Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

Crash- Why do you think Trump will win again in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin? Republicans just performed terribly in all three states during the midterms. Michigan & Wisconsin had Republican Governors in 2016; in 2020 they will have Democrats. In Pennsylvania Republicans did especially badly. You had better hope the midterm results mean nothing and that all polls are off by enormous amounts, else if Dems take back the three states where they historically win, Trump will be gone even if he flips New Hampshire. (Also Iowa now has 3 out of 4 congressional seats filled by Democrats and Trump's approval ratings in that state are terrible).

Trump has a 40% approval rating with a booming economy and no major wars started. Imagine how unpopular he will be if there's a genuine crisis in the next two years; I mean, the shutdown is sort of a mini-crisis and there's no question that he's taking much more blame for it than Democrats are (poll after poll shows this- they aren't all off by 20+ points).

[iam416]

but facts are facts

Indeed. The fact is that your use of treason is dispositively wrong. Fact. No quibbling no nothing. Fact. So, you quickly move from definitive statements to your standard mush-mouth vagaries and hyperbole. It could be droll if it weren't so played out.

[iam416]

Crash- Why do you think Trump will win again in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin?

Yeah, he barely won each of those states in 2016, and I really, really can't see him winning ANY of them in 2020. And that's a loss. Even with Ohio and Florida, that's a loss.

[iam416]

The preposterously stupid SOTU nonsense took a turn:

January 16, 2019

The problem with a giving a specific reason for something is that if it falls then you're in trouble. She would have been better off just saying that she doesn't feel right having the SOTU while the government is shutdown. Play Politics 101 and stay vague as shit. Instead, she justified the decision in other terms, terms which now appear different.

The whole optics of it are pretty bad, too, IMO. I mean, as noted, I stand with Brother Strangelove in detesting the SOTU Address. But, this thing is pretty clearly square in the full on petty zone.

[millenwasmyfavorite]

Indeed. The fact is that your use of treason is dispositively wrong. Fact. No quibbling no nothing. Fact. So, you quickly move from definitive statements to your standard mush-mouth vagaries and hyperbole. It could be droll if it weren't so played out.

The idea of open and declared war circa 1945 is pretty anachronistic.

I wouldn't say Treason -- and I don't think most are because it is such a weighty charge -- but, I am definitely in the camp that Mueller has a lot on his plate. What it comes out as legally is probably better assessed from your wheelhouse.

That being said, ask any country in Russia's orbit if they are at war with Russia -- or rather, look at the lengths they go to mitigate the disinformation/cyberwarfare efforts Russia employs against them perpetually. I'd bet you'd have a difficult time grasping just through the frame of how much greater and meticulous a country like Estonia's efforts are relative to us and how dismissive you seem to be of social media platform impact/influence/manipulation. Finding refuge in the fact we are behind the eight ball in cyber warfare isn't much of a high ground.

Of course, maybe this is just deeper alignment with the thoughts shared by Crash: As long as DJT keeps us out of wars!

We're not at dinner if we don't sit at the table!

[millenwasmyfavorite]

For clarity: cyber warfare is an existential imperative for Estonia. They lap the world in counter measures because their sovereign existence depends upon it. That is the philosophy they adapted and it is directly responsible for their continued success. 2nd place may as well be 10th.

[hack]

Yeah, we'll see. When it comes to national security I don't think you have anything other than bluster and the ability to parse. You become further distanced from any sort of factual position by the day. I told you in the summer of 2016.

[iam416]

The idea of open and declared war circa 1945 is pretty anachronistic.

Ummm. Ok. That changes nothing in terms of what is or isn't treason.

I wouldn't say Treason -- and I don't think most are because it is such a weighty charge

You wouldn't say treason because it isn't treason. Words matter. Words have definitions. In the US, treason has a meaning, and that meaning provides a definitive answer when it comes to PDJT and Russia.

[iam416]

For clarity: cyber warfare is an existential imperative for Estonia. They lap the world in counter measures because their sovereign existence depends upon it. That is the philosophy they adapted and it is directly responsible for their continued success. 2nd place may as well be 10th.

I haven't the first clue about Estonia's cyber warfare initiatives. What I do know is that there are other US laws that apply to various types of cyber warfare, espionage and the like. For example, a US citizen that is a spy is not guilty of treason unless it's on behalf of a country that the US is at war with, but they are sure as shit guilty of shit under the Espionage Act. So, it's not like those types of acts aren't addressed; they just aren't addressed by treason.

But, again, those crimes have specific elements. The prosecution must prove each one. That's the way it works.

EDIT* -- Example -- The Rosenbergs were tried for espionage, not treason. And they stood accused of giving the Soviets information on various critical military secrets including NUCLEAR weapons. It's difficult to get more serious than that. But, it wasn't treason. Of course, they were still convicted and executed.

[millenwasmyfavorite]

Who knew hijacking the head of the snake would so cleanly bypass all the fury of cutting off the head.

[hack]

Correct. Words have meaning, as you've read here before. The actions are treasonous. We'll see what the justice system can make of that.

[iam416]

Tripling down on being so wrong. Stick to mealy-mouth prophecies of doom and false dichotomies.

[CGVT]

Boy does CGVT love Cortez.

Not really. I just find it quite funny how you all get your panties in a wad about her.

[iam416]

You have a funny way of showing ambivalence.

[CGVT]

And you have a funny way of trying to pretend that I am not right.

Carry on.