U.S. Politics

[sidcow]

1 hour ago, maqroll said:

I'm more concerned about Pelosi's laptop.

More serious but not as amusing. 

[sidcow]

Parler is suing Amazon for cutting it's service.  Hmmmmmm..... I wonder who can afford the better lawyers?  Good luck with that tinpot social media company. 

Edited January 11, 2021 by sidcow

[Xela]

2 hours ago, sidcow said:

My mate was reservations manager at The Metropole Hotel at The NEC when The G8 was held in Brum. 

The American delegation booked the entire hotel. He had to re-book every room to clear it for them and every room was used. 

And don't forget Clinton didn't even stay there - he was at The Hyatt with the other leaders, this was just the support staff.  Absolutely mental how many accompany The President.  Just imagine the cost. 

So yes, I would guess former Presidents still have quite an entourage. 

I worked on Colmore Row during that time... was it about 98 or 99? There used to be secret service SUVs parked outside all the time. 

[sidcow]

 

 

Edited January 11, 2021 by sidcow

[Awol]

31 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

He’s about to make an announcement I think. Could be related to this?

Some State Department Staffer apparently, did Pence's page too. 

[sidcow]

7 minutes ago, Xela said:

I worked on Colmore Row during that time... was it about 98 or 99? There used to be secret service SUVs parked outside all the time. 

1998 I believe. 

[ml1dch]

20 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Parler is suing Amazon for cutting it's service.  Hmmmmmm..... I wonder who can afford the better lawyers?  Good luck with that tinpot social media company. 

Since you asked, David Groesbeck of Groesbeck Law.

His website gives the impression that he's quite the mover and shaker in the legal world.

Edited January 11, 2021 by ml1dch

[Follyfoot]

2 hours ago, sidcow said:

My mate was reservations manager at The Metropole Hotel at The NEC when The G8 was held in Brum. 

The American delegation booked the entire hotel. He had to re-book every room to clear it for them and every room was used. 

And don't forget Clinton didn't even stay there - he was at The Hyatt with the other leaders, this was just the support staff.  Absolutely mental how many accompany The President.  Just imagine the cost. 

So yes, I would guess former Presidents still have quite an entourage. 

My mate hired the Clinton room a couple of years later whilst entertaining a couple of ladies from legs 11 whom I believe he had paid for their services

[Awol]

On a slightly more important note (in human terms) than the business with Trump, Pompeo today designated the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organisation.

This matters because in the short term companies will now find it very difficult to trade with the part of Yemen occupied by the Houthis, which is also where most of the people live,  without falling foul of US law which is applied extra-territorially. For reference, Yemen imports 90% of its food and is already the worst humanitarian disaster in the world today according to the UN. 

In short order, this move will likely drive millions already on the brink of starvation - after years of siege and bombardment by the Saudi coalition - into chronic famine. Pompeo has done this as a favour to the Saudis and UAE on his way out the door, despite they and he knowing exactly what it means for the civilian population.

I expect this kind of psychopathy from the Gulf Monarchies, they are steeped in it, but for the US government to pull a stunt like this is beyond shameful. It's the kind of thing Stalin and Mao got up to when they fancied indulging their genocidal urges.

Biden needs to reverse this on day one because even after the designation is lifted (assuming he does) it will take time to purchase and ship basic food-stuffs like wheat and rice, then for NGOs to distribute it. Having watched this place collapse from the inside since 2011 its unimaginable that this is being done to them now, by design.     

And just for giggles Pompeo's re-designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, too. 

 

[sidcow]

Incredible that of all TV companies ITV seem to have captured the moment better than anyone else. 

 

[TrentVilla]

4 minutes ago, Awol said:

On a slightly more important note (in human terms) than the business with Trump, Pompeo today designated the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organisation.

This matters because in the short term companies will now find it very difficult to trade with the part of Yemen occupied by the Houthis, which is also where most of the people live,  without falling foul of US law which is applied extra-territorially. For reference, Yemen imports 90% of its food and is already the worst humanitarian disaster in the world today according to the UN. 

In short order, this move will likely drive millions already on the brink of starvation - after years of siege and bombardment by the Saudi coalition - into chronic famine. Pompeo has done this as a favour to the Saudis and UAE on his way out the door, despite they and he knowing exactly what it means for the civilian population.

I expect this kind of psychopathy from the Gulf Monarchies, they are steeped in it, but for the US government to pull a stunt like this is beyond shameful. It's the kind of thing Stalin and Mao got up to when they fancied indulging their genocidal urges.

Biden needs to reverse this on day one because even after the designation is lifted (assuming he does) it will take time to purchase and ship basic food-stuffs like wheat and rice, then for NGOs to distribute it. Having watched this place collapse from the inside since 2011 its unimaginable that this is being done to them now, by design.     

And just for giggles Pompeo's re-designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, too. 

 

That is just staggering, I mean even by the standards of that administration. He has just condemned thousands to death or should I say thousands more.

Can't help but immediately question what he is getting out of it, no doubt there is some sort of incentive for him.

[HanoiVillan]

8 minutes ago, Awol said:

On a slightly more important note (in human terms) than the business with Trump, Pompeo today designated the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organisation.

This matters because in the short term companies will now find it very difficult to trade with the part of Yemen occupied by the Houthis, which is also where most of the people live,  without falling foul of US law which is applied extra-territorially. For reference, Yemen imports 90% of its food and is already the worst humanitarian disaster in the world today according to the UN. 

In short order, this move will likely drive millions already on the brink of starvation - after years of siege and bombardment by the Saudi coalition - into chronic famine. Pompeo has done this as a favour to the Saudis and UAE on his way out the door, despite they and he knowing exactly what it means for the civilian population.

I expect this kind of psychopathy from the Gulf Monarchies, they are steeped in it, but for the US government to pull a stunt like this is beyond shameful. It's the kind of thing Stalin and Mao got up to when they fancied indulging their genocidal urges.

Biden needs to reverse this on day one because even after the designation is lifted (assuming he does) it will take time to purchase and ship basic food-stuffs like wheat and rice, then for NGOs to distribute it. Having watched this place collapse from the inside since 2011 its unimaginable that this is being done to them now, by design.     

And just for giggles Pompeo's re-designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, too. 

 

An extremely important point, thank you for bringing it to our attention.

[bickster]

10 minutes ago, Awol said:

And just for giggles Pompeo's re-designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, too. 

Proud Boys?

[Awol]

1 minute ago, TrentVilla said:

That is just staggering, I mean even by the standards of that administration. He has just condemned thousands to death or should I say thousands more.

Can't help but immediately question what he is getting out of it, no doubt there is some sort of incentive for him.

You can probably three or four more zeros to that mate, it's catastrophic.

As to what's in it for them... we know what's in it for them. Same thing as granting export licences for F-35 to UAE and sealing a $23B arms deal a few weeks ago. (private)Business is business. 

[Mozzavfc]

Top minds

 

[maqroll]

1 hour ago, LondonLax said:

He’s about to make an announcement I think. Could be related to this?

Pompeo or Trump?

[TrentVilla]

Just now, Awol said:

You can probably three or four more zeros to that mate, it's catastrophic.

As to what's in it for them... we know what's in it for them. Same thing as granting export licences for F-35 to UAE and sealing a $23B arms deal a few weeks ago. (private)Business is business. 

Selling arms is fairly standard sadly and easy to understand the motivations... jobs/commerce/campaign donations/future directorships, lots of sticky fingers when it comes to weapons.

This feels different, more personal somehow, there will be some sort of personal kicker in there fore him I'm sure.

[Awol]

1 minute ago, TrentVilla said:

Selling arms is fairly standard sadly and easy to understand the motivations... jobs/commerce/campaign donations/future directorships, lots of sticky fingers when it comes to weapons.

This feels different, more personal somehow, there will be some sort of personal kicker in there fore him I'm sure.

He's a massive Iran hawk and the Houthis are aligned with Iran. Ironically they were much less before the Saudis, UAE and their mercenary army (a story in itself) invaded Yemen, citing the Houthis Iranian links, and driving them straight into the arms of... Iran.  Pompeo desperately wanted war with Iran and failed to pull it off (Trump was less keen to his credit) so insofar as its personal, that's the link.

But pretty sure he'll be getting a yuge bung anyway, in one form or another.

I reckon the Cuba thing is more a 'muh, Obama' tic.   

[TrentVilla]

3 minutes ago, Awol said:

He's a massive Iran hawk and the Houthis are aligned with Iran. Ironically they were much less before the Saudis, UAE and their mercenary army (a story in itself) invaded Yemen, citing the Houthis Iranian links, and driving them straight into the arms of... Iran.  Pompeo desperately wanted war with Iran and failed to pull it off (Trump was less keen to his credit) so insofar as its personal, that's the link.

But pretty sure he'll be getting a yuge bung anyway, in one form or another.

I reckon the Cuba thing is more a 'muh, Obama' tic.   

Ah the Presidential Guard? Training by the US and run by an Australian? 

[Awol]

10 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

Ah the Presidential Guard? Training by the US and run by an Australian? 

Not General Hindmarsh's lot, though he was up to his nuts in Yemen. They recruited several battalions of Columbian ex-special forces who had experience fighting the cartels and FARC, then beefed them up with guys from all over South America through Eric Prince's (Blackwater fame) networks. The cannon fodder came mostly from East and West Africa, Sudanese, Mauritanians, Eritreans, Somalis, any dodgy Muslim majority dictatorship happy to lend them conscripts for a fat-fee. It didn't end well for most of them, and even the Columbians lost 100+ of 500 guys on their first tour.  

Interestingly a company employing all ex-US special forces guys was used to carry out political murders in areas the coalition had 'liberated'. Vice News did a cracking piece on it a few years ago.    

Last thing, Prince and MBZ the defacto ruler in UAE, actually formed a company called Spectre. Doesn't come more chad than that.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Awol