America under President Trump

[taxme]

2 minutes ago, Omni said:

Ok, it's a very big place.

 

2 minutes ago, Omni said:

Ok, it's a very big place.

Bad excuse. So, you can't even tell me anything from your trip to Russia, can you? Maybe it is because you were never there at all, uhmm?   

[Omni]

10 minutes ago, taxme said:

 

Bad excuse. So, you can't even tell me anything from your trip to Russia, can you? Maybe it is because you were never there at all, uhmm?   

Excuse? Threat? ...I never make either. Just didn't want to bore you with facts. But to start I can tell you some of the biggest roundabouts with some of the wildest traffic you will ever face are in Moscow. and of course many of the drivers in Lada's are pissed on wodka. You must be careful.

[OftenWrong]

It seems that many people don't understand the dynamics at play between countries when it comes to foreign policy. First, there are no real "friends" among nations, only temporarily useful alliances. Even when that relationship exists, there is no such thing as trust. Spying abounds everywhere and always. Canada is spying on the United States right now, and the US is spying on Canada. Canada is spying on the UK, etc. Any country that does otherwise is politically disempowered. All nations are primarily focused on their own self-determination, and work with others to achieve it. That alone is their motivation, nothing else.

Second, even among so-called adversaries there is still a level of cooperation. Countries continue to share information and trade. That can even happen during a conflict.

Global politics is far too complex in terms of the alliances, specific goals, control over different regions etc. to have such absolutes as "friend" or "enemy". In other words there has always been information exchange between countries, superpowers especially and US has cooperated with Russia many many times. Even Obama would have to share critical security information with Putin. For those who only think in terms of black and white, IE the politically polarized, this is a difficult thing to accept. Yet another example of how the general public is being duped by media propaganda.

[Boges]

On CNN they had a Republican Congressman on and he said that if it can be proven that Trump asked Comey to stop his investigation on Michael Flynn then that's most certainly grounds for impeachment. 

[Wilber]

8 hours ago, OftenWrong said:

Are you sure he actually did that? All we know is what the media is telling us, and they are pushing a liberal/ democrat agenda. People don't believe them implicitly anymore, because of the history of lies.

Israel and Russia are not enemies. Quite the contrary.

In 2011, Putin said: "Israel is, in fact, a special state to us. It is practically a Russian-speaking country. Israel is one of the few foreign countries that can be called Russian-speaking. It's apparent that more than half of the population speaks Russian." Putin additionally claimed that Israel could be considered part of the Russian cultural world, and contended that "songs which are considered to be national Israeli songs in Israel are in fact Russian national songs." He further stated that he regarded Russian-speaking Israeli citizens as his compatriots and part of the 'Russian world'.

During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Putin stated that “I support Israel’s battle that is intended to keep its citizens protected.”

How nice of Vlad, I'm sure Israelis will be comforted.

Maybe you should bear in mind why all those Russians wound up in Israel in the first place. Israel was set up as a refuge for Jews, not a holiday resort.

[Topaz]

Sadly, Trump has as many enemies within the country as JFK did and until Trump replaces #1 and 2 of the FBI, the truth will never be known and that what  certain people are trying to stall the replacement with all this  questionable statement coming out  against Trump. Apparently, that memo that the new york times printed, yesterday the Justice depart. phoned that and ask for the written memo and the person told them they don't have them that it was delivered  by a phone call and read to the reporter and the JUSTICE depart. person went off on the reporter saying how can they print something that may not be true with nothing to backup? The person hang up after he was told prove what you printed or be sued.

[kimmy]

9 hours ago, OftenWrong said:

Are you sure he actually did that? All we know is what the media is telling us, and they are pushing a liberal/ democrat agenda. People don't believe them implicitly anymore, because of the history of lies.

Israel and Russia are not enemies. Quite the contrary.

Given Russia's cozy relationship with Syria and Iran, I doubt Israel shares your confidence that this information won't end up in the hands of their enemies. 

They shared this data in the highest confidence, with the request that it be shared with no one, not even US allies.  And the President, according to H.R. McMaster, gave it to the Russians without even knowing where it came from.

We won't know the fallout from this.

If Israeli undercover agents get killed, we won't know that.  If an important source of Israeli information gets silenced, we won't know that.  If Israel stops sharing some of their data, we won't know that either.  Sometime down the road people might point back to this and say "see? nothing happened!" because the results, whatever they are, will never be public knowledge.  But just because the consequences of this won't be publicly visible, doesn't mean that there won't be consequences.

This was an utterly foolish action by Trump. It's absurd that people are trying to defend it. If Obama had done this Republicans would be calling him a threat to Israel's existence, a traitor, and probably demanding prison or a firing squad.

But apparently it's not even the dumbest thing Trump did last week, so this colossal screw-up is on the back-burner for now.

 -k

[DogOnPorch]

Your concern for Israel is admirable.

Really.

[bush_cheney2004]

2 hours ago, kimmy said:

....This was an utterly foolish action by Trump. It's absurd that people are trying to defend it. If Obama had done this Republicans would be calling him a threat to Israel's existence, a traitor, and probably demanding prison or a firing squad.

 

What ?  No impeachment first ?   That doesn't seem fair to me.  

[Topaz]

It's been pointed out that Obama gave Russia highly classify info. and they used it against Obama and there is also the fact Obama also interfered with Israel election....but that ok?  BTW, remember the name Seth Rich, HE was the one  hacked the Dems not Russia and the FBI has the his computer but #2 director , who was the investigator, into Richs death ,wife got $700,000 from the Dems to run in Virginia, so can McCabe, be trusting. I wouldn't.

[Omni]

7 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

What ?  No impeachment first ?   That doesn't seem fair to me.  

Get Comey testifying im front of congress and you'll get that done toute suite.

[Topaz]

4 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

What ?  No impeachment first ?   That doesn't seem fair to me.  

Apparently, Senator or Congressman Al Green, has pushing  impeachment and actor Terrence Howard was on The View and at the end of his interview said he has it on good authority that an indictment was  down on Trump. There too much talk going  on and not enough facts backing up going on. More and more  people against Trump are really trying  at any means to get rid of him.

[bush_cheney2004]

1 minute ago, Topaz said:

Apparently, Senator or Congressman Al Green, has pushing  impeachment and actor Terrence Howard was on The View and at the end of his interview said he has it on good authority that an indictment was  down on Trump. There too much talk going  on and not enough facts backing up going on. More and more  people against Trump are really trying  at any means to get rid of him.

 

Agreed...the Trump haters are still suffering from their post-election meltdown and have been dreaming about impeachment for months.

Still doesn't mean President Trump would leave office (e.g. Bill Clinton).

 

[DogOnPorch]

1 minute ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

Agreed...the Trump haters are still suffering from their post-election meltdown and have been dreaming about impeachment for months.

Still doesn't mean President Trump would leave office (e.g. Bill Clinton).

 

 

Seen Chuck Schumer crying again about Russia, Russia, Russia. Brought tears to me eyes.

[Omni]

7 minutes ago, Topaz said:

Apparently, Senator or Congressman Al Green, has pushing  impeachment and actor Terrence Howard was on The View and at the end of his interview said he has it on good authority that an indictment was  down on Trump. There too much talk going  on and not enough facts backing up going on. More and more  people against Trump are really trying  at any means to get rid of him.

Very unlikely a POTUS will be indicted, although the constitution isn't clear on that. . He will simply be impeached on the basis of obstruction. 

[Argus]

18 hours ago, DogOnPorch said:

 

Didn't say they weren't dangerous. Those be YOUR words.

I'm saying that my Cold War hangover doesn't include automatically putting Russia into the ENEMY seat. Yours does.

The enemy is Islam. The universally loathed death cult causing the majority of the planet's conflicts.

Having one enemy does not preclude having another. Russia's aggressive expansionism makes it the enemy. Why is it running bombers into NA airspace again, as it did during the cold war? Why is it playing cat and mouse with its submarines in Swedish waters, as it did during the cold war? Why is it funding extremist parties in western democracies - as it did during the cold war? These are the actions of a self-declared enemy.

[Argus]

16 hours ago, kimmy said:

And how long until Congress decides that Trump is a danger to the United States and makes Pence the President of the whole thing?

 -k

I don't think Republicans will act because they think Trump is a danger to the Unites States. I think they will act because they fear he is a danger to the Republican party. They do not want this sort of crap to be an ongoing circus when they head into midterm elections next year.

Edited May 17, 2017 by Argus

[bush_cheney2004]

4 minutes ago, Argus said:

....These are the actions of a self-declared enemy.

 

Easy to say from Canada...which doesn't want to pay for military readiness or capabilities against this "enemy".

Let Trump and the Americans do it.

[Omni]

I had to refresh my memory since "disconsolate" isn't a word I hear a lot. However it seems to be floating around quite a bit today with regard to how GOP members are reacting to the ongoing Trump scandals. Looks like the tide is turning even from within his own party.  The Dow however doesn't seem to be disconsolate currently.

[DogOnPorch]

2 minutes ago, Argus said:

Having one enemy does not preclude having another. Russia's aggressive expansionism makes it the enemy. Why is it running bombers into NA airspace again, as it did during the cold war? Why is it playing cat and mouse with its submarines in Swedish waters, as it did during the cold war? Why is it funding extremist parties in western democracies - as it did during the cold war? These are the actions of a self-declared enemy.

 

This is NOTHING like the 'good old days' of the Cold War. For example, it is unlikely that Putin's pesky Tu-95s are still armed with 11 megaton city/dam busters. And as far as ethnically getting in a pantie twist about Russians...I'd say Volga Germans types far outshine Scotsmen. We have a reason...yet, Russia isn't my enemy while Islam...a Medieval death cult turned major religion...is FAR more aggressive than any Russkie. An enemy that even states in its 'holy writings' it is the Infidel's sworn implacable foe...forever.

 

[Argus]

The Russian secret thing is serious but it ultimately can't cost him more than political capital. The Comey memo thing is far and away more serious. It's yet another nail in the coffin of the Republican/Trump agenda, none of which they've so far been able to even begin to get passed despite having majorities in both houses of congress. But Trump isn't the only problem here. As this Bloomberg article points out the problem is the whole Republican Party, and it's inability to cooperate or engage in any kind of bipartisan legislating.

Financial regulation legislation, R.I.P. -- probably, after Mitch McConnell basically surrendered Tuesday on a bill that would overhaul the Dodd-Frank Act, as Bloomberg's Elizabeth Dexheimer reports. 

What's going on here is that congressional Republicans quite literally have no idea how to do bipartisan legislating on major issues. Or at least they've shown no interest in doing so, at least since Paul Ryan took over as speaker of the House in October 2015. 

...

That leaves them with two choices. They could accept that the cornerstones of Dodd-Frank, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, are here to stay, and they could move on to find items that Republicans strongly dislike and Democrats are willing to give up in return for other Democratic priorities. In other words, they could try to legislate. Or House Republicans could charge ahead with their ideal bill and let it die by filibuster in the Senate. Which is what is actually happening. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-05-17/mcconnell-waves-the-white-flag

[DogOnPorch]

10 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

Easy to say from Canada...which doesn't want to pay for military readiness or capabilities against this "enemy".

Let Trump and the Americans do it.

 

Our guy is taking the other route by all appearances. If you can't beat 'em...join 'em. Watch him...close.

[Argus]

2 minutes ago, DogOnPorch said:

 

This is NOTHING like the 'good old days' of the Cold War. For example, it is unlikely that Putin's pesky Tu-95s are still armed with 11 megaton city/dam busters. And as far as ethnically getting in a pantie twist about Russians...I'd say Volga Germans types far outshine Scotsmen. We have a reason...yet, Russia isn't my enemy while Islam...a Medieval death cult turned major religion...is FAR more aggressive than any Russkie. An enemy that even states in its 'holy writings' it is the Infidel's sworn implacable foe...forever.

 

But the Muslim world has very limited capability to damage Western interests. Russia could, right now, probably overrun all of Europe. The military forces of European states are in a very sad state. Greece and Italy are practically bankrupt. Germany has been scrambling see if it can get enough old fighters fixed to satisfy its NATO obligations, and the British are still busily downsizing their military.

[bush_cheney2004]

1 minute ago, Argus said:

But the Muslim world has very limited capability to damage Western interests. Russia could, right now, probably overrun all of Europe. The military forces of European states are in a very sad state. Greece and Italy are practically bankrupt. Germany has been scrambling see if it can get enough old fighters fixed to satisfy its NATO obligations, and the British are still busily downsizing their military.

 

Don't worry...Canada will save Europe from the Russians.

[DogOnPorch]

Just now, Argus said:

But the Muslim world has very limited capability to damage Western interests. Russia could, right now, probably overrun all of Europe. The military forces of European states are in a very sad state. Greece and Italy are practically bankrupt. Germany has been scrambling see if it can get enough old fighters fixed to satisfy its NATO obligations, and the British are still busily downsizing their military.

 

I'd say that is Europe's problem. Decades of prostrating itself before Islam has turned them into defenseless sheep. Don't look to me to save Paris.