Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

Reportedly any tariff that's still in place after Phase 1 (the overwhelming majority) will remain until at least after the Election. The contains some sort of 10-month proviso from what I read.

I don't know if voters care about the Ukraine stuff or not. I do. What Trump attempted to do is completely shitty and should not be considered an acceptable use of Presidential power. And every effort should be made to expose the details even if it doesn't result in or merit impeachment.

[Ghengis Jon]

Any Senator voting to acquit the unrepentant criminal Trump should be charged as an accessory after the fact.

[iam416]

Charged with what? Or rather, accessory to what?

I guess we better round up the OJ jury and jail them, too.

Reportedly any tariff that's still in place after Phase 1 (the overwhelming majority) will remain until at least after the Election. The contains some sort of 10-month proviso from what I read.

That's interesting. Well, reportedly interesting.

I don't know if voters care about the Ukraine stuff or not. I do. What Trump attempted to do is completely shitty and should not be considered an acceptable use of Presidential power. And every effort should be made to expose the details even if it doesn't result in or merit impeachment.

I'm fine with the Ukraine investigation and if the House wanted to impeach, then so be it. The "obstruction of Congress" charge is preposterous, but that's another story, The Ukraine article is legitimate.

[iam416]

But, all that aside, we have a D debate where everyone seems to agree that the economy is catastrophically bad. So bad, in fact, that massive trillion dollar overhauls are needed. That bullshit won't play in purple land. Right now, the Ds need to get through the primary process without becoming socialists. They were full steam ahead on that the socialist train for awhile, but, mercifully, some are pulling back a little.

But, there's still no one who wants to come at Bernie for being a fucking communist -- and out and out communist, Soviet-loving, Ortega-loving, bread lines-loving, Castro-loving unabashed disciple of Lenin. Fuck that shit. And I'm still not sure how many "swing voters" know about that -- it's not particularly well-covered by the media. PDJT is coming at Bernie's past with both fucking barrels.

Finally, I will confess my error in calling Pelosi's seemingly preposterously stupid impeachment "strategy" as such IF it turns out to be a big ruse to hose Warren and Sanders.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I believe the admin may have pushed back on the stories but yes, Bloomburg and the LA Times said yesterday that both sides have an agreement that the earliest additional tariffs can come up for review is in 10 months from the date of signing Phase 1. And Phase 1 apparently doesn't lift many of the existing tariffs at all, it moreso prevents new ones from being put in place.

The idea is that Trump wants to verify China's compliance with Phase 1 before lifting any of the existing stuff and that will take time.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-14/china-tariffs-to-stay-put-until-after-u-s-election-despite-deal

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-01-14/china-tariffs-trade-deal

[iam416]

Wait -- that seems somewhat sensible. Are you sure it's correct?

[Dr. Strangelove]

Wait -- that seems somewhat sensible. Are you sure it's correct?

It would be more sensible to me if there were significant stakes at play in Phase 1. Until I read differently, Phase 1 is mostly about forcing China to buy 30% more pork and soybeans and stopping bootleg copies of Transformers from being sold on Shanghai street corners.

[Dr. Strangelove]

This is actually very significant and is being read as a signal Putin is trying to stay in power beyond 2024, when he'll be forced out of the Presidency by term limits.

Putin wants changes made to the Russian Constitution that would transfer most of the Presidency's power to the Parliament. Meaning the Prime Minister, not the President, would be the most powerful person in the govt. Dmitry Medvedev, Putin's longtime lickspittle and current PM, just resigned on national tv while standing next to Putie-pie.

Putin sort of did this once before, between 2008-2012 when he served as PM and Medvedev was president. But then everyone knew who was really in charge.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/putin-proposes-strengthening-parliament-even-while-keeping-his-own-powers-intact/2020/01/15/695eac6a-36e5-11ea-a1ff-c48c1d59a4a1_story.html

[iam416]

It's not that significant. Don't most of us just assume Putin runs shit until he decides he doesn't want to run shit?

[Jeff Buchanan]

Correct. And, there's another take I just read that Putin wants to retire to his summer dacha and is setting himself up to do so while attaching strings to the powerful men who will call themselves in charge. Smart.

[froot loops]

Strongmen don't retire they die in office, get imprisoned or get exiled to some country willing to take them. He will control Russia for a long time as well as controlling Trump for 5 more years.

[Dr. Strangelove]

As Trump rambles on and on thanking everyone in the room individually for 40 minutes, and thanking some people not in the room, even Fox cuts away to show the House vote instead.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Good Lord...AG of the Virgin Islands now says they suspect Epstein was trafficking hundreds of underage girls and young women through his private island. Was doing so up through 2018.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/n...n-islands.html

[Ghengis Jon]

Here are the 12 tax deductions for individuals that have disappeared under the Trump Corporate Welfare Act.

https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/taxes/articles/tax-deductions-that-disappeared-this-year

[Dr. Strangelove]

New story in WP...days before the UK, France, and Germany formally accused Iran of breaching the Iran deal, Trump officials threatened all three countries that the US would be imposing a 25% tariff on all imported cars if they didn't

Ironically, the three countries were apparently going to do so anyways when the threat was made and almost backtracked because if word leaked out what Trump had ordered (and it has) it would make leaders of the 3 countries look weak before their own voters.