Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa

[chez]

If he starts a conflict with Iran, see what he said about them today, it may be hard to ignore. Especially if you know or care for anyone in the military.

Surely there are some generals in the military that can say screw your asshole...we'll wait a month to see what our real boss says.

[digitaldog]

Remember the discussion of what is a slogan: ”Defund the police” which is not actually defunding the police? Trump’s veto today defunds the military. Not a slogan, he's actually doing that.
What a guy.
Now, look up ”pocket veto” and the timing should Trump decide to do this with the Covid relief bill.10 days not counting Sundays, he can sit on the decision. He should get the bill tomorrow to sign, veto OR pocket veto. If the later, that's January 4th. Congress season ends the 3rd. What could happen? The bill totally dies and everything has to start from scratch.
Will he?

[Robert Roaldi]

Manafort, Stone and Jarad’s dad just got pardoned. Giuliani and Trumps kids gotta be up next.
January 20 needs to get here faster!

I read an opinion piece about a month or so ago that said that there might be a silver lining to a series of repulsive Trump pardons. It might disgust legislators so much that there might emerge enough political momentum to remove the pardon power from the President or at least modify it a lot once the twit leaves town. If nothing is done about it after this sad spectacle, then future uses of it will only become even more repugnant.

It's a mystery to me how the power of a king can exist in the USA, of all places. I think the next time that someone makes a derogatory comment about how people in UK are called "subjects", imbuing the historical phrase with a nefarious meaning that it does not in fact have, I'll have to remind them of Trump's pardons.

[Robert Roaldi]

Trump leaves town, and Politico is so disgusted they're resorting to profanity in their headlines, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/23/trump-leaves-washington-in-limbo-450276.

Michael Cohen may be correct. Trump's ego is so unbelievably fragile and he's so ticked off at losing the election that he's punishing everyone in the country, including his own base of course. I'd have the D.C. fire department standing by in case he decides to torch the White House before leaving on Jan 20th. 

[BernardLanguillier]

If he starts a conflict with Iran, see what he said about them today, it may be hard to ignore. Especially if you know or care for anyone in the military.

Someone who thought that drinking disinfectant may cure from the covid19 may think that starting a WW conflict may help keep him in office.

His ego is large enough, his fear of jail also.

I am firmly convinced that he would sign any day the death of millions of innocent people, Americans or not, against his own freedom. Any day.

Cheers,
Bernard
 

[BernardLanguillier]

I just watched this video from Lindsay Vonn (I am a fan) and I am comparing the values she is bringing to the world vs what Trump has been taking away... and it makes me feel like crying like she does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr21BDCqVkM

Cheers,
Bernard

[Robert Roaldi]

Manafort, Stone and Jarad’s dad just got pardoned. Giuliani and Trumps kids gotta be up next.
January 20 needs to get here faster!

FYI, a friend sent me this link to an article about the Presidential pardon and its original intent, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2018/07/25/the-pardon-power-and-original-intent/amp/?__twitter_impression=true.

[kers]

FYI, a friend sent me this link to an article about the Presidential pardon and its original intent, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2018/07/25/the-pardon-power-and-original-intent/amp/?__twitter_impression=true.

Thanks for the link! I see only impeachment can be the tool to prevent a president to pardon his partners in crime.
So therefore it is better to do it in the last days of the presidency...

[Alan Klein]

So should we start counting Biden's lies?  Here's a reversal from something he promised to do the first day in office.  He's lied and not in office yet.  Of course, he realizes that should he reverse Trump's policies, there would be millions of people at our southern border trying to get in again, something Trump stopped with Mexico's help.

US Immigration Changes Won’t Happen Overnight, Biden Advisers Say
https://www.voanews.com/usa/immigration/us-immigration-changes-wont-happen-overnight-biden-advisers-say

[Alan Klein]

So will it be OK?

Britain and the E.U. Reach a Landmark Deal on Brexit
The trade agreement comes after months of negotiations, but it still leaves critical details to be worked out.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/world/europe/brexit-trade-deal-uk-eu.html

[Alan Klein]

Thanks for the link! I see only impeachment can be the tool to prevent a president to pardon his partners in crime.
So therefore it is better to do it in the last days of the presidency...

Impeachment?  Again? Give it a break.

[jeremyrh]

So will it be OK?

Britain and the E.U. Reach a Landmark Deal on Brexit
The trade agreement comes after months of negotiations, but it still leaves critical details to be worked out.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/world/europe/brexit-trade-deal-uk-eu.html

OK in what sense?  Will most of us stay alive? Probably.  The hit on lives will be lower than Covid even iif the hit on our economy will be bigger. Our exporters of both goods and services will have more difficulty competing in the European market, our kids will not be able to travel, study and live freely in Europe, our workforce will not be augmented by the skills of neighbouring countries. Under normal circustances it would be called a disaster.

[Alan Klein]

Someone who thought that drinking disinfectant may cure from the covid19 may think that starting a WW conflict may help keep him in office.

His ego is large enough, his fear of jail also.

I am firmly convinced that he would sign any day the death of millions of innocent people, Americans or not, against his own freedom. Any day.

Cheers,
Bernard
 

  Stop campaigning. The election is over.  Time to relax.

[Alan Klein]

OK in what sense?  Will most of us stay alive? Probably.  The hit on lives will be lower than Covid even iif the hit on our economy will be bigger. Our exporters of both goods and services will have more difficulty competing in the European market, our kids will not be able to travel, study and live freely in Europe, our workforce will not be augmented by the skills of neighbouring countries. Under normal circustances it would be called a disaster.

Most countries aren't in a union like the EU but manage just as well.  You'll have trade, relations, etc. with the continent, just as America and other countries do. Why can't you kids travel, study and live in Europe.  My niece did thirty years ago as an American student.  Lived with a European family, (I forget which country, maybe Dutch) and spent a year studying there.  The USA wasn't in the EU.  In fact, there was no EU at that time.  Why can't foreigners augment the skills of Brits if needed?  Maybe the restriction now will help Brits get the jobs, something of advantage to your compatriots.  No?  Also, you won't be sending money to those lazy countries who sponge off the rest of the EU.

[faberryman]

But Americans have been asked to protect them at our expense...

I think it may have been a little more complex than that, at least possibly. If we were asked to protect NATO countries at our expense, we could have said no, so I think we might have thought we were getting something out of the deal too, but what do I know, I have just read some books, and maybe they were commie/lib books, so maybe they were a pack of lies. It seems to me that we always spend as much as we want to on defense, and so if the NATO countries spend more, its not like we are going to spend less. It is not what you call a zero sum game. Trump takes credit for badgering the NATO countries into spending more, and our defense spending hasn't gone down during his term in office. We have this habit of going on adventures, and we can't blame NATO countries for us going on adventures and spending money out the wazoo doing so. They'd probably just as soon we not go on adventures because we always end up badgering them to go with us. We delude ourselves into thinking that if it is a coalition it somehow magically enhances our moral authority when the whole world knows that we badgered the NATO countries into going with us so who are we kidding. Besides, we have this military industrial complex churning out arms like there is no tomorrow and we have to find countries to buy them, so encouraging other countries to spend more on their defense is in our self interest believe it or not. The latest is Morocco. I mean it is not like it is a coincidence that Morocco agreed to buy 23 billion dollars in arms from us if we agreed to recognize their claims to the Western Sahara, and of course since we needed a cover story we got Morocco to normalize their relations with Israel. I wouldn't be surprised if Israel wasn't even at the negotiating table and just showed up at the ceremony to sign on the dotted line with an oversized sharpie which they got to keep as a souvenir. Gee, I wonder where Trump is going to build his next hotel and golf course. I'll give you a hint: it is going to have a lot of sand traps, and I don't know where they are going to find the water for the greens. If you are still puzzled try to remember where you heard this: "Here's looking at you, kid."

[kers]

  Stop campaigning. The election is over.  Time to relax.

...tell that to mr Trump...

and indeed relax

[digitaldog]

US Immigration Changes Won’t Happen Overnight, Biden Advisers Say
https://www.voanews.com/usa/immigration/us-immigration-changes-wont-happen-overnight-biden-advisers-say

As Biden explained and Alan utterly missed or misunderstood (again) if he paid any attention, this isn't something that should be overturned overnight; the borders would be overrun, overnight.
Biden said what Alan didn't read in the URL he posted:

Biden added, “The last thing we need is to say we’re going to stop immediately the access to asylum the way it’s being run now, and then end up with 2 million people on our border.”

Sloppy Alan, sloppy.

[jeremyrh]

Most countries aren't in a union like the EU but manage just as well.  You'll have trade, relations, etc. with the continent, just as America and other countries do.

So much wrong in such a short post.

To give a simple example, the US CANNOT export its food to the EU, and no country can do so, without tariffs or quotas, which is what the UK could do as a member.

Why can't you kids travel, study and live in Europe. 

You missed the key word - FREELY. Individuals can look for places at universities, or apply for jobs, but they have to accept quotas, visa limits and local labour restrictions.  In the EU a person can (within some limits) pack their bags and study or live in another country.  As from next year we will need a special visa to spend more than 90 days out of 180 in the EU.

Why can't foreigners augment the skills of Brits if needed? 

Same reason - visa restrictions.

Maybe the restriction now will help Brits get the jobs, something of advantage to your compatriots.  No?

Maybe, but I think diversity is a benefit.

Also, you won't be sending money to those lazy countries who sponge off the rest of the EU.

Nobody is "spongeing".
[/quote]

[digitaldog]

So much wrong in such a short post.

But so consistent....   

[Peter McLennan]

Hey <insert usual suspects here> are you guys OK with Trump's latest round of pardons?  Four convicted criminals sprung, including his son in law's father?  Nearly two dozen others of similar repute let off the hook, just because?

Are you OK with him at the last possible moment abandoning the COVID financial help bill and flying off to golf in Florida, leaving millions in the lurch?

Is this acceptable behaviour for your leader?

Just asking for a friend...