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Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#254426: Sep 10th 2018 at 6:00:45 AM

I don't think any other nation has a law mandating military action to prevent members of its government or military from being made to answer for their actions in The Hague though.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#254427: Sep 10th 2018 at 6:55:25 AM

An Empowered United Nations won't happen without the consent of the US. And it would be kind of silly to ask us to give up our imperial power.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#254428: Sep 10th 2018 at 6:57:22 AM

Models are predicting a catastrophic flooding event over the Carolinas as Florence stalls out, in an eerily similar event to what happened with Harvey from last year.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#254429: Sep 10th 2018 at 7:16:15 AM

Don't forget that on the other side of the continent Tropical Storm (now Hurricane) Olivia is going to pass over Hawaii.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#254430: Sep 10th 2018 at 7:24:44 AM

Time to see just how badly the capacity of FEMA has been degraded...

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#254431: Sep 10th 2018 at 7:44:11 AM

I want Trump to hook himself up to the lie detector to prove that it works because he's stupid, and for it to explode before he even gets one word out.
I only realized this morning that this thread got bumped off my subscription list or I'd have mentioned it sooner, but I'm genuinely shocked nobody linked to that clip from the Simpsons where almost exactly that happened.

[down] I'm more surprised no one else referenced it, even as we got a Seinfeld reference

Edited by sgamer82 on Sep 10th 2018 at 11:32:08 AM

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#254432: Sep 10th 2018 at 9:36:41 AM

That was what I was referencing, yes.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#254433: Sep 10th 2018 at 9:56:30 AM

Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is resigning his seat effective immediately in order to focus on his governor's race against Andrew Gilliam.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#254434: Sep 10th 2018 at 11:15:00 AM

I wonder how much DeSantis’ racist jerkassery will effect the contest.

Speaking of which, he’s apparently spoken multiple times at conventions for white supremacists and various alt-Reichers, and spoken with approval of the guy in charge, who said “The only race war is the one against white people.” Link 1 Link 2

Prepare to be shocked: One of the Trumpiest candidates in the country repeatedly spoke at a conference whose organizer believes that the “only serious race war” in this country right now is the one targeting white people.

The Post reports that Ron De Santis, the Republican nominee in the nationally watched Florida gubernatorial race, has spoken four times at conferences organized by the David Horowitz Freedom Center. The group’s conferences have featured a parade of alt-right, white nationalist and Islamophobic heroes, as well as speakers who claim that refugees and immigrants are destroying European culture and that diversity is dumbing down America.

Horowitz himself has said that “American blacks are richer, more privileged, freer than blacks anywhere in the world, including all black run countries.” He responded to the news that a man was arrested after vowing to kill “all white police” at the White House by saying: “Meanwhile, the country’s only serious race war — against whites — continues.” De Santis is running against Democrat Andrew Gillum, the African American mayor of Tallahassee.

These revelations need to be read alongside one of the big revelations in Bob Woodward’s book: that Trump privately insisted he did nothing whatsoever wrong in blaming white-supremacist violence and murder on “hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides,” and raged at his advisers for making him backtrack from this, which he called a huge “mistake.”

De Santis’s spokesperson is stressing that De Santis is not “responsible for the views and speeches of others.” But in 2015, De Santis praised Horowitz for doing “great work” and said his organization “tells the American people the truth and is standing up for the right thing.” And De Santis’s spokesperson did not disavow any of these views, which presumably means, at a minimum, that De Santis does not see the claim that there is an ongoing race war against white people as worthy of condemnation.

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#254435: Sep 10th 2018 at 11:28:38 AM

there's this little thing coming up in a few months called the midterms where if the public sees the bullshit that's going on it can really harm the Republicans
How much do you think the confirmation hearings are actually going to hurt the reelection chances of any Republican running?
Trump mine regulator nominee, J. Steven Gardner, withdraws due to the the Ethics Office taking too long.
Gee, I wonder why they can't just rush through his ethics investigation?
Trump is thinking about a trade war with Japan.
Because of course he wants to alienate one of our best partners in East Asia, who also hosts a huge number of our military personnel.
It's not like they release nanobots to tear a baby apart in the womb.
And honestly, a swarm of nanobots sounds way cooler, so I expect this SCOTUS to ban those as soon as possible.
He's made the Deep State real-ish.
Hasn't this kind of been a Republican thing for years now, longer than Trump? To cause the problems they complain about so they have the political and public leverage to remove the programs they don't want?
Which is why I'm inclined to think that even the GOP might decide "Okay, enough's enough" and give Trump the boot after the midterms are over.
Even if the Dems win every single Senate race - a statistical impossibility I think - I still don't see the GOP turning against Trump and his cult followers. Because that's almost all they have left at this point.
ditching Trump could be the first step on salvaging the situation for them, sure a fall may be inevitable but that doesn't mean all falls are the same.
I think you're right ... I also think it's extremely unlikely that they will do so. The Republicans seem focused on this quarter's earnings while their company goes bankrupt.
I really ought to get an IUD before they get banned or something. Then again, I might never find someone to take it out if it’s banned for a long time.
Sadly, I'm sure if you get one put in there will be plenty of Evangelicals who will be happy to remove it properly so that you can be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, where they think you belong.
Merrick Garland is reviewing Kavanagh for perjury? I feel like I'd make an effort to make him recuse himself just on basic principles if I was a Republican.
Stop giving them ideas! tongue
“Cause what are you going to do? Take a lie detector test to the entire government?” Graham said.
That kind of idiocy would not surprise me one bit from this administration.
Does Kavanaugh being a candidate for a job that Garland was once a candidate for constitute a conflict of interest? It's a funny coincidence, but the two don't actually have anything to do with one another.
Honestly, I don't think he needs to, or should.
the mystery author is actually Stan Pines
Hush you. tongue

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#254436: Sep 10th 2018 at 12:18:29 PM

How much do you think the confirmation hearings are actually going to hurt the reelection chances of any Republican running?

I have no idea, it will depend on how bad things get and how the public reacts to it.

It could be nothing or it could impact some close races.

I think you're right ... I also think it's extremely unlikely that they will do so. The Republicans seem focused on this quarter's earnings while their company goes bankrupt.

Oh certainly, they've encouraged myopia and selfishness amongst their politicians as a consequence the kind of people who become Republicans aren't likely to risk their careers in the name of some kind of Greater Good.

Especially considering of their anti-intellectualism they inherently distrust any scientific apparatus which could be used to suggest that things could go poorly for them, so they're strongly incentivized to bury their head in the sand.

I would be rather surprised if they were actually wise enough to ditch Trump.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Sep 10th 2018 at 5:21:08 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#254437: Sep 10th 2018 at 2:16:53 PM

A new CNN poll has Trump down to 36% approval rating (from 42%), largely driven by record lows among Independents (47% to 31% now).

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/10/politics/cnn-poll-trump-approval-independents/index.html

If this is accurate, this a good sign for November, that Trump's numbers can fall despite the economy doing well.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#254438: Sep 10th 2018 at 2:38:22 PM

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/09/10/day-599/

Day 599: Quite enthusiastic.

1/ The Trump campaign team was "fully aware" of George Papadopoulos' efforts to setup a Trump-Putin meeting. "I actively sought to leverage my contacts with the professor to host this meeting," Papadopoulos said. "The campaign was fully aware what I was doing" and that Trump was "open to this idea," but deferred to Jeff Sessions, who was "quite enthusiastic." (ABC News / NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/papadopoulos-says-trump-campaign-officials-were-fully-aware-efforts-putin-n907891

2/ Trump is expected to declassify documents about the government's surveillance of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and the investigative actions by Justice Department lawyer Bruce Ohr. Republicans on the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees allege that Ohr was an improper intermediary between the Justice Department, Christopher Steele, and Fusion GPS — the opposition research firm that created the Trump-Russia dossier. (Axios)

https://www.axios.com/trump-declassify-carter-page-bruce-ohr-documents-307ff599-df29-49db-ae01-a8b027908b12.html

3/ Trump won't enforce the $130,000 hush-money nondisclosure agreement between Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen, claiming he has "never taken the position that he was a party" to the NDA because Trump never signed the agreement. Trump's attorney, Charles Harder, called for Daniels to "immediately dismiss" Trump from her defamation lawsuit. (ABC News / CNN / New York Daily News)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/08/politics/donald-trump-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels/index.html

Michael Cohen agreed to tear up the nondisclosure agreement barring Stormy Daniels from discussing her alleged affair with Trump and requested that she pay back the $130,000 she received. Michael Avenatti, who represents Daniels, called it a "legal stunt" in order to avoid Trump being deposed in the case. (CNN / ABC News)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/07/politics/michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-deal/index.html

Stormy Daniels said she "vigorously opposes" Trump and Cohen's offer to not enforce her nondisclosure agreement, claiming their "sudden desire to escape" the agreement is a signal that they have been "shamelessly deceiving this Court and the American public for more than six months." (Daily Beast / Courthouse News)

https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Stormy-Trump-Stormy-Reply-Trump-Suppl.pdf

4/ The Trump administration discussed plans for a coup in Venezuela last year with rebels who were rebuffed by the Obama administration. The secret meetings involved a Venezuelan military commander who is on the American government's own sanctions list of corrupt officials in Venezuela. The U.S. eventually decided not to help the rebels, and the coup plans stalled. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/08/world/americas/donald-trump-venezuela-military-coup.html

5/ Jeff Sessions defended the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy as "perfectly legitimate, moral and decent." He also argued that in order to deter a large number of migrants, the U.S. need to adopt a tougher stance on immigration, saying: "The world will know what our rules are, and great numbers will no longer undertake a dangerous journey." Sessions plans to increase the number of immigration judges by 50% by the end of the year. (NBC News / Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/10/sessions-immigration-judges-813573

poll/ 38% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president – down three percentage points since August. 60% say Trump is not honest, 55% say he doesn't care about Americans, 55% also say he is not fit to serve as president, and 42% say Trump is not intelligent. (Quinnipiac)

https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2567

Notables.

Federal prosecutors admitted that they wrongly accused Maria Butina of trading sex-for-influence with high-level Republicans on behalf of the Russian government. Butina is a Russian citizen who is currently in custody and facing charges of conspiracy and illegally acting as a foreign agent. Prosecutors acknowledged in court filings that they were "mistaken" in their interpretation of what were apparently joke text messages between Butina and a friend. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/08/us/politics/maria-butina-sex.html

The Trump administration is expanding U.S. drone strikes in Africa. The Obama administration curtailed the program toward the end of his term after a series of highly publicized civilian deaths as a result of the strikes. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/09/world/africa/cia-drones-africa-military.html

John Bolton will threaten the International Criminal Court with sanctions and other penalties if it proceeds with an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Americans in Afghanistan. "The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court," reads a draft of Bolton's upcoming speech. The Trump administration is also expected to announce the closure of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington due to concerns over Palestinian attempts to convince the ICC to launch an investigation into Israel. (NBC News / Washington Post / CBS News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/bolton-wants-sanction-icc-judges-who-probe-alleged-u-s-n908011

Omarosa Manigault Newman released a recording of Trump discussing Hillary Clinton and the Russia investigation. In the October 2017 meeting with the White House communications and press teams, Trump claimed that the "real Russia story is Hillary and collusion." He alleged that the Clinton campaign paid $9 million for an unidentified "phony report." Manigault Newman added that Trump frequently crashed meetings at the White House, "rambling from topic to topic," because he got bored "very often." (NBC News / The Hill / Daily Beast)

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/omarosa-releases-new-secret-tape-trump-discussing-hillary-clinton-steele-n908151

The White House changed its phone policy believed to be in direct response to Manigualt Newman's recordings. Staffers will now have to put their White House-issued devices in their offices or in lockers with their personal phones near the West Wing entrances before being buzzed into the Situation Room. (CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/10/politics/white-house-phone-policy-situation-room/index.html

Pence offered to take a lie-detector test "in a heartbeat" in order to prove that wasn't the anonymous author of the New York Times op-ed. He also said he is "more than willing" to sit down for an interview with Robert Mueller's team as part of their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. (Washington Post / The Hill)

http://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/405745-pence-more-than-willing-to-sit-down-with-mueller

Trump promised to "write the real book" about his administration, calling Bob Woodward's new book a "joke." Trump claimed that Fear: Trump in the White House is "fiction" because it uses "now disproven unnamed and anonymous sources." (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/10/trump-woodward-book-write-813569

Imca (Veteran)
#254439: Sep 10th 2018 at 2:51:18 PM

I wonder how much DeSantis’ racist jerkassery will effect the contest.

Given Flordia's demographics? Probaly significantly, but not in the way you would want.

Edited by Imca on Sep 10th 2018 at 2:51:06 AM

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#254440: Sep 10th 2018 at 3:08:05 PM

An Empowered United Nations won't happen without the consent of the US. And it would be kind of silly to ask us to give up our imperial power.
Allow me to paraphrase a character from Dragon Ball Z Abridged: To be bluntly frank, the United States of America's compliance in the empowerment of the United Nations will not be a factor if they don't have the kind of military and economic dominance that they do have now to leverage. At such a time, and especially if I had any say, it will be dragged kicking, screaming and broken into a bloody mess if need be into the new world order, whether the powers that be in its government and the electorate that voted them in like it or not.

Why yes, I have way more resentment towards the USA than anything more positive/benign. Thank you very much.

Federal prosecutors admitted that they wrongly accused Maria Butina of trading sex-for-influence with high-level Republicans on behalf of the Russian government. Butina is a Russian citizen who is currently in custody and facing charges of conspiracy and illegally acting as a foreign agent. Prosecutors acknowledged in court filings that they were "mistaken" in their interpretation of what were apparently joke text messages between Butina and a friend.
... Is this good or bad?

Edited by MarqFJA on Sep 10th 2018 at 1:09:04 PM

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Imca (Veteran)
#254441: Sep 10th 2018 at 3:13:56 PM

>Not having the military and economic dominance.

Okay, so when is Europe going to get guns that don't melt? Ships that don't have the missiles explode in the tube? Aircraft that are actually flight worthy? Tanks that the soldiers can actually fit in? And all of this is overlooking the US's blatantly absurd Military Bulk... there Dominance is completely unapproachable in the military sector under any kind of current, or conceivable conditions.

And the Economy? They basically won the Geographical jackpot, with a large amount of resource rich, easily defensible land, with ease of transport across it... There is a reason that even with Trump and the Republicans constantly fucking up the economy the US remains the economic powerhouse that it is, and that the Dollar is used as a global standard currency.

Any Empowered UN would fully need the US's consent, and there not going to give that unfortunately. :/

Edited by Imca on Sep 10th 2018 at 3:23:55 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#254442: Sep 10th 2018 at 3:14:53 PM

[up]It means one element of the case (the sex for influence/jobs) will not be mentioned in court. Provided the other parts of the case hold, the impact should be minimal from my understanding.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#254443: Sep 10th 2018 at 3:20:00 PM

[up][up] In all of human history, no empire has ever endured the test of time; sooner or later, they inevitably fall due to internal and/or external factors. And the higher they fly, the harder they fall. I do not believe the USA is an exception to this rule, and nobody can actually prove it without somehow producing some sort of cosmic timeline spanning the entire lifespan of our universe that shows the USA continuing to exist until the end of human existence.

So no, the USA's consent is only a factor under the current conditions... which themselves are changing rather quickly such that the supposed unipolar state of world affairs after the end of the bipolar Cold War is shifting to a multipolar one.

Edited by MarqFJA on Sep 10th 2018 at 1:20:59 PM

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#254444: Sep 10th 2018 at 3:22:43 PM

Why yes, I have way more resentment towards the USA than anything more positive/benign. Thank you very much.

We know, thanks.

In all of human history, no empire has ever endured the test of time; sooner or later, they inevitably fall due to internal and/or external factors. And the higher they fly, the harder they fall. I do not believe the USA is an exception to this rule, and nobody can actually prove it without somehow producing some sort of cosmic timeline spanning the entire lifespan of our universe that shows the USA continuing to exist until the end of human existence.

We're an empire?

Edited by PhysicalStamina on Sep 10th 2018 at 6:24:15 AM

i'm tired, my friend
Imca (Veteran)
#254445: Sep 10th 2018 at 3:24:47 PM

[up] Technically the US is indeed an Empire.

Noun; An extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority

[up][up] That is fair, but they all exist on a time scale that is literaly not even close to any kinds of practical concerns for us, numbering in the thousands of years.... of which the US has existed only for less then 300, and been a power for less then 73.

[down] That is correct, AFIAK the last remaining Empire.... unless China counts.

Edited by Imca on Sep 10th 2018 at 3:30:09 AM

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#254446: Sep 10th 2018 at 3:26:30 PM

Yep,their empire is made up of the 50 states joined together to make them the united states,least thats how I interpret it

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#254447: Sep 10th 2018 at 3:58:46 PM

It depends upon how "Empire" is defined. It's definitely not a traditional empire, but it's also the closest thing to an empire the world currently has so I do consider it fair to call the US an empire. Personally, I don't mind the term.

Having said that, while empires "don't last the test of time" they can last a very long time. I honestly would not be surprised if the United States remained, at the very least, an influential nation-state for over a thousand years.

Edited by Protagonist506 on Sep 10th 2018 at 4:02:15 AM

Leviticus 19:34
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#254448: Sep 10th 2018 at 4:00:20 PM

It depends upon how "Empire" is defined. It's definitely not a traditional empire, but it's also the closest thing to an empire the world currently has so I do consider it fair to call the US an empire. Personally, I don't mind the term.

Agreed, it's factually accurate and I don't have any moral problem with it.

Anyway our hegemony is a far better reason to consider the US an empire then the fact that we unified from smaller subgroupings (the same as literally any nation that exists).

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#254449: Sep 10th 2018 at 4:01:52 PM

> AFIAK the last remaining Empire...

Nope,they rebranded as Globel Super powers,we still have our United kingdom though,and of course the common wealth but it's a far cry from when there was such as an thing as a empire

Edited by Ultimatum on Sep 10th 2018 at 11:08:18 AM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#254450: Sep 10th 2018 at 4:06:57 PM

To me, calling something an empire raises two questions: "How did it become an empire?" and "How is it still an empire?"

The answers are almost never pleasant, so...well, I'm kind of iffy about not having a problem with that. I don't think that's a label to be accepted so readily.

Oh God! Natural light!

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