Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[froot loops]

[Dr. Strangelove]

US-Turkey relations just took a major blow today. And honestly, their future role in NATO is thrown into question. Unless Trump personally intervenes in some way.

[Ghengis Jon]

Trump will impose tariffs (no surprise) and Turkey will then sell NATO secrets and US technology to Russia and China on their way out of NATO. Providing US intel to support the current regime during the attempted coup is sure paying off.

[Ghengis Jon]

Trump is unhappy that facts dispute his fantasies so it looks like Coats will axed for having the audacity of speaking truth to power.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/12/politics/trump-replace-dan-coats-director-of-national-intelligence/index.html

[crashcourse]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/...ndings-1409190

not exactly earth shattering since he was appointmed by trump and that was literally his first involvement with the CIA in 2017 other then being on a house committee

the FBI is where the weaponization of intelligence services occurred

see what horowicz and muellers hearing next week uncover although its very likely Mueller woont say a word other then exactly what he said in the report

if the repubs even get to question him in any capacity at all

[Jeff Buchanan]

I usually don't read your links to CNN stories, Jon, I don't like their reporting, but I was bored so ......

This isn't a real story. It is a story that CNN is trying to make that fits there meme and resonates with the Trump haters. In response to questions about whether the president is considering firing coats ........

Coats' office referred CNN to a March statement, in which Coats said, "I am focused on doing my job, and it is frustrating to repeatedly be asked to respond to anonymous sources and unsubstantiated, often false rumors that undercut the critical work of the Intelligence Community and its relationship with the President. I am proud to lead an IC singularly focused on the vital mission of providing timely and unbiased intelligence to President Trump, Vice President Pence and the national security team in support of our nation's security."

On Turkey: this one is tough to figure out. I think it is reflective of a failure of US defense strategy to respond to an element of an obvious, on-going effort by Russia to destabilize NATO. There's no secret this is one of Putin's major goals. Inserting the S-400 MDS into a NATO ally is a pretty shrewd move, in part, to achieve that purpose. The US response - ending Turkey's participation in an F-35 buy - is probably the right one.

I don't know about "the US providing intelligence to the current regime." My take was that Erdogan was not happy with how the US behaved leading up to the coup attempt in 2016 and after it having granted political asylum in the US to Fattuleh Gulen, a staunch Erdogan opponent, and refusing to extradict him to Turkey on trumped up Turkish charges of treason.

Moreover, Erdogan is an all-in sort of player with respect to establishing an Islamic Socialist Theocracy in Turkey. He has had to tread softly here, though, for a lot of reasons. Bottom line he is two faced about his relationship with the US and, IMO, no friend. The loss of US military basing rights is a pretty big deal but I have to think the Pentagon and the NSC have planned for that. It's been a shaky basing right for about a decade since Erdogan came to power. One would hope that the national defense deciders saw this coming.

On the "shitstain" himself, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Iran and trade: There won't be any deals because if the players on the other side of the negotiating table read the daily US news and the relentless attacks on Trump's competence in international affairs, the alleged dysfunction of the arms of government that control it and the reports on the arriving negative impact of the trade wars Trump initiated, they know there is no chance he is going to get re-elected. So, the smart money is on sitting tight until January, 2021 when someone else from the D party takes office (shudders). Sure, Trump has brought plenty of this on himself and you could say he deserves it. You know that I don't agree with that because the office of the executive still has to function on the international level and there is no getting around the fact that opposition to Trump has diminished the effectiveness of that office to do so.

Meanwhile global markets are solidly in the green with the US market (DJ and S&P) hitting it's third record high in three days....but still, there are naysayers about this too and there always are. Bells are going off that something is wrong and a recession is just around the corner, they say. I'm prepared if there is one but I'm also enjoying the fruits of sticking with equities in a mix that is consistent with my risk tolerance...... along with job and productivity growth that the naysayers believe has nothing to do with the de-regulatory environment, tax or fiscal policy of this administration. But, but, the climate, debt and spending blah, blah, blah.

[AlabamAlum]

Interesting.

[froot loops]

Yes the media should refrain from reporting about the real incompotence from Trump. All the quotes they get from Senior Administration Officials and foreign diplomats should be out on ice. They are hurting Dear Leader in his foreign dealings.

[Ghengis Jon]

Well, when 2 senior WH officials confirm that Trump is 'considering' a Coats replacement, I don't think that's much about meme making. Although CNN can fairly be labeled as the McNews, it certainly isn't drivel like Infowars or Fox.

Erdogan is an iron fisted opportunist, kind of a Trump with a spine but lacking the lying and buffoonery. Russia saw an opening and exploited it. What was Dear Leader's response? Buy our Patriot system at full MSRP (as opposed to S-400s at half the price). No deal? Well, we'll pull you out of the F-35 program unless you do buy the Patriot. Still no? Now lets threaten sanctions and possible tariffs. If President Douchebag had .01% of the deal making ability he claims, we wouldn't be in this scenario. He starts playing the economics game and he'll drive Turkey out of NATO and into the arms of Russia and China. Don't think for an instant Erdogan won't sell every American secret and intelligence asset if push really does become shove. Erdogan is an asshole of Trump's magnitude with an equal lack of scruples.

Turkey is yet another example of Trump doing his overlord Putin's bidding. Top of Putin's wish list is to drive wedges between NATO allies and in the best case, break up NATO. Thanks to Trump, how's our relations between the US and most NATO members? If Turkey breaks off then Putin can check that item off the list thanks to Trump. I wonder if this is what Trump discussed with Putin in those two meetings where all other Americans were excluded. What other American interests is Trump selling off? Seems awfully clear Trump is either being blackmailed into treason, or is gleefully engaged in it on his own. Trump almost makes me wish I had voted for Hillary. Its pretty disheartening that a large segment of the population supports a traitorous POS simply because he's their cult leader. President Marshall Applewhite.

"....there is no getting around the fact that opposition to Trump has diminished the effectiveness of that office to do so...." I call BS. Every President faces strong opposition and even Nixon and Clinton did not diminish the effectiveness of the office. If Trump cared even one iota about the office or the country, he would have admitted that the office is WAAAAY beyond his abilities and resigned. But we're dealing with a meglomaniac who only cares about himself. The only person who has diminished the office is Donald Trump. We are stuck with that unamerican bastard until Jan 2021. When this country swings off the deep end left, it is Trump's enablers and supporters that will bear full responsibility. Every action has an opposite and equal reaction. Actively supporting scum will only beget scum of another sort. This is what Donald Trump has wrought.

[Dr. Strangelove]

On the "shitstain" himself, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Iran and trade: There won't be any deals because if the players on the other side of the negotiating table read the daily US news and the relentless attacks on Trump's competence in international affairs, the alleged dysfunction of the arms of government that control it and the reports on the arriving negative impact of the trade wars Trump initiated, they know there is no chance he is going to get re-elected. So, the smart money is on sitting tight until January, 2021 when someone else from the D party takes office (shudders). Sure, Trump has brought plenty of this on himself and you could say he deserves it. You know that I don't agree with that because the office of the executive still has to function on the international level and there is no getting around the fact that opposition to Trump has diminished the effectiveness of that office to do so.

Yeah you make this argument consistently. And I consistently say every single previous President has had an opposition party undermining him. EVERY ONE. They all dealt with it to a varying degree but Trump is uniquely unsuited to handle criticism. Of even the mildest kind.

Every foreign government, if they're patient, can wait it out until a new President is in office. Pretty amazing how Reagan was still getting foreign relations stuff done in his lame ducks years but Trump is failing only cuz the media is printing mean things about him.

[Dr. Strangelove]

PATRIOT FARMERS REPORT GRAIN HARVESTS REACH UNFATHOMABLE LEVELS!

UNEMPLOYMENT REACHES 0% THROUGH LEADER TRUMP'S EXACTINGLY PERFECT PLANS!

PIG IRON OUTPUT EXCEEDS MOST OPTIMISTIC PREDICTIONS THANKS TO TO TRUMP INNOVATIONS! PROLETARIAT WORKERS PRAISE TRUMP!

[Dr. Strangelove]

Epstein may have made payments to suspected co-conspirators shortly after the Miami Herald broke its bombshell report about his extremely lenient plea deal.
Prosecutors are trying to keep Epstein in jail till trial and revealed today that they believe he has been bribing potential witnesses and suspected co-conspirators. Note the Prosecutors say that Epstein had not sent money to either individual in at least five years and was suddenly sending them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

***************************

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/epstein-paid-suspected-co-conspirators-which-prosecutors-suggest-may-have-been-to-influence-them/2019/07/12/eebd5148-a4ed-11e9-b732-41a79c2551bf_story.html?utm_term=.de98534df688

[Dr. Strangelove]

Press pool traveling with Pence was allowed inside a detention center near McAllen, TX for about 90 seconds after Pence's people told CBP to briefly let them in.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Whoa...Ted Cruz actually posting something I applaud and support

[Jeff Buchanan]

Yeah you make this argument consistently. And I consistently say every single previous President has had an opposition party undermining him. EVERY ONE. They all dealt with it to a varying degree but Trump is uniquely unsuited to handle criticism. Of even the mildest kind.

Every foreign government, if they're patient, can wait it out until a new President is in office. Pretty amazing how Reagan was still getting foreign relations stuff done in his lame ducks years but Trump is failing only cuz the media is printing mean things about him.

I won't defend Trump's character or many of his actions. But, no president has faced the kind of blistering and potentially immobilizing attacks that PDJT has faced ..... augmented by the internet and social media. He's done nothing proven to be illegal. Nothing. I'd do a run-down comparing Reagan and Nixon (who did do illegal things, tried to cover them up and got caught at it) or any other recent president in my time but it's not worth it. There simply is no comparison and it's obvious to me. Should be to you but, like me persisting with my argument, you will undoubtedly persist with yours. So will Jon. You are both convinced your views are correct. No room for middle ground. No breaks for that ass-hole Trump. Let's just keep piling it on so everyone will see how right we are. I call BS.

Let's take this to a personal level that's easy to relate with. You are an employee in a company that produces bicycles. There are 20 other employs that you manage. Other than being fat and having bad breath and body odor - to the point it is hard to be in the same room with him - he's done nothing illegal or dishonest that you are aware of. He invented this particular bicycle and has a patent on it. The bikes are sold to retailers in town like Sears, REI and Walmart. The company is netting upwards of $2M annually and the owner compensates those that assemble the bikes well and the manager, you, even better. IOW, things are going well .... not perfect but well enough. The boss has hinted he's considering selling his patent to Schwinn for upwards of $20 million. He's going to retire, live on a yacht and sail the world.

You've offered oblique hints about his breath and body odor and implied it's offensive but he hasn't changed a bit. Retailers who he sits down at the table with to make deals on bikes have asked you how come your boss smells so bad and also asks you, "have you ever told him he stinks and people don't like being at the negotiating table with him?" You say you have, indirectly but he's stubborn and won't listen. He doesn't think he stinks at all. In fact he thinks he is just about perfect.

Finally, exasperated by your boss, you call the local papers and put together a believable story about his incompetence running the company. You don't say anything about his body odor. That's a shitty story. Maybe this will make him wake up and pay attention to his real problem - he stinks.The paper jumps on it because the editor has heard some folks in town mentioning that he stinks and the REI store owner in town that stocks his bikes and sells a lot of them has told the paper's editor at a social function they both attended that his breath is so bad that people selling his bikes in town hate going to sales and marketing meetings with him.

Facebook picks up on the rumors. Posters there, thousands of them from in town, think his bad breath and body odor must assuredly mean he is incompetent like the original story in the paper said he was. This meme is repeated thousands of times. The story of your boss's incompetence goes viral. It snow balls. Your boss's incompetence is now a fact based on nothing but his bad breath and body odor. The paper's market share sky-rockets and ad revenues rise dramatically. Good times. Keep running stories about what a bad, incompetent person he is. The story resonates and people want to read about this guy. They buy a lot of papers. Retailers stop meeting with him because everyone now knows he stinks and is incompetent even though, up until the stories hit the street, bike sales were hot. Customers who bought his bikes loved them - real quality item.

Your boss gets's wind of the circulating rumors, telephones the paper's editor and furiously tells him the stories about his incompetence are made up and are FAKE. He threatens he will have the editor in court and will find a way to get him fired. He wants to know the source of the story but the editor refuses to name you. Good thing becasue you made it up. Your boss tells the paper's editor that he has connections and to consider himself gone. Company profits tumble, employees get laid off and he tells you he can't afford you anymore and lets you go. The rumors and innuendo were bad enough that retailers making big money from the bike sales before all this fracas started decided they'd stop negotiating deals with this smelly and incompetent guy and wait until your boss sold the company to Schwinn and new management showed up to post further orders.

Was this all worth it you ask yourself searching the want ads for work. With one conversation you ignited a firestorm of false allegations surrounding your former smelly boss. They were bad enough to weaken his capacity to run the bike company the way it should be run. You didn't have a problem at all with his policies and the way he ran the company but that breath, his body odor ..... awful. You think, in retrospect, you could have held your tongue and learned how to deal with your boss instead of making shit up to destroy him, his company and set-back the lives of his laid off employees not to mention your life. Oh well.