Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/michael-flynn-deepens-rift-with-prosecutors-on-eve-of-business-partners-trial/2019/07/12/a02badee-a426-11e9-b8c8-75dae2607e60_story.html?utm_term=.86f12c7e3140

[Ghengis Jon]

That's a well spun story Jeff. Kindly spin it again with these changes and tell me how it ends.

The business owner, also the county's chief law enforcement official, has entered into a backroom deal with a vicious mobster. (Willingly or via blackmail, doesn't matter.) Nothing has been proven but through word and deed the biz owner flaunts his relationship - its the county's biggest open secret. When local law enforcement presents ironclad evidence of mobster wrongdoing against the business community, the owner refuses to press charges. Calls law enforcement groups liars and incompetent. Then does everything his power to have local sanctions and penalties removed from the mobster and associates. Uses corporate lawyers to sue critics, and obstruct law enforcement. The owner verbally attacks all who do not kowtow to his fantasy innocence on all available platforms. Uses his bully pulpit as biz owner to propagate his falsehoods and sing praises of Don Corleone thru advertising, speaking engagements, even at shareholder meetings and business councils. Takes all the law enforcement secrets with him as he meets with Corleone with only mobsters present in private. More than once.

People are concerned. Some commission a 3rd party to gather evidence. What is gathered is passed around and an investigation is launched to determine what, if any, level of influence Corleone has on the biz owner.

Yes, the biz owner smells and is fat. He is openly mocked for that. But the biz owner wants his dealings with Corleone kept under wraps. He commands the office sycophants and yes-men to undermine the investigation in any way possible. Claim that the information contained within is false, when it is not. Claim that the info was illegally obtained when it wasn't. Disparage and attempt to destroy the credibility of a reproachless lead investigator. Use whatever means, legality and ethics are irrelevant, to crush all detractors and all investigations.

Everyone knows the allegations are true. But the biz owner's minions continue the false narrative of the owner's innocence. The owner shakes his fist at the sky and screams "I must be innocent and guilt free because I've never been convicted". The nodding yes-men break out in applause.

As the public will do, they laugh at his fatness and odor. But upon closer examination, they find he is also incompetent and unqualified for his position. His so-called skill at business turns out to be the work of others and the exploitation of legal loopholes at the expense of other businesses and the employees. Everything the biz owner has said turns out to be a lie, some big some small, but lies none the less. The biz owner continues to meet with mobsters, proclaiming his love for them, and how they can work together.

With blood in the water, the sharks swirl. Social and print media alike pounce. The fatness and odor are for the entertainment section but the mob connections and pro-mob statements and actions make the front page. So does the use of gov't lawyers to impede an investigation that could ultimately clear him.

You have your minions stake out default positions that no matter what, you are innocent and that all information not conforming to your opinion of the moment is fake. You shoot all messengers and bury all messages. When caught in lies, double down. Ignore court rulings that find against you. Ignore the foundational documents that spell out what your powers are and are not.

Other businesses and counties see what a self inflicted circus the biz owner is and his influence is diminished. The biz owner is openly mocked by all except those who revere his cult image. it is, of course, everyone else's fault that no one respects the biz owner. The biz owner is a victim, doesn't matter that it is of his own making. His activities are damaging the bike company but who cares? Let the employees and the company suffer so long as the biz owner can continue his "I'm a victim" narrative. More yes-men applause.




We've both been soldiers my friend, you longer than I. The military philosophy, for good or bad, does not apply to the civilian world. As we both know, it's a whole different universe. In the military, you follow orders, you do not question, you respect the office blindly regardless of the man in the chair. That philosophy is required for that environment. In the civilian world, if you find wrong you call it out, you do something about it. There are no iron clad orders you must obey. Respect for the person occupying the office is essential in bringing to bear the full power of the office. Diminished respect is diminished power. It is Donald Trump, not the media, that is responsible for the decline in America's stature. Perhaps if he actually cared about this nation more than himself we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Trump Cabinet-level positions who have resigned or been fired through 7/10 of year 3. These are people who basically didn't just retire or go willingly. Probably one or two I'm missing.

National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (2/13/2017) ("resigned" over scandal)
Sec of HHS Tom Price (9/29/2017) (fired over scandal)
Sec of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin (3/28/2018) (fired over scandal)
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (3/31/2018) (fired)
National Security Advisor HR McMaster (4/9/2018) ("resigned")
EPA Director Scott Pruitt (7/9/2018) (resigned over scandal)
Attorney General Jeff Sessions (11/8/2018) (fired)
Sec of Defense Jim Mattis (12/31/2018) (resigned over philosophical differences)
Sec of Interior Ryan Zinke (1/2/2019) ("resigned" because of scandal)
Acting Sec of Defense Patrick Shanahan (6/23/2019) ("resigned" because of scandal)
Sec of DHS Kirstjen Nielsen (4/10/2019) ("resigned")
Sec of Labor Alex Acosta (7/19/2019) ("resigned" because of scandal)

Total number Bush Cabinet members who had quit/been fired at the same point in Bush's Presidency

Sec of Treasury Paul O'Neill (12/31/2002) (fired)
EPA Director Christine Todd Whitman (6/30/2003) (Resigned over philosophical differences)

Total number of Obama Cabinet members who had quit/been fired at the same point in Obama's Presidency

DNI Director Dennis Blair (5/28/2010) (resigned over philosophical differences)
Sec of Defense Bob Gates(?) 6/30/2011) (he retired, so not sure to count him)

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

In less than three years Trump has had two different Secretaries of State, three different Secretaries of Defense, three different National Security Advisors, Three different Attorneys General, Three different DHS directors, two FBI Directors, two CIA directors, and three different Chiefs of Staff. He's had a Secretary of the Interior, VA Secretary, HHS Secretary, and an EPA Director all resign or be fired for scandal. Do we even need to go into the turnover in the WH communications dept?

People in the know are well aware there are several people currently on thin ice. Wilbur Ross' pants ought to be on fire. The current guy at DHS and John Bolton probably should be nervous too. The only thing that's keeping people safer in their positions is that Trump's aware at this point his firings feed the "unstable" narrative and the election is only 16 months away.

The turnover in this administration and the slowness with which they officially nominate replacements is without precedent. Full stop.

Jeff, knowing all that, do you really think media reports about "chaos" and instability inside the White House are all a bunch of BS?

[froot loops]

Incompetence is being unable to properly staff a cabinet and relying on substitute acting secretaries. He has a GOP senate, that certainly isn't the media's fault. They are unable to properly staff the diplomatic teams that would put his vision to work. But even if they did it wouldn't be to function because he changes direction by tweet and it leaves whatever poor fucks trying to implement policy in a lurch. On top of that he's a pathological liar. it ain't the media's fault.

He has the leakiest administration in memory, it's like Babe Ruth times Secretariat in how much it dominates other administrations in this category. Sarah Sanders would stand up and deny all the reports the media was given and then in background with the same reporters would refute the lies she just spewed on the podium. The calls are coming from inside the house! Blame the media!

[*JD*]

This is so spot on:

https://worldofwonder.net/quora-nate-white-hilariously-answers-the-query-why-do-british-people-not-like-trump/

Nate White, a witty writer from England wrote the perfect response.



Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.









Trump is a troll.

And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.





Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront.



And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist.

Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully.

That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead.

Queensberry





is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:

Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.



This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss.

He is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit.

His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum.

God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart.



And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish:

[froot loops]

The lack of humor of that clod is an underrated flaw. The other flaws suck up the oxygen, but the author nails it, never trust anyone who can't properly take a joke or give one. Anton Chigurh had a better sense of humor

[Dr. Strangelove]

Trump suggests foreign-born citizens have no business trying to 'viciously' tell real Americans how to run the government. Go back where you came from!

[Dr. Strangelove]

Trump can't help himself. This is all kinds of dumb. Pelosi and "The Squad" have been taking shot at each other for weeks...why interject yourself into their fight? And do so in a way that alienates the suburban soccer moms, and college-educated whites, that you're going to need next November?

Oh because he's Donald Trump. That's why.

When Poochie isn't on screen, all the other characters should be asking "Where's Poochie?"

[Dr. Strangelove]

[Dr. Strangelove]

As this morning's tweet show, no matter how good the economy is doing, never underestimate Trump's capacity for self-destruction and pettiness that ultimately harms whatever cause he's backing.

Example from the new Tim Alberta book: when told that Republican representative Erik Paulsen (whose district was the Minneapolis suburbs) was distancing himself from Trump, he fumed and then deliberately sent out a tweet praising Paulsen and saying he had Trump's full endorsement.

Paulsen lost reelection.

Another example: Jeff Sessions would be a shoe-in to beat Doug Jones in Alabama in 2020. But Trump is still so angry at Sessions that he's made it clear to the Alabama GOP that he will NOT support Sessions if he runs.Which means there's a scary chance that Roy Moore could end up the candidate again, cuz I don't think Tommy Tuberville is going to win it (lol btw)

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[froot loops]

If only the media were nicer to Trump, he wouldn't have to unleash the bigotry that thrills his supporters.

[Ghengis Jon]

Lindsey Graham pulls his face out of Trump's lap only long enough only to say "Lemme blurt out something stupid to momentarily attract the well founded criticism heading your way."

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/politics/lindsey-graham-communists-democratic-congresswomen/index.html

[Dr. Strangelove]

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'm going to try to write something here to dig myself out of the hole I've dug supporting the executive but not the president himself - his character flaws abounding. I'm done doing that. His comments this weekend have unacceptably damaged the default influence his office has and to everything I've defended regarding the executive. The utter stupidity of his tweeted remarks - the way they were phrased and now his defense of them today renders any further effort to defend the office Trump holds by me at an end. I won't post here to add to the criticism I have rigorously opposed but I won't defend Trump's roll as the executive here either.

It's been pointed out to me here that Trump defines the office and therefore, given his egregious conduct in it, the office itself cannot be defended. I've resisted that argument and up until now argued that the executive still has to and can function, particularly at the international level, even if the holder of that office is a buffoon. My position has been that the relentless criticism of him coming from various quarters harms the capacity of the president to carry out those functions.

Frankly, I'm incensed at the remarks he made and directed against "The Squad" of female House members. Certainly, those remarks are going to be cheered by some of his white nationalist supporters but it is clear to me that Trump does not understand, nor does he reflect the changed American scene where tolerance is an important cultural trait. That tolerance is a component of the Christian faith that has had an historically important impact on American governance simply augments the view that he is entirely oblivious to these things.

Unfortunately, and as I have said, the D's have yet to advance a candidate that I believe can capture the center. Hanni has pointed out that that center has moved considerably to the left so, I say that with caution. IOW, as a voter trying to learn about the position of the candidates before November of next year, I feel fucked. I don't like anything that is coming out of the D camp at large. It is pretty clear that Pelosi, who I am not a fan of, is trying to find an anchor in the center of the D party with the likes of "The Squad" at the other extreme.

I think Trump has put himself into a tight spot that I don't know he can extricate himself from as far as his re-election is concerned. There are plenty of conservatives like myself that are just fed up with him and like I've been doing for a while now, searching for a viable alternative to him. If the D's don't find that center and then nominate a presidential candidate for their party to run against Trump that can articulate it, the increasing numbers of progressive voters who probably have no idea of what a government run by this crowd, embracing overtly socialist policies, will elect a president who will put like minded idiots in positions to be pulling the levers of power in Washington. America moves from being presided over by a buffoon concealing his white nationalist views in a conservative cloak to one that is for all intent and purpose a socialist.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Appreciate that post, Jeff.

I don't think is a serious moment for Trump's reelection. It'll be mostly forgotten in a week or so. But it's a reminder that no one has done more damage to his Presidency than he himself and I fully expect some sort of similar controversy in the month before the 2020 election. He's incapable of restraining himself for any length of time. This is who he is.