blandy Posted March 25, 2019 Moderator Share Posted March 25, 2019 5 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: This is the Senior Editor of The Economist here, getting to grips with basic reality: Still, she got there in the end. Now do Brexit! I don't think she's quite right, really. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/03/mueller-report-leaves-one-key-question-unanswered/585625/ Quote Good news, America. Russia helped install your president. But although he owes his job in large part to that help, the president did not conspire or collude with his helpers. He was the beneficiary of a foreign intelligence operation, but not an active participant in that operation. He received the stolen goods, but he did not conspire with the thieves in advance. This is what Donald Trump’s administration and its enablers in Congress and the media are already calling exoneration. But it offers no reassurance to Americans who cherish the independence and integrity of their political process. The question unanswered by the attorney general’s summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report is: Why? Russian President Vladimir Putin took an extreme risk by interfering in the 2016 election as he did. Had Hillary Clinton won the presidency—the most likely outcome—Russia would have been exposed to fierce retaliation by a powerful adversary. The prize of a Trump presidency must have glittered alluringly, indeed, to Putin and his associates. Why? Did they admire Trump’s anti-NATO, anti–European Union, anti-ally, pro–Bashar al-Assad, pro-Putin ideology? Were they attracted by his contempt for the rule of law and dislike of democracy? Did they hold compromising information about him, financial or otherwise? Were there business dealings in the past, present, or future? Or were they simply attracted by Trump’s general ignorance and incompetence, seeing him as a kind of wrecking ball to be smashed into the U.S. government and U.S. foreign policy?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osmark86 Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 49 minutes ago, blandy said: I don't think she's quite right, really. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/03/mueller-report-leaves-one-key-question-unanswered/585625/ I would probably guess that Russia were attracted to a lot of those things and I'm sure they're happy with how it has and is panning out. it's been more than two years but I'm still dumbfounded whenever I see "President Trump" in any context. It is surreal that people actually wanted this sociopath as their leader. I will never understand it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A'Villan Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 4 hours ago, villakram said: Any of the females present take any issue with any of the imams edicts? Please excuse me, is this you being clever, or a straightforward question? I can't tell. When the imam spoke there were no females present. You'll have to excuse my ignorance but I think men and women prayer separately. Maybe that's your point? On the other occasion it was two days after the attack and it was actually mosque open-day, something that had been arranged before the attack. Many females attended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 (edited) Trump just having the best of days with Michael Avenatti (Stormy Daniels lawyer) now arrested for wire and bank fraud and attempted extortion against NIKE. Edited March 25, 2019 by sne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A'Villan Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 Thought I'd share this one: Quote Israel’s ongoing denial of Palestinian rights and unconditional U.S. financial ($3.8 billion a year that's over $10 million every day) and diplomatic support for Israel fuels anti-American sentiment abroad. The negative perception of the United States is based on American policies and not a dislike of the West. Acknowledging Israel's crimes and recognizing the rights of the Palestinian people would undoubtedly improve America’s international image, by proving that the U.S. government supports the consistent application of international law.As long as the U.S. runs an annual budget deficit, every dollar of aid the U.S. gives Israel has to be raised through U.S. government borrowing so the US has to also pay loan guarantees and annual compound interest on money borrowed to give to Israel. All aid to Israel is illegal under international (and US) law, because Israel is a consistent violator of human rights. Also Israel’s nuclear weapons, built as they are with components stolen from the U.S. and Israel's refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty render that nation ineligible for American aid. No one in the US government will publicly admit to this truth because to do so would break the very laws we passed decades ago against proliferation, while simultaneously exposing the hypocrisy of the current Israeli foreign policy of the US. Source: A random youtube comment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 Trump isn't going anywhere is he? Just got to hope he has a heart attack or gets killed by a vending machine or something. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted March 25, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted March 25, 2019 I've been rooting for Team Cholesterol for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A'Villan Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 8 hours ago, TRO said: Its a very tricky subject and I guess all people will form a view of what they know and that will vary from person to person, to how much that is. It's interesting to listen to "Bridgette Gabriel" who is a christian born in Lebanon, but now lives in the U.S.....She has a very clear view on the subject, some may find interesting, even if they disagree with her. Personally, I admire the views of Liberals, but their views and actions have consequences.... when faced with folk who do not share those same views or have an agenda to take advantage.....Its is easy for Kindness to be confused with Weakness and that is usually controlled by Intelligence and self discipline. Trump is public enemy No1 in most folks mind and it is populist to slag him off....I do not agree will all that comes from his camp....but I recognise, some of it is necessary....I don't think he is quite the thing that many people see his as, even if many of his actions are questionable. Growing up,I was very much a socialist, In later life I have realised that there are people who will take advantage of kindness, caring and benevolence .... both at home in our own society and abroad and as the saying goes " you have to be cruel to be kind" at times. It is a very tricky situation to know what hard and fast view to take.....I like to think I am flexible on it. It is interesting. I practice martial arts for the self discipline. It's more mental than it is physical. Yet I have had a few instructors who take pride in the ability to do somebody in. Whether adept at combat or not, this mentality of wanting to do somebody in, or over, is rife in the world we live in. I don't align with that saying, 'cruel to be kind'. You have to be fair. And that means being fair to yourself too. You cannot lay down and die in the face of danger, oppression or injustice. Trump is not a good leader. He is the epitome of everything wrong with leadership. This is not to suggest he is evil, simply that he doesn't fulfill the fundamentals of leading. To create a world that people want to belong to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted March 25, 2019 Author Share Posted March 25, 2019 Trump will now feel emboldened and go after his enemies. The lowest hanging fruit today was Michael Avenatti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 Honestly if Bernie wins the nomination then Trump is finito imo. Otherwise it's 4 more years. Just have to hope the Dems don't sabotage him and themselves again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 This is pretty juvenile but it made me lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 5 hours ago, A'Villan said: Please excuse me, is this you being clever, or a straightforward question? I can't tell. When the imam spoke there were no females present. You'll have to excuse my ignorance but I think men and women prayer separately. Maybe that's your point? On the other occasion it was two days after the attack and it was actually mosque open-day, something that had been arranged before the attack. Many females attended. Oh, how fortunate those females are to allowed attend as long as they hide away in a dark corner... by choice of course, as that Imam is a lovely fellow as are all the other fellows in attendance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 2 hours ago, maqroll said: Trump will now feel emboldened and go after his enemies. The lowest hanging fruit today was Michael Avenatti. Trump is many things. However, trying to associate him with Avenatti trying to extort an international corporate behemoth in an idiot 101 manner is a little bit of a stretch. That he was ever held up as a paragon of something or other is symptomatic of the mania of the anti-Trump crowd, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A'Villan Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 2 hours ago, villakram said: Oh, how fortunate those females are to allowed attend as long as they hide away in a dark corner... by choice of course, as that Imam is a lovely fellow as are all the other fellows in attendance. I really don't know how to interpret your post here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seat68 Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 1 hour ago, A'Villan said: I really don't know how to interpret your post here. How you interpret it will probably be correct. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 Finally the world is safe! Quote The US Military Will Spend Up To $1 Billion To Build 57 Miles Of Trump's Border Wall The Department of Defense will allocate up to $1 billion in funding to build President Trump's wall along the US-Mexico border, acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan said in a letter Monday night. Shanahan wrote to Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen that military funding would be provided for construction along the border to combat drug smuggling. DHS had requested military funding last month to construct roads, lighting, and fencing at 11 project sites along the border. Shanahan agreed to provide funds up to $1 billion for three of the projects suggested by DHS, which he described as constructing 57 miles of 18-foot-high pedestrian fencing, roads, and lighting in the El Paso, Texas, and Yuma, Arizona, sections of the border. Shanahan is scheduled to testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. House members are scheduled to vote Tuesday to override President Trump's veto regarding a national emergency at the border. The House vote is expected to fail, and Trump's declaration is expected to continue. That national emergency has threatened the combat readiness of the Marine Corps, commandant Gen. Robert Neller said last week. He cited the deployment of troops to the border as well as the diversion of funding toward border construction. Senate Democrats have also questioned the impact of diverting defense funds toward border construction. Shanahan previously provided a list of military construction projects that could be put on hold because of the transfer of funding to the border. "This manufactured crisis serves no purpose other than to further the President’s misguided focus on anti-immigrant rhetoric, instead of what is in the best interest of national security," Rep. Adam Smith, chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement earlier this month. Projects on the list ranged from a flight simulator at an Air National Guard station in California to a water treatment facility at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune. In his statement, Smith said he looked forward to questioning Shanahan at the committee hearing. "We look forward to hearing how he intends to pilfer the military construction accounts, circumvent the intended nature of the law, while simultaneously abusing the trust of the American people,” he said. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/military-pentagon-border-wall-funding-trump-mexico Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 9 hours ago, villakram said: This is pretty juvenile but it made me lol I mean, it's common knowledge that the Russians had an interest in Trump winning and definitely set their troll farms in action for that (same as Brexit) The question always was whether Trump worked with them. From Mueller's report, it seems he has nothing solid. I am very surprised about the obstruction of justice though. He admitted it on TV. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 26, 2019 Moderator Share Posted March 26, 2019 Quote It’s not a theory but a matter of historical record that Vladimir Putin’s Russia hacked American emails and used them to help elect Trump to the presidency. It’s not a theory but a matter of historical record that agents purporting to represent Putin’s Russia approached the Trump campaign to ask whether help would be welcome, to which Donald Trump Jr. replied, “If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.” It’s not a theory but a matter of historical record that Donald Trump publicly welcomed this help: “I love WikiLeaks!” It’s solid political science that this help from Russia via WikiLeaks was crucial, possibly decisive, toTrump’s success in the Electoral College in November 2016. here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted March 26, 2019 Moderator Share Posted March 26, 2019 The things is though that the behaviour of Russian billionaires is entirely in keeping with the behaviour of billionaires everywhere on the planet in regards to the US election. The US election is an auction where two corporately operated parties each select a candidate and invite business to pay to publicise them to the US public in a vote. The wining corporations get support, tax cuts, subsidies and competitive advantage in the global economy. Did Russia attempt to gain influence over the American election? Yes, of course they did - everyone did - you'd be crazy not to. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 26, 2019 Moderator Share Posted March 26, 2019 19 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: The things is though that the behaviour of Russian billionaires is entirely in keeping with the behaviour of billionaires everywhere on the planet in regards to the US election. Not really, though I understand where you're coming from. Russian Billionaire President Putin's behaviour differs from say that of a US based billionaire in that A) it's illegal under US law, and that's why 13 Russian agents have been charged as a resukt of Mueller, so far. Secondly, no other Billionaires (not even Trump) have an entire State's espionage, propaganda, security forces etc. at their disposal to use to directly interfere in the US elections. A agree that the US system is ridiculously undemocratic in the way that is is influenced so much by money and businesses and billioaires have the money and no one else really gets much of a say or sway. But Russia and Putin are not like "ordinary" billionaires. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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