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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

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#239326: Apr 19th 2018 at 12:06:09 AM

Watch the next headline read: "US seeks to deport thousands of illegal immigrants who came to America to colonize it between the 1500s and 1700s."

rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#239327: Apr 19th 2018 at 12:20:42 AM

Three Kansas Men Found Guilty Of Bomb Plot Targeting Somali Muslim Immigrants:

Three Kansas men were convicted Wednesday of plotting to bomb an apartment complex where Somali immigrants lived and worshiped in Garden City, following a four-week trial in Wichita.

Just a day after beginning deliberations, a federal jury found Curtis Allen, 50; Gavin Wright, 49; and Patrick Eugene Stein, 49, each guilty of one count of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction as well as one count of violating the housing rights of their would-be victims.

Wright was also convicted of lying to the FBI.

All three men face life in prison.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the verdict "a significant victory against domestic terrorism and hate crimes."

The men were arrested in 2016 just weeks before prosecutors say they had hoped to carry out mass murder at the apartment complex the day after U.S. voters elected the next president.

Prosecutors say the men, part of a militia group called the Kansas Security Force, prepared a manifesto saying their attack "would wake people up."

Prosecutor Risa Berkower said at the trial, "They wanted to send the message that Muslims are not welcome here – not in Garden City, not in Kansas, not in America," reports KCUR.

The men were charged following a months-long FBI investigation and sting operation.

They called themselves "the Crusaders" and had scoped out several potential targets, stockpiling firearms and bomb-making parts, say prosecutors.

Court documents say they then settled on 312 West Mary Street in Garden City, a cluster of eight buildings housing more than 100 people — mainly East African immigrants, KCUR's Frank Morris reported for NPR.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#239328: Apr 19th 2018 at 12:23:41 AM

@Hey, T Vrules: can we please refrain from sexist slurs like that? It helps absolutely nothing. Yes, I know you're referring to a guy, but you're still referring to a guy with a sexist slur.

[up]And yet, all these little militia groups aren't getting labeled as terrorists groups, which makes Session's statements ring very hollow.

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#239329: Apr 19th 2018 at 1:18:57 AM

About the Wagner thing: I didn't realize they had tanks and so on. I initially thought it was more like some dumbass squad of mercs taking potshots with small arms, which made the response even more overkill but also funnier.

edited 19th Apr '18 1:19:06 AM by RedSavant

It's been fun.
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#239330: Apr 19th 2018 at 1:42:43 AM

First and most importantly, I want to encourage everyone to check out the podcast Trump Inc. It's a joint venture between NYC's NPR station and Propublica, the first online news source to win a Pulitzer Prize. The podcast aims to take long, serious looks at Trump's past and current business dealings. Episodes come out once a week, and the subject this week is Michael Cohen, who has a long history of connections with Russian organized crime. While Cohen has always avoided being charged, convicted of a crime or disbarred until now, basically everyone he has any connection with has either been put in jail or lost the right to practice law or medicine due to either being an actual criminal or ethics violations. Cohen has also practiced remarkably little actual law as he has seldom been in court or been involved in a suit. He mainly seems to have been specializing in helping business partners skirt the law, use loopholes for fraud, or remain in legal gray areas.

I highly recommend listening to anyone who wants in-depth coverage/knowledge of this and all Trump business related information, and how that effects what Trump does in office.

A couple of quick notes:

An Ohio appeals court ruled that a law that would have cut off taxpayer money from Planned Parenthood is unconstitutional, agreeing with a lower court ruling

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld a lower-court judge’s ruling enjoining a law Republican Governor John Kasich signed in 2016 that would strip funding that Planned Parenthood received for non-abortion services.

The law would have affected funding for Planned Parenthood programs for mothers’ and infants’ health, HIV counseling and testing, and sex education. Planned Parenthood offers abortions in some of its Ohio clinics, but not all of them.

According to court papers, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Southwest Ohio said they stood to lose nearly $1.5 million in funding annually if the law took effect.

“We are thrilled that today’s decision will safeguard our patients’ access to care,” Jerry Lawson, the chief executive of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio, said in a statement.

Dan Tierney, a spokesman for Republican Ohio Attorney General Mike De Wine, who defended the law in court, said his office was reviewing the ruling to determine whether to seek further appellate review.

A small group of House Republicans called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to prosecute Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Andrew McCabe, and various other figures within the government or who recently were.

Unsurprisingly the group is made up of Tea Party/Freedom Caucus types, with the most notable figures being Ron DeSantis, (a young Republican who some think may be a rising star, and who threw his hat into the race for Governor of Florida [Trump endorsed, naturally]) Todd Rokita, who is in the primary for the Senate seat currently held by Democrat Joe Donnelly in Indiana, Eric Brat, (the Bannon & Steve Miller connected guy best known for the massive upset of Eric Cantor, then a member of the Republican leadership) and Claudia Tenney. (Upstate NY congrsswoman representing the Utica/Oneida/Oswego area who became infamous after the Las Vegas shooting for claiming that most mass murderers turn out to be Democrats.)

That said, my "favorite" might be Paul Goslar, an Arizona congressman who boycotted Pope Francis' visit to congress because Francis was talking about Climate Change instead of denouncing "violent Islam" and Planned Parenthood. He also claimed the Charlottesville Nazis were a False Flag Operation, attempted to impeach an Obama era EPA administrator for making EPA regulations, tried to give sacred Native American land to a copper mine, (while saying all Native Americans were "wards of the Federal Government") and previously accused Comey, McCabe, Rosenstein, and Sally Yates of treason.

Now, to be clear, this is not going to go anywhere and is likely political theater for their constituents, but I did think it was worth noting due to it apparently being a rise of undemocratic authoritarianism in the legislature as well as the executive branch.

Trump's pick as NASA administrator (a Republican congressman with no science background) was nearly defeated... until Jeff Flake, the only Republican to vote against him, changed his vote from no to yes after a recess Also noteworthy: Tammy Duckworth, who recently gave birth, missed the vote. Had she voted, the nomination would have failed. (Unless Flake only initially voted no for political leverage related to Mike Pompeo, see the quote from below for more on that.)

After the vote, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the Senate GOP whip, was asked about Flake's vote change.

"He has an issue he wants to talk to (CIA) Director (Mike) Pompeo about. He was looking for assurances he would have that opportunity and I'm confident he will have that chance this afternoon," Cornyn said. "I think there are some issues related to travel restrictions to Cuba."

Flake later told CNN he had submitted questions to Pompeo after his confirmation hearing to be secretary of state and added, "I'm still waiting for satisfactory answers."

Flake, who is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and whose vote is significant, said he is still undecided on how he will vote on Pompeo's nomination and indicated he "still has some issues."

Separately, Flake said he has problems with Bridenstine and at one point had a "hold" on his nomination.

"I wasn't enthusiastic about him but that wasn't the point," Flake explained.

The party-line vote against Bridenstine reflects the steep opposition from Democrats about Trump's nominee to head the space agency, who they believe is not a "space professional" in the words of Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat. One Republican, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, had previously expressed concerns about Bridenstine but voted for him in the end. Democrats also complained about his views on climate change.

"NASA is one of the few remaining areas that has largely avoided the bitter partisanship that has invaded far too many areas of government and our society today," Nelson said in a floor speech.

When he was nominated, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called Bridenstine a "strong, principled and effective leader" who will "work hard to advance our national space policy goals, expand human space exploration and secure America's leadership in space."

A final confirmation vote for Bridenstine is expected Thursday.

Oklahoma is burning A "megafire" has burned more than 260,000 acres (1052 square kilometers, 406 square miles) and remains completely uncontained. Worse, that's only one of four major wildfire currently active in the state.

Fucking hell, Missouri's governor may genuinely be worse than Trump at this point - he's filed for a restraining order against Attorney General Josh Hawley.

And in addition to Greitens' sexual abuse, which is his most famous scandal thus far, there's now significant evidence he committed a felony when he used a charity for veterans that he runs as a way to build a list of political donors.

Leaders in Missouri’s GOP-controlled House issued a stinging rebuke of Republican Gov. Eric Greitens on Tuesday evening, calling on the state’s chief executive to resign as scandals continue to consume his administration.

“Leaders at all levels of government are entrusted with an incredible responsibility to the Missourians we represent,” said a joint statement from House Speaker Todd Richardson, House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo and House Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr. “When leaders lose the ability to effectively lead our state, the right thing to do is step aside. In our view, the time has come for the governor to resign.”

Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard of Joplin issued a similar statement, saying the governor should step aside. If he doesn’t Richard said, “it is my wish that we immediately start impeachment proceedings.”

The governor responded on Twitter, saying he would not resign. “In three weeks, this matter will go to a court of law — where it belongs and where the facts will prove my innocence,” he said. “Until then, I will do what the people of Missouri sent me here to do: to serve them and work hard on their behalf.”

The statements, issued Tuesday evening, followed a Tuesday morning announcement by Attorney General Josh Hawley who said that his office had uncovered evidence that Greitens may have committed a felony by using a charity donor list to solicit donations to fuel his 2016 campaign for governor.

Hawley, who like Greitens is a Republican, said his office found evidence that Greitens obtained and transmitted a donor list without the permission of the St. Louis-based charity The Mission Continues, which Greitens founded in 2007 but left in 2014.

“If proven, these acts could amount to the unauthorized taking and use of property, in this case, electronic property,” Hawley said at a news conference. “Under Missouri law, this is known as computer tampering. And given the value of the list in question, it is a felony.”

Greitens also inspired another State Republican to call him a sociopath, and is threatening to be a weight around the necks of Missouri Republicans come November.

“He’s a classic sociopath,” said one Republican in the state who requested anonymity to speak freely. “I’m not saying that ironically; he is literally not a balanced, normal personality. He’s almost incapable of embarrassment, like Bill Clinton was.”

The Missouri legislature has never impeached a sitting governor before. The process is complex and could take months. That’s bad news for Hawley, who would undoubtedly like Greitens and his scandal to disappear as soon as possible. It’s also a boon for Mc Caskill, who has benefited from Republican scandals in the past. In 2012, her campaign spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to get the ultraconservative Republican Todd Akin to win the Republican primary for Senate.

The reason? Mc Caskill was making a big bet that Akin would say something alarming during the general election. And that’s exactly what he did: Explaining his anti-abortion stance, Akin argued that instances of men raping women were rare, and during “legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Mc Caskill went on to win that race by 12 points.

Republicans backed Hawley because they hoped he wouldn’t be another Akin. But with months to go until his primary, Hawley already has to cope with a massive scandal that is casting a cloud over Missouri Republicans and his own campaign.

By responding quickly and coming down hard on Greitens, Hawley can sidestep some of the drama, Keller said. But he admitted it would be much better if Greitens wasn’t something Hawley had to deal with.

“I think Josh was smart and forceful about it,” Keller said. “I think the people who know the governor, they do not expect the governor to resign regardless of how much pressure he’s under. This could potentially be a long and arduous process.”

If Greitens creates enough of a stink, he could hurt the chances of local Republicans, which in turn might help Senator Claire McCaskill, (who is as sharp and savvy a political operator as you can find and perhaps the most successful red state Democrat in the country) keep her seat for another term. Especially if Greitens, who was relatively popular until recently in the state, creates a Republican civil war and it causes a chunk of the Greitens die hards to stay home.

edited 19th Apr '18 1:53:16 AM by TheWanderer

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#239331: Apr 19th 2018 at 1:57:08 AM

Regarding that Oklahoma story, if memory serves the whole region has been in drought for quite a while. And yes, climate change promises more drought there.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#239332: Apr 19th 2018 at 5:41:16 AM

Meanwhile, the base (and Russian trolls, probably) are out in full force, claiming that the recent talks of possibilities of the Korean War officially coming to an end means that Trump was able to do in a little over a year what Obama couldn't do in eight.
More like the thought of Trump running Korea War II has South Korea desperate enough to try for a genuine peace treaty.
There are plenty of NY State crimes that Mueller deliberately hasn't charged, which @AG Schneiderman would be free to prosecute. Mueller structured his indictments brilliantly to give @AG Schneiderman as large an opening as possible in case widespread pardons are deployed.
On the slim change we end up with a GOP governor for NY, what's plan C?

A retired senior four-star who served both W and Obama came out blasting Trump for making it harder for the military to operate because of his erratic shifts in policy and Twitter mood swings. Full article text 

On April 9, President Donald Trump sat in the Cabinet Room with his national security team, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation’s four-star combatant commanders, and described the raid on his lawyer Michael Cohen’s office and hotel room as an “attack on our country.” To say the least, it was an odd description in front of individuals who have spent their lives defending the country against actual attacks. And it was a vivid illustration of the challenges our senior military leaders feel in working for President Trump.

Mere days later, the media published a quote from former FBI Director James Comey’s book A Higher Loyalty that describes his impressions of Trump, in which Comey wrote that he had “flashbacks to my earlier career as a prosecutor against the Mob. The silent circle of assent. The boss in complete control. The loyalty oaths. The us-versus-them worldview. The lying about all things, large and small, in service to some code of loyalty that put the organization above morality and above the truth.” Comey reaffirmed this assessment in his interview with 20/20 that aired on April 15.

As someone who spent over seven years as one of those Combatant Commanders — one of a small group of 4-star officers charged with the responsibility to send young men and women into combat — I often find myself wondering what it must be like to serve as a senior admiral or general in today’s world. Our senior military swear an oath upon every promotion: not to the office of the President, but to the Constitution. How are they executing their oath of office today?

Certainly previous presidents have manifested challenges similar to those presented today, from personal failings of character to rapid mood swings to erratic policy choices. But it is hard to remember a time where the level of unease has been so high. I hear this frequently from many senior admirals and generals still working today, and I feel their sense of extreme discomfort. That is not a good place for the republic.

(A disclaimer: I am a registered independent and worked as a Combatant Commander for both President George W. Bush and Barack Obama. I respected both for their character, honesty and the evident respect they had for their military, although there were times I disagreed with policy choices each made. I was vetted for Vice President by Hillary Clinton and interviewed for a Cabinet position by then President-elect Trump — at their requests. Anyone who knows me would say I am a political centrist.)

In today’s environment, our senior active-duty military face three significant challenges:

First, they have a leadership and discipline problem with the character issues manifested in the President’s day-to-day behavior, from an alleged payoff through Cohen to silence a porn star to deliberate misstatements about the size of the crowd that attended his inauguration. As uniformed officers who must exert discipline and demand courage, honor, commitment and truthfulness from their troops, they are challenged by the misalignment between the personal failings of the President and the standards for the force of which he is the statutory leader.

A second challenge is the erratic nature of policy, much of which directly affects the armed forces. All of our senior military have immense respect for the constitutional, legal and entirely appropriate civilian oversight of the military that is the bedrock of our system. The President’s authority as Commander in Chief will not be challenged. Full stop. But it is hard for our senior military leaders to chart a course when the destination keeps changing.

A case in point would be in the lead-up to Syrian strikes, where we first saw a Trump tweet that emphatically announced Tomahawk strikes (“nice and new and ‘smart!’” missiles), followed by a reversal to say it could come at any moment or not at all. Trump also hated and campaigned against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement with enormous security implications. But recently he opened the possibility of rejoining it.

Ideally, a nation would surprise our opponents tactically (not telegraphing strikes makes great sense) but have consistent strategic positions. What makes serving the Trump Administration so difficult for our senior military is the propensity to do the opposite: we are strategically inconsistent on everything from NATO (is it obsolete or a terrific partner?) to, again, Syria (is the United States getting out or staying engaged?) and the TPP (is it the worst deal ever or worth rejoining?). All of this makes military planning very, very difficult.

Third and finally, our senior military are inevitably being pulled into the politics of the moment by both the media and Congress — something they deeply want to avoid because it violates the very heart of the military profession in the United States. There will be constant pressure to seek statements that may be construed as political. The media will look for wedge issues between the Pentagon, Foggy Bottom and the White House, thus creating confusion about how to execute military operations as the ultimate “commander’s intent” becomes blurred.

Additionally, Congress will seek support for their preferred political positions about everything from controversial personnel policies (i.e. service by transgender individuals) to the type of new hardware that the Department of Defense purchases. This can result in senior military crossing wires with the political leadership in the White House. Senior military are also constantly testifying in front of Congress and frequently doing media interviews — and so often are in the “hot seat” as a result. All of this distracts our military leaders, undermines their credibility with civilians and therefore weakens our security.

This brings us to senior military themselves and how they react. When President Trump said in an April 3 news conference that we were getting out of Syria immediately, even up here in Boston I could have sworn I heard a distant explosion to the south. That must be Jim Mattis’s head blowing up, I thought. The abrupt announcement ran counter to Secretary of Defense Mattis’s long-articulated positions on the region and the recent on-the-record statements of several senior military officials. It is the sheer chaos of it all that is difficult for our generals and admirals.

Militaries, for better or worse, are extremely orderly organizations. Let’s face it, the Department of Defense is a world where 1.5 million people get up every morning and put on uniforms. When someone gets a new job in the military, we call it getting a set of orders. Uniformity, an orderly process, thoughtful planning, a defined hierarchy — militaries thrive in such an environment.

Our senior military will try hard to avoid the political maelstrom. They will decline media interviews (and we as a public are far poorer for not having clarity on decisions our military is making about significant operations); they will make only the blandest of pronouncements in public testimony (again, we lose); they will avoid giving meaningful speeches, for fear they will be publically contradicted or criticized from the White House; and they will, most unfortunately, be tempted to simply depart the service, as H.R. Mc Master recently did after being removed from his position of National Security Advisor. All of this weakens our national security even further.

The erosion spreads. A few weeks ago, at a public speech in a synagogue near New York City, an elderly man asked me a question in front of hundreds of people. After some inflammatory comments about the current Administration, he said: “Admiral, isn’t it time the military should do something about all of this?” I was shocked into near silence by the potential implications of the question — whether the military would override civilian control and insert itself forcefully into today’s political debates. There are few certainties in this world, but here’s one: I would bet my life that the U.S. military won’t step into the political fray and “do something” in the manner this man suggested. But the fact that I was even asked such a question speaks volumes about where we are in our national discourse and disturbs me deeply.

I hope our admirals and generals can keep their heads down and ensure the military does not become embroiled in domestic politics, and that Secretary Mattis can continue to run interference with wisdom and caution between the Pentagon and the White House. If he cannot, I fear a creeping politicization of our active-duty military, and therefore a diminishment of our national security. Above all, the White House must take care to avoid pulling the military into the heart of an increasingly political fray.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
AngelusNox Warder of the damned from The guard of the gates of oblivion Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Warder of the damned
#239333: Apr 19th 2018 at 5:50:05 AM

Maybe the Kremlin should ask for a refund or something. They clearly didn't get their rubles' worth.

Well, the Kremlin won't need to pay them anymore if they are all dead.

Inter arma enim silent leges
Larkmarn Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#239334: Apr 19th 2018 at 5:57:01 AM

Regarding the Vietnamese thing: That's just... wow.

I mean, okay, sure. It's hilariously racist and offensive. It's also amazingly stupid since Vietnam is one of the very few countries that actually favors this administration. Sending them people they don't want (and who by the way will not have kind words to say about America) who have been in the US for at least 23 years is absolute insanity.

Found a Youtube Channel with political stances you want to share? Hop on over to this page and add them.
Kaiseror Since: Jul, 2016
#239335: Apr 19th 2018 at 6:34:25 AM

Why the hell is Trump sending Vietnamese immigrants back? Last I checked the U.S. wasn't having problems with Vietnam.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#239336: Apr 19th 2018 at 6:35:49 AM

Well there you go, they're marring Trump's perfect record of pissing off everybody

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239337: Apr 19th 2018 at 6:49:07 AM

[up][up]Is this a serious question? Because he's Trump, he hates all immigrants who aren't sufficiently white.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Larkmarn Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#239338: Apr 19th 2018 at 6:54:14 AM

But whose idea is it? Bannon? The article says they started in April of last year. Frankly, I don't think Trump would even think of it (or really even care, I think as far as he cares the Vietnamese diaspora begins and ends with nail salons). This isn't his idea.

I mean, it's such a bad idea because it erodes our soft power and weakens an ally against China so that does sound like Trump. But I can't envision it ever actually occurring to him.

edited 19th Apr '18 6:55:58 AM by Larkmarn

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Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239339: Apr 19th 2018 at 6:59:46 AM

[up]I don't see why we should assume that, it's more than possible that he heard about the Vietnamese immigrants and decided that they had to be gone.

Honestly this is just one important little bit of horribleness in an administration chock full of the stuff.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#239340: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:00:18 AM

[up][up] Why does Trump do anything that's evil and/or moronic? BECAUSE HE IS AN EVIL MORON, DAMMIT!

edited 19th Apr '18 7:00:33 AM by Reflextion

Someone did tell me life was going to be this way.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239341: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:01:56 AM

[up]Heh, blunt but extremely accurate.

I don't get why this is worth talking about.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Steven (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#239342: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:13:57 AM

People want to try and find the rationale behind Trumps mindset, but sometimes the simplest answers are the best ones; because he's a fucking idiot that's greedy and selfish and racist.

Remember, these idiots drive, fuck, and vote. Not always in that order.
HallowHawk Since: Feb, 2013
#239343: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:16:13 AM

[up] Because those Vietnamese would be the only justification you could use for US involvement in The Vietnam War. They didn't want to be Communist, they lost, and thus, they had to flee to the US.

Turning on them now just seems like painting the US involvement in the Vietnam War as "Moscow sucks, take down Ho Chi Minh".

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239344: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:17:04 AM

[up]Once again, Donald Trump.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Larkmarn Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#239346: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:29:32 AM

I think you're being pretty reductive about Trump. He's an irrational idiot, but usually there's a cause to his irrationality. Handwaving every decision he makes with going "ah well, Donald be Donald" is exactly the normalization we don't want. Because in this case (and most cases) figuring out what set him off on this (because usually there's a trigger of some sort, 9 times out of 10 being Fox News) it critical in trying to stop it. It's like trying to figure out the cause of an illness rather than just treating the symptom.

I mean, every other page has megz talking about how Trump's behavior is consistent with NPD to just handwaving Trump as just crazy for crazy's sake isn't helpful, either.

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Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239347: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:31:57 AM

[up]I don't see how, he's a racist idiot who has no grasp of strategy or realistic consequences. That perfectly describes this decision and even if it is reductive that doesn't mean it's fallacious or wrong.

Also when it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and acts like a duck then it's probably a duck, same with Trump and Narcissism.

edited 19th Apr '18 7:32:42 AM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Larkmarn Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#239348: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:42:47 AM

Because there's still a cause for him to reach that decision, if only because Trump would never even think about Vietnamese refugees unless prompted. Basically, it takes effort to exercise this act of racism which doesn't sound like him.

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Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239349: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:44:17 AM

[up]Ok? So someone mentioned them to him and then the racism and stupidity kicked in and we have our current situation.

Frankly your point seems to be a distinction without a difference.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Larkmarn Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#239350: Apr 19th 2018 at 7:49:30 AM

I'm just sort of curious why you're so dismissive of this, saying "what's the point of discussing this" when the same could be true of... literally anything here. This is a discussion thread and you're just trying to shut it down for... why exactly?

Found a Youtube Channel with political stances you want to share? Hop on over to this page and add them.

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