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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#181701: Apr 7th 2017 at 5:57:10 AM

This is the guy who campaigned and got elected on a platform with the promise that he'd target the families of terrorists.

I highly doubt Trump gives a shit about dead kids. Especially if they happen to be poor, foreign, and brown.

Disgusted, but not surprised
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#181703: Apr 7th 2017 at 6:02:13 AM

[up] Like I said, I really doubt he gives a shit about civilians, including children.

Disgusted, but not surprised
math792d Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#181704: Apr 7th 2017 at 6:05:43 AM

It's almost like this administration is running on pure id and has absolutely no idea how to wield military power effectively.

If only there had been some kind of precedent for that. Like, a war we could point to where insufficient civilian leadership over the military had resulted in disaster.

Say, within the last 15 years.

Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
MorningStar1337 The Encounter that ended the Dogma from 🤔 Since: Nov, 2012
The Encounter that ended the Dogma
#181705: Apr 7th 2017 at 6:29:46 AM

[up] Pure id? I'm pretty sure there some ego mixed in there (most of which belonging to one man and if for nothing else, then for getting stroked).

edited 7th Apr '17 6:30:48 AM by MorningStar1337

NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#181706: Apr 7th 2017 at 6:34:11 AM

Much as I hate to say it, so far the Trump Administration's action in Syria seems to be precise, professionally carried out, and proportional to Assad' s behavior.
The key phrase there is "so far". What bothers me isn't the strike itself, but the broader policy behind it. Is this a one-off punitive strike? Will we do it again if Assad uses chemical weapons again? Or is this our declaration of opposition to the Assad regime and we're fighting them directly now, not just indirectly via rebel groups?

I have no idea what the Trump administration's overall policy here is, and I suspect that they don't have one, which is terrifying.

60+ Tomahawks is not proportional response. That's ridiculous.

Some well placed JDA Ms would have done the job just as well.

The number of weapons used in the strike is irrelevant. I say the same thing when people make a big deal out of how many times someone was shot when they're killed in a shooting. It doesn't matter. Trump destroyed a Syrian air field. Whether he did it with six cruise missiles or sixty (for the record, the number I've heard used is 59) doesn't matter. If someone dies from behind shot, how many times they were shot doesn't matter, what matters is that they were shot and it killed them.

Focusing on the minutiae of just how much ordinance was used is a distraction from the central issue.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#181708: Apr 7th 2017 at 6:37:35 AM

[up]X4 Can't think of one, Iraq was the reverse, a total failure of civilian leadership who had no idea how to bring peace and just wanted to blow stuff up, declare a quick victory then go home.

edited 7th Apr '17 6:38:40 AM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
TrashJack Confirmed Doomer from beyond the Despair Event Horizon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Confirmed Doomer
#181709: Apr 7th 2017 at 6:39:16 AM

@ Morning Star 1337: Not in the Freudian sense. As per Freud, ego is the balancing force between the id and the superego (yes, I'm greatly simplifying Freud's theories), and I see no trace of superego influence anywhere in Trump's actions, hence no ego.

Trump does have an ego (in the conventional sense of the word) the size of Jupiter, though.

edited 7th Apr '17 6:39:52 AM by TrashJack

"Cynic, n. — A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." - The Devil's Dictionary
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#181710: Apr 7th 2017 at 6:46:33 AM

Of course that ego only feeds more into his Id when he thinks he's slighted.

edited 7th Apr '17 6:48:15 AM by sgamer82

Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#181711: Apr 7th 2017 at 6:49:34 AM

[up][up]Never mind that Freud is rather an unsound means by which to either describe or understand cognitive processing... tongue

But, yeah: if his ego isn't the size of Jupiter, it's only because there isn't a brown dwarf handy. wink

edited 7th Apr '17 6:50:44 AM by Euodiachloris

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#181712: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:03:40 AM

It's the size of Jupiter with the strength of a soap bubble.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#181713: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:14:34 AM

The perfect metaphor for Trump's ego is that cake made of styrofoam he had at his inauguration.

edited 7th Apr '17 7:14:45 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#181714: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:17:07 AM

So as someone mentioned a few pages back, rather than blowing the whole thing off, Putin has instead declared that this has furthered weakened US and Russia ties, and while they're keeping channels open, they're not actually going to exchange any information. Again, I still don't think this is going to bring about WWIII, but if this sort of thing keeps happening, then that might just be the tipping point as far as the Ruskies are concerned.

edited 7th Apr '17 7:24:34 AM by kkhohoho

FluffyMcChicken My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare from where the floating lights gleam Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#181716: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:24:05 AM

The specific action was beneficial. Let me wave the world's smallest American flag for Trump. If he's shooting without having a plan, then he's still an idiot. Now, if the missile strike was a combination of reprisal and warning targeted specifically toward that purpose, then I can give Trump (or whoever planned this) credit for taking the appropriate response.

wild mass guessMattis pushed Trump into the strike. He knows that the administration isn't capable of sustaining any kind of plan, but there's nothing wrong with its ability to make big noisy exhibitions. So he arranged for one good missile attack against the Assad airfield with a subtle hint of "Cut the shit, Assad. You can commit genocide all you like, but don't use chemical weapons in doing so." He's counting on the Administration's dysfunction to keep the response from going any farther.wild mass guess

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#181717: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:25:31 AM

I'm going to be honest: I'm really not sure how I feel about the strike Trump did on Syria. Despite some on the left's completely inexorable opposition to any use of military force abroad, I don't think the airstrikes aren't the right option, at least in a vacuum on face value. My uneasiness comes from Trump having the keys to the Tomahawk missiles. If this was Hillary, I'd completely trust her judgment that she at bare minimum at least thought this through and what the consequences would be, militarily, domestically, and internationally. Would she be immune from making a mistake and me calling her out for it? Not a chance in fucking hell.

Even if this IS the right decision by Trump (and we have no conclusive evidence either way, seeing as how some see this as a smokescreen to fast track the sanctions on the Russian Government being lifted), this is pulling the pin on the grenade and I don't trust Trump to even have the self awareness that he needs to throw it to avoid not only himself being killed by shrapnel, but his fellow men, as well.

Just my .02.

New Survey coming this weekend!
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#181718: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:28:22 AM

Can't think of one, Iraq was the reverse, a total failure of civilian leadership who had no idea how to bring peace and just wanted to blow stuff up, declare a quick victory then go home.

Yeah, Iraq was about civilian leadership forcing a war on the military that the military didn't want, and having zero plan for what to do after toppling Saddam.

If Trump ever got fully involved in Syria the result would likely be disturbingly similar, however. I doubt he has the follow through to actually go to war, but we'll see, won't we?

edited 7th Apr '17 7:28:38 AM by TheWanderer

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
CenturyEye Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign? from I don't know where the Yith sent me this time... Since: Jan, 2017 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
#181719: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:31:43 AM

Georgia Republicans rally around Syria strikes

Many of Georgia’s Republicans in Congress are backing President Donald Trump’s move yesterday to launch missile strikes against an air base in Syria, a response to the Assad regime’s chemical weapons attack earlier this week.

U.S. Sen. David Perdue said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was a “tyrant” and that his chemical weapons attacks “will not be tolerated.” Ditto for U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, who said using such weapons “is an evil and unconscionable act which warrants international response.”

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson also said he supported Trump’s move, saying it “sends a clear signal to the world that war crimes such as these will not be tolerated.”

Perdue was quick to take a swipe at former President Barack Obama for not taking action sooner.

“After six years of inaction by the Obama Administration, I am glad to see that President Trump is willing to stand up for these innocent victims and stop those responsible for this violence,” he said.

Obama considered and then rejected a similar strike in 2013 after declaring earlier that the use of chemical weapons was a “red line.”

Many Republicans opposed a more forceful intervention in the growing civil war at the time. Isakson had initially backed military action but later said he would vote against a resolution authorizing a U.S. military strike in Syria. Our colleagues took a deep dive into his stance at the time.

In the hours after the news broke last night, Republican Karen Handel took to Twitter to take a hit at Jon Ossoff, the Democratic frontrunner who has been in the spotlight for his national security credentials.

  • Nothing but crickets from “National Security Expert” @ossoff thus far. What say you, Jon? Do you stand with Obama or Trump?

    • — Karen Handel (@karenhandel) April 7, 2017

  • @realDonaldTrump just showed what real leadership looks like and what crossing a “red line” really means

    • — Karen Handel (@karenhandel) April 7, 2017

This morning, Ossoff’s response hit our inboxes. He said if intelligence sources confirm that Assad indeed used chemical weapons against civilians, “a swift punitive strike on Syrian military targets is reasonable.”

“The more than fifty cruise missiles reportedly launched suggests a significant strike, and any further action should require Congressional approval,” Ossoff said. “Other than the deployment of U.S. Special Operations Forces to support coalition operations against ISIS, I urge the Administration to avoid getting drawn into an intractable ground war that cannot be resolved by U.S. military force.”

edited 7th Apr '17 7:37:33 AM by CenturyEye

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#181720: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:32:01 AM

[up]x4

The specific action was beneficial.

Not as far as the Russians are concerned, which is what worries me. But if this really is just a smokescreen to lift Russian sanctions under the guise of improving inter-country relationships, then as much as I hate to say it, there might not be much choice but to go along with it.

edited 7th Apr '17 7:32:29 AM by kkhohoho

carbon-mantis Collector Of Fine Oddities from Trumpland Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to my murderer
Collector Of Fine Oddities
#181721: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:42:26 AM

Though, I think the Russians could benefit from this in the long run if they play it right.

If Trump & Co. succeeds in causing Assad to suffer an unfortunate cessation of existence and calls it a day after that, it leaves it to Russia to install a much more malleable puppet and solidify their position in the Middle East while giving Russia's propaganda arm an enormous amount of leverage in shifting the whole spectre of "If we don't like you we'll invade you" they've accrued over the years onto the United States. Instead of rumors and conspiracy theories they'd have an actual body of a world leader to parade about, even if it is a dirtbag like Assad.

All depends more on how far Trump is willing to push I suppose.

edited 7th Apr '17 7:43:02 AM by carbon-mantis

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#181722: Apr 7th 2017 at 7:49:28 AM

Russia has cut communications with the White House. So even with Trump informing the Russians, they are absolutely pissed off at this move. It's obvious that any threat to Assad's power is a threat to them as well, and anyone saying "Well, maybe, the Russians will let Assad go" was being too optimistic...

iflewaway someone from somewhere Since: Dec, 2016
someone
#181723: Apr 7th 2017 at 8:04:26 AM

"Dmitri S. Peskov, a spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, told reporters Friday morning that the strike 'deals a significant blow to relations between Russia and America, which are already in a poor state,' according to the news agency RIA. Mr. Peskov said the strike did nothing to combat international terrorism. 'On the contrary, this creates a serious obstacle for building of an international coalition to fight it and to effectively resist this universal evil,' he said."—NY Times

[down]Not if a state does it. Then it's just regular mass murder.

edited 7th Apr '17 8:18:29 AM by iflewaway

something
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#181724: Apr 7th 2017 at 8:07:50 AM

I presume that using nerve gas attacks on civilians isn't "terrorism", then.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
math792d Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#181725: Apr 7th 2017 at 8:11:06 AM

Someone dust off the Red Phone. It's looking like Cold War 2: Electric Boogaloo.

edited 7th Apr '17 8:11:20 AM by math792d

Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.

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