Analyzing the Transition of Power After The U.S. Election and Beyond Into Future Global Politics

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  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited January 2017 Posts: 12,480
    That is enjoyable, @chrisisall. ;) Well worth reading for a smile, which we can all use at this point. What a breath of fresh air that would have been ... but we shall never have from Trump.

    Trump is pretty much declaring a war on our intelligence community, plans on clearing out the CIA, etc. Not really hiding this. Click all the way in read the full article in Wall Street Journal.
    "On plan to restructure" CIA & cut staff at its Virginia HQ & push "more people out into field posts" ...
    thing.
    Since the November election, Mr. Trump has published close to 250 Twitter posts. Of those, 11 have focused on Russia or the election-related cyberattacks. In each of those tweets, Mr. Trump either has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin—last month calling him “very smart”—or disparaged the investigation into the hacks.
    ***
    Current and former officials said it was particularly striking to see Mr. Trump quote Mr. Assange in tweets.
    “It’s pretty horrifying to me that he’s siding with Assange over the intelligence agencies,” one former law-enforcement official said.
    Paul Pillar, a 28-year veteran of the CIA who retired in 2005, said he was disturbed by Mr. Trump’s tweets and feared much of the intelligence community’s assessments could be filtered through Gen. Flynn.

    “I’m rather pessimistic,” he said. “This is indeed disturbing that the president should come in with this negative view of the agencies, coupled with his habits on how he absorbs information and so on that don’t provide a lot of hope for change.”


    *******
    At least McCain not backing down. Tillerson should not be confirmed.


    *******
    Last one for today (unless, you know, the world explodes or that soon to be launched missile from NK inadvertently lands in my back yard) ...
    This has a lot of information, within other links - you can keep opening info. There is a lot to read, but very interesting. Trump - Russia - others who have been blackmailed, threatened, etc.


  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    edited January 2017 Posts: 45,489
    Wikileaks have never been caught lying, while the US intelligence agencies have, hundreds of times.

    So who to trust? Beats me.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    Keyword, never been caught.
  • QuantumOrganizationQuantumOrganization We have people everywhere
    Posts: 1,187
    chrisisall wrote: »
    Focas wrote: »
    I have degrees in economics and journalism as well as a diploma in business managment so this is a real domain of mine that I can speak on. Russia has no ability toc ontrol what happens outside of its borders @4everbonded, I asked if he could kill overseas residents and russian journalists do not qualify of that deifnition. frankly I don;t care if he murders russian journalists if they deserve it under Russian закон (law) but what I do care about is if this grip can extend to the USA and journalists in the USA would he kill USA journalists who report this stuff.
    You'd think a paid troll would at least be literate.
    =))
    What the **** is a paid troll?

    ^#(^

    I recommend consulting a mirror.

    I'd wish for people that make one post in this topic and then leave to not post at all.

    You'd wish for people you can bully and tyranize. Get over yourself @QO, you give a bad organization an even worse reputation than they deserve.
    Bully and Tyrannize?
    If that's what you think people do on an internet forum then you need to toughen up for the challenges in the real world.

    Unlike yourself, I've been dealing with the challenges of the real world for many decades before the invention of the internet. You can either go away or start acting honorably & responsibly...but the act you've been putting on so far doesn't impress anybody.

    You don't know me, and I don't need some keyboard kid talking to me about the real world.

  • QuantumOrganizationQuantumOrganization We have people everywhere
    Posts: 1,187
    chrisisall wrote: »
    Focas wrote: »
    I have degrees in economics and journalism as well as a diploma in business managment so this is a real domain of mine that I can speak on. Russia has no ability toc ontrol what happens outside of its borders @4everbonded, I asked if he could kill overseas residents and russian journalists do not qualify of that deifnition. frankly I don;t care if he murders russian journalists if they deserve it under Russian закон (law) but what I do care about is if this grip can extend to the USA and journalists in the USA would he kill USA journalists who report this stuff.
    You'd think a paid troll would at least be literate.
    =))
    What the **** is a paid troll?

    ^#(^

    I recommend consulting a mirror.

    I'd wish for people that make one post in this topic and then leave to not post at all.

    You'd wish for people you can bully and tyranize. Get over yourself @QO, you give a bad organization an even worse reputation than they deserve.
    Would love to hear one of my quotes where I bully and tyrannize.
  • QuantumOrganizationQuantumOrganization We have people everywhere
    Posts: 1,187
    chrisisall wrote: »
    You can either go away or start acting honorably & responsibly...but the act you've been putting on so far doesn't impress anybody.
    Hmmm... you could be talking to Trump here as well...
    Any evidence of that? Or is this just one of your latest smears?

  • QuantumOrganizationQuantumOrganization We have people everywhere
    Posts: 1,187
    chrisisall wrote: »
    TripAces wrote: »
    All that said, I do not think Sanders would have won the general, either. I could be wrong. But once the RNC would have started hopping on his "socialism" line, it would be lights out. Nothing scares away middle America like that one word.

    Welcome to middle America! The middle America that Trump has forgotten. Once they feel the sting of his policies, 'Democratic Socialism' might not seem so terrible after all.... :-?
    Have you ever lived in a foreign country?

  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    chrisisall wrote: »
    TripAces wrote: »
    All that said, I do not think Sanders would have won the general, either. I could be wrong. But once the RNC would have started hopping on his "socialism" line, it would be lights out. Nothing scares away middle America like that one word.

    Welcome to middle America! The middle America that Trump has forgotten. Once they feel the sting of his policies, 'Democratic Socialism' might not seem so terrible after all.... :-?
    Have you ever lived in a foreign country?
    I found a photo you!
    RL-1264.1L.jpg
  • QuantumOrganizationQuantumOrganization We have people everywhere
    Posts: 1,187
    Try as you might, but I'm not going to stoop to personal attacks like you.
  • QuantumOrganizationQuantumOrganization We have people everywhere
    Posts: 1,187
    Perhaps we should settle this in pm then derail this thread any longer.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Why can't this just be a good thread and die!?
    0kiHzRu.jpg?1

    This is not the time to be discussing Politics.
    cGC3ozam.jpg

    Let it go!
    33469.gif
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    @Murdock =))
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I'll post anything these days. :))
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited January 2017 Posts: 12,480
    Light relief is needed every day. :)
    So here's my contribution for that:

    How I learned to .... (you know the rest)

    :-B
    And now, back to reality. Unfortunately.

    Kleptocracy is in action with Trump - right in front and not hiding. Look at all of Trump's administrative choices - look at his own actions/inactions, continued business dealings, disparaging of the CIA; look at everything. And ask yourself why. None of this is normal or healthy. So why is this the slant, the decisions, the derision, the pursuit of this direction continuing without let up? Trump is dividing, and tearing down, covering up - dividing our country and government; not uniting.

    Yes, the Affordable Healthcare Act ("Obamacare") is of urgent and ongoing concern. It seems some folks think they are separate. ("Hands off my Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, but let's get rid of Obamacare, yes. Can't stand Obama.")
    Call and have your say here:

    Yes, the taunting of foreign leaders via twitter is juvenile, but also very dangerous, and stupid. And many more genuine concerns right now.

    So many things are important ... it is hard not to let things get swept away because it is basically a tsunami of corruption (past and present, personal and ties; by Trump himself and his administrative picks), lies, and misdirection that continues coming at us, pretty much nonstop from Trump and his people, who keep trying to reword what he says (and does) to make it more palatable.


    Plenty here to read if you click into the inner tweet; a lot of info, links to other articles, etc.

  • QuantumOrganizationQuantumOrganization We have people everywhere
    Posts: 1,187
    Let's also not forget that corruption is everywhere in Washington, Democrat AND Republican.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Of course. Stay vigilant on all points.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Let's also not forget that corruption is everywhere in Washington, Democrat AND Republican.
    There's a hegemonic difference... while the corruption is similar, the GOP has taken it to the limit targeting women, the poor & minorities. In essence, the Democrats are the progressive corruption & The Republicans are the regressive.
    8->
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,585
    chrisisall wrote: »
    TripAces wrote: »
    All that said, I do not think Sanders would have won the general, either. I could be wrong. But once the RNC would have started hopping on his "socialism" line, it would be lights out. Nothing scares away middle America like that one word.

    Welcome to middle America! The middle America that Trump has forgotten. Once they feel the sting of his policies, 'Democratic Socialism' might not seem so terrible after all.... :-?

    You're right. Younger, more progressive voters are replacing older, conservative voters. That's a fact.

    Unfortunately, we will all have to live with the judges Trump and the Rs will be putting into place. There isn't just a SCOTUS vacancy, but many seats left open in district courts because, to no surprise, the Rs refused to let Obama fill them. Now they will be, and they will lean heavily to the Right. This means more power to corporations.

    It is now going to take a long, long time to undue the damage that this election has caused.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,585
    Wikileaks have never been caught lying, while the US intelligence agencies have, hundreds of times.

    So who to trust? Beats me.

    List the hundreds of times.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Ahhh ... cry "Havoc!" and let slip the memes of war. ;)
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Murdock wrote: »

    I prefer the more realistic first & last Rambo movies....
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Paul Ryan is as happy as the pig in shit he is. OOhhhh, what a winner! Trump has given him what he wanted most-
    "WAIT! I can give you anything! The... the... the... the Brass Ring, unlimited freedom to maim and kill! PLUS! Lex Luthor's keen mind, Lex Luthor's savvy, Lex Luthor's school of career guidance..."
    Trump is our real world Luthor. 8-|
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited January 2017 Posts: 12,480
    Well, this is newsworthy today.


    To put it one way, Trump has declared to U.S. ambassadors, as a group: "You're fired!"

    President-elect Donald J. Trump’s transition staff has issued a blanket edict requiring politically appointed ambassadors to leave their overseas posts by Inauguration Day, according to several American diplomats familiar with the plan, breaking with decades of precedent by declining to provide even the briefest of grace periods.

    The mandate — issued “without exceptions,” according to a terse State Department cable sent on Dec. 23, diplomats who saw it said — threatens to leave the United States without Senate-confirmed envoys for months in critical nations like Germany, Canada and Britain. In the past, administrations of both parties have often granted extensions on a case-by-case basis to allow a handful of ambassadors, particularly those with school-age children, to remain in place for weeks or months.


    Mr. Trump, by contrast, has taken a hard line against leaving any of President Obama’s political appointees in place as he prepares to take office on Jan. 20 with a mission of dismantling many of his predecessor’s signature foreign and domestic policy achievements. “Political” ambassadors, many of them major donors who are nominated by virtue of close ties with the president, almost always leave at the end of his term; ambassadors who are career diplomats often remain in their posts.

    Reported by NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/us/politics/trump-ambassadors.html?_r=0
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    The poor Republicans must be cheering.
    I *KNOW* the richest ones are... :P
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited January 2017 Posts: 12,480
    I am sure many Republicans, even those in Congress, are appalled. He got elected as a Republican candidate; they can never live that down.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited January 2017 Posts: 12,480
    Minor news about "the wall"
    Trump wants Congress - NOT Mexico - to pay for it now.
    And Trump also just removed his info on the specifics details on the wall from his website.



    Oh good, people are so fast as saving things. :)
    Here is what Trump used to say, and what it says now on his website (both).


    The news on the ambassadors is more serious and unsettling.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited January 2017 Posts: 17,804
    I am sure many Republicans, even those in Congress, are appalled. He got elected as a Republican candidate; they can never live that down.

    Don't tell anyone this, but he's a progressive operative, sent to take the GOP down FOREVER by posing as, well, HIMSELF, basically. Don't tell him that he's just a tool though, it might blow the op.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    It sure looks like he is willfully (though maybe subconsciously!) crossing as many lines as he can so that he does not become president. Then he could wallow in his own glory for quitting somehow. He would. And he would twist it so he is a martyr and his followers would still love him. He has not taken himself out of his businesses yet ... maybe his inner self knows he will not actually be president.

    We can hope. :)
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited January 2017 Posts: 12,480
    Doonesbury had an idea of this coming at us ... ;)


    And it turned out to be even more "bold" "daring" and "fun" than anybody could have guessed.
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