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

Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#168726: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:43:39 PM

[up] I heard they are actually going to try to ban the Af G.

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:43:45 PM by Bat178

GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#168727: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:44:21 PM

Okay, the South China Sea is one of the world's largest trading areas, it is rich in oil and natural gas, and is one of the biggest fishing areas in the world. By claiming the South China Sea, China claims control over the trade, fishing, oil, and natural gas within it, which account for a good percentage of the world's trade and 8% of the world's fishing catches. Naturally, all of China's neighbors as well as the U.S. don't agree with this idea.

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:47:24 PM by GameGuruGG

Wizard Needs Food Badly
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#168728: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:45:58 PM

[up][up][up] Well yeah, when people say "NATO commitment to European defense", that's really talking about the US, and to a much lesser extent the UK and France. The major European nations once had the capability to project power globally, and with a declining United States, they are absolutely going to seek to reclaim that, if not out of some reactionary neo-imperialist ideology than simply out of necessity in the new multi-polar world order.

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:03:41 PM by CaptainCapsase

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#168729: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:48:30 PM

Europe is home to several great powers of its own with enough economic clout to match Russia quite easily in military terms if they were sufficiently motivated, but Eastern Europe is likely going to become embroiled in a massive tug of war between Germany and Russia when Germany inevitably rearms itself in earnest if the Untied States's commitment to European defense seems flaky.

That's probably why Trump is trying to break up the European Union.

Trump has ordered that the EU stop making plans for an EU army or lose US NATO support.

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#168730: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:48:44 PM

We're also going to probably see a return to the time honored American tradition of fucking over Latin America, though instead of doing it for talking with the Soviets this time it'll be for talking with the Chinese.

From my perspective there's a rather bitter sense of irony here. The left is (quite understandably) concerned about the russian intervention in US affairs, the US government has in the past acted in a relatively similar manner in Latin America.

In Brazil at least, during the 60's they funded think tanks to spread lies and propaganda about the democratically elected left-wing president we had at the time and gave the military money and training in torture techniques, all to advance their own interests.

Even with all of that I really don't think the US deserves Trump. His presidency is not going to be good for anyone, unless you're a plutocrat or a white supremacist.

If your guess is correct I speculate that there might be a worst case scenario where Trump and his cabal attempt to interfere in the brazilian elections next year (taking a page out of Russia's book), but I honestly don't know if they care that much.

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:50:24 PM by Draghinazzo

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#168731: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:49:08 PM

Germany's electoral system doesn't favor small parties like the AFD. In terms of fascists rising, worry about France first.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#168732: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:51:06 PM

[up][up][up][up] The Problem with that is that the UK is basically washing it's hands of the EU, and France is also on the verge of Electing Pro-Russian Alt-Righters to lead their country.

Dear lord, how did we go from the 90's "Democracy has Triumphed over Communism!" to today's "Russia is a State we should all look forward to as leading the future"?!

[up][up][up] I can't see Congress, even the Current Republican Congress, approving of cutting funding from NATO or the EU.

[up] Considering the AFD's recent successes, I don't think they count as a small party anymore.

And with Trump's victory in the USA, you can not just say "Oh, the System isn't designed like that", when clearly they have a great chance of winning.

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:52:59 PM by DingoWalley1

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#168733: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:53:56 PM

German governments only form in coalitions, and no one is willing to work with the AFD.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
carbon-mantis Collector Of Fine Oddities from Trumpland Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to my murderer
Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#168735: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:56:13 PM

[up][up][up] Even though he just barely won by cheating...

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:56:37 PM by Bat178

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#168736: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:58:54 PM

[up] And by exploiting the loopholes in the USA's Electoral College that give the votes of rural voters in less populous states more weight.

Disgusted, but not surprised
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#168737: Jan 23rd 2017 at 7:59:03 PM

[up][up][up][up] If they get an outright majority, then they won't need a Coalition. And I know you're gonna say "It's Impossible!" ... Nothing is impossible anymore in my eyes when it comes to Western Democracy.

[up][up]+[up] Which makes the Af D winning much more likely as they are actually liked for their Anti-Immigrant Status, so much so that Merkel has had to start paying lip service to the Anti-Immigration Feelings.

But I'm done derailing this thread into German and European Politics. This is American Politics.

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:59:31 PM by DingoWalley1

DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#168738: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:00:19 PM

[up][up][up] Also that. But people really seem to forget that the US election system isn't really comparable with most other democratic countries' systems. Especially in the fact that most countries don't make the party with fewer votes the new government.

To even be in the Bundestag you need to have at least 5 % of the votes and to form a stable government you would need about 51 % of the Bundestag seats, either directly or by forming a coalition.

So for the AfD to come to power they'd need to either get 51 % of the seats (somehow) or some other party would have need to go full-on bonkers to even think about forming a coalition with them.

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:00:31 PM by DrunkenNordmann

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#168739: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:05:25 PM

[up] Full on bonkers or opportunistic and conniving like most political parties are. Plus there's the danger of opportunists rising within the establishment parties that are more than willing to form a coalition with even the AFD, and the possibility that both the FSB and the CIA will be doing pro-bono opposition research.

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:07:01 PM by CaptainCapsase

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?
#168740: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:06:53 PM

As for the Gag-Order, do international NG Os (like International Planned Parenthood Federation) have a going plan for this, like budgeting 60 or so percent less when they expect a republican administration then more when expecting democrats?

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
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#168741: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:07:14 PM

Concerning Cory Booker's recent announcement that he's not planning a 2020 Presidential run...

I wonder if this was always his plan, or if he took the recent flack (undeserved or not) he got over voting against that one bill as a warning sign about his chances.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#168742: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:07:35 PM

[up][up] The NGO ban is something that's been a tug of war between Democratic and Republican administrations since Reagan.

[up] I'm glad to hear it honestly; if he wanted to be viable in 2020, he needed to change his image substantially, otherwise you'd have the same demoralization issues that were there with Clinton, and possibly gaining back the black voters who stayed home this cycle probably wouldn't be enough to overcome Trump's incumbent advantage, and thus far there's been no real movement in that direction. I strongly suspect the 2020 nominee will be somebody who comes out of nowhere like Obama did in 2008, and which Sanders tried to imitate in 2016.

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:12:58 PM by CaptainCapsase

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
#168743: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:18:20 PM

Obama didn't come out of nowhere, he was the keynote speaker at the convention in 2004. So going by that we've got Warner (2008), Warren (2016) and Castro (2012).

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:19:11 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#168744: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:20:28 PM

[up] Out of nowhere in relative terms; his rise to prominence in American politics happened rather quickly, in contrast to Clinton, who spent most of her adult life working towards this, or the Bush dynasty, who have been here for quite a while.

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:21:48 PM by CaptainCapsase

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#168745: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:22:05 PM

[up][up]Sure, but he was a unknown before which is what Cap is saying.

Also, what you think trump is going to mean to the republican party? a this point is clearly a turning point, is safe to said the republican become Trump fan dumb right now, is something they will never shake off.

who they will fare in the future?.

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:23:03 PM by unknowing

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#168746: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:27:48 PM

[up] Trump is pretty much everything the GOP already was, distilled. Except perhaps for the zealotry personified by the likes of Ted Cruz and Mike Pence.

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:28:22 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
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?
#168747: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:35:31 PM

And now for the Internet...Tech industries in the Coming Years with this preview:

Mr Trump has made no effort to hide his disdain for Mr Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon.

Mr Bezos also owns the Washington Post, the newspaper that perhaps did more than any other to take on Mr Trump's campaign.

The newspaper was the first to publish the infamous video of Mr Trump making disparaging remarks about women and bragging about sexual assault.

Mr Trump considers Amazon to be a company that is avoiding tax and is anti-competitive.

In his own words:

"Amazon is getting away with murder tax-wise. [Bezos is] using the Washington Post for power so that the politicians in Washington don't tax Amazon like they should be taxed." (Sean Hannity Show, Fox News, May 2016)

In various tweets, Mr Trump also suggested that Mr Bezos was using the Washington Post, which like many newspapers loses money, as a way of reducing Amazon's tax bill. However, the Washington Post isn't part of Amazon - it's a company Mr Bezos owns privately, so such a move would not be possible.

That said, Amazon is part of a technology collective that goes to great lengths to pay as little tax as possible, prompting law changes in several parts of the world.

Ironically, using big losses as a way to avoid paying taxes is precisely what Mr Trump has done for much of his professional life, a move he said made him "smart".

...Amazon's stock dropped on Wednesday in anticipation for what might be on the horizon. While other tech stocks also went down, none were quite as pronounced as Amazon.

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:36:44 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
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#168748: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:35:51 PM

[up][up]Yes and no, Trump is everything the republican was inside: racist, sexist, narcisist an always about money, sure but is also something they cant control, the republican just lost all the deniability, whatever damage he does to the country it would blow whatever change they have right now.

In short, is like the KK Klan now, before they were a terryfing group of white supremacy, now they look like D&D game that go wrong somehow.

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:37:15 PM by unknowing

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#168749: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:37:44 PM

An inside look at Trump's first days in the White House.

Some of the things here:

1. Trump was enraged by the demonstrations against him and pics of how empty his inauguration crowd was

2. Against advice, he sent Sean Spicer to rebuke the media on a charged way for this

3. Trump wanted a woman to be his Press Secretary like Conway or Monica Crowley as Sean Spicer isn't telegenic enough.

4. Trump felt Spicer wasn't forceful enough and was bothered that he had to read from a print statement at times.

5. Trump feels demoralized that the public's perception of his presidency doesn't match his own sense of accomplishment.

6. Lots of in-fighting within the administration still.

7. Trump was suspicious of Priebus and Spicer at first because he believed they were more loyal to their party than the nominee.

8. Trump was pleased with Spicer's better performance on Monday.

9. Some of Trump's most loyal aides are alarmed at Kushner's efforts to elbow aside anyone he considers a threat to his consigliere role.

10. Kushner is the one who argued against giving Conway a White House role.

11. Trump was perturbed that the media chose to focus on Conway's two words "alternative facts".

12. Conway is Trump's most recognizable aide and as a result has been receiving death threats and has a secret service detail.

13. Some Trump insiders suggest that there is tension between Conway and Priebus as well.

14. Trump adores Conway.

15, The Trump administration's power center lies in what they call the Big Four "Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner, Reince Priebus and Kellyanne Conway".

JBC31187 Since: Jan, 2015
#168750: Jan 23rd 2017 at 8:38:12 PM

Trump's minister is part of the Prosperity Gospel, isn't she? That's close enough to Pence and Cruz. Anyway, as far as someone like Trump, Pence or Cruz is concerned, the only important commandment is "Fuck you, got mine."


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