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

Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#262951: Nov 27th 2018 at 11:54:12 AM

Mhm. I feel like figures about how often your average GOP congresscritter voted with Trump are misleading, because typically it's less the party doing what Trump says and more Trump doing what the party says- Trump strikes meas not having a rock solid understanding of much of anything that's going on, so unless we're talking about, say, acknowledging that Russia's done something bad, he doesn't have much reason to question what 'his team' tells him to do.

Edited by Gilphon on Nov 27th 2018 at 2:54:24 PM

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#262952: Nov 27th 2018 at 1:12:36 PM

So reading through some articles at The Hill today, and we've got...

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#262953: Nov 27th 2018 at 1:16:58 PM

[up]Bolton is one of the most repugnant individuals in the entire US national security apparatus. He stood out to my late grandfather a decade ago during the Bush admin; he (unfavorably, and this man hated Nazis) compared Bolton to Ribbentrop.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#262954: Nov 27th 2018 at 1:19:12 PM

He's willing to declare war on Iran but he's too chickenshit to do his damn job and listen to that tape.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#262955: Nov 27th 2018 at 3:44:53 PM

Three days before NAFTA 2.0 was set to be signed (not ratified, that still requires internal work in all 3 countries), the American government got caught changing the wording.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/usmca-signing-tuesday-1.4922396?cmp=FB_Post_News&fbclid=IwAR1-oLrZ1IKzVeTPH2Lhj5gLTh8u088WlmPOavFqrD8AU7aw1RJCOqKj9X8

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
RainingMetal (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#262956: Nov 27th 2018 at 3:48:51 PM

I mean, Bolton looks like a real-life version of Dr. Eggman Robotnik. Who wouldn't have seen this coming?

ASAB: All Sponsors Are Bad.
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#262957: Nov 27th 2018 at 4:30:03 PM

Even Robotnik has his Go-Karting with Bowser moments. Bolton is just a monster.

It's been fun.
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#262958: Nov 27th 2018 at 5:04:05 PM

@Red Savant: To be fair, Go-Karting with Bowser does not necessarily make someone less evil (Hitler did it in the Olympics). And with Eggman there's a certain Depending on the Writer. Some portrayals of Eggman portray him as an anti-villain, whereas some portray him as downright monstrous-and his MO of turning people into robotic slaves is actually pretty darn disturbing.

Leviticus 19:34
CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#262959: Nov 27th 2018 at 5:06:19 PM

At least Robotnik believes in science!

kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#262960: Nov 27th 2018 at 5:06:39 PM

[up][up]Basically that. Sat AM Robotnik and Flynn Eggman are evil as fuck.

Edited by kkhohoho on Nov 27th 2018 at 7:06:52 AM

DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#262961: Nov 27th 2018 at 5:16:20 PM

Robotnik was visually based on Teddy Roosevelt, though, so the comparision is really more flattering to Bolton than it ought to be.

elecyan Star of hope from Across the woods Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Lovey-Dovey
Star of hope
#262962: Nov 27th 2018 at 5:17:23 PM

So will tvtropes be affected by Article 13? I keep hearing that any copywritten material will mostly place the blame on the websites and I wondered if tvtropes is a target with famous works and all that.

wisdom, hope, courage, love, peace, willpower
Imca (Veteran)
#262963: Nov 27th 2018 at 5:22:13 PM

Thats European politics, not US politics.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#262964: Nov 27th 2018 at 5:23:04 PM

Article 13 is an EU thing. You might want to ask here. Although, if someone wants to clarify, since I'm not to knowledgeable on it myself.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
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
#262965: Nov 27th 2018 at 6:09:45 PM

The Mississippi runoff is tonight and results are coming in right now, currently the democrat is over performing compared to November 6th, but probably not by enough to win, still it’s gonna be closer than expected.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#262966: Nov 27th 2018 at 6:13:09 PM

It would be a miracle if the Democrats take this one; sadly being a neo-Confederate with Jim Crow nostalgia probably plays well to the Republican/white base there. Mississippi is one of the least electorally flexible states; its a 60/40 split in the Republicans favor, with few swing voters.

So its looking like its D+39 or 40 in the House, and R+2 in the Senate in the end. A good prelude to 2020 as could have been realistically hoped for.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Hylarn (Don’t ask)
#262967: Nov 27th 2018 at 6:47:19 PM

A tl;dr for that Nation article posted last page, for those scared off by the length:

"We don’t know how the Pentagon’s money is being spent. We know what the total appropriated funding is for each year, but we don’t know how much of that funding gets spent on the intended programs, what things actually cost, whether payments are going to the proper accounts."

Edited by Hylarn on Nov 27th 2018 at 6:47:57 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#262968: Nov 27th 2018 at 7:44:25 PM

And the Senate runoff has been called for the Republican.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#262969: Nov 27th 2018 at 7:49:54 PM

Almost like voter suppression is effective.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#262970: Nov 27th 2018 at 7:57:30 PM

It is, but in this case its basically Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat. There are few swing voters there, and more Republicans then Democrats (who depend on the large African-American population and a handful of urban whites). Barring a political shift, its not the kind of state that the Democrats can realistically take.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-mississippi-senate-runoff/

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#262971: Nov 27th 2018 at 8:07:45 PM

I'm calling it for that Pentagon article - a not-insignificant amount of the checks being cut to the Pentagon and DOD by Trump are being grifted.

It's been fun.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#262972: Nov 27th 2018 at 8:15:14 PM

[up] honestly, the Pentagon really needs some serious scrutiny and oversight on how it handles it’s financials.

I’m very sure this has been a problem that’s been around a lot longer trump, and really, letting any organization go unchecked like that is a breeding ground for corruption.

Edited by megaeliz on Nov 27th 2018 at 11:16:55 AM

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#262973: Nov 27th 2018 at 8:16:59 PM

[up][up]

In fairness, that kind of BS goes back decades, as the infamous Packard Commission uncovered back in the '80s, as the Pentagon claimed $435 for a hammer, $600 for a toilet seat, and $7,000 for a coffee maker.

Edited by ironballs16 on Nov 27th 2018 at 11:23:15 AM

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
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
#262974: Nov 27th 2018 at 8:36:24 PM

Those costs are generally that high because they include not just the manufacturing cost but also the design and testing costs (which includes things like testing for weird ass environments, like the ashtray that has to be build to shatter safely in the event of the ship it’s on is attacked).

They don’t spend that much to make the hammer, they spent that much to design and test a hammer that can be safely used in crazy situations.

Edited by Silasw on Nov 27th 2018 at 4:36:43 PM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#262975: Nov 27th 2018 at 8:41:21 PM

So you are saying it wasnt hundreds of dollars for every hammer? Just for designing and testing each type of hammer? And how much did that add to the budget?

Edited by DeMarquis on Nov 27th 2018 at 11:41:40 AM

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.

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