Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Wild Hoss]

I'd mostly agree with this...I think he's a good improviser. He doesn't have the patience or the attention span to develop a scheme or detailed plan. That's what 'his people' are for. He's there to sell plans he knows virtually nothing about.

I don't really see this at all. He's good at bullshitting in front of a friendly crowd, but most of his improvised acts and statements tend to knock his own organization off its pins more often than his opponents. Random impulses.

He's got a mental disorder or two pinging around inside his skull IMO...which would not be unusual for a man of his age, at all.

[Da Geezer]

Is it totally unbelievable that he or his family would leak the document? Seems odd that if someone was trying to hurt Trump they'd choose a doc that had zero incriminating info in it.

If the tax return leak were from anyone who is pro-Trump, why not leak it during the campaign when I might do some good?

[Da Geezer]

Jeff, geezer insults every single poster that disagrees with him on the regular. If you don't see it, that tells me even more. Some animals are more equal than others.

Aw,....poor....poor....baby.

[Da Geezer]

hack:

I agree with most of what you say, particularly the Bush administration's culpability in "poking the nest".

I believe the evidence shows that Iran is in the process of obtaining a nuclear bomb. Those spinning centrifuges seem to me to be ominous. Maybe that is what Tehran wants, as you said. But the Iran deal, at least what we have been told of it, "limits" them to obtaining the bomb in eight years., and obligates the US to protect Iran from other countries' potential interference.

I personally recall the Israeli strike on the Iraqi nuclear plant shortly after Reagan took office. Frankly, I think Israel did everyone a service. We know that Israel was willing to make a similar attack on the Iranian facilities, but both the Bush and Obama administrations refused to be involved with it.

I believe Trump is President today, in small part, because he ripped Bush43 during the campaign. I think he said that Bush should have been impeached, or some such. I think a lot of working-class people liked that Trump so thoroughly cut himself off from the establishment.

But, in your analysis, wouldn't you say that we should be allied with the Sunnis? That is an 80-20 or 85-15 split, demographically. I also doubt seriously that a religious zealot in the White House will initiate a nuclear war. That kind of thinking deserves a place on Buzzfeed, but not here.

[SeattleLionsFan]

Aw,....poor....poor....baby.

Are you this big an asshole in real life?

[Da Geezer]

I mean...hey...I'll listen to alternative theories, here, on who got the returns and why they sent them. Was it a rogue IRS agent who was able to get his hands on just 2 pages from 1 year of returns and decided to mail it off (anonymously)? Even though there was nothing particularly damaging in it?

OK, then. It was the damned Russians.

They got the document from a loan application for the money needed to keep the Trump organization afloat. No way someone as stupid and mentally ill as Donald could acquire $ 10 Billion in assets without help from Russia.

[Whitley]

So the Trump Budget is out.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/16/politics/trump-budget-cuts/index.html

Some interesting programs he wishes to eliminate:

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which supports before- and after-school programs and summer programs

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, which funds research including clean energy

Community Development Block Grant, which in part funds Meals on Wheels

Community Services Block Grant, under HHS

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Essential Air Service program

Global Climate Change Initiative

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Chesapeake Bay funding, and other regional programs under EPA.

Cuts $250 million by zeroing out National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grants and programs that support coastal and marine management, research and education

Ceases payments to the United Nations' climate change programs for the Green Climate Fund and precursor funds

[hack]

Yes -- Iran is working toward a bomb. They aren't making progress, but they're working towards a bomb. That's the whole point. Everybody wins if Iran never gets there but is always trying. Iran's government gets to beat its chest and score points over Saudi and with its people. The US government gets to sell you on the threat, and gets defense contracts from the Saudis. The Saudis get scare their people and cement the relationship with the US with military ties. Everybody wins.

Israel can't hit Iran like it hit Iraq. To start, it's out of range of their Air Force, or at least was 5ish years ago. They'd need a refuelling stop. Who would give that to them without wanting to keep it a secret. Second, Iran diffused its nuclear program between many sites. Saddam had it all in one spot, which is why Israel could put an end to it with one bomb. Iran learned from those mistakes.

[hack]

But, in your analysis, wouldn't you say that we should be allied with the Sunnis? That is an 80-20 or 85-15 split, demographically. I also doubt seriously that a religious zealot in the White House will initiate a nuclear war. That kind of thinking deserves a place on Buzzfeed, but not here.
You should take a look at who is in charge of global news at BuzzFeed. It's a pretty serious person.

Anyhow, I don't know the answer to which to align with, if that is a choice that must be made. On the one hand, there will never be common ground with the Saudis. They have too much oil. Iran could be a democracy with a multi-faceted economy and a strong middle class. There's not enough oil to buy off 90m people. In other words, a regular country with regular country needs, just like us. And therefore grounded in reality. That's a tempting vision, but maybe too hopeful.

[Hannibal]

So the Trump Budget is out.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/16/politics/trump-budget-cuts/index.html

Some interesting programs he wishes to eliminate:

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which supports before- and after-school programs and summer programs

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, which funds research including clean energy

Community Development Block Grant, which in part funds Meals on Wheels

Community Services Block Grant, under HHS

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Essential Air Service program

Global Climate Change Initiative

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Chesapeake Bay funding, and other regional programs under EPA.

Cuts $250 million by zeroing out National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grants and programs that support coastal and marine management, research and education

Ceases payments to the United Nations' climate change programs for the Green Climate Fund and precursor funds

Stopping payments to the UN is decades overdue.

[Da Geezer]

Anyhow, I don't know the answer to which to align with, if that is a choice that must be made. On the one hand, there will never be common ground with the Saudis. They have too much oil. Iran could be a democracy with a multi-faceted economy and a strong middle class. There's not enough oil to buy off 90m people. In other words, a regular country with regular country needs, just like us. And therefore grounded in reality. That's a tempting vision, but maybe too hopeful.

That is indeed a tempting vision. But Iran is example #1 in why we should all fear the conjunction of religion with the state.

Don't you think pumping as much oil as we can pump would be good geopolitical policy? It would cut the nuts of both the Saudis and the Russians. But in this matter, as in the case of the Islamic Republic, religion is getting mixed up into politics. You better be very sure you are right about climate change when you start to add up the $ 1.9 Trillion annual cost globally.

[Da Geezer]

Hanni:

Want to make a bet Trump will be unable to do away with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting? I assume this includes National Propaganda Radio and the Propaganda Broadcasting System. No chance the progs let those dinosaurs die.

[Hannibal]

Don't really care honestly. I think that probably most of the stuff on that list is symbolic and doesn't amount to much money anyways. Regardless, we're in uncharted territory. Bureaucratic seat warmers actually have reasons to worry about losing their jobs.

[froot loops]

PBS is a great service, it will survive that silly budget proposal.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Geezer was really counting on you gnashing your teeth and demanding the death of PBS

But you're right, both amount to a pittance of the national budget. Trump has vowed to preserve all entitlements, slash all higher income and corporate taxes, and give massive boosts to the military, so the money has to come from SOMEWHERE...