Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Whitley]

On a totally different note...saw Infinity War...well exceeded my expectations...but I had set them pretty low thinking that a movie with about 40 main characters was going to be an absolute clusterfuck. This is a spectacle well worth your $10. Don't want to spoil anything for someone who's been looking forward to it so Ill try to end it there for a few weeks.

Going to see it tomorrow

[SeattleLionsFan]

Awful is subjective, but I read this as, at a minimum, a bad thing. Perhaps I?m misunderstanding and you think this is a good thing.

I think it?s preferable to nuclear war and probably the best of bad options. I don?t like that it?s reducing the countries soft power in the area, but I don?t think much has ever been gained by refusing to talk with hostile or shitty countries. (Unlike most Republicans I have been consistent on that point.

[SeattleLionsFan]

do you think we would be here if Clinton were president? I don't think she brings the end of the Korean War. I don't think she gets N Korea to commit to abandoning their nuclear program.

yes yes, she wouldn't have made fun of his button on Twitter, but when everyone was freaking out I said he is talking directly to Kim in the language he understands and how no other President would. Trump was pacing and leading the N Korean leader to the place where results would happen... said those very words last year in this thread.

and I was laughed at.

They promised to abandon the nuclear program in the 90s and in 05. But now they mean it!

[Kapture1]

They promised to abandon the nuclear program in the 90s and in 05. But now they mean it!

and yet here we are at the end of the Korean war.

Several differences between the 90's and 2005 and now. Namely Trump is president and not a Clinton or Bush.

[Jeff Buchanan]

What Entropy said in response to Geezer's trust your eyes post........

NK's Nuke testing capability just collapsed on itself. Un is simply making the best out of the shit sandwich that circumstance creates. I'll give credit to DJT for keeping the pressure up on China ...... a sort of perfect storm that Xi and Un have deal to with. I'm not convinced China is going to give up on it's geopolitical goals which includes an actively hostile NK.

Honolulu is a beautiful place.......

[iam416]

It seems to me that an actively hostile NK keeps the US very much involved in the region with, you know, defending SK and all. De-nuking the Korean penisula would appear to me to up Chinese influence, especially with no TPP and such.

NK's nuclear ambitions may have been the one thing China couldn't control. If those collapsed then they are free to drive home the bargain they really want.

But, I don't know jackshit about this stuff. All I know is that I'd prefer that NK not have nuclear weapons.

[Dr. Strangelove]

It seems to me that an actively hostile NK keeps the US very much involved in the region with, you know, defending SK and all. De-nuking the Korean penisula would appear to me to up Chinese influence, especially with no TPP and such.

NK's nuclear ambitions may have been the one thing China couldn't control. If those collapsed then they are free to drive home the bargain they really want.

But, I don't know jackshit about this stuff. All I know is that I'd prefer that NK not have nuclear weapons.

BTW, just speaking of China's slowly growing influence, the Dominican Republic cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan yesterday. Down to only 19 countries that officially recognize them now. Only a matter of time, and China's very patient.

[iam416]

Economic ties are the big thing. I believe the infernal EU recognizes a "One China" thing or whatever, but still has full economic and/or other non-diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

I guess the question is would the world support forceful acquisition? My guess is that it would not -- even though it's largely "One China".

[THE_WIZARD_]

As long as my favorite Korean BBQ place isn't affected....s'all good to Wiz...

[crashcourse]

next step --pull out of the iran deal

nitwityahu made a pretty good pitch yesterday based on commando raids of an Iranian storage faculity 183 cd's 55.000 documents--inviting all of europe china and Russia to take a look at it

ought to make trumps decision pretty easy

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Benjamin-Netanyahu/WATCH-LIVE-Netanyahu-address-the-nation-discussing-dramatic-Iran-news-553124

[crashcourse]

if iran wants to prove they've complied you open up for inspectors where your military is

[Kapture1]

Scott Adams had a good point on Trump choosing the DMZ for meeting.

You meet in Switzerland if you are negotiating. You meet at the DMZ to celebrate the completion of the deal.

In Switzerland, the visual optics are better. But the best place in the world to celebrate the completion of the deal isn't Switzerland. By contrast you wouldn't float the idea of a DMZ meeting unless you were sure the deal would get done (it's already done).


And if by chance I'm wrong and the deal wasn't struck last November, the negotiations are nearly done by now. Trump isn't going there to negotiate, that will already be done. He is going there to close it.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Iran will never comply...pull this leg and it plays jingle bells...

[Ghengis Jon]

And if....the deal wasn't struck last November, the negotiations are nearly done by now. Trump isn't going there to negotiate, that will already be done. He is going there to close it.

And that's the danger for Trump. NoKo and SoKo could come to agreement and let's say there's a clause that says immediate denuclearization in exchange for US withdrawal from the peninsula. Trump would have to agree to something he might not want or be seen as destroying a done deal. Might not be that proposition, might be something else.

Wonder how Trump will react when told "we've done the work, now sign it, bitch." Then again, if NoKo ultimately has no nukes, who cares if the Lying Orange Menace takes credit.

[THE_WIZARD_]

shaddup