Days since the Apocalypse began
"We are living in space-age times but there's too many of us thinking with stone-age minds" | How to spot a Humanist
"Men of Quality do not fear Equality." | "Belief doesn't change facts. Facts, if you are reasonable, should change your beliefs."
Why does Trump seems to appoint the worst possible people into government? Such as recently appointing David Kautter, an expert in helping the rich avoid tax, to head the IRS. No, he is not there to reveal his secrets which keep him rich to crack down on it.
Days since the Apocalypse began
"We are living in space-age times but there's too many of us thinking with stone-age minds" | How to spot a Humanist
"Men of Quality do not fear Equality." | "Belief doesn't change facts. Facts, if you are reasonable, should change your beliefs."
I would be delighted if Mueller were to give this speech before the joint Congress:
*pounding hammer smiley*If my quality as [Special Counsel] must prevent me from explaining myself with entire independence on what has happened, then I must abdicate it this instant. And after having separated myself from my colleagues, who I esteem and honor (and it’s well-known that I am not prodigal in the sentiment) I will tell my country the necessary truths. The truth is the only weapon that remains in the hands of the intrepid defenders of freedom in order to bring down the perfidious agents of [treason]. He who seeks to debase, to divide, to paralyze the [investigation] is an enemy of the fatherland, whether he sits in this hall or is a foreigner (applause). Whether he acts by stupidity or perversity he is of the party of the tyrants who make war upon us. But this project of debasement exists in the very places where patriotism should reign, in the clubs that claim to be more than patriotic. War is made on the [investigation] in the persons of all the defenders of freedom. And what is most deplorable is that this cowardly system has partisans here.
For a long time the [Special Counsel] has put up with a war made on it by several members who are more envious than just. While it is busy day and night with the great interests of the Fatherland, written denunciations, presented with guile, are brought here...
@Beskar
Where's the pounding hammer smiley?
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Days since the Apocalypse began
"We are living in space-age times but there's too many of us thinking with stone-age minds" | How to spot a Humanist
"Men of Quality do not fear Equality." | "Belief doesn't change facts. Facts, if you are reasonable, should change your beliefs."
The Donald simply OOOOZES 'class' in everything he does.
Referencing Pocahantas to a group of Native Americans (The famous Marine Code Talkers of ww2 and Korea)? Wrong tribe and wrong attitude...but of course it was just supposed to be humorous.
But doing the whole ceremony under a picture of that most famous of 'Pro' Native American Presidents Andrew Jackson?!?! 'Class' does not begin to cover it.
They couldn't have brought in a picture of TR or Ike, just for an hour?Originally Posted by Wikipedia on Andrew Jackson (excerpts)
Amateurs.
"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken
Last edited by Montmorency; 11-29-2017 at 01:04.
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken
Tillerson might be out soon.
If the initial report is right, he will be replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo, who is very hawkish. And then its said that the very hawkish Senator Tom Cotton would become head of the CIA.
So if this all plays out as they are saying it will, US foreign policy is about to become even more hawkish, especially towards Iran.
Here's a very interesting article on Cotton and his opposition to the Iran deal from October:
If one reads the speech closely, it is hard to escape the conclusion that Cotton’s actual goal is not attaining a better nuclear deal, but rather confronting Iran militarily and achieving regime change. Several passages in the speech clearly telegraph this objective, as do Cotton’s prior statements. The senator also so grossly misrepresents the JCPOA that one has to question whether he is more interested in improving the agreement or destroying it. Finally, Cotton’s own arguments contradict the notion that he seeks a better deal and instead imply that military force or regime change are the only viable options. Put simply: Cotton’s advocacy for a better nuclear agreement is a smokescreen for his true objective, which is putting the United States and Iran back on a path towards war.
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
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Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
John Kelly was Secretary of Homeland Security, transferred to White House Chief of Staff in replacement of Scaramucci/Priebus. No confirmed replacement for the Cabinet position yet.
If Tillerson resigns or is fired, the proposal is that CIA director Mike Pompeo (whose prior career is mostly defined by three terms as a Tea Party House Representative) replace him. The proposal includes as replacement for Pompeo in the CIA Senator Tom Cotton, a freshman Senator (formerly freshman Representative) from Arkansas and hard-right stalwart. Cotton worked closely with the Trump campaign during the transition and suggested Kelly as a candidate for Secretary of Homeland Security, being himself considered for Secretary of Defense.
My sense is that Trump wants to surround himself with a very limited pool of persons, regardless of context or qualifications.
Innuendo springs readily to mind.
And what the hell is going on in Whitefish?
Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Interior, is from this Montana town of ~7000.
The better part of federal contracts for Puerto Rico reconstruction were arbitrarily awarded to what is apparently a shell company based here.
Vagabond and wannabe-privateer Erik Prince (founder of the company formerly known as Blackwater, and brother to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos) seems to be backing efforts there to establish a privatized spook agency.
Neo-fascist Richard Spencer has maintained a residence there for some years.
Hopefully the authority of the United States of America still reaches those parts.
Last edited by Montmorency; 12-01-2017 at 05:35.
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
So Flynn has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about meetings with the Russian ambassador during the election.
This bit is pretty interesting too:
I wonder who will be going down next.“A very senior member of the Presidential transition team directed Flynn to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to learn where each government stood on the resolution and to influence those governments to delay the vote or defeat the resolution,” sad a written statement of facts signed by Flynn and prosecutors.
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
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Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
And obstruction.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Flynn has plead guilty to false statements and is cooperating with Mueller's investigation.
Whether this actually leads to anything against Trump is an open question, but it does indicate that those close to the president are beginning to look to self preservation:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42192080
For giggles I Googled "Flynn Framed"; yes the denial machine is in full operation
Last edited by HopAlongBunny; 12-02-2017 at 02:16.
Ja-mata TosaInu
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If I werent playing games Id be killing small animals at a higher rate than I am now - SFTS
Si je n'étais pas jouer à des jeux que je serais mort de petits animaux à un taux plus élevé que je suis maintenant - Louis VI The Fat
"Why do you hate the extremely limited Spartan version of freedom?" - Lemur
I was hoping it would be Trump himself, but perhaps Kushner will turn on his father in law. All this makes the passage of the dumpster fire of a tax bill a bit better.
And hey, Trump might have just admitted to obstruction of justice.
Trump’s Saturday tweet seems to indicate that he knew Flynn had lied to the FBI when he made his comments to Comey. That could play into a case of obstruction of justice against him, as many were quick to point out.
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
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Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
The more I see the demonstrated political skills of this administration and its campaign team...some now officially criminal...the more I think the ONLY Hillary could have managed a defeat against this crew.
"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
Visited:
Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
Beyond the presidential race, there's something to be said of ideological clarity and consistency.
The Democratic Party offers wishy-washy incrementalism that coddles moneyed interests.
The Republican Party offers a truly RADICAL platform.
Revolution, no matter its contents or injustices, is inherently sexier than incrementalism.
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken
The terms Left and Right are so muddied to be nonsensical.
It is however true many people would rather vote for a Republican who is a 30-something man who screwed a 14 year old than contemplate voting for a Democrat.
It is not "immature" to engage one's brain when voting - it is one facet that democracy pre-supposes.
An enemy that wishes to die for their country is the best sort to face - you both have the same aim in mind.
Science flies you to the moon, religion flies you into buildings.
"If you can't trust the local kleptocrat whom you installed by force and prop up with billions of annual dollars, who can you trust?" Lemur
If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain.
The best argument against democracy is a five minute talk with the average voter. Winston Churchill
True, the terms left and right are very generalized but as a whole the left shows much more of a "I'm going to take my ball and go home" mentality if they don't like everything about the candidate, even if the opposing candidate would be much worse. I heard so many people who identify as liberal/left railing about how they wouldnt vote for Hillary since she was so horrible. And yet now are complaining about the changes Trump is making. She might not have been the preferred candidate for many, but after seeing everything done over the past year I would be shocked if most of those wouldnt prefer Hillary elected over Trump. Engage your brain all you want when you vote, but if your vote isnt advancing your agenda in some way, did you really engage your brain at all?
The election between Roy Moore and Doug Jones in Alabama is a perfect example of this. Alabama is one of the most pro-life states in the country. Doug Jones, the Democrat, is pro-choice. I would be shocked if he won, as I have heard people are going to hold their nose and vote for Moore just because he is pro-life. But Jones couldnt be pro-life, as that would put him at odds with the Democrats as a whole. If Democrats want to start winning locally again they need to drop the purity tests and run candidates who would win in their area depending on their values, not the ones who would win in already heavily blue areas.
Last edited by Hooahguy; 12-04-2017 at 17:14.
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
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Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
This is important. Voting is not a civic duty - civic participation is a civic duty. There should be no such thing as a "symbolic" vote.Engage your brain all you want when you vote, but if your vote isnt advancing your agenda in some way, did you really engage your brain at all?
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Robert Mueller has given a subpoena Deutsche Bank for Trump's financial records.
Link
Considering that the bank has already been fined for a Russian money laundering scheme earlier this year, I am intriguedThe new revelation makes it clear that Mueller and his team are investigating the president’s financial transactions. It is not clear whether Mueller is interested in the bank accounts because they are connected to the Russia probe or if he is investigating another matter.
Wonder what Donny is going to say about this. Didnt he say something a while back how looking into his finances was a red line or something?
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
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Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
Requesting suggestions for new sig.
-><- GOGOGO GOGOGO WINLAND WINLAND ALL HAIL TECHNOVIKING!SCHUMACHER!
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Erik Prince, Oliver North, and the private security/intelligence operations thing again.
“Pompeo can’t trust the CIA bureaucracy, so we need to create this thing that reports just directly to him,” said a former senior U.S. intelligence official with firsthand knowledge of the proposals, in describing White House discussions. “It is a direct-action arm, totally off the books,” this person said, meaning the intelligence collected would not be shared with the rest of the CIA or the larger intelligence community. “The whole point is this is supposed to report to the president and Pompeo directly.”According to two former senior intelligence officials, Pompeo has embraced the plan and has lobbied the White House to approve the contract. Asked for comment, a CIA spokesperson said, “You have been provided wildly inaccurate information by people peddling an agenda.”Michael Barry, who was recently named the National Security Council’s Senior Director for Intelligence Programs, worked closely with Erik Prince on a CIA assassination program during the Bush administration.
[...]
According to two people who have worked extensively with Prince in recent years, Prince has been contacting former Blackwater personnel who worked on a post-9/11 era CIA assassination program targeting Al Qaeda operatives. That program, which the Bush White House prohibited the CIA from disclosing to congressional intelligence committees, was revealed to Congress in 2009 by CIA Director Leon Panetta. The CIA says the program did not result in any assassinations.In some ways, these plans mirror operations Prince led during the Bush-Cheney administration. When Prince was running Blackwater, he and a former CIA paramilitary officer, Enrique Prado, set up a global network of foreign operatives, offering their “deniability” as a “big plus” for potential Blackwater customers, according to internal company communications obtained by The Intercept.Prince has long admired Oliver North and viewed his role in Iran-Contra as heroic, said the Prince associate. In 2007, Prince testified defiantly before Congress following the Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad, in which Blackwater operatives gunned down 17 Iraqi civilians, including women and children. Shortly after his testimony, Prince’s longtime friend, the conservative California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, praised the Blackwater chief. “Prince,” Rohrabacher said, “is on his way to being an American hero just like Ollie North was.”
[Rohrabacher? Mark that.]
North, a Marine lieutenant colonel on the Reagan National Security Council, oversaw a scheme to divert proceeds from illicit arms sales to Iran to Contra death squads in Nicaragua. The resulting scandal became known as the Iran-Contra affair, and North was convicted of three felonies, though these convictions were later thrown out.Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Come the on, this should never even be up for discussion.
The aspiring dictator always seeks to subsume the instruments of state, and finally replace them as instruments of the party (or the household). Slap it down.
I feel like there must be some Roman aphorism applicable here.
Last edited by Montmorency; 12-05-2017 at 18:23.
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
I had no idea about this development, thanks for posting.
It really is a scary thing to discuss, and the even more terrifying thing is that a good portion of the country will be totally okay with it because its Trump.
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
Visited:
Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
Does this suffice?I feel like there must be some Roman aphorism applicable here.
Nam si violandum est jus, regnandi gratia violandum est: aliis rebus pietatem colas
"If you must break the law, do it only to seize power: in all other cases observe it" - Julius Caesar.
"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"
-Abraham Lincoln
Four stage strategy from Yes, Minister:
Stage one we say nothing is going to happen.
Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
Stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we can do.
Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it's too late now.
It's baffling how those people look to Trump as a champion of the downtrodden, and keep doing so. Trump blasted the ACA, praised the healthcare system of Australia and possibly others, yet he has only supported initiatives that would be a huge step back from that perspective.
Republican congressmen may think of him as a burden, but my guess is that the 'swamp' is actually pleased with him. He could dismantle ACA, demolish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, pass sweeping tax cuts that largely benefit the rich and scores of other things that the Republican establishment likes. Meanwhile, his base keeps supporting him because they can always be distracted by tweets about black athletes or Crooked Hillary
The GOP base, most of whom are NOT rich but advocate/adhere to "country mouse" values were staunchly against the ACA. The Tax Reform bill is likely to be popular as well, at least among the GOP base.
The GOP establishment Pols have trouble with Trump because of his asshat behaviors. They are deeply worried that, while picking up points with Trump base for supporting some of the policies on immigration and the like, Trump will undercut all their support with an asinine tweet just before the vote is taken -- Trump loves inflammatory messages and none of the GOP establishment want to pay the price for Trump's outrage de jour.
"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken
And what an amateur hour this administration is with Trump as tweeter in chief.
After a numbing list of "didn't quite get it done" legislative efforts, Trump's administration finally gets a success on a piece of legislation that was part of Trump's stated agenda, following which the Stock Market stays above 24k for the first time in history and revised growth figures top 3% for the third straight quarter and unemployment drops another tenth of a point....
Does the administration make a concerted effort to show off this economic success? To let the GOP enjoy the achievement and reinforce that things are getting better under their leadership?
Not at all. Instead they bury their own success in a furor over acknowledging the Israeli capital is Jerusalem.
AMATEUR HOUR in DC
"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken
The Tax Bill isn't done yet.
I'd prefer to discuss it once it either fails or is signed into law.This is a big problem. The Senate bill brings the normal corporate rate down to 20 percent — while leaving the alternative minimum rate at … 20 percent. The legislation would still allow corporations to claim a wide variety of tax credits and deductions — it just renders all them completely worthless. Companies can either take no deductions, and pay a 20 percent rate — or take lots of deductions … and pay a 20 percent rate.
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
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