US Politics Thread 2016-2020

[Skybird]

Spiegel today reported:

Nearly 4.9 million people in Texas already used the early voting period to participate in the Midterm elections, according to US state data collection. The votes cast in the 30 largest districts already exceed the votes of all voters who participated in the 2014 Midterm elections in Texas.

In 2014, a total of 4.7 million people voted in the congressional and governor elections, the so-called "midterms"

I wonder what that means. So far I think that the Donald will be re-elected in 2020.

[Onkel Neal]

I don't know at all. I got in to the polling station Friday after work, there was a 30 minute wait. I eyeballed all the people in line and applied my foolproof book cover judging skills (which are 50% on a good day)... I would say there were more lefties in the crowd than natural Texans.

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

I would say there were more lefties in the crowd than natural Texans.

People born in Texas are only ever right-handed?

[Hawk66]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

Now we both know I was not a Trump supporter, right�� Let's get that in writing before you address anything else I write.

A divider and a liar. You just described every politician in America. And probably the world. Was there ever a bigger divider than Obama? Before Obama, racial relations in the public eye were pretty good. Now look at things.

In the normal world, out of the public eye, racial relations are still fine where I live. The stuff you see in the big depressed metropolitan cities is a whole different thing.

As of 2014, NATO’s collective agreement instructed member countries to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024. According to NATO’s most recent report detailing members’ defense expenditures, only five countries currently satisfy that threshold: the United States, Greece, the United Kingdom, Estonia and Latvia. Come on Germany, pay your share.
.

Neal, this is the issue when the world gets simplified by one like Trump.
Yes, for instance, Greence spends more than 2 % but do y know the readiness of their force and ability to quickly react on crisis? And y may guess which nation considerable has indirectly paid the buildup of the Greece army.

Germany spends less than 2%, yes and that needs and will be improved in the next years, but most of its forces are available for NATO defense anytime and that is a key differentiation to most other member states.

As a side notice I often read here that Reagan was similar to Trump in key aspects. It is true that burden sharing in NATO for instance was a topic in the beginning of 80s too but although Reagan pushed it also he did it in a complete different way and tried and succeed in getting his point also in my country - although he had of crs many critics in the left here.

See just his speak at the German Bundestag 1982 regarding burden sharing in NATO and the reactions of parliament.

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

I eyeballed all the people in line and applied my foolproof book cover judging skills (which are 50% on a good day)... I would say there were more lefties in the crowd than natural Texans.

Well, that's distressing. I guess people are moving to Texas to escape huge tax and cost of living situations, and then trying to turn Texas into the silly places they've just escaped from. It would also explain why the girls high school wrestling champion in Texas is a boy.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Hawk66

Germany (...) but most of its forces are available for NATO defense anytime and that is a key differentiation to most other member states.

No, they are not. I have touched upon it several times in the GER politics thread. I fear the truth is that German readiness level is extrenely low, and only a fraction of its systems and heavy platforms are redy for operation. The Germans take over command for some Eastern readiness force anytime soon - but last time I read about it, only 2 or 3 of the paper strength of 40+ IFVs were available. Whereever the Germans go they must lend equipment for the outgoing unit from all across the BW. On severla occaisons over the past years, it was said and admitted clearly that Germany currently in no way is capable to fulfill its alliance duties. Most German tanks, IFVs, helicopters, transport planes, submarines, navy units, are grounded and not operational. Infantry suffers a massive shrtage in even most propfund base suppliesl from helmets and Flak jackets to NVGs and even just battle dress uniforms of the demanded latest standard.


Unforgotten is when barrack barbie von der Leyen visited some country and could not continue her travel easily, ebcasue the Luftwaffe transport plane broke down. They sent a backup plane, which never came, becasue it also broke down. I don'T know how it ended. Same pattern lke with the big moor fire some weeks ago: a helicopter fired into dry woods, and a massive fire blazed up. a fire extinguishing tank that was on ready duty, broke down, they sent a backup, and it also broke down. No more such tanks were available.



It took over two weeks to extinguish all fires.

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Skybird

No, they are not.

Don't feel bad, our military left $2 billion worth of F-22s directly in the path of a hurricane.



You'd think maybe they'd at least have holes dug and big bags they could at least bury them in to protect them. Thailand has bags that people can put their cars in for flooding so...

https://www.floodguardph.com/


...and Iraq can hide stuff from us in sand, so why couldn't we hide things from a hurricane the same way??? seems like something the military couldn't cry "poor" over

[Skybird]

Sounds logical to me, I mean F-22s are air superiority fighters. Hurricane's eye sees them and is scared away.

[Mr Quatro]

Were you aware of this little known fact:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...ctions-n832226

WASHINGTON — In every midterm election since the Civil War, the president's party has lost, on average, 32 seats in the House and two in the Senate.

In this year's battles, Democrats need only 24 seats to flip the House and two to take the Senate.

"History says we're going to lose the majority," said Cory Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund, a major Republican super PAC.

"Our job is defy history."

[Onkel Neal]

It could happen.

[nikimcbee]

Just make the smurfin political ads stop!

[Skybird]

Maybe there should be a law that makes it mandatory for every US citizen to connect to Twitter at least twice per day.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

Just make the smurfin political ads stop!

[Catfish]

^


I propose this as one of the best posts this year

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Maybe there should be a law that makes it mandatory for every US citizen to connect to Twitter at least twice per day.

Oh heaven spare us. One is more than enough thanks.