US Politics Thread 2016-2020

[u crank]

One has to wonder how long the James Comey clown show will go on before it becomes a skit on SNL. Not holding my breath but the script writes itself.

On Monday afternoon, after testifying again before Congress, Comey threw a fit, making a great show of his exasperation at having to answer questions about the “Steele dossier” and the Hillary email investigation. He informed us that questioning a former FBI director who approved spying warrants without verifying them is tantamount to attacking “the FBI.”

https://spectator.org/comeys-latest-charade/

Comey has always been the sanctimonious virtue signaler about his unassailable 'higher values'. The total lack of self awareness he has is hard to comprehend. It is no wonder that he was a totally incompetent failure as FBI Director. One can only imagine his reaction to any criticism by his staff.

But what exactly are Comey’s “American values”? Spying on Americans on the basis of what their political opponents say about them? Lying to FISA courts about utterly politicized sources? Calling a spying warrant “verified” when it demonstrably wasn’t? Calling Americans “probable Russian agents” based on nothing more than overheated partisan conjecture? Leaking to the press through law school buddies for self-aggrandizement? Treating FBI memos as private property? Using violated government confidences as fodder for a lucrative score-settling memoir? That is only a partial list of Comey’s prized values.

How dare Congress question him for crowning himself the de facto attorney general and deciding on his say-so to absolve Hillary! How dare a sandbagged and sabotaged president fire him! (Trump had Comey sized up as a self-serving weasel from the start.)

[mapuc]

People who have been working with Trump are falling one after each other.

Can't remember their names, what kind of punishment they have received and what their jobs were when they worked for Trump during the election and right after.

Does this mean Trump had knowledge about it ?

That is something this commission under Mueller have to find out.

Markus

[Platapus]

Looks like it will be March before Disgraced General Flynn is sentenced.

[vienna]

Ya know, Flynn is a particular case. He has admitted to doing all the offenses he is accused of and the SCO and other entities do have the evidence to back up the charges. Flynn was fully aware his actions were possibly violations of Federal law; on at least two occasions, Flynn expressed his qualms to the Trump administration, once some time before before his appointment as Trump's NSA, and, again, at the time of his appointment; neither trump nor his minions expressed any interest in pursuing any investigation of those concerns (way to do "due diligence", Benedict Donald) and Flynn was left open to further legal problems. I'd say the TRump White House bears some responsibility...

Flynn did man up and own his own failings and has tried to set right what he's done. The animus Trump, his minions and the Trumpettes hols toward Flynn is all because Flynn did what a hell of a lot of others involved should so: accept responsibility and try to set things right. They aren't mad at Flynn because they consider him a 'traitor' to Trump (why anyone would hold loyalty towards one of the most disloyal persons ever is beyond me), they are angry because they know they have participated in a series of criminal wrongs, have been caught and are going to suffer for it. Flynn knows a lot about their transgressions and how they link together and that terrifies them. Its kind of like a guy who gets pulled over for speeding and rails at the cop writing the ticket saying cops should have better things to do and how its a waste of time and money; they aren't really angry, at the heart of it, because they are really concerned with use of LEO resources, or the cost, or even the time spent; the are angry because they know they actually broke the law and, most at the heart of it, they are really angry they got caught...

Flynn, other than his misadventures in government, has had a respectable career. He has manned-up, put on his big boy pants, and has admitted to and is taking responsibility for his actions. If the leeches that have attached themselves to Trump and Trump himself don't seem to understand that, then they deserve what's about to come down on them. Flynn, as an individual, is more basically honorable than the whole lot of Trump, his minions, and his Trumpettes combined...

Flynn has done serious illegalities, but he is trying to do right. He's going to have to live with the repercussions, but he hasn't let that keep him from giving up the last of his honor and dignity in defense of one who is as dishonorable and undignified as they come...








<O>

[Skybird]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46614138


An honour!

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Skybird

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46614138


An honour!

To those on Trump's side it does constitute an honor. If "our" guy is so much in leftist minds that they have to resort to dumb stunts like this then he must be doing something right. I only wish that the left hated me this much, but they just dismiss me instead. Signed, just another flyover state voter.

[u crank]

If you ever doubted the left wing MSM's incredible failure to divide truth from fiction and propaganda from objective opinion this should push you over the edge. This guy, Malcolm Nance, a so called 'national security analyst' for MSNBC appeared on Brian Williams' 11th Hour last night. The fact that Williams took it all in and never pushed back on this kind of mainstream conspiracy theory crap shows just how far MSNBC has fallen. I wonder will Williams look under his bed tonight?

Nance said for 20 years the Russian have been running a disinformation campaign against the U.S. so we would "welcome" an invasion.

What!! I had to listen to that a couple of times to be sure I heard it right. Watch the video. It is enlightening stuff.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/vi...der_trump.html

They now own the mindset of one third of this nation.

And by doing that, they have managed to now make us not believe anything that we believed before. That diversity was an American factor which made us greater. They have played on the themes of far-right conspiracy theorists from the 1960. The John Birch society, a sideline group. You know, and the farthest extremes of the libertarian parties. They have amplified racism to the point where the alt-right, Steve Bannon`s own creation of gamers is now the wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump campaign and are believers in David Duke, the Ku Klux Klan, Richard Spencer, the neo-Nazi, and Robert Spencer, the Islamophobe, to the point where they`re mainstreamed.

Williams ended the segment by saying...

Wow. Malcolm Nance, this is why we ask you all the time to come on this broadcast. Scary stuff, but it needs to be said. Needs to be heard. Thank you, sir, so much for joining us once again.

And people on the left make fun of Fox News.

[eddie]

Trump is going to pull all our troops out of Syria over the next 30 days, even when his Generals tell him it would be a real bad move. All he can worry about is his punked up wall. He hasn't thought this through at all. What will happen to the Kurds who fought against ISIS? He'll give a free hand for the Turks to go after them, along with Assad's forces plus the Iranians. Now Iran can run weapons across Syria, even into Lebanon for Hezbollah, without worrying about it. But when it comes to Trump, stupid is as stupid does.

[Skybird]

TBH, he is right in that the mission goal was to defeat IS in Syria - not to stop the Turks or protect the Kurds. Doing the first and latter should be more the Europeans' task, since it is happenign before their housedoor.

But Europeans - and the Turkish dictator - you know th blues (sigh)...


But dreaming of a more potent European army parallel to NATO... LOL Maulhelden.

[ikalugin]

Originally Posted by eddie

What will happen to the Kurds who fought against ISIS?

They have served their purpose and would probably be gassed by the US ally - Iraq all over again.


Unless you believe that US should have created and sustained the independent Kurdistan this was always going to be their fate.


Ofcourse that may indeed be an option to consider, but it has it's own problems (ie turning all local powers against you while creating and sustaining a state which you can't properly resupply).

Now Iran can run weapons across Syria, even into Lebanon for Hezbollah, without worrying about it.

This is possible even with an independent Kurdistan.

[August]

I might also point out that we still have troops stationed in neighboring Iraq.

[Rockstar]

... and a barely tolerable ally we would drop like a hot potato had they not the same concerns in the region as we do.

[Skybird]

Most likely the Donald has bowed to Erdoghan who threatened a scenario where Turkish and American soldiers might start to shoot at each other. The Turks are planning a bigger invasion of more of Syria since longer time, and threatened an all out strike against the Kurds as well.

That Turkey still is member of NATO, is unbelievable and severly devastates NATO's credibility. Which does not change the fact that the Donald is a clueless dilletantee not knowing anything about anything.

And the Europeans? Are once again completely ill-prepared to deal with the fallout of this. Idiots.They have made Erdoghan strong with their brainless endless babbling and paying. And now the ypay him to not lose the "investments" they already paid for, intead of understanding that they once again messed things up and make a clear cut.

China, Russia, Turkey, Syria teach us one thing: the world of the present years does not belong to the babblers and bribers, but to the tough bullies not shy to use force and to bath their hands in blood. Their gains and successes and that the "strong" West must let them get away with it, speak a clear message.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by eddie

Trump is going to pull all our troops out of Syria over the next 30 days, even when his Generals tell him it would be a real bad move. All he can worry about is his punked up wall. He hasn't thought this through at all. What will happen to the Kurds who fought against ISIS? He'll give a free hand for the Turks to go after them, along with Assad's forces plus the Iranians. Now Iran can run weapons across Syria, even into Lebanon for Hezbollah, without worrying about it. But when it comes to Trump, stupid is as stupid does.

Being the C-in-C he has that authority but I'm of the opinion he tends to do what he is allowed to do without a great deal of forethought, on a whim, despite the advice he is able to call upon from the 'experts' whose job it is to advise.

This latest decision is nothing short of a gift to Putin and hands Syria over to Russia as their latest colony. This could well lead to some European countries (Britain included) wondering just how reliable an ally the US is under the current administration.

[ikalugin]

This latest decision is nothing short of a gift to Putin and hands Syria over to Russia as their latest colony. This could well lead to some European countries (Britain included) wondering just how reliable an ally the US is under the current administration.

What are the US options then?