POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

[burd]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

This is an astounding level of asshattery.

Asshattery or not, if it was a smart move and likely to get the desired result, I support it. But this is just more of his lazy, simplistic, bullying behavior. The Boy needs his dad to bail him out of this job he's gotten himself into.

 

[rufus]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Chuck gives little Donald a spanking.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/chuck-schumer-trump-its-not-me-its-him

 

[E.J. Smith]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

It amazes me how Republicans are devoid of any ideas that don't involve piping money to rich people. That's all they've got.

Yes, but isn't that like saying cows are devoid of ideas beyond eating grass? I mean, that's the whole point. Piping money to the rich isn't a tool or technique it's an objective, it's not a way to some greater end, it is the end. It's not a verb, it's a noun. You get the idea.

Everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING else are the means - abortion, gay, race, military, immigration, etc. - for getting the majority of people living in a democracy to vote to give all the money and power to a minority. In that sense the Republicans actually have a schittonne of ideas. All greedy, devious, and underhanded. But that' literally the point of their existence.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Asshattery or not, if it was a smart move and likely to get the desired result, I support it. But this is just more of his lazy, simplistic, bullying behavior. The Boy needs his dad to bail him out of this job he's gotten himself into.

No. The ends don't always justify the means. Especially when it means diminishing our respect in the world.

 

[alfablue]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING else are the means - abortion, gay, race, military, immigration, etc. - for getting the majority of people living in a democracy to vote to give all the money and power to a minority. In that sense the Republicans actually have a schittonne of ideas. All greedy, devious, and underhanded. But that' literally the point of their existence.

What's funny about all of those- abortion, gay, race, immigration, and others like it- they are a morality play to just say no. "No" is easier than dealing with anything, having empathy, admitting people are equal.

And then the military- MOST of that is a play to give rich people a LOT more money- the classic military industrial complex. Make people afraid, convince them that they need to spend money on security, and before you know it- builders of stuff- guns, tanks, planes, walls, etc- all make a fortune. I'm sure everyone remembers that Haliburton made out nicely in Iraq. At the expense of the poor who are largely making up our military ranks. They are the ones that put their lives on the line, and then come home to embarrassingly poor support from the VA (paid for from Congress).

They justify this corporate welfare since "Common Defence" is in the Constitution. Forgetting that both time the words are there, General Welfare is right next to it.

 

[burd]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

No. The ends don't always justify the means. Especially when it means diminishing our respect in the world.

The ends do not always justify the means, and you have the right perspective. But if Germany really does owe a shatpile, it's not unethical or unprincipled, just stupid, and rude.

 

[Speed Kills]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Trump is a joke. All he's done since taking office is cry about how he's been made fun of on SNL. Thin-skinned bullies like Trump have no business in politics.

BUT AT LEAST WE DIDN'T ELECT A QUALIFIED CANDIDATE WHO MISUED AN EMAIL ACCOUNT!!!

Conservatives : Just way too dumb to reason with

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Trump voters: "We know he's lying, and we don't care. It's all about the LULZ."

Put another way, "If we have to suffer because of our lot in life, so should everyone else."

If you're still feeling bad for any of these bumpkins, just stop.

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

No. The ends don't always justify the means. Especially when it means diminishing our respect in the world.

Honestly I don't get the uniform outrage over this particular thing? Unless it's just carryover from the general outrage.

This isn't a partisan issue and I personally don't really have a problem with being rude to the Germans (or most any other Euros) over this subject at this point. In 2002 the Germans promised to start footing more of the bill for their defense. They haven't and it's been 15 freakin' years! The rest of Europe has followed their lead and even though we've asked politely for them to do what they agreed to do, they've ignored us. If handing them a bill makes the point, fine. When is enough, enough?

Maybe it's my Italian heritage, but where I come from, you don't let a guy short his payments for 15 years and think he's respecting you.

Part of Germany's answer is they also contribute to the UN peacekeeping? Please. It's chump change*. Besides, The US and Japan pay almost 40% of the UN's bills.

Enlighten me. What specifically is it that I'm missing here?


*Germany contributes roughly $185 million. They were $35 billion short of their spending commitment last year.

 

[burd]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Trump's handling this like the brainless idiot he is, but I pretty much agree with Wisko on this.

 

[jericho]

Honestly I don't get the uniform outrage over this particular thing? Unless it's just carryover from the general outrage.

This isn't a partisan issue and I personally don't really have a problem with being rude to the Germans (or most any other Euros) over this subject at this point. In 2002 the Germans promised to start footing more of the bill for their defense. They haven't and it's been 15 freakin' years! The rest of Europe has followed their lead and even though we've asked politely for them to do what they agreed to do, they've ignored us. If handing them a bill makes the point, fine. When is enough, enough?

Maybe it's my Italian heritage, but where I come from, you don't let a guy short his payments for 15 years and think he's respecting you.

Part of Germany's answer is they also contribute to the UN peacekeeping? Please. It's chump change*. Besides, The US and Japan pay almost 40% of the UN's bills.

Enlighten me. What specifically is it that I'm missing here?


*Germany contributes roughly $185 million. They were $35 billion short of their spending commitment last year.

Question for you: how is Germany not paying for other people's labor (i.e. Defense) different than Trump not paying for other people's labor on his casinos?

 

[manurespreader]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Well you have to remember, since the wall fell, the urgency of defense spending throughout NATO countries has diminished until recently. So its hard to find fault with the Germans or anyone else for not spending as much. Now that the need is there, all of these governments are going to increase their spending, and sure, they could spend more and raise it more quickly. But even Sweden is doing stuff. They just started a draft.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

If you're still feeling bad for any of these bumpkins, just stop.

God help me but I don't. We're never going to change as a society anyway, but if that change is going to come, it will come only when enough of these rubes suffer long enough and hard enough for them to finally see the truth. As far as I'm concerned all these rubes who voted for him are their own worst enemies 99.9% of the time and they deserve the extra rations of Hell that will come their way. I've recently been in Kentucky and West Virginia working with union members and low wage workers who -- mostly -- voted for Trump and every other Republican they can check a box for. Yet they ****** and moan because both states went right-to-work and they can't believe what they are hearing about all that they stand to lose, whether it be their rights to organize or cuts to Medicaid and the rest of the safety net or the fact that it looks like those coal jobs aren't coming back after all. I've been seeing the migration to voting against every single economic self-interest among the working poor for more than a generation now and can't believe the level of stupidity I observe among people who call these hills and hollows home. Sad really.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Because he is handling this like a child. This isn't being rude, it's being tactless and it shows a complete lack of negotiating skills.

I can't believe you guys are falling for this kind of drivel.

 

[burd]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Because he is handling this like a child. This isn't being rude, it's being tactless and it shows a complete lack of negotiating skills.

I can't believe you guys are falling for this kind of drivel.

Of course he is handling it like a child--that's what he does. It's tactless, ineffective and embarrassing. Who's falling for it?

 

[The Paragon of Virtue]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

This isn't a partisan issue and I personally don't really have a problem with being rude to the Germans (or most any other Euros) over this subject at this point. In 2002 the Germans promised to start footing more of the bill for their defense. They haven't and it's been 15 freakin' years! The rest of Europe has followed their lead and even though we've asked politely for them to do what they agreed to do, they've ignored us. If handing them a bill makes the point, fine. When is enough, enough?

Maybe it's my Italian heritage, but where I come from, you don't let a guy short his payments for 15 years and think he's respecting you.

Part of Germany's answer is they also contribute to the UN peacekeeping? Please. It's chump change*. Besides, The US and Japan pay almost 40% of the UN's bills.

Enlighten me. What specifically is it that I'm missing here?

That's not really how NATO funding works. It's not some kind of payment; it's a NATO guideline for how much of their GDP member countries should spend on their own national defense.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

More potentially serious ethics violations by Conway.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_...or_criminal_conflict_of_interest_statute.html

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Question for you: how is Germany not paying for other people's labor (i.e. Defense) different than Trump not paying for other people's labor on his casinos?

Not sure about the relevance of that analogy but I assume you're intimating Trump is a crook for doing so. But then Germany is just fine?

Well you have to remember, since the wall fell, the urgency of defense spending throughout NATO countries has diminished until recently. So its hard to find fault with the Germans or anyone else for not spending as much. Now that the need is there, all of these governments are going to increase their spending, and sure, they could spend more and raise it more quickly. But even Sweden is doing stuff. They just started a draft.

Some are increasing, some not so much. Italy is going down, Poland is way up. Sweden probably should do something, it's not a NATO member.

Because he is handling this like a child. This isn't being rude, it's being tactless and it shows a complete lack of negotiating skills.

I can't believe you guys are falling for this kind of drivel.

Bush cajoled, Obama charmed. It got them nowhere.
In the words of that immortal philosopher, Eric 'Otter' Stratton, "I think this situation absolutely requires... a really... futile... and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part!"

That's not really how NATO funding works. It's not some kind of payment; it's a NATO guideline for how much of their GDP member countries should spend on their own national defense.

Nobody is misunderstanding how NATO funding works. In 2002, Germany was spending 1.5% GDP or about $50 billion on defense. At that time the Chancelor committed to making that 2% GDP. Instead they spent less and less and last year Germany spent 1.2% GDP or about $39.6 billion. Now Germany's readiness by all accounts is very poor. If Euros had spent 2% all along, which was the guideline, perhaps Putin would have thought twice about rolling into the Ukraine. And maybe the Euros wouldn't have to look at us and say" Are you guys going to do something about this?"
NATO's main mission the last several years has been fighting terrorism in Afghanistan. I find it hard to swallow that the availability of another $500 billion in equipment and personnel that members were supposed to have invested in couldn't have made that a far easier road for all. Or make all of Europe more secure.

If Putin gets up on the wrong side of the bed one day, decides he wants the Baltics back and rolls into Latvia, NATO is 100% committed. And who's men and materiel will be at the forefront of that effort?

The United States, because we are the only ones prepared. That's a stupid situation, if you ask me.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

You pay what you can afford. Europe is going through an economic crisis, or perhaps it's coming out of one. Putin would have rolled Ukraine regardless of the funding.

 

[jericho]

Re: POTUS 45.7 - Has the left reached the acceptance stage yet?

Not sure about the relevance of that analogy but I assume you're intimating Trump is a crook for doing so. But then Germany is just fine?

Might be a bad analogy, and I admit I have no clue how NATO funding works. You and I are more than likely on the same page here, but I am just curious. If Germany said that they were going to increase funding, and hasn't, then yes, that needs to be rectified. But again, Trump says he's going pay people for the work and supplies on his casinos, but doesn't? If someone came up to him, in a meeting, and handed him a bill for all of the money that he owes, he'd be tweeting about it for a week and then threaten them.