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

CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#249901: Jul 22nd 2018 at 1:00:33 PM

[up]x4 Except Russia would have to go through a whole bunch of other countries in the Balkans to get to Montenegro on land or the air, and Turkey, Italy, Greece and Albania would sure as heck notice a whole bunch of Russian ships going through the Mediterranean to Montenegro.

Edited by CookingCat on Jul 22nd 2018 at 1:01:23 AM

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#249902: Jul 22nd 2018 at 1:10:22 PM

[up] Montenegro is important for other reasons. Plus, Russia want no country whatsoever to join NATO. They would prefer it if there were no NATO at all.

DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#249903: Jul 22nd 2018 at 1:13:59 PM

[up] Maybe they should stop screwing with other countries then - turns out that trying to murder other countries' leaders or otherwise meddling in their affairs is not going to endear you to them.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
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
#249904: Jul 22nd 2018 at 2:38:05 PM

I said it once and I'll say it again.

The NATO's top recruiter is Russia.

Inter arma enim silent leges
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#249905: Jul 22nd 2018 at 2:40:12 PM

I remember when Russia suggested joining NATO.

"We exist because of you."

"Aww, aren't we friends?"

"No."

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#249906: Jul 22nd 2018 at 2:56:50 PM

That isn't quite how it went...it was more

Russia: Can we join?

NATO: Yeah...well...maybe...let's test this out first. Let's do some joint projects together and we'll see how this develops.

Russia: Great....*attacks Ukraine*

NATO: Okay...we have seen how this develops. All joint operation will end now.

Edited by Swanpride on Jul 22nd 2018 at 2:56:47 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#249907: Jul 22nd 2018 at 9:56:21 PM

Trump went on an all-caps Twitter threat against Iran.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/23/politics/trump-iran-intl/index.html

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
tsstevens Reading tropes such as You Know What You Did from Reading tropes such as Righting Great Wrongs Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: She's holding a very large knife
Reading tropes such as You Know What You Did
#249908: Jul 22nd 2018 at 10:40:43 PM

Someone else to say this to Trump he would be after them for terroristic threats.

Currently reading up My Rule Fu Is Stronger than Yours
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#249909: Jul 22nd 2018 at 11:01:42 PM

In fairness to Trump, he wasn't the one to bring up Montenegro specifically - that was Tucker Carlson, who asked "Why should my kid die for Montenegro?"

Apparently the asshole has zero clue how defensive alliances are supposed to work, or how another country picking off others was precisely how WWII started.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#249910: Jul 22nd 2018 at 11:19:01 PM

[up] Sure, but it was Trump who claimed that Montenegro was particularly aggressive.

DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#249911: Jul 23rd 2018 at 3:23:41 AM

[up][up][up][up] Ah, so I take it the Trump-Rouhani bromance will start in about a year's time?

Grafite Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Less than three
#249912: Jul 23rd 2018 at 5:23:45 AM

@Iran: If Ahmadinejad was still in power right now, the US would have probably already started a war with Iran, which even the Bush administration prevented from happening. I'd like to know what's Trump's rationale for any violent action against the country right now.

Life is unfair...
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#249913: Jul 23rd 2018 at 5:41:09 AM

[up] The Iran Deal being Obama’s legacy, them being brown people refusing to grovel before him, neocons egging him on, Mattis being a guy with a serious hate-on for Iran...take your pick.

Disgusted, but not surprised
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
#249914: Jul 23rd 2018 at 6:08:31 AM

I wonder if the opposite might be true, Ahmadinejad was the kind of strongman that Trump likes (see Putin, Kim, Duterte, Erdoğan, probably Assad if they ever meet) and admires, while Rouhani is not bombastic and is more reserved and diplomatic.

That’s the thing, Trump has two big driving forces behind his foreign policy, pissing on Obama’s legacy and allying with strongman dictators, Iran is still an authoritarian regime but it’s not in a bombastic strongman style.

Edit: Just did some digging on the senate votes after Trump’s meeting with Putin, the 98-0 one is only one of several proposed votes (anyone able to find out who the abstention was? I think Rand Paul), there’s the following.

  • The passed vote saying that no US official should be made available to the Russians for interrogation.
  • A bill having hearings by Rubio and Van Hollen that puts in place sanctions that can be activated by the director of national intelligence.
  • A resolution rejecting Putin’s denial, calling for the activation of sanctions and asking for the senate to investigate what exactly happened during Trump and Putin’s meeting. This one was blocked by Republican Senator Cornyn are being proposed by Flake and Coons.
  • A resolution by Sanders that has the senate note that it accepts the intelligence community’s findings about Russian interference in 2016 while also protecting Muller. This has been opposed by Rand Paul.

Serious point, I’d bet money that Paul is in deeper with the Russians than Sanders is, possibly even deeper than Trump is, much of what Trump does can be explained by ego and Trump admiring strongmen, but with Paul it feels like there’s something else there.

Edited by Silasw on Jul 23rd 2018 at 1:54:01 PM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
tsstevens Reading tropes such as You Know What You Did from Reading tropes such as Righting Great Wrongs Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: She's holding a very large knife
Reading tropes such as You Know What You Did
#249915: Jul 23rd 2018 at 6:45:33 AM

I see Trump if not as the hero of neocons and the alt right then certainly the same as them in being almost self destructive in being the complete and total opposite out of sheer spite. Obama made a deal with Iran so he has to go to war with them. If Obama was against Iran he would ally with them. The same as most think racism are horrid ideas, no a few are that fed up they at least claim to love it. Spite on a scale that it is self destructive.

Currently reading up My Rule Fu Is Stronger than Yours
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#249916: Jul 23rd 2018 at 8:28:16 AM

Rand Paul wants Trump to revoke John Brennan's security clearance, which is nearly unprecedented in the case of former senior intelligence staff engaging in political criticism (Flynn maintained his clearance under Obama, for example).

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/23/politics/rand-paul-revoke-brennan-security-clearance/index.html

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#249917: Jul 23rd 2018 at 8:37:16 AM

Rand Paul is an odd duck. Every now and then something resembling a principle wafts up from the festering mass of his soul and he feels compelled to share it with the world. Too bad he doesn't vote with his principles.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#249918: Jul 23rd 2018 at 8:38:55 AM

I'm inclined to think that's why he's resigning. The Republican party doesn't trust him completely.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#249919: Jul 23rd 2018 at 8:41:40 AM

They've never trusted him. Paul is a bitter misanthrope who aligns himself with Republicans because the Libertarian Party realizes that it can't get any votes from the left side of the aisle. He just can't bring himself to stand up for his principles in a more than token manner, but he's not reliable enough as a patsy for them to feel comfortable with. Too prone to anti-GOP outbursts.

Edited by Fighteer on Jul 23rd 2018 at 11:44:25 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
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
#249920: Jul 23rd 2018 at 8:56:01 AM

Paul does occasionally vote with his principles, it’s just that he tends to do it when his principles are even worse than the rest of the Republican Party’s.

Remember he’s the guy who held up Montenegro’s admission to NATO for a while and he’s consistently opposed any sanctions against Russia.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#249921: Jul 23rd 2018 at 8:57:12 AM

Yeah Paul really does have principles they're just all terrible, he's one of the people who it's honestly hard to tell if he's better principled or unprincipled.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#249922: Jul 23rd 2018 at 9:37:19 AM

I don't think Rand Paul is retiring. Did Charles get him confused with Paul Ryan?

Disgusted, but not surprised
Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#249923: Jul 23rd 2018 at 10:03:15 AM

So, in terms of revolting news today...

as we see here?

Quoting Elizabeth Rosenthal: "We at @khnews got the numbers of babies under 1 who are going to court for immigration deportation hearings. Not only do they not understand English, they are not old enough to understand any language. Makes no sense."

Yes. They are taking fucking babies to court.

Proving she is one of best candidates for 2020, Kirsten Gillibrand declared the first thing Dems should do in power is abolish ICE. Excellent choice. And for the record, this is very practical

Edited by Lightysnake on Jul 23rd 2018 at 10:03:22 AM

CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#249924: Jul 23rd 2018 at 10:05:43 AM

[up] I thought this was old news, like from weeks ago?

Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#249925: Jul 23rd 2018 at 10:08:54 AM

Sorry if it's old news here. It just boils my blood whenever I see it, and it's still going on.


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