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

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#192626: Jun 9th 2017 at 4:53:32 PM

[up]Science based climate policy is in everybody's national interest, don't you get it!

[up][up]and he made his money on his own, yessire. Not like his father was really rich too.

edited 9th Jun '17 4:56:53 PM by megaeliz

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#192627: Jun 9th 2017 at 4:53:35 PM

If the GOP are as privately frustrated with Donald as I keep hearing, I'm thinking if Ossof wins the Georga 6th that might be the catalyst for them to start turning on Donald for fear of their seats. If not we're probably in the quagmire till 2018 baring something explosive. At the very least, the special investigations are going to take months.

pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#192628: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:01:29 PM

I can just envision Trump being like Mr. Creosote from Monty Python's film The Meaning Of Life...

Waiter: Would you care for an after-dinner mint? Eet ees only wafer-thin!

Glomph! KA—BLOOIE!

This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#192629: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:03:05 PM

The thing about the whole Climate Change issue, to me, is that, even if you don't believe in it, there's still no reason not to go along with it. If Climate Change is false or a lie, you're still helping the environment in a positive way. You can't even use greed as an excuse as apparently renewables are a hot commodity right now, going by other comments in the thread.

In every pragmatic sense (which, granted, is not a shining virtue of the GOP) there's no good reason not go combat Climate Change, even if you don't believe in it.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#192630: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:05:37 PM

It's not really about whether it's real or not for a lot of people, that liberals care about the environment is enough reason not to care. That's not just on climate change, it's also things like people intentionally going out of their way to buy the more energy wasting light bulbs and such.

edited 9th Jun '17 5:08:06 PM by LSBK

RhymeBeat True colors from Eastern Standard Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: In Lesbians with you
True colors
#192631: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:06:31 PM

Even if climate change isn't real, we could use the oil we burn to make plastic instead.

The Crystal Caverns A bird's gotta sing.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#192632: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:07:01 PM

So just more "THEIR SIDE BAD!!!" then?

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#192633: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:07:37 PM

Trump's love of fast food has nothing to do with being one of the "common folk". He's stated that he eats it because he doesn't have time for a home-cooked meal, and there's less chance that his food will get tampered with if he orders from a big chain corporate fast food joint.

Before you believe Gingrich's claim that he's One Of Us, remember: His father gave him a "small" loan of a million dollars.

ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#192634: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:09:16 PM

[up][up]Basically, as depressing as that is.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#192635: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:14:30 PM

[up]x4 If it is true, we avert disaster, if it's not, we have energy independence and cleaner air. It seems pretty win/win to me.

And honestly people who say they are against renewables because of the cost are pennywise but pound foolish. The new infrastucture needed to support it may cost more in the beginning, but it will actually save money in the long run.

edited 9th Jun '17 5:27:16 PM by megaeliz

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#192636: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:16:46 PM

Before you believe Gingrich's claim that he's One of Us, remember: His father gave him a "small" loan of a million dollars.

In today's world, that would actually be a small loan of 7 million dollars.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#192637: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:32:24 PM

Just as a note: there are people who deliberately hurt their gas mileage in their vehicles in order to puff out clouds of smoke in order to annoy liberals and environmentalists.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#192638: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:36:15 PM

What is almost amusing about the fast food thing is that the White House has a full time kitchen staff selected for their ability to produce the menu for any combination of international preference. The first family can have almost literally any kind of food they want whenever they want it, even burgers and fries. While I, in a bizarro world where I became the President, would do my best to moderate extravigence I would totally take advantage of that.

But no. Fast food.

Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#192639: Jun 9th 2017 at 5:46:49 PM

I don't think anyone here believes he empathizes with middle class america. Or...anything, really. Just his fans. Simply commenting on the gingrich bit on shedding a sinle momentuous tear of how much middle classy he is

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
JBC31187 Since: Jan, 2015
#192640: Jun 9th 2017 at 6:07:59 PM

Well, that's an insult to the middle class.

Part of what annoys me about Trump is how he's such a dipshit. All that money (or so he says) but he doesn't do anything normal people would consider fun. He doesn't read, he doesn't go out, he doesn't try new stuff. He just eats fast food and watches tv when he's not hurting people. Even when I was a kid I got bored with tv and fast food. Even with my shitty budget I check out Project Gutenberg, go out for walks, and buy foods I haven't tried before when I have the cash.

FireCrawler2002 Since: Apr, 2017
#192641: Jun 9th 2017 at 6:10:28 PM

[up] At least I play video games. He doesn't even do that.

edited 9th Jun '17 6:10:39 PM by FireCrawler2002

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?
#192642: Jun 9th 2017 at 6:16:36 PM

     On those two Impeachment Questions 
In offering to testify against himself, has Trump just waived his right to a Fifth Amendment defense down the road, or would he still be able to play that card when the time comes?
May have to edit this later, but (as far as I can tell) an impeachment in the House passes rather like any other bill. note . The Senate can do whatever it wants for trying impeachments. note . And, per the Senate chamber's own rules, it's really up to the Senate's Presiding Officer (somewhere between the impeachment judge and god for the duration...) how far the 5th amendment goes.

How often did they try to call for Obama's impeachment? I'm sure it's happened.
The Other Wiki has a few incidents, and I know anecdotally that it was often discussed on right-leaning talk radio.

@Ryan denies GOP would try to impeach Dem accused of same actions as Trump
Now that particular lie is no surprise, both from him being Ryan and that no one would admit this. What stood out to me was this gem:

Ryan expressed sympathy for Trump, pointing to Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee detailing that he told Trump on multiple occasions that he was not personally under investigation.

“What I got out of that testimony is, we now know why he was so frustrated when the FBI director told him three times there’s no investigation of him, yet that speculation was allowed to continue,” Ryan said.

The Speaker suggested that Trump’s behavior might be a result of not having experience in government before becoming president. The night before, Ryan said on MSNBC that it was “obviously” inappropriate for Trump to ask Comey for his loyalty over a private dinner at the White House.

“The president’s new at this. He’s new to government. So, he probably wasn’t steeped in the long-running protocols that establish the relationships between [the Department of Justice], the FBI and White Houses. He’s just new to this,” Ryan said.

Perhaps, those twin excuses may just be coherent enough to muddy otherwise damning evidence.

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
FireCrawler2002 Since: Apr, 2017
#192643: Jun 9th 2017 at 6:18:57 PM

DOJ lawyers argue Trump can accept payments from foreign governments: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/337210-doj-lawyers-argue-trump-can-accept-payments-from-foreign-governments

Gee, those foreign governments wouldn't happen to be a certain huge Eastern European/North Asian country and a big Middle Eastern country, would they?

edited 9th Jun '17 6:19:06 PM by FireCrawler2002

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#192644: Jun 9th 2017 at 6:19:37 PM

Knew that Trudeau has no balls.

Yeah, let Trump testify under oath. I mean can you imagine being grilled for an hour or two without lying about something? This guy put an average of one lie per minute in his speeches. And at least one lie per tweet.

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#192645: Jun 9th 2017 at 6:25:56 PM

"He's new to this" is a great argument for why he shouldn't be qualified to be president in the first place.

TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#192646: Jun 9th 2017 at 6:50:06 PM

Trudeau wimped out along with the UK and Japan.

None of those are really surprising. Trudeau has a careful balancing act to do as he starts trying to loosen some of Canada's economic ties with the US and looks to get backups with Europe or elsewhere. Similarly, as long as a pro-Brexit group is in charge of the UK, you figure they'll be more willing to kiss up to the White House than Brussels. The closest thing to a surprise is Japan, and even that isn't too much of a surprise, as I'm pretty damn sure that Japan does more business with the USA than Europe as a whole, but I could be wrong.

Plus there are always a few issues that Japan has that puts them at odds with much of the world, whaling, for example. I don't know if that's the case here, but it's a possibility. Plus Japan needs to make sure that the US will do something if North Korea goes completely off the rails.

edited 9th Jun '17 7:04:28 PM by TheWanderer

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
FireCrawler2002 Since: Apr, 2017
#192647: Jun 9th 2017 at 7:02:38 PM

[up] Japan does a lot of business with France, who are the second biggest market for Japanese media next to Japan itself.

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#192648: Jun 9th 2017 at 7:30:46 PM

In a certain sense, Abe is a less extreme version of the same breed of post-recession right wing politician that Trump belongs to, and there's also the matter of Trump not giving a damn about things like whitewashing Japan's various crimes against humanity during World War 2. In fact there's probably a greater potential for harming relations on Trump's end since he would probably do the same for America's own such actions against Japan if it came up.

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#192649: Jun 9th 2017 at 7:52:11 PM

I'm sure Trump will find a way to alienate Japan sooner or later.

That said, Japan (which has been effectively a single party state for decades) tends toward small-'c' conservatism, especially social conservatisim , but they also expect the national services to function. Abe has his nationalist streak and the Japanese have long been at least a little xenophobic toward gaijin but he's not a reactionary as far as I can tell and the Japanese are generally disinclined to want to rock the boat.

[down]There's that, yeah, but in terms of threat level to world security he ranks pretty low even with that.

edited 9th Jun '17 8:24:21 PM by Elle

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#192650: Jun 9th 2017 at 8:08:40 PM

Abe's big conflict with Europe is that he's the Japanese version of a Holocaust denier - that is, he denies the use of Chinese and Korean women as sex slaves. Obviously, that's a Berserk Button to his neighbors, but it also makes Europe go "seriously, bro?"

Regarding the climate thing...yeah, I figure that Japan mostly doesn't want to rock the (whaling) boat.


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