Nov 2023 Mod notice:
There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.
If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations
and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines
before posting here.
Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.
If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules
when posting here.
In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
I think we are stuck inside a modern day Hearts Of Iron mod.
And the AI has gonna bonkers.
![]()
![]()
I remember that Trump said it was because he couldn't trust Flynn. I don't think he doesn't trust Sessions yet, especially when he sided with Sessions over DeVos over Transgender Students Bathroom rights.
Also, if he did lie under oath (I don't know if Senate Hearings are under oath, they might be) then Tillerson, Pruitt, DeVos, Mnuchin and Friedmen (from a 2 page Google search) are also all in trouble. Maybe Sessions' thing is different enough (IE, he was caught lying after getting the job, not during it) that the Senate might consider a serious inquiry on him, but I severely doubt it. Again, Republicans want to give Trump's administration a blank pass and let him work with whomever, and do whatever, he wants.
Not sure if this was mentioned, Trump warned Pelosi she was making the Democratic party irrelevant and we could end up as a one-party country because of her during a Fox and Friends interview that aired before Trump's speech to Congress.
Most of the partisan-left news I see is saying he was under oath and Politico says house Democrats
are saying he was under oath.
On the subject of ambassador spies: I've been reading about both diplomats and spies lately and in the US (and probably "the west") at least having those cross over is discouraged: if people don't trust your diplomats it's harder for them to honestly conduct diplomacy. Russia seems to have no such reservations though.
The actual job descriptions of diplomats and spies are fairly similar in some aspects though: a lot of it is talking to people and cultivating information sources. But a spy may eventually try to convert those sources into actively working for their side, through persuasion, blackmail or otherwise.
edited 1st Mar '17 8:58:57 PM by Elle
Russia (especially under former KGB guy Putin) takes Realpolitik way too far. People like him still don't get that this way of thinking is not some kind of Necessary Evil in civilization. It erodes the very foundation of civilization itself: namely, trust.
And yeah, I can see how it might be difficult to negotiate with someone whom you suspect is stealing info and blackmailing people.
edited 1st Mar '17 9:04:13 PM by M84
Disgusted, but not surprisedDirect crossover tends to be rare due to the trust issues it causes and the issues of conflicting training. However you do tend to get intelligence officers having the cover of embassy staff, they won't be the actual ambassador though, they'll be the third secretary for naval affairs or some other non-position. They'll do basic diplomatic work as part of their cover but nothing actually important, just enough that they can't be I Ded by the host country.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ CyranEmbassies also do a degree of business in actually getting info back to the home country due to Diplomatic Impunity. But yeah, usually the diplomat isn't actually the spy.
Well, it seems like all the hope the Russian government had for this administration being great for them is kind of disappearing. Can't really use an asset if everyone knows they're an asset of yours. Or suspects it, at any rate.
As bizarre and distressing as this stuff is, I hope more information and rumors keep coming out about this. It's kind of spiteful, but the more bad rumors and shit coming out the more ineffective I think Trump and the Republicans are going to be. I don't doubt they could do harm anyway, but the more bad press there is about them the more they're going to worry about keeping their offices.
I, for one, am enjoying the hell out of all the schadenfreude I'm getting out of the failures of this administration and their failure to keep their lying members in the cabinet. I just hope that they continue to fail to smear their feces all over this country and our allies.
Do not obey in advance.Regarding Sessions, we'll have to see how Congress reacts. Congress does not like being lied to, and doing so while under oath is, you know, massively illegal. There's a good chance that enough Republicans will be pissed off at Sessions' behavior that there could be some movement from that quarter. It's not guaranteed, of course, but I wouldn't write it off yet either.
Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Too be fair, sometimes important things happen in some of our day-to-day lives and it could be daunting to have to read a lot of pages to catch up with just one or two days worth of news. I mean, during the primaries I was in the middle of some tests for college and I didn't realize Rubio wasn't in the race anymore until Cruz dropped out and people said it was just Trump and Kasich in the race.

Sessions should be screwed! But he's safe as long as Dem's are in the minority.
edited 1st Mar '17 7:57:42 PM by DingoWalley1