u.s. politics: molotov cocktail through the overton window

[DMC]

7 minutes ago, Nasty LongRider said:

I really want them to rein in Trump not reign in Trump.   

Indeed - the typo is worth such concern!

 

 

Quote

Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny,
And in this judgement there is no partiality.
So arm in arms, with arms, we'll fight this little struggle,
'Cause that's the only way we can overcome our little trouble.

Brother, you're right, you're right,
You're right, you're right, you're so right!
We gon' fight (we gon' fight), we'll have to fight (we gon' fight),
We gonna fight (we gon' fight), fight for our rights!

Natty Dread it in-a (Zimbabwe);
Set it up in (Zimbabwe);
Mash it up-a in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate (Zimbabwe), yeah.

No more internal power struggle;
We come together to overcome the little trouble.
Soon we'll find out who is the real revolutionary,
'Cause I don't want my people to be contrary.

And, brother, you're right, you're right,
You're right, you're right, you're so right!
We'll 'ave to fight (we gon' fight), we gonna fight (we gon' fight)
We'll 'ave to fight (we gon' fight), fighting for our rights!

Mash it up in-a (Zimbabwe);
Natty trash it in-a (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
I'n'I a-liberate Zimbabwe.

(Brother, you're right,) you're right,
You're right, you're right, you're so right!
We gon' fight (we gon' fight), we'll 'ave to fight (we gon' fight),
We gonna fight (we gon' fight), fighting for our rights!

To divide and rule could only tear us apart;
In everyman chest, mm - there beats a heart.
So soon we'll find out who is the real revolutionaries;
And I don't want my people to be tricked by mercenaries.

 

[LongRider]

Awwww, poor Spicey!......................not

 

Quote

The big five news organizations have passed on offering former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer a job as an exclusive paid contributor, network sources confirmed to NBC News Tuesday.

Since Spicer exited the White House, his representatives have been holding individual conversations about the possibility of President Donald Trump's former flack joining one of the major TV networks, which include CBS News, CNN, Fox News, ABC News and NBC News.

But "they won't touch him," said a media industry executive familiar with those conversations.

“The news organizations might use him on round tables, but [a paid exclusive contributor job] is not happening,” the executive added.

A number of network insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect their business relationships said none of the networks were interested in hiring Spicer due to a "lack of credibility."

 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

@Kalbear,

This is the key quote from DMC's argument:

12 hours ago, dmc515 said:

Before he's removed from office already?  

I actually do think there’s some validity to the argument that there could be one or more constitutional amendments passed to rein in the presidency, but they’re only going to be passed in the wake of Trump flaming out, whether it be by impeachment or the electoral destruction of the Republican Party. But there’s no chance it will happen while he’s still in office.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

15 hours ago, Red Tiger said:

Very few of them. I saw the entire speech.

Ah thanks for the clarification. They made it seem like it was pretty loud.

So how is Trump’s speech being received in Europe?

[The guy from the Vale]

I guess Macron's response to Trump on the UN floor should give you a decent impression.

[Zorral]

A young swedish guy went on an underground research project on behalf of the British organization, "Hope Not Hate, to infilter alt right groups in Europe and the USA.  He was appalled, to put it mildly.  The NY Times has both video and print versions of the report.  The phrase, "You want to punch them in the face . . ." but, "you have to sit and smile."

It's made clear that the alt right is recruiting at levels unheard of a few years ago, thanks to the internet, orgs like Breitbart and Fox News and their popular celebrity figures. The Times calls it "the far right social media eco system. . . whose videos, blog posts and, tweets have been consistently nudging the boundaries of acceptable conversation . . . ."  And yah, these recruits are almost entirely teenage and young white males.  It is global, with all of the different groups in different countries in constant conversation and planning with each other.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/19/opinion/alt-right-white-supremacy-undercover.html?

[BloodRider]

19 hours ago, maarsen said:

Sort of like when are sexual relations not sexual relations. 

I hear you.  Still, in one case it was one man who did that weaselly dance.  In the other case it has become an entire political party & movement's mantra.  Also - who got impeached and who didn't?  And which one affects national security, and which one doesn't?

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

So Trump has made his decision on the Iran nuclear agreement, but refused to tell reporters what his decision is. My question is can Trump pull out unilaterally or does he have to convince the other members of the P5+1 to go along with him (it’s unlikely that they would)?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html

[Red Tiger]

5 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Ah thanks for the clarification. They made it seem like it was pretty loud.

So how is Trump’s speech being received in Europe?

Tough to say, we're pretty mellow about even catastrophes in the Netherlands.

We're used to Trump making outrageous speeches and when he does it's more like "eh, he's American, they love this shit".

Simply put, it really doesn't mean much to us, we were expecting this.

[The guy from the Vale]

Yep, it's mainly "Trump's gonna Trump". I just hope our political leadership is prepared for dealing with him, but then Macron and Leuthard's comments at the UN were quite reassuring, for now.

 

ETA @Zorral: Scary stuff.

[Morpheus]

Jimmy Kimmel tore into Sen. Cassidy and his cruel health bill last night after the senator had promised months ago on Kimmel's show that he was designing a compassionate health plan.  Now Republicans and their propaganda outlets have spent the day bashing Kimmel rather than in any way refuting the criticism of the bill.

https://shareblue.com/sen-lindsey-graham-desperately-smears-jimmy-kimmel-for-speaking-up-for-kids-like-his-son/#.WcKAv0y79_o.twitter

 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

2 hours ago, Red Tiger said:

Tough to say, we're pretty mellow about even catastrophes in the Netherlands.

We're used to Trump making outrageous speeches and when he does it's more like "eh, he's American, they love this shit".

Simply put, it really doesn't mean much to us, we were expecting this.

That figures. We do have a tendency to assume it’s all about us. And yeah, one of the things I hate most about Trump is that he reinforces a ton of bad stereotypes about Americans.

2 hours ago, theguyfromtheVale said:

Yep, it's mainly "Trump's gonna Trump". I just hope our political leadership is prepared for dealing with him, but then Macron and Leuthard's comments at the UN were quite reassuring, for now.

 

ETA @Zorral: Scary stuff.

Honestly I’m skeptical that anyone will work with him unless they absolutely have to.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Quote

President Donald Trump on Wednesday was met with silence when he congratulated the leaders of African countries on the continent's economic progress, telling them, "I've so many friends going to your countries, trying to get rich. I congratulate you. They're spending a lot of money."

Trump delivered the remark at a luncheon he hosted with the leaders of many of the 54 diverse nations on the African continent. And while Trump almost certainly meant it as compliment, and even seemed to pause for applause, not one attendee clapped.

For centuries, Europeans and Americans have exploited Africa's natural resources and labor force, not least during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In the post-Colonial era, the U.S. government has supported dozens of authoritarian regimes on the African continent, while American companies have made billions of dollars from deals with dictatorships.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/20/trump-congratulates-african-leaders-for-making-his-friends-rich.html

[Morpheus]

"King Leopold is someone who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more"

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Mueller is closing in:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/manafort-offered-to-give-russian-billionaire-private-briefings-on-2016-campaign/2017/09/20/399bba1a-9d48-11e7-8ea1-ed975285475e_story.html?utm_term=.ae6e9c2c4f63

[Martell Spy]

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/09/why_republicans_called_off_talks_to_stabilize_obamacare.html

It Wasn’t Gridlock
The cynical reason why Republicans called off bipartisan talks to stabilize Obamacare.

http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2017/09/20/christie-says-he-opposes-graham-cassidy-obamacare-replacement-bill-114611

Christie says he opposes Graham-Cassidy bill

 

[maarsen]

5 hours ago, BloodRider said:

I hear you.  Still, in one case it was one man who did that weaselly dance.  In the other case it has become an entire political party & movement's mantra.  Also - who got impeached and who didn't?  And which one affects national security, and which one doesn't?

Funny trumps accurate. Pun not intended. 

[Martell Spy]

Health-Care Experts Keep Finding New Terrible Things in the Republicans’ Shoddy Repeal Bill

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/09/experts-keep-finding-terrible-things-in-shoddy-repeal-bill.html

The GOP Is Trying to Buy Lisa Murkowski’s Vote on Obamacare Repeal

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/09/the-gop-wants

[Shryke]

6 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

So Trump has made his decision on the Iran nuclear agreement, but refused to tell reporters what his decision is. My question is can Trump pull out unilaterally or does he have to convince the other members of the P5+1 to go along with him (it’s unlikely that they would)?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html

He can scuttle the whole deal all on his own.

This will basically 100% lead to a nuclear Iran in short order and god knows how Israel will react to that.

[The Anti-Targ]

26 minutes ago, Shryke said:

He can scuttle the whole deal all on his own.

This will basically 100% lead to a nuclear Iran in short order and god knows how Israel will react to that.

Once Iran is nuclear armed Israel won't be able to do squat, since Israel is a lot smaller than Iran, one nuke dropped on Israel is going to do a whole lot more harm than a couple of nukes dropped on Iran. 

Trump is backing the USA into a corner where it is going to be forced into taking military action against a nuclear armed country (DPRK) in order to demonstrate that having a nuke does not give you a shield against military aggression. If for all of Trump's bluster the DPRK situation remains at the same stand-off a year hence it is only going to serve to prove to all states who fear US military aggression that the one way to insure against it is to have a nuke. And thus begins the second nuclear arms race, if it hasn't already happened.

If the USA or Israel take action on a pre-nuclear armed Iran, that's just going to send the message that countries need to not piss about in getting nuked up, and move to carrying out a successful nuclear weapons test ASAP.