by Ugh
Well golly, we bombed Syria. I've seen various reactions from so-called "serious" people on the tweets that this is "not an act of war" and "just a pin prick" strike to "send a message" and "not let thing go unpunished" etc. etc. etc. As someone else in the twits said, suppose someone dropped 50-60 cruise missiles on the United States, would we consider it an act of war? Our exceptionalism is striking.
Meanwhile, filibuster go boom (like Syria, I guess). It would be nice to have a liberal majority on SCOTUS for once. Also, too, I think Justice Gorsuch the Destroyer is a great name, reminds me of Gozer the Gozerian. More from twitter: Dem controlled Senate confirmed Justice Thomas to replace Justice Marshall, GOP controlled senate wouldn't even give Garland a hearing to replace Scalia. But Dems ruined everything by rejecting Bork.
What else is the going on?
Fareed Zakaria re Syria bombs: “I think Donald Trump became President of the United States”
This is so fncking insane….
Fareed Zakaria re Syria bombs: “I think Donald Trump became President of the United States”
This is so fncking insane….
Some people just like to see stuff get blown up. It’s how CNN made their bones, after all.
FWIW, the strike seemed not-uncalled-for and proportionate, IMO. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for the POTUS to go blowing stuff up without Congress explicitly on board, but that horse is so far out of the barn at this point that I’m not sure it’s even worth bringing up.
We’ll see where things go from here.
GLTA!
Some people just like to see stuff get blown up. It’s how CNN made their bones, after all.
FWIW, the strike seemed not-uncalled-for and proportionate, IMO. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for the POTUS to go blowing stuff up without Congress explicitly on board, but that horse is so far out of the barn at this point that I’m not sure it’s even worth bringing up.
We’ll see where things go from here.
GLTA!
the press love them some big strong daddies
the press love them some big strong daddies
Fareed Zakaria and Van Jones need to get together and decide when Donald Trump really became president.
Do these guys really get so caught up in the moment that they believe these romantic notions? Do lights and cameras affect one’s emotional responses?
Fareed Zakaria and Van Jones need to get together and decide when Donald Trump really became president.
Do these guys really get so caught up in the moment that they believe these romantic notions? Do lights and cameras affect one’s emotional responses?
FWIW, the strike seemed not-uncalled-for and proportionate, IMO.
I have to say, and obviously many or even most of you may feel differently about this, I agree. But if it was going to be done, I only wish it was anybody but Trump getting the popularity benefit, from what I agree are in many cases warmongering loons.
FWIW, the strike seemed not-uncalled-for and proportionate, IMO.
I have to say, and obviously many or even most of you may feel differently about this, I agree. But if it was going to be done, I only wish it was anybody but Trump getting the popularity benefit, from what I agree are in many cases warmongering loons.
I knew one thing Trump could do to garner bipartisan support from his oh so serious foreign policy critics in the Beltway is bomb Assad. Clinton wanted this and there is a former Obama official in the NYT applauding. Obama himself was widely criticized by the Blob ( Benjamin Rhodes’s term) for not intervening, by which they meant that the massive amount of support given rebels isn’t intervening– it doesn’t count unless you bomb and if that doesn’t work it doesn’t count if you don’t invade.
I was going to out the next link in the joke link because it is funny in a Catch 22 sort of way. No idea if it is true. A non negligible chance, I’d say.
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2017/04/donald-trump-is-an-international-law-breaker.html
Probably the least likely part is the idea that if things did happen as he claims, there would be an impeachment. It would be unprecedented for a truly serious crime committed by our government to have legal consequences.
I knew one thing Trump could do to garner bipartisan support from his oh so serious foreign policy critics in the Beltway is bomb Assad. Clinton wanted this and there is a former Obama official in the NYT applauding. Obama himself was widely criticized by the Blob ( Benjamin Rhodes’s term) for not intervening, by which they meant that the massive amount of support given rebels isn’t intervening– it doesn’t count unless you bomb and if that doesn’t work it doesn’t count if you don’t invade.
I was going to out the next link in the joke link because it is funny in a Catch 22 sort of way. No idea if it is true. A non negligible chance, I’d say.
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2017/04/donald-trump-is-an-international-law-breaker.html
Probably the least likely part is the idea that if things did happen as he claims, there would be an impeachment. It would be unprecedented for a truly serious crime committed by our government to have legal consequences.
Now a more moderate dose of skepticism
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/04/trump-syria-chemical-weapons-know-dont-dangers-ahead.html
Btw, what about someone launching air strikes on the Saudis? War crimes are war crimes, after all. Perhaps the Russians or the Iranians could send us a message warning us to remove our people before hitting the Saudis.
Now a more moderate dose of skepticism
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/04/trump-syria-chemical-weapons-know-dont-dangers-ahead.html
Btw, what about someone launching air strikes on the Saudis? War crimes are war crimes, after all. Perhaps the Russians or the Iranians could send us a message warning us to remove our people before hitting the Saudis.
…I only wish it was anybody but Trump getting the popularity benefit
I can’t wait to watch FiveThirtyEight’s poll-aggregated approval/disapproval numbers for Trump improve greatly over the next week or so. (By which I mean, it’s going to make me want to hurl – you know, blow chunks, spew, sell Buicks.)
…I only wish it was anybody but Trump getting the popularity benefit
I can’t wait to watch FiveThirtyEight’s poll-aggregated approval/disapproval numbers for Trump improve greatly over the next week or so. (By which I mean, it’s going to make me want to hurl – you know, blow chunks, spew, sell Buicks.)
at least we can count on the fact that, for everything Trump does in office, he is on record of having opposed doing that when Obama was President.
http://metro.co.uk/2017/04/07/trump-tweet-about-world-war-iii-comes-back-to-haunt-him-6560159/
at least we can count on the fact that, for everything Trump does in office, he is on record of having opposed doing that when Obama was President.
http://metro.co.uk/2017/04/07/trump-tweet-about-world-war-iii-comes-back-to-haunt-him-6560159/
I stand behind my 9:36, and I also find Donald’s links to be credible.
If it’s horseshit, somebody’s @ss should really be nailed to the wall. I have no expectations that will ever happen. I would, however, still like to know whether it’s all horseshit or not.
Also, from Donald’s first link:
This puts me in mind of the recent case of a US ‘ally’, somewhere over there in the cradle of civilization, taking down a $200 quadcopter drone with a $3 million Patriot missile.
Median US household income is about $50K. Somebody burned up the annual income of 15,000 US households, to knock down a $200 toy that somebody ordered from Amazon.
Fifteen thousand.
And yeah, I know that $200 quadcopters can be used for nefarious ends.
But sometimes I think all the people who wish us ill need to do is keep rattling our cage and wait for us to bleed ourselves dry.
Find some dumb disaffected guy who will blow himself up in a mall somewhere. Tell him he’s a jihadi, tell him he’s striking a blow for Allah, and make a video of him wasting his own life and that of whoever has the bad luck to be inside the blast circle.
Then wait for us to spend a billion bucks blowing the shit out of some place, somewhere in the world, that nobody ever heard of before. Vaporize 1000 people to see if we get lucky and kill the two guys we want to kill.
Lather, rinse, and repeat, until we run out of money and get everyone else in the world to hate our f—ing guts.
It’s a David and Goliath thing, I think. We’re Goliath.
I stand behind my 9:36, and I also find Donald’s links to be credible.
If it’s horseshit, somebody’s @ss should really be nailed to the wall. I have no expectations that will ever happen. I would, however, still like to know whether it’s all horseshit or not.
Also, from Donald’s first link:
This puts me in mind of the recent case of a US ‘ally’, somewhere over there in the cradle of civilization, taking down a $200 quadcopter drone with a $3 million Patriot missile.
Median US household income is about $50K. Somebody burned up the annual income of 15,000 US households, to knock down a $200 toy that somebody ordered from Amazon.
Fifteen thousand.
And yeah, I know that $200 quadcopters can be used for nefarious ends.
But sometimes I think all the people who wish us ill need to do is keep rattling our cage and wait for us to bleed ourselves dry.
Find some dumb disaffected guy who will blow himself up in a mall somewhere. Tell him he’s a jihadi, tell him he’s striking a blow for Allah, and make a video of him wasting his own life and that of whoever has the bad luck to be inside the blast circle.
Then wait for us to spend a billion bucks blowing the shit out of some place, somewhere in the world, that nobody ever heard of before. Vaporize 1000 people to see if we get lucky and kill the two guys we want to kill.
Lather, rinse, and repeat, until we run out of money and get everyone else in the world to hate our f—ing guts.
It’s a David and Goliath thing, I think. We’re Goliath.
Even Don Rickles is speechless.
The Rapture of the Sensible continues as those in the know opt out of this bullshit country full of pigfucking know-nothings.
Even Don Rickles is speechless.
The Rapture of the Sensible continues as those in the know opt out of this bullshit country full of pigfucking know-nothings.
Fifteen thousand.
The tragedy of the innumerate.
Sixty. The annual income of 60 US households, to blow up a toy.
It’ll take ’em a little longer to bleed us out at that rate. Happy days!
Fifteen thousand.
The tragedy of the innumerate.
Sixty. The annual income of 60 US households, to blow up a toy.
It’ll take ’em a little longer to bleed us out at that rate. Happy days!
I too find the scenarios described in Donald’s links plausible. I’m extremely skeptical that the bombings were in good faith. In other words, I smell a rat.
Some of this is a matter of trust. Trump is not trustworthy. I would not feel this way about Obama or Clinton if they had done something similar. Given the relationship between Trump and Russia, Russia and Assad, and given Trump’s history of heartlessness with regard to refugees, this doesn’t add up.
I too find the scenarios described in Donald’s links plausible. I’m extremely skeptical that the bombings were in good faith. In other words, I smell a rat.
Some of this is a matter of trust. Trump is not trustworthy. I would not feel this way about Obama or Clinton if they had done something similar. Given the relationship between Trump and Russia, Russia and Assad, and given Trump’s history of heartlessness with regard to refugees, this doesn’t add up.
A basic landmine is availbale at about $3 apiece. Cleaning (clearing?) the same costs about $2000 (numbers 1-2 decades old). Drones are just a wee bit fancier at a similar cost-exchange rate.
A basic landmine is availbale at about $3 apiece. Cleaning (clearing?) the same costs about $2000 (numbers 1-2 decades old). Drones are just a wee bit fancier at a similar cost-exchange rate.
Clinton wanted this
Trump did this.
Clinton wanted this
Trump did this.
“I would, however, still like to know whether it’s all horseshit or not.”
There are no facts. The conservative movement got rid of them.
There is no truth. The conservative movement got rid of it.
There is only horseshit, a colossal cloud of it, studded with shredded self-serving homilies to the original intent of our shrugging, generalizing forefathers, visible from space and now extending over the Earth as the conservative movement spreads everywhere, diligently and purposefully kicked up over the past 50 years by the malign worst among us.
We breathe, eat and sleep horseshit in 24-hour news cycles.
Give me 500 assassins and two years.
“I would, however, still like to know whether it’s all horseshit or not.”
There are no facts. The conservative movement got rid of them.
There is no truth. The conservative movement got rid of it.
There is only horseshit, a colossal cloud of it, studded with shredded self-serving homilies to the original intent of our shrugging, generalizing forefathers, visible from space and now extending over the Earth as the conservative movement spreads everywhere, diligently and purposefully kicked up over the past 50 years by the malign worst among us.
We breathe, eat and sleep horseshit in 24-hour news cycles.
Give me 500 assassins and two years.
Find some dumb disaffected guy who will blow himself up in a mall somewhere.
And it doesn’t have to be exclusive to the US.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/swedish-media-truck-crashes-stockholm-department-store-132252424.html
Find some dumb disaffected guy who will blow himself up in a mall somewhere.
And it doesn’t have to be exclusive to the US.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/swedish-media-truck-crashes-stockholm-department-store-132252424.html
As always FWIW, here is my take on the whole “clash of civilizations” thing.
We – the liberal Western democracies – have everything. All the goodies. Compared to most people in the world, we live lives of ease. Even poor people in our countries have it OK, more or less. Or at least have access to having it OK, more or less.
Lots of other places and people don’t have those things. Don’t have them, can’t find a path to getting them.
I’m not interested in getting into why that might be, that way lies 1,000 flavors of endless arguments about ‘good genes’, post-colonial guilt, and general culture war pissing matches. I’m just observing the facts on the ground.
Combine the two on one planet, where communications and ease of travel put us all right in each other’s faces, and you’re going to have problems. Each and every day.
If we want to “keep ourselves safe” we are going to have to figure out how to help other people be safe, too. For the full range of meanings of the word “safe”.
Can’t keep the world out, I don’t give a shit how big your wall is. It’s inevitable, like osmosis, we’re all going to bump into each other.
That’s all I got. Good luck, everyone.
As always FWIW, here is my take on the whole “clash of civilizations” thing.
We – the liberal Western democracies – have everything. All the goodies. Compared to most people in the world, we live lives of ease. Even poor people in our countries have it OK, more or less. Or at least have access to having it OK, more or less.
Lots of other places and people don’t have those things. Don’t have them, can’t find a path to getting them.
I’m not interested in getting into why that might be, that way lies 1,000 flavors of endless arguments about ‘good genes’, post-colonial guilt, and general culture war pissing matches. I’m just observing the facts on the ground.
Combine the two on one planet, where communications and ease of travel put us all right in each other’s faces, and you’re going to have problems. Each and every day.
If we want to “keep ourselves safe” we are going to have to figure out how to help other people be safe, too. For the full range of meanings of the word “safe”.
Can’t keep the world out, I don’t give a shit how big your wall is. It’s inevitable, like osmosis, we’re all going to bump into each other.
That’s all I got. Good luck, everyone.
I don’t actually have a strong opinion on who did the attack. I think we rushed to judgment a little fast. The first link by Pat Lang’s anonymous friend doesn’t state sources. Lang is a retired Colonel who was in intelligence and presumably this friend has sources too. But if he is right I would think a few would start to come forward.
I hate to disagree with sapient ( seriously) when we are on the same side, but the Obama people did use false info in condemning Assad for the Ghouta attack in 2013. There is a piece here about it.
http://www.mintpressnews.com/the-failed-pretext-for-war-seymour-hersh-eliot-higgins-mit-professors-on-sarin-gas-attack/188597/
CJ Chivers also wrote a piece in the NYT which I may find. The fact is, whatever the motives, the government and human rights groups were making claims about the rockets used which were false.
Assad might have done it anyway, but leaving aside whatever one thinks about intentions, good faith and so forth, it is probably a good idea to be reserved in accepting what someone claims about the latest atrocity in Syria. We get most of our info from activists, some with Al Qaeda links, and of course the other side lies. Western reporters rarely see anything firsthand. And then we get info from intelligence agencies with agendas.
I don’t actually have a strong opinion on who did the attack. I think we rushed to judgment a little fast. The first link by Pat Lang’s anonymous friend doesn’t state sources. Lang is a retired Colonel who was in intelligence and presumably this friend has sources too. But if he is right I would think a few would start to come forward.
I hate to disagree with sapient ( seriously) when we are on the same side, but the Obama people did use false info in condemning Assad for the Ghouta attack in 2013. There is a piece here about it.
http://www.mintpressnews.com/the-failed-pretext-for-war-seymour-hersh-eliot-higgins-mit-professors-on-sarin-gas-attack/188597/
CJ Chivers also wrote a piece in the NYT which I may find. The fact is, whatever the motives, the government and human rights groups were making claims about the rockets used which were false.
Assad might have done it anyway, but leaving aside whatever one thinks about intentions, good faith and so forth, it is probably a good idea to be reserved in accepting what someone claims about the latest atrocity in Syria. We get most of our info from activists, some with Al Qaeda links, and of course the other side lies. Western reporters rarely see anything firsthand. And then we get info from intelligence agencies with agendas.
But sometimes I think all the people who wish us ill need to do is keep rattling our cage and wait for us to bleed ourselves dry.
This was, IIRC, bin Laden’s plan. And whether or not it is the current plan of the folks who wish the US ill, in effect it is the plan.
Look at Trump’s budget – we will strip down everything the federal government does, except “defense,” which gets a budget increase. GOP Congress – repeal the ACA and decimate medicaid. If Paul Ryan had his way, medicare and social security would be on the block too.
We will destroy ourselves, happily in many cases.
But sometimes I think all the people who wish us ill need to do is keep rattling our cage and wait for us to bleed ourselves dry.
This was, IIRC, bin Laden’s plan. And whether or not it is the current plan of the folks who wish the US ill, in effect it is the plan.
Look at Trump’s budget – we will strip down everything the federal government does, except “defense,” which gets a budget increase. GOP Congress – repeal the ACA and decimate medicaid. If Paul Ryan had his way, medicare and social security would be on the block too.
We will destroy ourselves, happily in many cases.
More about Ghouta in 2013. The moral here is that the cliche about the fog of war applies doubly to Syria.
https://www.rootclaim.com/claims/who-carried-out-the-chemical-attack-in-ghouta-on-august-21-2013-8394#storyline_assumptions
More about Ghouta in 2013. The moral here is that the cliche about the fog of war applies doubly to Syria.
https://www.rootclaim.com/claims/who-carried-out-the-chemical-attack-in-ghouta-on-august-21-2013-8394#storyline_assumptions
We’re in a very strange place where the truly hard decision is NOT to bomb another country. Bombing a’int no thang!
Also, for someone who is 33, the US has been at war in the Middle East for their entire adult life. With no signs of stopping and, indeed, countries being added to the list.
We’re in a very strange place where the truly hard decision is NOT to bomb another country. Bombing a’int no thang!
Also, for someone who is 33, the US has been at war in the Middle East for their entire adult life. With no signs of stopping and, indeed, countries being added to the list.
This was, IIRC, bin Laden’s plan.
It’s working so far.
This was, IIRC, bin Laden’s plan.
It’s working so far.
Also, for someone who is 33, the US has been at war in the Middle East for their entire adult life. With no signs of stopping and, indeed, countries being added to the list.
The alt-right is pissed. I think they thought it was going to end. Most of them are at least close to being in the “war in the Middle East for their entire adult life” club.
The traditional left-right political paradigm is breaking down in what are, at least for someone my age or thereabouts, very strange ways.
Also, for someone who is 33, the US has been at war in the Middle East for their entire adult life. With no signs of stopping and, indeed, countries being added to the list.
The alt-right is pissed. I think they thought it was going to end. Most of them are at least close to being in the “war in the Middle East for their entire adult life” club.
The traditional left-right political paradigm is breaking down in what are, at least for someone my age or thereabouts, very strange ways.
Exactly, one could say he’s winning. Or rather, since he’s on the other side of the grass, his approach is.
Exactly, one could say he’s winning. Or rather, since he’s on the other side of the grass, his approach is.
The traditional left-right political paradigm is breaking down in what are, at least for someone my age or thereabouts, very strange ways.
the fact that some people have confused/conflated leftism with pacifism is at least partly to blame.
the left has never been strictly pacifist, and the right has never been strictly hawkish.
The traditional left-right political paradigm is breaking down in what are, at least for someone my age or thereabouts, very strange ways.
the fact that some people have confused/conflated leftism with pacifism is at least partly to blame.
the left has never been strictly pacifist, and the right has never been strictly hawkish.
But sometimes I think all the people who wish us ill need to do is keep rattling our cage and wait for us to bleed ourselves dry.
There is a school of thought that this was a significant part of how we took out the USSR: we goaded them into spending money on their military beyond what they could afford. Until their economy (and thus their military in Eastern Europe) imploded.
But sometimes I think all the people who wish us ill need to do is keep rattling our cage and wait for us to bleed ourselves dry.
There is a school of thought that this was a significant part of how we took out the USSR: we goaded them into spending money on their military beyond what they could afford. Until their economy (and thus their military in Eastern Europe) imploded.
My overwhelming feeling regarding this drone strike is relief.
Why? Russia has active military units in Syria. On his track record so far, I would have been totally unsurprised if Trump managed to direct the attack to hit someplace where it would hit Russian troops and equipment, not just Syrians. But apparently he managed not to. So: relief.
My overwhelming feeling regarding this drone strike is relief.
Why? Russia has active military units in Syria. On his track record so far, I would have been totally unsurprised if Trump managed to direct the attack to hit someplace where it would hit Russian troops and equipment, not just Syrians. But apparently he managed not to. So: relief.
Lest we get too focused on/distracted by Syria, take a look at this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/04/07/bipartisan-anti-corruption-bill-is-vladimir-putins-worst-nightmare/?utm_term=.a75a4e4093a2
The bipartisan** Combating Global Corruption Act of 2017 was introduced yesterday. It would require the State Department to evaluate and report annually the level of corruption in countries world-wide, and name those officials who benefit the most from their government offices. Wonder if that report will include the US. And how Trump will rank.
** Sponsors: Ben Cardin (D-Md.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). See, bipartisan can still happen.
Lest we get too focused on/distracted by Syria, take a look at this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/04/07/bipartisan-anti-corruption-bill-is-vladimir-putins-worst-nightmare/?utm_term=.a75a4e4093a2
The bipartisan** Combating Global Corruption Act of 2017 was introduced yesterday. It would require the State Department to evaluate and report annually the level of corruption in countries world-wide, and name those officials who benefit the most from their government offices. Wonder if that report will include the US. And how Trump will rank.
** Sponsors: Ben Cardin (D-Md.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). See, bipartisan can still happen.
You’ve got to get your jollies where you can: Ann Coulter, Farage et al aghast at Trump is pretty satisfying. Ann Coulter on Twitter:
Who’da thunk it?
You’ve got to get your jollies where you can: Ann Coulter, Farage et al aghast at Trump is pretty satisfying. Ann Coulter on Twitter:
Who’da thunk it?
There is a school of thought that this was a significant part of how we took out the USSR: we goaded them into spending money on their military beyond what they could afford
In one of history’s many ironies, thus was born Osama Bin Laden, jihadi warrior.
There is a school of thought that this was a significant part of how we took out the USSR: we goaded them into spending money on their military beyond what they could afford
In one of history’s many ironies, thus was born Osama Bin Laden, jihadi warrior.
wj: rumor has it that Trump tipped off his buddy Putin, who pulled his stuff out of the way, and also tipped of Assad, who did the same.
Defense theater all the way down.
wj: rumor has it that Trump tipped off his buddy Putin, who pulled his stuff out of the way, and also tipped of Assad, who did the same.
Defense theater all the way down.
Soooooo… suppose Trump doesn’t do this. Does the UK? Germany? Japan? Shouldn’t it be someone else’s turn?
Soooooo… suppose Trump doesn’t do this. Does the UK? Germany? Japan? Shouldn’t it be someone else’s turn?
“There is a school of thought that this was a significant part of how we took out the USSR: we goaded them into spending money on their military beyond what they could afford”
There should be a school of thought that taking out the USSR, despite it being a monstrosity, made the world a much more unstable place for the United States and in fact placed great swathes of the American people in the way of the increasing depredations and monstrousness of the modern Republican party and its intention to dismantle the American social safety net, including labor unions, as murderous filth like Steven Forbes chortled they would in fact accomplish once the Soviet Union fell.
It’s all one fucking seamless program for ya.
I came upon this when looking for something else:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/03/the-conservative-myth-of-a-social-safety-net-built-on-charity/284552/
“There is a school of thought that this was a significant part of how we took out the USSR: we goaded them into spending money on their military beyond what they could afford”
There should be a school of thought that taking out the USSR, despite it being a monstrosity, made the world a much more unstable place for the United States and in fact placed great swathes of the American people in the way of the increasing depredations and monstrousness of the modern Republican party and its intention to dismantle the American social safety net, including labor unions, as murderous filth like Steven Forbes chortled they would in fact accomplish once the Soviet Union fell.
It’s all one fucking seamless program for ya.
I came upon this when looking for something else:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/03/the-conservative-myth-of-a-social-safety-net-built-on-charity/284552/
Throw the widows out in the snow!
Throw the widows out in the snow!
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/syria-strike-revive-trumps-economic-agenda-154609716.html
You could swaddle a Jew in bacon and slow roast him over a spit over a fire on the sidewalk outside the New York Stock Exchange and the fuckers on Wall Street would tell you to go long both pork belly futures, Raytheon, and Israeli graveyard settlements on the West Bank.
Pointless bombing, even tipped-off bombing, gains you political capital in bullshit pigfucking America for tax cuts.
If we bomb Ann Coulter and her mother, maybe Trump and I can deal on healthcare.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/syria-strike-revive-trumps-economic-agenda-154609716.html
You could swaddle a Jew in bacon and slow roast him over a spit over a fire on the sidewalk outside the New York Stock Exchange and the fuckers on Wall Street would tell you to go long both pork belly futures, Raytheon, and Israeli graveyard settlements on the West Bank.
Pointless bombing, even tipped-off bombing, gains you political capital in bullshit pigfucking America for tax cuts.
If we bomb Ann Coulter and her mother, maybe Trump and I can deal on healthcare.
Yet another no shit sherlock moment at The American Conservative:
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/this-isnt-the-foreign-policy-trump-campaigned-on/
Yet another no shit sherlock moment at The American Conservative:
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/this-isnt-the-foreign-policy-trump-campaigned-on/
From the Count’s link:
It does give Trump the air of seriousness and decisiveness, however—and those attributes are useful in the more tedious aspects of governing. You can’t pass legislation with missiles, after all.
No you can’t, har har har.
Jesus.
From the Count’s link:
It does give Trump the air of seriousness and decisiveness, however—and those attributes are useful in the more tedious aspects of governing. You can’t pass legislation with missiles, after all.
No you can’t, har har har.
Jesus.
Hmmm. I wonder how this can be happening:
“Syrian warplanes took off from an air base which was hit by U.S. cruise missiles on Friday, and carried out air strikes on rebel-held areas in the eastern Homs countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.”
Hmmm. I wonder how this can be happening:
“Syrian warplanes took off from an air base which was hit by U.S. cruise missiles on Friday, and carried out air strikes on rebel-held areas in the eastern Homs countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.”
“It does give Trump the air of seriousness and decisiveness”
An air of seriousness and decisiveness can be observed in the room as well when the Queen of England farts during a state function.
“It does give Trump the air of seriousness and decisiveness”
An air of seriousness and decisiveness can be observed in the room as well when the Queen of England farts during a state function.
You can’t pass legislation with missiles, after all.
A man with a good missile don’t need no legislation.
You can’t pass legislation with missiles, after all.
A man with a good missile don’t need no legislation.
ral! the Piranha Brothers of blessed memory! Violence and sarcasm can’t be far behind….
ral! the Piranha Brothers of blessed memory! Violence and sarcasm can’t be far behind….
Spiny Norman calling, “Donald? Donald?” comes to mind.
Spiny Norman calling, “Donald? Donald?” comes to mind.
“rumor has it that Trump tipped off his buddy Putin, who pulled his stuff out of the way, and also tipped of Assad, who did the same.”
Well, that’s not a rumor. CNN said so.
I didn’t read the links yet, but if any of them say Putin 3rd Assad to gas his people so that Trump could bomb him and Putin could act outraged, but not too outraged. I thought that first.
“rumor has it that Trump tipped off his buddy Putin, who pulled his stuff out of the way, and also tipped of Assad, who did the same.”
Well, that’s not a rumor. CNN said so.
I didn’t read the links yet, but if any of them say Putin 3rd Assad to gas his people so that Trump could bomb him and Putin could act outraged, but not too outraged. I thought that first.
It takes some effort to find something worse than “getting involved in someone else’s civil war”, but “getting involved on BOTH SIDES of someone else’s civil war” has to be right up there.
Thanks, Trump!
It takes some effort to find something worse than “getting involved in someone else’s civil war”, but “getting involved on BOTH SIDES of someone else’s civil war” has to be right up there.
Thanks, Trump!
I could see selling weapons to both sides. I mean, business is business after all.
Come to think of it, I have this vague recollection about Iran vs. Iraq…
I could see selling weapons to both sides. I mean, business is business after all.
Come to think of it, I have this vague recollection about Iran vs. Iraq…
“but if any of them say Putin 3rd Assad to gas his people so that Trump could bomb him and Putin could act outraged, but not too outraged. I thought that first.”
A Russian warship just exited the Bosporus and is steaming in the direction of the U.S. Naval ships that launched the cruise missiles.
Don’t stop now, Dad. Tell us what happens next. Wait, Mom’s bringing the popcorn.
Anyone seen hide nor hair of the fucking State Department?
“but if any of them say Putin 3rd Assad to gas his people so that Trump could bomb him and Putin could act outraged, but not too outraged. I thought that first.”
A Russian warship just exited the Bosporus and is steaming in the direction of the U.S. Naval ships that launched the cruise missiles.
Don’t stop now, Dad. Tell us what happens next. Wait, Mom’s bringing the popcorn.
Anyone seen hide nor hair of the fucking State Department?
Will there be defections as Potemkin war breaks out?
I mean, from us to them.
Will there be defections as Potemkin war breaks out?
I mean, from us to them.
Most likely the State Department is waiting in the (probably vain) hope that the White House will deign to advise as to what our policy and plans are. Since, after all, they can hardly attempt to execute those before finding out what they are.
Of course, the White House can hardly advise on policies and plans which do not exist. Awkward that.
Most likely the State Department is waiting in the (probably vain) hope that the White House will deign to advise as to what our policy and plans are. Since, after all, they can hardly attempt to execute those before finding out what they are.
Of course, the White House can hardly advise on policies and plans which do not exist. Awkward that.
What does it mean, to “3rd” ? I am not very l33t.
What does it mean, to “3rd” ? I am not very l33t.
Anyone seen hide nor hair of the fucking State Department?
I think I just saw Tillerson in line at KFC.
Anyone seen hide nor hair of the fucking State Department?
I think I just saw Tillerson in line at KFC.
Told, that word was told and I typed it right, or not
Told, that word was told and I typed it right, or not
Marty, I think you can blame it on Russian hacking. I have the same problem.
Marty, I think you can blame it on Russian hacking. I have the same problem.
At the KFC in Moscow.
At the KFC in Moscow.
There really is KFC in Moscow.
What strange times we inhabit.
There really is KFC in Moscow.
What strange times we inhabit.
So Tillerson got the “KFC run” job, since Christie is out?
Sounds plausible.
So Tillerson got the “KFC run” job, since Christie is out?
Sounds plausible.
No longer in Syria though.
No longer in Syria though.
For those of us on the hypocrisy patrol, there’s this.
For those of us on the hypocrisy patrol, there’s this.
They expected lower healthcare deductibles, too:
http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2017/04/youve-got-remember-just-simple-farmers-people-land-common-clay-new-west-know-morons
The hypocrisy patrol was disbanded in 1967. The armed craven patrol is on the job and it aims to fucking kill.
They expected lower healthcare deductibles, too:
http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2017/04/youve-got-remember-just-simple-farmers-people-land-common-clay-new-west-know-morons
The hypocrisy patrol was disbanded in 1967. The armed craven patrol is on the job and it aims to fucking kill.
there are certain preconditions for hypocrisy which are not in evidence.
there are certain preconditions for hypocrisy which are not in evidence.
It’s one thing to be deluded about the individual you are voting for. Any of us can succumb to that now and again.
But for someone married to an illegal immigrant to vote for someone with Trump’s loudly stated position on the subject? That is definitely exceptional.
It’s one thing to be deluded about the individual you are voting for. Any of us can succumb to that now and again.
But for someone married to an illegal immigrant to vote for someone with Trump’s loudly stated position on the subject? That is definitely exceptional.
from the count’s link:
bullshit. ‘the bureaucracy’ is just doing what they’ve been told to do.
the reality is a lot of people are perfectly happy to see this guy tossed out on his @ss after 20 years of living here with a clean record, doing all the things you’d want anyone to do, and leaving his wife, kids, and business hanging out to dry.
because he’s a beaner.
when ICE starts rounding up any of the illegal Irish in the great city of boston, of whom there are many thousands, instead of the Latinos in Lawrence, maybe you can persuade me that it’s not about Those Brown People.
not that I wish that on any of our gaelic neighbors, i’m just saying.
she voted for trump, and he did exactly what he said he was going to do. he threw her husband and the father of her kids the hell out of the country.
hoist by her own petard. i feel badly for her, but what’s happened to her is only what she was happy to bring down on the heads of millions of others.
do people really think that they are, somehow, going to be exempt when the shit hits the fan?
karma’s a bitter f’ing pill to swallow.
from the count’s link:
bullshit. ‘the bureaucracy’ is just doing what they’ve been told to do.
the reality is a lot of people are perfectly happy to see this guy tossed out on his @ss after 20 years of living here with a clean record, doing all the things you’d want anyone to do, and leaving his wife, kids, and business hanging out to dry.
because he’s a beaner.
when ICE starts rounding up any of the illegal Irish in the great city of boston, of whom there are many thousands, instead of the Latinos in Lawrence, maybe you can persuade me that it’s not about Those Brown People.
not that I wish that on any of our gaelic neighbors, i’m just saying.
she voted for trump, and he did exactly what he said he was going to do. he threw her husband and the father of her kids the hell out of the country.
hoist by her own petard. i feel badly for her, but what’s happened to her is only what she was happy to bring down on the heads of millions of others.
do people really think that they are, somehow, going to be exempt when the shit hits the fan?
karma’s a bitter f’ing pill to swallow.
Well viewed objectively, is it any different from all the folks who voted for a candidate (or even several candidates) who promised to slash government spending. Blithely ignoring how many of those programs that the candidates intend to slash are things that they, personally, depend on.
It’s not entirely clear, at least to me, whether they are simply in denial about how much they (and not just the unworthy others) depend on government programs. Or if they somehow think that, because they voted for the candidate, they will be exempted. But they keep doing it.
Well viewed objectively, is it any different from all the folks who voted for a candidate (or even several candidates) who promised to slash government spending. Blithely ignoring how many of those programs that the candidates intend to slash are things that they, personally, depend on.
It’s not entirely clear, at least to me, whether they are simply in denial about how much they (and not just the unworthy others) depend on government programs. Or if they somehow think that, because they voted for the candidate, they will be exempted. But they keep doing it.
Me, I just figured Trump was sending a message to President Xi during his visit this weekend: I’m crazy enough to bomb Syria while the Russians are there; believe me when I say I’m crazy enough to bomb North Korea.
Me, I just figured Trump was sending a message to President Xi during his visit this weekend: I’m crazy enough to bomb Syria while the Russians are there; believe me when I say I’m crazy enough to bomb North Korea.
Donald cited some conspiracy theories regarding the 2013 chemical attacks on Ghouta. It’s one thing to be skeptical, especially of Donald Trump and his motives, since he’s an unabashed serial liar whose chief strategist is a fake news entrepreneur.
It’s another to assume that “Obama used false info” in 2013, when investigations were conducted that found Assad’s army to be the probably perpetrators.
Human Rights Watch
I read Seymour Hersh’s LRB article, where he accused the Obama administration of cherry-picking information, but I find that unlikely as reluctant as Obama was to become involved in Syria.
Donald cited some conspiracy theories regarding the 2013 chemical attacks on Ghouta. It’s one thing to be skeptical, especially of Donald Trump and his motives, since he’s an unabashed serial liar whose chief strategist is a fake news entrepreneur.
It’s another to assume that “Obama used false info” in 2013, when investigations were conducted that found Assad’s army to be the probably perpetrators.
Human Rights Watch
I read Seymour Hersh’s LRB article, where he accused the Obama administration of cherry-picking information, but I find that unlikely as reluctant as Obama was to become involved in Syria.
do people really think that they are, somehow, going to be exempt when the shit hits the fan?
that was a rhetorical question, right?
do people really think that they are, somehow, going to be exempt when the shit hits the fan?
that was a rhetorical question, right?
From the twitters:
My working definition of conservative is “person incapable of imagining being in the situation of the people they want to screw over.”
From the twitters:
My working definition of conservative is “person incapable of imagining being in the situation of the people they want to screw over.”
What I find must disturbing is that few seem to care about the UN charter or for that matter the US constitution anymore and everybody and their dog (including Merkel and Hollande) is cheering the US for ‘doing something’ – no matter what the law says, even though most experts condemn such actions.
https://www.justsecurity.org/39712/top-legal-experts-syria-strikes/
This is of course nothing new.
What I find must disturbing is that few seem to care about the UN charter or for that matter the US constitution anymore and everybody and their dog (including Merkel and Hollande) is cheering the US for ‘doing something’ – no matter what the law says, even though most experts condemn such actions.
https://www.justsecurity.org/39712/top-legal-experts-syria-strikes/
This is of course nothing new.
Sapient, I am neutral on Ghouta and you could well be right. The false info though, was this —
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/world/middleeast/new-study-refines-view-of-sarin-attack-in-syria.html
That is the NYT reluctantly admitting that much of what had been ” proven” was in fact false. Assad could have done it anyway. You would have to google Postol and Lloyd and others to find out more. They are MIT weapons experts. I have also gotten more cynical about just about everyone. On conspiracy theories, everyone is a conspiracy theorist. If you are part of the mainstream then your crackpot theories are never labeled as conspiracy theories. All that matters is whether the limited evidence supports a given theory. So some conspiracy theories are pure crap. Others are possibly true, but get labeled as conspiracy theories to dismiss them.
As I just emailed someone, Syria reminds me of Jenin in terms of what we know. Jenin was a Palestinian town besieged in the second intifada. The Palestinians claimed there had been a massacre of hundreds and even an Israeli general said the death toll was in the hundreds. The Israelis as a whole denied it. Afterwards in that situation it really was possible for human rights groups to do a thorough investigation and the total deat toll was 52 Palestinians, about half of whom were civilian and some really had died in war crimes. So the truth was in- between. With Jenin it was possible to determine the truth but with Syria and I would argue with the US in Iraq, in most cases everything we learn comes from activists or partisans or government officials or investigators subjected to political pressures and without safe access because jihadis kidnap or kill Western reporters.
So it’s like Jenin without the followup. Either Israel murdered hundreds or did nothing wrong at all. That’s our state of knowledge most of the time.
Sapient, I am neutral on Ghouta and you could well be right. The false info though, was this —
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/world/middleeast/new-study-refines-view-of-sarin-attack-in-syria.html
That is the NYT reluctantly admitting that much of what had been ” proven” was in fact false. Assad could have done it anyway. You would have to google Postol and Lloyd and others to find out more. They are MIT weapons experts. I have also gotten more cynical about just about everyone. On conspiracy theories, everyone is a conspiracy theorist. If you are part of the mainstream then your crackpot theories are never labeled as conspiracy theories. All that matters is whether the limited evidence supports a given theory. So some conspiracy theories are pure crap. Others are possibly true, but get labeled as conspiracy theories to dismiss them.
As I just emailed someone, Syria reminds me of Jenin in terms of what we know. Jenin was a Palestinian town besieged in the second intifada. The Palestinians claimed there had been a massacre of hundreds and even an Israeli general said the death toll was in the hundreds. The Israelis as a whole denied it. Afterwards in that situation it really was possible for human rights groups to do a thorough investigation and the total deat toll was 52 Palestinians, about half of whom were civilian and some really had died in war crimes. So the truth was in- between. With Jenin it was possible to determine the truth but with Syria and I would argue with the US in Iraq, in most cases everything we learn comes from activists or partisans or government officials or investigators subjected to political pressures and without safe access because jihadis kidnap or kill Western reporters.
So it’s like Jenin without the followup. Either Israel murdered hundreds or did nothing wrong at all. That’s our state of knowledge most of the time.
“It’s not entirely clear, at least to me, whether they are simply in denial about how much they (and not just the unworthy others) depend on government programs.”
Oh, that’s Obama’s fault.
Because of his tyrannical Executive Order tyranny, demanding that the word “gullible” be removed from American dictionaries, because of of ‘political correctness’ and ‘safe spaces’.
Don’t worry, Trump reversed that order on DAY ONE!
“It’s not entirely clear, at least to me, whether they are simply in denial about how much they (and not just the unworthy others) depend on government programs.”
Oh, that’s Obama’s fault.
Because of his tyrannical Executive Order tyranny, demanding that the word “gullible” be removed from American dictionaries, because of of ‘political correctness’ and ‘safe spaces’.
Don’t worry, Trump reversed that order on DAY ONE!
she voted for trump, and he did exactly what he said he was going to do. he threw her husband and the father of her kids the hell out of the country.
hoist by her own petard. i feel badly for her, but what’s happened to her is only what she was happy to bring down on the heads of millions of others.
I think that the fundamental difference between peopel who vote Repubican and peopel who vote eomcrat is that Repubican voters want to use government to be mean to people other than themselves while continuing to serve their interests and Democrats what government to serve everyone’s interests.
I think that waht we are seeing–the degeneration of our nation into oligarchy–is at ist root the triumph of decadence. Therea re too many people who are just well enough off to be completely selfish in their view of politics.
There are areas of white poverty where peopel vote Republican out of racism pretty overtly or out of a more diffuse sense of being somehow entitled to be served by the government while other pepel are not so entitled, but the research data shows that most Trunp voters are reasonably well off. NOt on welfare. NOt suffering dire circumstances. From their little islands of security, they want to push everyone else into the shark infested waters. They have no sense of the common good except as for themsleves and people they see as like themselves which is not necessarily a racial construct. It’s more a commonality based on a tendecy to be authoritarian, a consumer of righwing propaganda, and a convcition that their values are the the ony correct values to have and are unique to them. In their snobbery, they can;t see that the politicians they vote for not only screw their neighbors (which doesnt bother them) but also dont share their values at all. Republican politicians don;t give a shit about hard work, getting ahead, being responsible, being patriotic, etc. Republican politicians care only about manipulating the voters to get elected so they can seve themselves and their corporate owners.
LIberals keep waiting for the rightwing base to figure out that their elected officials dont serve their interests and we keep thinking that someday Republican politicians will screw their base enough to finally lose elections.
It will take a lot of screwing, though. becasue their base genuinely is conprised of people who not only dont give a shit about anyone but themselves but they are also in the thrall of disniformation sources so when the scfrewing finally reaches them they are perfectly capable of not knowing who did it.
Just htink about Alabama. Over and over gthey elect Repubicans who do nothing for their voters except tell them who superiour they are to everyone else. Meanwhile the whole state is falling apart and their voters keep electing them.
I would not put it past that idiot woman who voted to deprt her husband to keep on voting Repubican.
she voted for trump, and he did exactly what he said he was going to do. he threw her husband and the father of her kids the hell out of the country.
hoist by her own petard. i feel badly for her, but what’s happened to her is only what she was happy to bring down on the heads of millions of others.
I think that the fundamental difference between peopel who vote Repubican and peopel who vote eomcrat is that Repubican voters want to use government to be mean to people other than themselves while continuing to serve their interests and Democrats what government to serve everyone’s interests.
I think that waht we are seeing–the degeneration of our nation into oligarchy–is at ist root the triumph of decadence. Therea re too many people who are just well enough off to be completely selfish in their view of politics.
There are areas of white poverty where peopel vote Republican out of racism pretty overtly or out of a more diffuse sense of being somehow entitled to be served by the government while other pepel are not so entitled, but the research data shows that most Trunp voters are reasonably well off. NOt on welfare. NOt suffering dire circumstances. From their little islands of security, they want to push everyone else into the shark infested waters. They have no sense of the common good except as for themsleves and people they see as like themselves which is not necessarily a racial construct. It’s more a commonality based on a tendecy to be authoritarian, a consumer of righwing propaganda, and a convcition that their values are the the ony correct values to have and are unique to them. In their snobbery, they can;t see that the politicians they vote for not only screw their neighbors (which doesnt bother them) but also dont share their values at all. Republican politicians don;t give a shit about hard work, getting ahead, being responsible, being patriotic, etc. Republican politicians care only about manipulating the voters to get elected so they can seve themselves and their corporate owners.
LIberals keep waiting for the rightwing base to figure out that their elected officials dont serve their interests and we keep thinking that someday Republican politicians will screw their base enough to finally lose elections.
It will take a lot of screwing, though. becasue their base genuinely is conprised of people who not only dont give a shit about anyone but themselves but they are also in the thrall of disniformation sources so when the scfrewing finally reaches them they are perfectly capable of not knowing who did it.
Just htink about Alabama. Over and over gthey elect Repubicans who do nothing for their voters except tell them who superiour they are to everyone else. Meanwhile the whole state is falling apart and their voters keep electing them.
I would not put it past that idiot woman who voted to deprt her husband to keep on voting Repubican.
If you read nothing else:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-hedge-fund-tycoon-behind-the-trump-presidency
A constellation of murderous monied maleficent malignancy.
When will serious American patriots rise up and kill Evil with the fully automatic Second Amendment solutions our forefathers magnified through the high resolution gun scope of our precious Constitution with such exquisite prescience.
These subhumans are fucking nuts.
We shed daylight on dark money by shooting it with dark bullets.
That Mercer hates the Republican establishment because he believes the leaders are corrupt crooks and have ruined the country only exposes the fact that the killing when it comes, and it will, must cut much deeper into America than anyone imagines.
We’re dealing with Alien versus Predator and both must die.
If you read nothing else:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-hedge-fund-tycoon-behind-the-trump-presidency
A constellation of murderous monied maleficent malignancy.
When will serious American patriots rise up and kill Evil with the fully automatic Second Amendment solutions our forefathers magnified through the high resolution gun scope of our precious Constitution with such exquisite prescience.
These subhumans are fucking nuts.
We shed daylight on dark money by shooting it with dark bullets.
That Mercer hates the Republican establishment because he believes the leaders are corrupt crooks and have ruined the country only exposes the fact that the killing when it comes, and it will, must cut much deeper into America than anyone imagines.
We’re dealing with Alien versus Predator and both must die.
Our government is fucking dead:
http://washingtonmonthly.com/2017/04/07/the-mcconnell-era/
Trust no one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUXHB5U-Vl4
Our government is fucking dead:
http://washingtonmonthly.com/2017/04/07/the-mcconnell-era/
Trust no one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUXHB5U-Vl4
About that Trump-voter whose husband was deported, this may be the time to re-post my favourite cartoon from the pre-election (I don’t know how to post the actual image, as Doc Science does):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/swanksalot/29160592045
Says it all, really.
About that Trump-voter whose husband was deported, this may be the time to re-post my favourite cartoon from the pre-election (I don’t know how to post the actual image, as Doc Science does):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/swanksalot/29160592045
Says it all, really.
You don’t need to overcomplicate it: if there existed definitive evidence that attributed the Ghouta attack or the most recent attacks to the Syrian army, and that evidence didn’t immediately put intelligence sources in danger, it would have been released. Assad sucks, a lot of people want to pick the other side in the civil war. Same went for Hussein.
The UN findings re: Ghouta directed enough blame at the Syrian military that it led to the disposal of hundreds of tons of chemical weapons/precursors, destruction of a couple dozen manufacturing facilities, and over 2.5 years of no attack attributed to the Syrian army. Diplomacy worked pretty well if your goal was reducing the risk of chemical warfare, but it was pretty bad if you wanted to jump into a civil war. So this time we don’t wait until the evidence is in.
The most frightening thing is the precedent this sets. There are lots of anti-Assad factions and they’re not all best friends. Some of them possess and have used chemical weapons. Trump’s just set the precedent that any chemical attack alleged to come from Syria will be met with unilateral American response; presumably an escalating response to future attacks… in response to evidence chemical weapons were used but little if any evidence as to who used them. You don’t have to be a false-flag conspiracy nut to see how this calculus plays out.
You don’t need to overcomplicate it: if there existed definitive evidence that attributed the Ghouta attack or the most recent attacks to the Syrian army, and that evidence didn’t immediately put intelligence sources in danger, it would have been released. Assad sucks, a lot of people want to pick the other side in the civil war. Same went for Hussein.
The UN findings re: Ghouta directed enough blame at the Syrian military that it led to the disposal of hundreds of tons of chemical weapons/precursors, destruction of a couple dozen manufacturing facilities, and over 2.5 years of no attack attributed to the Syrian army. Diplomacy worked pretty well if your goal was reducing the risk of chemical warfare, but it was pretty bad if you wanted to jump into a civil war. So this time we don’t wait until the evidence is in.
The most frightening thing is the precedent this sets. There are lots of anti-Assad factions and they’re not all best friends. Some of them possess and have used chemical weapons. Trump’s just set the precedent that any chemical attack alleged to come from Syria will be met with unilateral American response; presumably an escalating response to future attacks… in response to evidence chemical weapons were used but little if any evidence as to who used them. You don’t have to be a false-flag conspiracy nut to see how this calculus plays out.
I think that the fundamental difference between peopel who vote Repubican and peopel who vote [D]eomcrat is that Repubican voters want to use government to be mean to people other than themselves while continuing to serve their interests and Democrats what government to serve everyone’s interests.
Actually, both parties have people who want to be mean to people unlike themselves. Definitely different categories of “people unlike themselves” — but demonization of the other side exists in both cases. And both parties include people who want to do things that they think (rightly or wrongly) will be good for everybody.
It’s probably more useful to argue about the actual impact of the different policies. (Probably worth discussing foreign policy and domestic policy separately, too.) Or you can argue whether one party or the other has a greater number of mean-for-the-sake-of-being-mean people — not particularly useful, but at least a discussion rooted in the real world.
I think that the fundamental difference between peopel who vote Repubican and peopel who vote [D]eomcrat is that Repubican voters want to use government to be mean to people other than themselves while continuing to serve their interests and Democrats what government to serve everyone’s interests.
Actually, both parties have people who want to be mean to people unlike themselves. Definitely different categories of “people unlike themselves” — but demonization of the other side exists in both cases. And both parties include people who want to do things that they think (rightly or wrongly) will be good for everybody.
It’s probably more useful to argue about the actual impact of the different policies. (Probably worth discussing foreign policy and domestic policy separately, too.) Or you can argue whether one party or the other has a greater number of mean-for-the-sake-of-being-mean people — not particularly useful, but at least a discussion rooted in the real world.
P.S. You might also want too consider the folly of those who are rich, and support politicians who work to enrich them while impoverishing everybody else. It’s like they have never heard of the poor rising up and destroying the rich, if pushed hard enough.
Who says ignorance of their own real best interest is limited to poor people voting Republican?
P.S. You might also want too consider the folly of those who are rich, and support politicians who work to enrich them while impoverishing everybody else. It’s like they have never heard of the poor rising up and destroying the rich, if pushed hard enough.
Who says ignorance of their own real best interest is limited to poor people voting Republican?
Respectfully, no, both parties have not been deploying the same tactics or making the same kind of appeal for the last thirty years or so. ONly the Republican party has deliberately and cynically through the use of disinformation, hatemongering and fake news built up a base of people who believe themselves to the the real Americans, possessors of real American values, entitled to government services and focused in their voting behavior on using the political process to be mean to whoever the Republican party is using as a scapegoat: gays, Democrats, the poor, Muslims etc.
Only the Republican party has substituted party-wide the tactic of hatemongering partisanship for discussion of issues. They have to do this because their policies are harmful to their base and cannot be discussed honestly with their base.
I dont say these things when talking to a Republican voter, fo course. Instead I do discuss issues, and invariably the Republican voter has no idea what legislation or policies the Repubicans are proposing or passing. Quite often they refuse to believe facts. For example, most of my Facebook friends are involved in animal rescue. many believed that TRump was going to be good on animal issues and refused to believe otherwise, even with his sons going off to Africa to shoot elephants. It was a higher priority with them to hate Muslims, blame the poor etc, than to know how the political parties line up on issues related to animals.
It’s beginning to dawn on them now that Repubicans are not good on animal issues. I can tell because they don;t want to discuss it any more.
One of the most obvious examples of the extraordinary selfishness of the Republican base is the attitude toward health insurance. They favor Medicare, of course. They opposed Obamacare because rightwing media told them to oppose it and besides they didn’t think it was for them. However, many did benefit from Obamacare, some without realizing it was Obamacare, some knowing it was but voting for Trump anyway because they thought he would e mean to Mexincans and and Muslims but not to them. Then when the Republicans had to shift from partisan lying about Obamacare to actually acting on Obamacare and it turned out they were going to screw with the lives of many of theer base voters…then and only then did those base voters who were beneficiaries of Obamacare suddenly start paying attention to policy instead of slogans. And their reaction was jus like the lady who voted to deort her husband: hey I dint know you were going to hurt me!
Respectfully, no, both parties have not been deploying the same tactics or making the same kind of appeal for the last thirty years or so. ONly the Republican party has deliberately and cynically through the use of disinformation, hatemongering and fake news built up a base of people who believe themselves to the the real Americans, possessors of real American values, entitled to government services and focused in their voting behavior on using the political process to be mean to whoever the Republican party is using as a scapegoat: gays, Democrats, the poor, Muslims etc.
Only the Republican party has substituted party-wide the tactic of hatemongering partisanship for discussion of issues. They have to do this because their policies are harmful to their base and cannot be discussed honestly with their base.
I dont say these things when talking to a Republican voter, fo course. Instead I do discuss issues, and invariably the Republican voter has no idea what legislation or policies the Repubicans are proposing or passing. Quite often they refuse to believe facts. For example, most of my Facebook friends are involved in animal rescue. many believed that TRump was going to be good on animal issues and refused to believe otherwise, even with his sons going off to Africa to shoot elephants. It was a higher priority with them to hate Muslims, blame the poor etc, than to know how the political parties line up on issues related to animals.
It’s beginning to dawn on them now that Repubicans are not good on animal issues. I can tell because they don;t want to discuss it any more.
One of the most obvious examples of the extraordinary selfishness of the Republican base is the attitude toward health insurance. They favor Medicare, of course. They opposed Obamacare because rightwing media told them to oppose it and besides they didn’t think it was for them. However, many did benefit from Obamacare, some without realizing it was Obamacare, some knowing it was but voting for Trump anyway because they thought he would e mean to Mexincans and and Muslims but not to them. Then when the Republicans had to shift from partisan lying about Obamacare to actually acting on Obamacare and it turned out they were going to screw with the lives of many of theer base voters…then and only then did those base voters who were beneficiaries of Obamacare suddenly start paying attention to policy instead of slogans. And their reaction was jus like the lady who voted to deort her husband: hey I dint know you were going to hurt me!
They, uh, missed the runway. Sixty times:
http://juanitajean.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Cruise-Missile-Damage.jpg
At least those target range NRA republican pigfuckers can shoot their own dicks off when they aim straight.
Maybe trump’s sons have already platted out the new trump hotel syria next to the runway and asked Mad Dog to go easy on the demolition. I think I spotted a hardhatted Ivanka in heels in the photo cordoning off the main runway for the Navy boys.
Republican America: so full of shit that shit itself is embarrassed to be shit.
They, uh, missed the runway. Sixty times:
http://juanitajean.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Cruise-Missile-Damage.jpg
At least those target range NRA republican pigfuckers can shoot their own dicks off when they aim straight.
Maybe trump’s sons have already platted out the new trump hotel syria next to the runway and asked Mad Dog to go easy on the demolition. I think I spotted a hardhatted Ivanka in heels in the photo cordoning off the main runway for the Navy boys.
Republican America: so full of shit that shit itself is embarrassed to be shit.
Maybe trump’s sons have already platted out the new trump hotel syria next to the runway and asked Mad Dog to go easy on the demolition. I think I spotted a hardhatted Ivanka in heels in the photo cordoning off the main runway for the Navy boys.
Very sad that this is all so plausible.
Maybe trump’s sons have already platted out the new trump hotel syria next to the runway and asked Mad Dog to go easy on the demolition. I think I spotted a hardhatted Ivanka in heels in the photo cordoning off the main runway for the Navy boys.
Very sad that this is all so plausible.
They missed but let us rhapsodize over the beauty of the photo ops:
http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2017/04/guided-beauty-weapons
Leonard Cohen, if he could hear Williams gas on in the former’s name regarding the anchor’s nearly sexual love of the implements of fucking death, would arise from his grave and strangle Williams with piano wire right there on the bankrupt bullshit American telly.
America will get it darker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0nmHymgM7Y
There’s truth that lives truth that dies and yours, you pompous prat Williams, is the latter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlTTVIwpS0A
They missed but let us rhapsodize over the beauty of the photo ops:
http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2017/04/guided-beauty-weapons
Leonard Cohen, if he could hear Williams gas on in the former’s name regarding the anchor’s nearly sexual love of the implements of fucking death, would arise from his grave and strangle Williams with piano wire right there on the bankrupt bullshit American telly.
America will get it darker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0nmHymgM7Y
There’s truth that lives truth that dies and yours, you pompous prat Williams, is the latter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlTTVIwpS0A
They, uh, missed the runway. Sixty times
It occurs to me to wonder. Does this represent the pervasive incompetence of the administration spreading to the military? Or the military doing less than their best work for a commander in chief that they have no respect for?
On balance, I think I’d prefer the former. Just because I have a problem with the idea of the military, in effect, sabotaging orders that they disagree with. But neither one is cause for joy.
It’s not “truth that dies” that’s the problem.
It’s “truth that kills”.
They, uh, missed the runway. Sixty times
It occurs to me to wonder. Does this represent the pervasive incompetence of the administration spreading to the military? Or the military doing less than their best work for a commander in chief that they have no respect for?
On balance, I think I’d prefer the former. Just because I have a problem with the idea of the military, in effect, sabotaging orders that they disagree with. But neither one is cause for joy.
It’s not “truth that dies” that’s the problem.
It’s “truth that kills”.
It occurs to me to wonder. Does this represent the pervasive incompetence of the administration spreading to the military? Or the military doing less than their best work for a commander in chief that they have no respect for?
It was the plan. Do something ineffectual to make the press forget about the problems. Total win, it seems.
It occurs to me to wonder. Does this represent the pervasive incompetence of the administration spreading to the military? Or the military doing less than their best work for a commander in chief that they have no respect for?
It was the plan. Do something ineffectual to make the press forget about the problems. Total win, it seems.
That’s interesting about the cruise missile misses. Maybe it was countermeasures, but that’s something I know nothing about. My preferred theory, not saying it is true, just what I’d like, is that the Pat Lang post I linked above is correct and there are people in the military who think this was a Syrian strike on what turned out to be a jihadi chemical weapons dump. So they missed the runway deliberately. That last part is my contribution to conspiracy theorizing.
Do I believe this? Not particularly, but at the moment I don’t believe anything very strongly about what happened.
Philip Giraldi, a former CIA guy, also says he has anonymous sources who should know who also say what Pat Lang’s poster said. If true, you would think someone would risk his or her career and step forward sooner or later.
Politically, conspiracy theorizing aside, there were some paleocons at the American Conservative who really believed that Trump’s criticism of American interventionism was sincere. Larison my hero was always smart enough to see that Trump was incoherent, but not everyone over there was so perceptive. They believed what they wanted. But that said, the scales have fallen from their eyes. Mainstream Dems and Republicans may love Trump for chucking Obama’s restraint, but they won’t like Trump otherwise. And he has alienated part of his base with this massive contradiction of his anti interventionist campaign rhetoric.
That’s interesting about the cruise missile misses. Maybe it was countermeasures, but that’s something I know nothing about. My preferred theory, not saying it is true, just what I’d like, is that the Pat Lang post I linked above is correct and there are people in the military who think this was a Syrian strike on what turned out to be a jihadi chemical weapons dump. So they missed the runway deliberately. That last part is my contribution to conspiracy theorizing.
Do I believe this? Not particularly, but at the moment I don’t believe anything very strongly about what happened.
Philip Giraldi, a former CIA guy, also says he has anonymous sources who should know who also say what Pat Lang’s poster said. If true, you would think someone would risk his or her career and step forward sooner or later.
Politically, conspiracy theorizing aside, there were some paleocons at the American Conservative who really believed that Trump’s criticism of American interventionism was sincere. Larison my hero was always smart enough to see that Trump was incoherent, but not everyone over there was so perceptive. They believed what they wanted. But that said, the scales have fallen from their eyes. Mainstream Dems and Republicans may love Trump for chucking Obama’s restraint, but they won’t like Trump otherwise. And he has alienated part of his base with this massive contradiction of his anti interventionist campaign rhetoric.
Missing the runway was a feature, not a bug. If they’d wanted to hit the runway, they would have. If they had wanted to destroy the runway, they wouldn’t have chosen cruise missiles.
Runways are durable, hard to damage, cheap to fix. Cruise missiles are expensive, but carry only the equivalent of 1000 lbs of high explosive, or thereabouts — your million-dollar cruise missile makes maybe a ten-foot blast crater in a runway, a pothole that can be repaired within hours with a truckload of asphalt and a roller.
Far better to aim your expensive missiles at buildings and people and planes, which are easier to damage and more difficult to repair.
Besides: Trump’s friends, the Russians, whom we forewarned of the strike, are using that runway, and didn’t want it damaged.
This was “fire for showiness and political effect”.
Missing the runway was a feature, not a bug. If they’d wanted to hit the runway, they would have. If they had wanted to destroy the runway, they wouldn’t have chosen cruise missiles.
Runways are durable, hard to damage, cheap to fix. Cruise missiles are expensive, but carry only the equivalent of 1000 lbs of high explosive, or thereabouts — your million-dollar cruise missile makes maybe a ten-foot blast crater in a runway, a pothole that can be repaired within hours with a truckload of asphalt and a roller.
Far better to aim your expensive missiles at buildings and people and planes, which are easier to damage and more difficult to repair.
Besides: Trump’s friends, the Russians, whom we forewarned of the strike, are using that runway, and didn’t want it damaged.
This was “fire for showiness and political effect”.
Me:
Me, I just figured Trump was sending a message to President Xi during his visit this weekend: I’m crazy enough to bomb Syria while the Russians are there; believe me when I say I’m crazy enough to bomb North Korea.
According to the Financial Times, Carrier Strike Group 1, including the Nimitz-class supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, is now headed for the Korean peninsula. The article states that Trump also spoke by phone with Japan’s Prime Minister and South Korea’s acting President this weekend.
https://www.ft.com/content/0d4a22e8-1ce3-11e7-a454-ab04428977f9
Me:
Me, I just figured Trump was sending a message to President Xi during his visit this weekend: I’m crazy enough to bomb Syria while the Russians are there; believe me when I say I’m crazy enough to bomb North Korea.
According to the Financial Times, Carrier Strike Group 1, including the Nimitz-class supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, is now headed for the Korean peninsula. The article states that Trump also spoke by phone with Japan’s Prime Minister and South Korea’s acting President this weekend.
https://www.ft.com/content/0d4a22e8-1ce3-11e7-a454-ab04428977f9
So, vis a vis runways, as Budget Director Mick Mulvaney might explain it, the Tomahawk cruise missile is equivalent in efficacy for the hard-working American taxpayer to wasting their money on a school lunch for some kid who otherwise would go hungry. Feeding that kid day by day does not have its intended effect … that his academic performance should improve and he should go out and get a good job. True, he doesn’t go hungry, but what’s that to American greatness? I mean, look at Gandhi, would ya, the dude lived on little more than nutrients from the atmosphere and brought down the Raj with his ribs showing. Just so, while the children of Raytheon shareholders and employees may say they feel better after eating the profits their parents make from selling cruise missiles to bounce off the tarmac like an M-80 off the driveway, we all know that it is share prices that gain the weight, which is the highest aim of all men on Earth AND the women they would like to dine with if the damned floozies would stop endangering our marriages with the footsie canoodling under the table.
“Well, Mick,” donald trump chips in from his perch on the solid gold throne at Mar-a-Lago, as Kelly Ann Conway kneels nearby tearing off and neatly folding squares of premium gold leaf toilet paper for His felicitation, “first off, marriage splarriage, but in that last case, sometimes you just have to lean in and grab that cat with all ten fingers and tweet away, but never mind. But good point about those sticky little school lunch ingrates.”
“Now, who built these runways in Syria that we can’t made a dent in, I ask you, with our premium $1.4 billion dollar Tomahawks. That’s some infrastructure. Yeah, our friends the Russians. Those people do good work, and with no unions either. Slave labor and is there any other kind? Ya know, they had one hard freeze in New Jersey bout 40 years ago and the New Jersey Turnpike turned into once big heaving pothole and they’ve been trying to fix it ever since. It takes six hours of one-lane stop and go to drive from Philly to the Holland Tunnel with your head hanging out the window yelling at the flagmen. If you tried to land Air Force One, now there’s a boondoggle, on the damned thing, they’d wave you off fearing we’d all die.”
“But, nevertheless Brian Williams shrieks like Walt Whitman singing the song of himself into an addlepated sexual conniption fit at the photogenic shock and awe of all of it, so there is that.”
“So, whattaya say we get Vlad to submit a bid for the Wall down bad hombre way? We say, look just build a Syrian military runway and set it up on its side all along the border at Jose’s and Guadaloupe’s expense and nuttin nohow will get through the thing. You could have taco drive-up windows/gun apertures every mile or so.”
“So could we use all these nuclear warheads we’ve been stockpiling to no avail all these years, NOT that we have nearly enough of them, and blast those runways to kingdom come? You know, I studied the nuclear arsenal for like 45 minutes back in the 1980s with great, great, amazing intensity, like a laser i zeroed in on it, there’s a book around here somewhere I had my staff read to me about it .. .. how much is there to know, foureyes? … and can we finally put it to good use and take those runways out.”
“Well, Mr. President, while the nuclear blast radius would extend 20 miles in every direction and make the landscape resemble the denoument of a Cormac McCarthy novel, the ah, runways themselves would be further hardened into a substance resembling the gorilla glass on your smartphone and despite the half mile deep crater underneath them, they’d be landing Russian MIGS on it by lunchtime.”
“So you’re basically telling me that this runway predicament is like trying to provide “access” to healthcare for a guy with five pre-existing conditions, with no guarantee of coverage for any of them, for less than two grand a month plus twenty grand of upfront annual deductibles and copays and have him declare himself a proud member of the opportunity freedom society as the Constitution sits airless inside its glass case in Philly and the Founders corpses celebrate the suicide pact they made for us from the relative safety of their graves.”
Who thought things could be so complicated? In the private sector, we never have to talk about these complications in our annual reports.
So, vis a vis runways, as Budget Director Mick Mulvaney might explain it, the Tomahawk cruise missile is equivalent in efficacy for the hard-working American taxpayer to wasting their money on a school lunch for some kid who otherwise would go hungry. Feeding that kid day by day does not have its intended effect … that his academic performance should improve and he should go out and get a good job. True, he doesn’t go hungry, but what’s that to American greatness? I mean, look at Gandhi, would ya, the dude lived on little more than nutrients from the atmosphere and brought down the Raj with his ribs showing. Just so, while the children of Raytheon shareholders and employees may say they feel better after eating the profits their parents make from selling cruise missiles to bounce off the tarmac like an M-80 off the driveway, we all know that it is share prices that gain the weight, which is the highest aim of all men on Earth AND the women they would like to dine with if the damned floozies would stop endangering our marriages with the footsie canoodling under the table.
“Well, Mick,” donald trump chips in from his perch on the solid gold throne at Mar-a-Lago, as Kelly Ann Conway kneels nearby tearing off and neatly folding squares of premium gold leaf toilet paper for His felicitation, “first off, marriage splarriage, but in that last case, sometimes you just have to lean in and grab that cat with all ten fingers and tweet away, but never mind. But good point about those sticky little school lunch ingrates.”
“Now, who built these runways in Syria that we can’t made a dent in, I ask you, with our premium $1.4 billion dollar Tomahawks. That’s some infrastructure. Yeah, our friends the Russians. Those people do good work, and with no unions either. Slave labor and is there any other kind? Ya know, they had one hard freeze in New Jersey bout 40 years ago and the New Jersey Turnpike turned into once big heaving pothole and they’ve been trying to fix it ever since. It takes six hours of one-lane stop and go to drive from Philly to the Holland Tunnel with your head hanging out the window yelling at the flagmen. If you tried to land Air Force One, now there’s a boondoggle, on the damned thing, they’d wave you off fearing we’d all die.”
“But, nevertheless Brian Williams shrieks like Walt Whitman singing the song of himself into an addlepated sexual conniption fit at the photogenic shock and awe of all of it, so there is that.”
“So, whattaya say we get Vlad to submit a bid for the Wall down bad hombre way? We say, look just build a Syrian military runway and set it up on its side all along the border at Jose’s and Guadaloupe’s expense and nuttin nohow will get through the thing. You could have taco drive-up windows/gun apertures every mile or so.”
“So could we use all these nuclear warheads we’ve been stockpiling to no avail all these years, NOT that we have nearly enough of them, and blast those runways to kingdom come? You know, I studied the nuclear arsenal for like 45 minutes back in the 1980s with great, great, amazing intensity, like a laser i zeroed in on it, there’s a book around here somewhere I had my staff read to me about it .. .. how much is there to know, foureyes? … and can we finally put it to good use and take those runways out.”
“Well, Mr. President, while the nuclear blast radius would extend 20 miles in every direction and make the landscape resemble the denoument of a Cormac McCarthy novel, the ah, runways themselves would be further hardened into a substance resembling the gorilla glass on your smartphone and despite the half mile deep crater underneath them, they’d be landing Russian MIGS on it by lunchtime.”
“So you’re basically telling me that this runway predicament is like trying to provide “access” to healthcare for a guy with five pre-existing conditions, with no guarantee of coverage for any of them, for less than two grand a month plus twenty grand of upfront annual deductibles and copays and have him declare himself a proud member of the opportunity freedom society as the Constitution sits airless inside its glass case in Philly and the Founders corpses celebrate the suicide pact they made for us from the relative safety of their graves.”
Who thought things could be so complicated? In the private sector, we never have to talk about these complications in our annual reports.
“According to the Financial Times, Carrier Strike Group 1, including the Nimitz-class supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, is now headed for the Korean peninsula. The article states that Trump also spoke by phone with Japan’s Prime Minister and South Korea’s acting President this weekend.”
So, I guess I should alert my son to cancel that planned visit to the academic conference in Seoul in June.
“According to the Financial Times, Carrier Strike Group 1, including the Nimitz-class supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, is now headed for the Korean peninsula. The article states that Trump also spoke by phone with Japan’s Prime Minister and South Korea’s acting President this weekend.”
So, I guess I should alert my son to cancel that planned visit to the academic conference in Seoul in June.
“madness!”
commander shears.
“madness!”
commander shears.
Rule of recent elections: No matter whom you vote for, you always wind up with John McCain.
Rule of recent elections: No matter whom you vote for, you always wind up with John McCain.
Carrier Strike Group 1, including the Nimitz-class supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, is now headed for the Korean peninsula
time to get the hell out of seoul.
yeah, I know the count already said it. it bears repeating.
Carrier Strike Group 1, including the Nimitz-class supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, is now headed for the Korean peninsula
time to get the hell out of seoul.
yeah, I know the count already said it. it bears repeating.
“No matter whom you vote for, you always wind up with John McCain.”
Now we know how the North Vietnamese felt.
“No matter whom you vote for, you always wind up with John McCain.”
Now we know how the North Vietnamese felt.
https://www.balloon-juice.com/2017/04/09/open-thread-never-let-it-be-forgotten/https:
John McCain knew all about the theft of our Presidential election too, way ahead of time.
Kill em all.
https://www.balloon-juice.com/2017/04/09/open-thread-never-let-it-be-forgotten/https:
John McCain knew all about the theft of our Presidential election too, way ahead of time.
Kill em all.
McCain had better figure right now if his adopted Bangladeshi daughter is a legal American citizen before the rightwing c*nts and cucks in Arizona send the nigger back where she came from:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Adopted-from-Vietnam-as-a-baby—but-told-shes-not-an-American-citizen.html
courtesy of eschaton
McCain had better figure right now if his adopted Bangladeshi daughter is a legal American citizen before the rightwing c*nts and cucks in Arizona send the nigger back where she came from:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Adopted-from-Vietnam-as-a-baby—but-told-shes-not-an-American-citizen.html
courtesy of eschaton
When billmon closed down the Whiskey Bar, a group of the afficianados appropriated the blog template and set up Moon of Alabama, where the posters and commentariat
1. Appear to be deeply involved in defense and national security matters
2. Appear to be even more cynical than I
Here’s their recent bit about the cruise missile bombardment of the Syrian airstrip :
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/04/trumps-khan-sheikoun-production.html
When billmon closed down the Whiskey Bar, a group of the afficianados appropriated the blog template and set up Moon of Alabama, where the posters and commentariat
1. Appear to be deeply involved in defense and national security matters
2. Appear to be even more cynical than I
Here’s their recent bit about the cruise missile bombardment of the Syrian airstrip :
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/04/trumps-khan-sheikoun-production.html
Great link, joel.
Great link, joel.
The only numbers here that look juked are the gun death totals …. any self-respecting American knows we need more gun deaths per annum in this country to rescue Sturm and Ruger’s flagging share price.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/9/1648642/-The-opioid-overdose-epidemic-hypocrisy-of-Donald-Trump
Looks to me like trump is trying to proof that throwing money AWAY FROM the opioid epidemic problem never solved anything.
The only numbers here that look juked are the gun death totals …. any self-respecting American knows we need more gun deaths per annum in this country to rescue Sturm and Ruger’s flagging share price.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/9/1648642/-The-opioid-overdose-epidemic-hypocrisy-of-Donald-Trump
Looks to me like trump is trying to proof that throwing money AWAY FROM the opioid epidemic problem never solved anything.
Count:
Thanks
I just wish I had spelled “afficionados” correctly.
Count:
Thanks
I just wish I had spelled “afficionados” correctly.
Look forward, not back, joel.
Look forward, not back, joel.
Just returned from the grocery store and wanted to report that America’s flagship media enterprise for the real lowdown, the National Enquirer, is reporting the trump family is in grave danger because the laptop containing all of the blueprints of every one of their residents has been stolen by terrorists.
When peering at the cover photo, I noticed some local terrorist had drawn a little moustache on trump’s upper lip.
Just returned from the grocery store and wanted to report that America’s flagship media enterprise for the real lowdown, the National Enquirer, is reporting the trump family is in grave danger because the laptop containing all of the blueprints of every one of their residents has been stolen by terrorists.
When peering at the cover photo, I noticed some local terrorist had drawn a little moustache on trump’s upper lip.
I hear Trump has blueprints drawn up of everyone who lives in any of his properties, so this one might be true. I just hope they don’t get the residents’ fingerprints, too.
I hear Trump has blueprints drawn up of everyone who lives in any of his properties, so this one might be true. I just hope they don’t get the residents’ fingerprints, too.
what else is going on, you ask? this might give you pause.
Or not.
what else is going on, you ask? this might give you pause.
Or not.
“residents” should read “residences”
I hate misquoting the National Enquirer. It seems to blunt the fakery and mislead the misled.
My journalism professor once told that when you come across fake news as a source, quote one word mistakenly and it will improve the copy and open the world of facticity and truth to the reader, but that was a long time ago when America wasn’t quite so full of shit.
“residents” should read “residences”
I hate misquoting the National Enquirer. It seems to blunt the fakery and mislead the misled.
My journalism professor once told that when you come across fake news as a source, quote one word mistakenly and it will improve the copy and open the world of facticity and truth to the reader, but that was a long time ago when America wasn’t quite so full of shit.
That is a great find bobbyp thanks.
That is a great find bobbyp thanks.
I, for one, mourn the demise of the dead-tree version of the Weekly World News.
It would bring some sanity into today’s world, it would.
I, for one, mourn the demise of the dead-tree version of the Weekly World News.
It would bring some sanity into today’s world, it would.
what else is going on, you ask? this might give you pause.
I’d be curious to know what bob mcmanus thinks of that piece.
what else is going on, you ask? this might give you pause.
I’d be curious to know what bob mcmanus thinks of that piece.
courtesy of LGM:
http://jezebel.com/airport-security-violently-drags-passenger-off-an-overb-1794170349?rev=1491835313367&utm_campaign=socialfow_jezebel_twitter&utm_source=jezebel_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow
Would someone like to explain WHAT THE FUCK is going on in this FUCKING, PIECE OF SHIT excuse for a country?
courtesy of LGM:
http://jezebel.com/airport-security-violently-drags-passenger-off-an-overb-1794170349?rev=1491835313367&utm_campaign=socialfow_jezebel_twitter&utm_source=jezebel_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow
Would someone like to explain WHAT THE FUCK is going on in this FUCKING, PIECE OF SHIT excuse for a country?
Snarki misses the WWN
Yeah, The Donald’s meetings with Bat-Boy and space aliens have been strangely under-reported.
Snarki misses the WWN
Yeah, The Donald’s meetings with Bat-Boy and space aliens have been strangely under-reported.
From the Guardian, Why are liberals now cheerleading a warmongering Trump?
From the Guardian, Why are liberals now cheerleading a warmongering Trump?
Would someone like to explain…?
I suspect there’s some United employees on the carpet trying to do just that.
United should have kept upping the price until they got enough volunteers. $5,000 per seat would be a lot cheaper than the PR hit they’re going to take.
Why Should Police Help United Airlines Cheat Its Customers?: United’s action in having a man attacked and dragged off a flight yesterday was heinous. So is the fact that police officers cooperated.
Would someone like to explain…?
I suspect there’s some United employees on the carpet trying to do just that.
United should have kept upping the price until they got enough volunteers. $5,000 per seat would be a lot cheaper than the PR hit they’re going to take.
Why Should Police Help United Airlines Cheat Its Customers?: United’s action in having a man attacked and dragged off a flight yesterday was heinous. So is the fact that police officers cooperated.
But, but…. Anyone who won’t cooperate is obviously a terrorist! (Or, at least, a potential terrorist.) So extreme measures are warranted.
But, but…. Anyone who won’t cooperate is obviously a terrorist! (Or, at least, a potential terrorist.) So extreme measures are warranted.
Huh. I was told this stuff never gets as fat as the C-suite:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/04/10/wells-fargo-knew-about-sham-accounts-problem-as-far-back-as-2002/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_wellsfargo-925am-1-duplicate%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.514822d46ba2
Huh. I was told this stuff never gets as fat as the C-suite:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/04/10/wells-fargo-knew-about-sham-accounts-problem-as-far-back-as-2002/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_wellsfargo-925am-1-duplicate%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.514822d46ba2
More on United:
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/04/united-video-scandal-law/522552/?utm_source=atltw
More on United:
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/04/united-video-scandal-law/522552/?utm_source=atltw
For the kind of money that is being talked about now (lawsuits, huge offers to bump volunteers), United could have chartered a small plane to take their employees from O’Hare to Louisville.
Or just bopped over to Midway and caught a nonstop Southwest flight to Louisville.
IME, United ‘customer service’ has been best described as ‘surly’ for roughly 20 years.
For the kind of money that is being talked about now (lawsuits, huge offers to bump volunteers), United could have chartered a small plane to take their employees from O’Hare to Louisville.
Or just bopped over to Midway and caught a nonstop Southwest flight to Louisville.
IME, United ‘customer service’ has been best described as ‘surly’ for roughly 20 years.
The entire experience of flying these days is a trial, even when things go smoothly – basically one long indignity imposed upon the “Customers”.
The entire experience of flying these days is a trial, even when things go smoothly – basically one long indignity imposed upon the “Customers”.
Actually, much of it isn’t intended as an imposition on the “customers.” The whole point of all of the security theater is to be an imposition on the “voters“. Otherwise how will they know, and be constantly reminded, that their politicians have “done something”, and so should be reelected?
Not that the “something” needs to actually be useful. The things that were done that actually were useful aren’t visible. Hence that nonsense.
Actually, much of it isn’t intended as an imposition on the “customers.” The whole point of all of the security theater is to be an imposition on the “voters“. Otherwise how will they know, and be constantly reminded, that their politicians have “done something”, and so should be reelected?
Not that the “something” needs to actually be useful. The things that were done that actually were useful aren’t visible. Hence that nonsense.
I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: Airport Security Theater should be employing the population of chronically underemployed actors.
“Is this a dagger I see before me?”
Perhaps Improv Everywhere could set up their own Security Theater Checkpoints, just for shits and giggles before they get Trumped into Gitmo.
I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: Airport Security Theater should be employing the population of chronically underemployed actors.
“Is this a dagger I see before me?”
Perhaps Improv Everywhere could set up their own Security Theater Checkpoints, just for shits and giggles before they get Trumped into Gitmo.
we’re #1 when it comes to our tolerance for and acceptance of violence. among anything like our peer nations.
thug life.
we’re #1 when it comes to our tolerance for and acceptance of violence. among anything like our peer nations.
thug life.
British “Keep calm and carry on” has nothing on us. Especially when the 2nd Amendment is even peripherally involved.
British “Keep calm and carry on” has nothing on us. Especially when the 2nd Amendment is even peripherally involved.
British “Keep calm and carry on” has nothing on us.
Make up your mind, dammit! Do you want us to “keep calm” or “carry on”? Because if I start to carry on, you’ll never hear the end of it.
Oh, wait, did you mean something about airlines? Yes, I’ll “carry on”. I don’t trust checked luggage very much.
British “Keep calm and carry on” has nothing on us.
Make up your mind, dammit! Do you want us to “keep calm” or “carry on”? Because if I start to carry on, you’ll never hear the end of it.
Oh, wait, did you mean something about airlines? Yes, I’ll “carry on”. I don’t trust checked luggage very much.
Personally, little would give me more pleasure than for Snarki to start carrying on…..
Virgin once bumped me when I was on my way to what I thought was my brother-in-law’s deathbed. Instead of flying me London-San Francisco, they ended up flying me London-Los Angeles-San Francisco, and only getting there an hour or two late, and they gave me a free return ticket to anywhere in the world (it’s what I used to go back to South Africa). Good customer relations, I would say.
Personally, little would give me more pleasure than for Snarki to start carrying on…..
Virgin once bumped me when I was on my way to what I thought was my brother-in-law’s deathbed. Instead of flying me London-San Francisco, they ended up flying me London-Los Angeles-San Francisco, and only getting there an hour or two late, and they gave me a free return ticket to anywhere in the world (it’s what I used to go back to South Africa). Good customer relations, I would say.
Huffpost: SPICER: ‘EVEN HITLER’ NEVER GASSED HIS PEOPLE
C’mon guys, this is just pranking us, right? Right?
Huffpost: SPICER: ‘EVEN HITLER’ NEVER GASSED HIS PEOPLE
C’mon guys, this is just pranking us, right? Right?
We’ll know for sure when Ivanka releases her new aromatherapy line, under the “Zyklon B” name.
Then again, maybe we won’t.
We’ll know for sure when Ivanka releases her new aromatherapy line, under the “Zyklon B” name.
Then again, maybe we won’t.
Security Theater–
How would the left’ish commentariat address airport security? If you think ‘security theater’ is just that, then I’m sure you’re savvy enough to have the answer.
Right-wingers like me cringe at the regulatory state because this is exactly what you get when gov’t steps in. TSA is the visible hand of gov’t that touches all of us, literally, and sometimes not in a good way.
Compared to, e.g. regulating national healthcare or the economy with an eye toward mitigating global warning, keeping armed, bad people off of airplanes doesn’t seem all that difficult. Yet, this is what we get. Does it give anyone here pause to think that the same geniuses who came up with ‘frisk the world’ will do the job right on healthcare or global warming?
Or that all of those other gov’t programs are working any better than TSA?
I flew back to Houston today from Chicago (thunderstorms in Houston, BTW) on United. I fly United a lot–easily 20 probably more like 30 plus times a year. I think they do a good job. Today’s flight and the in-flight service were just fine, but for landing in the thunderstorms.
I’ve been deplaned. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t refuse to leave and force the airline to remove me physically.
Security Theater–
How would the left’ish commentariat address airport security? If you think ‘security theater’ is just that, then I’m sure you’re savvy enough to have the answer.
Right-wingers like me cringe at the regulatory state because this is exactly what you get when gov’t steps in. TSA is the visible hand of gov’t that touches all of us, literally, and sometimes not in a good way.
Compared to, e.g. regulating national healthcare or the economy with an eye toward mitigating global warning, keeping armed, bad people off of airplanes doesn’t seem all that difficult. Yet, this is what we get. Does it give anyone here pause to think that the same geniuses who came up with ‘frisk the world’ will do the job right on healthcare or global warming?
Or that all of those other gov’t programs are working any better than TSA?
I flew back to Houston today from Chicago (thunderstorms in Houston, BTW) on United. I fly United a lot–easily 20 probably more like 30 plus times a year. I think they do a good job. Today’s flight and the in-flight service were just fine, but for landing in the thunderstorms.
I’ve been deplaned. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t refuse to leave and force the airline to remove me physically.
C’mon guys, this is just pranking us, right? Right?
Well, the Jews weren’t his people.
C’mon guys, this is just pranking us, right? Right?
Well, the Jews weren’t his people.
There is that, CharlesWT. In the long overdue “Let’s rehabilitate Hitler” moment so cleverly identified by Spicer, you could even say that in his way he was a kind of “Make Germany Great Again” kind of guy.
There is that, CharlesWT. In the long overdue “Let’s rehabilitate Hitler” moment so cleverly identified by Spicer, you could even say that in his way he was a kind of “Make Germany Great Again” kind of guy.
Compared to, e.g. regulating national healthcare or the economy with an eye toward mitigating global warning, keeping armed, bad people off of airplanes doesn’t seem all that difficult. Yet, this is what we get. Does it give anyone here pause to think that the same geniuses who came up with ‘frisk the world’ will do the job right on healthcare or global warming?
Who is going to “do the job right” on these things? The invisible hand?
I’d do airport security however they did it 20 years ago, just with better technology.
Compared to, e.g. regulating national healthcare or the economy with an eye toward mitigating global warning, keeping armed, bad people off of airplanes doesn’t seem all that difficult. Yet, this is what we get. Does it give anyone here pause to think that the same geniuses who came up with ‘frisk the world’ will do the job right on healthcare or global warming?
Who is going to “do the job right” on these things? The invisible hand?
I’d do airport security however they did it 20 years ago, just with better technology.
The Invisible Hand is already doing air security. You just have to charter a flight for your own trip and schedule, and you can have as tight or loose security as you want also, too.
It just costs more, and is not something most people even think of.
Regulated common carriers? They’ll cost you a lot less, but who amongst the freedom-lovers of the right will abandon their freedom for a cut-price flight? (answer: 99% of them).
The Invisible Hand is already doing air security. You just have to charter a flight for your own trip and schedule, and you can have as tight or loose security as you want also, too.
It just costs more, and is not something most people even think of.
Regulated common carriers? They’ll cost you a lot less, but who amongst the freedom-lovers of the right will abandon their freedom for a cut-price flight? (answer: 99% of them).
just with better technology.
So, there is ‘better technology’ that would be effective against sky-jacking? Good to know. Who is using it? We were in Europe last summer, it isn’t much different there.
In the absence of ‘better technology’ that is proven to be effective, I’m seriously asking the many here who lament/scoff at the pointless ‘security theater’ just what they would do differently that would be as seemingly effective as airport security has been since 9/11.
Seems to me, implicit in the scoffing is a substantive position that can be articulated and defended. I’m all ears.
Or is this just left wing jingoism? 🙂
just with better technology.
So, there is ‘better technology’ that would be effective against sky-jacking? Good to know. Who is using it? We were in Europe last summer, it isn’t much different there.
In the absence of ‘better technology’ that is proven to be effective, I’m seriously asking the many here who lament/scoff at the pointless ‘security theater’ just what they would do differently that would be as seemingly effective as airport security has been since 9/11.
Seems to me, implicit in the scoffing is a substantive position that can be articulated and defended. I’m all ears.
Or is this just left wing jingoism? 🙂
two things that are effective: locked cockpit doors, and knowledge by passengers that “go along with the hijacking and you’ll probably be okay”.
MOST of the air security is needed for flights coming to the US from other countries (very few of which has TSA doing the screening), because that’s the place where “international terrorists” first make contact with America.
Terrorists that are already in the USA find it much, much easier to just go to a
terrorist arms depotgun show, load up on high power firearms and ammo, and go on a shooting spree, in the best American Tradition™. Why have your plot possibly foiled by TSA?two things that are effective: locked cockpit doors, and knowledge by passengers that “go along with the hijacking and you’ll probably be okay”.
MOST of the air security is needed for flights coming to the US from other countries (very few of which has TSA doing the screening), because that’s the place where “international terrorists” first make contact with America.
Terrorists that are already in the USA find it much, much easier to just go to a
terrorist arms depotgun show, load up on high power firearms and ammo, and go on a shooting spree, in the best American Tradition™. Why have your plot possibly foiled by TSA?rather, that the old paradigm of “go along with the hijackers…” is no longer operative.
Should be obvious.
rather, that the old paradigm of “go along with the hijackers…” is no longer operative.
Should be obvious.
McTX: Does it give anyone here pause to think that the same geniuses who came up with ‘frisk the world’ will do the job right on healthcare or global warming?
also McTX: I’m seriously asking the many here who lament/scoff at the pointless ‘security theater’ just what they would do differently that would be as seemingly effective as airport security has been since 9/11.
I’m confused. Is McKinney saying that the “same geniuses” who are not to be trusted with health or climate policy have given us “seemingly effective” airport security since 9/11 by using “frisk the world” tactics? Or is he talking about two different sets of geniuses? Or what?
BTW, McKinney: I’ve been deplaned. I didn’t like it …
I assume the plane wasn’t in the air at the time. Were you “re-accomodated”? Compensated in some way? Did you take the airline’s first offer, or hold out for more like a decent lawyer?
–TP
McTX: Does it give anyone here pause to think that the same geniuses who came up with ‘frisk the world’ will do the job right on healthcare or global warming?
also McTX: I’m seriously asking the many here who lament/scoff at the pointless ‘security theater’ just what they would do differently that would be as seemingly effective as airport security has been since 9/11.
I’m confused. Is McKinney saying that the “same geniuses” who are not to be trusted with health or climate policy have given us “seemingly effective” airport security since 9/11 by using “frisk the world” tactics? Or is he talking about two different sets of geniuses? Or what?
BTW, McKinney: I’ve been deplaned. I didn’t like it …
I assume the plane wasn’t in the air at the time. Were you “re-accomodated”? Compensated in some way? Did you take the airline’s first offer, or hold out for more like a decent lawyer?
–TP
I simply refuse to abide by the rules and contracts clearly stated in the agreement I signed with my common carrier and if you make me you are the a$$hole.
I feel bad for the people who were forced to be the enforcers. And our society that somehow thinks this jerk was mistreated in some way.
Somehow we have come to the point where just saying f off to the authorities we hire to enforce the rules is considered acceptable behavior.
Do you really think that they should have just let him stay on the plane? Really?
Everyone who flies knows they might get bumped, it sucks. I have been a couple of times. I notice none of those other passengers offered to get bumped instead, but they were happy to talk about how horrible United is.
I simply refuse to abide by the rules and contracts clearly stated in the agreement I signed with my common carrier and if you make me you are the a$$hole.
I feel bad for the people who were forced to be the enforcers. And our society that somehow thinks this jerk was mistreated in some way.
Somehow we have come to the point where just saying f off to the authorities we hire to enforce the rules is considered acceptable behavior.
Do you really think that they should have just let him stay on the plane? Really?
Everyone who flies knows they might get bumped, it sucks. I have been a couple of times. I notice none of those other passengers offered to get bumped instead, but they were happy to talk about how horrible United is.
So, there is ‘better technology’ that would be effective against sky-jacking?
Better detectors than there were 20 years ago. Otherwise, things weren’t so bad back then with air travel and security screenings. I’m not sure what we’re getting for all the headaches. Are you?
And, yeah, lock the cockpit. That doesn’t inconvience or humiliate anyone.
So, there is ‘better technology’ that would be effective against sky-jacking?
Better detectors than there were 20 years ago. Otherwise, things weren’t so bad back then with air travel and security screenings. I’m not sure what we’re getting for all the headaches. Are you?
And, yeah, lock the cockpit. That doesn’t inconvience or humiliate anyone.
Marty: Do you really think that they should have just let him stay on the plane? Really?
Yes. Really.
Or, they could have sweetened the offer.
Or, they could have made the sweetened offer to some OTHER passenger.
But “they” being the hapless minions of a major corporation, who were just following orders, had no choice but to call in the glorified mall security guards.
Your love of authoritarianism is showing, Marty.
–TP
Marty: Do you really think that they should have just let him stay on the plane? Really?
Yes. Really.
Or, they could have sweetened the offer.
Or, they could have made the sweetened offer to some OTHER passenger.
But “they” being the hapless minions of a major corporation, who were just following orders, had no choice but to call in the glorified mall security guards.
Your love of authoritarianism is showing, Marty.
–TP
“I simply refuse to abide by the rules and contracts clearly stated in the agreement I signed ”
Donald? Donald TRUMP?
Is that you?
“I simply refuse to abide by the rules and contracts clearly stated in the agreement I signed ”
Donald? Donald TRUMP?
Is that you?
How would the left’ish commentariat address airport security?
not my field, but my understanding is that the Israelis do a good job of it, with an approach that emphasizes human intelligence and face to face interviewing rather than our ‘screen em all’ approach.
i’m sure others here can say more about it than I can.
not sure what the ‘leftish’ take has to do with it.
How would the left’ish commentariat address airport security?
not my field, but my understanding is that the Israelis do a good job of it, with an approach that emphasizes human intelligence and face to face interviewing rather than our ‘screen em all’ approach.
i’m sure others here can say more about it than I can.
not sure what the ‘leftish’ take has to do with it.
and not for nothing, United can’t figure out they need to free up a couple of seats before everybody, having gone through all the BS to get on the plane in the first place, is already seated?
cops don’t know how to handle a pissed off 69 year old guy without manhandling him like the freaking town drunk?
it’s disgraceful bullying horseshit.
and not for nothing, United can’t figure out they need to free up a couple of seats before everybody, having gone through all the BS to get on the plane in the first place, is already seated?
cops don’t know how to handle a pissed off 69 year old guy without manhandling him like the freaking town drunk?
it’s disgraceful bullying horseshit.
it’s disgraceful bullying horseshit.
This is, actually, the problem.
I’ve never been particularly offended by the TSA security theater. Mostly the TSA agents have been polite (if not particularly charming all the time). I haven’t experienced the post-Trump harassment ethic, so I can’t speak to that.
But the United “incident” is just doing something egregious because they could. I hope that guy sues and gets lots of money, and I’m really happy for the pushback. If I can, I will choose not United. Unfortunately, the “market” (you know, that “competitive” thing?) doesn’t always allow that where I live.
it’s disgraceful bullying horseshit.
This is, actually, the problem.
I’ve never been particularly offended by the TSA security theater. Mostly the TSA agents have been polite (if not particularly charming all the time). I haven’t experienced the post-Trump harassment ethic, so I can’t speak to that.
But the United “incident” is just doing something egregious because they could. I hope that guy sues and gets lots of money, and I’m really happy for the pushback. If I can, I will choose not United. Unfortunately, the “market” (you know, that “competitive” thing?) doesn’t always allow that where I live.
my understanding is that the Israelis do a good job of it, with an approach that emphasizes human intelligence and face to face interviewing rather than our ‘screen em all’ approach.
But you have to understand. You can’t use that approach with unskilled, minimum wage, labor. It takes skilled labor, lots of training, and you have to pay serious money to get serious people. We went cheap, probably because we knew we weren’t really interested in improving security with all the theater.
my understanding is that the Israelis do a good job of it, with an approach that emphasizes human intelligence and face to face interviewing rather than our ‘screen em all’ approach.
But you have to understand. You can’t use that approach with unskilled, minimum wage, labor. It takes skilled labor, lots of training, and you have to pay serious money to get serious people. We went cheap, probably because we knew we weren’t really interested in improving security with all the theater.
Low bid!
Low bid!
“Your love of authoritarianism is showing, Marty.”
No, what’s showing is my intense dislike of people who think the rules just don’t apply to them. And then plead victim when someone is forced to let them know that, yes, they really do apply to you too.
It is a damn process. You offer one number, no one accepts so you offer another number, No?, so you bump the last 4 people that checked in. No one was being an ass except the guy who didn’t think that the rules applied to him.
“Your love of authoritarianism is showing, Marty.”
No, what’s showing is my intense dislike of people who think the rules just don’t apply to them. And then plead victim when someone is forced to let them know that, yes, they really do apply to you too.
It is a damn process. You offer one number, no one accepts so you offer another number, No?, so you bump the last 4 people that checked in. No one was being an ass except the guy who didn’t think that the rules applied to him.
It takes skilled labor, lots of training, and you have to pay serious money to get serious people.
yes
We went cheap, probably because we knew we weren’t really interested in improving security with all the theater.
we went cheap because (R)’s hate public employee unions.
No one was being an ass except the guy who didn’t think that the rules applied to him.
the guy may well have been an ass.
he wasn’t the only one.
anyone who works in any field or profession that deals with the public at a retail level knows that the response to ‘noisy pissed off customer’ is not ‘call the cops and forcibly evict’.
and IMVHO law enforcement and security in this country almost universally need some direction on how to de-escalate conflict.
It takes skilled labor, lots of training, and you have to pay serious money to get serious people.
yes
We went cheap, probably because we knew we weren’t really interested in improving security with all the theater.
we went cheap because (R)’s hate public employee unions.
No one was being an ass except the guy who didn’t think that the rules applied to him.
the guy may well have been an ass.
he wasn’t the only one.
anyone who works in any field or profession that deals with the public at a retail level knows that the response to ‘noisy pissed off customer’ is not ‘call the cops and forcibly evict’.
and IMVHO law enforcement and security in this country almost universally need some direction on how to de-escalate conflict.
1. The flight was NOT overbooked. United admitted that. So the FAA rules about how airlines could deny passengers for an overbooked flight DO NOT APPLY.
2. Those FAA rules also prohibit removing a paying customer that has boarded and is in their reserved seat.
UNITED broke the rules, and their contract with that customer. Marty’s defense of their authoritarian tactics on behalf of a corporation is…telling.
1. The flight was NOT overbooked. United admitted that. So the FAA rules about how airlines could deny passengers for an overbooked flight DO NOT APPLY.
2. Those FAA rules also prohibit removing a paying customer that has boarded and is in their reserved seat.
UNITED broke the rules, and their contract with that customer. Marty’s defense of their authoritarian tactics on behalf of a corporation is…telling.
Ghouta ( the 2013 nerve gas attack)
Two MIT weaponsexperts are noncommittal on who did it, but point out that much of the supposed evidence is a load of feces. Postol showed government claims about the Patriot missile effectiveness in the Gulf War were wrong.
https://cryptome.org/2014/08/postol-debunks-kaszeta.pdf
Ghouta ( the 2013 nerve gas attack)
Two MIT weaponsexperts are noncommittal on who did it, but point out that much of the supposed evidence is a load of feces. Postol showed government claims about the Patriot missile effectiveness in the Gulf War were wrong.
https://cryptome.org/2014/08/postol-debunks-kaszeta.pdf
A list of people who are skeptical of the story on the latest attack. Lawrence Wilkerson is the latest to claim inside ( anonymous) sources at the Pentagon are doubtful. If true, somebody should throw away his or her career and say something on the record.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2017/04/intelligence-military-sources-warned-iraq-war-say-assad-not-launch-chemical-weapon-attack.html
A list of people who are skeptical of the story on the latest attack. Lawrence Wilkerson is the latest to claim inside ( anonymous) sources at the Pentagon are doubtful. If true, somebody should throw away his or her career and say something on the record.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2017/04/intelligence-military-sources-warned-iraq-war-say-assad-not-launch-chemical-weapon-attack.html
And a piece which says what Snarki says about United.
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/04/united-passenger-removal-reporting-management-fail.html
And a piece which says what Snarki says about United.
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/04/united-passenger-removal-reporting-management-fail.html
Make up your mind, dammit! Do you want us to “keep calm” or “carry on”?
my favorite version of the popular poster / t-shirt:
“go mental and arse about”
works for me.
Make up your mind, dammit! Do you want us to “keep calm” or “carry on”?
my favorite version of the popular poster / t-shirt:
“go mental and arse about”
works for me.
As Russell notes, It seems to me that there seems to be a quantifiable difference between stopping someone from boarding and letting them take their seat and then dragging them out. Especially since they didn’t even reach the ceiling of what they could offer for a seat (they stopped at $700, apparently the limit is twice that) While if Marty and Mrs Marty were in a restaurant and sitting down and the owner came by and said ‘big star X is coming here, so I’m hoping that you’ll just leave, even though you made your reservation a couple of months ago’, they might meekly get up, knowing that it is the owner’s restaurant, but I guess it is my leftish leanings that have me want the owner to make me a very nice offer for my trouble.
I don’t know if this is my left-ish love of the mommy state (per McT) or my lassez-faire willingness to not enforce any behavioural norms (per Marty), but like Russell, I would like airline companies to be a little more organized and figure out where to deal with their customers rather than feel like they can piss on them whenever they like.
But honestly, like Russell, I wonder why make this into a left-right thing? It just makes you come off like an ass…
As Russell notes, It seems to me that there seems to be a quantifiable difference between stopping someone from boarding and letting them take their seat and then dragging them out. Especially since they didn’t even reach the ceiling of what they could offer for a seat (they stopped at $700, apparently the limit is twice that) While if Marty and Mrs Marty were in a restaurant and sitting down and the owner came by and said ‘big star X is coming here, so I’m hoping that you’ll just leave, even though you made your reservation a couple of months ago’, they might meekly get up, knowing that it is the owner’s restaurant, but I guess it is my leftish leanings that have me want the owner to make me a very nice offer for my trouble.
I don’t know if this is my left-ish love of the mommy state (per McT) or my lassez-faire willingness to not enforce any behavioural norms (per Marty), but like Russell, I would like airline companies to be a little more organized and figure out where to deal with their customers rather than feel like they can piss on them whenever they like.
But honestly, like Russell, I wonder why make this into a left-right thing? It just makes you come off like an ass…
From Donald’s nakedcapitalism link:
It’s funny how “race to the bottom” never seems to apply to CEOs. Flight attendants, security guards, janitors, teachers — “job consumers” of all sorts: good business practice demands hiring the cheapest ones you can get. But CEOs, no: good business practice seems to require hiring expensive ones, because (presumably) you get what you pay for.
Some people will not see the irony I’m pointing out. You know who they are.
–TP
From Donald’s nakedcapitalism link:
It’s funny how “race to the bottom” never seems to apply to CEOs. Flight attendants, security guards, janitors, teachers — “job consumers” of all sorts: good business practice demands hiring the cheapest ones you can get. But CEOs, no: good business practice seems to require hiring expensive ones, because (presumably) you get what you pay for.
Some people will not see the irony I’m pointing out. You know who they are.
–TP
Maybe this has been mentioned, but, apparently, they let the guy back on the plane, which is nice. Though it makes me wonder what the point of the violence was.
Maybe this has been mentioned, but, apparently, they let the guy back on the plane, which is nice. Though it makes me wonder what the point of the violence was.
I’d be very interested to see Marty’s response to Snarki’s 07.49.
I’d be very interested to see Marty’s response to Snarki’s 07.49.
I’ve had my eye on a pair of go-go boots down at the local “Footwear Is Ours, Not Yours”, but every time I put my money on the barrel head and am about to walk out wearing them, a salesperson runs over, confiscates them, and tells me there are four employees in the store who they were promised to.
The other night, I ordered the Steak Diane at my local “Now You See It, Now You Don’t”, and just as I was about to tuck in, the server whisked the plate out from under my nose and interrupted my protest by inquiring if my name is “Diane” and when I demurred, she huffily replied that the sous chef, whose name was inevitably, Diane, and who was peeking at the proceedings from the open kitchen, had her eye on that cut of meat and would like it back and so there you are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFMpySg_UrM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcliR8kAbzc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xqkpP59UgM
Since this is now a left/right thing by conservative proclamation, I’d like to observe how the one feature of the regulatory state these guys really find bracing is when soft human tissue meets hard, immovable object in the martial enforcement of the rule-following.
This United thing is nothing, Wells Fargo and Volkswagon notwithstanding, wherein without liberal busybodies, managerial malfeasance up and down the line would have remained unknown to all at large.
I’ve had my eye on a pair of go-go boots down at the local “Footwear Is Ours, Not Yours”, but every time I put my money on the barrel head and am about to walk out wearing them, a salesperson runs over, confiscates them, and tells me there are four employees in the store who they were promised to.
The other night, I ordered the Steak Diane at my local “Now You See It, Now You Don’t”, and just as I was about to tuck in, the server whisked the plate out from under my nose and interrupted my protest by inquiring if my name is “Diane” and when I demurred, she huffily replied that the sous chef, whose name was inevitably, Diane, and who was peeking at the proceedings from the open kitchen, had her eye on that cut of meat and would like it back and so there you are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFMpySg_UrM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcliR8kAbzc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xqkpP59UgM
Since this is now a left/right thing by conservative proclamation, I’d like to observe how the one feature of the regulatory state these guys really find bracing is when soft human tissue meets hard, immovable object in the martial enforcement of the rule-following.
This United thing is nothing, Wells Fargo and Volkswagon notwithstanding, wherein without liberal busybodies, managerial malfeasance up and down the line would have remained unknown to all at large.
I’d rather see Marty’s response to my 9:31
I’d rather see Marty’s response to my 9:31
You should see a conservative stand in line at customer service at the local DMV where they have to take a number and stand in line with the riff-raff.
The body language of affrontery says violent resistence is incipient.
And if certain people are registering to vote there, well, get ready to apply pressure to bodily choke points.
You should see a conservative stand in line at customer service at the local DMV where they have to take a number and stand in line with the riff-raff.
The body language of affrontery says violent resistence is incipient.
And if certain people are registering to vote there, well, get ready to apply pressure to bodily choke points.
problem?
solved
problem?
solved
Americans, as a class of dyspeptic consumer trained from birth to expect the very best, are renowned worldwide for tackling pompous authority, although for my money you haven’t lived until you’ve stood in a crowd of angry consumers on the Indian sub-Continent in 100 percent humidity as they threaten to tear a single purveyor of services, any kind of services, to shreds.
Here are some unhappy customers. Every one a conservative.
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/video-miami-man-screams-trump-at-black-starbucks-employee-claims-white-discrimination-8929172
http://blackyouthproject.com/trump-supporter-yells-at-black-employees-in-michaels/
Americans, as a class of dyspeptic consumer trained from birth to expect the very best, are renowned worldwide for tackling pompous authority, although for my money you haven’t lived until you’ve stood in a crowd of angry consumers on the Indian sub-Continent in 100 percent humidity as they threaten to tear a single purveyor of services, any kind of services, to shreds.
Here are some unhappy customers. Every one a conservative.
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/video-miami-man-screams-trump-at-black-starbucks-employee-claims-white-discrimination-8929172
http://blackyouthproject.com/trump-supporter-yells-at-black-employees-in-michaels/
“I’d be very interested to see Marty’s response to Snarki’s 07.49. ”
I just read it, If both of those things are 100% true then UAL should get sued.
However, I suspect the terms of the contract he signed gives them the right to ask him to leave so it is likely he wouldn’t win, well except now they will have to settle.
“I’d be very interested to see Marty’s response to Snarki’s 07.49. ”
I just read it, If both of those things are 100% true then UAL should get sued.
However, I suspect the terms of the contract he signed gives them the right to ask him to leave so it is likely he wouldn’t win, well except now they will have to settle.
the terms of the contract he signed
nitpick: buying an airline ticket does not involve signing a contract. your agreement to the contract is implied by your purchase.
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/contract.aspx
the terms of the contract he signed
nitpick: buying an airline ticket does not involve signing a contract. your agreement to the contract is implied by your purchase.
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/contract.aspx
Last I heard, “signing a contract” doesn’t allow one to violate federal rules.
But in this brave new Trumpian world, who knows?
Last I heard, “signing a contract” doesn’t allow one to violate federal rules.
But in this brave new Trumpian world, who knows?
Marty, let’s think of it in free market terms.
Delta and Alaska and Southwest all know how to handle uncooperative, angry customers without brutality. United apparently doesn’t.
I’m going to send a market signal expressing my preference in customer-relations policies.
Marty, let’s think of it in free market terms.
Delta and Alaska and Southwest all know how to handle uncooperative, angry customers without brutality. United apparently doesn’t.
I’m going to send a market signal expressing my preference in customer-relations policies.
Not to thread-jack, but since it’s open season, I figured I’d point out that North Carolina is trying their darndest to win the “Most Bigoted State in the Union” award with a House Bill that overturns the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision.
http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/328378-north-carolina-bill-looks-to-ban-gay-marriage
I wasn’t aware this was how things worked. Can state law invalidate federal law somehow? WTF?
Not to thread-jack, but since it’s open season, I figured I’d point out that North Carolina is trying their darndest to win the “Most Bigoted State in the Union” award with a House Bill that overturns the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision.
http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/328378-north-carolina-bill-looks-to-ban-gay-marriage
I wasn’t aware this was how things worked. Can state law invalidate federal law somehow? WTF?
Can state law invalidate federal law somehow?
No. It cannot.* Also, that does not stop some conservatives who tend to overlook who won the Civil War and the actual language of Constitutional Amendments 13-15 inclusive!
*cf Supremacy clause, U.S. Constitution.
Can state law invalidate federal law somehow?
No. It cannot.* Also, that does not stop some conservatives who tend to overlook who won the Civil War and the actual language of Constitutional Amendments 13-15 inclusive!
*cf Supremacy clause, U.S. Constitution.
“I’m going to send a market signal expressing my preference in customer-relations policies.”
I fully support this market mechanism.
“I’m going to send a market signal expressing my preference in customer-relations policies.”
I fully support this market mechanism.
, I figured I’d point out that North Carolina is trying their darndest to win the “Most Bigoted State in the Union”
well, to be fair to the other several million of us who live there, the bill is the fantasy of three ultra-wingnuts in the state legislature. if it gets past the Democratic Gov (which it could, since the Rs have super-majorities), it’ll get crushed by the courts anyway.
, I figured I’d point out that North Carolina is trying their darndest to win the “Most Bigoted State in the Union”
well, to be fair to the other several million of us who live there, the bill is the fantasy of three ultra-wingnuts in the state legislature. if it gets past the Democratic Gov (which it could, since the Rs have super-majorities), it’ll get crushed by the courts anyway.
https://qz.com/955875/scott-pruitt-requests-funds-for-247-fleet-of-bodyguards-as-epa-poised-to-cut-health-safety-programs/
If you try to kill Americans, why shouldn’t Americans act in self-defense to harm the perpetrators?
I want a fleet of armed bodyguards to protect kids against lead.
https://qz.com/955875/scott-pruitt-requests-funds-for-247-fleet-of-bodyguards-as-epa-poised-to-cut-health-safety-programs/
If you try to kill Americans, why shouldn’t Americans act in self-defense to harm the perpetrators?
I want a fleet of armed bodyguards to protect kids against lead.
I just read it, If both of those things are 100% true then UAL should get sued.
Thanks Marty, good to hear.
Of course, as others have noted, the big question apart from United’s possible malfeasance is why those TSA people (if that’s what they’re called) defaulted to such brutality, and why they thought they could do so with such impunity.
I just read it, If both of those things are 100% true then UAL should get sued.
Thanks Marty, good to hear.
Of course, as others have noted, the big question apart from United’s possible malfeasance is why those TSA people (if that’s what they’re called) defaulted to such brutality, and why they thought they could do so with such impunity.
Almost everyone is armed with a video camera these days.
When will authority learn that an armed society is a polite society.
$1.6 billion dollar stock loss, ouch.
Almost everyone is armed with a video camera these days.
When will authority learn that an armed society is a polite society.
$1.6 billion dollar stock loss, ouch.
GftNC, I suppose I am just slow. They grabbed a guy who was refusing to move, grabbed his hands and dragged him out of the plane. Thats really not anywhere near my definition of brutality. He could have, recognizing he wasn’t getting to stay, said ok I’ll walk at any point.
I am considering the possibility that my definition of brutality may be why I don’t share some level of indignation here.
GftNC, I suppose I am just slow. They grabbed a guy who was refusing to move, grabbed his hands and dragged him out of the plane. Thats really not anywhere near my definition of brutality. He could have, recognizing he wasn’t getting to stay, said ok I’ll walk at any point.
I am considering the possibility that my definition of brutality may be why I don’t share some level of indignation here.
They must have seen they were being filmed, by many people, and it appears not to have dented their sense of invulnerability in the slightest. I find this very hard to understand. Some say that this sort of thing has got much worse since the advent of Trump, but it seems to me that the police were merrily shooting black boys, and wrestling black teenage girls at pool parties to the ground, and assaulting black motorists (to mention but a few such cases) before Trump. Or am I being unfair?
They must have seen they were being filmed, by many people, and it appears not to have dented their sense of invulnerability in the slightest. I find this very hard to understand. Some say that this sort of thing has got much worse since the advent of Trump, but it seems to me that the police were merrily shooting black boys, and wrestling black teenage girls at pool parties to the ground, and assaulting black motorists (to mention but a few such cases) before Trump. Or am I being unfair?
Sorry Marty, my post was stuck in editing for so long I didn’t see your post before I posted.
Brutality: it’s all relative. If, as seems likely, neither United nor the TSA had the right to make him give up his seat, he was well within his rights to stay put. And if they dragged him out, not taking care to avoid him bumping his head (as testified by several witnesses) that counts as brutality I think. Regarding my final remarks about police actions against African Americans, I know from previous discussions that you (and McKinney) may think them unjustified. But although I perhaps exaggerated for effect, I really think that the level of police brutality towards black people in the US is a blot on your justice system that can only be explained by the fact that so many people deny its existence.
Sorry Marty, my post was stuck in editing for so long I didn’t see your post before I posted.
Brutality: it’s all relative. If, as seems likely, neither United nor the TSA had the right to make him give up his seat, he was well within his rights to stay put. And if they dragged him out, not taking care to avoid him bumping his head (as testified by several witnesses) that counts as brutality I think. Regarding my final remarks about police actions against African Americans, I know from previous discussions that you (and McKinney) may think them unjustified. But although I perhaps exaggerated for effect, I really think that the level of police brutality towards black people in the US is a blot on your justice system that can only be explained by the fact that so many people deny its existence.
I’m pretty sure that if ANY police are merrily shooting black men, they are not indicative of the norm in our justice system. I suspect if you hire enough police persons to protect and serve 350m people, from that population, you will run across some bad hires.
I’m pretty sure that if ANY police are merrily shooting black men, they are not indicative of the norm in our justice system. I suspect if you hire enough police persons to protect and serve 350m people, from that population, you will run across some bad hires.
I suspect if you hire enough police persons to protect and serve 350m people, from that population, you will run across some bad hires.
A problem is, in all too many jurisdictions, after making a bad hire, it’s almost impossible to make a good fire. All too often, a LEO has to be caught on camera committing some egregious crime before they can be fired.
I suspect if you hire enough police persons to protect and serve 350m people, from that population, you will run across some bad hires.
A problem is, in all too many jurisdictions, after making a bad hire, it’s almost impossible to make a good fire. All too often, a LEO has to be caught on camera committing some egregious crime before they can be fired.
if it gets past the Democratic Gov (which it could, since the Rs have super-majorities), it’ll get crushed by the courts anyway.
Depends on how long it takes to reach SCOTUS. If another justice is exchanged by then (and if I were one of the remaining ‘liberals’ there, I’d think about hiring some extra bodyguards), the precedent establishing legal gay marriage may fall as quickly as it came. For the next candidate any charade about him being a decent guy can safely be done without.
if it gets past the Democratic Gov (which it could, since the Rs have super-majorities), it’ll get crushed by the courts anyway.
Depends on how long it takes to reach SCOTUS. If another justice is exchanged by then (and if I were one of the remaining ‘liberals’ there, I’d think about hiring some extra bodyguards), the precedent establishing legal gay marriage may fall as quickly as it came. For the next candidate any charade about him being a decent guy can safely be done without.
I’m pretty sure that if ANY police are merrily shooting black men, they are not indicative of the norm in our justice system.
And? Does this mean it’s not a problem or that nothing should be done about it?
On the rest, what CharlesWT said.
I’m pretty sure that if ANY police are merrily shooting black men, they are not indicative of the norm in our justice system.
And? Does this mean it’s not a problem or that nothing should be done about it?
On the rest, what CharlesWT said.
This is a fun interview. Hardhitting. High-level journalism:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/04/12/president-trumps-throughly-confusing-fox-business-interview-annotated/?utm_term=.7cdc3e77b078
I especially loved the bit wherein as trump babbles on incoherently, he requests that Maria Bartiromo, the right wing money c*nt, bathe each of his testicles in the warm saliva of her adoration and she answers “Brilliant, donald! More tax cuts, please. Yum, cake!”
This is a fun interview. Hardhitting. High-level journalism:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/04/12/president-trumps-throughly-confusing-fox-business-interview-annotated/?utm_term=.7cdc3e77b078
I especially loved the bit wherein as trump babbles on incoherently, he requests that Maria Bartiromo, the right wing money c*nt, bathe each of his testicles in the warm saliva of her adoration and she answers “Brilliant, donald! More tax cuts, please. Yum, cake!”
Of course we should address any case of police malfeasance. I’m also pretty sure the number of police “merrily” killing black young men is infinitesimal.
Of course we should address any case of police malfeasance. I’m also pretty sure the number of police “merrily” killing black young men is infinitesimal.
Forget the merrily bit, that’s just an English form of words used to express, in such a case, something like “without giving it a second thought”. I might similarly have said “with gay abandon”. You may also have heard me talk about e.g. “Trump and his merry men” – the merry is not meant literally.
Forget the merrily bit, that’s just an English form of words used to express, in such a case, something like “without giving it a second thought”. I might similarly have said “with gay abandon”. You may also have heard me talk about e.g. “Trump and his merry men” – the merry is not meant literally.
Tsk, we could have had SO much fun with “gay abandon” 🙁
Tsk, we could have had SO much fun with “gay abandon” 🙁
Postol is now saying the Trump document on the chemical attack is full of nonsense. Postol has a track record of exposing false claims, so I am curious to see if this will be ignored.
https://southfront.org/mit-professor-questions-white-house-claims-on-syrian-air-forces-involvement-in-chemical-attack-in-idlib/
Postol is now saying the Trump document on the chemical attack is full of nonsense. Postol has a track record of exposing false claims, so I am curious to see if this will be ignored.
https://southfront.org/mit-professor-questions-white-house-claims-on-syrian-air-forces-involvement-in-chemical-attack-in-idlib/
Ignored by the MSM, I mean.
Ignored by the MSM, I mean.
TMZ determined that my assessment on the UAL incident was correct. THAT is real analysis.
TMZ determined that my assessment on the UAL incident was correct. THAT is real analysis.
Crucified man had prior run-in with authorities
he was no angel.
Crucified man had prior run-in with authorities
he was no angel.
and just how wingnutty are the three NC state legislators pushing that anti-gay marriage bill?
well, one of them just said Lincoln was “the same sort of tyrant” as Hitler.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article144216324.html
and just how wingnutty are the three NC state legislators pushing that anti-gay marriage bill?
well, one of them just said Lincoln was “the same sort of tyrant” as Hitler.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article144216324.html
one of them just said Lincoln was “the same sort of tyrant” as Hitler.
It really was TERRIBLE how Lincoln rounded up those designed as subhumans by way of being in some particular racial category for forced labor. I’m sure that a NC traditional conservative is especially horrified by that! Why couldn’t Lincoln have been more in tune with modern Republicanism, and just prevented “those people” from voting?1??
one of them just said Lincoln was “the same sort of tyrant” as Hitler.
It really was TERRIBLE how Lincoln rounded up those designed as subhumans by way of being in some particular racial category for forced labor. I’m sure that a NC traditional conservative is especially horrified by that! Why couldn’t Lincoln have been more in tune with modern Republicanism, and just prevented “those people” from voting?1??
Be thankful he didn’t go so far as to compare Lincoln to Assad.
Be thankful he didn’t go so far as to compare Lincoln to Assad.
Hitler?
That’s nothing. You should have been there in 1861 when the racist Southern Democrats who now run the modern sadistic conservative movement would stoop so low that they resorted to calling Lincoln a Republican.
Hitler?
That’s nothing. You should have been there in 1861 when the racist Southern Democrats who now run the modern sadistic conservative movement would stoop so low that they resorted to calling Lincoln a Republican.
well, one of them just said Lincoln was “the same sort of tyrant” as Hitler.
I’ve about had it with people like this.
If the “big sort” continues, in a few years it may actually be possible to draw lines and segregate the knotheads and the leftoids geographically.
If we get to that point, I’m all for building a freaking wall and calling it a day. A big beautiful wall, one that would make DJT proud and pleased. With guns and barbed wire, if need be.
Freaks like Pittman can stay over on their side, and I’ll stay on mine.
I do not consider folks like that to be any kind of fellow countrymen or -women of mine. I want nothing to do with them, and I do not want their perverse view of the world to have any effect on any aspect of the public life I participate in.
As far as I can tell, I have nothing in common with these people, and don’t want to.
well, one of them just said Lincoln was “the same sort of tyrant” as Hitler.
I’ve about had it with people like this.
If the “big sort” continues, in a few years it may actually be possible to draw lines and segregate the knotheads and the leftoids geographically.
If we get to that point, I’m all for building a freaking wall and calling it a day. A big beautiful wall, one that would make DJT proud and pleased. With guns and barbed wire, if need be.
Freaks like Pittman can stay over on their side, and I’ll stay on mine.
I do not consider folks like that to be any kind of fellow countrymen or -women of mine. I want nothing to do with them, and I do not want their perverse view of the world to have any effect on any aspect of the public life I participate in.
As far as I can tell, I have nothing in common with these people, and don’t want to.
If the “big sort” continues, in a few years it may actually be possible to draw lines and segregate the knotheads and the leftoids geographically.
Not going to happen. Please don’t abandon cleek.
If the “big sort” continues, in a few years it may actually be possible to draw lines and segregate the knotheads and the leftoids geographically.
Not going to happen. Please don’t abandon cleek.
i’ve seen some of cleek’s work, he could find a job someplace else in about a minute and a half. he’d have to pay more for his house, but then again he’d probably have less hassles with his builder.
everybody has to make their own decisions, but I’m not sure how long I could last in a place where I was surrounded by people that made me want to punch them in the face all the time.
a guy can only drink so much.
i’ve seen some of cleek’s work, he could find a job someplace else in about a minute and a half. he’d have to pay more for his house, but then again he’d probably have less hassles with his builder.
everybody has to make their own decisions, but I’m not sure how long I could last in a place where I was surrounded by people that made me want to punch them in the face all the time.
a guy can only drink so much.
A list from which to choose. He seems to have forgotten Lincoln.
A list from which to choose. He seems to have forgotten Lincoln.
Pray that an outbreak of e coli botulism will kill unregulated conservatives en masse at Mar-a-Lago:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/health-violations-trump-mar-a-lago-kitchen
Serve the rats some rat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jyga36vpZI
and if they protest, resort to innovative customer service practices:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E83PSa-QHOo
Pray that an outbreak of e coli botulism will kill unregulated conservatives en masse at Mar-a-Lago:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/health-violations-trump-mar-a-lago-kitchen
Serve the rats some rat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jyga36vpZI
and if they protest, resort to innovative customer service practices:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E83PSa-QHOo
No, Mungo! Never kill a customer.
No, Mungo! Never kill a customer.
i’d happily move back to NY, or to MA! if Mrs wanted to. which she doesn’t.
but, in defense of the south, lemme just say: Donald Trump isn’t from the south.
i’d happily move back to NY, or to MA! if Mrs wanted to. which she doesn’t.
but, in defense of the south, lemme just say: Donald Trump isn’t from the south.
Snowflakes running up the taxpayers’ security tab to protect them from the taxpayer constituents.
Gabby Giffords should have thought of that before the Republican Party and the NRA sent its assassins to gun her down.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a54482/republican-congress-snowflakes/
Republican filth have an innovative way of thinking about how stealing from the taxpayers and calling it a salary and healthcare isn’t that after all.
Snowflakes running up the taxpayers’ security tab to protect them from the taxpayer constituents.
Gabby Giffords should have thought of that before the Republican Party and the NRA sent its assassins to gun her down.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a54482/republican-congress-snowflakes/
Republican filth have an innovative way of thinking about how stealing from the taxpayers and calling it a salary and healthcare isn’t that after all.
but, in defense of the south, lemme just say: Donald Trump isn’t from the south.
True dat.
Also, I’m not necessarily talking about a north-south thing. There are places in the south that I’m sure I’d find more than congenial. And places in the north where I have no interest in spending any time.
I’m talking about attitudes, not latitudes.
but, in defense of the south, lemme just say: Donald Trump isn’t from the south.
True dat.
Also, I’m not necessarily talking about a north-south thing. There are places in the south that I’m sure I’d find more than congenial. And places in the north where I have no interest in spending any time.
I’m talking about attitudes, not latitudes.
Yes, the asshole/jagoff diaspora has spread them to every corner of every state in the Republic.
Yes, the asshole/jagoff diaspora has spread them to every corner of every state in the Republic.
I’m talking about attitudes, not latitudes
And a good thing too, because (if I remember correctly, as a complete geography ignoramus) Michael Cain is working on a proposal to divide the country something like longitudinally, and the combination would be going too far….
I’m talking about attitudes, not latitudes
And a good thing too, because (if I remember correctly, as a complete geography ignoramus) Michael Cain is working on a proposal to divide the country something like longitudinally, and the combination would be going too far….
once reality becomes fully virtual, we can abandon this whole geography-based government nonsense and band together as we wish.
if we survive that long.
once reality becomes fully virtual, we can abandon this whole geography-based government nonsense and band together as we wish.
if we survive that long.
Russell, I agree with you that the people who make up the majority around me here in suburban ATL are folks I have almost nothing in common with. I keep saying I want to move elsewhere when our son graduates from high school in two years.
It probably won’t actually happen though. You know what would hold me here? It’s my home. My family and its history are here. There are really charming aspects of the south. And in the run-up to our election next Tuesday, I’ve met so many people who DO share my values. I can’t give up on my home and leave it to others to drag the south forward. It’s my responsibility to try to make it better.
My husband and I have contributed to that already by raising two kids to be better people than we were at their age. My daughter dated a young man from India named Muhammed (yes, his family is conservative Muslim; he’s not religious). My son’s best friend is an African American autistic lesbian. That’s how you change the south.
Russell, I agree with you that the people who make up the majority around me here in suburban ATL are folks I have almost nothing in common with. I keep saying I want to move elsewhere when our son graduates from high school in two years.
It probably won’t actually happen though. You know what would hold me here? It’s my home. My family and its history are here. There are really charming aspects of the south. And in the run-up to our election next Tuesday, I’ve met so many people who DO share my values. I can’t give up on my home and leave it to others to drag the south forward. It’s my responsibility to try to make it better.
My husband and I have contributed to that already by raising two kids to be better people than we were at their age. My daughter dated a young man from India named Muhammed (yes, his family is conservative Muslim; he’s not religious). My son’s best friend is an African American autistic lesbian. That’s how you change the south.
I’ll just add – if you haven’t come across this website, and are interested in learning about efforts to pull the south forward, check out The Bitter Southerner. I’m definitely a Bitter Southerner. These people are also the south.
I’ll just add – if you haven’t come across this website, and are interested in learning about efforts to pull the south forward, check out The Bitter Southerner. I’m definitely a Bitter Southerner. These people are also the south.
That’s cool chmatl, I’m just venting.
I have family in the south, mostly GA around Statesboro, also some up around Macon. I love them all, and some of my best memories as a kid are hanging out at my aunt and uncle’s place on family vacations. I have a really deep fondness for the American south, specifically the southeast.
Phoenix, less so. LOL.
I’ll also say that most areas of the south are probably a more congenial place for people of color than Boston is. From what I can see, anyway.
I’m just tired of trying to find common ground with people who are capable of conflating Lincoln and Hitler. I don’t want anything to do with them, anymore. If there’s common ground to be found between them and myself, I don’t even want to know what it is.
All the best to you and your family.
That’s cool chmatl, I’m just venting.
I have family in the south, mostly GA around Statesboro, also some up around Macon. I love them all, and some of my best memories as a kid are hanging out at my aunt and uncle’s place on family vacations. I have a really deep fondness for the American south, specifically the southeast.
Phoenix, less so. LOL.
I’ll also say that most areas of the south are probably a more congenial place for people of color than Boston is. From what I can see, anyway.
I’m just tired of trying to find common ground with people who are capable of conflating Lincoln and Hitler. I don’t want anything to do with them, anymore. If there’s common ground to be found between them and myself, I don’t even want to know what it is.
All the best to you and your family.
I was thinking that we may need an analogous Bitter American.
I was thinking that we may need an analogous Bitter American.
“I’m just tired of trying to find common ground with people who are capable of conflating Lincoln and Hitler. I don’t want anything to do with them, anymore. If there’s common ground to be found between them and myself, I don’t even want to know what it is.”
I keep hoping that they’ll self-deport to Outer Dumbfuckistan, but they’re taking their own sweet time about it.
“I’m just tired of trying to find common ground with people who are capable of conflating Lincoln and Hitler. I don’t want anything to do with them, anymore. If there’s common ground to be found between them and myself, I don’t even want to know what it is.”
I keep hoping that they’ll self-deport to Outer Dumbfuckistan, but they’re taking their own sweet time about it.
Outer Dumbfuckistan – we know just who their President should be. I’m sure you’ve all seen the interview where he says how Xi gave him a 10 minute history lesson on China’s relationship with Korea, and how it’s so much more complicated than you’d guess (just like healthcare).
Meanwhile, they’ve just said on the C4 News that Dr Dao lost 2 front teeth, and had his nose broken. Apart from the huge damages he will no doubt get, I’d say that qualifies as brutality by almost any measure. I can’t imagine that anybody here would disagree.
Outer Dumbfuckistan – we know just who their President should be. I’m sure you’ve all seen the interview where he says how Xi gave him a 10 minute history lesson on China’s relationship with Korea, and how it’s so much more complicated than you’d guess (just like healthcare).
Meanwhile, they’ve just said on the C4 News that Dr Dao lost 2 front teeth, and had his nose broken. Apart from the huge damages he will no doubt get, I’d say that qualifies as brutality by almost any measure. I can’t imagine that anybody here would disagree.
contractually-obligated brutality isn’t brutality at all!
contractually-obligated brutality isn’t brutality at all!
it’s so much more complicated than you’d guess
Maybe we can arrange for a series of 10-minute tutorials for our POTUS, on a range of relevant topics. The US Constitution, US history, international law. The birth and death dates of Frederick Douglass.
I can understand why many folks might think a guy who craps in a gold-plated toilet must have something on the ball. The logic behind that conclusion is, perhaps, based on flawed assumptions, but nonetheless.
I’m also happy to give Trump credit for a basic, intuitive, animal ability to read a room and sense what is and isn’t going over. Which is, in the end, a kind of intelligence. In another life, given different circumstances, he might have been a good stand-up comic.
But in the area of basic analytic skill – the ability to hold a collection of more-than-trivially complicated ideas in his head and reflect on them for more than, say, 20 seconds, I think it’s possible that he is a nitwit, full stop.
And in the area of general executive function – planning, execution, follow-up and follow-through – he doesn’t even register. There is no there, there. He’s a freaking chaos monkey.
Don’t know how all of that will work out for us, long run.
I’m always amazed at the tendency of wealthy people to think they are geniuses. I suspect it has something to do with the inexhaustible supply of people who are only to happy to confirm that bias for them, in exchange for proximity to their wealth.
it’s so much more complicated than you’d guess
Maybe we can arrange for a series of 10-minute tutorials for our POTUS, on a range of relevant topics. The US Constitution, US history, international law. The birth and death dates of Frederick Douglass.
I can understand why many folks might think a guy who craps in a gold-plated toilet must have something on the ball. The logic behind that conclusion is, perhaps, based on flawed assumptions, but nonetheless.
I’m also happy to give Trump credit for a basic, intuitive, animal ability to read a room and sense what is and isn’t going over. Which is, in the end, a kind of intelligence. In another life, given different circumstances, he might have been a good stand-up comic.
But in the area of basic analytic skill – the ability to hold a collection of more-than-trivially complicated ideas in his head and reflect on them for more than, say, 20 seconds, I think it’s possible that he is a nitwit, full stop.
And in the area of general executive function – planning, execution, follow-up and follow-through – he doesn’t even register. There is no there, there. He’s a freaking chaos monkey.
Don’t know how all of that will work out for us, long run.
I’m always amazed at the tendency of wealthy people to think they are geniuses. I suspect it has something to do with the inexhaustible supply of people who are only to happy to confirm that bias for them, in exchange for proximity to their wealth.
If the “big sort” continues, in a few years it may actually be possible to draw lines and segregate the knotheads and the leftoids geographically.
If we get to that point, I’m all for building a freaking wall and calling it a day.
Gonna take twice as many walls as you think. Because we can’t dump them in together — however amusing it might be to watch the results. So we need separate Coventrys to keep them away from the rest of us as well.
If the “big sort” continues, in a few years it may actually be possible to draw lines and segregate the knotheads and the leftoids geographically.
If we get to that point, I’m all for building a freaking wall and calling it a day.
Gonna take twice as many walls as you think. Because we can’t dump them in together — however amusing it might be to watch the results. So we need separate Coventrys to keep them away from the rest of us as well.
I can understand why many folks might think a guy who craps in a gold-plated toilet must have something on the ball. The logic behind that conclusion is, perhaps, based on flawed assumptions, but nonetheless.
It’s folks like Trump who, in my opinion, demonstrate how far we are from being a meritocracy. Because in order for the talented to rise up, those of low worth have to be able to sink. And that just doesn’t happen these days.
I can understand why many folks might think a guy who craps in a gold-plated toilet must have something on the ball. The logic behind that conclusion is, perhaps, based on flawed assumptions, but nonetheless.
It’s folks like Trump who, in my opinion, demonstrate how far we are from being a meritocracy. Because in order for the talented to rise up, those of low worth have to be able to sink. And that just doesn’t happen these days.
I am not sure whether I should put this out there but I am more encouraged as time goes on that Trump will be better than anticipated.
Despite the focus of the lefty press on his flip flops, they are certainly real, and how that might be interpreted by his base, probably not much downside, he seems to be settling in a little.
I think Bannon is clearly on the way out. His current security team seems to be getting more input, the meeting with Xi seemed to create what I would consider progress both from a security and economic perspective, his bombing of Syria created goodwill in places we need goodwill, and he seems to be engaging Congress to try to define legislation around his agenda, we are saying the right things about NATO.
While the damage that has been done from the string of mistakes and blunders that are Trump are hard to overcome, and he will not be the lefts favorite son under any circumstance, there seems to be some progress under the chaos. This only leads me to believe that he is likely to do less damage than the worst case, for someone so obviously unready to be President he seems to be starting to learn.
I am not sure whether I should put this out there but I am more encouraged as time goes on that Trump will be better than anticipated.
Despite the focus of the lefty press on his flip flops, they are certainly real, and how that might be interpreted by his base, probably not much downside, he seems to be settling in a little.
I think Bannon is clearly on the way out. His current security team seems to be getting more input, the meeting with Xi seemed to create what I would consider progress both from a security and economic perspective, his bombing of Syria created goodwill in places we need goodwill, and he seems to be engaging Congress to try to define legislation around his agenda, we are saying the right things about NATO.
While the damage that has been done from the string of mistakes and blunders that are Trump are hard to overcome, and he will not be the lefts favorite son under any circumstance, there seems to be some progress under the chaos. This only leads me to believe that he is likely to do less damage than the worst case, for someone so obviously unready to be President he seems to be starting to learn.
I am not sure whether I should put this out there but I am more encouraged as time goes on that Trump will be better than anticipated.
I more or less agree. And, that’s an amazingly low bar. All he has to do to meet it is not do irreparable damage to the nation.
he is likely to do less damage than the worst case
To the degree that this is so, I give credit to the courts and to the people who have demonstrated their unwillingness to put up with the kind of crap DJT has tried dishing out so far.
Early days. Wait until we start seeing the effects of the dismantling of the dreaded regulatory state.
I am not sure whether I should put this out there but I am more encouraged as time goes on that Trump will be better than anticipated.
I more or less agree. And, that’s an amazingly low bar. All he has to do to meet it is not do irreparable damage to the nation.
he is likely to do less damage than the worst case
To the degree that this is so, I give credit to the courts and to the people who have demonstrated their unwillingness to put up with the kind of crap DJT has tried dishing out so far.
Early days. Wait until we start seeing the effects of the dismantling of the dreaded regulatory state.
“To the degree that this is so, I give credit to the courts and to the people who have demonstrated their unwillingness to put up with the kind of crap DJT has tried dishing out so far”
It seemed clear that he would be limited to some extent by the courts, some by Congress, and some by his inexperience. It is unlikely the Supremes will kill his immigration order, but it doesn’t seem like he’s in a hurry to get it there. He has ticked off a few promises and seems to be willing to defend changing his mind on others.
I am mostly looking to the things he could f up all by himself, as you say, irreparable harm. Foreign relations started horribly but progress seems possible.
There doesn’t seem to be a solution for Sessions though.
“To the degree that this is so, I give credit to the courts and to the people who have demonstrated their unwillingness to put up with the kind of crap DJT has tried dishing out so far”
It seemed clear that he would be limited to some extent by the courts, some by Congress, and some by his inexperience. It is unlikely the Supremes will kill his immigration order, but it doesn’t seem like he’s in a hurry to get it there. He has ticked off a few promises and seems to be willing to defend changing his mind on others.
I am mostly looking to the things he could f up all by himself, as you say, irreparable harm. Foreign relations started horribly but progress seems possible.
There doesn’t seem to be a solution for Sessions though.
No worries, Russell. I was mostly reacting to the meme, which I frequently run across in blog comment sections, that “we” should have just let the south secede. Not that you were saying that specifically, but there was a little flavor of it in your original comment, I thought.
I lurk here a lot and am familiar with your opus. I’m staunchly in the WRS camp. 😉
No worries, Russell. I was mostly reacting to the meme, which I frequently run across in blog comment sections, that “we” should have just let the south secede. Not that you were saying that specifically, but there was a little flavor of it in your original comment, I thought.
I lurk here a lot and am familiar with your opus. I’m staunchly in the WRS camp. 😉
I am more encouraged as time goes on that Trump will be better than anticipated
One of the rare times I disagree totally with Russell, I think this is total bullshit, brought on by Marty’s inability to admit that he supported the guy (yeah yeah ‘on the fence’, what a load of bullocks)
Marty concentrates on Bannon leaving (wow, isn’t Trump great, he is the guy who gave him the keys to the house, and if it hadn’t been the ‘lefty press’ pointing out what a piece of shit the guy is, he’d probably be running the NSC now) and how well things are going in Syria (yeah, right) “his bombing of Syria created goodwill in places we need goodwill” is a quote for the ages. The joke was about the line that said ‘until morale improves, the bombings will continue’, so it is really amazing to see it come out of Marty’s keyboard unflitered by any sarcasm. I’d go back to find out what Marty said about Obama in Syria, but I would probably spew all over my keyboard.
About NATO, I’m sure that all the instability and distrust that Trump has poured on our relationship (like giving Angela Merkel a bill for services, that’s a smart move) is all a secret plan to shore up the institution. Give me a break.
I notice Marty says nothing about Trump’s sudden embrace of China. I don’t want to sound like one of those yellow peril folks who thinks China is this inscrutable nation that is just waiting to flood our shores and take our women, but they are not friends, they are not allies. They will eat our lunch. We are taxi drivers and they are Uber. They seriously do not give a shit if the US economy craters, as long as they are able to walk away from it.
So keep on pulling that Make America Great Again cap when you jump in here, it’s always good to know where you stand…
I am more encouraged as time goes on that Trump will be better than anticipated
One of the rare times I disagree totally with Russell, I think this is total bullshit, brought on by Marty’s inability to admit that he supported the guy (yeah yeah ‘on the fence’, what a load of bullocks)
Marty concentrates on Bannon leaving (wow, isn’t Trump great, he is the guy who gave him the keys to the house, and if it hadn’t been the ‘lefty press’ pointing out what a piece of shit the guy is, he’d probably be running the NSC now) and how well things are going in Syria (yeah, right) “his bombing of Syria created goodwill in places we need goodwill” is a quote for the ages. The joke was about the line that said ‘until morale improves, the bombings will continue’, so it is really amazing to see it come out of Marty’s keyboard unflitered by any sarcasm. I’d go back to find out what Marty said about Obama in Syria, but I would probably spew all over my keyboard.
About NATO, I’m sure that all the instability and distrust that Trump has poured on our relationship (like giving Angela Merkel a bill for services, that’s a smart move) is all a secret plan to shore up the institution. Give me a break.
I notice Marty says nothing about Trump’s sudden embrace of China. I don’t want to sound like one of those yellow peril folks who thinks China is this inscrutable nation that is just waiting to flood our shores and take our women, but they are not friends, they are not allies. They will eat our lunch. We are taxi drivers and they are Uber. They seriously do not give a shit if the US economy craters, as long as they are able to walk away from it.
So keep on pulling that Make America Great Again cap when you jump in here, it’s always good to know where you stand…
i’ll agree that so far Trump is turning out better than expected (better being a relative term – ex. measles are better than brain cancer). but that’s simply because his own staggering incompetence and the idiocy of the Congressional GOP has kept him from doing all the damage he has wanted to do, and that he promised to do.
if he ever figures out how things actually work, or at least which buttons make the biggest booms, we’re all in trouble.
right now, he’s just a slight rash and some stomach distress. we’ll see what it develops into.
i’ll agree that so far Trump is turning out better than expected (better being a relative term – ex. measles are better than brain cancer). but that’s simply because his own staggering incompetence and the idiocy of the Congressional GOP has kept him from doing all the damage he has wanted to do, and that he promised to do.
if he ever figures out how things actually work, or at least which buttons make the biggest booms, we’re all in trouble.
right now, he’s just a slight rash and some stomach distress. we’ll see what it develops into.
if he ever figures out how things actually work, or at least which buttons make the biggest booms, we’re all in trouble.
Just to cheer you up, there’s this, speculatively modified by this. (Comments 38 and 89 in case the links are wonky.)
My one-time counselor would call this catastrophizing. I think catastrophizing is a perfectly sensible response under the circumstances.
if he ever figures out how things actually work, or at least which buttons make the biggest booms, we’re all in trouble.
Just to cheer you up, there’s this, speculatively modified by this. (Comments 38 and 89 in case the links are wonky.)
My one-time counselor would call this catastrophizing. I think catastrophizing is a perfectly sensible response under the circumstances.
Well, if Our Leader** won’t listen to the nation’s in-house experts (e.g. the State Department, the intelligence agencies, etc.), at least he is willing to take some tutoring by the President of China. The question is, how do we find appropriate foreign leaders to explain to him (in simple words, so he will understand, and briefly, so he won’t get bored) how the real world works?
** Trying out Janie’s proposal for anonymizing, albeit slightly.
Well, if Our Leader** won’t listen to the nation’s in-house experts (e.g. the State Department, the intelligence agencies, etc.), at least he is willing to take some tutoring by the President of China. The question is, how do we find appropriate foreign leaders to explain to him (in simple words, so he will understand, and briefly, so he won’t get bored) how the real world works?
** Trying out Janie’s proposal for anonymizing, albeit slightly.
“Until you’ve eaten with a chimp and bathed with a chimp, you don’t know a chimp.”
The monkey had been on TV. He brushed his teeth with a waterpik. He seemed so normal, human even. Who knew?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_(chimpanzee)
I’m told that if you mix enough sriracha sauce into a bowl of fresh cat puke, you’ll have a lunch of sorts, especially if there is nothing else on the menu.
“Until you’ve eaten with a chimp and bathed with a chimp, you don’t know a chimp.”
The monkey had been on TV. He brushed his teeth with a waterpik. He seemed so normal, human even. Who knew?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_(chimpanzee)
I’m told that if you mix enough sriracha sauce into a bowl of fresh cat puke, you’ll have a lunch of sorts, especially if there is nothing else on the menu.
A church gets its own police force. I think Jim Jones’ parishioners has security too.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/12/1652594/-It-s-not-Sharia-law-it-s-just-a-church-with-its-own-state-sanctioned-police-force
A church gets its own police force. I think Jim Jones’ parishioners has security too.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/12/1652594/-It-s-not-Sharia-law-it-s-just-a-church-with-its-own-state-sanctioned-police-force
had
had
“he is likely to do less damage than the worst case”
Soft bigotry of low expectations, here we are.
“he is likely to do less damage than the worst case”
Soft bigotry of low expectations, here we are.
I must voice my agreement with lj and the Count on the topic of “is it as bad as we thought it would be”.
I guess we’re still here, so that’s good news. The stock market hasn’t crashed yet, so those of us who soon will be living from our “savings” still feel okay.
Our president continues to embarrass himself on the world stage, while dropping bombs (literally, now) of unprecedented strength. The oligarchs are raking in billions in US tax dollars: they need protection because their sinecures require that they occasionally be confronted by affronted Americans. Our attorney general is devoted to keeping out “filth” (I know: although that word was written in his speech, he didn’t utter it, and he allegedly was talking about immigrant gang members. But, remember, no matter how “marginalized” Bannon may or may not be, Sessions is his longtime friend.).
Yes, things are going swimmingly. We’ll see how well we do when foreign students no longer want to attend our universities, and when corporations who rely on multinational talent move elsewhere. Our sad, ignored coal miners will, perhaps, find new work picking grapes. Or maybe that work is reserved for private prison inmates.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin still looks forward to having sanctions lifted. Donald Trump’s brand will be doing well everywhere, including China.
Happy days!
No, a year from now, we’ll be seeing the effects, and like frogs in heating water, will have become acclimated. That is, until it feels altogether way too warm.
I must voice my agreement with lj and the Count on the topic of “is it as bad as we thought it would be”.
I guess we’re still here, so that’s good news. The stock market hasn’t crashed yet, so those of us who soon will be living from our “savings” still feel okay.
Our president continues to embarrass himself on the world stage, while dropping bombs (literally, now) of unprecedented strength. The oligarchs are raking in billions in US tax dollars: they need protection because their sinecures require that they occasionally be confronted by affronted Americans. Our attorney general is devoted to keeping out “filth” (I know: although that word was written in his speech, he didn’t utter it, and he allegedly was talking about immigrant gang members. But, remember, no matter how “marginalized” Bannon may or may not be, Sessions is his longtime friend.).
Yes, things are going swimmingly. We’ll see how well we do when foreign students no longer want to attend our universities, and when corporations who rely on multinational talent move elsewhere. Our sad, ignored coal miners will, perhaps, find new work picking grapes. Or maybe that work is reserved for private prison inmates.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin still looks forward to having sanctions lifted. Donald Trump’s brand will be doing well everywhere, including China.
Happy days!
No, a year from now, we’ll be seeing the effects, and like frogs in heating water, will have become acclimated. That is, until it feels altogether way too warm.
The main, and worst. thing that He, Trump has accomplished so far is Gorsuch. He did not do it alone. He did it with indispensable help from Yertl, aka Mitch McConnell, and every single “reasonable” Republican in the Senate. These charlatans shed crocodile tears over the filibuster which only a child of 6 could believe they would not nuke the minute their Dear Leader got the chance to replace one of the “liberals” on the SCOTUS.
He, Trump could turn into a flaming leftie tomorrow and Yertl would still be running the Senate, with Zombie-Eyed Granny Starver Ryan “speaking” for the House. Any notion that el Caudillo del Mar a Lago might turn into the nation’s last best defense against the depredations of the current GOP is a unicorns-and-rainbows fantasy.
–TP
The main, and worst. thing that He, Trump has accomplished so far is Gorsuch. He did not do it alone. He did it with indispensable help from Yertl, aka Mitch McConnell, and every single “reasonable” Republican in the Senate. These charlatans shed crocodile tears over the filibuster which only a child of 6 could believe they would not nuke the minute their Dear Leader got the chance to replace one of the “liberals” on the SCOTUS.
He, Trump could turn into a flaming leftie tomorrow and Yertl would still be running the Senate, with Zombie-Eyed Granny Starver Ryan “speaking” for the House. Any notion that el Caudillo del Mar a Lago might turn into the nation’s last best defense against the depredations of the current GOP is a unicorns-and-rainbows fantasy.
–TP
“He, Trump could turn into a flaming leftie tomorrow and Yertl would still be running the Senate, with Zombie-Eyed Granny Starver Ryan “speaking” for the House. Any notion that el Caudillo del Mar a Lago might turn into the nation’s last best defense against the depredations of the current GOP is a unicorns-and-rainbows fantasy.”
This is true enough.
“He, Trump could turn into a flaming leftie tomorrow and Yertl would still be running the Senate, with Zombie-Eyed Granny Starver Ryan “speaking” for the House. Any notion that el Caudillo del Mar a Lago might turn into the nation’s last best defense against the depredations of the current GOP is a unicorns-and-rainbows fantasy.”
This is true enough.
“we” should have just let the south secede. Not that you were saying that specifically, but there was a little flavor of it in your original comment, I thought.
the middle third of MA, approximately, is Trump territory.
Boston is one of the most segregated places I’ve ever lived.
so no, I’m not about hating on the south.
I’d go back to find out what Marty said about Obama in Syria, but I would probably spew all over my keyboard.
If you’re looking for anything like a proportionate analysis of Trump vs Obama, or Trump vs Clinton, it’s not going to be on offer. And that’s not a Marty thing, specifically, it’s just a thing. A widespread thing.
The old rules do not apply.
Trump and his kids are going to exploit the POTUS brand, without limit or shame, to enrich themselves beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. Trump, personally, is hip deep with Russian mafiosi in his business dealings, and a number of his campaign staffers have documented relationships with Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs, both with and without political portfolio.
If Bannon is on his way out, it’s more likely to do with him getting into a pissing match with Mr Ivanka than with his association with real live actual Nazis.
But yeah, Trump has so far managed to not be as bad as he might have been. He got through a meeting with Xi without instigating either a trade or shooting war. He didn’t grab anybody’s pussy, or give anyone one of his weird creepy handshakes. So we’re going to call it a win.
and it is a win.
the POTUS is a fool. he’s a clown, a figure of fun, profoundly unequipped for the job he holds.
but, it could be worse.
that’s what counts for good news nowadays. no point comparing him to his predecessor, we need to set the bar low enough to give the man a chance.
“we” should have just let the south secede. Not that you were saying that specifically, but there was a little flavor of it in your original comment, I thought.
the middle third of MA, approximately, is Trump territory.
Boston is one of the most segregated places I’ve ever lived.
so no, I’m not about hating on the south.
I’d go back to find out what Marty said about Obama in Syria, but I would probably spew all over my keyboard.
If you’re looking for anything like a proportionate analysis of Trump vs Obama, or Trump vs Clinton, it’s not going to be on offer. And that’s not a Marty thing, specifically, it’s just a thing. A widespread thing.
The old rules do not apply.
Trump and his kids are going to exploit the POTUS brand, without limit or shame, to enrich themselves beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. Trump, personally, is hip deep with Russian mafiosi in his business dealings, and a number of his campaign staffers have documented relationships with Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs, both with and without political portfolio.
If Bannon is on his way out, it’s more likely to do with him getting into a pissing match with Mr Ivanka than with his association with real live actual Nazis.
But yeah, Trump has so far managed to not be as bad as he might have been. He got through a meeting with Xi without instigating either a trade or shooting war. He didn’t grab anybody’s pussy, or give anyone one of his weird creepy handshakes. So we’re going to call it a win.
and it is a win.
the POTUS is a fool. he’s a clown, a figure of fun, profoundly unequipped for the job he holds.
but, it could be worse.
that’s what counts for good news nowadays. no point comparing him to his predecessor, we need to set the bar low enough to give the man a chance.
If Bannon is on his way out, it’s more likely to do with him getting into a pissing match with Mr Ivanka than with his association with real live actual Nazis.
Actually, I think there’s a much simpler explanation. Bannon made the cover of Time. While working for someone who can’t bear to share the spotlight. Worse, the cover story made him out to be manipulating Trump. Who can’t bear the thought that he might be seen as anything but the be all and end all.
It’s a totally one man show, and none of the extras better appear to be getting important. Or they will be history.
If Bannon is on his way out, it’s more likely to do with him getting into a pissing match with Mr Ivanka than with his association with real live actual Nazis.
Actually, I think there’s a much simpler explanation. Bannon made the cover of Time. While working for someone who can’t bear to share the spotlight. Worse, the cover story made him out to be manipulating Trump. Who can’t bear the thought that he might be seen as anything but the be all and end all.
It’s a totally one man show, and none of the extras better appear to be getting important. Or they will be history.
lj, I am genuinely interested: given the utter economic dependency of the US on China, what should the US policy be towards the country?
Also, what exactly has China done lately to inspire such contempt? Of course they have their interests at heart but who doesn’t and they don’t don’t go around bombing people.
lj, I am genuinely interested: given the utter economic dependency of the US on China, what should the US policy be towards the country?
Also, what exactly has China done lately to inspire such contempt? Of course they have their interests at heart but who doesn’t and they don’t don’t go around bombing people.
novakant, I think that Trump’s big talk until he shares a piece of chocolate cake with Xi is the precisely wrong thing to do because it vacillates between two really stupid positions, that China is our enemy and that China is our friend. It is not that I have contempt for the Chinese, it is that what we need to do is to be an authentic partner with them. Of course, if you are blowing up climate accords and cutting the State Department budget to the bone, I don’t know how you actual partner with them on things that matter, which is why the ‘Trump isn’t doing so badly’ meme is so flawed. I don’t know what US military interventions have to do with anything related to the discussion. I hope you can explain why what I said would bring up the question of who the US is bombing.
One wonders how much of Trump’s new goodwill towards China and his NK history lessons from Xi are simply a way for Trump to distance himself from Putin and Russian oligarchs. If that is the case, that’s not a policy, that’s a knee jerk reaction that is unmoored from any actual questions about the relationship between China and the US.
novakant, I think that Trump’s big talk until he shares a piece of chocolate cake with Xi is the precisely wrong thing to do because it vacillates between two really stupid positions, that China is our enemy and that China is our friend. It is not that I have contempt for the Chinese, it is that what we need to do is to be an authentic partner with them. Of course, if you are blowing up climate accords and cutting the State Department budget to the bone, I don’t know how you actual partner with them on things that matter, which is why the ‘Trump isn’t doing so badly’ meme is so flawed. I don’t know what US military interventions have to do with anything related to the discussion. I hope you can explain why what I said would bring up the question of who the US is bombing.
One wonders how much of Trump’s new goodwill towards China and his NK history lessons from Xi are simply a way for Trump to distance himself from Putin and Russian oligarchs. If that is the case, that’s not a policy, that’s a knee jerk reaction that is unmoored from any actual questions about the relationship between China and the US.
cute FB meme going around:
cute FB meme going around:
If you’re looking for anything like a proportionate analysis of Trump vs Obama, or Trump vs Clinton, it’s not going to be on offer. And that’s not a Marty thing, specifically, it’s just a thing. A widespread thing.
The old rules do not apply.
I think we should fight this, frankly. The reason that the old rules do not apply is because they’re being torn down, some all at once, others bit by bit. We need to remember them and repromulgate them as soon as we can possibly do so.
This relates very closely to what Sarah Kendzior asked us to do in preparation for Trump:
“Write down what you value; what standards you hold for yourself and for others. Write about your dreams for the future and your hopes for your children. Write about the struggle of your ancestors and how the hardship they overcame shaped the person you are today.”
“But I need you to fight too, in the way that matters most, which is inside. Authoritarianism is not merely a matter of state control, it is something that eats away at who you are. It makes you afraid, and fear can make you cruel. It compels you to conform and to comply and accept things that you would never accept, to do things you never thought you would do.”
The old rules are still our rules.
If you’re looking for anything like a proportionate analysis of Trump vs Obama, or Trump vs Clinton, it’s not going to be on offer. And that’s not a Marty thing, specifically, it’s just a thing. A widespread thing.
The old rules do not apply.
I think we should fight this, frankly. The reason that the old rules do not apply is because they’re being torn down, some all at once, others bit by bit. We need to remember them and repromulgate them as soon as we can possibly do so.
This relates very closely to what Sarah Kendzior asked us to do in preparation for Trump:
“Write down what you value; what standards you hold for yourself and for others. Write about your dreams for the future and your hopes for your children. Write about the struggle of your ancestors and how the hardship they overcame shaped the person you are today.”
“But I need you to fight too, in the way that matters most, which is inside. Authoritarianism is not merely a matter of state control, it is something that eats away at who you are. It makes you afraid, and fear can make you cruel. It compels you to conform and to comply and accept things that you would never accept, to do things you never thought you would do.”
The old rules are still our rules.
lj: I strongly suspect that Trump’s “new goodwill toward China” is another example of Trump’s “agreeing with the last person he talked to”.
The Emperor has plenty of clothes. The best clothes. But he’s a git.
lj: I strongly suspect that Trump’s “new goodwill toward China” is another example of Trump’s “agreeing with the last person he talked to”.
The Emperor has plenty of clothes. The best clothes. But he’s a git.
ISTM The “old rules” are not “the” rules but one of several sets of rules that apply depending on the circumstances and the thing they are being applied to. Shorter: there are no rules in politics, same for hypocrisy.
On “what would the reaction have been had Obama…” the above sort of fits in with this idea. More broadly, however, people are always going to give “their side” the benefit of the doubt and trust them more, and are unwilling to extend same to the other side, or at least not anymore. I think Democrats are better at holding to principles rather than changing views depending on who’s acting (the recent Pollo about Obama bombing Syria be Trump bombing Syria comes to mind), but then again Democrats are my side.
It also STM that the consternation over “what do Trump voters think of him now” pieces in various media and the lack of such wrt Obama overlooks the large differences between the two. Trump has flip flopped on many of the positions he took during the campaign, is massively hypocritical and unpopular, barely won and lost the popular vote. None of these applies to Obama at this point in his presidency. Moreover, I would say that the press corps is overwhelmingly Democrats (could be wrong) and this theybdidnt need anyone to tell them why somene would vote for Obama or whether they would do so if the election was held “today”. Not so with Trump.
Anyway. My two cents on my phone on vacation
ISTM The “old rules” are not “the” rules but one of several sets of rules that apply depending on the circumstances and the thing they are being applied to. Shorter: there are no rules in politics, same for hypocrisy.
On “what would the reaction have been had Obama…” the above sort of fits in with this idea. More broadly, however, people are always going to give “their side” the benefit of the doubt and trust them more, and are unwilling to extend same to the other side, or at least not anymore. I think Democrats are better at holding to principles rather than changing views depending on who’s acting (the recent Pollo about Obama bombing Syria be Trump bombing Syria comes to mind), but then again Democrats are my side.
It also STM that the consternation over “what do Trump voters think of him now” pieces in various media and the lack of such wrt Obama overlooks the large differences between the two. Trump has flip flopped on many of the positions he took during the campaign, is massively hypocritical and unpopular, barely won and lost the popular vote. None of these applies to Obama at this point in his presidency. Moreover, I would say that the press corps is overwhelmingly Democrats (could be wrong) and this theybdidnt need anyone to tell them why somene would vote for Obama or whether they would do so if the election was held “today”. Not so with Trump.
Anyway. My two cents on my phone on vacation
I think sapient’s post is important, and germane. FWIW, my reading of “the old rules do not apply” in this case is a metaphorical reference to standards, not rules. And as sapient (and Sarah Kendzior) imply, we need to try to keep to the same standards, or if you like principles, to avoid a long somewhat unconscious slide into something that once would have seemed inconceivable.
I think sapient’s post is important, and germane. FWIW, my reading of “the old rules do not apply” in this case is a metaphorical reference to standards, not rules. And as sapient (and Sarah Kendzior) imply, we need to try to keep to the same standards, or if you like principles, to avoid a long somewhat unconscious slide into something that once would have seemed inconceivable.
the old rules are gone. for the GOP at least.
hating on liberals is far more important to the base than campaign promises or honesty or the preservation of arcane Senate rules and customs.
the old rules are gone. for the GOP at least.
hating on liberals is far more important to the base than campaign promises or honesty or the preservation of arcane Senate rules and customs.
the old rules are gone. for the GOP at least.
cleek’s law has been a rule for quite awhile now!
the old rules are gone. for the GOP at least.
cleek’s law has been a rule for quite awhile now!
So, The arcane Senate rule the Democrats got rid of was ok?
The two Supremes that were seated during Obama’s term didn’t need a nuclear option, you figure that was because all the conservatives just really liked them?
Hypocrisy abounds, but it isn’t a one way street. No justice was getting approved without the nuclear option because the Dems have gone full Tea Party. So we have the Freedom caucus, the Dems version of that and everyone pretty much hating on the leadership, the only person who approaches the wide dislike for Ryan is Pelosi, who’s unfavorables exceed Trumps.
But despite Trump the Rs are still my party. Ryan is actually trying to accomplish stuff, mostly that Dems don’t like, some of it I do like.
McConnell figures he has gotten done what he can. He isn’t going nuclear over legislation, they got Gorsuch and nothing else is getting passed, so on both sides it’s all politics all the time. He won’t have the House after midterms so it is just more of the same.
We can imagine any thing we want, hold on to those values, remember those principles, but until we decide that achieving them could be done in more than one way, our way, then 52-48 either way ain’t gonna get us there.
And Trump has f all to do with that.
So, The arcane Senate rule the Democrats got rid of was ok?
The two Supremes that were seated during Obama’s term didn’t need a nuclear option, you figure that was because all the conservatives just really liked them?
Hypocrisy abounds, but it isn’t a one way street. No justice was getting approved without the nuclear option because the Dems have gone full Tea Party. So we have the Freedom caucus, the Dems version of that and everyone pretty much hating on the leadership, the only person who approaches the wide dislike for Ryan is Pelosi, who’s unfavorables exceed Trumps.
But despite Trump the Rs are still my party. Ryan is actually trying to accomplish stuff, mostly that Dems don’t like, some of it I do like.
McConnell figures he has gotten done what he can. He isn’t going nuclear over legislation, they got Gorsuch and nothing else is getting passed, so on both sides it’s all politics all the time. He won’t have the House after midterms so it is just more of the same.
We can imagine any thing we want, hold on to those values, remember those principles, but until we decide that achieving them could be done in more than one way, our way, then 52-48 either way ain’t gonna get us there.
And Trump has f all to do with that.
cleek’s law has been a rule for quite awhile now!
and it’s getting more and more correct by the day.
one rule to rule them all. one rule to bind them.
cleek’s law has been a rule for quite awhile now!
and it’s getting more and more correct by the day.
one rule to rule them all. one rule to bind them.
So, The arcane Senate rule the Democrats got rid of was ok?
yes.
until the Dems got rid of that rule, the GOP had filibustered more of Obama’s nominees (judicial or not) than had been filibustered
in the entire history of the Senate.
check it.
the GOP clearly gave no fucks about those traditions or rules. and so there’s no reason the Dems should, either.
Merrick Garland
the GOP burned that rule book, pissed on the ashes and the GOP base rewarded them for it.
McConnell figures he has gotten done what he can. He isn’t going nuclear over legislation
i absolutely think he will. if the congressional GOP can get their act together, that is.
So, The arcane Senate rule the Democrats got rid of was ok?
yes.
until the Dems got rid of that rule, the GOP had filibustered more of Obama’s nominees (judicial or not) than had been filibustered
in the entire history of the Senate.
check it.
the GOP clearly gave no fucks about those traditions or rules. and so there’s no reason the Dems should, either.
Merrick Garland
the GOP burned that rule book, pissed on the ashes and the GOP base rewarded them for it.
McConnell figures he has gotten done what he can. He isn’t going nuclear over legislation
i absolutely think he will. if the congressional GOP can get their act together, that is.
Sorry, I was out on my phone, and lazily didn’t go back and check: I didn’t realise we were actually talking about actual rules.
(But I think what I said still holds in general, in the circumstances in which we currently find ourselves, just like sapient’s boiled frog analogy.)
Sorry, I was out on my phone, and lazily didn’t go back and check: I didn’t realise we were actually talking about actual rules.
(But I think what I said still holds in general, in the circumstances in which we currently find ourselves, just like sapient’s boiled frog analogy.)
I didn’t realise we were actually talking about actual rules.
i actually had a long comment about how Trump and the GOP have obliterated standards about hypocrisy and lying and sexual conduct and religiosity, etc.. they have discovered that the arbiters of these standards have no power, and that your base will forgive almost anything if you claim those arbiters are just part of the wicked liberal establishment. so, instead of reacting to being caught lying as if you’ve done something wrong, ignore it, keep lying. for bonus points, point out that liberals exist. the base will cheer you on, because hating liberals is all they actually care about.
the press will lament the loss of the standards because catching people lying or being scummy was a big part of their job. but if nobody cares except people who won’t vote for the liar anyway, objectivity becomes a liability. you lose half your audience.
then i shortened my original comment to my 9:41.
I didn’t realise we were actually talking about actual rules.
i actually had a long comment about how Trump and the GOP have obliterated standards about hypocrisy and lying and sexual conduct and religiosity, etc.. they have discovered that the arbiters of these standards have no power, and that your base will forgive almost anything if you claim those arbiters are just part of the wicked liberal establishment. so, instead of reacting to being caught lying as if you’ve done something wrong, ignore it, keep lying. for bonus points, point out that liberals exist. the base will cheer you on, because hating liberals is all they actually care about.
the press will lament the loss of the standards because catching people lying or being scummy was a big part of their job. but if nobody cares except people who won’t vote for the liar anyway, objectivity becomes a liability. you lose half your audience.
then i shortened my original comment to my 9:41.
Jesus, cleek, how depressing – mainly because I can’t disagree with a word of it.
Jesus, cleek, how depressing – mainly because I can’t disagree with a word of it.
“Merrick Garland”
No candidate for either party would have ever in history gotten approved under the circumstances. The leaning on this argument is really tiresome, and just an excuse.
And the whole filibuster thing you sent was labelled half true by the scion of left leaning fact checking Politifact. But, even if you assume its true, every word, then it is irrelevant to the fact that the Dems did away with a rule that had a two hundred year history to get there liberal courts stuffed while Obama was President. Maybe they should have picked some more moderate judges?
“Merrick Garland”
No candidate for either party would have ever in history gotten approved under the circumstances. The leaning on this argument is really tiresome, and just an excuse.
And the whole filibuster thing you sent was labelled half true by the scion of left leaning fact checking Politifact. But, even if you assume its true, every word, then it is irrelevant to the fact that the Dems did away with a rule that had a two hundred year history to get there liberal courts stuffed while Obama was President. Maybe they should have picked some more moderate judges?
No candidate for either party would have ever in history gotten approved under the circumstances.
Anthony Kennedy thinks you’re wrong about that.
And the whole filibuster thing you sent was labelled half true by the scion of left leaning fact checking Politifact.
heh. you didn’t even read it, did you?
Maybe they should have picked some more moderate judges?
feel free to list their disqualifications. off the top of your head is fine. no need to go looking things up.
No candidate for either party would have ever in history gotten approved under the circumstances.
Anthony Kennedy thinks you’re wrong about that.
And the whole filibuster thing you sent was labelled half true by the scion of left leaning fact checking Politifact.
heh. you didn’t even read it, did you?
Maybe they should have picked some more moderate judges?
feel free to list their disqualifications. off the top of your head is fine. no need to go looking things up.
“heh. you didn’t even read it, did you”
Read every word.
“heh. you didn’t even read it, did you”
Read every word.
Read every word.
even this part:
?
Read every word.
even this part:
?
“Anthony Kennedy”
Except of course he was the third nominee, the Dems had pummeled Bork, Ginsburg was outed for smoking pot and the opening at that point was since June of the year before and he was confirmed in February, the search didn’t begin then. But, yeah its the same thing.
“Anthony Kennedy”
Except of course he was the third nominee, the Dems had pummeled Bork, Ginsburg was outed for smoking pot and the opening at that point was since June of the year before and he was confirmed in February, the search didn’t begin then. But, yeah its the same thing.
Bork got a vote, right?
Bork got a vote, right?
Yes, even that part, I even read the part where there wasn’t a lot of history and the counting depended on how you decided to do it.
But, *big shrug*, so what? They changed the rules to get their way, they used a trick of the rules to pass the ACA and then blocked as many nominees as they could this year, and were going to block SC nominees for four years.
Yes, even that part, I even read the part where there wasn’t a lot of history and the counting depended on how you decided to do it.
But, *big shrug*, so what? They changed the rules to get their way, they used a trick of the rules to pass the ACA and then blocked as many nominees as they could this year, and were going to block SC nominees for four years.
Maybe they should have picked some more moderate judges?
Like the moderate Merrick Garland who was approved almost unanimously, and who Republicans in the Senate said was exactly the kind of judge they wanted for the Supreme Court. But who McConnell wouldn’t even give a hearing to? (My guess is that he knew damn well that, given a hearing, he would be stuck doing a confirmation vote . . . which he would lose and Garland would win.)
Maybe they should have picked some more moderate judges?
Like the moderate Merrick Garland who was approved almost unanimously, and who Republicans in the Senate said was exactly the kind of judge they wanted for the Supreme Court. But who McConnell wouldn’t even give a hearing to? (My guess is that he knew damn well that, given a hearing, he would be stuck doing a confirmation vote . . . which he would lose and Garland would win.)
Marty: McConnell figures he has gotten done what he can. He isn’t going nuclear over legislation
cleek: i absolutely think he will. if the congressional GOP can get their act together, that is.
I assume by “get their act together” you mean actually pass a piece of legislation. From what I am seeing so far, it appears that the only way that happens is if the legislation gets zero “Freedom” Caucus votes, and some Democratic votes, in the House. At which point, he probably wouldn’t need to deal with a filibuster.
The nuts in the House are just too far gone for them to agree to anything that a substantial number of conservative-but-not-insane House Republicans could go for.
Marty: McConnell figures he has gotten done what he can. He isn’t going nuclear over legislation
cleek: i absolutely think he will. if the congressional GOP can get their act together, that is.
I assume by “get their act together” you mean actually pass a piece of legislation. From what I am seeing so far, it appears that the only way that happens is if the legislation gets zero “Freedom” Caucus votes, and some Democratic votes, in the House. At which point, he probably wouldn’t need to deal with a filibuster.
The nuts in the House are just too far gone for them to agree to anything that a substantial number of conservative-but-not-insane House Republicans could go for.
The following may be of interest.
Not counting the death of Antonin Scalia, there have been fourteen occasions when a vacancy occurred in the Supreme Court, by death, resignation, or retirement, in a presidential election year.
On ten of those occasions, the vacancy was filled by the incumbent president; this includes four occasions when the presidency changed parties.
The last time the incumbent did not fill the vacancy was 1860. There have been eight such vacancies since then, all filled by the incumbent, including three occasions when the presidency changed hands.
It’s true that there’s been only one time in the last eighty years that an election-year vacancy was filled by the incumbent. But that was also the only time in the last eighty years that there’s been an election-year vacancy.
The following may be of interest.
Not counting the death of Antonin Scalia, there have been fourteen occasions when a vacancy occurred in the Supreme Court, by death, resignation, or retirement, in a presidential election year.
On ten of those occasions, the vacancy was filled by the incumbent president; this includes four occasions when the presidency changed parties.
The last time the incumbent did not fill the vacancy was 1860. There have been eight such vacancies since then, all filled by the incumbent, including three occasions when the presidency changed hands.
It’s true that there’s been only one time in the last eighty years that an election-year vacancy was filled by the incumbent. But that was also the only time in the last eighty years that there’s been an election-year vacancy.
Like the moderate Neil Gorsuch who was approved (not almost) unanimously? In which case everyone should be happy.
Like the moderate Neil Gorsuch who was approved (not almost) unanimously? In which case everyone should be happy.
I should mention that the data in my post was as of mid-February, 2016.
I should mention that the data in my post was as of mid-February, 2016.
and were going to block SC nominees for four years
Didn’t McConnell say they were going to do just that with HRC’s nominees?
and were going to block SC nominees for four years
Didn’t McConnell say they were going to do just that with HRC’s nominees?
“On ten of those occasions, the vacancy was filled by the incumbent president; this includes four occasions when the presidency changed parties.”
And on how many of those occasions would the confirmation change the court from being liberal to conservative leaning, or vice versa.
Circumstances matter
“On ten of those occasions, the vacancy was filled by the incumbent president; this includes four occasions when the presidency changed parties.”
And on how many of those occasions would the confirmation change the court from being liberal to conservative leaning, or vice versa.
Circumstances matter
McConnell slyly said the next President would make the nomination. he didn’t say he’d block it – which he would have.
several other GOP Senators explicitly said they’d ‘block’ any Clinton nominee.
but it’s the Dems’ fault, i’m sure.
McConnell slyly said the next President would make the nomination. he didn’t say he’d block it – which he would have.
several other GOP Senators explicitly said they’d ‘block’ any Clinton nominee.
but it’s the Dems’ fault, i’m sure.
And on how many of those occasions would the confirmation change the court from being liberal to conservative leaning, or vice versa.
unwritten rules are very important. sometimes.
And on how many of those occasions would the confirmation change the court from being liberal to conservative leaning, or vice versa.
unwritten rules are very important. sometimes.
What you guys don’t understand is that under the US two-party system, one side (that’s the Democrats) has somewhat more popular support than the other (that’s the Republicans). And therefore one side (that’s the Republicans) is entitled to hold the Presidency and to have majorities in the Senate, in the House, and on the Supreme Court. And the other side (that’s the Democrats) isn’t.
It’s outrageous that the Democrats don’t get this.
What you guys don’t understand is that under the US two-party system, one side (that’s the Democrats) has somewhat more popular support than the other (that’s the Republicans). And therefore one side (that’s the Republicans) is entitled to hold the Presidency and to have majorities in the Senate, in the House, and on the Supreme Court. And the other side (that’s the Democrats) isn’t.
It’s outrageous that the Democrats don’t get this.
Huh, thanks cleek, I could have sworn it was McConnell, but you’re right. I must have blocked many memories of the campaign….
Huh, thanks cleek, I could have sworn it was McConnell, but you’re right. I must have blocked many memories of the campaign….
McConnell slyly said the next President would make the nomination.
His despicable role in politicizing the Russia connection is an interesting footnote here.
McConnell slyly said the next President would make the nomination.
His despicable role in politicizing the Russia connection is an interesting footnote here.
lj, I think Trump is a disaster, but I wasn’t asking about Trump. I also wasn’t referring to the US in particular regarding the bombing of people, plenty of other countries engage in it – I was merely pointing out that China does not and that this is a plus in international relations, at least in my view.
lj, I think Trump is a disaster, but I wasn’t asking about Trump. I also wasn’t referring to the US in particular regarding the bombing of people, plenty of other countries engage in it – I was merely pointing out that China does not and that this is a plus in international relations, at least in my view.
England bombed the world for 200 years. it’s our turn.
England bombed the world for 200 years. it’s our turn.
Novakant, so you bringing this up has nothing to do my opinion about Trump’s dealings with the Chinese and my point that his ‘strategy’ cannot, in any possible way, lead to better outcomes for China-US relations (and, by extension, a range of situations in Asia) is something you are uninterested in. Or is it that China hasn’t bombed anyone, so worrying about the Spratleys or Senkaku/ Diaoyu or, god forbid, thinking about NK’s apparent planned nuclear test is not really important. Good to know, but if you want to ‘merely point out things’, could you do it somewhere else?
And a pro tip, starting off a comment with ‘I am genuinely interested’ when you really aren’t is not really helping in create the atmosphere you profess to want here.
Novakant, so you bringing this up has nothing to do my opinion about Trump’s dealings with the Chinese and my point that his ‘strategy’ cannot, in any possible way, lead to better outcomes for China-US relations (and, by extension, a range of situations in Asia) is something you are uninterested in. Or is it that China hasn’t bombed anyone, so worrying about the Spratleys or Senkaku/ Diaoyu or, god forbid, thinking about NK’s apparent planned nuclear test is not really important. Good to know, but if you want to ‘merely point out things’, could you do it somewhere else?
And a pro tip, starting off a comment with ‘I am genuinely interested’ when you really aren’t is not really helping in create the atmosphere you profess to want here.
lj, you are of course entitled to your distorted view of my intentions in this regard – however I reserve the right to point out whatever I please here, wether you deem it relevant or not and even if you might find this irritating
lj, you are of course entitled to your distorted view of my intentions in this regard – however I reserve the right to point out whatever I please here, wether you deem it relevant or not and even if you might find this irritating
And on how many of those occasions would the confirmation change the court from being liberal to conservative leaning, or vice versa.
don’t ever come crying around here about how political and partisan everything has become, ever again.
the lay of the land is that the nation is divided. I don’t want to live in the country that you want to live in. vice versa, I’m sure. there isn’t gonna be middle ground. not for a long, long time, maybe not ever again.
i, personally, have lost any desire to even look for, let alone find, middle ground. screw it, i’m done.
I do not want the world you and people like you want, and I am not going to.
one point of view is going to prevail. I don’t know which. both will not, and both cannot co-exist in the same polity.
Obama won the popular vote, handily. Clinton, probably the most polarizing (D) candidate since McGovern and the least popular one since Dukakis, won the popular vote.
Ten million more people voted against Trump than voted for him.
So I like my odds OK.
The (R)’s are your party, but they are increasingly a band of gibbering reactionary loons. So have fun with that.
Gloves are off, buddy.
And not for nothing, but Paul Ryan and his Rand cult can rot in hell. Anything you like about him does nothing reflect poorly on you.
And on how many of those occasions would the confirmation change the court from being liberal to conservative leaning, or vice versa.
don’t ever come crying around here about how political and partisan everything has become, ever again.
the lay of the land is that the nation is divided. I don’t want to live in the country that you want to live in. vice versa, I’m sure. there isn’t gonna be middle ground. not for a long, long time, maybe not ever again.
i, personally, have lost any desire to even look for, let alone find, middle ground. screw it, i’m done.
I do not want the world you and people like you want, and I am not going to.
one point of view is going to prevail. I don’t know which. both will not, and both cannot co-exist in the same polity.
Obama won the popular vote, handily. Clinton, probably the most polarizing (D) candidate since McGovern and the least popular one since Dukakis, won the popular vote.
Ten million more people voted against Trump than voted for him.
So I like my odds OK.
The (R)’s are your party, but they are increasingly a band of gibbering reactionary loons. So have fun with that.
Gloves are off, buddy.
And not for nothing, but Paul Ryan and his Rand cult can rot in hell. Anything you like about him does nothing reflect poorly on you.
Of course novakant, but given that I don’t see the relevance of your comment to what I said, you may wish to tweak your presentation and explain why it is relevant rather than use a phrase like ‘genuinely interested’ when you aren’t. However, you are absolutely right that you can post here and I can state my conclusions from them and let everyone else decide if they have merit.
Of course novakant, but given that I don’t see the relevance of your comment to what I said, you may wish to tweak your presentation and explain why it is relevant rather than use a phrase like ‘genuinely interested’ when you aren’t. However, you are absolutely right that you can post here and I can state my conclusions from them and let everyone else decide if they have merit.
…they used a trick of the rules to pass the ACA
Absolutely false.
…they used a trick of the rules to pass the ACA
Absolutely false.
chmatl’s post is closed to comments and this is the most recent open thread.
With that, how are you feeling about the run-off, chmatl? Is this outcome more like a victory or a defeat (in the longer view – not considering how close Ossoff looked to be to an outright win)?
chmatl’s post is closed to comments and this is the most recent open thread.
With that, how are you feeling about the run-off, chmatl? Is this outcome more like a victory or a defeat (in the longer view – not considering how close Ossoff looked to be to an outright win)?