The reason we have compulsory military training is because of our lovely neighbours, and I don't mean Sweden or Norway. We need some level of defensive force.

It's a good experience too where you'll likely learn new skills and discipline, bond with others, stuff like that. When I did my 9 months we had guys who lived in Spain and Australia. Their mothers were Finnish, they barely spoke the language but they volunteered to come and didn't regret it.

The fellow from Brisbane had it rough at first. In January it was -25C outside and we spent two nights outside. In the silent and dark forest you only heard jos teeth chattering lol. Think he did the old trick of eating tobacco so he'd get a fever and got to hospital.

Anyway, civil service is also a good option, not everyone can do military service. But in a country where education, healthcare etc are free and we have a good social security system, 6-12 months of you life for your country isn't too much to ask imo.

Many people against compulsory military service are those who don't feel like working or doing much of anything, but they're always asking everything for free anyway. Wankers.

You don't need compulsory military training, you need to fin a way to ressurect Simo Häyhä. When you reach that, Russia would rather give you back the territories they got from the Winter war and Karelia to boot than risk invading you again.

If you ever come to Finland don't bother to take your wallet if you go to a bar, you won't be buying your own drinks if you mention stuff like this :D

Missouri voters latest to approve Medicaid expansion

On Tuesday's primary election, 53% of Missouri voters amended the state constitution to accept the (nearly) free federal funds to help its most impoverished citizens get healthcare! And that's a pretty red state, too. Go Missouri!

I've been in the forum scene for over a decade and I've never heard of Sea Lioning (Apparently I've been around longer than the term though...).

I dig it though.

And I dig the moderation choices.

Nice. Between this and Cori Bush pulling an AOC and unseating a 20 year incumbent in a huge upset, maybe there's some hope yet for this state. Reassures me a bit about moving here recently to be closer to family. Hopefully I'll live to see it go purple again.

Very compelling footage. I hate that it's a recording of a recording, wish we had a more direct view...

Interesting that at 7:00 and after, he complains about not being able to breath. This after complaining about claustrophobia even though he was operating a vehicle seemingly just fine when he was stopped. I imagine the police at this point just took anything he had to say as bluff and so his cries of not being able to breathe fell on deaf ears.

He also expresses a great fear of being shot: a victim of over-coverage of police brutality perhaps? My co-worker expressed the same fear when he was stopped. He wasn't shot, thankfully, but it's important to remain calm when stopped by police and I don't imagine tales of police brutality help in that regard.

Man, people will do a ton of mental gymnastics to justify someone being murdered by the police.

.@JoeBiden: “Unlike the African-American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community" pic.twitter.com/CFO4Q40jEI

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) August 6, 2020

He was speaking about political diversity, not cultural diversity. As such, is he wrong?