Donald Trump 2019

[WhatTheBuck 28929]

1 hour ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

When your IQ is room temp, everyone is a genius. 

'Duh, he's rich so he must be smart.'

[jimmyjazz 47158]

1 hour ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

Love the switch back an forth from referring to himself from third person and  first person...such genius. 

I think in that particular case he was quoting someone else.

[DigglerontheHoof 21551]

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I think in that particular case he was quoting someone else.

Gotcha.  I suck at reading twitter

[GSU&UT 1799]

Just a matter of time before we have boots on the ground starting a war with Iran.

 

[Mdhorn 6166]

29 minutes ago, GSU&UT said:

Just a matter of time before we have boots on the ground starting a war with Iran.

 

Is Putin letting Trump go after Iran? He has to throw Trump a bone if he wants to keep him around. Otherwise Trump'll become toast as the heat rises. 

[WhatTheBuck 28929]

30 minutes ago, GSU&UT said:

Just a matter of time before we have boots on the ground starting a war with Iran.

 

It'll be closer to election time. Probably not before the fall of this year, maybe as late as the spring of next year. You want to make sure you're still in the early stages of the campaign, when everything is going smoothly and before you get bogged down in an insurgency, in order to boost your chances for reelection. 

That's been my prediction since the day Trump won the election. 

[Brisketexan 106889]

1 minute ago, Mdhorn said:

Is Putin letting Trump go after Iran? He has to throw Trump a bone if he wants to keep him around. Otherwise Trump'll become toast as the heat rises. 

Let's see.....in the event of war with Iran and instability in the Gulf....

Can Russia make $$$ selling weapons to Iran and other players?  Yep.

Will the price of oil -- the commodity that makes or breaks Russia's economy -- skyrocket?  Yep.

Will  it improve the chances of a manipulable moron who stokes the fires of nationalism so as to weaken America's historic alliances remaining in power (cuz the people wave the flag and rally 'round a wartime president)?  Yep.

Does it diminish the trustworthiness of the US as a diplomatic and treaty party?  Yep (go from signing a treaty to a shooting war in a few years -- would YOU sign a treaty with the US these days?)

A US-Iran shooting war is a win-win-win-win for Russia, the way I see it.  There may be more there....but I bet it still falls in the "win" column for Russia.

[Mdhorn 6166]

Wish I didn't agree but can't wait to see all the freedom isn't free tshirt wearing and posting morons. 

Edited May 13, 2019 by Mdhorn

[retread 2951]

President of Russia = the putative CiC of the US military. What a time to be alive.

[RPM 26623]

14 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

A US-Iran shooting war is a win-win-win-win for Russia, the way I see it.  There may be more there....but I bet it still falls in the "win" column for Russia.

Sadly, this is all true.

[David Dennison 19534]

Yeah, we aren't sending troops into Iran. 

 

[Brandywine 1330]

16 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

raving lunatic 

That guy needs to get a job. Something to occupy his time besides Twitter all day long. 

[Brisketexan 106889]

1 minute ago, David Dennison said:

Yeah, we aren't sending troops into Iran. 

 

I think you may be correct.  That doesn't mean no shooting war.  It means a really fucking dumb shooting war.

Trump, more than any other president ever, imagines that war is a cool game that plays out on video.  We have the super-duperest planes and ships.  We'll launch airstrikes, maybe do a naval blockade.  And as would be expected with such disparate power, we'll inflict massive damage in short order.  BUT.....Iran will sneak something through.  A Silkworm?  Some explosive rigged speedboats?  Who knows.  But they WILL sink one or more major naval vessels -- in fact, they'll sell their souls trying to hit a carrier, and they might be able to pull it off.  Doesn't matter how many Iranian targets we destroy on the ground.  The sight of a US destroyer or carrier in flames, and sinking, will be the enduring image of the war.

There's no end-game.  There's no defined "win" here.  Anything less than sending in ground troops and installing a friendly regime (and oh, what a win that will be - a regime that we have to prop up with military backing for decades, if it can last that long) does nothing to advance the ball.

This is a lose-lose stupid proposition.  Which is why I think it grows more likely by the day.

[tantric superman 4668]

I hope this doesn't negatively affect the 1 great Iranian indy film that gets released every year. 

I can live with that if it means getting a mission accomplished.

[JimmyJames 12271]

People aren’t gonna rally around trump if he starts a war with Iran. Quite the opposite really. 

Yes the maga moron 25 percent base will support it. They’d still support trump though if he stole their car, fucked their wife and took an upper decker shit in their bathroom. Who cares what they think. 

[RomaVicta 30577]

14 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

Plenty of Rs are riding his coattails because he's giving them what they want.

I believe more are riding his coattails because they're as dirty as Trump is with foreign money and they don't want to go to jail.

[Lagunamadre 1975]

58 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I think you may be correct.  That doesn't mean no shooting war.  It means a really fucking dumb shooting war.

Trump, more than any other president ever, imagines that war is a cool game that plays out on video.  We have the super-duperest planes and ships.  We'll launch airstrikes, maybe do a naval blockade.  And as would be expected with such disparate power, we'll inflict massive damage in short order.  BUT.....Iran will sneak something through.  A Silkworm?  Some explosive rigged speedboats?  Who knows.  But they WILL sink one or more major naval vessels -- in fact, they'll sell their souls trying to hit a carrier, and they might be able to pull it off.  Doesn't matter how many Iranian targets we destroy on the ground.  The sight of a US destroyer or carrier in flames, and sinking, will be the enduring image of the war.

There's no end-game.  There's no defined "win" here.  Anything less than sending in ground troops and installing a friendly regime (and oh, what a win that will be - a regime that we have to prop up with military backing for decades, if it can last that long) does nothing to advance the ball.

This is a lose-lose stupid proposition.  Which is why I think it grows more likely by the day.

Trump has a boner thinking about the super sweet lee greenwood twitter video showing the highlights of our bombs exploding on Iran. His supporters will eat that shit up. 

[retread 2951]

It's so comical watching the Rs in flyover country think that the Rs in DC care one thing about making their life better. Tom Cotton holds fighting men/women up as props to justify the trade war, and the Trumpkins cheer. Murica.

[SmokeyTheBear 5569]

9 minutes ago, retread said:

It's so comical watching the Rs in flyover country think that the Rs in DC care one thing about making their life better. Tom Cotton holds fighting men/women up as props to justify the trade war, and the Trumpkins cheer. Murica.

While simultaneously needing assault rifles in case they need to gun down those same soldiers during a government takeover. 

[Rimbo 27011]

Liberal Relieved He Never Has To Introspect Again After Assembling All The Correct Opinions

MADISON, WI—Taking a moment to reflect on his hard-won personal accomplishment, area liberal Tom Hudson expressed relief Monday that he would never again have to engage in self-examination after finally assembling all the correct opinions. “It definitely wasn’t easy, but now that I have all the proper perspectives on the world all perfectly arranged inside of my head, I know I’ll never need to question my own thoughts, beliefs, or opinions ever again,” said Hudson, proudly recounting his previous efforts at researching all necessary sociopolitical issues, conducting a rigorous self-exploration to determine which of his behaviors were problematic or harmful, and finally achieving the proper balance of beliefs to ensure once and for all that he is an indisputably good person. “It’s such a huge weight off my shoulders. I never have to consider my place in society or my impact on the issues ever again now that I know exactly how to present myself as one of the good guys. This feels amazing.” Hudson was then immediately and savagely attacked by his fellow liberals, who insist that his current views are nowhere near progressive enough.

[SmokeyTheBear 5569]

My preference

[SimonBolivar 11064]

I had an interesting conversation with a Trumpster today. Successful business man with a nice little side business told me that things were going well with it until the Obama Economy happened in 2008. Now THAT is some great revisionism.

[RPM 26623]

2 hours ago, David Dennison said:

Yeah, we aren't sending troops into Iran. 

[Brisketexan 106889]

Just now, RPM said:

Worst.  Bolton.  EVER.

Yes, even worse than no-talent assclown Bolton....

[David Dennison 19534]

Just now, RPM said:

Still no.

[RPM 26623]

1 minute ago, Brisketexan said:

Worst.  Bolton.  EVER.

Yes, even worse than no-talent assclown Bolton....

[RomaVicta 30577]

46 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

Liberal Relieved He Never Has To Introspect Again After Assembling All The Correct Opinions

MADISON, WI—Taking a moment to reflect on his hard-won personal accomplishment, area liberal Tom Hudson expressed relief Monday that he would never again have to engage in self-examination after finally assembling all the correct opinions. “It definitely wasn’t easy, but now that I have all the proper perspectives on the world all perfectly arranged inside of my head, I know I’ll never need to question my own thoughts, beliefs, or opinions ever again,” said Hudson, proudly recounting his previous efforts at researching all necessary sociopolitical issues, conducting a rigorous self-exploration to determine which of his behaviors were problematic or harmful, and finally achieving the proper balance of beliefs to ensure once and for all that he is an indisputably good person. “It’s such a huge weight off my shoulders. I never have to consider my place in society or my impact on the issues ever again now that I know exactly how to present myself as one of the good guys. This feels amazing.” Hudson was then immediately and savagely attacked by his fellow liberals, who insist that his current views are nowhere near progressive enough.

Maybe I have an older mindset, but this is the opposite of how you parody liberals in my experience. The left is more likely to be wishy washy and self-doubting while the right operate with absolute certainty and unjustified confidence.

In the amusing movie monologue Swimming to Cambodia, Spaulding Gray relates a story about sitting on a bus and listening to a wacko spin an involved conspiracy theory. Gray looks at the camera and says, "I'm a liberal, so I'm thinking he just might be right." I always thought that was perfect. I've laughed at that line many times in memory. I've stolen it, too.

[RomaVicta 30577]

20 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Worst.  Bolton.  EVER.

Yes, even worse than no-talent assclown Bolton....

[Rimbo 27011]

40 minutes ago, RomaVicta said:

Maybe I have an older mindset, but this is the opposite of how you parody liberals in my experience. The left is more likely to be wishy washy and self-doubting while the right operate with absolute certainty and unjustified confidence.

In the amusing movie monologue Swimming to Cambodia, Spaulding Gray relates a story about sitting on a bus and listening to a wacko spin an involved conspiracy theory. Gray looks at the camera and says, "I'm a liberal, so I'm thinking he just might be right." I always thought that was perfect. I've laughed at that line many times in memory. I've stolen it, too.

Oh, I've definitely encountered The Unwavering Certainty from both sides of the political fence. There's nothing inherent about either side that way. 

But it's the last line of the article that slays me. I've seen a lot more of that particular mindset from people living in Liberal bubbles than I have from those in Conservative bubbles. I think Conservatives tend to be more open-minded than most Liberals, if you can convince them that you and they are otherwise on the same team in some other fashion. Of course, this is, in part, because what is now passing for "Conservative" nowadays demands a tremendous amount of blissful ignorance; once you gain a Conservative's trust, you can inform them, and their views will soften accordingly. Most of my Conservative friends -- I mean, I grew up in Amarillo, a Red part of a Red state -- upon hearing what's going on with my family, will not have much trouble changing their views on Trump's immigration policy.

Whereas what's passing for "Liberal" is all about blind dedication various facts to the point where some facets of one's enlightenment are deemed more important than others by different factions (cf. the Martina Navratilova is a Bigot thread)... thus the magnificent punchline of that Onion article.

Edited May 13, 2019 by Rimbo

[DDD Dad 14648]

45 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

Oh, I've definitely encountered The Unwavering Certainty from both sides of the political fence. There's nothing inherent about either side that way. 

But it's the last line of the article that slays me. I've seen a lot more of that particular mindset from people living in Liberal bubbles than I have from those in Conservative bubbles. I think Conservatives tend to be more open-minded than most Liberals, if you can convince them that you and they are otherwise on the same team in some other fashion. Of course, this is, in part, because what is now passing for "Conservative" nowadays demands a tremendous amount of blissful ignorance; once you gain a Conservative's trust, you can inform them, and their views will soften accordingly. Most of my Conservative friends -- I mean, I grew up in Amarillo, a Red part of a Red state -- upon hearing what's going on with my family, will not have much trouble changing their views on Trump's immigration policy.

Whereas what's passing for "Liberal" is all about blind dedication various facts to the point where some facets of one's enlightenment are deemed more important than others by different factions (cf. the Martina Navratilova is a Bigot thread)... thus the magnificent punchline of that Onion article.

I bet there's a thread where this discussion would be relevant.

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

Every member of Congress right now not calling for impeachment is a fucking coward and should never hold public office again. 

[Rimbo 27011]

6 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Every member of Congress right now not calling for impeachment is a fucking coward and should never hold public office again. 

You're being too kind. Cowardice is the least of their problems.

The issue here is a legitimate Constitutional Crisis. Recently saw the point made that the 3 branches were not meant to be coequal: Congress was supposed to be supreme. We're looking at an inversion of that.

Trump looks a lot like Andrew Jackson. I called him that before he even took office, and he looks even more like that now. The difference is, there hadn't been nearly 50 years of Executive Branch power creep. The last time we had anything like that was after Lincoln had expanded Executive power to fight the Civil War. Congress did eventually fight back, with e.g. the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, the Radical Republicans, etc.

Congress needs to step up here. Which is, yet again, why I blame Mitch even more than Donny for the shit we're in.

Edited May 13, 2019 by Rimbo

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

Our democracy is being pissed away by people debating over whether or not we’re in a constitutional crisis, as if it makes a fucking difference what you call it. 

[David Dennison 19534]

2 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Our democracy is being pissed away by people debating over whether or not we’re in a constitutional crisis, as if it makes a fucking difference what you call it. 

Actually, not impeaching the president at the moment is a reflection of our representative democracy working.

That is, if you believe the polls.

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

1 minute ago, David Dennison said:

Actually, not impeaching the president at the moment is a reflection of our representative democracy working.

That is, if you believe the polls.

If our elected officials need polls to tell them how to govern then they have no business being an elected official

[David Dennison 19534]

Just now, Hugo Stiglitz said:

If our elected officials need polls to tell them how to govern then they have no business being an elected official

Well, yeah. Vote.

[RPM 26623]

8 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

The issue here is a legitimate Constitutional Crisis. Recently saw the point made that the 3 branches were not meant to be coequal: Congress was supposed to be supreme. We're looking at an inversion of that.

Yup. The issue is party loyalty has overridden loyalty to the country and Constitution. As long as that exists, the R's have carte fucking blanche. 

[HenryJames 67337]

Oh.

[4th&Five 41999]

 

[David Dennison 19534]

1 minute ago, HenryJames said:

Oh.

Giving up on Jexit already?

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

 

[retread 2951]

Biannual performance review.

[Rimbo 27011]

47 minutes ago, RPM said:

Yup. The issue is party loyalty has overridden loyalty to the country and Constitution. As long as that exists, the R's have carte fucking blanche. 

I don't think it's "party loyalty" as much as it is, oddly enough, the very mechanism that makes us a democracy in the first place -- their constituents love Trump, and they know that if they beat back against him now, they may find themselves unemployed after the next election.

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

Just now, Rimbo said:

I don't think it's "party loyalty" as much as it is, oddly enough, the very mechanism that makes us a democracy in the first place -- their constituents love Trump, and they know that if they beat back against him now, they may find themselves unemployed after the next election.

It’s that our leaders lack any sense of morality or responsibility beyond their own self interest.  They care nothing about their constituents. 

Veep is a documentary. 

[JimmyJames 12271]

4 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

I don't think it's "party loyalty" as much as it is, oddly enough, the very mechanism that makes us a democracy in the first place -- their constituents love Trump, and they know that if they beat back against him now, they may find themselves unemployed after the next election.

Refusing to properly educate one’s constituents does have consequences eventually. 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

[Rimbo 27011]

40 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

It’s that our leaders lack any sense of morality or responsibility beyond their own self interest.  They care nothing about their constituents. 

Sure, but that's always been true. Our government is supposed to take that into account. You can't bloody well expect any elected representative to do anything other than be corrupted by his position and act in his own self-interest.

Where Trump and Mitch break all this is that they're so unfailingly stupid that they don't recognize when they're acting against their own self-interest, there.

[Poolflood 845]

On 5/12/2019 at 5:41 PM, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Another way to look at it is Trump is the inevitable consequence of 50 years of a rigged and ineffective political system. 

 

 

Trump is a midget standing on the shoulders of giants.  

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

43 minutes ago, Poolflood said:

Trump is a midget standing on the shoulders of giants.  

Our political system has been so corrupted that the guy that ran a subliminal campaign of “please don’t elect me president, I’m an obvious liar and racist fraud” ended up winning. 

[Mdhorn 6166]

7 hours ago, JimmyJames said:

People aren’t gonna rally around trump if he starts a war with Iran. Quite the opposite really. 

Yes the maga moron 25 percent base will support it. They’d still support trump though if he stole their car, fucked their wife and took an upper decker shit in their bathroom. Who cares what they think. 

and it's going to escalate debt.