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

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#167326: Jan 18th 2017 at 6:43:44 PM

[up] Most competent outside of the foreign policy team, which is only shaping up to be callously indifferent to human rights abuses.

Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#167327: Jan 18th 2017 at 6:44:35 PM

[up] Except the Japanese Ambassador, who seems to be the Only Sane Man and the only actually good pick.

[up][up][up] Yeah, because Europe and Asia were both beaten up pretty badly, while North America was pretty much unscathed, and South America, Africa and Oceania lack the ability to do anything with their resources.

edited 18th Jan '17 6:57:04 PM by Bat178

tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#167328: Jan 18th 2017 at 6:46:03 PM

Pettis, the incoming Secretary of Defense seems to have a clue.

Trump delenda est
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#167329: Jan 18th 2017 at 6:54:42 PM

[up] Well yes, Mattis and Tillerson aren't incompetent, but both seem rather questionable in their morals, to put things mildly.

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#167330: Jan 18th 2017 at 6:56:09 PM

Mattis has since calmed down, vis a vis morals. Tillerson is actively questionable.

NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#167331: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:02:41 PM

Perry: So I'm in charge of three things- Oil, gas and uhhhhhhh

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#167333: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:06:07 PM

@Shinra: When your chief patron in securing your position is Henry Kissinger, it's hard not to be very, very morally dubious.

edited 18th Jan '17 7:07:14 PM by CaptainCapsase

RAlexa21th Zettai Ryouiki Enjoyer from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I <3 love!
Zettai Ryouiki Enjoyer
#167334: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:08:43 PM

[up][up]Good for you. I think it has a long way to go because 1/2 of its dominant parties is a bunch of scumbags.

edited 18th Jan '17 7:20:03 PM by RAlexa21th

Continue writing our story of peace.
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#167335: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:17:38 PM

[up][up][up]"Tell me Mr.Perry; have you ever watched Dr.Strangluv?"

BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#167336: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:20:38 PM

I heard that Trump will take his first weekend off as POTUS?

...I can't tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Do not obey in advance.
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#167337: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:21:44 PM

[up] The more decisions that are being made by Pence and his cabinet, the less damage a Trump presidency is likely to cause.

kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#167338: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:35:56 PM

[up][up]It's a good thing, because it means that he's not actually doing anything as President until Monday. The inauguration might be Friday, but in practice, we could still have a few more days of Pre-Trump America yet.

edited 18th Jan '17 8:11:44 PM by kkhohoho

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#167339: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:49:05 PM

White America is pissed because they have been losing their economic privileges for a generation, and they want them back. The rest is mere detail, or a symbolic proxy.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#167341: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:58:44 PM

[up] What happens when Putin dies, though?

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#167342: Jan 18th 2017 at 7:59:25 PM

http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/314783-assange-lawyer-conditions-not-met-for-assange-manning-extradition-offer

Assange responds to Obama's commutation of Manning's sentence. More specifically, he explains how it doesn't meet his standards so as to not require him to submit himself for extradition as a previous poster mentioned he'd tweeted a while back he would.

Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#167343: Jan 18th 2017 at 8:09:27 PM

One wonders what going through his mind with that. I mean, if it had just been something he'd said months ago when he thought there was little chance he'd have to act on it, that'd be one thing, but he was repeating it last week, when we knew it was a possibility. Did he for some reason change his mind between then and now? Or is he playing some PR game that's beyond me? Is he, perhaps, egocentric enough to believe the possibility of arresting him was enough of a bargaining chip to get Manning released, and this is him patting himself on back for 'outsmarting' Obama?

Like, I mean, surely it's obvious to everyone that he's rules lawyering his way out of what he said.

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#167344: Jan 18th 2017 at 8:11:09 PM

@R Alexa: I don't think the democrats are that bad!

@Khokoko: Don't get the joke, I'm afraid.

edited 18th Jan '17 8:16:48 PM by Protagonist506

Leviticus 19:34
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#167345: Jan 18th 2017 at 8:13:08 PM

[up]Sorry; I didn't mean for it to be a joke. It's just that as is, the post felt, I don't know, unfinished? If that makes any sense. I figured adding in the old tongue would give it a bit more flavor, but all it did was make you think there was something more to it then there was. Again, sorry about that.

edited 18th Jan '17 8:13:32 PM by kkhohoho

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?
#167346: Jan 18th 2017 at 8:13:33 PM

[up][up][up][up][up]I assume Russia flops backward toward a more bland, banana republic style governance where the leader pays supporters off, a la Zaire, to keep office, unless there's another good political poker player in the waiting.
Still, one point of that article and another Vox analysis from earlier is that populist regimes don't just interrupt liberal democracy. That form of government is rather fragile compared to ruling through clients and control of resources.

edited 18th Jan '17 8:14:13 PM 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
RAlexa21th Zettai Ryouiki Enjoyer from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I <3 love!
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#167349: Jan 18th 2017 at 8:41:04 PM

[up] Trump doesn't want to move to DC either. Don't see it stopping him. The man's a quitter.

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#167350: Jan 18th 2017 at 8:47:07 PM

Well, right now I don't think America is all that cool. It's not a word I would really associate with the Trump presidency, in any sense, except "it would have been cool if we could have avoided this".

I have to confess that I view the concept of patriotism from a pretty jaded standpoint in general. Conceptually I have no problem with it, but it MUST be accompanied with a strong sense of self-evaluation and self-criticism, because it's way too easy to fall into the trap of "everything our country does or says is great because our country does it" rather than "our country will be great if it does great things, and we should do everything we can to make that possible".


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