Bannon for NSC? Seriously?

Discussion in 'Politics' started by exchemist, Jan 29, 2017.

  1. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    22,910
    Well someone needs to tell that to Russia. They clearly haven't gotten the message, and neither has China.

    I read an article yesterday which said ISIL still controlled the Western half of the city and that they were months away from taking control of the entire city. If your point is ISIL is a fraction of what it once was, that is true.

    I agree the Muslim ban is totally unnecessary and more than, that it is counterproductive. Even 12 months ago, it wasn't a good idea. It's a stupid idea; it's an immoral idea. It really is that simple.

    The irony here is that Trump's antics are exacerbating the very problems he promises to fix. This executive order weakens our alliances and encourages our enemies. Trump's war on Mexico weakens the Mexican peso and in doing so provides a "yuge" incentive for American businesses to export jobs to Mexico. Remember, Trump has accused China of devaluing its currency in order to maintain an unfair trade advantage? Trump is devaluing Mexico's currency, where the Mexican peso once traded 4 to the dollar, it now trades at 20 to the dollar. That is a "yuge" incentive for American businesses to relocate manufacturing to Mexico.

    But all this is lost on Trump's largely ignorant base.
     
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  3. geordief Valued Senior Member

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    Really? 500% !!?? How much has it devalued over the past month or so? That is a really huge point if true and would show up the futility of Trump's "economic policy" wrt Mexico at least.
     
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  5. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    Just imagine for a moment that Russian interests in Ukraine are to support the large Russian community that has lived their for some time... Just imagine that Putin is actually interested in securing those persons and has altruistic intention.
    Now add to the fact that Russia also had secret military assets installed in the Ukraine that needed to be secretly dismantled and removed.
    Add to that the possibility that the Crimea was also a part of the Russian military asset problem that arose when the Pro Russian Government was removed in Kiev.
    Consider that those assets may have been nuclear silos built during the old soviet times that could not be allowed to fall under the control of the new Ukrainian Government.

    Think on it as if paranoia is the main problem and not facts.

    Russia has not seriously indicated any desire to expand it's territory. If it had Syria would be totally annexed by now and completely militarized by Russia. IMO
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2017
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  7. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    the important thing is that it is the IRAQI people (Muslims, Shia and Sunni) that are taking back control of their own country and religion.

    This by far a greater achievement than any degradation of ISIL

    The sheer fact that Muslims, of both major sects, around the world are re-assessing their beliefs, setting up checks and balances to prevent radicalization and a repeat of Daesh is truly amazing.

    In some ways the radical ISIL has done the world a huge favor.... IMO
     
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  8. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    Well, that's all supposition for which there is little to no evidence to support. The US knows all the whereabouts of all of Russia's nuclear assets. It's kind of difficult to disguise a nuclear silo from American satellites. Ukraine entered into an agreement with the US and Russia do dispose of its entire nuclear stock pile and it did. Ukraine had no nukes. So that's a lame excuse. Ukraine surrendered all its nuclear weapons to the US and Russia long ago.

    Ukraine wasn't the first or only country Russia has invaded, occupied, and annexed lands from in recent years. Russia did the same thing in 2008 with Georgia. The invasion, occupation, and annexation of the lands of its weaker neighbors is a repeating pattern with Russia, and that's why Europe and the civilized world find it so disturbing. It brings back memories of Hitler and WW II. Hitler exhibited a similar pattern of behaviors which ultimately led to WW II and the deaths of tens of 85 million people. Now that we have even more advanced weaponry, it is likely any casualties from another world war would dwarf that 85 million number. So people take this seriously, and rightly so.
     
  9. iceaura Valued Senior Member

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    30,994
    That's not how it works. The expansion of US empire after WWI did not involve "expansion of territory" in that sense either - we needed Hawaii for the port, just as Putin needs Crimea, but otherwise some place like Syria or Iraq or Afghanistan or the Philippines is supposed to be a client State.
     
  10. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    In case you haven't noticed things have changed dramatically in the last few years. Just about every day over the last 10 years or so you hear the word Unprecedented used.
    Unprecedented Heat waves, unprecedented cold
    Unprecedented permafrost thawing in Russia's North
    Unprecedented rise in human mental health disorders.
    Unprecedented global paranoia and fear.

    the list just goes on and on...
    To use the past as you are doing is quite natural and to be expected as it aids in grounding your concerns so that you can find a rational way of dealing with the present.

    However it also can blind you to the unprecedented facts that surround you.

    The massive Ebola crisis in Africa is a good example. (2013)

    Everything looked as if it was going to be a classic humanity killer problem, so with little delay the world reacted as you would expect it to.. (a tad slow though if you ask me)

    then one day after a few weeks have gone by you realize that the spread of the virus was no where near as it should have been. The virus was well contained even though there was every reason to expect it to spread across Africa simply due to the incubation time and slow response and people constantly traveling.

    So the hyper reported Ebola crisis was a fizzer...

    The world health organization would have noted that by week 2 of the crisis that new cases were NOT appearing throughout Africa and thus the world and would have been questioning why not...as it would have been fully expected that this deadly virus would propagate very quickly. well... it didn't and that's a fact. ( no vaccine announced)
    The same could be said for the deadly MERS virus (2015) that came and went after killing 300 or so in the Saudi region ( no vaccine announced)

    so we are left with a question mark that asks WTF?

    Bottom line: You can't rely on historical events to support or refute an unprecedented event of today.
    And the Trump issue facing the world is unprecedented.

    To solve the issue you have to think outside of the box that history naturally puts you in.
     
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  11. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    So you basically believe something unprecedented will happen. You cannot quantify it or explain it, but you believe something unprecedented will happen. I'm sure something unprecedented will occur, it always does. But that doesn't mean Russia and China will suddenly and magically change their behaviors in order to do something unprecedented. I predict humans will always act like humans. Russia and China will continue menacing their neighbors unless and until some force stops them.

    The irony here is that you are using the past to predict the future, just as I am. It's human nature.
     
  12. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    In case you haven't noticed it is indeed Humanity that is changing in unprecedented ways.
    Russians, Chinese and Muslims are also human...
    and so are Republicans ... I think...

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!


    take this video: (watch the women in the trump scene background)

    or what happened in South Korea recently
    the list is long so I wont bother...
     
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  13. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    22,910
    Things are changing; people aren't. People are still driven by our base emotions, and as long as people are people, that isn't going to change. And any ideology which relies upon people suddenly changing their basest behaviors are doomed to failure, e.g. communism. It's in our DNA.
     
  14. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    In 2012 I would have agreed with you however today I would not be so confident.
    The emotion you have seen on the senators face was indeed entirely genuine. IMO. It is not about Partisan politics or base need as you call it, it is about what is right and wrong.. it is about conscience. It is about what it really means to be a civilized human and not a cave dweller. There are many millions around the world that are "crying" today, and developing the resolve to action... and when they do act they will be unstoppable.
     
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  15. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    the people protesting silently in South Korea (unprecedented) leading to the impeachment of their President were not working from base emotions.... if I show one refutation to your "people are not going to change" do I change your mind?
     
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  16. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    Check you dates, ask how long it would take for Russia to secretly reinstall, think about Russian paranoia and ask am I possibly being a tad naive in thinking that once they surrender their weapons they simply can't just rebuild them again later.
    Then consider the limitations of USA satellite and intelligence surveillance... sheesh! We still have a missing commercial Jet MH370 that flew right under/over USA surveillance... not found - search suspended btw... so go figure...
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2017
  17. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    23,328
    News just in:
    United States President Donald Trump has sacked acting Attorney-General Sally Yates after she directed Justice Department attorneys not to defend his controversial executive refugee and immigration ban.

    Ms Yates had said she was not convinced Mr Trump's travel ban was lawful.

    "I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right," Ms Yates said.

    "At present, I am not convinced that the defence of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities, nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful."
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-...end-trumps-travel-ban-chaos-continues/8226054

    so another nail in the coffin .... going to run out of nails soon for sure...
    Mr Mattis will be next...IMO I wonder what the book makers are posting as odds..?
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2017

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