d13thecolonel says:Now, all you philosophers out there…….you are now the POTUS. Your administration has been rocked by the resignation Flynn…..and rightly so. ( Meaning, no argument from D13 ).
Russia has sent a spy ship along the Eastern Coast of the United States. Not the regular little ships that observe, but a ship that is designed to intercept all radio, telecommunication, and private communications. ( Cold War Style ). 70 statute miles off the coast.
Russia has now deployed a missile in violation of a Treaty. From the NYT..”The ground-launched cruise missile at the center of American concerns is one that the Obama administration said in 2014 had been tested in violation of a 1987 treaty that bans American and Russian intermediate-range missiles based on land. The Obama administration had sought to persuade the Russians to correct the violation while the missile was still in the test phase. Instead, the Russians have moved ahead with the system, deploying a fully operational unit.
Russia Is Moving Ahead With Missile Program That Violates Treaty, U.S. Officials Say OCT. 19, 2016
Vladimir Putin Exits Nuclear Security Pact, Citing ‘Hostile Actions’ by U.S. OCT. 3, 2016
Michael Flynn Resigns as National Security Adviser FEB. 13, 2017
With Michael Flynn Gone, Russia Sees a Different Trump FEB. 14, 2017
Iran Launches a Missile, Testing Trump’s Vows of Strict Enforcement JAN. 30, 2017
Administration officials said the Russians now have two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile. One is still located at Russia’s missile test site at Kapustin Yar in southern Russia near Volgograd. The other was shifted in December from that test site to an operational base elsewhere in the country, according to a senior official.
China now claiming parts of the South China Sea and building military bases and claiming extensions of 200 miles territorial limits taking in other Island Nations.
December, 2016….The Obama administration, not content to let an opportunity to antagonize Russia pass by, has announced the acceleration of pre-planned troop deployments to counter “Russian aggression” in eastern Europe.
THere are a couple more interesting developments that goes along with a current 57% reduction in US armed forces and readiness. But, let’s stop here…..
What do you do if anything?
Black Flag®
commonman55
d13thecolonel
gman
Just A Citizen
Life of Illusion
Jon Smith
USWeapon
Stand Up For America 
Let’er rip folks 😎
D13, What exactly did Flynn do wrong that was leaked? The next question is….how many people are going down because of this leak?
What exactly did Flynn do wrong that was leaked?
He violated the Logan act by discussing sanctions with a Russian ambassador. Private citizens are not allowed to conduct foreign policy – especially, they’re not allowed to undermine the current President in the process. (note that no one has ever been prosecuted under the Logan Act, though he may be the first).
He then lied, or materially misrepresented his conversations with the President / VP.
In actuality, his crime was getting caught and embarrassing the White House.
The next question is….how many people are going down because of this leak?
Probably just him. I imagine he’ll be an effective cutout and, having collected their pound of flesh, the media will sedately go back to being non-critical. Meanwhile, the oversight committee will, of course, do nothing so long as the guy in the Oval Office is wearing the right color jersey.
Maybe – MAYBE – there will be an FBI investigation into undue Russian influence in the White House, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/18/obama.trip/index.html?iref=nextin
Hi V.H.!
Excellent observation.
At first blush, this would also appear to be a violation of the Logan act (assuming he discussed anything specific in an effort to influence their actions – a safe assumption). Though I’m not an actual lawyer (paging Buck!), I’d venture a guess that he probably did violate the act, too. As I said, no one has ever been prosecuted under Logan.
Also, not for nothing, regardless of the law, just looking at what was done, we can see a substantive difference. Obama goes abroad and asks for de facto endorsements. He talks about a strong and peaceful america that is friends with everyone and how all relations will improve yada yada yada. Did he make any actual offers or requests that weren’t fluff? I don’t know – not that I know of, anyway. It was just one big campaign photo op. Meanwhile Flynn, made a phone call to a Russian ambassador and told him to ignore Obama’s sanctions because Trump would be rolling them back, thus undermining the official position of the US government.
Put another way, Obama’s was a political stunt to bolster his foreign policy credentials. Flynn was conducting actual foreign policy directly contradicting the then-current stance of the American government. Regardless of the legalities involved, those two are very different.
Why do you keep claiming to know what Flynn said when that information hasn’t been released, even by so called sources. I’m going to guess that the Liberal media you frequent is passing out Bullshit again. My suggestion is to wait for more accurate information, from a reliable source.
Here’s a thought. This is retaliation from Yates. If so, she will likely get exposed and be in some serious trouble. This is a wild guess, though.
I’m going to guess that the Liberal media you frequent is passing out Bullshit again
Hey, now. I spend most of my time here on SUFA!
Is SUFA now a liberal media site?
Why do you keep claiming to know what Flynn said when that information hasn’t been released,
Link.
My suggestion is to wait for more accurate information, from a reliable source.
It may be 20 years before all the details come to light. I’ll act on my best information. I’m not a court who needs to convict him beyond a shadow of a doubt. I can do so with the preponderance of evidence at my disposal.
Here’s a thought. This is retaliation from Yates.
Anything to support that assertion?
And, let’s say it’s true, and that the current Flynn narrative is also true. Does the fact that it’s “retaliation” change anything about the right-ness or wrong-ness of what Flynn did?
———-
And just to clarify, let’s assume the Flynn narrative (as I present it above) is 100% accurate. Do you think he did anything wrong and/or should resign and/or should be prosecuted?
I Will Have Disagree On The Breaking Of The Logan Act, since the FBI has already stated that there was no violation. He did violate the trust, but doubt that anything beyond this will have any teeth. Watching Pelosi make an ass of herself again was great. 🙂 This is becoming a common theme, Democrats eating their feet.
As I said: “In actuality, his crime was getting caught and embarrassing the White House.”
He did do that. Do you think the Democrats are over reacting?
Yes and no.
As V.H. pointed out (above), Obama (probably) violated the Logan Act himself when he went abroad as a candidate to speak to foreign leaders and bolster his foreign policy credentials. The truth is, insofar as legalities are concerned, no one gives a shit about the Logan Act.
If people took it seriously and it were enforced, every citizen who does anything to try to impact a foreign government’s policy would be in jail. Bono would probably have consecutive life sentences. Bill Gates, too.
That said, let’s forget about the law. The real question here is “did Flynn do something wrong.” Not “illegal,” but “wrong” or, perhaps, “improper.” And, I think, the answer is yes.
Obama, when he went abroad did a lot of glad handing and offered a lot of puffery about restoring good relations and America being a good global citizen again and yada yada yada. Now, maybe, he said something behind a closed door that we don’t know about that would change my opinion here, but I can’t really get worked up over this kind of nonsense.
What Flynn did, however, was back channel to Russia and tell them to ignore the official government’s actions Trump would be rolling them back soon. That is a much more serious issue. That’s actively and deliberately undermining the current administration. Even if it’s technically illegal, that’s not the real issue here. The issue here is that Trump wasn’t President, so his people had no business undermining the then-current President’s policies.
Nor, for that matter, is it appropriate or a good-omen that he lied about what was said and only came clean once he was caught dead-to-rights because the line was recorded.
——–
So, yea, there’s something here, but it’s not an earth shattering -gate level scandal. Flynn is right to go, and there should probably be an investigation to tie up loose ends and see if this goes any higher. But, again, my issue isn’t that this is a violation of the law – my issue is that this is pretty damn inappropriate.
———–
WITH THAT SAID, Mathius just dredged up an ancient memory from way, way back. The exact specifics elude me (SK was there, you could probably ask him).
Anyway, before Lincoln was sworn in, Buchanan gave the order to abandon some fort (Ft. Buchanan?) to the confederate forces. Lincoln quietly reached out to the generals and instructed them to be prepared to immediately retake the fort as soon as he was sworn in.
Now, if I’m going to gripe, not about legality, but about propriety of an incoming President undermining a seated President on policy, I would be remiss not to include Mr. Lincoln’s actions as equally (if not more) improper.
The fact that I (generally) agree with Lincoln’s goals does not change matters.
———
With all that factored together, as regards the topic at hand, in my personal opinion: Obama was fine, Flynn was not, Lincoln was not.
At the end of the day, the President is the President until a new one is sworn in. If you are not the President (or otherwise authorized), you are a private citizen, and private citizens are not permitted to conduct foreign policy in opposition to the current administration.
“At the end of the day, the President is the President until a new one is sworn in. If you are not the President (or otherwise authorized), you are a private citizen, and private citizens are not permitted to conduct foreign policy in opposition to the current administration.”
People can do whatever they like, and are rightful as long as they are not violating anyone. Anyone who acts on the false notion that people need a presiturd’s permission to talk to foreigners, is grossly mistaken and in need of psychiatric therapy, IMHO.
The reality is that a presiturd is a made up concept, premised on magical superpowers that don’t really exist. The whole situation is dependent upon people living in a faux world.
Jim,
This is what I’m talking about.
I get it – again, I really do – in your world view, in a perfect anarchist society, you can talk to anyone you want about anything at any time for any reason. Further, you can set up camp on the national mall (unless someone has claimed it first) since the “government” isn’t real and can’t own things. Further, you could develop and own nuclear weapons since only the offensive or collateral use of said weapons would be immoral. Further, you can walk around buck naked in public. And so on.
But that’s not the world in which we live. Insisting we frame our conversation in this world-view is counterproductive.
Even stipulating that you have the above rights, it doesn’t change that you don’t have the above rights – IN PRACTICE.
In practice, in objective reality, there is a government and it operates (nominally) on your behalf to exercise control over the region in which you live. Like it? Don’t like it? It doesn’t matter, because the government is here and it isexercising control.
To that end, one of the functions of government, whether you like it or not, whether moral or not, is to perform foreign policy. This is one of many areas wherein government claims a monopoly. Whether that monopoly is legitimate or not is irrelevant because – IN PRACTICE – that’s the way it works. IN PRACTICE the government is the only one who gets to influence policy with other governments. So when you exercise foreign policy in defiance of the government, now you’re butting heads.
And, thick as your skull may be, directly butting heads with the government is rarely a good idea.
That does not change that it is not real.
A movie is real people acting as other people, using all sorts of ‘real’ props and at a real location, etc. But it is only a fantasy, even though they are really there saying and doing what they are. Government is the same way. It is all make-believe.
The thing is, it creates all these problems in the world, that otherwise would not exist. You don’t have to pretend that it is real.
Fine Jimmy.
Going forward, I would like you to mentally insert the idea of all questions as occurring during a movie.
In this movie, we shut up about anarchy and deal with the world as it is – in the movie.
So, in this movie the character of Flynn has undermined the President’s foreign policy agenda. And now we are trying to figure out what that means and whether it’s a big deal or not… in the movie.
Can we please move along now?
If we must play make-believe, can’t we pick a better movie? I was thinking “Pleasantville”. I rather like that one.
Mathius
His crime was not getting caught. Not in making the call.
It was getting caught lying to the VP and POTUS about the nature of the call.
Which begs the question: What if he had been straight with Pence and Trump on what he said. Assuming he said what the “intelligence officers” claim he said. What then?
Nobody has ever been prosecuted under the act. NOBODY. And some have done far worse than telling the Russians to chill out until the new guy is in office.
I think we know what he media headlines would look like and the what the picture would be each night of Pelosi drooling on herself while spewing venom about the Traitor in the White House.
By the way Mathius. Are you aware of how wide spread the accusation of Treason is among the left’s audience? That this idea of Trump being a Traitor has been spreading since before the election results or the revelations that Russia “might” have been involved in the DNC hacking.
By the way Mathius. Are you aware of how wide spread the accusation of Treason is among the left’s audience?
I am aware. It isn’t quite “mainstream,” but it’s not a small minority either. It helps/hurts that they are especially vocal.
Not to play games here, but let me turn that around:
By the way,
MathiusJac. Are you aware of how wide spread the accusation of Treason [against Obama] is among theleft’sright’s audience? That this idea ofTrumpObama being a Traitor has been spreading since before the election results.How extensive were the accusations that Obama was a secret Kenyan Manchurian Candidate working for the Mullahs or something, and/or that he was a terrorist sympathizer and/or that he founded ISIS and/or that he hates America and wants to destroy it. Et cetera. This was highly effective in crippling Obama and fomenting opposition from the get-go. It should hardly be surprising that there are those on the left who saw the efficacy of this tactic and were more than happy to turn it around now that the shoe is on the other foot.
If you invent a weapon, you can be certain the other side is going to use that same weapon against you in the next conflict.
Mathius
I think you are exaggerating the similarities and especially the impact on the two administrations.
Big difference between Info Wars spreading stuff and a Congresswoman calling for Impeachment due to treason. She had to back off and that and went to the position of “we will be watching”.
I also dispute your claim that the Islamist accusations handcuffed Obama from the start. None of the mainstream Republicans were spewing that stuff. They were treading very carefully in the beginning because Obama was …….. so popular. And Black.
Whether or not he actually violated the Act dpes not matter at this point. To me, it appears that he had….but hell, everyone does…..I have two issues…..(1) He lied or misrepresented or mis-spoke..whatever mantra you want to put on it….and (2) it was leaked from anonymous ( and I hate anonymous because it cannot be proven ) intelligence sources that his phone transmissions were picked up IN THE UNITED STATES. Presumably without a warrant and then leaked, which to my knowledge is, unprecedented. It was leaked with the full intent on bringing him down and bringing Trump down…..both are beyond the pail. I am feeling “moles”. That is my problem.
This particular incident is not REpublican nor Democrat and any reference to it on those lines is nothing but smokescreen. I am NOT feeling good about this…..and not from a political standpoint from a National Security standpoint.
I went through this with Clinton when all our codes and phone numbers were on her server that got hacked. It was readily apparent that it happened because we saw the fallout down here……we dealt with it….But this….bugging of the soon to be National Security Advisor for political purposes and to bring down an Adminitration……I am a pissed off person right now.
that his phone transmissions were picked up IN THE UNITED STATES.
He was in the US, but the ambassador was not. I could be wrong, but I would think this still technically qualifies as foreign communications.
and then leaked, which to my knowledge is, unprecedented.
I’m not thrilled with all the leaks either. I think there’s a serious problem here. The sausage cannot get made properly when everything is leaking all over the place.
It was leaked with the full intent on bringing him down and bringing Trump down
Probably. But assertion is not supported by facts in evidence.
and not from a political standpoint from a National Security standpoint.
SAME!!
But that still doesn’t excuse Flynn’s actions as a whole separate issue.
bugging of the soon to be National Security Advisor for political purposes and to bring down an Adminitration
They weren’t bugging him. They were bugging the Russians. He just so happened to have called a bugged line. There is a world of difference here.
I am a pissed off person right now.
Maybe a Dr. Pepper would cool you off?
… or a Red Bull?
Agreed, it was a “tapped” line………and it was International and it is a normal thing to do on such calls. However, I am withholding judgement, here, on the phone call. All we have to go on is a leaked report from an unnamed source and to quote you……no substantiation of what was said. There is no other reason for a leak, except to bring someone down. That is my assertion, and until you can prove me wrong……..
Now, that said. The only issue that I have is that Flynn lied about “something” to the VP. THAT IS INEXCUSABLE. We still do not know what the truth is and we will, as always, never find out. However, I do not see Flynn as a scape goat. I do not seeing him “falling on his sword” to protect Trump or the VP. Flynn lied or misrepresented or whatever the hell you want to call it….and did what any honorable military person would do….it is the code…..he took responsibility and left. That is what one does.
I also believe that the entire established politician is scared totally to death and does not want a Trump Presidency to exist. I believe that there are moles in the establishment and they will continue to leak until one is caught and is locked away in your basement for life….without grog and without Red Bull. They should have to listen to Hoot Gibson records 24/7, fed uncooked brocolli with no cheese, ro be washed down with flat seltzer water at 100 degrees.
Damn I feel better.
All we have to go on is a leaked report from an unnamed source and to quote you
The only issue that I have is that Flynn lied about “something” to the VP. THAT IS INEXCUSABLE.
Now, THAT, we don’t know.
He said he provided incomplete / inaccurate information. The administration says the same thing.
But if he’s a willing patsy…. well, maybe he told them everything and he’s just falling on his sword? Idle speculation, but why would the guy lie to his own people about something like this?
However, I do not see Flynn as a scape goat. I do not seeing him “falling on his sword” to protect Trump or the VP.
See, this is what happens when I start responding as I read.
Well, sir, I’m not sold. I think he could very well be a scape goat. He’s toast either way – might as well spare his bosses.
I also believe that the entire established politician is scared totally to death and does not want a Trump Presidency to exist.
Shifting gears a bit here.
Trump has spent the last year or so virulently attacking the establishment. Of course they’re hostile to him.
Maybe it’s not so much that they’re “scared” as that they hate him and want to hurt him?
Same with the press – it’s probably not so much that they’re scared of him, but that he’s spent months attacking them and calling them fake and liars about their life’s work.. well, of course they’re going to be biased against him now.
If you spend a year being a jerk to me, I’m liable to hold a grudge.
I believe that there are moles in the establishment and they will continue to leak until one is caught and is locked away in your basement for life
Nine people leaked this one piece of information. Safe to assume there are a great many such moles and rooting them all out is going to be tough.
Also, I do not accept moles in my basement. I’m keeping that cell vacant for an old friend…
Has anyone considered, you know, not giving a shit about Sino-Russian sphere’s of influence and/or militarization? Hey, maybe if we stop being an interventionalist bully, they’ll fight with each other for a while instead and we can focus on other things.
Look, I grew up in the 80’s. Right up until the wall fell, I remember people freaking out that the bombs would be falling any moment and we’d all be dead. We had evac and duck-and-cover drills. My elementary school had an underground shelter. I remember wondering what the hell hiding under my desk was going to do about a nuclear blast.
So, yea, I get it.
But, shrug.
As far as I’m aware, our nukes still work and, even if Trump doesn’t know what the nuclear triad is, I do. MAD is still in effect, so I’m not so concerned about a physical confrontation. Anything short of that is a pissing contest and I have better things to interest myself with. Especially, I don’t want to get dragged into a new Vietnam or Korean war even if I am passed the draft age.
Russia and China can strut around pretending like they’re the big kids of the block, but the US is the biggest kid around – by far – and we carry the big stick. We can afford to walk softly. If someone needs us to thump their skull for them, that can be arranged, but otherwise, I’ve got nothing to prove.
—–
So, your position is to do nothing…correct?
Mostly nothing.
Maybe economic sanctions if it comes to it.
Big Stick if it comes to that.
But I don’t see the value of being purposefully antagonistic and escalating situations that don’t require escalation. We ARE the biggest baddest guy on the block. There’s no need to saber rattle just to save some face or look tough. They both know we can kick their teeth in any time we choose.
——–
With that said, were I President, I would be having extensive conversations with relevant experts rather than going off-the-cuff. So take my stance for what it is – the casual opinions of a civvy.
Well. I have never seen sanctions work….the only people that get hurt are the nomads.
What would your diagram of “the big stick”**** be like? What would it take you to employ such a thing?
*****visions of George Scott in the movie Dr. Strangelove…..” but, he will see the big board.”
I love that movie so much.
Well. I have never seen sanctions work
They work. Just sloooowwly.
What would your diagram of “the big stick”**** be like?
What would it take you to employ such a thing?
My philosophy on reprisals is that I’ll allow a certain amount of aggression against myself. Up to a point. Cross said point and you get your skull thumped. There’s no point in tit-for-tat when you hold the upper hand. Simply make clear what your “bright lines” are, and if someone tests them, make sure they only do so once.
It’s ok to be.. overly enthusiastic.. about how you wield said stick. The goal is to ensure that you don’t have to use it more than absolutely necessary.
Draw me a scenario, and I’ll let you know my initial thoughts. But, generally, violence is only warranted as a response to violence.
So, for example, the annexing of Crimea might have resulted in a “gas line accident” at Putin’s home.
They actually were at each others throats for 50 years until Obama in another great Foreign Policy success brought them back together.
See below on some recent thought on the Ukraine thing and yes, somebody should ask Gorbachev!
By the by, it was normal and quite common for Soviet “fishing trawlers” to come close to our coast, Cape Canaveral, splashdown sites and naval maneuvers during the cold war. So normal in fact that Revell did this…….
http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/161667.aspx
Another reason the Russians did the Crimea thing when they did it which I had forgotten about. After Western meddling in the Ukraine and the overthrow of the legitimate government there was a call for NATO expansion into the Ukraine which some dopes actually thought a good idea.
Correct me if I am wrong but there is that sticky little part of NATO which says an attack on one is an attack on all. Ergo, the Russians had to move NOW. As long as Ukraine stayed truly neutral, there was no problem but German-American intervention in Kiev basically ended that.
Funny, all the blogs I comment on, all the written pieces I ask the same question and never get an answer. Since Mikhail Gorbachev is the big hero in the West for dismantling the Evil empire, why is it that NO ONE asks him what the side deal was on NATO expansion. They may not like the answer.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/27/europe/gorbachev-ukraine-russia-ban/
I will give you an in depth answer, which I have before, but will do it again….but it has to wait until this afternoon….gotta fly the plane to Addison, Tx for its annual inspection.
Not really necessary. I know your points which are valid as far as they go. What i consider important is the deal/promises made, even if in private. This Gorbachev article coupled with my suddenly remembering that Article 5 thing about an attack on one etc. explains everything!
Gorbachev is NOT a popular figure in Russia. he could have been up there with Peter the Great but the precipitous way he crashed the country was just nuts. For openers, with the Ukraine, since the country as a country really has no history asking for a quid pro quo (the Crimea) back would have been a no brainer.
Russia will not play second fiddle to anyone and rightly so. Neither the Swedes, Poles French or Germans were successful and boy they tried. Some of the places they have been given up are really like the US surrendering Alaska or even TEXAS.
You and I probably will part here a little……”What i consider important is the deal/promises made, even if in private.”
The deal and promises made in writing is what matters…….not slaps on the back at the bar with private deals.
Oh……as to Texas……no need to surrender Texas….we will gladly leave for our own Republic. DPM will be named Secetary of the Navy. Hell, we have a nuclear sub now and a 40 cannon Spanish Galleon.
To Mexico!
I’m old school, handshake and a slap on the back still mean a lot to me.
Agreed, if you and I were doing business…..not between countries or political hacks tho…..Hell, I am good friends with some politicians and I still count my fingers when we shake hands.
DPM will be named Secetary of the Navy
You can name me whatever you like, but I’m not interested in being a part of some government – no, not even Texas. You should know better than that.
I still do have that Texas privateer licence framed in my stateroom on the Hammer though.
Hell, we have a nuclear sub now and a 40 cannon Spanish Galleon.
Who is “we,” Tanto?
The Thor’s Hammer is mine, sir.
I promised you, our secret will be kept.
If this call happened in Dec. and if the agencies involved followed the chain of command, the information should have been forwarded to Obama. So what did Obama know and when did he know it? If he knew before Jan 20, then he could have picked up the phone and called Trump and told him to knock it off. More likely he would bury the info and use it as it is being used now to embarrass Trump.
I remember Pelosi visiting Assad before the 2004 elections trying to make Bush look bad. McCain meets with many foreign leaders. HRC sold favors. This is small potatoes. What is more troubling is the meddling of the intelligence community in domestic politics and the sabotage of holdovers.
Am I the only one that sees the irony of McCarthyism being alive and well in the Democratic Party?
We are witnessing an attempted Coup by the deep state within our Govt. The Democratic Party leadership and many Republicans are going along.
At the heart of the supposed Russian crisis was the audacity of Trump to speak well of the Russian leader and to propose normalizing relationships with Russia, along with all other countries of the world.
Trumps failure is in not realizing how big the opposition would be to his goals and then preparing adequately to deal with it.
Right now he has to be sitting in the big chair thinking “Holy crap, this is far worse than even I ever imagined.”
No, you are not!
I don’t have a problem with “normalizing” Russian relations.
I don’t necessarily agree with Trump’s characterization of Putin as a “great” leader or “highly respected.” But that’s not my concern either.
I DO have an issue with Trump benefitting from a concerted effort by a foreign power to commit criminal acts of hacking in order to manipulate our elections. I have an issue with Candidate Trump applauding and encouraging such efforts.
——
Amazingly, I also have an issue with how leaky the government seems to have gotten as of late surrounding the Trump administration.
I don’t know that I can quite reach your conclusions of McCarthyism (what? How?) or of an attempted coup (come on!), but I do agree that he is (for better or worse) upsetting a lot of institutional people/powers that are… reacting.
Mathius
McCarthyism……….. Listen to the Democratic Party leaders, opinion leaders and Republican RHINOS. The Russians are coming, they have infiltrated everywhere, they own the President, yada, yada, yada.
I think you are spreading the mis-characterization by Trump of Putin, that was created by Clinton’s opposition machine.
Trump’s comments about Putin’s stature was relative to how Putin is viewed in Russia. How Putin was a strong leader for HIS PEOPLE, as in the people of Russia.
Notice the visceral reaction against Trump for daring to speak the truth that the US’s hands are not so clean either. So why are we picking on Russia so damn much??
I personally had no issue with Trump joking around about the Russians hacking Clinton. Because I saw it as a joke, playing off the rumors being spread by Clinton and the DNC that it was the Russians. I saw Trump as just playing off the paranoia being spread by Clinton’s people. Remember, Trump reads all those conspiracy and “fake news” blurbs on the twitter, facebook, etc,, etc..
By the way, some Democratic operatives were trying to claim Trump violated the Logan Act by calling for Russia to hack Clinton. So this idea of sticking Trump with the Logan Act has been around since last summer, at least.
McCarthyism……….. Listen to the Democratic Party leaders, opinion leaders and Republican RHINOS. The Russians are coming, they have infiltrated everywhere, they own the President, yada, yada, yada.
OK.. fine.. I see where you’re going with that… but, no.
McCarthyism was partially about that kind of paranoia, sure, but that wasn’t the really onerous part of it. That big problem was HUAC.*
The real issue with McCarthyism (that haunts Republicans to this day) is how HUAC persecuted private citizens and terrorized innocent men and women (especially Hollywood types) with baseless accusations of Communist sympathy. Recall the infamous Blacklists, and the extortion to give up names even when the victims had no names to give.
In short, McCarthyism was a political with hunt by a fear-mongering political party for both political gain and to damage its enemies.
In this sense, I’d say that Bush Jr.’s terrorism policies come a lot closer
———
Speaking of McCarthy:
Andrew McCarthy in the National Review.
———
*Due to an oddity of American vernacular, McCarthyism encompasses the whole idea of paranoid persecution and fear mongering as it relates to supposed Communist infiltration of the ’30-’60’s, but interestingly, McCarthy himself wasn’t actually even a member of of HUAC itself.
And virtually everyone McCarthy himself accused of being a Communist sympathizer or agent was found to be a Communist agent.
The irony of the use of McCarthyism as a vile label is that McCarthy did not release names but held his investigations in private.
This past election cycle Chris Matthews was claiming that Ted Cruz was guilty of the most vile form of modern McCarthyism possible. The meme grew among the left like wildfire.
An example of how “opinion leaders” can fix an idea and how modern media spreads it faster than ever before.
Oh yes, the “terrorist sympathizers” in the white house is similar. Except that there were sympathizers in the White House.
Mathius
Just a small taste of the Red Scare now running through the Dem brains.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/the-deeper-concern-behind-mike-flynns-resignation/516630/
Note the implications of all the inuendo and speculations. That we can NEVER have a Businessman or woman as POTUS if that person is a Success Internationally.
I will again raise my own concerns, however, about potential conflicts of interest with Mr. Trump and his business dealings.
I get where you’re coming from – and that’s hardly the Atlantic’s best work – but let me ask you for some perspective.
Someone was releasing hacked emails on wikileaks that played a big role in Trump’s winning of the election. Yes?
Trump reveled in it. Praised it. Called for more of it. And, even if it wasn’t the deciding factor, undoubtedly gained from it.
It is the judgement of the national security apparatus that that “someone” is Russia.
Ergo, even if though no fault of his own, Trump was a major personal beneficiary of Russian manipulation of our election.
It stands to reason, therefore, that if nothing else, Trump should bear a higher than average level of scrutiny and a weaker presumption of innocence as regards his administration’s actions / policies toward Russia.
——
If a foreign government goes out of its way to get you elected, I’m going to regard you warily when you’re making policies regarding that government. Surely, that’s not unreasonable.
Mathius
I think it unreasonable in the context of the two candidates stated positions. Trump’s was for normalizing relations. But he held this view before running, so the connection to Russian hacking, remember this is still not proven, is pretty weak.
Russia sees two choices. Clinton who has been rattling the sword and has proven willing to upset countries in favor of radical change, for what ever reason. And Trump, who had a record of business around the world and expressed a desire to stop interfering in other’s business.
So it is easy to see why Russia would prefer Trump. He may have gained from their hacking, or he may not have. This is not the same as Trump being a Russian puppet. And it does not justify, in my view, looking at Trump with this jaundiced eye, which you seem to be doing.
Now, does Russia’s involvement deserve an objective and complete investigation? Yes. Should we watch closely to see if there is some funny business with Russia regarding Trump businesses and his decisions? Yes.
By the way, where has all the talk about China’s meddling in our political system and hacking of Govt. servers gone? How is it that it was the Chinese last year and now it is the Russians? Could it be because Trump was acting friendly towards Russia instead of China? So the powers that be had to change the daily narrative to focus on Russia?
Mathius, I think there are powerful forces afoot that we do not understand. I would cherish a true investigation into what is really happening and who is involved. We may be shocked by the results. Which is why we will likely never see it happen.
Mathius, If those emails said nothing of importance to affect the elections, they would be useless. There was a lot of things that affected the outcome of the election yet there is only assumptions based on opinions rather than facts. Here’s a curious thought that may prove that the emails played a very small role…..NO POLLS to support the claim the emails had a major impact. If there were such polls, they would have been all over the MSM. YET….Nada
I think that we can forget about any type of criminal stuff about Flynn. The evidence would not be admissible in court, UNLESS there was a legal warrant to record such conversations. I haven’t heard of a warrant.
The war hawks are sure showing their feathers.
I would really like to see chapter and verse. These are the same blockheads that assured us there were WMD’s in Iraq.
Say, does anyone care about the Podesta deals with Russia?
@JAC…….”What i consider important is the deal/promises made, even if in private.”
Nope!!!
Crapola forgot to copy….disregard the above answer, sir…I will try again.
@ JAC…..”Am I the only one that sees the irony of McCarthyism being alive and well in the Democratic Party?”
There !!! and my answer is NOPE.
@Mathius,
…shutting up about you know what…
What do you think about this part of the script?;
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Could you please explain to me what exactly this is about?
Sure, it means people have the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness….
And then, in order to ensure these, the paragraph continues.. “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,”
In other words, we like those things (life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness) and recognize the rights as fundamental and intrinsic… but because we recognize that people suck, we can’t have everything we want, so we’ll set up a government to help ensure those rights as best we can.
In other words, it’s a compromise!
You are batting zero unfortunately!
Did I imagine the part I quoted? How do you interpret that portion?
What is government?
What about those who do not consent?
What is government?
Hey, you posted the first sentence.. I just continued onto the next. You tell me.
If Jefferson was making no sense seconds later, it hardly follows that we should accept as gospel his initial thoughts.
What about those who do not consent?
Sucks to be them. That’s why they set up a representative democracy. Majority rules*.
*Except when voting for President. Because, screw the populous states.
Mathius
Your confusion is in thinking they set up a representative democracy.
They set up a Constitutional Republic. The only thing remotely “democratic” about it was the election of the House of Representatives.
“You tell me”
It is a system of social organization whereby people organize to choose other people to have religious ceremonies, say magic special words, use stamps and seals, tapestry, then write on paper dictating how everyone is to live and who they are to be and what they are to own, then send an army of people in super hero costumes with weapons to make everyone within a specified geographical area do what the paper says or else be punished with up to and including death.
In short, it is simply a system of organization based on religion and murder.
“Sucks to be them.”
Do you consent to my demands upon your life? What if I were forceful about it? I guess it would suck to be you, huh?
…or would I need a couple of friends to make it a majority? Would it still suck to be you?
JAC,
There is no substantial difference. It doesn’t matter what form of terrorism, it is nonetheless terrorism.
Sir Mathius……..” *Except when voting for President. Because, screw the populous states.”
You just can’t resisit……can you.
You just can’t resisit……can you.
Nope.
Just cruised some news web sites. Dems calling for Flynn to testify because “we need to know what he said and when he said it”. “We need to know if he was told to make the calls”.
Uhhhhh, does not the NSA and FBI have the recordings of the phone calls. Did not the Asst. Director of DOJ brief the White House counsel on the conversations? Which of course means the DOJ KNOWS what was said.
The only questing unanswered is whether Trump or someone else told Flynn to make the calls. But why does that matter at this point? We know that nobody is going to be guilty of violating the Logan Act. And we can be pretty sure Flynn isn’t going to rollover on Trump or Bannon.
Conclusion: Great political theater. Meanwhile the leaking of National Intelligence methods is going without investigation or serious outrage by those same politicians.
Political witch hunts are nothing new.
Recall Clinton’s emails, Solyndra, Planned Parenthood’s black market in fetus corpses (ha!), Clinton’s (Bill) affair, Benghazi (!!!), Fast & Furious, Scalia’s “murder,” Obama’s birth certificate, the IRA scandal (that turned out to have targeted more liberals than conservatives), and more.
Jesus, Benghazi.. The attack took place in 2012 and the report got released right before the election. I’m sure that wasn’t politically motivated at all…
Look, I get it, this is bullshit. And I object to it. But I don’t seem to remember you griping so much about the Republicans relentlessly “investigating” and holding hearings about everything that popped up on Infowars for 8 years. (Maybe you did, then I apologize). They spent the entire Obama administration relentlessly performing one giant act of witch-hunting political theater in this exact vein. For eight years, if Obama sneezed, the Republicans would put together a select committee to investigate.
But there’s another important thing you’re missing here: the blue shirts are in the minority. They don’t have the power to do squat about squat. So right now, they’re just making sound and fury, signifying nothing. Just ignore the squawking.
Mathius
Yes, you need to apologize. At least with regard to me not complaining about some of these investigations. Not that they were conducted but how they drug on and on and on. And yes, for political gain when advantageous.
However, let us not forget how the Administration and certain Dem. committee members tried to stonewall said investigations. Causing them to drag out. As I recall, I even commented on how the Dems may have been dragging their feet on purpose. Trying to keep the whole thing in the lime light, so to speak. Hoping to drop the bombshell at the end discrediting the Republicans as a population. And in the end, that is exactly what they tried to do. But it got lost in the noise of Clinton’s email scandal and then the revelations about the corruption in the Democratic National Committee and between the DNC, Clinton, and the media.
Couldn’t help but notice how you played that old trick of linking crazy conspiracy theories with actual issue like Benghazi. Your better than that.
I also think your exaggerating the propensity of Republicans to convene select committees.
But also lets recognize that they were investigating things which happened during the Administration and by the Administration.
What is going on right now is a presumption of guilt for Trump based on nothing he has done while POTUS.
This is more accurately compared to the attempts by still unknown actors to link Obama to the Islamic Jihad movement before he did anything in office to indicated such a linkage.
The difference is I do not remember any Republican leaders making those claims before or early in Obama’s first term. Today we see the Democratic party Congressmen and Senators making accusations and calling for witch hunts.
The squawking cannot be ignored because the PRESS is participating. Along with people within Govt. It is designed to destroy Trump’s presidency. Now, as I have said before, he is partly to blame. He is finding out there is a cost to accusing the Press of being corrupt and liars all the time.
And all this squawking is adding to the division in the country, at a time when we should be taking a short break from the vitriol.
Couldn’t help but notice how you played that old trick of linking crazy conspiracy theories with actual issue like Benghazi. Your better than that.
Just typed them as they popped into my head.
And I don’t think Benghazi is a “real issue” – but I don’t want to re-litigate that issue.
Yes, you need to apologize.
I apologize.
I also think your exaggerating the propensity of Republicans to convene select committees.
Guilty as charged.
They did not convene select committees when Obama sneezed.
But also lets recognize that they were investigating things which happened during the Administration and by the Administration.
Duly recognized.
What is going on right now is a presumption of guilt for Trump based on nothing he has done while POTUS.
False.
What is going on now is a call to investigate if there was any wrongdoing. Based not on “nothing,” but on the actions a key member of his staff.
This is more accurately compared to the attempts by still unknown actors to link Obama to the Islamic Jihad movement before he did anything in office to indicated such a linkage.
No. Because there was nothing to link Obama to “islamic Jihad movement,” whereas Flynn was caught on tape deliberately undermining the Obama administration’s foreign policy and then admitted to “misrepresenting” said conversation to the VP and others.
Not exactly equal.
The difference is I do not remember any Republican leaders making those claims before or early in Obama’s first term.
Odd. I do.
They were calling for investigations into his birth certificate before he was even sworn in.
Today we see the Democratic party Congressmen and Senators making accusations and calling for witch hunts.
Yup.
They have no power. All they can do is squawk.
The squawking cannot be ignored because the PRESS is participating.
Does this somehow make you read it or talk about it?
Along with people within Govt. It is designed to destroy Trump’s presidency.
Careful with words like “designed.” It suggests a coordinated plan. I don’t give the Blue Shirts that much credit.
They’re just throwing feces at the wall and seeing what sticks.
Every time they land a blow, they take a victory lap and send a mailer home about how they’re holding the administration to account.
But, yes, if they could “destroy” the Trump administration, I imagine a lot of Blue Shirts and members of the press would be quite pleased… at least until Pence took over..
Now, as I have said before, he is partly to blame.
General agreement. This has been an escalating war for some time now. I am saddened to see “my side” employing the worst tactics of the Red Shirts over the last 8 years. I would like to think that “we’re better than that,” but of course, “we” aren’t.
He is finding out there is a cost to accusing the Press of being corrupt and liars all the time.
Absolutely. You can’t spend a year shitting all over the press corp and then turn around and expect them to be completely impartial.
And all this squawking is adding to the division in the country, at a time when we should be taking a short break from the vitriol.
I agree.
… But….
Why do conservatives think that liberals need to play nice now that Republicans are in charge, but when Democrats were in charge, there was no need for conservatives to do so? Sort of hypocritical, no?
(and, yes, you’re exempted from the above paragraph)
Ah Ah AH……..Sir, Mathius says: “False…What is going on now is a call to investigate if there was any wrongdoing. Based not on “nothing,” but on the actions a key member of his staff.”
‘Scuse me sir……alleged…..show me the money.
“Flynn was caught on tape deliberately undermining the Obama administration’s foreign policy”
Prove it.
“He is finding out there is a cost to accusing the Press of being corrupt and liars all the time.
Absolutely. You can’t spend a year shitting all over the press corp and then turn around and expect them to be completely impartial.”
Of course you can…..but you can expect in one hand and shit in the other…..see which one fills up first.
“Why do conservatives think that liberals need to play nice now that Republicans are in charge, but when Democrats were in charge, there was no need for conservatives to do so? Sort of hypocritical, no?”
Very hypocritical……but I wonder what the Dems that are left think about Reid’s move to the nuclear option on voting…..wonder if he could be elected to head the Dem National Convention?
Prove it.
Happy to.. give us an investigation. If he’s exonerated, that’s great, too!
Of course you can…..but you can expect in one hand and shit in the other…..see which one fills up first.
Yup.
Very hypocritical……
Well at least we agree on something today.
but I wonder what the Dems that are left think about Reid’s move to the nuclear option on voting
They’re probably kicking themselves. If only someone had had the foresight to tell them it’s a bad idea….
All of which are true! And as the man says, the tape exists but was NOT released. Instead we have “facts?!”. What if, God forbid, he said something like, “We rally cannot discus that now, President Trump will have to take office first”.
Like I said before, chapter and verse.
A few questions about Russia and/or China 🙂
Does anyone think that either/or will actually invade the continental United States?
ME: Hell NO
Could either country’s economy survive a major war with the United States?
ME: Hell NO
Who thinks the current fear mongering about Russia is nothing more than a contrived line of BS put out by the war hawks (NEOCONS and NEOLIBS) and the Military Industrial Complex?
ME: Hell YES
Are the divisions going to continue to the point of some serious civil unrest and possible civil war?
ME: ? but concerned in the direction it’s heading.
Objection to #3.
You asked “who thinks” and then answered “Hell YES.”
Please try again.
———–
Are the divisions going to continue to the point of some serious civil unrest and possible civil war?
ME: ? but concerned in the direction it’s heading.
Don’t worry. We’ll have some crisis (there’s always something). There will be a call to national unity and, like good sheep, the entire left will shut up and bleatingly fall in line behind dear leader. See also 9/11.
The label of “soft of terrorism” or the claim that they were giving aid and comfort to the enemy in a time of was was sufficient to shut the Democratic Party up for years where they did nothing but take orders from Bush and hide under their congressional desks.
I was asking for opinions and giving mine at the same time, Objection overruled for lack of standing 🙂
Let’s hope your prediction of some crisis doesn’t come to pass. While it’s possible, if it were to happen the Democrats and some certain judges would be castrated and impotent for the foreseeable future. I would further erode Obama’s legacy and put the Democrats in such a hole it would take decades to recover, especially if Trump can successfully bring back good paying jobs and clean up the inner cities.
Let’s face it, politicians don’t want the other side to succeed. They just want re-elected. They (Congress) are nothing but puppets to the establishment.
Let’s face it, politicians don’t want the other side to succeed.
YUPPPP.
That’s why the Republicans so militantly hamstrung Obama on virtually everything. Even things they liked and previously supported were radioactive if Obama supported them. Why? Because Obama needed to fail.
And, now, the shoe is on the other foot. So the Democrats in congress are going to spend the next
eightfour years sabotaging Trump at every turn.Because winning is all that matters.
That is why all will loose.
*lose
But but but,,,,,,Vince Lombardi said, “winning isn’t everything….it is the ONLY thing.”
Me thinks that the “obstructionism” label put on the Republicans is an illusion propagated by the Liberal media. I say this for several reasons. First, the National debt doubled in 8 years. I wish I could point to something good that would be a cause of that, where did all that money go?
Secondly, for eight years there was never an actual Federal budget, which is in violation of law I believe. NOBODY complained, from either side.
Thirdly, the Republicans, for many of us, failed miserably after the 2014 midterms where they took Congress. Nothing really changed.
Keep in mind, the Democrats had two years with a super majority, any failures of their agenda lies with them. I’m not so sure that what they say and what they really want is the same. I feel that way about both sides. I currently think that both sides are be obstructionist’s. I also think the immigration issue was purposeful and intended to cause the mess it is.
Gman,
Let’s face it, politicians don’t want the other side to succeed. They just want re-elected.
Question for you.
ObamaCare was, by and large, originally a Republican invention. It was modeled after, and included many of the suggestions Republicans offered as an alternative to HillaryCare. It was also very similar to RomneyCare.
Yet, when it was proposed by Democrats and, specifically, Obama, it suddenly became toxic?
And this isn’t about specifics or tweaks. They spent years trying to repeal the thing lock, stock, and barrel. They tried in congress, they tried in court, they tried in the court of public opinion. They fought it tooth and nail every step of the way.
Frequently, during this period, they advocated for repeal and replace.
Now, the Red Shirts in Congress have the ability to do pretty much whatever they want. But they’ve done nothing.
If ObamaCare is terrible, they should have killed it by now, or at least instituted a better plan.
If ObamaCare just needs fixing, they should have done it by now, or at least instituted a plan to do so.
If they had a better alternative, as they’ve claimed for years without specifics, where is that plan?
So, the Red Shirts spent years sabotaging ObamaCare and trying to kill it when it was Obama’s… and now… nothing?
What gives?
Could it be they’re a bunch of nihilistic sociopaths who valued winning above instituting good policy?
“Could it be they’re a bunch of nihilistic sociopaths who valued winning above instituting good policy?”
Bad policy = lose/lose/lose … …because winning is what is important.
Now, the Red Shirts in Congress have the ability to do pretty much whatever they want. But they’ve done nothing.
Bet they do.
I also noticed your red line though the 8 to a 4 predicting that trump is a one termer…..is this based on the sameinformation where you predicted a land slide electoral college for Clinton of 320 plus votes? Inquiring minds want to know…
And Trump’s worse enemy Warren Buffet, is now the second largest stockholder of American Airlines and has invested milions upon millions on Trump…..ironic, isn’t it. Jumps on the Trump train and bashes him at the same time.
I also noticed your red line though the 8 to a 4 predicting that trump is a one termer…..is this based on the sameinformation where you predicted a land slide electoral college for Clinton of 320 plus votes? Inquiring minds want to know…
It’s predicated on my inability to stomach the idea of a two-term Trump.
And Trump’s worse enemy Warren Buffet, is now the second largest stockholder of American Airlines and has invested milions upon millions on Trump…..ironic, isn’t it. Jumps on the Trump train and bashes him at the same time.
Buffet is a remarkable investor. Just because he doesn’t like Trump doesn’t necessarily see which way the wind is blowing.
I’ve invested in tobacco companies even though their products are literally poison. Why? I believed they’d make money (and boy, did they!). I don’t see the contradiction. Buffet is an investor – he shouldn’t allow his investment decisions to be clouded by his political opinions.
First and foremost, anything the Republicans tried, they knew wouldn’t work. Political theater if you ask me. I also agree, why is nothing done? But it works both ways too!
Why wasn’t the immigration issue resolved when the Democrats had the power?
Why wasn’t the “Climate Change” issue dealt with when the Democrats had the power.
Now, let’s put this into perspective. The two party duolopoly probably had no intention of fixing these things. It was all bullshit and people fell for it. The run to the polls to vote for people who have lied to them forever.
This causes me to lean towards Black Flags Anarchist ideology.
That is good to see you reassessing and considering. And Flag is an excellent teacher.
If I may,…
The term “Anarchy or Libertarian” is good for general purposes for all things in the political realm, be it discussions and such. But try not to get too caught up in the labels or politics/sides of it.
As you venture into your journey of discovery, keep in mind the philosophical aspects.
At it’s core, it is about free will, self ownership, choice. This is(presumably) why Flag likes to sometimes use the term “free men” in place of “Anarchist[s]”. I personally like to call it being human/human being for the same reason; Humans are free thinking beings. To be a human is to be free thinking. Hence that pesky reality thing.
Prodhoun called it “order without power”.
I say this because it helps with consistency in regard to core values/principles. Takes focus from the labels to the important core of it.
That is good to see you reassessing and considering
I have been this way for years, you haven’t been around to see it. But you must understand the word LEAN. Human nature precludes a full JOIN.
The counter movement has begun: http://www.americanlibertyreport.com/articles/pro-trump-demonstrations-are-happening/
Judicial Watch previously uncovered documents revealing that Secretary Jeh Johnson and 28 other agency officials used government computers to access personal web-based email accounts despite an agency-wide ban due to heightened security concerns. The documents also reveal that Homeland Security officials misled Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) when Perry specifically asked whether personal accounts were being used for official government business.
“It is ironic and disconcerting that Secretary Johnson and his aides touted Homeland Security’s great ‘strides in cybersecurity’ while using unsecured, private, web-based email accounts that the Department had officially prohibited,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The fact that the documents found in these email accounts were so heavily redacted and that Johnson’s name and email account were spoofed in a phishing scam is indicative of just how lax communications security was inside Homeland Security during the Obama administration.”
http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obtains-216-pages-documents-containing-official-emails-sent-private-unsecured-email-accounts-former-homeland-security-secretary-jeh-johnson-three-top-officials/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Tipsheet%202-15-17%20(1)&utm_content=
As of December 31, 2016, the United States has spent an astounding $8.5 billion for counter narcotics efforts in Afghanistan since 2002, the report reveals, making it clear that the cash will continue flowing. “Nonetheless, Afghanistan remains the world’s leading producer of opium, providing 80% of the global output over the past decade, according to the United Nations,”
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2017/02/8-5-billion-u-s-counter-narcotics-effort-afghanistan-boosts-opium-production/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Tipsheet%202-15-17%20(1)&utm_content=
It is no coincidence that many places in the US are having a serious heroine problem. *.5 billion can grow alot of poppies. Russia had the same problem during Russia’s military mess in Afghanistan.
Just had a chat with my cousin, who is the head of Human resources of a company with around 100 employees. She has been working on the ACA required report that goes to each employee (to prove they had health insurance) for tax purposes. In addition, the report from the company to the IRS encompasses ALL of the information the ACA requires. To my amazement, she has spent nearly 28 work hours filling out all of the required paperwork that must go to each employee and the IRS.
In addition to the work hours for the report, it is then quality checked by an accountant to ensure accuracy. More costs to the company.
The company also gets a similar report from the insurance company, that is different enough that they can’t just pass it on to the IRS and save time and money.
This is all in addition to the monthly reports for ACA requirements.
Conclusion: Answering to the government requirements increases company costs to provide the health care benefit. Get government OUT of the business, period.
Let’s keep in mind, employee provided benefits were intended to keep labor costs down so companies can operate in the black. The Democrats are a failure.
To my amazement, she has spent nearly 28 work hours filling out all of the required paperwork that must go to each employee and the IRS.
Sounds about right.
Sucks, don’t it?
In addition to the work hours for the report, it is then quality checked by an accountant to ensure accuracy. More costs to the company.
Sounds about right.
Sucks, don’t it?
Conclusion: Answering to the government requirements increases company costs to provide the health care benefit. Get government OUT of the business, period.
Can we go back to employing children in sweatshops with inadequate fire exits?
Ooh, can we reopen the Bhopal plant?
Let’s keep in mind, employee provided benefits were intended to keep labor costs down so companies can operate in the black. The Democrats are a failure.
Well, I’m sure the Republicans are going to fix this any second now, right?
Yup… annnyyy second now….
Well, I’m sure the Republicans are going to fix this any second now, right?
I won’t be holding my breathe. They don’t have a good track record to this point..
Can we go back to employing children in sweatshops with inadequate fire exits?
WTF does this nonsense mean? I had very good health insurance before ObozoCare. So did many others who now have an inadequate overly expensive plan that equates to catastrophic insurance. My young friend, I don’t think you fully understand what the ACA has done, you are probably covered at work, correct? If so, you are a sheltered person. Farmers got crushed by the law. The elderly did too, even the Vet’s. The law needs to die.
Can we go back to employing children in sweatshops with inadequate fire exits?
Forget fire exits…..chances are, that the shirt you are wearing or maybe the shoes, are from child labor. Don’t know where you buy your clothes but chances are greater than 80% that they are made over seas……that said….some overseas shoes do fit pretty good.
employing children in sweatshop, fire exits, ………….Logical Fallacy Alert.
False equivalency
Intersting observations made by my brokers and I in a meeting yesterday…..this shohuld be right up your alley, Sir Mathius, since you are a “hedge funder”…..
We were looking at stocks and bonds and mutuals and trying to decide where to put some extra dollars……he pointed out to me on two specific stocks…..Under Armor and Target. The huge hits that they have taken since they openly sided with transgender restrooms, etc. Especially Target….a 20 point drop since their announcement when everything else is going up….
So, as a hedge fund expert…….would you short sell?
Not enough information and, honestly, I’m not that well informed about either. I would doubt that transgender policy has anything to do with a 20pt drop in a stock like Target.
Personally, I think the recent run-up in the market is unsustainable. If I had a few extra bucks laying around, I’d by some deep out of the money long-term S&P puts and just wait for the inevitable contraction.
If you can’t buy low and sell high, sell high and buy low.
Both under armor and Target blamed the drop on their policy,,,,,under armor is about to change theirs.
people are voting with their pocketbooks.
Yep. Ask Joy Villa, the Trump dress girl at the Grammys. CD sales skyrocketed to #1 on iTunes. And all the flak about Kellyanne pitching for Ivanka Trump’s products was faux outrage because Ivanka’s sales had gone up like 21% in the past year anyway…without any help from Kellyanne. But it doesn’t even have to do with Trump, it’s still people voting with their pocketbook.
Mathius
Pretty much sums up how I feel about the Flynn thing at the moment. And yes, it was “deliberate” as in a thought out action with intended purpose.
http://theweek.com/articles/680068/americas-spies-anonymously-took-down-michael-flynn-that-deeply-worrying
Mathius
Tell me again where the Republican congress called for investigations into Obama’s birth certificate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_citizenship_conspiracy_theories
Sheriff Joe says it is a forgery and had evidence to back it up.
Sheriff Joe is full of the OOOMPAH.
It is important to try to work with these people, not against them. Ask yourself, could/would we do the same?
It isn’t about Russia, or any nation, or any particular sect of Christianity. It isn’t even about religion. It is about good and evil.
Forget everything you know or think about religion, and simply focus on love for your fellow man, and in spite of all that works against it.
“And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”
As too the good Colonel’s questions posed in article:
Russian spy ship….it’s in International waters and free to do as it chooses. If it is spying, then find a way to jam that ability. End of issue.
Missiles on Russian soil, despite treaty….Treaty’s aren’t worth much these days because politicians have no ethics or morals. Obama was weak (or his statements caught about having more flexibility meant something more than is being reported) and he left this mess ( LMAO, it’s Obama’s fault). Oh the irony.
China…..If they interfere in the free movement on international waters then it’s time to talk about actions. I don’t fear China, they are not a big threat militarily.
Russian spy ships disguised as a fishing trawler. Nothing new.
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/194333-revell-718-russian-spy-fishing-trawler-volga
I wonder why we have all of this spying going on? I don’t think we are going to invade Russia, nor are they going to invade the US.
Brinksmanship is back!
Tigers do not change their stripes……Putin is an old cold war KGB Colonel……..I keep trying to tell folks.
For the first time in my life I am actually really starting to believe in the military industrial complex. I honestly think it a new phenomena caused by the unmitigated greed that has been growing in DC for the last 25 years. I think there is nobody left in power in the agencies or pentagon who is a true patriot. Oh, they can dress it up but the reality is that it is about money, power and more money during post government retirement.
The Democrats have no message other than anyone disagreeing with their twisted view of America is a racist, a homophobe, an Islamophobe and a sexist. No one in Middle America, no one working for a living, no one that isn’t some entitled snowflake or a Silicon Valley billionaire has any desire to be represented by them and their defunct identity politics and failed, European socialist, big government mindset.
At first there were the protests, then the riots, then the Women’s March with their calls for blowing up the White House and their cries of nasty women. There were the recounts, the threats to the electors, the total whig out over the President’s executive order and the war on Ivanka Trump’s clothing line.
The Deep State/Democrat plan to destroy Trump shifted into high gear this week with the political assassination of General Michael Flynn.
General Flynn was forced to resign after allegations that he discussed sanctions on the phone with the Russian ambassador before he was sworn in as National Security Adviser.
While Flynn’s mistake was failing to inform Vice President Pence about the contents of the call, his actions with the Russian ambassador do not appear to have violated the Logan Act.
http://usdefensewatch.com/2017/02/its-time-for-president-trump-to-take-off-the-gloves/
Watch as Trump’s satisfaction rating goes up and up.
Speculation that he’ll bring Flynn to the stage at his rally Saturday. Who knows? But I bet he’ll make some sort of announcement about the snafu in the intelligence departments. Possibly explain the whole deep state concept to those who aren’t hip to it. Possibly announce his new pick to replace Flynn. Pass the popcorn.
Mr. Colonel, sir!
Your thoughts: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/13/514993946/lawyers-for-bowe-bergdahl-say-he-cant-get-a-fair-trial-after-trump-criticisms
Seems to me that, if the commander in chief has personally and publicly declared you to be a traitor (“at least 45 times”!!!) before your trial, that it should constitute some kind of undue command influence, no? Does it change things that he wasn’t POTUS at the time, but has since been sworn in?
Now, I’m not saying the guy is innocent (honestly, I have no idea and couldn’t care less), but how does he get a fair trial?
Also, does this have any impact on morale in the armed forces when the commander in chief is so quick to throw soldiers under the buss for political points?
Exactly why Obama left it for him.
There are two feelings on Berghdahl as far as I can see in the military. One is throw the book at him. The other is just a Bad Conduct Discharge after a courts martial, no jail time. My two sons are of that opinion. Like Manning, they feel the military dropped the standards so low after 9/11 that they created their own problem by taking people who normally would have been rejected as mentally unfit.
Since it is unlikely we will shoot Berghdahl, worst case is he can sit it out in Leavenworth till Elizabeth Warren grants him a pardon.
This is going to be controversial….I do not know if this discussion can take place on here…but will give it a try.
First of all, if you have seen the movie “A Few Good Men”, throw it out of your head. THAT is not how a Courts Martial works.
I have been an officer on a panel before on three seperate ocassions. One panel was desertion under fire, another panel on a theft ring, and the last panel was a drug ring and transportation of drugs on military equipment.
There is a world of difference between a Courts Martial and Civilian court on a variety of issues. The court-martial closely resembles a trial in federal court. Military judges have the same authority as federal judges to rule on all matters of law and to give orders to the prosecution and the defense on such procedural matters as arguments, motions, and challenges. Two differences are particularly significant. First, whereas few civilian courts allow jurors to pose questions to witnesses, military courts have long permitted the practice. Jurors may submit written questions, which both the prosecution and the defense read in order to prepare any possible objections, which also must be in writing. The judge then decides which questions to allow. Second, military judges have a greater duty than do federal judges to review a defendant’s entry of a guilty plea. This duty is designed to protect defendants from Pleading guilty because of coercion, which could be more likely in the military because of its strict code of discipline and obedience to authority. Military Law requires judges to reject the plea at any stage of a proceeding if any hint of coercion is found.
The right to appeal convictions in military courts is different from that in civilian courts. Options for appeal are determined by the type of court-martial: Summary court-martial convictions, which are for lesser offenses, offer only the right to appeal to the commander who convened the court, and to make a further petition for review to the judge advocate general. Convictions in special and general courts-martial can be appealed to higher authorities, but the type of sentence handed down also governs a convicted party’s rights. If the sentence is less than six months’ confinement or a bad-conduct discharge, the case is reviewed by a legal officer in the convening authority’s staff judge advocate’s office, with no further appeals other than a right to petition the judge advocate general.
Greater convictions are automatically appealed to a court of military review, which considers matters of fact and law. Consisting largely of higher-ranking military judges, these courts exist for each branch of the military and have a total of 31 appellate military judges. The Uniform Code of Military Justice requires them to review serious sentences such as confinement of one year or more, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal of officers or cadets. Sentences to general officers and flag officers are also reviewed automatically. In all cases, defendants are granted free counsel for their appeals.
At the next level, the Court of Military Appeals—composed of five civilian judges who are appointed by the president of the United States—may decide to hear any petition from an unsuccessful appeal to a court of military review. ( It is impoirtant to remember that the civilian judges are appointed on a case by case basis )
Finally, once military remedies have been exhausted, federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, will review a court-martial conviction for claims of denial of constitutional rights only…..not guilt or innocence. The Supreme Court cannot remand a case back to Courts Martial.
“. a military court for trying offenses in violation of army, navy or other service rules and regulations, made up of military officers, who act as both finders of fact (in effect, a jury) and as arbiters (judges) of the law applying to the case. A general court-martial is conducted by a military legal officer (Judge Advocate) and at least five officers for major offenses, including those requiring the death penalty. A special court-martial is generally for lesser offenses and is conducted by three officers, who may order dismissal, hard labor, or lengthy confinement. Minor offenses are conducted by a single officer in a summary court-martial. 2) v. to charge a member of the military with an offense against military law, or to find him/her guilty of such a violation.”
Finally, the jurors that are picked are MILITARY. There must be at least five. Both prosecuting and defense lawyers can go through the panel of officers and decide. So, here is the main gist. There will be no officers of Bergdal’s command on the panel. Not even the commanding general……..but there will still be military officers from other commands on the panel. The prosecutor will want combat line officers with combat experience and the defense will want non-line ( non combat ) officers. BUT THEY STILL WILL BE OFFICERS THAT HAVE ALL GONE THROUGH MILITARY TRAINING AT THE SAME PLACES. Officers whom are doctors, lawyers, nurses, and chaplains are automatically excluded. Those are officers that have been granted direct commisions because of their status. ( Do not go through boot camp and do not go through OCS tactical training ).
Now having said that, I will warrant, however, that Berghdal will get a more fair trial in the military system than a civilian system. The reason being, and this is where you will probably say no way…..Military officers are, by far, more technical and strict when it comes to law and following protocol, regardless of their personal feelings. Military officers are concise and not subject to emotional arguments. We are trained to make decisions without emotion, without sympathy and without empathy. Military officers will render a decision based on fact..it is black and white. THerein, a military courts martial does not allow nor rely on circumstantial evidence….like a civilian court can convict on a “proponderance of circumstance” a military court cannot. It will be fact. Military officers are specifically trained to eliminate the bullshit and go for facts as presented….and the facts presented better be properly coordinated and backed up.
SO, sir,…to answer your question, it matters not what the POTUS has said nor does it have any influence whatsoever. It would not on me and it will not on others. ALSO…the POTUS, even if CIC….cannot influence or have any influence over military courts. He cannot appoint the judge, he cannot select the panels..he cannot even make his wishes known past what he has already done….PLEASE take it from me……and I am a Trump supporter. I consider Bergdahl a deserter in the face of the enemy….but I can render a decision without regard to my feelings. They better prove it….and yes, it is quite possible to set aside emotion. I have been accused of that many times.
Now, in closing, remember this….civilian jurors go back to their civilian lives never to be seen again. A military panel does not….they are still in the military. THIS IS THE SAFEGUARD TO EMOTIONAL DECISIONS. No commander will want an eotionally charged officer in their ranks. They will follow the law to the letter…….every dot.
I totally agree. My one experience in a Courts Martial, as a witness in an obvious theft case, resulted in a not guilty verdict because the prosecution was so sloppy. Pissed of the 1st Sgt. like you would not believe. His comment to the accused? “Campbell, I’m going to Viet-nam, your going to Viet-nam and I’m making damned sure you work for me there.”
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/02/16/brilliant-today-illegal-aliens-voluntarily-self-identify-throughout-america-daywithoutimmigrants/
I wonder if they are marching anywhere (likely in California)? If so it may that special moment when yelling ICE may get one arrested 🙂
When I was in HS, some of the asshole kids liked to drive out to the strawberry fields and shout “inmigración!” just to watch dozens of field workers panic and run away.
I’m sure they found it hysterical.
It’s interesting that they knew they were breaking the law. It seem’s Texas has a great worker program that works and they don’t have to worry about running when ICE shows up. It seems that all these migrant workers can come and work legally, so why do we have the problems with illegal immigrants?
Simple…….no one takes the time to do it correctly.
http://thegreatrecession.info/blog/liberal-immigration-argument/
It has been debated here since the 2014 Midterm’s that the Republicans failed miserably to live up to their campaign rhetoric. This article sums up the current useless Republican Congress. Any thoughts? (Mathius, I know you won’t read the whole thing, so I posted the gist of it for your pleasure 🙂 )
Way, way back, 15 long months ago, congressional Republicans didn’t have a problem with a total ban on Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Not for a mere three months like Trump’s order — but permanently, unless the director of the FBI, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and the director of national intelligence personally certified that a particular refugee posed no danger to the U.S.
That bill passed the House with an overwhelming, veto-proof majority, including 47 Democrats. Then it went to the Senate to die.
But when President Trump imposed a comparatively mild three-month ban on immigrants from Syria, Iraq and five other terrorist nations, the same Republicans who had voted for a limitless ban on refugees whiled away their days calling reporters to denounce Trump.
A little more than a year ago, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, bragged in a press release that he had introduced the House’s refugee ban, calling it a bill that would “protect Americans from ISIS.”
But when it came to Trump’s three-month pause, McCaul told the Post that Trump’s order “went too far.”
I guess that ISIS problem just sort of faded away. (Or maybe we should check with Mrs. McCaul, inasmuch as it’s her family money that makes Rep. McCaul one of the richest members of Congress.)
Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., who voted for the House’s permanent refugee ban, demanded that Trump immediately rescind his travel ban, babbling on about the “many, many nuances of immigration policy” — which he must have learned about on one of his congressional jaunts to a Las Vegas casino.
Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., said that Trump’s order “overreaches and undermines our constitutional system.” Evidently, he was suddenly struck by the realization that it’s “not lawful to ban immigrants on the basis of nationality,” despite having voted to ban refugees on the basis of nationality just 15 months earlier. (I’m OK with this, provided the Syrians, Somalis and Yemenis are sent to live on Justin’s street after being told about his support for gay marriage.)
Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Ben Sasse, R-Neb., both rushed to The Washington Post with this refreshingly original point: NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS! Why, thank you, senators! Where would the GOP be without you?
The Post also quoted spokesmen — spokesmen! — for Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Rob Portman of Ohio and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina complaining about not having been briefed on Trump’s order. The senators themselves were far too busy to talk to the press because they were — wait, what were they doing again? Words With Friends? Decoupage?
Since the election, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., has been mostly occupied polishing his anti-Trump quotations to get a pat on the head from an admiring media. He complained about Trump’s order, saying it was “poorly implemented” and that he had to find out about it from reporters. (I wonder why.)
http://www.truthrevolt.org/commentary/coulter-silence-lambs-congress
What you are seeing is the ability to “shoot from the lip” when what you propose has a snowball in hell’s chance of being signed by POTUS.
Now, how many times has the congress voted to repeal and replace Obamacare? Yet seems that for six years or so it was all BS. No plan, no thoughts of a plan, no nothing. Ryan and McConnell are what I though of them, zip!
Yes….watch closely what happens to Ryan and McConnell.
I am eagerly anticipating!
Nothing will happen to them. They will dance the line they need to stay elected within their States.
The only chance anything happens to them as “leaders” is if the Tea Party magically gets enough new people elected to finally take over. But that ain’t goin to happen in two years.
Total Bulldookey!! Shame on CNN or perpetuating this garbage.
Wake up CNN. There is NO TRAVEL BAN for GREEN CARD HOLDERS.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/health/iran-doctor-travel-ban-profile/index.html
Trump is crushing CNN.
Deep State TV network and master of fake news, CNN, now being kicked out of countries for spreading twisted propaganda and trying to destabilize societies and governments.
Among the fake news stories being broadcast on CNN in Venezuela have been bogus reports of the President Maduro’s Venezuelan government selling illegal passports to Middle East terrorists and other drug traffickers.
It is believed that CNN was intentionally trying to discredit and damage the government of Venezuela at a time of serious economic instability and heightened political tensions in the country.
The government’s patience for CNN’s fake news finally ran out this week – prompting the provisional shutdown of the US network in Venezuela. Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez went so far as to accused CNN of a “war operation”.
http://21stcenturywire.com/2017/02/16/fake-news-fail-venezuelan-government-finally-orders-shutdown-of-cnn-for-bogus-and-misleading-reports/
Makes one wonder who CNN actually works for.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird
Well aware of OM. I’m also aware about what is happening in Venezuela. Have you been keeping up with that situation?
Not really.
I have more or less stopped indulging in anything mainstream media, or what they say about politics. It’s all lies and manipulation, with only enough truth for nominal legitimacy. That garbage will rot your brain.
The MSM don’t report on Venezuela. If they did and did so accurately, the Democratic Party would be extinct in 6 years. A failed Socialist State. The Liberal media could never report on that, they would join the Democrats on that extinction list.
Not only that…..talk to Exxon/Mobil and ask them what happened.
http://anotherdayintheempire.com/trump-replaces-flynn-boss-super-secret-surveillance-contractor/
Trump Replaces Flynn with Boss of Super Secret Surveillance Contractor
Mike Flynn’s out. He resigned as Trump’s advisor this evening after a chorus of calls for him to step down for an alleged relationship with the Russians. This fits the narrative used by Democrats since the election: Putin and the Russians influenced the vote somehow, although nobody can tell us how exactly. Trump and his supporters are in league with them, according to the narrative.
Flynn will be replaced by retired Gen. Keith Kellogg.
Kellogg has an interesting history. In addition to his disastrous mismanagement of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, Kellogg was president of Abraxas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cubic Corporation. Cubic provides diversified systems and services to the transportation and defense markets worldwide, according to MarketWatch.
In 2006, The LA Times reported on Abraxas:
In the burgeoning field of intelligence contractors, an especially aggressive upstart is Abraxas Corp., a privately held company that has assembled a deep roster of CIA veterans to handle a wide range of clandestine assignments — including secret work for an elite team of overseas case officers.
The company was founded by a group of former high-ranking agency employees, led by Richard “Hollis” Helms, a longtime overseas officer in the Middle East and onetime head of the CIA’s European division, and Richard Calder, who was the agency’s deputy director for administration.
Abraxas is right down the street from the CIA.
The company occupies an unmarked, third-floor office suite in McLean, Va., two miles from CIA headquarters. It has mainly specialized in providing veteran operatives and reports officers for positions in overseas stations and at CIA headquarters.
Abraxas is responsible for TrapWire, a tech company that develops a homonymous predictive software system designed to find patterns indicative of terrorist attacks.
The secretive project was discovered through a WikiLeaks disclosure in 2012 after emails were hacked from Strafor, often described as a shadow version of the CIA.
TrapWire uses a series of surveillance cameras around the country and also abroad to detect “suspicious behavior.” The system is reportedly located in every high-value target in New York City.
The system is sold to local law enforcement. From RT:
PrivacySos reports that a website maintained by the US Homeland Security Department’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) includes TrapWire as a product for sale to law enforcement agencies and first responders. It’s there that the background and operational concept of the system are described in detail and direct curious customers to AbraxasCorp.com for more information. When a link to the URL is clicked, the banner at the top of the developer’s homepage described Abraxas as “A Cubic Company.” On the FEMA page, the product information is detailed as provided directly by Abraxas Applications.
Sounds pretty much like a CIA front organization operation.
If Kellogg replaces Flynn, we can undoubtedly expect an expansion of the surveillance state and its associated industries.
In late 2015, Trump said in an interview he tends “to err on the side of security” and restoring parts of the Patriot Act that have been amended would “be fine.”
Trump’s CIA director, Mike Pompeo, introduced legislation to block the USA FREEDOM Act in 2015. The act enacted on June 2, 2015 restored in modified form several provisions of the Patriot Act, which had expired.
Considering the date of the article and the recent choice who declined, your choice of sources isn’t very accurate. One thing I usually watch for are statements like this: Flynn will be replaced by retired Gen. Keith Kellogg.
First, there is know why the author could know anything that Trump will do. In short, the source is “click bait”. A lot of fluff, not much stuff.
AJ has been working for the wrong side. Nimmo split and called him out on it. I am rewarding him with blog exposure.
Trump simply slammed the media, especially CNN. He slammed BBC as well. Entertaining!
In Washington State, you can no longer run your own business according to your values, according to a ruling issued today against Barronelle Stutzman.
The 72-year-old floral artist was working at Arlene’s Flowers in Washington state when a dear customer, Rob Ingersoll, walked in and announced he was getting married. When he told her that he wanted her to do the wedding flowers, Barronelle knew she couldn’t use her art to support his same-sex matrimony. She explained that her Christianity prohibited her from taking the job, but happily recommended other florists in the area.
Let’s pause here for a moment and think about how Americans usually feel about artists using their talents to support causes that go against their values. When fashion designers refused to dress Melania Trump for her husband’s inauguration, pundits cheered.
“The rhetoric of racism, sexism, and xenophobia unleashed by her husband’s presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live by,” Sophie Theallet wrote, to much acclaim. “I encourage my fellow designers to do the same. Integrity is our only true currency.”
http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/washington-state-supreme-court-delivers-decisive-blow-against-freedom
Mathius
I am curious what your opinion is of the Trump press conference today.
Fake news got an upgrade to Very Fake News, and Trump went around the Very Fake News right to the people….again. And VFN got the sads over it..again. Here’s a tissue for their issues.
http://anotherdayintheempire.com/trumps-iran-war/
This is a video not to be missed as it proves that there’s been an awakening across America that Democratic policies have failed inner city communities for far too long.
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes hosted a “Chicago in the Crosshairs” townhall to find out why the city has become such a hellhole and what he heard from some of them literally left him visibly blown away. That’s because Hayes heard strong and unexpected criticisms of liberal favorites Barack Obama and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel from the mouths of black people.
http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/chicagoans-scourge-obama-rahm-emanuel-mayor-does-not-care-about-black-people
http://www.theamericanmirror.com/audio-john-mccain-shares-insider-info-prankster-posing-ukrainian-pm/
Environmentalists flocked to North Dakota to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline and warn of the potential pollution carrying oil across America could bring. But guess what? The only pollution produced at Standing Rock was the heaping piles of trash these so-called environmentalists left behind.
Officials estimate that the rubbish could fill at least 2,500 pickup trucks. The trash is frozen in huge clumps and crews are working fast to excavate the area before the spring thaw sets in and the run off pollutes the nearby waterways. Authorities say they’ve found everything you can think of in the piles and that they’re sifting through in case there are any dead bodies wrapped up in a tarp or blanket. The progressive activists even left behind 200 vehicles for the local government to deal with. It is a biohazard nightmare at this point.
http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/irony-pictures-environmentalists-leave-behind-mountain-trash-standing-rock
Seems to me that a lot of these so called environmentalists are nothing but paid frauds. Hence, the term Enviro-Nuts
According to the news this morning, Under Armor reversed its position on the transgender restrooms, etc. Citing unexpected losses and stock drops since their announcement, Unser Armor feels there is another way to approach this problem.
NOrdstrom drops Ivanka’s line…and is visibly upset that sales are falling.
The pocket book is still the way to go.
Apparently under armor also has had some spokespeople who are big game and trophy hunters. That too is turning off the “dog children” people.
Attached is an interesting blurb. UA is off again, on again, for sustenance hunting but against trophy hunting. Hey, remember when ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” actually covered hunting?
http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2016/08/why-i-no-longer-buy-under-armour.html
Watch those people voting with their pocketbooks, the ones hating on the gay folks. They are tares because they do not value life without stipulation.
While I understand there are many who have genuine legitimate concerns about dealing with the ‘freaks’ of society, a large percentage of people are simply devaluing their lives as if they do not count.
That is a big part of what is wrong with our world. Humans are so caught up into their categorizations and solidarity and egos, they prioritize it over the value of life.
That is what pissed me off so much with Christians a few years ago when I was becoming aware of the ‘religious situation’. I don’t remember a lot of it, but I do remember trying to gauge and reach out to Christians. What I found is that there are so many who have completely abandoned those great things taught by Jesus, and in favor of a politicized cult.
Generally speaking, I like Christians. A lot of them scare the hell out of me though.
A simple choice……if you do not like someones policy, do not shop there….freedom of choice.
Ridiculous. Trump fights with economics. Believe what you want, I guess. Here’s a different take, dated Nov ’16. They ended up getting Flynn, but in the end it won’t matter.
http://thesaker.is/fear-and-loathing-inside-the-deep-state/
Possible double post coming. Don’t know what happened to my comment once I posted.
First video here is ridiculous. Trump will fight with economics. This article is from Nov ’16. They got Flynn but it won’t matter.
Trump is not going to be trying to coup anyone. His policy is no regime changes. He also does not like these secret wars of the CIA. If there is to be war, he wants it fought by the military, with a plan for victory. Principally, Trump’s wars will be like President Eisenhower’s. There were none for eight years.
http://thesaker.is/fear-and-loathing-inside-the-deep-state/
Anita
I know you know, but I will say it anyway. You’re wasting your time. Any innocent death is going to get this same reaction from him. And we know there will be more. As long as the US is engaged in any effort to destroy ISIS or Al Qaeda there will be someone killed who was not a target.
Yeah, I know. I don’t always agree with the Saker but on that article, I do agree.
May she rest in peace.
Right on.
What gets me is the irony of the whole situation. I don’t know all of the facts, of course. As I understand, it started raining bombs, so they left town and went to stay with relatives until it stopped. It was a house filled with women and children for sanctuary.
..until the ‘super heroes’ arrived. Women and children, slaughtered for a hard-drive?
Test
GMan…check the spam bin. I posted something twice, neither of the (duplicate) show.
yep. something is fishy.
Anita and SK
I approved you posted comments. They did go to spam. Probably due to the links you included. Hopefully they are not infected with something because I have no way to check that out.
Yikes. I hope not too.
Fishing for perspectives.
There is an increasing push to consider universal basic income. Specifically, there are people trying to test pilot programs to see how people would respond to such a system.
To be clear, my question isn’t “how would politicians deal with it,” or “what would the battle look like to get it instituted,” but “how would people react to everyone simply receiving a check in the mail each month for nothing.” Nor, for that matter, is the question “just who in the hell is going to pay for all this?” Let’s imagine that the money is coming directly from the treasury’s printing presses. I’m asking: what consequences would such a system have?
My initial (meandering) thoughts:
Many people wouldn’t work as hard.
Many people would go back to school.
Many people would take enterpreneurial risks.
Many people would take longer maternity / paternity
Many people would stop working minimum wage jobs
Minimum wage jobs would have to pay more
Prices for minimum-wage-driven goods / services would increase
Inflation back to the point where the added money makes no difference.
Maybe, instead of inflation, the minimum wage jobs are just automated out of existence.
Then what happens to the legions of unemployed, but not-bankrupt?
Do rents rise? Of course they do.
Wouldn’t that just re-route all that money back into the hands of the wealthy?
Does this obviate the need for other safety nets (eg UI, SS).
How much of “poverty” is a mental “keeping up with the Jones'” versus something on the lower rungs of the Maslow’s heirarchy? Does “having a home and not being hungry” mean an end to poverty, or would the goalposts just shift?
What would this do to crime?
What would this do to alcohol / drug consumption?
Does everyone actually need to have a job? Is this a real need? What if the robots are doing all the work instead?
How much of people’s self-worth is pegged to our careers? How much should it be?
What might such a program do to birth rates?
Personally, I can’t see a good long-term outcome for a program like this unless/until the robots are doing all the work and there’s just no need for people to work. At that point, the “income” would basically just be a mechanism for allocating scarce resources rather than a means to allocate all resources. But, in a time when jobs are disappearing rapidly at the hands of smarter AI (for example, all trucking and delivery jobs are going to be done a decade from now), how do we manage the transition between here and there?
An anti-Trump reporter (oh, but I repeat myself), recently got a big, unwanted surprise. April Ryan, a reporter for American Urban Radio Networks, had an intense exchange with White House aide Omarosa Manigault after which Ryan accused her of physical intimidation. The altercation was so bad that the reporter said it might have warranted law enforcement intervention. Also, according to the Washington Post, she said President Trump was keeping tabs on journalists:
Ryan also said Manigault made verbal threats, including the assertion that Ryan was among several journalists on whom Trump officials had collected “dossiers” of negative information. Manigault, a onetime friend of Ryan’s, declined to address Ryan’s accusations on the record, offering only this emailed statement: “My comment: Fake news!” She did not specify what she considered false.
Powerline now reports that — oops! — the exchange was recorded, and the reporter has some ‘splaining to do. Manigault said, “She came in with an attitude. For her to characterize me as the bully — I’m so glad we have this tape. . . because it’s ‘liar, liar, pants on fire.”
http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/reporter-says-omarosa-physically-intimidated-her-then-realizes-exchange-was-recorded
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=20833?omhide=true
The White House says this AP report ‘100% not true’
The Trump administration is considering a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, including millions living nowhere near the Mexico border, according to a draft memo obtained by The Associated Press.
The 11-page document calls for the unprecedented militarization of immigration enforcement as far north as Portland, Oregon, and as far east as New Orleans, Louisiana.
Four states that border on Mexico are included in the proposal – California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas – but it also encompasses seven states contiguous to those four – Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the AP report was “100 percent not true” and “irresponsible.” ”There is no effort at all to utilize the National Guard to round up unauthorized immigrants,” he said.
Very Fake News is right. Glad this got shot down but all they have to do is plant the seed and it takes off.
Can you clarify for me why this is ‘Fake News’!? I’m seriously not following.
From HuffPo:
“President Donald Trump’s administration labeled The Associated Press’s reporting on a leak “100 percent false” on Friday morning, only to acknowledge less than an hour later that the story was based on a real document…”
“White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters aboard Marine One that the AP report was “100 percent not true,” according to a pool report distributed to reporters at 10:40 a.m.
“I wish you guys had asked before you tweeted,” Spicer told reporters.
An AP reporter responded that the news organization had sought comment “multiple times before publication,” according to the pool report.”
“A Cox Media Group producer tweeted at 11:03 a.m. that a DHS official said the memo cited by the AP was “a very early” draft and “was never seriously considered.”
The White House and DHS could’ve clarified that the draft wasn’t being seriously considered by the administration prior to publication, as journalists noted on Twitter.
The administration’s failure to respond left people to speculate about its motives.”
OK, here goes. The report implied that they were going to do it. Leaking it NOW when tempers are short and thinking is at an all time low is the height of either stupidity or evil. The reality is that it is a plan. It has probably been a plan for years. Hell, we have plans to fight space invaders (ask the Colonel). Since there was never any serious attempt to implement it, the report, as presented by the news is false. You can argue semantics all day long but the media I think fully intended to stir the pot.
If I remember correctly, prior to WW 2 we had “War Plan Orange” to fight a war with Japan. This is brought up all the time by the conspiracy folks as “evidence” FDR knew and encouraged Pearl Harbor. There is something here similar to crying “Fire” in a crowded theater back when somebody just lit up a cigarette in the lodge. True enough, there was fire but…..
It was a draft memo to begin with…and how did this memo get into circulation? That’s a big component of fake news. Who’s out there leaking? Is the press in such a big hurry to get a scoop that makes Trump look bad that they can’t wait for an official release?
How’s is leaking a component of ‘fake news’!? Two very separate issues and both important to address. But even if the memo was obtained from a leak, that doesn’t follow that ta fake. The WH itself came out after the fact to confirm the memo is authentic.
I didn’t find the AP report to imply that this IS GOING TO HAPPEN. Just st that they obtained a memo where it is a plan being considered. Prior to publishing they reached out to the WH for comment. Radio silence. So what’s wrong with publishing in this instance?
It just is. Leaking is a sub group 🙂 along with flat out lies or twisting of facts (all state dept employees resigned) and made up stories to cause hysteria ( like this one about mobilizing NG to round up immigrants) to ultimately undermine Trump. But what it’s really about is a dishonest media…which could end up being a national security issue. Look at all the stories about Trump and Russia. The media keeps beating that horse. Until when? Besides that its about creating roadblocks on Trump along the way. Where do the leaks come from? Nefarious creatures deep in the swamp. And why do they leak? To undermine Trump, then the media runs with it, and how many times have they been shot down? So yep, leaks = fake news.
Sigh
Interestingly enough, it wouldn’t be hard to put out a document of this nature and have it disseminated in a government agency, even if the document is totally absurd. While the facts remain a bit of a mystery, it will be interesting to learn what this actually is. But, in all honesty, the idea of mass round ups isn’t new at all. It’s a well known conspiracy subject, form blue, green and red list’s to gun owners, the faux fear of government roundups have been around awhile.
I’ll be the first to tell you that I argue against any such hysteria. The logistics and outrage would be overwhelming. I was livid by the events at Watertown Mass, but it was also a learning experience. 400 cops to catch one person in a 4 block area. Phooey!
However, it could be a document for a possible exercise scenario. There have been worse 🙂
G – The WH confirmed the document itself was real but was an early draft (which the AP report had indicated) that wasn’t seriously considered (Ill take them at face value on that claim). My point – this isn’t ‘fake news’. This is the administration refusing to comment and subsequently labeling everything that is reported as fake news so their supporters continue to refuse to believe everything and anything the media reports on and look to Trump as the arbiter of truth.
As one orange fellow would say, SAD!
Here’s where things get …strange. A draft for what? An exercise? An actual idea for action (the person who wrote it should be fired)? Like I said, I’ll wait for more info, like the document itself to be released in it’s entirety.
As far as the media, they’re getting what they deserve. There integrity has been falling for a very long time. It started a lot under Bush I think, and just got worse. A thought on this that may have helped escalate the distrust of the media.
Politically motivated evening shows on the cable networks is probably the biggest culprit, but it has grown to include daytime and morning shows. Politicizing seems to have grown within the media. The weather people are part of the problem, overblowing weather forecasts, claims of Climate Change (which is political) etc. Sports figures playing the politics game, entertainers etc. It’s killing the free press, because the press isn’t free. It’s horribly politicized. AND, it’s all about money. Real journalism is dead. There is only a few who engage in investigative journalism these days.
The media has little trust. Maybe the makeup of the media has a lot to do with it.
So Buck, another leaked document to make the Admin look bad but at a time when the media and parts of the populace are in the berserker phase. They also are having a field day conflating criminal alien, illegal alien and legal alien.
Yesterday we had, leave an alien at home and not at work day. Aimed at exactly what, the deportation of Legal Aliens, the stirring of the pot, the driving of the less stable over the edge?
These Fuckers and I will call them that have their Oswald abuilding that they have created out there and they will not be happy until he makes his move. I am about as anti-Obama as one can be but I never, in a million years, would even think what these people are masturbating over!
Let me add. In the leaked document, one of the things that caught my attention that led me to question the legitimacy of what was floating around. It said that the plan would NOT Federalize the 100K National Guard troops. Since one of the States is California and there is NO WAY Moonbeam is going to direct the NG to go along, doesn’t that raise a major red flag to you?
Anita…..do not get into a snit over reporting…you and G man are way too concerned with the printed and reported news…fake or otherwise……believe none of it. The media is the only thing that rates below Congress and should. It is not objective. Journalists these days are lower than a snake’s ass in a wagon rut.
Note, I am not differentiating between liberal nor conservative. ALL news media, in my opinon, would not know freedom of the press from integrity.
As to leaks…..there is nothing lower.
Trump is not the arbiter of truth…..there has not been a truthful person in the WH since George Washington. However, the proof of the pudding, to coin a well used phrase, will be to see if he continues to follow through with his campaign promises, which no other recent PResident has done. So……just be patient. We shall see what happens.
I thought this was funny actually, because nobody in their right mind would support this nonsense. While I agree with deporting the criminals, and even the small well planned raids, with proper warrants, the paper being reported on, looks more like a planted paper to find a leak or two.
However, it’s not like there hasn’t been planning for the Illegal Immigrant issue. REX 84, under Reagan was an exercise intended to deal for a mass influx of immigrants from Mexico.
I do wonder, if a 12 page paper was going around about UFO’s and was leaked, would the AP and HuffPo write about it?
They would probably say Trump was “hiding it” since the aliens obviously “hacked” the voters and did a mind control thing.
Reminded me of an April Fool’s joke I played when I worked at a hospital several years back. The Union came to be because of a contract management company that was hated, badly. The union came to be and a new contract management team brought in. There contract was up for renegotiation that year, so I drafted a letter on company letterhead that said the the current contract companies contract will not be renewed, let’s welcome back the old company (they were really hated). Posted it on ONE bulletin board at 9:30 am. By 10:30 all 8 floors were in a panic and people were going to their bosses stating they would quit. By 1:30, I was ordered to put up the “April Fool’s” part. Classic joke!
IKE actually did it.
Buck
The FAKE part was AP tagging Trump and/or the White House with the idea. If you read the more detailed story you find there was supposedly a draft document circulated within DHS. The Story does not say where or what agencies. But the person interviewed alluded to the recently departed NSA adviser as the source. Mr. Flynn is not Trump nor is he THE WHITE HOUSE. The Press know this stuff.
The story is also FAKE in that AP claims to have asked the White House for clarification but got no response. So instead of waiting they ran with the story as being “Trump is considering use of the National Guard.” So it is FAKE NEWS. While the entire story could have a thread of truth, or be based on an actual event, the NEWS being spread is FAKE.
You can actually have more than one thing be true when dealing with these kinds of stories.
You also have to look at which story Spicer and others are responding to. This morning on Huff Po they had a story basically saying Trump was going to do this. Then they modified it a bit, but still the same story line. So the NEWS that was being circulated “based on the AP” story were mostly false, as in fake. Even if the AP piece was partly true.
And the PRESS know that a draft memo circulated with wild ideas is far from an administration considering anything. If not for their desire to paint this White House as going door to door hunting down little brown people, this story would have sat in some Editors desk until more evidence was available.
Buck
Here is the Huff Po story from this morning. Although it has been edited, including the addition of a copy of a draft.
So you read the article real close. Note the headline, and note the apparent question to the white house based on their response.
Then read the draft report. When done you will see how the story was hyped beyond actual fact. And why the WH responded to the accusations as they did.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-national-guard-immigrants_us_58a71356e4b037d17d271bcb?section=us_politics
Buck, this is from the document. It is by no means what the media claims:
To maximize participation by state and local jurisdictions in the enforcement of
federal immigration law, I am directing the Director of ICE to engage with all willing and qualified law enforcement jurisdictions for the purpose of entering into agreements under section 287 g) of the INA.
So YES, the media take is FAKE NEWS!
While Rex Tillerson is on his first overseas trip as Secretary of State, his aides laid off staff at the State Department on Thursday.
Much of seventh-floor staff, who work for the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and the Counselor offices, were told today that their services were no longer needed.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/state-dept-layoffs-under-rex-tillerson-being-carried-out/
Perhaps the falling real estate prices in DC will finally allow Junior to afford a house!
Interesting you said this. I was sitting down with my financial counselor and we were looking at potential investments and noticed that the bond market has dried up in Washington, DC….no one is buying cit bonds anymore even with deep discounts.
I told Steve to hold on for a while. Since Leavenworth CAGS he is partial to KC (both sides of the river) and is looking for a possible transfer. But for his Mom and I, DC and environs are a lot closer.
FALSE EQUIVALENCY.
Get a grip.
DENIAL
Get a grip.
”There is no effort at all to utilize the National Guard to round up unauthorized immigrants,” he said.
“To maximize participation by state and local jurisdictions in the enforcement of
federal immigration law, I am directing the Director of ICE to engage with all willing and qualified law enforcement jurisdictions for the purpose of entering into agreements under section 287 g) of the INA. ”
In other words; They are doing as charged, only using ICE and pig departments instead of National Guard.
Does it matter which are violating people?
There is a new article posted.