US Politics Thread 2016-2020

[Skybird]

https://www.dw.com/de/meinung-joe-bi...ent/a-56292409

Opinion: Joe Biden is the right man just for the moment

Experience and a reconciling political style make Joe Biden a suitable president in the current situation in the USA. But will he find the right answers beyond the crisis? Ines Pohl comments from Washington.

The January 6th images are harrowing evidence of the state in which the United States finds itself after four years of Donald Trump. They are burned into the collective memory. Not just in the US. The world will not forget that either. Incited by hatred and eaten away by conspiracy theories, the supporters of the incumbent president stormed the heart of American democracy. Exactly two weeks later to the day, the United States now has a new president. Donald Trump, with all his corrosive lies, could not stop this process. That is the good news. And we should all take a deep breath.

Donald Trump is no longer the President of the United States. But his era is far from over. The country he leaves behind is more divided than it has been since the civil war more than 150 years ago. The political camps are irreconcilable. That goes for the family table as well as the parliament. Large parts of his supporters live in a building of lies into which Trump has sent them for years.

Trump's balance sheet is also disastrous in terms of foreign policy. Long-standing allies are disturbed, authoritarian or dictatorial countries like Russia or China rub their hands at the sight of the storm on the Capitol in Washington.

Joe Biden has inherited havoc. Chaos. And brutal economic upheaval. He took over a White House on January 20, 2021, in which nothing is ordered and nothing is in order. This nuclear and economic superpower has in fact no longer been governed for weeks. This is dangerous for America, but also for our international allies. Because such a vacuum is filled quickly.

There has never been a president who was as experienced as Joe Biden when he took office. He has been in the political business for over 50 years, has worked as a member of parliament to find compromises with the political opposing side and, as Barack Obama's Vice President, has experienced the challenges of office first hand for eight years.

In his first speech as the 46th President of the United States, Biden also highlighted this important quality: he presents himself as a reconciler. Despite the extreme security measures that had locked the people out of this celebration of democracy, he managed to give the moment of inauguration dignity. He can.

And this quality cannot be assessed highly enough in this country that has seen so much loss of face in recent weeks. Reliability is returning to the international community. Biden is clearly committed to NATO as a transatlantic alliance. He is a multilateralist who knows that America alone has no chance in a globalized world. Even if that doesn't mean that Europe will be able to hide behind its big brother again in the future. This US president, too, will expect more commitment, also financially, from the old continent.

Joe Biden is the right man for the moment. His team consists largely of experienced professionals who are able to safely conduct government business from day one. The new president will hopefully be able to avert the worst and find compromises with the Republicans in order to finally set up the urgent programs that are vital in the corona pandemic.

The big challenge, however, will be to lead the country into a new normal after the crisis management. What is the sustainable concept that Biden and his administration offers to people who rightly feel abandoned by big politics? What is his program to fight the social injustice that is becoming more and more noticeable and worse? What is his offer for people who are brutally harassed at police checks because of the color of their skin?

Joe Biden is a President of Transition. He made that clear from the start. But words of reconciliation alone will not be enough to lead the country into a common future.

The US needs a new idea of ​​itself. An answer to the question, how do you want to live in the future? What is it actually, this "American" being? What role should immigrants play? And where is the USA's place on the world stage? Joe Biden has no answers to these big questions about the future and hardly the strength to develop such a vision in the near future. That is the tragedy of today, with all the relief that Joe Biden and no longer Donald Trump is now president.

[eddie]

Originally Posted by 3catcircus

I'm not worried about Trump's next move as an average citizen.

I'd be extremely worried if I were a GOP pol who voted to impeach - their political expiration date is ticking.

I'm more worried about what Burden's clown car administration tries to get away with. It's completely obvious he is just a figurehead until they can no longer hide his dementia. What craziness will they try and have him sign off on while he is finger-painting the oval office with his own filth? I'm wondering what the NDAs for the White House Medical Unit are going to prevent medical staff from reporting?

Ah, another Russian bot or Alex Jones disciple ,lol

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by eddie

Ah, another Russian bot or Alex Jones disciple ,lol

Just more projecting from the right.

[mapuc]

He's gone. Who's gone!? Well I'm trying to remember his name.

By the way who is this Trump you keep on talking about ?

Markus

[skidman]

Originally Posted by u crank

This has nothing to do with extending the use of oil. As I said the oil will come to the USA from the Alberta Tar Sands one way or another. There are only two ways, by rail or by pipeline. If the current section of the Keystone is at full capacity then the oil will come by rail. This is a possibility with that method.

OK. First of all I understand tar sands oil is a major economic factor in Canada and around 1Bn C$ of Alberta taxpayer's money already spent on KXL is a huge amount. We both know the amount of crude oil that has to be shipped to the US or other countries of importation one way or the other to make the tar sands business as profitable as offshore drilling and other methods of exploitation depends on the price in the global market. My question is this: Do we need investments in infrastructure to make crude oil more available (and alternatives less attractive), or would it be wise to limit the amount of crude oil available to the market in order to stabilize prices? Take a look at charts on the nominal price for crude oil in the seventies and early eighties when OPEC was fully functional.

And just playing devil's advocate for a minute: Could this be Biden playing the "America first" card and making Canadian oil more expensive and harder to get?

[u crank]

Originally Posted by skidman

My question is this: Do we need investments in infrastructure to make crude oil more available (and alternatives less attractive), or would it be wise to limit the amount of crude oil available to the market in order to stabilize prices?

Well I don't think that matters. The infrastructure is already there. Three phases of this project are complete and the oil is flowing and Joe Biden is not foolish enough to attempt to stop it regardless. Almost half of the USA's imports of crude oil come from Canada. Phase Four of this pipeline would simply make the movement of that oil more efficient and probably better for the environment in the short term. Trains burn a lot of diesel fuel.

What Biden plans to do makes him look good but is it the right thing economically? Like I have been saying, this oil is going south regardless of the method. The only reason Biden and Obama before him could talk like this is the oil was already flowing.

And just playing devil's advocate for a minute: Could this be Biden playing the "America first" card and making Canadian oil more expensive and harder to get?

Why would he do that? Why would he punish American consumers with higher energy prices? And considering the relationship between Canada and the US I would say that is a mistake as well. No I don't think that is the reason he is talking about doing this. It is pandering to a vocal political lobby group that he needs and he owes.

There are other countries in the world who would likely be more than willing to buy Canadian crude. The reality is that the Alberta Tar Sands will be in production for the forseeable future and America will remain the number one customer.

If I was thirty years younger I would be doing that two weeks on two weeks off shift to Wild Rose country myself.

[Mr Quatro]

New Warning label

Get help right away if you have any of these symptoms

"I miss Trump"

[vienna]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I'd like to think so but I'm wondering what Trumps next move will be, if any.

Other than dealing with his new title: "Defendant"...?...




Regarding the pipeline, I'd like to use an analogy; here, in LA, some years ago, the County got around to finally doing something about transit other than just relying on bus transportation to get people around the huge sprawling area that is Los Angeles; in typical LA fashion, it was a long, drawn out process, with projects being developed in fits and starts, bits and pieces; one of the projects was a light rail line to connect the South Bay area to other transit rail system lines already in place, the few that there were; the South Bay, at the time the project was first proposed, was a thriving aerospace and related technology center, known as the birthplace of modern aviation and not a little of the US space programs; however, during the years it took to plan, construct, test, and finalize the operation of the rail line, known as the Green Line, the aerospace industry took a severe dive and bottomed out, leaving an awful, awful lot of shuttered buildings and unemployment in the once prosperous area; the Green Line, when it finally opened, was supposed to service tens of thousands of commuters daily, but due to the collapse of aerospace, the ridership was a tiny fraction of the expectations; I have had the need to ride the Green Line, from time to time, and can attest it is one of the surprisingly least used transportation lines in an otherwise bustling LA...

What has the Green Line got to do with the pipeline? The pipeline could have the same fate as the Green Line, something built for which, ultimately, there will be little to no need; with the growing shift to non-petroleum-based-fuels and, particularly electric propulsion, the market and demand for petroleum could be very soon sharply diminished; we have seen, in recent years a wide shift among US carmakers away from internal combustion engine to either less-gas-consumptive hybrids or outright fully electric vehicles; GM has even changed its logo to reflect its commitment to only manufacturing electric vehicles as its business model, and its is very likely other US manufacturers will follow suit; there is also the major shift by fleet vehicle owners/lessees to using all-electric vehicles due to ease of maintenance, lower cost of operation, and not having to deal with the often wild fluctuations in petroleum prices as a variable in their business planning; I'm not saying that all petrol-powered vehicles will disappear, but I do think the market for fuel will be sharply diminished in the not too distant future; aside form the question of jobs (which, given u crank's Canuck status is a bit more of a Canadian issue than a US issue), is it really even a very good business decision to plan and execute infrastructure for a need that will most likely either be markedly diminished (trucks/rail may actually be more cost efficient, in the long run), or unneeded as an absolute necessity; there is already not a little doubt as to the efficacy of the pipeline without the specter of sharply diminished demand; will the Pipeline become just another too much, too late, like the Green Line?...

If further proof is needed of a quantum shift in energy priorities in the future,look only to how US petroleum companies have been moving heavily into investing in 'green energy' enterprises; if the guy making wagon wheels starts making rubber tires, you gotta start thinking automobiles are here to stay...






<O>

[August]

I thought that the Bee was just news parody but they're hitting pretty close to reality here. Especially the ninjas!


Most Popular President In History To Be Inaugurated In Secret Behind Giant Wall Guarded By Thousands Of Soldiers


WASHINGTON, D.C.—President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated this week, and due to his incredible popularity with the American people, he will be inaugurated in a top-secret location behind a massive 12-foot wall guarded by 30,000 soldiers.
"The reason President-elect Biden has to do this is that he's just so incredibly popular," said Don Lemon on CNN. "He has so many rabid fans that they might try to rush the stage as they're overcome with enthusiasm and love for Biden who is by far the most beloved candidate who has ever run for President."
In addition to the 12-foot electric fence topped with razor wire and the 30,000 heavily armed soldiers who have been vetted as Democrats, there will be flying drones programmed to target MAGA hats, a platoon of ninjas, and a moat filled with crocodiles dug all the way around the Capitol Building and White House.
Biden will then be escorted to a secret underground bunker patrolled by attack choppers where he will give the oath of office in a dark concrete room with all the recording equipment turned off.
"This is a slight break in tradition but it's necessary because Biden is just so incredibly popular and loved by the people," said Nancy Pelosi.
Sources say that Biden will be brought to an undisclosed location after the inauguration to live out his remaining days peacefully until Kamala Harris's inauguration next week.






https://babylonbee.com/news/most-pop...-12-foot-fence

[Buddahaid]

Lol. Still I wonder what happened to make that come about?

[u crank]

Originally Posted by vienna

What has the Green Line got to do with the pipeline? The pipeline could have the same fate as the Green Line, something built for which, ultimately, there will be little to no need; with the growing shift to non-petroleum-based-fuels and, particularly electric propulsion, the market and demand for petroleum could be very soon sharply diminished;

Not likely. Although there is going to be an eventual shift to electric cars would you like to predict when that will be? I would say that the point where the US does not have to import oil is a long way off. You and I won't see it.

As for that pipeline it brings the majority of the USA's imported crude oil. 48%. The next highest amounts are from Mexico 7%, Saudi Arabia 6% and Russia 6%. Who do you think gets cut out of the loop first? Even if the demand is somewhat diminished that source, Alberta will still be the main supplier of the USA's imported oil.

but I do think the market for fuel will be sharply diminished in the not too distant future; aside form the question of jobs (which, given u crank's Canuck status is a bit more of a Canadian issue than a US issue),

Like I have said, if you guys don't buy it someone else will. We don't really care. There is already a pipeline from Alberta to Burnaby, British Columbia on the Pacific coast. That pipeline is being expanded to double it's capacity. I hear the Chinese and the Indians are growing economies with a thirst for oil.

[vienna]

Originally Posted by u crank

Not likely. Although there is going to be an eventual shift to electric cars would you like to predict when that will be? I would say that the point where the US does not have to import oil is a long way off. You and I won't see it.

As for that pipeline it brings the majority of the USA's imported crude oil. 48%. The next highest amounts are from Mexico 7%, Saudi Arabia 6% and Russia 6%. Who do you think gets cut out of the loop first? Even if the demand is somewhat diminished that source, Alberta will still be the main supplier of the USA's imported oil.



Like I have said, if you guys don't buy it someone else will. We don't really care. There is already a pipeline from Alberta to Burnaby, British Columbia on the Pacific coast. That pipeline is being expanded to double it's capacity. I hear the Chinese and the Indians are growing economies with a thirst for oil.

I do think the rise of electric vehicles will most likely be much sooner than you or I expect; the US, and foreign, auto industries are very heavily investing in electric vehicle technology, particularly battery technology, and it would seem counterintuitive to believe they'd not want to see a return on their investments sooner rather than later; also, remember most US drivers, in the course of their daily lives, don't really travel very far, just to work, shopping, etc., so a low cost of operation/maintenance vehicle platform is more attractive than one that really is more 'high-maintenance'; that very concept is why so many urban fleet operators have been switching to CNG, hybrid, or all-electric vehicles, not just cars, but trucks and other commercial vehicle; cities like NY and LA have already swithced their mass-transit bus systems from diesel to CNG, and, here in LA, we are already seeing all-electric buses appearing on some lines, with more to follow...

As far as foreign oil sales, that may continue at a steady pace for a while, but environmental concerns, as well as concerns about energy dependency, are motivating many foreign governments and corporations to look more closely at non-petroleum transportation, including such other vehicle power sources as fuel cells and hydrogen gas propulsion; China, in particular, seems more than welcoming to the idea of electric, etc., alternatives to solve or mitigate urban pollution problems as well as breaking from dependency on outside energy sources; also, China, in particular, would have a marked interest in developing their own alternative fuel/vehicle industry: it gives them one more aspect to their exports...

As I said, if you see Big Oil pumping a lotta cash into alternative fuels, as they are doing, you might begin to think they can see the handwriting on the wall when it comes to where a very large part of their future revenue is going to come from; I'd be more inclined to think the shift is still a long, long, way away if it weren't for the fact Big Oil is spending less on new plant for fossil fuel production relative to their expenditures on developing or getting a foot into alternative fuels...





<O>

[August]

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

Lol. Still I wonder what happened to make that come about?

Well nothing that didn't happen in 2017 when you had gangs of Social Justice Warriors stalking the congressional halls looking for Republican reps to yell at or when a Berniebro shot up a bunch of GoP congressmen playing softball.


And where were all these armed protestors today? You think the DC national guard skeered 'em all off? I think it was just a fake story, like the fake insurrection meme, which I guess goes right along with our new fake president.

[ET2SN]

August, this entire forum and web site is fake.

I thought you knew? The rest of us are Russian bots.

[Buddahaid]

Originally Posted by August

Well nothing that didn't happen in 2017 when you had gangs of Social Justice Warriors stalking the congressional halls looking for Republican reps to yell at or when a Berniebro shot up a bunch of GoP congressmen playing softball.


And where were all these armed protestors today? You think the DC national guard skeered 'em all off? I think it was just a fake story, like the fake insurrection meme, which I guess goes right along with our new fake president.

Did those social justice warriors break in? One nut job at the softball game was bad but it wasn't a mob.

You can believe as you will but yeah, I think they were discouraged by the overwhelming security presence. They will be back though.