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

Ayasugi Since: Oct, 2010
#332976: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:23:18 PM

Sudden thought: If the Oxford vaccine (or any other reputable vaccine) were announced as viable before the election but slated to be distributed after, would Trump threaten to sign an executive order banning the vaccine during his lame duck period if he's not re-elected?

Forenperser Foreign Troper from Germany Since: Mar, 2012
Foreign Troper
#332977: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:23:46 PM

Trump really seems to have a hard-on for trying to start something with Iran. I mean I know that he is an Islamophobic asshole, but what is it with him being so hellbent to threaten to attack Iran in particular?

Is it part of his "Shit on everything my predecessor had a hand in on principle" shtick, because of the deal Obama made?

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#332978: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:24:21 PM

[up][up]I don't think so, he wouldn't see any benefit in doing something like that.

[up]He's had a number of Iran hawks in his administration, and in-general the Foreign Policy Establishment has a psychotic fixation on Iran.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Oct 9th 2020 at 5:25:01 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Aukefi Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#332979: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:25:38 PM

[up][up][up]I think Trump is more likely to try to spread it and say he's the one who made it.

Edited by Aukefi on Oct 9th 2020 at 5:26:04 AM

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#332980: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:28:15 PM

I suspect the most likely things Trump will end up doing during his lame-duck period is either contest the results of the election on court until the cows come home, or flee the country.

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#332981: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:29:23 PM

[up]x4 Iran's been the boogeyman for Conservative Americans since the 1979 Hostage Crises; they harmed Americans and haven't been made to pay for it 'yet' in the eyes of Conservative Americans. 9/11 also helped intensify the boogeyman status of Iran, especially because they were a part of Bush Jr's "Axis of Evil".

Forenperser Foreign Troper from Germany Since: Mar, 2012
Foreign Troper
#332982: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:33:08 PM

Always funny how these conservatives fail to mention the fact why the hostage crisis happened in the first place. It's not like America overthrew their democratically elected leader and installed the Shah, later causing the Islamic Revolution.

Create Your Own Villain at it's best. These people really don't know their arse from their elbow.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian
singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#332983: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:38:10 PM

The conversation moved on but I wrote this post damn it.

Pelosi hinted at a possible path for a vaccine to get political traction - and as I mentioned I bristled at her words because I am British. By political traction I mean a way for it to become a partisan issue.

Basically, it's universally accepted that out of the plausible vaccines the one being developed by Oxford University is furthest along the clinical trial pathway. So lets say it completes the trial successfully and therefore gets approved by the MHRA - the UK equivalent of the FDA.

Trump then uses the fact that a Western ally has an approved treatment as a way to bypass the FDA, who at a minimum should take two to three weeks to assess ANY "foreign" approval of a vaccine. He'll bluster on about the fact that the UK has said it's okay so why does the FDA have to go through this lengthy process, it's clear that it's a political attack against me deep state deep state.

So to try and fortify the FDA against that threat, Pelosi needed to make clear that if it was approved in the UK it would not automatically mean that it will be approved in the US. And the best way to do that was to suggest that the UK regulatory body applies a lower standard / treatments are not as safe etc.

At least, that's how I interpreted Pelosi attacking / casting doubt on the UK medical testing regime. I did ask the question if there were substantial differences between the US and the UK in how medical treatments were authorised but that got lost in the thread.

CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#332984: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:39:04 PM

Iran already has enough trouble with the shitstorm in the Caucasus now as it is. They don't need the US picking a fight with them at the same time.

Edited by CookingCat on Oct 9th 2020 at 5:39:13 AM

Aukefi Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#332985: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:41:33 PM

[up][up]Since this came up, I've been questioning for a while ...

The hell is the "Deep State"? Is that, like, the Illuminati stuff? The Q Anon weirdoes seem to believe it, so I'm assuming it's just a conspiracy.

Edited by Aukefi on Oct 9th 2020 at 5:42:46 AM

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#332986: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:46:16 PM

The hell is the "Deep State"? Is that, like, the Illuminati stuff?

Idiotic reactionaries like Trump use it as a conspiracy theory for a nebulous group of civil servants who are responsible for all his failures.

The actual term refers to powerful interests within states who act independently of democratic authority, an example would be the military in Turkey who before they were purged by Erdogan wielded considerable power and would coup leaders they saw as anti-democratic. The US doesn't really have any kind of deep state.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Oct 9th 2020 at 5:47:34 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#332987: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:46:50 PM

Trump has wanted desperately to make Covid-19 go away for the entire time it's been existence. It's really impressive how he's done his absolute best to deny every layer of it and be upset when this doesn't make it magically disappear but magnifies the problem. Mind you, his son in law believing it would mass murder black people and liberals didn't help but that's our Presidency in a nutshell. Trump has offered to buy the vaccine numerous times and I have no doubt would LOVE a miracle cure. Because, again, the virus is the ultimate example of his utter incompetence as a President.

[up]

The Deep State is an American Bund (American Nazi—the OG kind) concept that was created by Fritz Kuhn that basically indicated that the government was controlled by The Illuminati but in this case, specifically meant Jews. The idea that democracy is a sham and thus you should put your faith in a fascist leader instead to save you. That anyone who is against the leader is a puppet of the Jews/Not Jews/Elite and can't be trusted. They're also up to something nefarious.

Qanon is another manifestation of this.

The US doesn't really have any kind of deep state.

It does have an anti-democratic The Quisling organization of corporate-fascists infiltrating the government to destroy it and work against the American people. They're just called the GOP. Because we live in opposite world.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Oct 9th 2020 at 5:48:09 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#332988: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:49:16 PM

It does have an anti-democratic The Quisling organization of corporate-fascists infiltrating the government to destroy it and work against the American people. They're just called the GOP. Because we live in opposite world.

Heh, quite. Though they're less "deep" and more "proudly in the open" wink

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Oct 9th 2020 at 5:49:24 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Aukefi Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#332990: Oct 9th 2020 at 5:52:43 PM

Ha, yes that fits them well [lol]

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
ElSquibbonator Since: Oct, 2014
#332991: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:06:57 PM

Now this is something I genuinely don't get. Pompeo is going to release Hillary Clinton's emails. But why? This isn't 2016 anymore. She's not running for President. She doesn't pose any threat to Trump or the Republican Party. What good would something like this be in 2020? If this is a ploy to turn the election in their favor, why not dig up some dirt on Biden and go after him? It's not like there's any shortage of that: Hunter's trip to Ukraine, Tara Reade, you name it. But other than the events that led up to Trump's impeachment in 2019, the Republicans have been strangely passive regarding this sort of thing.

AngrokVa indighost from america, unfortunately Since: Feb, 2012 Relationship Status: Saddled with unnecessary feelings
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#332993: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:09:29 PM

They trust in buttery males to save them.

ElSquibbonator Since: Oct, 2014
#332994: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:11:11 PM

Still, even from a Republican perspective, this move doesn't make sense. All this time they've been focused on beating Biden, and now all of a sudden they're digging up dirt on Clinton? What's the point?

AngrokVa indighost from america, unfortunately Since: Feb, 2012 Relationship Status: Saddled with unnecessary feelings
indighost
#332995: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:12:32 PM

I think they're desperate. They're trying every single tactic in the playbook, even if it doesn't make sense.

Edited by AngrokVa on Oct 9th 2020 at 9:13:12 AM

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#332996: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:12:38 PM

I can't believe they drank their own Koolaid. They're not all Straw Hypocrites, they're really that infernally stupid. Which is actually good for us, as they're not enough of The Chessmaster to hold onto power as a more clever kind of villain would.

Edited by AlleyOop on Oct 9th 2020 at 9:13:25 AM

singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#332997: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:13:23 PM

The generous answer is that it's all a part of the deep state coup narrative that Trump is trying to ferment.

Hillary's emails are basically the clearest evidence that the deep state exists - essentially the fact that all these investigations cleared her of criminal wrong doing just proves that all the institutions of government are geared against Trump. That there never was a transition of power - the deep state always persisted.

Ergo, if there never was a transition of power, then Trump doesn't have to support a transition of power.

The less generous answer and far more likely - Hilary's Emails are Trump's comfort blanket, his safe space. And when Trump says jump, Pompeo asks "how high?"

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#332998: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:14:52 PM

To quote myself from earlier today:

For those unaware, Trump blasted Pompeo on Fox for not producing Hillary's emails. Which apparently he believes are just laying around somewhere in the State Department. Pompeo is doing this to please his master.

Shaoken (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Dating Catwoman
#332999: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:18:00 PM

This is all Trump and his delusions, he's desperate to win and so he's pulling out all the tricks that helped him in 2016. The problem being all those tricks worked because they were targeting Hillary Clinton.

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#333000: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:19:37 PM

I can't believe they drank their own Koolaid. They're not all Straw Hypocrites, they're really that infernally stupid.

Well, that's what you get. You start pandering to certain less-than-reasonable groups for some easy votes, but then a generation grows up with this new message. So your next batch of politicians will include true believers, dragging you ever deeper into the hole of madness that you dug for yourself.

Republicans courted evangelicals and white supremacists with dogwhistles and concern trolling, and now that is literally all the party is.

Edited by Kayeka on Oct 9th 2020 at 3:20:18 PM


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