US Politics, January 2020. Because we hate ourselves.

😂

I'm thinking Iran's response would necessarily involve proxies, either using non-state groups as the weapon against the US (probable), or our allies as the proxy targets (less likely), so as to limit the possibility of sparking a full-scale war with the USA, but some kind of response can be expected. I don't think we could expect any NATO assistance here, no matter what transpires.

I want to shout "Impeach the motherfucker!", but Trump has already been impeached so this would just sound lame. I guess it will now have to be "Vote to convict and remove the motherfucker from office!" but that's not nearly as pithy.

who would have guessed these assholes would push us into a war a few months before an election except maybe everybody

BREAKING: A Deutsche Bank whistleblower has told the FBI that the Russian state-owned bank VTB underwrote Trump's loans: https://t.co/dm2N6mEKa3

— Scott Stedman (@ScottMStedman) January 3, 2020

this seems like a big deal

maybe he'll get impeached

is this report available anywhere other than "forensicnews.net" (which appears to have been established in May 2019 and whose email address on facebook is forensicn✧✧✧@protonm✧✧✧.c✧✧)

Most everything @DavidEnrich has, I provided. What I didn't provide him FIRST HAND, I directed him toward those that could.
But I can say safely say...
David certainly has 2nd hand knowledge cause his FIRST HAND is too busy stabbing at the backs his of sources. https://t.co/rXNFN45kHR

— val broeksmit (@BikiniRobotArmy) January 3, 2020

i know it's not important, but why would the first hand being busy stabbing a back mean that the second has knowledge?

http://i.imgur.com/IOXwKKH.jpg

Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) is retiring, after 6 terms. that makes 22 house republicans who are leaving at the end of the term.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ENXkcEjXYAET5zs.jpg

22 house republicans who are leaving at the end of the term

Not that all of them are especially high-minded or anything but deep-dyed conservatives, but they didn't owe their first election success to Trump and probably don't like him as a person - because he is deeply unlikeable. By stepping away now, they are further ceding the party to the most fervent of the acolytes in Trump's cult of personality.

Remember that I predicted a long time ago that President Obama will attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly-not skilled!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2013

And the rest of predicted a long time ago that there is and will continue to be a self-pwning tweet for everything

Look: if Obama does it it's evil, if Trump does it it's heavenly, how hard is this.

I wonder if Two Scoops could pull off the tan suit?

Soleimani posted memes antagonizing Trump on social media https://t.co/uVBlPwv9jx

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 3, 2020

ok now it makes sense

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (#IRGC) #Quds Force Major General Qassem Soleimani responded to #US President Donald Trump’s announcement that ‘sanctions are coming’ with a Game of Thrones-inspired meme of his ownhttps://t.co/336UFrTL8E pic.twitter.com/5uh1qtQPMB

— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) November 3, 2018

uh oh Robert de Niro is next

or plz, Bette Midler

lmao pic.twitter.com/wF3MqaXEIr

— Josh Sawyer (@jesawyer) January 3, 2020

dickless wonder speaks

“It is my view that the president does not have the authority for a war with Iran,” Senator Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. “If he plans a large increase in troops and potential hostility over a longer time, the administration will require congressional approval and the approval of the American people.”

Dow down 233

i thought da war was good for $$$?

Iran can block the straits with a few hundred mines, and the US has no effective counter (as against drones, the US hasn't invested in mine countermeasures for 5+ decades). That's $7/gal gasoline for 6+ months, regardless of whether a cease fire is reached in days.

I know that scenario is not one to hope for but ok yeah I hope that happens

meanwhile, the night this happened I was watching fox news for work (yes, I know, yes, it sucks) to see sebastian fucking gorka defending the administration's slashing of the national security council staff at this very opportune time to do so making the argument, with a straight face, that "eisenhower didn't have this many people it's not like the world was less complicated in the days of eisenhower"

like, maybe I'm not jaded enough somehow, but while the lying no longer surprises me the self-contradiction does, constantly

It's hard to look at some of the departmental organization charts this administration inherited and not see decades of bureaucratic bloat. Too many undersecretaries with advisory but no chain-of-command roles, too many GS-15s. However, this administration is the gardener that prunes your trees to their roots. That excess at the top also provided resiliency.

enjoyed reading the recent posts

where does boris stand (at the moment) on various warrings

The apparent fact that the Soleimani assassination was carried out by drone strike at a civilian airport really is the perfect capstone for the last two decades of lunatic American violence. Nothing deflates the hysterically macho chest-thumping self-image of American warmongers than the fact that for the last decade and more the signature U.S. method of killing people has been a robot plus a gamer in a box 10,000 miles away....

The United States is so powerful that it has been able to get away with decades of pointless atrocities. One of these days it will pay for its imperial hubris. That day may be quite soon.

https://theweek.com/articles/887283

A is for (Aimless) at 12:57 3 Jan 20

22 house republicans who are leaving at the end of the term

Not that all of them are especially high-minded or anything but deep-dyed conservatives, but they didn't owe their first election success to Trump and probably don't like him as a person - because he is deeply unlikeable. By stepping away now, they are further ceding the party to the most fervent of the acolytes in Trump's cult of personality.

the difference amounts to voting for everything Trump enthusiastically vs. voting for everything Trump wants grumbling a bit and maybe sniping at him behind his back through some anonymous quote to the press

good morning!

What do Trump supporters make of this? I thought that a lot of people voted for him at least partly because he was going to bring the troops home and not get involved in any more wars

if Trump does it they love it

you may be shocked to hear that they're very excited about this and often lack a coherent worldview

xpost

they love war as long as their side is "kicking ass"

what do Trump supporters think? let’s ask ILXors what their strawmen on the street are saying

I wish it were straw men but unfortunately I went to college in Texas and grew up in the deep south

you may be surprised to know that some of us have actually read what Trump supporters are saying

or, like in Euler's case, hear about it because we too live in red states

All you need to know is that if they get any sense that the left would like them to consider a particular position in regards to any issue they will be instantly compelled to enthusiastically and loudly declare their dedication to the opposite stance. Past/future means nothing. Pushback = heel digging.

I'm sure some people on this board have legitimate insight into what Trump supporters are thinking; I just don't think ILX is the best place to find real answers to that question.

Why do you doubt what they are saying? It's true.

i'm sure many more Diner in Trump Country safaris are coming

I'm sure some people on this board have legitimate insight into what Trump supporters are thinking; I just don't think ILX is the best place to find real answers to that question.

― 💠 (crüt), Saturday, January 4, 2020 10:23 AM (five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

xp

You're doubting people with real life experience with this shit

yeah i'm a lifelong red stater w conservative family and social media contacts and i'll be the first to let you know if i see one ounce of pushback from among his faithful. i would not hold my breath.

i think the problem with the red/ blue divide is the media's fixation on how 'no one really knows someone with different politics any more' -- which in my experience isn't true at all. i know way too many people in real life who have breathtakingly appalling views.

Moodles, I'm not doubting anyone. I don't think the ILXors who responded to paolo's question are wrong per se. I just don't think asking people what their political opponents are thinking about a political subject will result in a complete picture. I apologize for making a snarky throwaway remark instead of making a lucid point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW4q6OFIJOY

(Laughter in room)

February thread title imo

the "room" was a gathering to celebrate the unveiling of jared's israel/palestine peace plan, which is so successful zero palestinians representatives were present.

I can’t believe how irresponsible the next Democratic President was. https://t.co/q94ZGFqzrR

— Seth Masket (@smotus) January 29, 2020

kinda surprised trump hasn't tried to seal off all flights from china yet, or something. guess he's been distracted

The "peace plan" sounds terrible and a non-starter. Israel keeps West Bank settlements, trades away Arab-Israeli citizens into Palestine, retains control over Palestine's borders in trade/immigration/security, and opens the Temple Mount for "all religions". Imagine a plan designed by ultra right wing West Bank settlers, and that's the Kushner plan.

"I can’t believe how irresponsible the next Democratic President was" lol

always like reading your posts Sanpaku

bibi's plan to straight-up annex the settlements seems like a pretty big deal

Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the President, says the White House's Middle East plan is "a great deal" and if Palestinians reject it, “they’re going to screw up another opportunity, like they’ve screwed up every other opportunity that they’ve ever had in their existence.” pic.twitter.com/ABAI3gKjig

— CNN (@CNN) January 28, 2020

Salesmanshit

what a stupid little peckerhead he is

Some people are saying the irrepressible giggling from a Fox host as the President's brain audibly melts down should have the entire enterprise sent to a gulag for collusion in treason. You're hearing it more and more, and perhaps they have a point. We're going to be looking into it, and looking into all the things.

Fox News cut away from Trump's rally immediately after his brain short-circuited pic.twitter.com/0jgKzVLb9E

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2020

Diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia in the comments is intriguing, although 'loss of empathy' is a bit of a stumbling block as a symptom, how could we even tell

good morning!

what the fuck

If the evidence is “overwhelming” and “extensive,” why do we need witnesses? https://t.co/LUWxGLgaTm

— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) January 28, 2020

Gardner, McSally and Tillis “warned colleagues in the meeting against backing more witnesses, people familiar with the matter said. The senators said a drawn-out trial could lead to more Democratic attacks and hurt their re-election chances” https://t.co/NmYNGEnacR

— Joe Sudbay (@JoeSudbay) January 28, 2020

Don’t tell them it’s an election year

That Lankford tool was on the radio this morning. I think the GOP picks him for his deadpan. First he says there is no first hand account of what Trump is accused of doing. The interviewer says the Bolton manuscript contains a firsthand account. So Lankford says that no one has actually seen the manuscript, just unnamed sources in the paper, and that he and others need to see that manuscript ASAP. So the interviewer asks, why not just call Bolton to testify? And Lankford says he needs to see the manuscript first to see if the claims are credible enough to justify Bolton testimony. And the interviewer says, wait a minute, what does it matter what the manuscript says, it's still just words. Just calll Bolton and ask him yourself. And round and round we go. It's total They Live! sunglasses shit.

Why would the senate allow the testimony of radical leftist John Bolton, he'll just show up and rant about the benefits of collectivist farming for hours

seriously. give that guy a platform and you might as well just give people free healthcare right now.

I heard he was gonna shave his mustache, wear a dress, ask us to call him "Johnette" from now on, then take ginormous bong hits during his testimony.

Did you know that John Bolton once served in the administration of a President who tried to blackmail a country into investigating his opponent? How can the senate trust the testimony of such a person?

um wasn't "how can we trust a guy who worked for Donald Trump" a legit defense GOP'ers tried when it came to the testimonies of Manafort and Michael Cohen

Trump says he might deploy some F-35s to a local air base, saying workers here will see them come in. He says, "Actually they're totally stealth, so maybe you won't see them come in. You won't see them come in."

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 30, 2020

sir how do you know they're not already there

we may have a Feb thread title

NBC News reports:

Trump painted a doomsday scenario under a Democratic president. “If we don’t win, your farms are going to hell,” he said, claiming that under the Green New Deal supported by some of the 2020 contenders, “they want to kill your cows.” “That means you’re next,” he said.

farms: famously against cow-killing

Good morning!

he's right. GND has a provision about trading cattle mutilation rights to aliens in exchange for carbon filtering tech

first they came for my cows and i said nothing

e-i-e-i-o

as far as I'm aware, farms are already in complete hell under his policies so I don't know what he's getting at.

on that point

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-farms-bankruptcy-idUSKBN1ZT2YE

in case you weren't looking fwd to the SOTU next week

“He will contrast his vision with radical proposals being floated on the Left,” said the official during a briefing. “Clearly, socialism is a rising force in the Democratic Party with very specific designs on our healthcare system.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-to-attack-rising-force-of-socialism-in-state-of-the-union-speech

"Madam Speaker, Majority Leader McConnell, Senators, Congressional Representatives, and distinguished guests, I am here to report the State of our union is strong... except where it is infested with democrats and socialists who would happily destroy our nation and way of life, as I will now explain at length, using as many untruths as I find convenient for my purposes."

Every Democrat in the chamber should stand with their backs to him for the entire speech.

And whiz

All throw their shoes at him at the same time.

good morning!

"They want to kill our cows" for February title, please.

YOUR cows

I shall do it. Give me a minute, ok?

It is done, to quote a well-known member of the trinity.