Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

The whole Weekend Update segment, which started in season 1, would be difficult to do (and a lot more boring) if you had to stay clear of politics.

[THE_WIZARD_]

That is true. However...it used to be slamming pols for things based in truth...like Gerald Ford falling down...George Seniors "wouldn't be prudent"...or Clinton's obsession with fast food...GWB's speech impediments and quirky verbage..."strategery"...when you portray a POTUS and his voters as racist...well...it's not funny.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'm sure most of you have read the news of Vance's blistering attack on the EU leadership at the Munich Security Conference. Vance argued that EU governments should be more inclusive of "far right parties" and are excluding them, Germany in particular, fearing that their politics are too close to that of the Nazi party that emerged in the early 30s.

I don't follow EU politics so, it's from 10K feet I make this observation. While some right wing groups in Europe allegedly have ties to the Nazi party that is a stretch based on the politics of that party in the 1930s. The left has used this characterization as a means of excluding certain political parties (e.g., AfD) from holding elected public office without success as the right has had success in gaining seats in Germany's parliament and in local elected political offices.

As Adolph Hitler, titular head of the Nazi party, rose to become Germany's Chancellor and embarked on conquering Europe the fundamental ideology of the Nazi Party that Hitler wrote about in Mein Kampf was that of National Socialism. Mein Kampf also laid out the ugly ideology that lead to the Holocaust. One of the right's key political platforms is anti-immigration. Leadership denies they adhere to the 1930 tenants of National Socialism (Nazism) and deny they are anti-semitic or racist. Their goal is to close borders to the massive influx of migrants from Africa and the ME into Germany and Europe as a whole. This is where Trumpism and Europe's far right share idology. As in the US, where the left is for open borders and sanctuary cities, and the right argues for closed borders and deportation of illegals, that same tension between the left and right in Germany is playing out. Vance was urging European leadership to listen to what the far right has to say about immigration and be more inclusive of them in governing bodies at the state and federal levels. It should be seen in that context and, in general, it is more likely to be seen as Vance advancing the tenets of Nazism.

There's more to Vance's comments in Munich that involve NATO and Ukraine. That's a separate discussion that I may write about later.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I didn't think the show was so much political as it was just plain bad. Eddie Murphy's skits were horrible...how the fuck can you make Eddie not funny? They did it. I was hoping for more homage to the past when the show was at it's prime...mission not accomplished.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I'm sure most of you have read the news of Vance's blistering attack on the EU leadership at the Munich Security Conference. Vance argued that EU governments should be more inclusive of "far right parties" and are excluding them, Germany in particular, fearing that their politics are too close to that of the Nazi party that emerged in the early 30s.

I don't follow EU politics so, it's from 10K feet I make this observation. While some right wing groups in Europe allegedly have ties to the Nazi party that is a stretch based on the politics of that party in the 1930s. The left has used this characterization as a means of excluding certain political parties (e.g., AfD) from holding elected public office without success as the right has had success in gaining seats in Germany's parliament and in local elected political offices.

As Adolph Hitler, titular head of the Nazi party, rose to become Germany's Chancellor and embarked on conquering Europe the fundamental ideology of the Nazi Party that Hitler wrote about in Mein Kampf was that of National Socialism. Mein Kampf also laid out the ugly ideology that lead to the Holocaust. One of the right's key political platforms is anti-immigration. Leadership denies they adhere to the 1930 tenants of National Socialism (Nazism) and deny they are anti-semitic or racist. Their goal is to close borders to the massive influx of migrants from Africa and the ME into Germany and Europe as a whole. This is where Trumpism and Europe's far right share idology. As in the US, where the left is for open borders and sanctuary cities, and the right argues for closed borders and deportation of illegals, that same tension between the left and right in Germany is playing out. Vance was urging European leadership to listen to what the far right has to say about immigration and be more inclusive of them in governing bodies at the state and federal levels. It should be seen in that context and, in general, it is more likely to be seen as Vance advancing the tenets of Nazism.

There's more to Vance's comments in Munich that involve NATO and Ukraine. That's a separate discussion that I may write about later.

Margaret Brennan hated Vance's speech...

[Mike]

I thought Baldwin’s Trump was terrible. Every other Trump impersonator is MUCH better. The current cast member is really good.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I thought Baldwin’s Trump was terrible. Every other Trump impersonator is MUCH better. The current cast member is really good.

Agree with that. The newer guy is so much better than Baldwin.

[Dr. Strangelove]

The MAGA reaction in the replies to Turley defending AOC get borderline unhinged.

[Dr. Strangelove]

[Jeff Buchanan]

....... and another commercial aviation accident. The aircraft, a Delta Regional, was landing at Toronto's International AIrport around 2:45pm with clear weather but winds at 29 kts sustained with gusts to 38. Add to that temps in the high teens, with drifting and blowing snow from the weekend's storms. All 80 people onboard were evacuated, F.A.A. officials said.

The good news: Only nine people among the 80 evacuated were injured, including two who were critically injured but whose injuries were not life-threatening One was airlifted to a trauma center, according to, a supervisor with the Peel Regional Paramedic Services. One of the two injured was a pediatric patient who was also in critical but non-life-threatening condition. The remaining seven who were injured were taken to hospitals with minor-to-moderate injuries.

Just spitballing here but it's not easy to land airplanes in gusty wind conditions and that appears to be be a factor. All you need to have happen is to be high and fast on the approach glide slope, bounce the landing and then have a wind gust get under the wing, You're now at the mercy of the weather - IOW the pilots are not in control of what happens next. Available photos show the aircraft fuselage without wings and flipped completely over. Pretty amazing that there were 80 evacuees and only 9 injuries, of those, only two were considered serious but they were not life-threatening. Fire crews got to the wreckage in minutes and it looks like they extinguished engine fires quickly. That the plane didn't burn is a credit to the Toronto airport firefighters! That alone kept many from perishing in a post crash fire.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Ukraine, Russia, the EU/NATO and Vance's Munich Conference berating EU leadership. I got two central themes from Vance's address to EU and NATO leaders. These are aside from the points he made in the post I made up thread on immigration.

First, I'd call it post WWI, and then, WWII baggage that has influenced the US role in defending Europe against hostile actions mostly involving a post WWI Germany and then, following WWII, imperial, expansionist Russia led by Stalin and now Putin. In the 50s Europe was struggling to recover from extensive war related damage to it's economies. The US implemented the Marshall Plan and that has set the course of American FP and the foreign aid accompanying those policies. The rise of the military and nuclear power of the Soviet Union in the 60s and beyond that until Arms Control and then the USSR's demise in the 80s contributed to US entanglement in funding, and in some cases providing military capability in Europe itself. There's no arguing that the defense of Europe including and since the Marshall Plan has cost the US Trillions of dollars. Trump would like to reduce those continuing costs, Good, for reasons.

Second, it appears that the the Trump administration's FP with regard to Europe will fundamentally insist that Europe take more responsibility for the military and political outcomes in Ukraine. I applaud that approach. One circumstance that I'm not certain that Trump has brought into his FP calculations wrt to the war in Ukraine is that Putin is not going to abandon his ambitions to cement his legacy and restore Russian empire - Ukraine is an important stepping stone in that endeavor. Putin has written extensively about this. It was front page analysis when Russia invaded Ukraine 3 years ago with the intent of a quick victory, collapse of the Zelenski government and installation of a Russian puppet government in Ukraine.

However, as the world's citizens seek peace in Ukraine and the end of the needless killing there in that war, the recognition that Putin is not going to compromise on his fundamental goal of the restoration of Russian empire seems to be lost. That should be the starting point at which the Allies approach peace negotiations. I don't think it will be. Trump thinks he can cajole his good friend Putin into a suitable deal that gets the US off the hook for it's continuing costs of supporting Ukraine's defense against an expansionist Russia. There will be no support from him on Ukraine becoming a NATO member or gaining back lost territory, especially Crimea, in peace negotiations. I'm not even confident he would agree to America's involvement in post war security arrangements for Ukraine. Trump will argue, that's Europe's worry, not America's as he gradually withdraws from decades long NATO membership. I'm a bit conflicted on this point and that's because I don't think Putin can be trusted given his fundamental goals for Russia. Not sure that an accommodating FP from the US wrt Russia's almost certain expansionism in Eastern Europe is sound. Putin responds to the stick, not carrots.

[THE_WIZARD_]

For Americans wringing their hands with concern over the fate of our "democracy" and other "democracies" around the world, the best thing you can do right now is assist the effort to dismantle the thoroughly UNDEMOCRATIC, UNELECTED, UNIONIZED progressive bureaucratic state.

Nothing is more undemocratic than regulations issued and enforced by unelected bureaucrats who belong to public employee unions that lobby elected members of government to spend tax dollars that taxpaying voters don't want them to spend.

[Dr. Strangelove]

The judge in the Eric Adams trial has ordered DOJ and Adams to appear in court tomorrow. He may end up agreeing to dismiss the charges but it def looks like he has questions.

[AlabamAlum]

I used to date a girl with a lazy eye…

I had to break up with her because I was always worried that she was seeing someone on the side…

[Dr. Strangelove]