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NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#137701: Sep 8th 2016 at 12:34:23 AM

@ Trump Military Oath / Endorsement talks;

I'm seeing something like this being enacted by The Donald and his team especially with services by the Deportation Force and associated military positions;

"I swear to God this sacred oath that to the Leader of the American Republic and people, Donald Trump, supreme commander of the armed forces, I shall render unconditional obedience and that as a brave soldier I shall at all times be prepared to give my life for this oath."

I have a new leak from the Trump Campaign for their civil servant oath, considering he plans on throwing out Obama's people;

"I swear: I will be faithful and obedient to the leader of the American Republic and people, Donald Trump, to observe the law, and to conscientiously fulfill my official duties, so help me God!"

edited 8th Sep '16 12:35:59 AM by NickTheSwing

Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#137702: Sep 8th 2016 at 1:20:20 AM

While I don't know much about Mc Cain personally, I can't see myself ever voting republican-

I was going to use a colorful metaphor to emphasize what extremes it would take, but honestly I'd vote for three cats in a suit over any Republican.

No part of their platform doesn't alarm, disgust or anger me.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#137703: Sep 8th 2016 at 3:27:53 AM

I voted Republican once with honor, and that was for one Republican over another in the 2010 Senate election.

edited 8th Sep '16 3:28:29 AM by Ramidel

Julep Since: Jul, 2010
#137704: Sep 8th 2016 at 4:48:03 AM

I am actually pondering whether Trump would not be a good thing for our elections in France. If he manages to be stupid enough in the first three months of his presidency, then it might be useful to discredit the closest equivalent we got, Marine Le Pen.

Because at this point, he could either A) do what he says, which would be a disaster, or B) not do what he says, which would make it abundantly clear that what he proposes is just not feasible. Both would make him and his ideas look like a fool.

That might also help other countries with rising populists in Europe due to the large media exposure of the US elections - Trump is very popular among them. "So, the US elected him, and this happened. Do you want your country to be seen like this?" Even without touching the hardcore fanbase, this might be enough to avoid indecisive to vote populist.

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#137705: Sep 8th 2016 at 5:30:39 AM

McCain's a guy you can have a reasonable disagreement with, although you will disagree most of the time. Romney was more or less the same, except Romney was an out-of-touch plutocrat to go along with that. Rubio's a grifting snake, Ted Cruz a nutcase, and Trump a black hole of ego without any technical know-how.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#137706: Sep 8th 2016 at 5:45:05 AM

Lauer is getting slammed for blatantly favoring Trump last night.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/07/media/matt-lauer-nbc-commander-in-chief-forum/index.html

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#137707: Sep 8th 2016 at 7:29:36 AM

I don' know if he favored Trump per se. He certainty didn't do a great job. I mean it really illustrates everything wrong about modern American journalism that he didn't call Trump on lies about his positions on Iraq and Libya out of fear of seeming biased. And it's weird- I had assumed there would have to be a question about the Khans but hadn't noticed there wasn't one. You'd think that would have come up, if not from Lauer than with one of the selected questioners.

At the same time though, I can't say that Clinton shouldn't have been asked those questions. It's just that the questions for her were more about questioning her policy decisions (since she has them), whereas the Trump ones were more in the way of "provide some evidence that you aren't a horrible person and an incompetent" (which is why it's weird the Khans weren't mentioned). Trump is often asked to provide evidence he isn't a horrible person and in incompetent so those are softball questions for him.

I think the other issue is that Lauer kept interrupting Clinton and didn't seem to with Trump, which kind of gave off the impression that he wasn't satisfied with her answers but was satisfied with Trumps- although to be fair, he did question some of them.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#137708: Sep 8th 2016 at 8:46:03 AM

@ Hodor:

I don' know if he favored Trump per se. He certainty didn't do a great job. I mean it really illustrates everything wrong about modern American journalism that he didn't call Trump on lies about his positions on Iraq and Libya out of fear of seeming biased. And it's weird- I had assumed there would have to be a question about the Khans but hadn't noticed there wasn't one. You'd think that would have come up, if not from Lauer than with one of the selected questioners.

Might it be interesting if US Presidential Candidates were interviewed in the sometime brutal style of British political journalistsnote ? Here is a particularly infamous example:

Context

His reputation was dented on 13 May 1997 when a critical inquiry into a series of prison escapes was published. In advance of the publication Howard made statements to assign blame to the prison service. Television interviewer Jeremy Paxman asked him the same question 12 times in all during an edition of the Newsnight programme. Asking whether Howard had intervened when Derek Lewis sacked a prison governor, Paxman asked: "Did you threaten to overrule him?" Howard did not give a direct answer, instead repeatedly saying that he "did not instruct him" and ignoring the "threaten" part of the question. Paxman resumed his question in another interview in 2004. A surprised Howard remarked: "Oh come on Jeremy, are you really going back over that again? As it happens, I didn't. Are you satisfied now?" Secret Home Office papers partially vindicated Howard but show that Howard asked a top civil servant if he had the power to overrule the Prison Service director general.

edited 8th Sep '16 8:47:03 AM by Greenmantle

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Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#137709: Sep 8th 2016 at 8:52:55 AM

[up]That sort of thing is likely very British. I mean, have you ever seen Parliament in debate? (C-SPAN runs them late night sometimes.) Our House and Senate proceedings are usually pretty dry and procedural, the Brits aren't above tossing blatant insults across the aisle.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#137710: Sep 8th 2016 at 8:58:52 AM

[up] I am British and yes, I have seen it. There's no respect for politicians (or their positions) here (quite the reverse, in fact).

Keep Rolling On
SciFiSlasher from Absolutely none of your business. Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#137711: Sep 8th 2016 at 9:00:04 AM

[up][up] It's at least interesting to watch, though. I have the feeling-and I know many of you will disagree-that a lot of Americans aren't interested in politics is because they watch the crap on C-SPAN and they just find it so boring.

edited 8th Sep '16 9:00:21 AM by SciFiSlasher

"Somehow the hated have to walk a tightrope, while those who hate do not."
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#137712: Sep 8th 2016 at 9:10:46 AM

Just go the South Korean route and start massive fights. That will drive ratings for sure.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
megarockman from The Sixth Borough (Experienced Trainee)
#137713: Sep 8th 2016 at 9:18:54 AM

Doesn't seem like the right kind of ratings though. Unless it's a No Such Thing as Bad Publicity thing.

The damned queen and the relentless knight.
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#137714: Sep 8th 2016 at 9:20:04 AM

We let our senators fight once.

edited 8th Sep '16 9:28:13 AM by Parable

GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#137715: Sep 8th 2016 at 9:39:26 AM

Yeah, the reason why Congress runs dry and procedural is because if it didn't, someone would fucking kill someone else like what nearly happened to Charles Sumner. Even the Sit-In Protest was against congressional policy though it was the best ratings that C-SPAN ever got.

Wizard Needs Food Badly
blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#137716: Sep 8th 2016 at 9:45:13 AM

Sumner was apparently a massive dick to the person who did it though.

Who himself was a massive dick, and whose constituency was much like Trump's current fans.

One guy sent the man a gilded stick emblazoned with "Hit him again".

I love America.

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#137717: Sep 8th 2016 at 9:52:40 AM

So, in more depressing news, there was a school shooting in southern Texas today. Lone shooter is dead (looks like a self inflicted shot), at least two victims are wounded.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/08/us/texas-high-school-shooting/index.html

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#137718: Sep 8th 2016 at 10:09:05 AM

No other deaths though?

I'm sorry, but at this point I'm actually numb to this. If there were no innocent deaths, this doesn't even bother me anymore.

I know there are worse places to live, but welcome to America.

edited 8th Sep '16 10:09:38 AM by blkwhtrbbt

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#137719: Sep 8th 2016 at 10:12:03 AM

[up] and [up][up] I unfortunately had two simultaneous reactions: 1) graded the shooter an overall D- and 2) pity for the friends and family of those involved. -_-

Krieger22 Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018 from Malaysia Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm in love with my car
Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018
#137720: Sep 8th 2016 at 10:27:10 AM

Gary Johnson has some difficulty figuring out what Aleppo is. Yes, really.

I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiot
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#137721: Sep 8th 2016 at 10:32:33 AM

Wow. Note to those who want the US to become totally isolationist: It's generally a good idea to know what the US is pulling out of when you start the isolationist stance or you might end up with a Japan in the South Pacific problem where the post-war government, by all appearances, didn't actually know all the locations the Japanese Army deployed people to and as such didn't extract them.

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#137722: Sep 8th 2016 at 10:35:55 AM

[up][up] In fairness, he city's actual name is Halab. Not that I expect Johnson knew that.

Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#137723: Sep 8th 2016 at 10:40:10 AM

[up]In its roughly six thousand years of existence, it's cycled through a number of variations of a phonetic theme. tongue

[down]Vienna is Wien. Brugge is Bruges. Is it München or Munich? And, so on. Give it a thousand years, and it could be back to Khalpe or Khalpon again. <shrugs> It's got nothing to to with who holds it.

edited 8th Sep '16 11:03:47 AM by Euodiachloris

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#137724: Sep 8th 2016 at 10:53:16 AM

[up] Yes, but I'm fairly sure "Aleppo" is the Greco-Roman name going off of memory, which is somewhat like calling Istanbul Constantinople, (you can't go back!) except even more so since it hasn't been consistently in Christian hands since the 7th century AD from what I recall.

edited 8th Sep '16 10:54:30 AM by CaptainCapsase

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#137725: Sep 8th 2016 at 10:53:56 AM

[up][up] Like many Towns and Cities.


[up] Let's go to town on this:

Modern-day English-speakers commonly refer to the city as Aleppo. It was known in antiquity as Khalpe, Khalibon, and to the Greeks and Romans as Beroea (Βέροια). During the Crusades, and again during the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon of 1923-1946, the name Alep was used. Aleppo represents the Italianised version of this.

The original ancient name, Halab, has survived as the current Arabic name of the city. It is of obscure origin. Some have proposed that halab means "iron" or "copper" in Amorite languages, since the area served as a major source of these metals in antiquity. However, according to the 20th-century historian sheikh Kamel al-Ghazzi and to the contemporary linguist priest Barsoum Ayyoub, the name Halab (and consequently Aleppo) derives from the Aramaic word Halaba which means "white", referring to the colour of soil and marble abundant in the area. The modern-day Arabic nickname of the city, ash-Shahbaa (Arabic: الشهباء), which means "the white-coloured", also allegedly derives from the famous white marble of Aleppo. However, this story is only a myth, without any historical base.

One legend states that the name Halab means "gave out milk", coming from the ancient tradition that Abraham gave milk to travelers as they passed through the region. This is not to construe the idea that Abraham was born in that land. It is more accepted that he was born in Haran which is further north of Halab. The colour of his cows was white (Arabic: شهباء shahbaa), therefore the city was also called Halab ash-Shahbaa ("he milked the white-coloured").

From the 11th century it was common Rabbinic usage to apply the term "Aram-Zobah" to the area of Aleppo, and Syrian Jews continue to do so as of 2015.

edited 8th Sep '16 10:59:35 AM by Greenmantle

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