelan voters were asked whether they support establishing a state in the disputed territory, known as Essequibo, granting citizenship to current and future area residents and rejecting the jurisdiction of the United Nations’ top court in settling the disagreement between the South American countries.

“It has been a total success for our country, for our democracy,” Maduro told supporters gathered in Caracas, the capital, after results were announced before highlighting the “very important level of participation of the people” in the referendum.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuelans-vote-referendum-large-swathe-territory-dispute-guyana-105336154



Oh boy, this isn't good...
November 29, 2023

Melania Trump takes her place in the former first ladies club with Rosalynn Carter memorial service appearance

Source: CNN

Former first lady Melania Trump made a rare public appearance Tuesday as an attendee of the tribute service for Rosalynn Carter in Georgia.

The appearance marks Trump stepping into a more traditional former first lady role, as she joined current first lady Jill Biden and former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton to pay tribute to Carter. It is common for sitting and former first ladies to attend the funerals of former first ladies.

During the service Melania Trump sat at the end of the aisle in the front row next to Michelle Obama, who had Laura Bush placed on her other side.

Former President Jimmy Carter, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and former President Bill Clinton were also in attendance at Carter’s memorial service. Three former presidents did not attend: Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

Read more: cnn.com/2023/11/28/politics/melania-trump-first-lady-rosalynn-carter/index.html



November 27, 2023

Marty Krofft, Co-Creator of H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, Dead at 86

Source: People

Marty Krofft, co-producer of the children's television classics H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, has died at the age of 86.

The businessman, who worked on the programs alongside older brother and creative partner Sid Krofft, died of kidney failure on Saturday in Los Angeles, a family representative confirmed to PEOPLE.

Marty, who held the nickname "King of Saturday Mornings," worked on family entertainment and primetime programming for more than 50 years. He and Sid first collaborated on H.R. Pufnstuf.

The live-action series debuted on NBC in 1969 before getting a second life via reruns on ABC and elsewhere in the 1970s and beyond. The show also spawned the 1970 feature adaptation Pufnstuf.

Read more: https://people.com/marty-krofft-creator-hr-pufnstuf-land-of-lost-dead-at-86-8406676



Damn, this hurts. I was (and still am) a massive fan of Land of the Lost. RIP sir.

November 24, 2023

What if Trump wins, and then the SC rules the 14th Amendment says he can't take office?

Let's say somehow Trump squeaks out an Electoral College win, even with multiple convictions. Before the Electoral College meets in December, the Supreme Court rules by 5-4 that Trump can't take office due to the 14th Amendment.

So, what happens next? Does Trump's VP get elected President, or does Biden? Or someone else? Is this set in stone, or would the SC decide? What in your opinion do you think should happen? What will likely happen?

November 23, 2023

Dutch Far-Right Leader Wilders Scores Shock Election Victory

Source: Bloomberg News

Far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders won the Dutch elections and said he plans to lead the country’s next government, in a shock result that will resound across Europe.

The frontrunner Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius conceded defeat after a late surge in the final days of the campaign catapulted Wilders’s anti-EU party past his mainstream rivals. Wilders’s Freedom Party will win 35 seats, according to an initial tally, more than doubling his representation from the previous parliament and giving him 10 more than his closest rival.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-22/far-right-leader-wilders-scores-shock-victory-in-dutch-election?embedded-checkout=true

November 20, 2023

Joe Biden Celebrates 81st Birthday with White House Holiday Events

Source: People

President Joe Biden turned 81 on Monday — and though it's a significant feat for the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, his milestone birthday is unlikely to take the spotlight: He and first lady Jill Biden are hosting a slate of holiday events throughout the day, and the nation continues to mourn the loss of former first lady Rosalynn Carter.

The Monday before Thanksgiving is a day full of traditions at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In the morning, President Biden will pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey in a ceremony on the White House South Lawn. In the afternoon, the first lady, 72, will welcome the official White House Christmas tree alongside military families. Beginning the week on Sunday, the Bidens hosted a "Friendsgiving" dinner with servicemembers at the Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia.

The first couple will make up for any lost family time beginning Tuesday, when they travel to Massachusetts for the remainder of the week.

Biden's age is something that's top of mind for some voters heading into the 2024 election. A poll conducted in February showed that a majority of voters have concerns about his age as his reelection campaign ramps up, given that he would be 86 at the end of a potential second term.

Read more: https://people.com/joe-biden-81st-birthday-8404289

November 20, 2023

Biden leading big in NY (Siena poll)

They released two polls today, one head-to-head, one with all of the known candidates.

Biden 46, Trump 36 (Biden up 10)

Biden 37, Trump 28, Kennedy 18, West 5 (Biden up 9)

https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SNY1123-Crosstabs.pdf

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