Nov 2023 Mod notice:
There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.
If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations
and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines
before posting here.
Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.
If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules
when posting here.
In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
See, while it would give us Cassus Belli, people (at least informed, intelligent people) would see all that steadily rising tension and passive-aggressiveness for exactly what it is, a ploy in order to start a war. Trump and his administration would be roasted at the stake for not only getting America into a war with their neighbor, but trying to pass the blame as well. Not to mention our reputation tanking regardless of who shot first.
edited 1st Feb '17 4:32:01 PM by danime91
Well yes, they would roast us, and rightfully so, but it doesn't mean it can't be done. The sad truth is, it's very likely Mexico will end up capitulating to Trump's demands before it comes to anything like that if they think he's serious. All but guaranteed in fact, unless they end up electing someone just as stubborn as he is.
edited 1st Feb '17 4:38:53 PM by CaptainCapsase
Sure but you'd have a guerilla war in Mexico against American troops. The cartels and the population would rise up. The Hispanic American population would go full blue and Republicans would lose their vote for a generation or two. And the home population in the US would see the price of their consumer goods rise in response.
Republican Hawaiian representative is leaving the Republican Party to join the Democrat Party
edited 1st Feb '17 4:36:48 PM by MadSkillz
Wow, that is some lack of tact. Driving away their own party members now? I can see where the tides are turning next election (as long as it's not Hillary. Seriously, we would have had this election in the bag if it was anyone but Hillary).
Oh yeah, one good thing did come out of Trump getting elected. We're not entering into the TPP. Yay for Net Neutrality. Now if only Trump himself wasn't an even bigger threat to Net Neutrality.
![]()
Good for her, for standing up to this growingly Fascist Party. I wouldn't be surprised if we started getting some bigger name Party Switches (like Mc Cain, who was about to become a Democrat in the 80's until Reagan got elected).
Nope, Net Neutrality is still probably dead, at least as a right: This man is Trump's pick for the FCC, and he absolutely loathes it
.
My first reaction was 'there's a Republican Rep from Hawaii?'
Like, I kind of thought Hawaii was effectively a one-party state.
But: it's worth noting that she's not actually leaving the party, at least not yet- she's saying 'I want to leave the party, but I'll see what my voters think of that before making the decision'.
So let me get this straight - it hasn't been two weeks into the administration and they've already threatened to start wars with China, Iran, and Mexico?
It seems more likely that they're just doing this because they think it's an effective threat - some kind of masculine chest-thumping crap. I mean, I trust this administration about as far as I can throw it, but I think we're a long way off from all out war.
edited 1st Feb '17 5:04:01 PM by Pseudopartition
I doubt that war would turn the southern states blue. The south is the reservoir of militarism. See (U.S. presidents from the South more likely to use force in military disputes
). Also the numbers of southerners in the military.
Also, war fatigue probably comes as much from conduct (counter-insurgency never clearly shows "progress," at least not the kind that can be condensed into an easy talking point) as lack of passion for the cause.
Southern voters might be gung-ho at the chance to "shoot bad guys," and a quick raid (a raid to coerce compliance may be entirely conventional rather than guerilla) may bring the euphoria of a "victory," particularly given the MAGA narrative that America's been a victim of outsiders.
ETA: You wanna stop illegals, here's what you do . . . you don't stop illegals. You make birth certificates and social security cards mandatory for getting any job above janitor. oh, wait . . . don't we, don't we do that now? I swear I've had to produce identification to get jobs before. Oh, right, I have! Well how about that. Oops, guess illegal immigration ISN'T a fucking problem after all. It really isn't, these shitheads have just been beating that drum too long to stop now. Nevermind that it makes everyone who thinks it's a problem look like idiots. And scum. Scum sucking idiots. How funny is that?
edited 1st Feb '17 5:15:01 PM by Journeyman
Trump supposedly threatened Mexico behind closed doors with military force. Best get to searching for that communist guerrilla to join ASAP, because I feel like the rest of Latin America is next, in the grand tradition we have of fucking over everyone else in the hemisphere other than Canada.
edited 1st Feb '17 5:19:02 PM by CaptainCapsase
He might not have to make any threats depending on what he's asking the other countries to do. Plus he's spent the entirety of his campaign railing against Mexico in particular. I don't know that he's particularly concerned about anywhere else, at least right now.
I still think you're probably right though.

Obviously no soldier would do that after having some time to think, but deploying American forces along the Mexican border would necessitate a response in kind, and there's plenty of ways to act threatening without actually firing a shot that might result in an accident.
edited 1st Feb '17 4:36:59 PM by CaptainCapsase